Summer!!

Summer is here!! I am so excited to start picking fresh veggies out of the garden! If you were not able to have a garden this year, it is not too late! Check out your local Farmers Market. I love getting up early on Saturday mornings just to have the opportunity to talk with my local farmers! The sun is shining bright let's take advantage of it! Get outside and enjoy this sunshine! Go fishing, walking, running, camping, gardening, kayaking, boating...........get outside!!!!

Don't forget to wear your SUNBLOCK!! The sun is beautiful, but has a past of biting sometimes :)


Have fun!
Anna <><

Garden Recipe

Composting may seem like an odd Post on a "Healthy Heart Blog", but...

Our food should originate from the earth, and the earth's soil must be fertile.

Composting does that!!!

So, to follow up, here's a 'from your soon to be growing gardens' recipe:

Quinoa Salsa Salad

2 cups of Quinoa, rinsed

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 medium Cucumber, diced

1 medium Yellow Summer Squash, diced

1/2 cup pitted Black Olives

1 can of Garbonzo Beans, drained (optional ingredient)

Salsa

2 cups of garden Tomatoes, diced

2 cloves of Garlic, minced

1 cup Red Onion, chopped

2 Tbsp. of ground Cumin (optional ingredient)

1/2 cup fresh Parsely, chopped

1/4 cup freshly squeezed Orange Juice

2 Tbsp. Red Wine Vinegar (or Balsalmic)

Cook Quinoa by package's instructions (boil like rice, usually takes ~20 min.).

Cool Quinoa then add cukes, squash, olives & beans if you'd like.

Prepare Salsa by mixing all ingredients in one bowl.

Pour salsa over the top of the Quinoa mix. 

Sea Salt & Pepper to taste.

Toss & serve chilled.

***Though you may not grow Quinoa in your backyard, it is worth picking up at your local grocer's (It can also be found at Bread of Life in Presque Isle).

Quinoa is a gluten free grain, packed with protein (the highest of any grain)!

Blessings of Health & Energy for the day,

Cara

All About Composting

Building and maintaining a compost pile is the easiest way to become a better gardener. You will be produce prime, rich food for your garden with leaves, eggshells, orange rinds, coffee grounds, grass & more!

Compost improves soil structure. Most gardeners don't start with great soil. Whether yours is hard, sandy, stony, or wet, adding compost will improve its texture and fertility. Your soil will gradually become fluffy and brown—the ideal home for healthy plants.

Compost provides a balanced source of plant nutrients. Even if you are lucky enough to have great soil, you can't expect the soil to remain rich and productive without replenishing the nutrients each growing season. No commercial fertilizer, even one that is totally organic, provides the full spectrum of nutrients that you get with compost.

Compost stimulates beneficial organisms. Compost teams with soil fauna that help convert soil nutrients to be readily absorbed by your plants. The microorganisms, enzymes, vitamins and natural antibiotics in the compost help prevent soil pathogens from harming your plants. Earthworms & other macro-organisms tunnel thru the soil, opening up passages for air & water to reach plant roots.

Compost is garden insurance. Adding compost moderates pH and fertility. Unlike commercial fertilizers, which need to be applied at the right time and in the right amount, compost can be applied at any time and in any amount. You can't really over-apply it. Plants use exactly what they need, when they need it.

Compost is the perfect thing to spread around when creating a new garden, seeding a new lawn, or planting a tree. Compost can be sprinkled around plants during the growing season or used as a mulch in perennial gardens. You can add compost to flower boxes and deck planters. You can also use it to enrich the potting soil for your indoor plants!

For more Composting Info., check out these resources:

http://www.mofga.org/

http://www.gardeners.com/

Happy Earthing!

~Cara

Walking!!!!

When you're in a tense or anger-inducing situation, taking a walk can calm your mind -- because it calms your body.

Walking reduces stress in the body in several ways:

• It helps to eliminate stress hormones (such as adrenaline) from your body.
• It reduces tension in several large muscle groups -- the glutes (buttocks), the quads (front of thighs) and hamstrings (back of thighs).
• It increases the production of beta-endorphins, which are thought to calm the body and promote restful sleep.

-Bally Total Fitness

Yesterday I did the fitness minute shoot for our Healthy Heart TV Show that veiws May 28 @ 7:30pm on WAGM and May 29 @ 6:30 on FOX. We talked about walking and how it lowers cholesterol. Joe Sleeper from Sleepers Store in Caribou was my special guest on the show. We had alot of fun! Joe told us how important it is to wear appropriate footware for exercising! I hope you get a chance to watch it!!! Keep WALKING!!!
- Anna

Olives & Health

Olives Are Technically A Fruit! In fact, they are one of the most mineral rich fruits on Earth. Olives are high in calcium & magnesium which help to build bones. They also contain vitamins A, E & the rich, heart healthy oleic acid. Olives also contain protein and polyphenols which possess anti-bacterial properties.

Are Olives Fattening?  They contain monounsaturated fats which are much healthier than trans fats or saturated fats found in other foods. Our bodies DO NEED some of the unsaturated fats to strengthen cell membranes, beautify the skin, and lubricate our joints & intestines.

What To Do With Olives?  No salad is complete without olives. Pit them, chop them, and sprinkle them on your greens. I like to use them in my baking, for example- chop up a cup of organic olives and add them to your Whole Grain Bread dough! Did you know olives contain a protein-to-fat ratio that is similar to red meat, but none of the cholesterol?  It's true!!!
~  Cara

Bones

Experts have recommended high-impact aerobic exercise as a means for increasing bone mass, but a review of 24 studies on aerobic exercise and bone mineral density in women suggests that walking just 30 minutes per day a few days a week is enough to moderately increase overall bone density. - American Council on Exercise

Tip of the Day!

Don't be afraid to park in the back of the parking lot at your buisness, or grocery store and walk further to your destination. Also, trying standing and walking around everytime you answer your cell phone! Good Luck!!!! - Anna

Forgotten Secret

The benefits of drinking water are so amazing that it's been called the forgotten secret of health.
Most people live in a state of chronic dehydration and may not even realize it.
75% of your body is water and 90% of your brain. I'm sure you've heard that before, but doesn't that tell you something? Keep a glass of water handy, there's nothing that can replace it.

To learn more about how the body works and how much to drink, read about chronic dehydration.
The benefits are yours only if you drink water, coffee, tea and coke are not the same thing. So what do you reach for? Train yourself to reach for water; here's to your health! - Cleanse and Detox Lifestyle

I love water! Drink some today, I guarantee you'll feel great!!!!!! - Anna