Zucchini "Pasta" with Fresh Tomato Sauce

We saw this recipe created and then had the pleasure of trying it at a Williams-Sonoma cooking class last night. This recipe falls into the "Arbonne 30 Days to Fit" program and is dairy/gluten/sugar free. It is delicious! Click Here for Recipe

Green Tea for the Greater Good!

A beneficial compound found in green tea, a polyphenol called EGCG, has a powerful ability to increase the number of 'regulatory T cells' that play a key role in immune function and suppression of autoimmune disease. This compound has shown to help control inflammation, improve immune function and prevent cancer. Pharmaceutical drugs perform similar roles but they have problems with toxicity. Natural food products may provide a long-term, sustainable way to accomplish this same goal, but without toxicity.
Immunology Letters, May 2011

How healthy is the County where you live?

This is a really neat site! www.countyhealthrankings.org

Arbonne Protein Pancakes

Famous Arbonne Protein Pancakes

1 Cup Almond Milk (or Coconut Milk)
3 Eggs (or egg whites)
2 Tablespoons Flax Meal
1/3 Cups Cottage Cheese (can sub Coconut Milk)
2 Scoops Arbonne Vanilla Protein
1 Cup Gluten Free Pancake Mix (Bobs Red Mill makes a good one)

Mix all the wet ingredients, then blend the dry. Cook on skillet with Coconut Oil.
VARIATIONS:
Lemon and orange rind and their juice for a more citrus taste."

New Quinoa Recipe from a Friend

Strawberry Quinoa salad
1cup dried quinoa
3 cups whole organic strawberries, washed and quartered (if sensitive to strawberries try another berry)
1 large organic cucumber, washed, peeled, and chopped
1 5oz package baby arugula
½ cup (or more to taste) of a sesame ginger vinegrette (I uses Annie’s Organics because it does not contain any wheat/gluten)
Cook the quinoa and set in the fridge to cool.
Mix the cooled quinoa with the strawberries and cucumbers and1/2 of the dressing.
Mix the other ½ of the dressing with the arugula. Blend all of it together in one large happy salad bowl and serve!

Big Belly Syndrome

"Did you know that a large belly carries a risk for coronary artery disease comparable to smoking a pack of cigarettes daily or having high cholesterol? People with coronary artery disease and expanded waistlines are at more than twice the risk of dying, including those with a Body Mass Index in the normal range. Even more dangerous is the visceral fat that surrounds the internal organs. This internal fat actually makes up a large proportion of the waist measurement. Visceral fat is more metabolically active and can produce hormones and other substances that have a negative impact on your health, including increasing the risk of heart disease; high blood pressure; stroke; type 2 diabetes; metabolic syndrome; some types of cancer; and sleep apnea. "
Mayo Clinic, May 2011

The Happiness Quiz

Try out this quiz and see how happy you really are! Click Here for Happiness Quiz

The Happiest People

"The happiest people in America socialize about seven hours a day... each new friend will boost your happiness about 10%." www.npr.org

Interesting Comparison

Skipping Exercise? You Might As Well Smoke!
'Failure to exercise a minimum of 3 times per week for at least 30 minutes in duration each time is the equivalent of smoking one pack of cigarettes each day. What this means is that exercise is no longer just good for you, it is bad for you if you don't exercise.'
Surgeon General's Report

This looks like a yummy dish!

Cornmeal-Crusted Chicken Nuggets with Blackberry Mustard