food beats

Ok, so as I've started blogging more after a year of forgetting about it, I've realized...there may be maaaany food blogs to come! Hehe..i just love food! I love cooking, baking, entertaining, and discovering new recipes and tricks! This past weekend Rachel and I had some Mel, J, Shirley, and Carl over for dinner! Here's the menu..

• Currey Chickpea Masala over a warm bed of moist white rice
• Steamed Asparagus lightly buttered
• Tossed Greens salad with peppers, tomatoes, topped with greek and feta dressing
• Red Wine
• Dessert: Gluten-free apple pie baked to perfection, with vanilla frozen yogurt

Didn't manage to take any pictures of the amaaazzing meal, sadly! But it was a hit! I LOVE chickpeas. I don't think people cook with them enough. Also called garbanzo beans, they're loaded with vegetarian proteins (almost a complete protein). A protein called tryptophan, that you need for for the happy hormone seratonin and the sleep hormone melatonin, is found in huge amounts in chickpeas! They also have tons of minerals, calcium levels comparable to things like milk, yogurt, and cheese, and are aaaallso high in manganese, phosphorous, magnesium, iron and zinc! Something else cool I learned about them: They are an excellent source of the trace mineral molybdenum. Molybdenum is only needed in your body in trace amounts, and it's really important. It's a necessary component of the body to produce enzyme called sulfite oxidase. This enzyme is needed for detoxifying sulphites: chemical preservatives that are added to many wines, deli salads and dried fruits. Without molybdenum, hypersensitivity to sulphites can occur. Now you know everything there is to know about chickpeas. eat up!

PACKAGES!!

Does my title scream enthusiasm? I hope so. Becuz I'm ENTHUSSED! A few days ago my Rapha supplements came in the mail. (Rapha also means God the Healer) At first glance, it looks sketchy. Supplements? What? Random UK business? Alternative Medicine? (I could go on forever, I'm going to be a health sci major) BUT, before you criticize, remember I've criticized already!(and i would not get into something that I didn't absolutely have faith in.)

So heeres the scoop: My brother-in-law introduced my sister to them when they started dating. HIS mom in England started Jonny and his brothers on it when they were younger for various health reasons. J's brother Dave was always getting sick, he had a severe immune deficiency, and missed a lot of school. His mom also was frequently ill and she couldn't find answers from any doctors. A friend told them about Rapha, and soon after his whole family had hair samples done and apparantly their health has never been the same since :)

I am taking Rapha because I have been experiencing very low energy levels and no change in my muscle mass and toning (despite vigorous working out 5 times a week). I love eating wholesome, real, healthy foods. But despite my diet, every time after a meal I would feel sluggish, tired, or even sick. My body wasn't absorbing the nutrients out of my food, and didn't know what it do with it. It was absorbing all the undesirable sugars and toxins and holding onto them. My workouts and healthy eating were doing zilch to my overall health! My skin was also showing the disfunction. My skin is prone to breakouts, and I have had red spots, general scarring, and blemishes on my face since I was 14. I've tried cutting out dairy, sugar, chocolate (heaven forbid!) and wheat, but since consulting with friends, family, and now, Rapha, I've realized that my outward skin is only showing signs of my inward problems.Even after a few days of taking them, after I eat, I can actually FEEL full and feel my food being digested, therefore I am more alert and actually have TONS of energy, and not just fall asleep. My skin has improved dramatically, and I'm am just feeling overall better.

Here's the breakdown of what I'm taking.

The CYTO-ZYME is a digestive enzyme for helping your body reabsorb minerals and vitamins etc. Before I started taking them, my body was reacting to the majority of foods I ate because my body couldn't break them down. The cyto-zyme will helps to absorb and breakdown foods by reintroducing digestive enzyme that are lacking in my stomach.

The MULTI-VITAMIN is for energy. It's one of the best Vitamins on the market, because it is food state it is more easily broken down by the body to get the minerals that you need, like: Vitamin C that is a chemical isolate at 1000 mg can’t be utilized by the body so it will take what it can around 50 – 100 mg and flush the other 900mg through the kidney making the body work harder.  A food state Vitamin C is around 150 mg because it utilizing all of it  there is less waste so more energy for the person.

The MAGCAL is a tonic tablet it contains 5 out of 11 base minerals. So, there's is something there for my nervous system for muscle and bone growth there is also Iron for my energy levels and anti-inflammatory. Magcal contains PPMP which will re-energise my adrenal glands. The Adrenals is the battery of body, so which is why I've been a bit flat or lacking motivation or just pushing myself too hard so my body isn't having a chance to recharge.  I was not absorbing nutrition from my food and hadn't been for the last 6 months, so my body was lacking in energy.. so it was having to use it's adrenaline more than it would usually use.

So, without further blab - here they are!

 just another pillow? ...

 notice the ROYAL MAIL. snap.

 Yes, they do have a nice spot behind my curtains.

Failures

Some recent thoughts on failure:
I believe Eleanor Roosevelt describes it beautifully - "You gain strength, courage and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face... You must do the things you think you cannot do."

I'm stating this quote because after a long 2+ weeks of difficulty and general failing, I'm starting to realize that there is so much power in failure itself and sometimes what makes two people different is the choice that they make after they've landed flat on the ground. The last while has been a bit dark for a few reasons. It's so discouraging when it seems like everything is going wrong, and everything you touch falls to pieces in front of you. After being shot down and missing the mark, every little thing seems like another confirmation that I don't do well at life. The funniest thing looking back on even these past two weeks, is that my outlook has changed completely. I am grateful for periods of sadness and just general blah because I come out knowing so much more about myself and having an even stronger drive for life. Every failure that I've had in my life has been a learning experience. By being really honest with myself and identifying my shortcomings, I can start again with more confidence and knowledge. I know I'm making progress when each mistake I make is a new one. So..failure? You should try it.