People craft– getting along with yourself

Are upcoming holidays starting to make you feel stressed?  Between work and family pressures, it’s no wonder that over half of us say we’re feeling stressed.  And, 91% of us wish we could find some quick, easy way to unwind.  Stress experts recommend sniffing bergamot.  Extracted for the rind of the bergamot orange native to Asia but also grown in Italy, this essential oil was used by ancient Egyptians to help boost calm and relaxation.  Bergamots uniquely targets certain brain receptors, creating an instant sedative effect similar to Valium’s on the central nervous system.  Health food stores carry bergamot.  Or, sip Earl Gray tea which is heavily flavored with bergamot oil.  The oil should not be used directly on skin.

Another trick is sharing a joke.  Cracking up with a pal vastly increases feel-good endorphins and decreases the stress hormones cortisol and epinephrine.  Wish you could hear Janessa B’s deep and beautiful laugh–>

Yoga significantly slashes the psychological stress that leads to heart disease.  Daughter Janice recommends the “child pose” which lowers stress-induced blood pressure by 31%!  For me, lap swimming does it.  I feel downright joyous when I’m a half hour into it, at the 20-lap point.

Certain foods are known to produce happy, calming hormones.  Pop pumpkin seeds, loaded with tryptophan, or crunch magnesium-rich almonds, a top stress-busting mineral.  Peel and eat an orange, rich in vitamin C, which returns your blood pressure back after a tense situation.

Eat– for Good Health

Today I’m going to inspire you to pick Brussels Sprouts.   These miniature members of the cabbage family have gotten a bad rap in the past.  No wonder, they were boiled!  The added calories and fat of butter didn’t make them taste much better.   But, you can if you roast them with golden raisins and hazelnuts, below. Give Brussels Sprouts’ earthy taste and hearty texture another chance either as a snack or side dish with fall meals.

Nutritionally, why Brussels Sprouts? Cruciferous vegetables like Brussels sprouts are packed with phytonutrients that boost health and according to research, can prevent some forms of cancer.  You’ll get a good helping of vitamin C, dietary fiber, vitamin A, and potassium in these slightly bitter veggies.

Today I’m making Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts and Golden Raisins.  Toss halved Brussels sprouts with olive oil and roast until tender.  Toss in golden raisins and chopped hazelnuts near the end of cooking.

 

Eat– for Good Health

Spicy Black Bean Soup is a filling 200 calories.  If you like more color, add red and green peppers, which is now in the recipe! A green salad with chopped fruit goes nicely with the soup.

Ingredients for four servings:

1 onion, finely chopped

1 (or more) garlic cloves, minced

1 large green pepper, diced

1 large red pepper, diced

1 jalapeno pepper, finely chopped

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cumin

pinch of sugar

1 cups reduced sodium beef broth

1 can black beans, 15.5 oz.

salt and pepper, if desired, or Mrs. Dash

For serving:

Lime wedges

1/4 cup plain nonfat yogurt

1/4 cup chopped green onion or cilantro

Stir onion, garlic, peppers, and oil together in a large pot over low heat.  Cook, stirring, for ten minutes.  Stir in chili powder, cumin, sugar, and seasonings.  Add broth and beans with their liquid.  Bring to a boil, and then lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Serve with lime on the side, and yogurt and green onion or cilantro on top.

People craft– getting along with yourself

This two-second confidence booster is tried and true.  Good posture does more than make Grandma happy.  Researchers at Ohio State University have shown that an upright posture affects how others see us as well as how you see yourself.  Led by Dr. Richard Petty, a team of psychologists divided subjects into two groups.  Those who were told to sit up straight experienced more confidence in their own ideas than those who remained in slumped positions.  The findings add to growing research proving that you you position your body can have a direct effect on your mood.  For example, when you move your facial muscles to smile, even if you are not particularly happy, good feelings begin to flow.  New time you need to present an idea at a meeting , sit up straight.  Chances are you will have more confidence and speak with a surer voice.

Places– of charm

Do you like the idea of recycled building materials as much as I do?  My Alma Mater, University of Iowa, a major national research university in Iowa City, presented Sika Sarnafil Inc (located in Massachusettes) with a Sustainable Roofing Performance Award.  And, U of Iowa, demonstrated its decision by recycling its old Sarnafil roof on the Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

Sarnafil, as a roof building material, has been around for about three decades.  The arena’s 1981 roof was Sarnafil, but it was aging.

The ability to recycle is an important factor in determining the sustainability of a building material. Recycling reduces the environmental impacts of producing new materials at the beginning of the lifecycle and the burden on landfills at the end.  Vinyl recycling is well established with millions of pounds recycled every year. The sustainability movement along with increasing landfill restrictions and disposal fees is escalating the demand to recycle roofs at the end of their useful life.  Now I’m hearing that Los Angeles based architects have tried Sarnafil for homes.  One particular home has an engaging and casual design.  The house belongs to artist Joe Sola and wife Erin Wright, director of special projects at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.  Their white Sarnafil exterior house reflects heat and even expands and contracts with changes in temperature.

Photo of Sola home is courtesy Escher GuneWardena Architecture

People craft– getting along with yourself

Be a sleeping beauty!  There’s nothing like adequate sleep to feel good and get gorgeous, so don’t feel guilty about it!  Getting enough shuteye is one of the Seven Secrets in the little gold suitcase in GOLD STANDARD OF THIN, to be released in January 2010.  Trainer John Spencer Ellis, hired by The Real Housewives of Orange County, agrees with us.  Ellis says, “No matter how hard you work at looking good, you won’t get results unless you make time for quality sleep.”

Eat– for Good Health

Dig into a slimmer steak!  A 3-oz (deck of cards portion) ribeye steak will cost you 210 calories and 12.5 grams of fat.  A juicy sirloin of the same size has just 153 calories and 5 grams of fat.  Wouldn’t this be tasty with green beans, mushrooms, and a tossed salad?  Lose weight with smart switches!

People appreciation

Don’t dogs look adorable in Halloween costumes?  Art of Elysium, a nonprofit organization that facilitates creative arts activities with pediatric patients and their families, knows of its value. Yesterday, pediatric patients at Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA  Halloween also dressed up in costumes, enjoyed face-painting, made crafts, and watched a magic show.  Five canine teams from UCLA’s People-Animal Connection (PAC), an animal-assisted therapy program, donned costumes and accompanied the kids while they trick-or-treat through the hospital hallways.

The annual Halloween party is hosted by the hospital’s Child Life/Child Development department in an effort to make sure the young patients experience a memorable celebration. For the third year, Spirit Halloween, the country’s largest seasonal Halloween retailer, has generously donated all costumes and accessories for pediatric families at UCLA’s Westwood and Santa Monica hospitals.

People craft– getting along with yourself

Have you noticed the hoot over fashionable owls this fall?  Get wise to chic owls because “cute” makes us feel good!  Charming and playful owls are decorating evening bags (but this one is out of my price range.  It’s $3,800, yikes):

t-shirts:

pendants:

and even socks: 

Eat– for Good Health

I know how it hurts to be too old to bob for apples,

but try this for an awesome Apple-tizer.  Spread crackers with mango chutney.  Top with thin slices of apple and deli-sliced smoked turkey.