Pumpkin?!

Pumpkin! This is one of my favorite types of squash to consume, especially in the fall during the pumpkin spice latte season. I wouldn't ever consume the average PSL from Starbucks or Dunkin Donuts but I would make my own. I also use pumpkin in smoothies or in pumpkin bread. But, big spoiler!-the pumpkin in the average canned pumpkin you buy (see left) is actually a mix of different types of squash and not entirely pumpkin!

The many benefits of pumpkin include:

1. Fiber: In 1 cup of pumpkin seeds there is 12g of fiber and in 1 cup of pureed pumpkin there is 7 grams of fiber. Fiber helps keep you full which typically helps people not overeat thereby resulting in weight loss. Fiber also has the ability to help lower your cholesterol. 

2. Tryptophan: Pumpkin has a good amount of this amino acid which helps many people sleep easier.

3. Magnesium: 1oz. of pumpkin has 30% of the daily recommended value that we need each day. Magnesium helps many different functions within our body happen such as the making of ATP, relaxation of nervous system, help with muscle growth, and regulating bowel movements.

4. Potassium: One cup of pumpkin has 564mg of potassium and bananas only have 422mg! Not that you shouldn't eat bananas but I thought it was an interesting fact that pumpkin has even more potassium. The important benefits of potassium include help with stress, muscle spasms, water balance and the nervous system. 


There are even more benefits than these few listed here but thought I would highlight the nutritional powerhouse that pumpkin is!

Essential Oil of the week.......Abundance!

For this week I chose another Young Living blend because it has brought me so much happiness this last weekend! Abundance is made up of several different delicious oils: orange, frankincense, patchouli, clove, ginger, myrrh, cinnamon and spruce. 

Young Living's official statement regarding the usage for this oil is listed as "emotional support, energizing, and attracting prosperity." I can tell you that every time I've ever used this oil I have had the best, most ‘abundant’ discussions with people about foods or oils or just living life to the fullest. Each oil within this blend has its own powerful qualities which I have highlighted below.

Orange: Reducing anxiety; there was a study that showed those that sniffed orange oil prior to a stressful test were able to stay calm under pressure and tame anxiety spikes.

Frankincense: Immune support, skin health, and spiritual grounding are just a few of the amazing things that Frankincense can do-definitely look it up on pubmed!

Patchouli: This oil is one that people have used for quite a long time for many different reasons from improving the appearance of dry skin to relaxation and much more which you can find on pubmed as well.

Clove: I love the smell of clove oil, always have, it just reminds me of fall and is so comforting. The official description is antioxidant, digestive, and physical support but clove can do so much more (also found on pubmed) It's also a component of one of my favorite oils, Thieves! 

Ginger: Many have heard of the amazing properties of ginger in regards to consuming ginger through raw food sources. Well often I don't have time to peel and cut ginger root but ginger oil, that I can do! The official description from YL is helping with muscle tension, digestive support and stamina. There is a lot that ginger can do, so much we could write pages and pages on it!

Myrrh: Those that remember anything from the bible might remember the oil myrrh, I'm not someone who knows about that aspect but there's a great book called Healing oils of the Bible that discusses this at length. YL's official description is spiritual awareness, skin health, and antioxidant support. 

Cinnamon: There are so many discussions lately about the power of cinnamon sticks in relation to diabetes and reducing blood sugar. In the most simple way of using essential oils I LOVE the scent of cinnamon, it reminds me of my mom and fall! For more information on cinnamon simply search pubmed or Google!

Northern Lights Black Spruce: An amazing essential oil, literally reminds me of nature, calmness and the beauty of the northern lights. There is a lot of information on the different types of spruce throughout the world, research also on pubmed!

I would love to link to pubmed studies but the FDA doesn't permit that since I'm a Young Living Distributor so feel free to reach out to me as there's always more to talk about or share in regards to oils or foods-since those are my specialties. You can reach me at hotgreenlife@gmail.com or comment here and we can chat about the excitement! 

This week's essential oil spotlight. . . . . . Thieves!

Hi everyone! I will be posting each week about a different essential oil. Each post will include what the essential oil is typically used for, how it is used, what plant or tree it comes from and try to give a description of its smell. Talking about oils is one of my favorite things to do so always feel free to reach out to discuss!

For this week's oil I chose Thieves. Thieves is one of my favorite blends of different oils for so many reasons! It is a delicious combination of Clove, Lemon, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus Radiata and Rosemary oils that has a comforting aroma similar to when you walk into your house during the fall and someone has made some fresh cinnamon tea or cookies!

 

Thieves can be used in many ways including diffusing, topical application and ingestion.* I've used Thieves most commonly in my diffuser either by itself or with another oil-tonight was lavender. This oil is commonly used to support a healthy immune system. The other way I use Thieves is mixed into shea butter and applied on my feet before bed. There are many other uses as well, these are just a few!

There are also the wonderful Thieves products below made by Young Living such as the toothpaste, fruit and veggie wash and soak, mouthwash, hand-washing and dish-washing liquid, throat lozenges, mints and more! 

There is a lot more information about the oils that are present in the Thieves blend so if you're at all interested take a look at pubmed.gov where you can search for each ingredient of the blend and it will give you some great insight into just how much each oil can do for your health and wellness! 

*the vitality line as shown above

Anxiety. Post #1

Anxiety. Just the word is enough to send some people over the edge, into that abyss that can feel like falling and falling, with your heart racing, your muscles tensing and well the list can go on and on depending on your specific symptoms. I have tried many things over the years to combat my anxiety but the truth is, it's an ongoing battle, one that you have to take time out of your day to fight. Even if you are on drugs like Wellbutrin XL, Lexapro. Prozac, Zoloft or any of the other ones out there on the market today, anxiety can still take hold of you. Of course these drugs have side effects and finding the right one can take time, as well as the back and forth figuring out which combination will allow you to function during the day, and hopefully function well!

I made the highly personal decision to come off of my Wellbutrin XL earlier this year. It was not something I came to lightly as I knew I would "feel" a lot more, possibly sink back into depression, be crippled by anxiety or both. It is a daily battle, to win against depression and anxiety. Different days hold different feelings and different ways to pull through, and to pull through with happiness! Most days I take at least an hour to ensure I’ve done something that is in my self-care arsenal whether it be yoga, spinning, running, using my essential oils, eating with friends at a vegan eatery or really anything that makes me feel happy. We do not place enough emphasis on doing things that make ourselves happy and I am determined not to fall into that trap again! 

I wasn't even sure I was going to post this blog publicly as it can be a really personal topic for some but I decided to go ahead and share it, maybe it will help someone out there who sees it and needs a little pick me up or some information. Many people are more free with discussing everything they experience related to the anxiety/depression they suffer from. We pair those conditions together so lightly but as many of us who suffer from either or both know, each one has it's own issues and affects on each person.  


My most used tool in my self-care toolbox is definitely my collection of essential oils. There are so many oils out there to support a truly healthy lifestyle! One of the oils I always always always carry is my lavender oil (among Frankincense, Peppermint and Thieves). There are many peer reviewed, double blind, placebo studies that tout the benefits of lavender oil in relation to anxious feelings. I have experienced it for myself and can only say the best things for my personal self care. There are so many studies on lavender and you should definitely take a look on pubmed.gov to get the whole story!

If you have any questions about oils, foods or other natural products feel free to reach out! I love talking about foods and oils and ways to help heal your body. 

Essential Oils!

Essential Oils

My friend Jackie and I attended an amazing seminar put on by the Westchester/Rockland Dietetics Association in White Plains, NY the previous Thursday. We were at our wits end between massive amounts of tests, papers, presentations, projects and getting sick. I had not been this sick in well over five years since I overhauled my diet to a mostly plant-based way of eating. I did not know what to do and kept wondering how could this happen to me? How had my body let me down? Or maybe I had let it down by not relaxing at all, by not eating properly and by not exercising. Either way my life was on a sort of hold since I couldn’t keep my eyes open from the sinus pain I was experiencing. I had self-diagnosed myself as having a sinus infection which I used to experience a couple of times a year prior to removing dairy from my life. I rested the whole weekend in hopes that I would be up and running by Monday when I had a test. I was not up and running to say the least, I could barely walk and keep my eyes open so I did not do well on that test, something I hadn’t truly experienced in a nutrition class before. I knew I had to take control of the situation and so I did.

I had read about oil of oregano many times through my alternative medicine research and seeing the headline of its powers as I scrolled my Facebook and peaked at the natural living blogs I followed. I didn’t know just how amazing oil of oregano was until I actually experienced this magnificent oil. 

I clearly am not endorsing any particular kind and as usual when trying something new or looking outside the box for your healthcare it is best to read reviews or speak to a professional.  I picked the brand shown here, went to my local health food store and thankfully picked it up. I followed the directions (2-3 drops either under the tongue or in tea, water or another liquid-I used seltzer!) and within an hour I actually felt better! I felt like my head wasn’t entirely weighed down with huge black bricks, you know those ones in swim classes that you had to pick up and bring to the surface as the “challenge” of the day? 

Well that’s what felt like had been sitting on my face and head. I could finally open my eyes fully without immense pain. I was so thrilled I wanted to shout from the rooftops about just how incredible this product was! I did my version of the rooftop yelling by telling anyone that was sick or asked how I was doing, “well you see this oil of oregano stuff does really work!” I continued taking the oil every day and continued to improve, I wasn’t 100% immediately but the difference was phenomenal. Below is a small list of what this oil can do!:

-free radical crushing antioxidants

-fights infection

-contains magnesium, zinc, vitamin C, and E

-enhancing digestive process

-alleviates sinus and cold issues

 After my experience with oil of oregano I was even more excited to attend the essential oils seminar that Jackie and I had signed up for. I had always wanted to get more interested in essential oils but never felt I had the time, well this illness clearly showed me that I better make the time, my body wasn’t going to just keep going like this, I needed to take an active role in helping my body be the best version possible. The seminar was led by Marie Ruggles, RD, MS CN, CDE who not only was extremely knowledgeable in essential oils but was an RD, she had gone through the same science based education that I was currently working my way through, worked in a hospital with kidney patients, done all of the ‘conventional’ things that RDs can do and then discovered essential oils and how they might not only help those around her but might help those within her practice. 

Needless to say I am working on incorporating more essential oils into my life and finally using that wonderful diffuser I bought a year ago!

Vegan Pizza!

Vegan Pizza!

Pizza is one of my favorite foods! However, pizza ordered from a take-out place is not always the healthiest food so if possible make your own!   

-1 Whole wheat pizza dough (fresh obtained from your local grocery store, Trader Joe’s etc. read the ingredients)

-1/2 glass jar of organic tomato sauce (Trader Joe’s also has this)

-1/2 tbsp olive oil

-1/2 sliced onion

-2-3 bulbs of garlic

-1/2 cup black olives (or more if you're like me and love olives!)

-1 cup of non-dairy Mozzarella (Daiya or other brand)

-1/2 cup of fresh basil leaves

-1/2 tsp oregano (I have also used the Italian spice from Trader Joe’s)

-1 cup of fresh organic broccoli

-1 cup of organic white mushrooms

Preheat the oven according to the dough’s packaging (usually 450˙) and roll out the pizza dough. I also use cornmeal when rolling out the dough to give it a little bit of a crunch when it is done baking. Put onto pizza pan, spread around about the olive oil and tomato sauce.

Sauté onion and garlic for a few minutes and place onto the pizza dough.

Put ½ cup of the Daiya on top, then the broccoli, mushrooms, olives and spices. After this top it off with a little bit more sauce (if you’d like) and the other ½ cup of Daiya.

Cook according to package, usually around 20 minutes depending on how crunchy you like your crust.

Enjoy!

Tofu Scramble Happiness

When I have time to make breakfast I love to make a tofu scramble. For years I have tried to perfect my recipe and although it changes from time to time the below recipe is what I tend to start with. I took the recipe from one of my favorite bloggers the Minimalist Baker and changed it a bit. The picture of my creation is on my website, which you might have seen to get to this recipe! The tofu scramble is a great breakfast to start your day, protein, fiber and vegetables! 

Tofu Scramble Happiness

Serves about 2 or 1 person for two breakfasts!

8 oz extra firm tofu (organic if possible)

1 tbsp olive oil (about)

2-3 cups of organic spinach

½ a purple onion (can sub with white onion)

½ red or yellow bell pepper

2 garlic cloves

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ tsp turmeric

½ tsp mustard powder

 -Take out tofu and dry by putting paper towel around it and putting something heavy on top in order to help liquid drain out

-While the tofu is drying out make a sauce by combining the mustard powder, turmeric and salt and pepper with a little bit of water or oil to make an almost pourable sauce

-After slicing the onion, mincing the garlic cloves and cubing the bell pepper add them to a pan with the olive oil

-While this is going on cut the tofu and use a fork to crumble into small pieces.

-Take the tofu and mix it with the sauce created earlier and then put the tofu into the pan with the onion, garlic cloves and bell pepper

Homemade Vegetable Soup

For my mom’s birthday several years ago my friend and I made an amazing vegetable soup. On my website the beautiful picture of the soup is there which you know if that's how you got to this recipe in the first place! 

Great vegetable soup recipe:

Serves about 8

1 box of low sodium vegetable broth (organic if possible)

8 potatoes cut into cubes

1 bunch of Bok choy ripped or cut into pieces

2 chopped red bell peppers

4 celery stalks 

½ of an onion

4 whole carrots cut

2 tablespoons of nutritional yeast

2-3 bay leaves

2-3 garlic gloves

1tbsp of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

First put the bay leaves and the vegetable broth into large pot on low heat. Next chop up the onions and garlic gloves and sauté in separate pan. After those are cooking cut up the potatoes and the carrots and put into the large pot with the vegetable broth. Once the potatoes and carrots are cooking cut up the rest of the vegetables and add them along with the nutritional yeast. 

Fundraising!

Food. Something I thought I knew so much about until I actually went to school for nutrition. It has been an amazing journey along this path of discovery and one of the most difficult things I have ever done. My goal throughout the application process is to try to document it via this blog or at the very least talk about current nutrition issues.

I have finally gotten some progress made on my website! I actually somehow ended up creating two websites so one will have to go eventually but here are the links so feel free to take a look and comment.
http://hotgreenlife.weebly.com/
https://about.me/negrinleah

I will be using the weebly one for my applications so any constructive criticism would be greatly helpful!

I am going to post again about fundraising for my amazing half marathon. As previously mentioned I am running the NYC half in order to raise money for an amazing charity, Back On My Feet. Below is a quote from one of the members and it just illustrates so well why this program is so important!

 “Before I used to hear people say that they ran 8 miles in the morning, and I didn’t believe them.  I thought that they were making it up; it wasn’t possible.  Now I’m one of those people running 8 miles in the morning.  It makes me realize that there are other things that I can do now that I thought were impossible before.”

Back On My Feet helps inspire so many people to move forward in their lives and see that there is a way to get out of whatever situation they might be in. Hopefully we can all be as successful as the member quoted above.

DONATE!

https://www.crowdrise.com/BackOnMyFeetNYCHalf16/fundraiser/leahnegrin