Wednesday, May 16, 2007

MEXICAN RICE SALAD

Here's a great new recipe to try if you like the southwest spicy flavor. This colorful one-meal salad is a sure hit - and it's great for entertaining!

MEXICAN RICE SALAD

Dressing:
2 Tbs. cold pressed oil
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely diced
1 tsp. ground cumin
2 cloves garlic, pressed or minced
1 tsp. salt

Salad:
4 C. torn romaine lettuce
1 C. cooked brown rice, chilled
1/2 C. cooked adzuki, black, or red beans, (rinsed and drained well)
3 green onions, chopped
1 red bell pepper, diced
1/2 C. halved green olives
1/2 C. cut corn (raw is best)

* In a small bowl, combine dressing.
* In serving bowl, combine salad ingredients, then add dressing.
* Toss well and serve.

This recipe is from Super Simple Salads.... for the Healthy Leaner Lifestyle which has some incredible salads. Many of them are 0ne-meal salads which will make quick, easy, nutritious summer meals. To order this book, go to: http://erleentilton.com/store.htm

For your best health,
Erleen Tilton

Thursday, May 10, 2007

I Want to Eat Healthy, Where Do I Start?

Healthy eating is often desired, but just knowing where to start is often hard. Here are a few short suggestions to get you started on your road to living a healthy lifestyle - eating better, feeling better and acquiring the weight you desire.

1) Change the place you shop! Really, this is one of the biggest, most effective steps you can take to make significant changes in eating better. There are a number of great health markets available now and they are becoming more popular. Even though healthy foods may be a little more expensive, they are higher in nutrition and quality. However, you should still always read labels to insure you are getting good quality foods.

2) Incorporate raw foods in every meal, every snack, and everything you eat. Raw foods are high in nutrition, low in calories, and aid good digestion. Fresh fruits do not combine well with most other foods, so fruits are best eaten in the morning combined with raw nuts, whole grain cereals, and smoothies (with raw nuts, soy milk, and even veggies). Do not eat fruits for dessert
- they will only ferment in the stomach. A large portion of raw vegetables should always be served at lunch and dinner - more than just a carrot stick or two. We need lots of greens and other vegetables, plus raw nuts and sprouts which are full of vitamins, minerals, protein, and fiber of which we need.

3) Stick to whole grains as much as possible. Especially if you are trying to loose wei*ght, omit flours from your diet and the weight will drop off easily and naturally. Yes, breads and pastas can be replaced with a variety of whole grains (millet, quinoa, amaranth, barley, brown rice, etc.) by adding them to your salad. Eat them for breakfast if raw fruits and nuts aren't filling
enough.

4) Eat a small amount of protein with each of your meals. The first mistake people make when cutting down on animal products, is replacing them with an abundance of carbs. You still need your protein and can get great healthy sources of proteins from raw nuts, legumes (beans, peas) and sprouts. These are full of protein and good for you. Soy milk, tofu milk, and almond milk are great milks for when you need them. These milks are not "substitutes" - they just come from vegetable sources instead of an animal. Don't overdo it, but a handful of raw nuts, raw seeds, sprouts or beans on a salad, or any of these on the side, are proteins that are good nourishment.

5) Omit milk products from your diet. Humans are the only mammal that drinks milk after they are weaned, the only mammal that drinks it from another mammal, and the only one that drinks it pasteurized - which process makes it an indigestible source of calcium anyway. The way dairy milk is produced makes it an entirely poor source of food. Our best sources of calcium actually come from our leafy greens and our raw nuts and seeds (raw sesame, sunflower, and pumpkin).

6) Remember, the biggest flaw in today's eating is the one thing we usually have a hard time letting go of: convenience foods. These are all highly refined foods, high in calories, fats, unhealthy additives, preservatives, colors, flavors.....the list goes on and on. We do like foods that are convenient, so prepare them so they are convenient:
* have fresh fruits available to grab at a moment's notice
* package your own baggies or raw nuts and dry fruits
* pack an emergency bag in your car with healthy things to eat so you are not tempted to stop while you are on the road: raw nuts, healthy snack bars, fruit leather, etc.
* cook up 3-4 whole grains at a time and keep them in the refrigerator for quick use
* cook up 1-2 varieties of beans ahead of time for quick use
* learn to sprout - get started and keep them going, one after another

7) Change your mind set to think wholesome and whole - eating the foods God gave us in their natural form: raw fruits and vegetables, whole grains and legumes. Then if you eat unprocessed and naturally fed meat sparingly, small amounts of oil for salads and other meal preparations (olive oil, cold pressed oils, omega-3 oils), and prepare healthy recipes with minimal preparations - this kind of diet is much simpler, more convenient, and definitely more nourishing. You won't have the cravings for unhealthy food items, but you will have the health and wellness you desire!

8) Don't forget the water. As foods are our builders, water is our pure and perfect cleanser.
We need lots of it, especially with today's foods as well as our environmental impurities. Most adults need a minimum of 3 quarts of water daily, and if you are live in a warm climate, work out, or are sick, nursing or overweight, that amount should increase another 1-3 quarts. Yes, we need the cleansing power of good pure water - not any other drink! Our bodies do not need or want polluting and toxic foods or drinks. Our bodies want and need nutrition! Everything we take into our bodies should either NOURISH or CLEANSE. This is a much more simple way of eating, and a more sensible way too!

To get you on the road to improving your health, take advantage of my special offer at:
http://erleentilton.com/special2.htm

For your best health,
Erleen Tilton

Monday, May 07, 2007

On-The-Go Healthy Foods!

At every time of the year, there are all kinds of on-the-go activities constantly. Most all these activities require food preparations or picking up something quick to take along.

As you do this, think about this quote by Michael Eades M.D. and Mary Dan Eades M.D., authors of Protein Power: "The medical problems that confound us today will probably amaze scientists in the twenty-first century as they puzzle over why we medical pioneers of today were unable to reach out and grab the obvious, why we were so advanced in certain areas of medical treatment yet so abysmally deficient in others. Why, they may ask, could our surgeons perform open-heart surgery so skillfully as to make it a routine operation while at the same time our nutritional experts couldn't determine the optimal diet for preventing most of the problems necessitating that procedure? Why spend so much time and effort developing complex surgical techniques and other wondrous medical procedures that prolong the life of the diseased body for a few months or, at best, a few years instead of focusing on nutritional changes capable of prolonging healthy life for decades? Why can't we see the big picture?"

Nutrition is always important and many of us stumble when it comes to the on-the-go foods because though they are quick to grab, most are deplete in nutritional value. But this is the time that we need optimum nutrition to satisfy our hunger and thirst.

Here are some great snack foods to grab on a moments notice:
* Apples, bananas, oranges, etc. always come prepackaged and, if on hand, can be quickly added to any lunch box or basket.
* Raw nuts such as almonds, walnuts, pine nuts, cashews are great snack nibblers. Remember that if they are raw, they go into the body as nourishment, while if they are roasted, they go into the body as high calorie, fat items.
* Trail mixes consisting of raw nuts and dried fruits can come in a variety of combinations, always yummy to snack on.
* Fruits roll-ups, dried fruit snacks and such (which should be just fruit) are also great to have.
* Popcorn can be popped for a great treat. Hot air popped corn is best (avoid micro-waved corn for many reasons). If popped with hot air, it is much lower in calories, and won't have near as much fat or salt added as other methods.
* Rice cakes and whole grain crackers with healthy veggie dips and spreads are a great snack to take along.
* Don't forget all the wonderful fresh cut veggies with dips, hummus, etc. Veggie platters and dip is always a great party dish to take along and is one of the first things to be consumed. Everyone likes veggies and dips!
* Whole grain and live food snack bars are great, containing high nutrition and low calories. Many market varieties are just the opposite which can be high in sugar, fat, calories, and unhealthy whey protein.
* Remember too that you can plan ahead for great snack drinks. Pure water, raw fruit juices and green drinks are very satisfying in quenching the thirst.

There's a lot out there that's just poor foods, but there is so many great foods that provide good nourishment. On-the-foods can be good nutritious ones, we just have to plan and think nutritiously!

If you need more ideas and would like a quick-start program for healthy eating, the best way I know how to guide you through this process in an easy step by step, hands-on procedure at the health retreats. Check out the event that best suits your needs now, and don't wait to sign up because the slots do fill up fast:
Women's Health Retreat: http://erleentilton.com/healthretreat2.htm
Couple's Health Retreat: http://erleentilton.com/healthretreatC.htm
Youth Health Retreat: http://erleentilton.com/healthretreatY.htm

For your best health,
Erleen Tilton

Thursday, May 03, 2007

Why Cleansing is so Important for Your Health!

Yes, as it is that time of year when the house needs a thorough spring cleaning, it's also a great time to do some internal body spring cleaning. Just as the dust and clutter builds up in the corners and closets, our bodies over time build up with toxins and pollutants that do and will affect the state of our health. So a great spring cleanse is very beneficial.

So how does one cleanse?

1) a) A liquid fast is an excellent way to cleanse the blood and lymphatic system. This can be really effective for 3-6 days and you will feel so good afterwards. Liquids such as distilled water, lemon juice in water, vegetables broths, raw vegetable juices (from carrots, celery, greens, beets, etc.), and raw fruit juices (apple, citrus, grape, etc.) will help neutralize poisons in the bloodstream and will stimulate the cleansing functions of liver, bowels, and kidneys. Always make sure you are drinking lots of water in between the different juices, especially if you feel bloated. Bloating is a natural occurrence when the body is trying to cleanse faster than it is, so make sure you are getting plenty of water.
b) For an easier, more extended fast, try this: From the time you arise until dinner time, eat nothing, just drink: raw vegetable juices (especially green drinks), raw fruit juices, and lots and lots of pure water. Then eat a cleansing meal consisting of a green salad, cooked or sprouted beans or grains, maybe a baked potato or steamed vegetables, etc. Omit meats, milk, and all processed foods. Do this for at least 7-14 days.
c) Herbs such as cascara sagrada, echinacea, garlic, and dandelion are excellent to take during this period.

2) Enemas or colonics are definitely a benefit on at least a yearly basis. Cleaning the colon is like cleaning the scum out of a trash can or toilet. There is obviously a build up of debris after months and years, and it is so beneficial to get right to the source and pull the plug! Yes, get an enema bag and fill your colon 5-6 times with a warm water solution with a ½ cup apple cider vinegar or lemon juice to 2 quarts of water (that is - while laying on your right side, fill the colon, wait until you feel the need to expel, then expel and repeat).

3) Saunas or Epsom salt baths are both great ways to cleanse the skin through the pores. For an Epsom salt bath, add ½ cup Epsom salt to very warm bath water. Adding peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils doubles the benefits. You won't want to get out of the bath tub, so stay as long as the water is warm and enjoy the cleansing!

4) As always, to cleanse the lungs, exercise daily and take several deep breathing cleansing breaths to keep the lungs strong and clean. Don't exercise on a busy street where you are breathing toxic automobile fumes, but get out in the open mountain air when ever possible. Then concentrate on always breathing clean air. Don't use toxic chemicals or breath in those type of environments that have toxic pollutants.

Energy comes from having a clean system which is one reason why cleansing is so important! But also, when we are clean internally we can be free of sickness and disease, and have the health and energy to do what we desire in life. Cleansing is also a vital part of having natural wei*ght management. For more information, get the Healthy Permanent Wei*ght Management 3-CDs at: http://livingahealthylifestyle.com/cds.htm .

Enjoy a good spring cleanse, this year and every year!

For your best health,

Erleen