🌍🚀 Welcome to the Next Era of Entrepreneurship! 🌟 The world has changed. So should entrepreneurship! 💡💼🌍 Over the last 10 years, opportunities have been abundant for anyone looking for a way to earn some extra income. 💰💪 📲💻 Digital marketing and mobile technology make it easier than ever for anyone to start their own business. 🚀💻📈 Companies rely on Affiliates and Influencers as much (if not more) than mass media to reach new audiences. 🤝📢📱 People are more open and interested in adding a "side hustle" (or two, or three…) to their life than ever before. 🤝💼💪🌟
Author: Shirley Thompson
As an Entrepreneur, I empower individuals to achieve true financial freedom and lead fulfilling healthy lives.
🌍🚀 Welcome to the Next Era of Entrepreneurship! 🌟
The world has changed. So should entrepreneurship! 💡💼🌍
Over the last 10 years, opportunities have been abundant for anyone looking for a way to earn some extra income. 💰💪
📲💻 Digital marketing and mobile technology make it easier than ever for anyone to start their own business. 🚀💻📈
Companies rely on Affiliates and Influencers as much (if not more) than mass media to reach new audiences. 🤝📢📱
People are more open and interested in adding a "side hustle" (or two, or three...) to their life than ever before. 🤝💼💪🌟
🚀 Ready to experience the rush of being an early adopter? 💥 Ready to take on the future and steer the course of your destiny? 🌟 The future is waiting, and the time is ⌛ NOW.
Matcha tea has many benefits. You can use it is a tea, latte or even in desserts. It has become very popular for young and old alike.
Some of the health benefits are:
High in antioxidants – Matcha contains a concentrated amount of antioxidants, which may reduce cell damage and prevent chronic disease.
May help protect the liver – Some studies have shown that matcha could prevent liver damage and decrease the risk of liver disease. However, additional studies are needed to look at the effects on humans in the general population.
Boosts brain function – Matcha has been shown to improve attention, memory, and reaction time. It also contains caffeine and L-theanine, which can improve several aspects of brain function.
May help prevent cancer – Test tube and animal studies have found that the compounds in matcha may inhibit the growth of cancer cells
May promote heart health – Studies show that green tea and matcha can decrease several heart disease risk factors.
Helps you lose weight – Some studies show that green tea extract helps increase metabolism and fat burning, both of which may aid weight loss.
Matcha tea is very easy to prepare – There are many ways to prepare matcha, so you can choose the one you like best. It can also be incorporated into a range of different recipes.
Matcha Green Tea Latte (Hot or Iced)
Ingredients:
1 Tsp Matcha Green Tea Powder
1 Tbsp Honey
3 Tbsp Warm Water
250 ml Cold Milk or 300 ml Hot Almond Milk
How to Prepare:
Spoon the Matcha Green Tea Powder and the honey into a mug or cup
Add the warm water and mix with a spoon or with a frother whisk until it is a smooth dark green paste to ensure no lumps form
Warm the milk in a small saucepan and pour into the mug until nearly full. Use cold milk for an iced latte.
Use a frother whisk to mix the past and milk together until smooth and light green in colour.
If you so wish, you can add a few sprinkles of Matcha Green Tea Powder on the top for decoration…or add ice for an extra cold iced latte.
Anxiety is familiar to all of us. We all know the nerves and fear before public speaking, important events, and new dates. However, for many, anxiety is a more serious issue. Anxiety disorders affect about 40 million adults in the United States alone and one-half of the Canadian population. They are the most common mental illness. The good news is that it is absolutely possible to reduce anxiety. The first step is to discover what activities are acting to trigger anxiety within you.
What Is Anxiety
Anxiety is a fear or worry about something happening in the future, such perceived to be stressful, dangerous, or unfamiliar situations. It’s a natural response to stress.
Occasional anxiety is completely normal. We all experience jitters, nerves, or fear from time to time before important events, a job interview, or public speaking. However, experiencing intense, excessive, or persistent anxiety, fear, or worry can interfere with the quality of your life and health.
Persistent and intense feelings of anxiety can be hard to control and may hinder your daily activities, job, school work, relationships, and social life. Some people even experience panic attacks characterized by sudden feelings of anxiety or fear that may last for several minutes or longer.
Symptoms of Anxiety
The symptoms of anxiety may differ from person to person depending on the situation and the form of anxiety you have. You may experience a racing heart, or you may even have scary panic attacks or nightmares.
Common signs of anxiety may include:
Increased heart rate
Rapid breathing
Feeling tense
Feeling nervous
Having a sense of danger
Restlessness
Trouble concentrating
Sense of stress, distress, dread, or worry
Intense general fear or worry
Intense fear or worry about a specific situation, place, person, or activity
Feeling out of control
Trembling
Sweating
Feeling tired or weak
Gastrointestinal (GI) distress
Difficulty falling asleep
Feeling a disconnect between your body and mind
Painful or worrisome thoughts or memories you are unable to control
What Can Trigger Anxiety
When you think about factors that may trigger anxiety, considering conflicts in relationships, social events, painful memories, public events, public performances, financial troubles, painful memories, and personal trauma may come to mind.
These are most certainly important factors that may trigger anxiety. However, you may be surprised to know that your nutrition and overall health may also trigger anxiety. In fact, when your nutrition and overall health is compromised, these commonly considered factors can trigger anxiety even more so. Let’s look at these nutritional factors that may trigger anxiety.
Blood Sugar Can Trigger Anxiety
Not eating regularly may lead to a blood sugar drop. Eating a diet high in refined sugar and sugary processed foods also lead to sugar crashes and potentially trigger anxiety. When you eat sugar, your body releases insulin to take care of excess sugar in your bloodstream. However, too much sugar makes it difficult for your body to balance your blood sugar levels and create balance. This leads to sugar crashes and ups and downs that may trigger anxiety, irritability, worry, nervousness, and sadness.
According to a 2016 case report, adding more protein, fat, and fiber to a diet may improve anxiety, mood, concentration, energy, and blood sugar issues of a subject with generalized anxiety and hypoglycemia. Once they returned to their former diet of refined carbohydrates, it triggered anxiety and symptoms returned.
Gut-Brain Axis Dysfunction Can Trigger Anxiety
It is important to know how healthy your gut is. Your gut literally affects everything in your body, including your brain and mood. It is not surprising that a gut-brain axis dysfunction can trigger anxiety.
The simplest way to understand the connection between your gut and your brain is thinking about a time when you felt nervous before a presentation, exam, date, or another event. Chances are you’ve felt butterflies in your stomach, nausea, stomach pain, or even diarrhea.
How The Gut-Brain Axis Works
Your gut and your brain communicate through the gut-brain axis. One way they connect is through the vagus nerve which begins in the brain stem and travels down into the gut and stimulates bowel motility and the production of neurotransmitters like serotonin in the gut.
The other way, your gut and brain communicate is through the microbial species that make up your microbiome. When your micriobiome and this gut-brain axis are disrupted it may lead to a number of cognitive dysfunctions and mood disorders including anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and attention-deficit disorder (ADD).
Foods that Can Trigger Anxiety
If you have anxiety, it is incredibly important to look at your diet. Inflammatory foods may increase inflammation, pain, and the risk of health issues. They may also trigger anxiety.
Conventional treatments of anxiety often include pharmaceutical medications. However, these medications usually serve as a band aid without addressing the cause or fully solving the problem. You will be happy to learn that it is possible to reduce anxiety naturally through a nutritious diet, a healthy lifestyle, and appropriate supplementation.
The following are key strategies to take on your way to reducing anxiety and living a more enjoyable life. Be sure to apply the first 7 on your own and if you are still struggling with anxiety than it is time to work with a functional health practitioner to customize a specific plan for you to get well.
Anti-Inflammatory Healing Diet
Eat your food in a relaxed state which helps product more digestive juices
Supplement with an enzyme which breaks down the fats, protein and carbohydrates
Taking a high-quality probiotics to ensure a healthy guy flora balance
Exercise exercise 20-30 minutes, 5 times a week
Remove Food Sensitivities
Consider Seeing a Functional Health Practitioner
Sometimes it’s hard to combat anxiety alone. If you have tried everything and nothing seems to be working, consider finding a functional health practitioner to help you identify the root cause that may trigger anxiety.
Final Thoughts
Anxiety is your body’s natural response to stress. However, frequent, excessive, and persistent anxiety can seriously interfere with your life and affect your overall health.
Understanding the factors that trigger anxiety and following dietary, lifestyle, and supplement recommendations, you can reduce anxiety and finally live the happy life you deserve.
While out for a stroll around Telford Lake yesterday, I came across a garden plot that is a part of the City of Leduc Community Gardens. It is a great way for people who don’t have a large yard to plant a garden and enjoy fresh produce that they have planted themselves.
Anyway, this particular garden plot caught my attention. At first glance, my eyes were drawn to the placement of the flowers at the end of each row as well as the two (2) chairs. This got me to thinking about who would take the time to add such detail to their garden. It had to be someone who not only enjoyed taking care of their garden but also liked to add some colour. I’ve heard that marigolds will keep mosquitoes away…could this be the reason they were planted?
Then, I noticed the two chairs and for those who know me well, my mind took off with lots of thoughts! Why are they there? What do they represent? Are they elderly and need to rest while they garden or do they just take a moment to sit and reflect about their garden and life in general. Could this be their “quiet place”?
I thought about this garden all evening and even woke this morning thinking about it and wondered how I could share my thoughts about it.
My Thoughts
I loved how they cared for their garden. The rows were straight and weeded. The plants were well watered. They took great care to add flowers which added colour and would catch the eye of those walking by.
The chairs suggested to me to stop, sit awhile and spend time with my creator. I can get so caught up just doing life that I forget to stop and see the beauty around me. Taking time to be grateful for the blessings I have in my life, not worry about tomorrow or what path I should take.
A dear friend had given me a book “Jesus Calling” by Sarah Young – Devotions for every day of the year. A recent devotion:
“Keep walking with Me along the path I have chosen for you. Your desire to live close to Me is a delight to My heart. I could instantly grant you the spiritual riches you desire, but that is not My way for you. Together we will forge a pathway up the high mountain. The journey is arduous at times, and you are weak. Someday you will dance light-footed on the high peaks; but for now your walk is often plodding and heavy. All I require of you is to take the next step, clinging to My hand for strength and direction. Though the path is difficult and the scenery dull at the moment, there are sparkling surprises just around the bend. Stay on the path I have selected for you. It is truly the path of Life.”
Psalm 16:11 says it so beautifully; taken from The Message – “Now you’ve got my feet on the life path, all radiant from the shining of your face. Ever since you took my hand, I’m on the right way.”
I am reminded to take my eyes of myself and focus on God. He is the one in control of my life and has His hand on the throttle (my life). When I try to take over and do it my way, I usually end up getting discouraged and then finally realize that when I have moments like these, I need to surrender my will to His and follow His leading.
What I have found is once I start each day with Him by reading a short devotion with some scripture and spending time in prayer, my day goes much smoother. I then have better focus and a much more enjoyable day. The things of this world don’t weigh me down.
I came across a popular gospel song published in 1912 that a friend shared on Facebook and it brought back special memories from long ago and soothed my soul.
Having our 18-year-old granddaughter living with us has exposed me to some new recipes since she has now recently gone to eating vegetarian. Being the “bestest” grandma that I can be, I began searching for recipes that would suit her new healthy eating program.
I am not against vegetarian; actually, I rather enjoy eating lighter meals with less meat and bread. The challenge is to get enough protein on a vegetarian diet and with ample information that is available on the Internet, it is not too difficult to find what you are looking for. My husband and I still eat meat in smaller portions along with lots of veggies and fewer carbs.
I came across a recipe for vegetarian burgers and was amazed how well they tasted and how nutritious they were. When I made them for the first time, I realized that it does take some time to make but isn’t that what cooking is all about. I enjoy making nutritious foods that satisfy my family’s needs and tastes good.
I hope you give this recipe a try and also let me know your thoughts. Tweak it to your own liking especially when adding your own favorite spices, etc.
Don’t let me hear you say that it was too difficult to make!! I This is me with a 3-week cast on my arm. Baggies work great!!
Psalm 118:14 – “The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.”
He gives me strength every day to accomplish the things I enjoy doing like cooking for my family.
Do you add turmeric (curcumin) to your food for flavor? Growing up on the smallest Island in Canada (PEI), we used this spice once a year when making mustard pickles. At that time, we never knew the health benefits of this spice; however, I am now overwhelmed as I read about the benefits of using this spice.
Health Benefits
Turmeric (Curcuma longa), the bright yellow of the spice rainbow, is a powerful medicine that has long been used in the Chinese and Indian systems of medicine as an anti-inflammatory agent to treat a wide variety of conditions, including flatulence, jaundice, menstrual difficulties, bloody urine, hemorrhage, toothache, bruises, chest pain, and colic.
Who would have thought that a little spice like turmeric could have such great health benefits! Wouldn’t you want to start using this spice just for its anti-inflammatory abilities! Look around you. Do you know people who are suffering from pain and are not able to do just the normal things in life like walking, getting out of bed in the morning pain-free, opening a lid, holding scissors or get this, holding a grandbaby because they don’t have any strength left in their hands because of pain? I was this person 4 ½ years ago.
At that time, I took a serious look at my health and began taking steps to try to improve my health so I could be pain free. It has been a remarkable journey with lots of ups and downs, medications as well as nutritional supplementation. My health has improved immensely where this past year I have chosen to stop taking my meds. I did this because I began to see an improvement in my health and thought why not give it a try if only for a month or so. Well, it has now been a year and I still see bits of improvement.
When I found out about this spice, I began taking it as a supplement for pain rather than taking my pain meds. I like the fact that it does not have any side effects and it is natural. Note: If taking meds, don’t stop taking them without a doctor’s advice.
Here is a link from The Truth About Cancer website, about further benefits of tumeric.
Add turmeric to egg salad to give it an even bolder yellow color.
Mix brown rice with raisins and cashews and season with turmeric, cumin and coriander.
Although turmeric is generally a staple ingredient in curry powder, some people like to add a little extra of this spice when preparing curries. And turmeric doesn’t have to only be used in curries. This spice is delicious on healthy sautéed apples, and healthy steamed cauliflower and/or green beans and onions. Or, for a creamy, flavor-rich, low-calorie dip, try mixing some turmeric and dried onion with a little omega-3-rich mayonnaise, salt and pepper. Serve with raw cauliflower, celery, sweet pepper, jicama and broccoli florets.
Turmeric is a great spice to complement recipes that feature lentils.
Give salad dressings an orange-yellow hue by adding some turmeric powder to them.
For an especially delicious way to add more turmeric to your healthy way of eating, cut cauliflower florets in half and healthy sauté with a generous spoonful of turmeric for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and toss with olive oil, salt and pepper to taste.
Further research found that there are still more studies being done on turmeric and the health benefits contributing to digestion, heart health, type 2 diabetes, arthritis, and brain health just to mention a few.
Turmeric has been used as a powerful anti-inflammatory in Chinese and Indian medicine for millennia.
Summary
Many of the health benefits of turmeric can be experienced by thinking of your food as a medicine, which was the advice of Hippocrates in the 4th century B.C. This bright yellow spice, traditionally used as food and medicine, contains potent antioxidants and benefits that studies have shown can fight diabetes, cancer, and heart disease.
To get the most of what turmeric has to offer, use it to enhance many of the current ho-hum dishes on your table, such as fish dishes or any meat for that matter; turmeric can add delicious complexity to mashed dishes like potatoes or cauliflower, sautés with onions, broccoli, carrots, or bell peppers. It can be used as a base for creamy vegetable dips, sauces, and egg salad.
Be sure to choose the full, organic turmeric spice rather than a curry blend, which has a negligible amount of anything healthful.[1]
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