Finding Seasonal Produce: Autumn

Bonjour!

Autumn is here and I'm starting to see more seasonal produce.  One exciting thing about seasons changing is cooking with local (if possible) seasonal ingredients.  Your food will have more flavor and your taste-buds will thank you!

Last summer I wrote a blog post about Finding Seasonal Produce. Veggies and fruits are key component to healthy eating. Consuming produce fresh from harvest is the best way to get the highest level of vitamins and minerals.

Remember that most mainstream produce is shipped from very far away.  How far does your produce travel? Find out at TheFoodIllusion.wordpress.com.


Autumn Produce for Florida

Apples
Artichoke
Arugula
Beets
Belgian Endive
Broccoli and Broccoli raabe
Brussels Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celeriac/Celery Root
Celery
Chard
Chicories
Chiles
Cranberries
Curly Endive (Frisée)
Edamame (soy beans)
Eggplant (early fall)
Escarole
Fennel
Figs
Garlic
Grapes (early fall)
Green beans
Green Onions/Scallions
Herbs (hearty sorts are available fresh in fall – look for bundles of rosemary, parsley, thyme, and sage)
Horseradish
Jerusalem Artichokes/Sunchokes
Kale
Kohlrabi (late fall)
Leeks
Lemongrass
Lettuce (in warmer climates)
Limes
Mushrooms (wild)
Okra (early fall)
Onions
Oranges
Parsnips
Pears
Peppers (early fall)
Persimmons
Pomegranates
Potatoes
Pumpkins
Quinces
Radicchio
Radishes (all types)
Rutabagas
Shallots
Shelling beans
Spinach
Sweet Potatoes/Yams
Tomatillos
Turnips
Winter Squash (all types)
Zucchini


Some of my favorites are on that list: apples, beets, broccoli, eggplant, garlic, herbs, leafy greens, Florida oranges, sweet potatoes, squash and zucchini. Yum!

And a few new ones that I'd love to try: arugula, chicories, parsnips, persimmons, quinces and tomatillos.


Helpful Resources for Finding Local Food

• About.com's Search by Region
• FieldtoPlate.com's Seasonal Lookup Guide
• FoodandWine.com's Fresh Fall Produce

Enjoy the season!

Dr. Perricone's Forever Young Swag Bag

Dr. Perricone's latest book Forever Young was released yesterday!  I've seen the teasers on his daily blog and it piqued my interest.

As you may know, T-Tapp was featured as the anti-aging workout in Dr. Perricone's 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health and Longevity, with a whole section of the 10 Minutes to Turn Back Time exercise sequence.  His research is cutting-edge and I'm excited about this new book!

For the Forever Young release Dr. Perricone put together an online swag bag full of over $400 in goodies! Thursday, September 16th is the last day to purchase Forever Young (from any online bookseller) and send in your receipt for a password access to the swag bag.  Buy your book right away to make sure you qualify!

www.getforeveryoung.com/swagbag

T-Tapp has partnered with the Forever Young Swag Bag offer and you'll see that just for purchasing Dr. Perricone's new book you can get the Introduction to T-Tapp DVD Set ($29.95 value) free*!  Plus if you also purchase a new copy of Teresa Tapp's book, Fit and Fabulous in 15 Minutes, T-Tapp will send you the Step Away the Inches Walking Workout DVD ($19.95 value) free*!

*Just pay shipping.

I checked it out on Amazon.com today and you can get BOTH books for $26.25 with free super saver shipping!  Not a bad deal considering along with that you get over $400 in swag, plus some excellent reading material.  I'll be getting my set tomorrow before the offer ends.

Stay Forever Young!

The Moon Diet

The Moon Rules Cancer by Johfra Bosschart

My mom has studied astrology for years and I find it fascinating. She can tell me things based on the current planetary alignment and my natal chart (where the planets were when I was born) that make a lot of sense with what's happening or on the horizon at the time. I really appreciate having this insight and intellect in my life!  It's like getting advice from the cosmos.  Yesterday I read an email from her that included a link to a video by Rose Astrology about the New Moon in Cancer on July 11, 2010. This new moon is also a solar eclipse, which means the power of the moon's effects on us is about tenfold.  The moon actually rules the sign of Cancer also, which involves emotions, feelings, nurturing.  The video (linked above) discusses being in the present moment and focusing on how you feel, then nurturing yourself and others around you.  It's a good time to take care of our bodies, minds and spirits and be kind to one another.

CURRENT MOON

moon info

As I was stumbling around the internet today I discovered the Moon Diet.  It's not really a "diet" at all, but a short-term 24-hour liquid fast.  Mainly focusing on drinking pure water and also freshly squeeze vegetable juice.  On the T-Tapp Forums I've been reading the Nutrition/Diet section and all of the Eat Stop Eat (ESE) posts and to me the premise of the Moon Diet is pretty similar to ESE in the respect that you take one day to allow your body to cleanse and detoxify itself with fluids.  Only the Moon Diet follows the cycles of the moon.

Excerpt from Lunaf.com:

Centuries ago people associate the Moon with magic, space, romance and cyclic patterns. It is scientifically proven, when the Moon enters into a new lunar phase, a change occurs in the geomagnetic field of the Earth. The moon affects tides, the growth of plants, the breeding of the animals, and strongly effects the emotional and physical state of humans.

The lunar diet at full moon and new moon, 24 hours moon diet, or the three-day moon diet, each of these diets related to the lunar calendar, could help to regulate and maintain your normal weight or to clean your body.

(Lunaf.com is a pretty neat little site, btw.)

I've been seriously considering trying out ESE for the detoxification and health benefits.  Lately I've felt like I need to detoxify regularly to feel healthy (ie: sauna sessions, alkaline water, T-Tapp workouts, body brushing, oil pulling, massage, cleaner eating).  The more of those things I do, the better I feel.  So I think it's a good time for me to start! At least I'll try it out and see if it helps me.  Now I just need to purchase the ESE e-book (highly recommended on the T-Tapp Forum for success and better understanding behind the science of the program), alkaline water and organic veggies.

Au revoir!

Meet the Lychee Fruit

Have you ever heard of a fruit called Lychee? 

[pronounced lee'-chee]

Me either... Until my massage lady and dear friend, Margie, gave me one!

I don't know about you, but if I saw this thing in the wild I would not think it was edible.  Lychee fruit almost looks intimidating to me.  Yet when you peel off it's red spiny shell a soft grape-like (super sweet and juicy) fruit is revealed!

Warning, don't bite it like a grape! 
There is a seed or nut in the middle, eat the fruit around that. Yum!

Lychee fruit grows on trees in tropical areas of the globe with origins in China.  This fruit is from Margie's mothers home on Florida's east coast.  Eat local!

What's your favorite kind of exotic fruit?

Au revoir!

P.S. I still have aspirations of eating more locally produced food. It's about time for another adventure to the farmer's markets!

Get Healthy & Fit Game Plan

This time of year is known to get people to make healthier choices. Spring is just around the corner and I want to be healthier and fit by then. I was planning on starting a new Get Healthy & Fit Game Plan after seeing my depressing January Jump Start Challenge results. Normally I get amazing results with T-Tapp, but there is so much else going on with my body that I need to take other things into account. What better time than NOW to begin making healthier choices.

"Exercise is your king, and nutrition is your queen. Together they create your fitness kingdom." -- Jack LaLanne

I'm going to take that quote to heart focus on those two things: exercise and nutrition.


Here's my plan...

Do At Least Three 45+ Minute T-Tapp Workouts Per Week
Now that the January Jump Start Challenge is over, I can do whatever workouts and exercises I want to do. It's a sigh of relief really. I loved using T-Tapp MORE, but will be glad to go back to using workouts like Tempo 2, Maxi Max #1 and Ladybug Workout.

Workout Plan:

• I'm going to start with a 4-day Boot Camp using Tempo 2 - 8 Reps. If I have enough time and energy after that workout I will go to the floor and add: Organs in Place/Half Frogs, 30 Crunches, 15 Oblique Sit-ups (each side), Awesome Legs, Pretzel Twist and Diva Derriere.
• After Boot Camp I will switch to an every other day schedule, which is 3 full workouts per week with days off in between. I will start to mix up my routine a bit by using different T-Tapp workouts during the week.
  
• Off days (aka Rest Days) can be taken completely off OR do 20 minutes or less of T-Tapp movement OR walk outside using T-Tapp techniques. Either Basic Plus Tempo, T-Tapp MORE OR Primary Back Stretch + the floor moves listed above will be my go-to off day routine.
  

I want to start doing some yoga and more core building moves in addition to T-Tapp. Angela @ Oh She Glows did a Whittle My Middle 30-Day Challenge that included a lot of core building moves that I would love to do. So I may work in her little routine a few days a week.


Body Brush Daily
I need to keep up this habit up. Found that I really missed brushing during my vacation! Body brushing helps with reducing inflammation, as well as exercising the skin to keep it tight and reduce the appearance of cellulite, but it also has a lot of other benefits too! Click that body brushing link above to read my previous blog on this subject.


Eat Clean, God-made, Organic and Anti-inflammatory Foods
I will try to follow Teresa Tapp's God-made/Man-made (GM/MM) dietary guidelines for the most part. These simple guidelines limit the amount of man-made processed foods to every third day. So you eat clean, wholesome, naturally found-on-Earth foods for 2 days; then can eat something you've been craving, like pizza or brownies, on the third day. The 2 days of eating clean allow your body the time to process the man-made foods. God-made foods include: fruit, vegetables, lean meats, dairy, nuts, seeds, and whole grains.

I will buy all organic produce, meats and grains as much as possible. I want to feed my body the best nutrition I can find, without all of the pesticides, chemicals, food additives and GMOs.

I really like Dr. Weil's Anti-inflammatory Diet Tips! And Dr. Perricone has always promoted eating anti-inflammatory foods to slow aging and increase body efficiency. Dr. Perricone even calls the T-Tapp workout "the anti-aging workout" in his book Dr. Perricone's 7 Secrets to Beauty, Health, and Longevity: The Miracle of Cellular Rejuvenation. Amazing! Here's his take on pro-inflammatory foods:

Foods can be pro-inflammatory or anti-inflammatory. Pro-inflammatory foods promote wrinkles, disease, accelerate aging and cause the storage of fat. Pro-inflammatory, sugary, starchy foods causes a loss of radiance, dark circles under the eyes, loss of tone, increased line and wrinkles, loss of facial contours, increased puffiness and pore size. These foods also exacerbate acne, which is a systemic, inflammatory disease. Sugars and starches rob your youth, health and beauty.

Beauty, yet another reason to eat clean!


Limit Alcohol to 1-2 Glasses of Wine Per Week
I'm omitting beer and grain alcohol since they tend to put on weight faster. All alcohol is pro-inflammatory, so I figure a glass or two of wine per week won't hurt my results much.


Limit Added Sugar and Dessert
I want to try to cut out sugar in my coffee in the morning and other products that have added sugars as much as I can. I may even cut out coffee altogether and switch to organic tea instead.

I'm also going to limit dessert to one time every other week. Not that I eat that many sweets, but over the last month I did enjoy some ice cream and chocolates.


Getting waterlogged daily with 2-3 liters
Lately I have been reaching my 2 liter goal per day, but it can't hurt to drink more water.


That's it for now! Some of my other goals are nutrition related. I need to find a good daily multi-vitamin/mineral supplement and to start taking Vitamin D3 and Omega-3 daily.

Wish me luck!

Fast Food Resistance, Say NO to GMOs

{ photo credit: silentske }

Fast Food Industry pockets millions of dollars each year. It's thriving! Many chains have started to incorporate what they consider "healthier" options, but how healthy are they? Salads at McDonald's and Wendy's still bring in around 1,000 calories with dressing included.

There's a market for cheap food because it's fast and easy. How real is it? Probably all GMO, full of fake ingredients, fillers and chemical calories. However, seems to satisfy the hunger, thirst and need for convenience at the time.

Until after the food digests... the last two times I've eaten at fast food restaurant I felt sick. I tend to order the same thing -- chicken sandwich, sometimes fries and maybe a side salad; to drink I stick to water, iced tea or lemonade.

In a recent email I received from Denise Austin mentions eating healthy at fast food restaurants.

Good ideas, but...

This year I resolve to skip the fast food restaurants.
I don't want to contribute to them anymore.
The only one I would try is Evos since it's actually somewhat healthy.

Most people probably aren't even aware of what GMOs are (Genetically Modified Organism Foods). Part of that reason could be because of labeling laws. Wouldn't you be surprised if you found out your food was infused with medicine or chemicals?

Definition from Wikipedia:

A genetically modified organism (GMO) or genetically engineered organism (GEO) is an organism whose genetic material has been altered using genetic engineering techniques. These techniques, generally known as recombinant DNA technology, use DNA molecules from different sources, which are combined into one molecule to create a new set of genes. This DNA is then transferred into an organism, giving it modified or novel genes.

This basically means the food is scientifically created and genetically altered by man. Sometimes this is done to make the crop resistant to insects, yield a larger crop in a smaller area, or to add some type of benefit to the end consumer (omega 3 in tomatoes, yuck). And in my opinion, it's very very bad!!!

Do Your Own Research!

There are SO many resources available to educate you about eating organic healthy wholesome food and what's really happening in the food industry that they don't want you to know about. I encourage you to explore these resources and make a decision for yourself.

Movies:


Food, Inc. DVD
Movie site: http://www.foodincmovie.com



Foodmatters DVD
Movie site: http://foodmatters.tv



Super Size Me DVD



King Corn DVD
Movie site: http://www.kingcorn.net


Reading:


Fast Food Nation



Food Inc.
A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter, and Poorer-And What You Can Do About It



Genetically Modified Food: A Short Guide for the Confused

Remember to eat organic foods whenever you can to avoid GMOs, pesticides and chemicals. Look for produce stickers that start with 9.

Take action and always Say NO to GMOs!

Au revoir!

I Love Mediterranean Foods!

The Traditional Mediterranean Diet

My traps (neck and shoulders) and mid-back are super sore today. Wonder if I slept in a strange position? I've done shoulder rolls a few times today... they feel good. Although I skipped yet another workout and will definitely fit one in this weekend. I have to keep reminding myself that every little bit counts when you move the T-Tapp way. Those shoulder rolls are so simple yet make such a big difference. I can also curl my core (doing it as we speak) while sitting at my desk and in the car, which happen to be the 2 places that I seem to be at most of the day.

I'm still trying to adjust to regular hours after all that vacation. This weather doesn't help either, it makes me want to hibernate. Today Berei kept saying, "It's going to snow!" You know what, it just might. And if that happened I think I would be thrilled and astonished at the same time. After all we do live in a tropical paradise.


Today's Food Log:

Brekkie

Home brewed Starbucks Breakfast Blend coffee with Silk French Vanilla Creamer.

Oikos Green Monster (1/2 frozen banana, 1/4 cup frozen blueberries, 2 cups fresh organic spinach, 1/2 cup Stonyfield Farms Plain Oikos Greek Yogurt, 1 cup Vanilla Almond Breeze, 1 Tbsp organic flax)

I really love the yogurt addition! Lots of protein that makes the shake last until lunch.


Lunch

A crisp and cool Greek Salad with a little Southern-style potato salad.

Plus this super soft piece of bread.

Wine

I opened up a bottle of Alice White Shiraz and enjoyed a glass while cooking dinner.

... and poured another glass to drink with dinner.


Dinner

I got parsley! { everything you need to know about parsley from WHFoods } Someday I would really love to grow parsley, and lots of it. My tabbouleh recipe would probably use an entire plant! This year I plan on attempting to grow my own herbs and veggies on my porch, in window farms, EarthBoxes and self-watering containers. Just think of how amazing it would be to walk over to your window and pick fresh herbs to use in a meal. Will be doing a blog series about that... fresh features!

It's tabbouleh time! I used quinoa as the grain and absolutely devoured this super fresh tabbouleh salad. Yum.

Dessert

I ate the last of the chocolate... a Raspberry Bliss Meltaway.

I sure did eat a lot of Mediterranean foods today! And I didn't even intentionally to do it. Just missing some grilled fish. Mmm... that's appetizing.

After dinner I actually made more Baked Potato Soup with Asparagus for this weekend. Yum! Usually I am not that ambitious in the kitchen after cooking an entire meal. It feels good to have a hearty wholesome meal ready for tomorrow. Can't wait to eat it.


Today's Supplements:

Alfalfa: 6 caps
Cellfood: 8 drops
Emergen-C: 1 packet
Jus: 1 ounce
nutraMetrix® Isotonix® Calcium Complete: 2 servings
nutraMetrix® Glucosatrin® Bone & Joint Formula: 3 caps
Priority Women's Complete Multi: 4 caps
Wobenzym: 12 tablets

Au revoir!

On the Menu: Cook Once, Eat Healthy All Week

I am really excited to try this meal plan from Self.com! I found it online about 2 weeks ago and all the recipes look delicious. After eating food at the Spa all last week I'm really craving yummy and healthy foods.

Check out the recipes here:
Cook once, eat healthy all week

Shopping list included!

I'm heading to the grocery store right after work. How easy is that?!

Recipes coming up this week:

• Adobo-Glazed Mini Turkey Loaves
• Vegetable and Chickpea Ragout
• Spicy Thai Soup With Lime Shrimp
• Cheesy Shrimp Enchilada Bake
• Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Mmmmm...

Jus: Dream in Color

Ever since my massage therapist introduced me to Jus I knew it was something that I wanted to be a part of. Jus is composed of 23 superfoods and has an amazingly high ORAC value.

I take 1 ounce of Jus a day (sometimes more if I feel like I need it) and can really tell a difference in energy levels and quicker healing. Plus, I have no more dark circles under my eyes!

1 ounce of Jus a day to keep the doctor away!

The best part is that it tastes good! With other types of juices, like Noni and Mangosteen, I really had to try to get used to them. Not with Jus! It was love at first taste. ♥ Everyone I have given a sample to loves it as well.

This comparison chart says so much about Jus!

I was able to attend a Jus Meeting in Clearwater last month. Meeting the people involved was wonderful. They are all full of energy, friendly and helpful. I learned a lot at that meeting and it really inspired me to want to join Jus International as an Independent Business Owner (IBO).


Check out this video to learn more about the power of Jus.

Dream in Color from Jus International on Vimeo.

Yesterday, with the help of Lauren, I signed up! We ordered enough of the 1 ounce gel samples for everyone to try at the T-Tapp Fitness Retreat next week. I'm so excited to share this amazing product with others, especially T-Tappers! Jus will help us power through the many workouts we do next weekend.

I am the type of person that doesn't talk about or promote products that I don't believe in. That's one of the reasons why I've been working at T-Tapp for over 10 years. I highly value the product, have felt the results personally and believe in sharing the wealth of knowledge with others. The same goes for Jus. This is great stuff!

If you're interested in learning more check out my Jus page, comment on my blog or email me directly at casey@t-tapp.com anytime!

Follow me (@Casey_Leigh)and @Juscorp on Twitter!