For cardiovascular relief...

Do what you Wanna! A la New Orleans second line!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3E1VBCcA76E

Coach Nicole Fresh Gucamole

Love my gucamole...

Ingredients

2 ripe avocados, peeled and chopped

1/3 medium organic* cucumber, chopped

1/3 medium onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1 tsp cumin powder

1 squeeze lemon (about 1-2 Tbsp juice)Salt to taste (about 1/2 tsp)

Directions

Add all ingredients to blender or food processor and process to desired consistency. Add salt (about 1/2 tsp) to taste. Serve chilled. Enjoy with your favorite chips or tortillas.

*Note: If using conventional (non-organic) cucumber, peel skin and discard.

Number of Servings: 8

Nutritional Info



Amount Per Serving

Calories: 77.5
Total Fat: 6.8 g
Cholesterol: 0.0 mg
Sodium: 145.8 mg
Total Carbs: 4.8 g
Dietary Fiber: 3.2 g
Protein: 1.0 g

E I E I O~Making Your Garden Grow...

There are many benefits to growing your own food in a backyard garden. Early in the summer, many of us are able to keep up with what our gardens produce as we take our precious products from the garden directly to our tables. As the summer goes on, keeping up can become a challenge. We check the garden before heading out of town on vacation and realize there are many things that are ripe and ready for use but we don't have time to do anything with them.

Or, perhaps our green thumbs have produced more than we can keep up with at the table and our storage space is already filled to capacity. What are we to do?

Here are 3 creative ideas to help you put your extra garden produce to good use.

There comes a time in almost every gardeners summer when there is more produced than can be used. Making salsa or properly storing, freezing or canning the extras are certainly a traditional and recommended option. However, if you are short on time or storage space, here are 3 creative ideas for your extra produce that you may not have thought of.

Give them away – Tough financial times may make fresh produce hard to afford for some of your neighbors. Offering your surplus provides the perfect opportunity for those that might really have a need or just a desire to include fresh produce in their diet a reality with dignity still in tact. Place your extra produce by your mailbox with a large sign that says "FREE" and see just how fast your surplus disappears.


Donate to a nearby food pantry or homeless shelter – Most community food banks or food pantries offer canned vegetables if any at all to those that come in need of food. Drop in shelters rarely provide fresh vegetables as part of their meal offerings for those that come in search of a cool and dry place to stay and receive a meal. Making fresh produce available to outreach opportunities like these in your community will get your extras in the hands of those that need it and will put a smile on your face at the same time because you were able to make a difference.

Check with local outreach organizations and churches in your community to find a local food pantry or drop in center. Feed America is the nation's leading domestic hunger relief charity and their website can help you find a food bank that serves your community.

Use your social networking connection – Send out a "tweet" or post a status update letting your local networking friends know you have fresh produce to spare. Encourage those that are interested to come by and pick it up. Better yet, invite them to come and pick it for themselves which saves you some work! What a great and creative way to socialize AND provide your extra produce to a local friend or acquaintance. What other creative ideas do you have for garden surplus this summer?

Spreading the Spark;Showing the Fat...(info)

http://www.dailyspark.com/blog.asp?post=survey_americas_getting_fatter_but_theres_good_news

DailySpark readers, we have an emergency on our hands. It's time to Spread the Spark, stat!

This year's state-by-state obesity statistics are in, and the news isn't good.Here are some of the highlights of the report, published by the research group Trust for America's Health:

Adult obesity rates increased in 23 states and did not decrease in a single state in the past year

The percentage of obese or overweight children is at or above 30 percent in 30 states.

Mississippi had the highest rate of adult obesity at 32.5 percent, making it the fifth year in a row that the state topped the list.

Four states now have rates above 30 percent, including Mississippi, Alabama (31.2 percent), West Virginia (31.1 percent), and Tennessee (30.2 percent).

Eight of the 10 states with the highest percentage of obese adults and the highest rates of obese and overweight children are in the South.

Colorado continued to have the lowest percentage of obese adults at 18.9 percent.

Adult obesity rates now exceed 25 percent in 31 states and exceed 20 percent in 49 states and Washington, D.C.

Two-thirds of American adults are either obese or overweight.

In 1991, no state had an obesity rate above 20 percent.

In 1980, the national average for adult obesity was 15 percent.

Sixteen states experienced an increase for the second year in a row, and 11 states experienced an increase for the third straight year.

Mississippi also had the highest rate of obese and overweight children (ages 10 to 17) at 44.4 percent.

Minnesota and Utah had the lowest rate at 23.1 percent.

Childhood obesity rates have more than tripled since 1980.The report says that the economic downtown could worsen the obesity epidemic. Food prices are expected to keep rising as social services and food pantries are increasingly stretched thin. The recession is expected to lead to higher rates of depression, anxiety and stress--all of which are linked to obesity. Still, there was a bright side:

Nineteen states now have nutritional standards for school lunches, breakfasts and snacks that are stricter than current USDA requirements. Five years ago, only four states had legislation requiring stricter standards.

Twenty-seven states have nutritional standards for competitive foods sold a la carte, in vending machines, in school stores or in school bake sales. Five years ago, only six states had nutritional standards for competitive foods.

Twenty states have passed requirements for body mass index (BMI) screenings of children and adolescents or have passed legislation requiring other forms of weight-related assessments in schools. Five years ago, only four states had passed screening requirements.

A recent analysis commissioned by TFAH found that the Baby Boomer generation has a higher rate of obesity compared with previous generations. As the Baby Boomer generation ages, obesity-related costs to Medicare and Medicaid are likely to grow significantly because of the large number of people in this population and its high rate of obesity. And, as Baby Boomers become Medicare-eligible, the percentage of obese adults age 65 and older could increase significantly.

Estimates of the increase in percentage of obese adults range from 5.2 percent in New York to 16.3 percent in Alabama. Jeffrey Levi, the executive director of the group that published the survey, spoke to USA Today: "If we want kids to eat healthier food, we have to invest the money for school nutrition programs so that school lunches are healthier," he said. "If we want people to be more physically active, then there have to be safe places to be active.

That's not just a class issue.

We've designed suburban communities where there are no sidewalks for anybody to go out and take a walk."It's not just a question of having the right resources. It's about taking advantage of them, as you do everyday, and making the most out of what you have.Many of us write on the Message Boards and in Teams that we face challenges every day of our healthy journeys.

Someone brought in doughnuts and you're tempted to ditch your oatmeal. You don't have time to work out today. Money is tight so you have to quit the gym. But you don't give up.

You don't complain.

You ask for help, you seek suggestions, and you take advice from other members.

And you succeed.

This report wasn't good news, no doubt about it. While we (as a nation) need to try harder, remember that in our little corner of the world (SparkPeople), we're succeeding, we're bucking the trend, and we're winning the battle against obesity, one SparkPoint and one pound at a time! So let's go out there and Spread the Spark!

How do you think we should address the obesity epidemic? How did your state fare? Is your state one of the "best" or one of the "worst"?Do you live in one of those communities without sidewalks?How do you think we, as SparkPeople members, can combat the obesity epidemic?

Where y'er e t

As I was trolling the Internet looking for an ideal photo for a previous essay I notice one thing: the dearth of images of African American especially women images in fitness & in health. For some it may matter not or think "what's the big deal"? In many fitness sites, magazines, books et all, a constant suggestion is the post a picture of yourself or someone you can model your goals on.

Well call me touchy, but would it be such a stretch for me to have someone that looks like me?

I did notice a huge (no pun intended) of articles talking about our deficit; 50% obesity rate/high levels of diabetes/heart disease/ Aids /the common cold/ why it never rains in Southern California. You would never know how many vegans /raw food / joggers-walker/marathon/organic/"green" are women of color etc.

I did see a article about some group reaching out to "urban" groups who do not have a clue about gardening in the city. Urban being a code for black. It is wearisome at always relegated to a passive or victim role.

No wonder people including African American people do not seem to think we are a force in health & well being.

And to add to this no women's land is shall I dare say WOC over the age of 50 in a healthy state of mind?

I know they are there. I know many of them. Yet I saw more articles on one of the reason WOC do not work out is because of our hair. Somehow we are willing to sacrifice our health & our lives for the ultimate do.

Sure it could be among some, but I can guarantee you not all.

So I put a call out to any and all if you come across one please send it to me at: rhythmnhues@gmail.com

I am not looking for models who the heaviest thing they've ever picked up was a cosmetic bag. Or a 20 year old though I will not exclude that. I do want the everyday woman in power & holding to her authority. I will not exclude celebrities, but again we are speaking of fitness & well being.

So where y'er et?

tortilla Soup

Makes 6 servings

Prep time 15 minutes Cook:23 minutes

1 tblsp vegetable oil

1 med size green pepper, seeded & finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 jalepeno pepper, seeded & finely chopped

1 tlbsp chilli powder

5 C. low sodium chicken broth

3 C cooked, shredded chicken

1 can (14.5oz) black beans, drained & rinsed

2 tblsp lime juice

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 C firm ripe avocado, cut in chunks

1 C crumbled baked tortilla chips

Directions:

1. Heat oil in large saucepan over med-high heat. Add green peppers, onions & jalepenos to sauce pan, stirring often forr 7 minutes. Stir chilli powder into pot cooking stirring occasionally, for 1 minute

2.Pour broth & 1 cup of water into saucepan. Bring to a boil & reduce heat to medium, simmer for 10 minutes. Stir in chicken, tomatoes, beans, lime juice & salt;cook for 5 minutes or until warmed through.

3. :ad;e 1 1/2 cup of soup into bowls,divide avocado chunks among bows. serve tortilla chips on top if desired.

Per Serving:

165 calories

4g fat

15 g protein''5 g fiber

983 mg sodium

26 cholesterol

And other visual feast...

Fire Up the Grill

Kiwi Marinade
From One Body One Lifetime: www.onebodyonelifetime.com

Kiwifruit contains enzymes that act as a tenderizer, so it’s ideal marinating leaner cuts of meat that are low in cholesterol. The zesty fruit flavors of the dressing also pair well with crunchy vegetable salads.

2 TBS cider vinegar

2 TBS apple juice

1 TBS olive oil

1 TBS water

½ sugar

½ salt

¼ freshly ground black pepper

¼ hot pepper sauce

3 kiwi peeled and cut into chunks (about ½ pound)

1 small garlic clove

Combine all ingredients in a blender, and process until smooth.

Refrigerate dressing in an airtight container for up to five days; stir well before using.

Does it get any easier than this?

Baby Workout!

Did you know that exercise keeps your mind sharp?


A recent study from the National Institutes of Health found that
the most sedentary individuals (i.e. couch potatoes) are 2.5 times more likely
to develop dementia than regular exercisers. Dementia is a condition of
declining mental abilities (especially memory) that affects your personality,
skills (like driving a car), and verbal abilities.


Solution?: Stay on a consistent exercise program throughout your
lifespan. Try not to view exercise as a temporary means to and end such as
weight loss. It is part of a healthy lifestyle, and while it does help you lose
and maintain weight, it can ward off plenty of health problems, from heart
disease to depression.
And...


Exercise also helps your kids concentrate better in school and sets
the foundation for healthy habits that will help them prevent future health
problems as well.