Category Archives: Whole Health Living

Chefs for Peace Cook Up Holiday Magic

Posted on by

Chefs for Peace is a Jerusalem based group of 25 chefs  who use food and cooking to demonstrate that living together peacfully is possible for all, no matter what faith or cultural difference they may have.

The group which includes Arabs, Jews, Christian and Muslims work together to prepare meals for celebrations, galas and culinary competitions. Their shared love for food and nourishing others transcends any differences between them and has created a respectful and trusting partnership within the dedicated group.

Their unique cusine reflects their belief in the value of blending various cultures and that sharing a simple meal is an act of peace and community.

Here is their receipe from Delicious Living magazine for Fresh Figs stuffed with Mushrooms and Pecans, which is pictured above. Something healthy and new to serve up for the holidays ~

1 teaspoon butter

1 teaspoon olive oil

1/3 cup minced onion

1/3 cup minced cremini mushrooms

1/3 cup minced toasted pecans

1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, divided

1/2 teaspoon ground allspice, divided

3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, divided

Pinch of cloves

1/4 cup tamarind paste

1 cup water

2 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar, or to taste

3 tablespoons mascarpone cheese

12-14 fresh figs

1. In a medium sauté pan, heat butter and olive oil. Add onion and mushrooms and sauté until golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Add pecans and half of cardamom, allspice, and cinnamon. Add a pinch of cloves, plus salt to taste. Stir well, cooking until fragrant, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

2. Add remaining cardamom, allspice, and cinnamon to pan (without cleaning it), plus tamarind paste, water, and sugar. Blend well with a whisk, and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat and continue cooking, stirring often, until sauce becomes smooth and velvety, about 5 minutes. Whisk in mascarpone cheese until smooth and sauce is heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and more sweetener, if desired.

3. Slice top 1/2 inch of figs almost all the way through, but still attached. Use a 1/4-teaspoon measuring spoon to dig out fig flesh; put in a bowl. Add 2 tablespoons fig flesh to mushroom mixture and mix well. Stuff figs with mixture, overfilling slightly. Place stuffed figs in pan with sauce, spooning sauce over them. Bring to a gentle boil; then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for about 15 minutes.

PER SERVING (1): 103 cal, 38% fat cal, 5g fat (2g mono, 1g poly, 1g sat), 5mg chol, 1g protein, 16g carb, 3g fiber, 8mg sodium

For more information about the Chefs for Peace:
http://www.corresponsaldepaz.org/en/Chefs-for-Peace-Recipes-for-Israel-Palestine/chefs-for-peace-recipes-for-israel-palestine.html

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 G. Donadio

Have a Stress Free Holiday Season

Posted on by

The holidays are a special time to pause, give thanks for the richness and blessings of our lives and enjoy time with friends and family. Shopping, party planning, gift wrapping, visiting friends and family can also be hectic, stressful and expensive.

One of the ways to insure a more stress free holiday is to decide what you would like from this year’s experience. There are a number of ways to can approach the festivities that will carry you into the New Year renewed, refreshed and fulfilled rather than stressed-out, exhausted and in debt.

Setting unrealistic expectations for yourself or anticipating a particular outcome from others is a common pitfall. Another common problem is feeling the need to create a perfect celebration, buying the perfect gifts and being sure that you don’t forget anyone on the gift list.

We can avoid many of these stressors by identifying what the most important outcomes we want and also what outcomes do we wish to avoid. Before committing to attend celebrations that could potentially create time  stress, or buy presents that would create money stress, by choosing to limit the number of activities and setting a very specific budget for gift giving can really shift your holiday experience from stressful to joyful.

One great way to experience more cheer for yourself and bring joy to others is by being creative with your gift giving. You can personalize the holidays and avoid spending far more than you might intend by baking, cooking, knitting, crafts, and scrap booking for friends and family are all creative, meaningful and personal ways to let others know how special they are to you. Nothing say love like hand made gifts.

Being sure to keep up with your self-care routine which may include exercise, relaxation, vitamins or whatever activity you do to take care of yourself, is a great way to keep your body producting anti-stress hormones.  These wonderful hormones can assist you to feel healthy, happy and filled with cheer, even during the busiest time of the holiday season!

All the best,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 G. Donadio

Holistic Health Benefits of Oregano

Posted on by

 

Oregano is an aromatic herb that belongs to the mint family that is cultivated around the world. Its leaves and oils are medicinally used. Origanum Marjoram is the common oregano used for cooking. Origanum Vulgare is the wild oregano used for making oregano oil, which contain two powerful compounds that provide health benefits: carvacrol and thymol.

Studies have demonstrated that these two compounds have a significant systemic effect on keeping the body healthy via inhibiting the growth of bacteria, virus and fungi, which are the precipitating factors in most chronic diseases and illnesses.

Health Benefits of Oregano Oil:

  • Antiviral and antibacterial properties help destroy organisms that contribute to infections.
  • Antiparisitic properties are helpful in digestive problems.
  • Strengthens the immune system by eliminating microbes.
  • Oregano oil is an excellent chronic bladder infection remedy.
  • Increase joint and muscles flexibility by eliminating inflammation.
  • Improves chronic respiratory conditions.
  • Applied topically, it can help treat skin infections, itchy skin and irritated gums.
  • Thymol and carvacrol help calm stomachs upsets and aids digestion.
  • Antioxidant properties in oregano oil exceeds apples and blueberries.

Cautions:

  • Pregnant women are advised not to take Oil of Oregano regularly as the oil when used regularily may reduce the ability to absorb iron.
  • Oregano oil comes from the same family as thyme, basil, sage and mint, so fi you have allergies to those, you may also react to oregano.
  • When taking oregano oil internally, use a diluted dose as the highly concentrated oil may be harmful to your organs.
  • Oil of oregano, topically may be moderately irritating to skin and can cause in some cases mucous membrane irritant. The oil should not be applied topically to mucous membranes in greater than a 1% concentration solution. In addition, children under the age of two years old as well as people with damaged or very sensitive skin should not use the oil topically.

This powerfully healing plant, as with so many herbs, whem used appropriately can bring rapid healing changes to even the most chronic conditions.

With all good wishes,
Georgianna
Copyright 2010 GDonadio

Dealing With Controlling Personalities – Part II

Posted on by

Some strategies for taking charge of your relationships:

 Start by being honest with yourself about how you feel when these situations happen, when your friends or family act in a controlling and disrespecting manner. Decide how you would like to change the situation and the make a goals list of how you can achieve that outcome.

 An example would be to admit that your boyfriend’s lateness really drives you crazy and is underminding your relationship with him and causing you resentment and stress. Then, imagine a solution you can apply to change the usual outcome. Try discussing this strategy with others and see how explaining it either confirms or alters your strategy.

1. Be Specific: Be very specific about what is important to you in terms of what you are determined to change about your experience. It is important to be committed to your goals no matter how small or large they may be.

2. Express Your Opinions:If you are determined to transform a relationship, and important action step to take is not to allow yourself to stifle your opinions or preferences. Telling others of your goals and preferences anchors them into a deeper commitment. If your friend or boyfriend cannot be on time, then let them know if you are willing to leave without them the next time they are late for an event. 

3. Don’t Back Down – Let Go of Expectations: Be absolutely firm about your commitment to change your toxic friendship or relationship and under no circumstances allow others to make you change your mind about achieving that goal. At the same time, don’t be afraid to let go of expectations in the relationship. Often when we let go of our expectations, things have a way of working out on their own.

It is important to take control over negative or toxic relationships. Only you can empower yourself and take control over your life and your feelings. It takes effort and time, but it’s worth it.

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 G. Donadio

Dealing With Controlling Personalities

Posted on by

                                                                             

In each of our lives we run across or have relationships with individuals who want, and often demand, they get their way. They have strong personalities, strong wills and often strong egos that make them controlling, often narcissistic and manipulative.

They might be a friend, spouse, relative or even a boss, but people of this description often try to suppress us from voicing our opinions. When we are dealing with family members who have a history of being demanding and go all out to get their way, it is easy to become manipulated by them, sometimes to keep the peace or because other family members go along with their demands.

Unlike with family, we can choose to have relationships with friends or not. But, even elective friendships become toxic when one individual disregards the needs and feeling of the other person and is all about getting their way.

These situations are not only frustrating but can also have an affect on our health and our morale. When others manipulate us we can feel unheard, unseen and not valued. This can lead to anger and a feeling of powerlessness when this becomes a pattern of relationships with particular individuals.

These types of relationships take their toll on us physically, emotionally and even spiritually. They can become the source of continued anxiety and frustration, creating stress that can become physically debilitating if it goes on long enough. These types of relationship stressors have been shown to cause chronic conditions, such as skin problems, asthma and stomach or bowel issues.

With emotional relationships like these in our lives we can lose our sense of self and self worth. The only way we can avoid these types of relationships and the negative feelings they engender is to empower ourselves and take control over the quality and tone of our relationships.

To appreciate an actual situation, let’s discuss dealing with a friend who is never on time for scheduled meetings and appointments. This makes you feel disrespected and not valued. In addition, his being late also has ramifications for you, causing you to be late for appointments as well.

With this scenario in mind, let’s review some steps you can take to take back control of your time, your feelings and your relationship.

Part II – Steps to TakeWith all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 G. Donadio

Dealing with Fibromyalgia

Posted on by

Fibromyalgia is characterized by pain in the tissues, which are highly sensitive to pressure. Other symptoms can also accompany the tissue pain such as fatigue, sleep disturbance, joint pain and more.

Although it is often referred to as a “medically unexplained syndrome”, the American College of Rheumatology defines the condition as one which has a history of widespread pain in the connective tissues that persist for more over 12 weeks, and which affects both sides of the body and includes above and below the waist.

The medical approach to treating fibromyalgia is centered on anti-depressant, anti-seizure and muscle relaxant drugs. These medications target the nervous system function to reduce pain but can also cause great lethargy and fatigue. When an Integrated treatment approach is utilized which incorporate medication, patient education, aerobic exercise and cognitive-behavioral therapy it has been shown to be effective in alleviating the pain and other fibromyalgia-related symptoms.

To take better control over this syndrome, understanding how connective tissue and muscle fibers function in both normal conditions as well as in  fibromyalgia states is helpful.

For muscles to move, energy must be produced in each muscle cell to allow the collective bundle of muscle fibers to move. When energy is produced through the Krebs Cycle which takes place inside each cell, crystal like acids are produced as a by-product of energy production.

Lactic and pyruvic acids can build up in the spaces between the muscle fibers if there is a lack of proper blood flow or if the muscles are so tensed that these by-products cannot be removed with normal circulatory function.

The more tense the muscle, the more diminished the circulation, the greater the tissue build up of these highly irritating acids. If this tension persists over time, the surrounding tissues can become highly inflamed and a chronic, painful syndrome is established.

The most effect approaches to treating fibromyalgia include:

  • movement or aerobic exercise to assist in flushing out the tissue
  • behavior focused therapy to assist in reducing tension in the body
  • mild relaxants that do not cause secondary symptoms
  • information and education that can offer options for individual to choose from

Fibromyalgia is viewed as a stress-fueled condition. Therefore any approach or techniques directed at reducing stress and muscle tension are highly effective.

Giving Thanks Heals the Heart

Posted on by

What a wonderful gift Thanksgiving, a day for giving and expressing thanks, is for all of us. Anyone and everyone can participate in this day of gathering family and friends to share food and well wishes, taking time to reflect on the things we have been blessed with and are thankful for.

Giving thanks is a healing and healthy act that many of us have sadly reserved for this one special time of the year. Ignatius, the renown scholar and saint, offers us a powerful insight into the nature of why we suffer – and as it happens, it relates to giving thanks.

Ignatius said that “all suffering starts with ingratitude” – that when we lose our appreciation for all that we have and the many blessings each of our lives is bestowed with, we begin to seek, want and covet what others have been blessed with. We put our own gifts aside, much like children do when they see their friend’s or sibling’s shiney new toy.

Gratitude opens the heart and removes “stress” that comes from fear of not having:

> all that we want

> all that we think we need

> what we see others have

> what we think is due us

> what we believe will make us happy 

> what we believe will make us important or loved

Giving thanks for what we have, rather than wanting and longing for things we do not have, is a simple act of love that fills us with the humble pleasure of realizing how the universe cares for us – and is taking care of us.

Even when things are difficult and we are suffering, when we take the time to reflect on all the good things we also have in our lives, we suffer less, worry less and feel happier.

Perhaps Ignatius is on to something very holistic when he encourages us to remember the biblical wisdom found in I Thessalonians 5: 18 that recommends to us – “in all things give thanks”, for in this we will find our hearts full and our fears dissolved.

Happy Thanksgiving Holiday Season,

With all good wishes,
Georgianna

Copyright 2010 G.Donadio