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November 8 , 2015 |
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Sharing Your Table
redefining the holiday dinner
The other day I took notice of a lithograph a friend had on her wall. It says “Share Your Table”. While I have never asked exactly what it means, my mind wandered to what it meant to me.
With the fast pace in which society moves we have allowed certain traditions to go by the wayside. On the news this week it was announced that more people than ever are spending the holidays alone. This in part is a testimate to how divided and polarized we have become.
I remember as a kid my mother preparing Thanksgiving dinner with such great care and then our family sitting down to a warm and healing home cooked meal with spirited conversations. Regardless of faith or political ideaology the holidays are always a great time for some kind of reflection, unity and togetherness.
When engaging in a holiday dinner, consider making it a potluck. If you are not familiar with potluck, I assure you it has little to do with pot or luck for that matter and has more to do with having each guest bring a dish. A holiday potluck dinner has benefits twofold.
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It gives us all an opportunity to learn new recipes and tastes.
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It also gives us an opportunity to perhaps pass healthy eating habits forward thus improving the quality of the lives of people that surround us.
In a world that sometimes appears to be divisive and menacing, a celebratory dinner brings us all together in a common and collective cause. It gives us the strength of numbers and prepares us to brave the weeks ahead with new friends and supporters behind us.
In a blog post I was reading, one person wrote about a dinner he has hosted, rain or shine, for over 30 years straight. This is what one of the guests had to say. “People from all corners of the world come to break bread together, to meet, to talk, connect and often become friends. All ages, nationalities, races, professions gather here, and since there is no organized seating, the opportunity for mingling couldn't be better. I love the randomness.”
It only takes one person with vision, persistence and leadership to create a movement. Make your upcoming holiday dinners a movement and see how it transforms lives. If you need recipes we at Steviva Brands have been posting a couple recipes a week. Use them and take creative freedom with them and then let us know how it worked out for you. Check it out at: http://recipes.steviva.com.
Have a sensational week ahead [FIRST_NAME]!
Thom King
President
thom.king@steviva.com
Steviva Brands, Inc.
The more you try, the greater your chance of succeeding. The law of averages is on your side.
Taking a risk is often your first necessary step toward success. If you don't take some risks, you won't get the chance to succeed. While you are trying, you are winning.
Never get discouraged.
Every wrong attempt is another step forward. People that make no mistakes usually don't make anything.
Make up your mind not merely to overcome a thousand obstacles, but to win in spite of a thousand defeats. Your mistakes are stepping stones to success and your installment payments to victory.
You can't be a winner and be afraid to lose.
YOUR BODY
Walking - The New American Work Out
Walking is one of the easiest and most profitable forms of exercise. All you need is a good pair of shoes, comfortable clothing, and desire.
How to start: First of all, start out slow and easy. Just walk out the door. For most people this means head out the door, walk for 10 minutes, and walk back. That's it? Yes, that's it. Do this every day for a week. If this was easy for you, add five minutes to your walks for week 2 (total walking time 25 minutes). Keep adding 5 minutes until you are walking as long as desired.
WATCH your posture. Walk tall. Think of elongating your body. Hold your head up and eyes forward. Your shoulders should be down, back and relaxed. Tighten your abdominals and buttocks and fall into a natural stride.
Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after walking. Incorporate a warm up, cool down and stretches into your routine. Start your walk at a slow warm up pace, stop and do a few warm up stretches. Then walk for the desired length of time. End your walk with the slower cool down pace and stretch well. Stretching will make you feel great and assist in injury prevention.
The toughest thing about starting a fitness program is developing a habit. Walking daily will help (a minimum of 5 days a week is a good goal). You should walk fast enough to reach your target heart rate, but you should not be gasping for air.
After you have formed the habit you will want to evaluate your program and your goals.
If you are walking for the general health benefits try to walk 30 minutes a day, most days of the week, at a "talking" pace.
To improve cardiovascular fitness walk 3 to 4 days a week, 20 to 30 minutes at a very fast pace - breathing hard but not gasping for air.
If you are walking for weight loss you should walk a minimum of five days a week, 45 to 60 minutes at a "purposeful/talking" pace.
If you're new to walking, start off with slow, short sessions and build your way up gradually. If you have any health concerns or medical conditions, be sure to check with your doctor for advice before you begin a routine.
Once you can comfortably walk for 30 to 60 minutes 5 to 6 days a week you may want to put more "umpf" or speed into your routine. Follow these easy tips for walking faster (or for some real speed learn to racewalk).
Zero to Sixty in Twelve Weeks - An easy to follow schedule to get you walking 60 minutes in 12 weeks
This information and other information is intended for general reference purposes only and is not intended to address specific medical conditions. This information is not a substitute for professional medical advice or a medical exam. Prior to participating in any exercise program or activity, you should seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health professional. No information on this site should be used to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any medical condition.
YOUR SPIRIT
Relying on Others
The Wisdom of Surrender
by Madisyn Taylor
A deep feeling of gratitude can emerge as we open to the experience of being helped.
Most of us pride ourselves on our self-sufficiency. We like to be responsible for taking care of ourselves and pulling our own weight in the world. This is why it can be so challenging when we find ourselves in a situation in which we have to rely on someone else. This can happen as the result of an illness or an injury, or even in the case of a positive change, such as the arrival of a newborn. At times like these, it is essential that we let go of our feeling that we should be able to do it all by ourselves and accept the help of others.
The first step is accepting the situation fully as it is. Too often we make things worse either by trying to do more than we should or by lapsing into feelings of uselessness. In both cases we run the risk of actually prolonging our dependency. In addition, we miss a valuable opportunity to practice acceptance and humility. The ego resists what is, so when we move into acceptance we move into the deeper realm of the soul. In needing others and allowing them to help us, we experience the full realization that we are not on our own in the world. While this may bring up feelings of vulnerability, a deep feeling of gratitude may also emerge as we open to the experience of being helped. This realization can enable us to be wiser in our service of others when we are called upon to help.
It takes wisdom and strength to surrender to our own helplessness and to accept that we, just like every other human being, have limitations. The gifts of surrender are numerous. We discover humility, gratitude, and a deepening understanding of the human experience that enables us to be that much more compassionate and surrendered in the world.
YOUR RECIPE
Crust less Gluten Free, Vegan No Added Sugar Apple Pie
Total Servings: 4
Serving Size: 1 apple
Carbs Per Serving: 15.7 g
Prep Time:<60 minutes
Skill Level: Easy
I have been on an apple kick for a while now. I love apple pie but, wow! There is a ton of sugar and carbs in traditional apple pie. Here's a recipe that is ridiculously easy to make and cuts out a lot of the sugar and carbs. Oh yeah… it is vegan and gluten free as well.
Ingredients:
4 apples of any variety. Sliced and diced.
4 tablespoon of coconut oil (or butter/margarine)
4 tablespoon of water
4 dollops of sour cream
Ingredients Filling:
1/8 cup slivered almonds
1/8 cup pecans
1/8 cup raisins
1/8 cups unsweetened coconut
3 tablespoons NEW CocoSweet+, NEW MonkSweet+, Nectevia, Fructevia, Steviva Blend or a tiny dash to taste Steviva Brands Pure Stevia Powder
1 tablespoon of ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon salt
Instructions:
Preheat oven or toaster oven to 375 degrees.
Core, slice and dice one medium sized apple and set aside.
In a food processor add slivered almonds, pecans, cup raisins, unsweetened coconut, NEW CocoSweet+, NEW MonkSweet+, Nectevia, Fructevia, Steviva Blend or Steviva Brands Pure Stevia Powder, ground cinnamon and salt. Pulse 3 times for 10 seconds. Remove and set aside.
In four separate small bowl place even amounts of slice apples.
Add filling mixture evenly on the top of each bowl.
Sprinkle 1 tablespoon of water over each bowl.
Add one teaspoon of coconut oil to the top of each bowl.
Bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes or until the top is golden brown to dark brown.
Remove from oven. Let cool to warm.
Add a dollop of sour cream and enjoy.
For More Low Carb and Sugar*Free Recipes Go To Steviva Recipes!
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