Sharon: 'Get your Autumn Glam on!'

Flying over the Cascade Mountains
October 2013

Summer's over.  Autumn is here.  And with that, our surrounding colors change, from the leaves on the trees to the colors in your wardrobe; from your home decor to the color of your lipsticks.  Our colors turn from summer cool to autumn warm, so look for those burnt oranges, deep chocolates, and flaming reds (Destiny found hers) for your wardrobe, make-up and home decor.

Destiny is busy helping Jacquie
get her GLAM on!

"Open those eyes real big, Mom," Destiny instructs.

A few Autumn TiPs:  

   Pick out what you're going to wear the night before; this will save time when you're dashing around with coffee in hand.

   Make sure you start the day with a healthy smoothy (in one of Jacquie's previous blogs).
 
   Brighten your smile with a burnt orange lipstick.  Oh yeah, don't forget to brush those pearly-whites.  I can apply my make-up in five minutes, so there's no excuse not to add some GLAM to your pretty little face.  The hair?  Well, that's another story, and since I don't like fussing with my hair, I take every short-cut possible.

   Take time to go for a brisk early morning walk, or a leisurely evening stroll.  As the days grow colder and darker, exercising is essential.  Choose something you love to do...well, perhaps like is a better word (the GLITS gals love to zumba once a week together at the local dance studio)

I found my Autumn blouse!

Now, wasn't that fun and easy?  Now, go out and knock em' dead!   Be joyful.  Our joy comes from the Lord, so spend time with Him.  Acknowledge Him and He will direct your path.

Go in peace.
  The presence of the Lord be with you
on  your way.

Judges 18:6 NKJV

  www.sharonleaf.com

Jacquie declares, "Even dogs love smoothies!"

My sweet Labs, Ricky Bobbie (yellow 5 mos.) and Lotto (chocolate 5 years), wait patiently every morning for their share of the Spring Smoothie. They love it! They are the healthiest dogs in town! 

FRUITS + VEGGIES = HAPPINESS

People who eat the most fruits and veggies are the happiest, according to a British study. Experts at the University of Warwick reviewed 80,000 people and found that mental health rose with the number of servings of fruits & veggies they ate every day.

People who ate seven daily servings - the current recommendation is five- were the happiest. The type of fruits & veggies eaten did not seem to be a factor.

So if you are like me, to sit and actually eat 7 servings of fruits and veggies a day is almost impossible. But when I put it all in my Bledtec and blend it up I can easily drink my smoothie and feel amazing and energized after because I have just given my body exactly what it needs! And any other fruits and veggies I eat during the day is just an added bonus!

Foods and there Nutritional Value

Chia Seeds: are very nutritious, best known as a super rich source of protein and provides superior nutrition for the brain functioning. Do you want to increase your brain power and body strength with one of the most powerful foods imaginable? Chia seeds impart power and energy to you. Chia seeds are mild tasting, easily digestible and very versatile.

Hemp Seeds: are the best known as a nutritionally complete food containing all nine amino acids and heavy minerals, which help build strong hair, nails, skin, muscles and connective tissue. Containing over 36 percent protein makes them almost the highest protein source available!

The reason I chose these two seeds is to introduce you to the Protein Powder I mix in my Smoothie every morning. It is by LifeTime and it called Life's Basics Plant Protein Mix. It has Pea, Hemp, Rice and Chia Seeds. It is one of the cleanest and easiest to digest protein powder available. But best of all is that it tastes WONDERFUL! Companies send me samples all the time of their products, wanting me to sell them.  If I don't like them, I can't sell them.  Oh, by the way, they use NO added: yeast, corn, soy, gluten, wheat, milk, egg, whey or any artificial flavors or preservatives. It is also safe for diabetics because it is low on the Glycemic Index (only 3 grams of sugar)  You can pick it up at your local health food store or we sell it at our Wellness Center for $25.00. If you have picky eaters or drinkers, in this case the protein powder added to the smoothie usually wins them over.

LifeTime Plant Protein Mix
(available at Life Wellness Center, Lexington, SC)

Until next time, keep drinking!  Smoothies, that is.

Health and blessings!

www.lifewellnesscentersc.com

Jacquie says, "Ahhh, Spring Smoothies!"

Ahhh, it's the first day of spring. Spring is the season where color comes into play! Flowers bloom, leaves on the tree's return, and the weather starts to warm up and we are ready to head outside. It is also the season where we have a larger selection of fresh fruits and veggies at the local Farmers market and in the grocery store.

Here are just a few nutritional values of the fruits and veggies you may put in your smoothie;

1) Apple-  An APPLE a day really does keep the doctor away! Apples are loaded with quercetin, a flavonoid, wich helps prevent the growth of prostate cancer cells. Quercetin also aids in allergy related problems such as asthma, sneezing and congestion. I see more and more people coming into our Wellness Center with allergies and I tell them to start eating some apples, and it really helps!

2) Arugula- Other than it's fun name, it is best known for it's high sulphur content which makes it an excellent skin purifier. Rich in vitamin C and potassium, it is considered to be an aphrodisiac, hmmm I think I will be doubling up on this in the future! It also contains phytochemicals such as carotenes and chlorophyll, which make it an excellent source of antioxidants.

3) Beets- beets are my new best friend! They are best known as an amazing liver cleanser. They have been found to improve performance in athletes, most likely because of an abundance of nitrites. The high content of iron in beets regenerates and reactivates the red blood cells and supplies fresh oxygen to the body, and the copper content in beets help make the iron more available to the body. Our liver has many functions, but one of the most important one is Detoxification. All of the waste removal takes place in the liver, it removes bacteria and helps keep our blood clean. So eat lots of fresh beets!

I will add more to the list on the next blog.

Now for some logistics, what kind of blender should you have to make the most nutrient dense smoothies? I have a Blendtec and it is amazing and I highly recommend it. It breaks down the food and extracts the nutrients so well and makes it much easier for your body to digest. It also makes fresh juice, soups, sauces and many other yummy things, it is also BPA-free. it easily replaces other appliances you may use. It is not cheap, they start at $454.00. I have had mine for over 5 years and I use it almost everyday!

There is also the Vitamix which is great. It starts at $564.00.

I bought my Mom a NutriBullet and it works great also. David Wolfe the inventor of NutriBullet is a very educated man in nutrition. This one is nice because it is reasonably priced at $119 and they allow you to make 6 easy payments of $19.99!

I would not recommend a cheap blender, you will need to replace it often if you use it a lot, and it does not break down the food like the above blenders.

There's my Blendtec all ready to go. In 30 seconds I have a beautiful Spring Smoothie ready to drink!

Health and blessings!

www.lifewellnesscentersc.com