Suki S. Miller's Blog, page 7

Fight stress by immersing yourself in nature – and meditate!

An example of LOW stress!

Stress is often at the basis of disease.  While stress can be helpful when you need an extra boost of energy for something like an exam or a job interview, most stress is not helpful.   ‘Good’ stress is what triggers the fight or flight syndrome.  This results in a chemical reaction when a threat to survival is perceived, and triggers a physiological reaction. It’s essentially a survival instinct.

Our bodies, however, are not meant to live in constant ‘fight or flight’ or stress mode.  Chronic stress can often be the trigger for mental and physical disease. Constant worry about family or life can result in chronic stress symptoms.  PTSD is a prime example of the mental component that comes with chronic stress.

With chronic stress, you can count on high levels of cortisol and other corticosteroids circulating in the blood for a long period of time. Over the long term, mental and physical damage may occur. Symptoms such as depression, sleep problems and anxiety are not uncommon.  Your body will react with high blood pressure, digestive problems and heart disease. It doesn’t take much of this abuse for your immune system to become compromised.  A healthy body embodies a strong defense mechanism, whereas all organs, cells, tissues and systems work together to fight disease and infection.  When stress is present, you will see chronic inflammatory conditions, and a lower threshold to weather infections and situations where healing is necessary.

The best way to fight stress is to immerse yourself in nature as much as possible.  Even a short walk every day gives you an opportunity to see trees, nature and your surroundings in a new light.

Hana Waterfall. What a great place for a nap!

And a vacation?  A week or more can set your body on the road to healing. If you make your holiday relaxing and stay away from stressful situations, crowds and schedules, you will come home with a healthier body and a healthier outlook.  Well, that said, it’s important to eat right when on vacation.  The last thing you want is stomach distress from eating the wrong things.  The past three years, we’ve rented a condo or a house on a beach (Maui or Southwest Florida).  Since we were close to excellent organic foods in all locations, and since we love to cook, we ate out rarely and made marvelous meals with healthy local foods. We slept late if we wanted to.  We toured if we wanted to.  We napped if we wanted to.  And believe it or not, we came home without a single extra pound!  How’s THAT for a vacation with benefits!

And finally, daily mediation will make a big difference.  If a vacation isn’t on your schedule or vacation time is nowhere in sight, there’s meditation.  Since I began my daily meditation practice every morning, my health is far better, my stress levels far lower and my outlook on life is far brighter. Not only did I lose weight, I’ve found that the peace and joy of meditation carries over into my daily life.  My book “Mediate the Pounds Away: How I Met My Weight Loss and Wellness Goals Through Meditation” includes detailed meditations and visualizations for weight loss, but there is no need to stop there.  Meditation allows you to examine your life, quietly, and to quiet your mind and allow information to flow.  You can calm your body, your spirit and your heart.

Meditation is also a great way to meet goals in your life.  You can meditate your way to better golf, better relationships, better health, and better business practices as well.

Once your cats and dogs are past the rambunctious kitten and/or puppy stage, they will enjoy meditating with you as well.  They feel your energy and your calm.  You can see a real difference in your entire household.

I highly recommend it and I’m living proof that it works.  My life is calmer, my anger threshold has almost (not entirely) disappeared, and my ability to see to the heart of a problem has increased to the point that everyday issues have become a ‘no brainer‘ to me.

Pet, hug and kiss your kittens and your pups.  Show love and affection to your family members.  And meditate.  You will find that you are LIVING your life authentically, and no longer simply reacting to life.

 

 

 

Friday is really my Thursday

They say all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.  Well, I do work a lot but my love of nature is my ‘play’.  I not only write, but I do have a full-time job as well, and my business hours for that are Tuesday – Saturday, 9 – 5 Eastern time.  So, while people are generally  happy about it being Friday, it is really just a Thursday to me.  What is my other job?

I own, manage and am the graphic designer for a company called Island Image.  We have been in business for 10 years and we reproduce my artwork on t-shirts, print designs for  customer’s who have their own ready-to-print artwork, and work with customers to market their businesses.  The bulk of our customers are in the dive industry, since my designs are dive-oriented.  We have customers in every state, in the Pacific Rim and Caribbean Rim and most are mom ‘n’ pop dive companies.  We also have some really large customers and work with yacht owners, boating enthusiasts, resorts, liveaboards and sport fishing companies.  We are of course, not limited to aquatic art.  We’d love to work with you on any of your ideas for events, gifts and company shirts.  We have no minimums, no setups and a 14 business day turnaround most of the year.  Nope, it never hurts to cross-market!  The website is here:  http://www.IslandImageDesign.com  and there is also an online retail store there.  It will give you an idea of my artwork capabilities if you click on the ‘Our Tropical Designs’ tab in the navigation bar at the top.  We’re very hands-on and customer service oriented and over the years, my customers have become my friends.  We show once a year at the dive industry’s only trade show – DEMA.

Here are a few other designs.  There are close to 200 designs available.  I’m always working on something new, but much like writing, one does get ‘artist’s block’ from time to time.  I’ve started a mermaid design a half-dozen times and can’t seem to finish it.

As you can see, it’s all about nature with me!   My designs are great for any ocean or nature enthusiast and many are tailored to various parts of the world – Florida / Caribbean, California, South Pacific to name a few.  Designs range from serene to fun and most are customizeable for location and some of the wording as well.   Change the wording, dates or locations.  The design on the left was originally done for some friends with a yacht.  We put the yacht in the background, deleted the dive gear and the flag, and the wording was ‘Work Hard, Play Harder.’  So it gives you an idea as to how flexible this all is.

I appreciate any referrals and would love to share my art with any of my blog readers.  The email address for that is Suki@IslandImageDesign.com.  Of course, the individual designs can be purchased on the website as well, should you just want one or two for yourself or for your friends.

If you have a design or an idea, we can help with that!  Just email me and we’ll be happy to work with you.

So there you have it!  My shameless self-promotion for my other job!

 

Muscadines and Scuppernongs

After my cheese post yesterday, I craved then devoured cheese.  I needed fruit to undo the inevitable damage that comes from cheese (and don’t pretend you don’t know what I’m talking about).

So today, I’ve been nibbling my favorite summer fruits.  These are a seasonal fruit which is rare here in S. Florida.  I mentioned it briefly before, but here is a bit more information on this yummy treat.  Pictured to the left is  a bowl of Scuppernongs (the bronze/green variety), Muscadines (the dark purple variety), organic bananas and organic mango.

The information below comes from the ‘Livestrong’ website.  They call it a ‘muscadine grape’ but I grew up being told that while they’re similiar to grapes, they’re not the same in many ways.

“…Muscadines are significantly more nutritious than the average table grape.

“BOWEL REGULARITY

“Muscadine grapes are an excellent source of dietary fiber — you’ll get about 105 calories and 7 grams of fiber from a serving of 35 muscadines, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. With their edible seeds and relatively thick skins, muscadine grapes are particularly high in insoluble fiber, the kind that promotes bowel regularity and helps prevent constipation, hemorrhoids and diverticulitis. By comparison, a 104-calorie serving of seedless grapes — about 30 grapes or 1 cup, according to the USDA — provides 1.4 grams of fiber. This means that a single muscadine has as much fiber as five seedless grapes.

“Weight Control

“Like many low-calorie foods,  muscadine grapes can help you achieve and maintain a healthy body weight. Muscadines are satiating because they’re rich in fiber and mostly water by weight — both fiber and water help fill your stomach without contributing calories. The soluble fiber in muscadine grapes delays gastric emptying, which helps you feel fuller longer. Eating muscadines — or any other fresh fruit — when you crave something sweet can also help you avoid high-calorie treats laden with added sugars. Consuming too many added sugars is associated with an increased risk of obesity, high blood pressure and unhealthy cholesterol levels, according to the American Heart Association.

“Disease Prevention

“Muscadine grapes contain substantial amounts of antioxidants, the beneficial phytochemicals that help protect cells from free-radical damage. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, eating a diet based on whole, antioxidant-rich foods has been shown to help reduce the risk of developing heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer’s and other chronic diseases. A study published in the “Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry” found that muscadines are a particularly good source of ellagic acid. Ellagic acid appears to inhibit cancer cell reproduction, according to the American Institute for Cancer Research. Muscadine grapes also contain twice as much vitamin C as seedless grapes. You’ll get about 14 milligrams of this antioxidant, or 23 percent of the recommended daily value based on a 2,000-calorie diet, from a serving of 35 grapes.

“Serving Suggestions

“Muscadine grapes are one of the so-called “slip-skin” varieties, meaning their skins and flesh are easily separated. While fresh muscadines are sometimes peeled and deseeded before they’re eaten, most of the fruit’s health benefits come from its skin and seeds. Enjoy them whole as you would other grapes, or serve them with cheese and nuts for dessert. Quarter them and toss them — seeds and all — into your favorite green salad, or remove the seeds to make a grape salsa suitable for fish, poultry or meat. You can also add chopped muscadines to rice, quinoa and other whole–grain dishes.”

So, now I don’t feel so guilty about eating 40 of these at one sitting.  AND I’d NEVER put these in a cooked dish.  These are perfect just as they are!

 

 

 

Cheese, glorious cheese!

I generally do not eat dairy.  Think about it.  Humans are the only species that drinks the milk of other species.  And humans are the only species that drinks that milk of other species, after weaning.  Our systems aren’t made to process it well.  Those of us who have fine-tuned our diet have an even greater problem with dairy.  I don’t crave it and don’t want it – except for CHEESE!!!!

Actually, cheese has some excellent nutritional benefits, as long as you don’t overdo it and overload on the fat content.  And, cheese doesn’t give me a problem!  While I don’t think we’re technically ‘lactose intolerant’, those who are lactose intolerant have no problem with cheese.  Why?  When milk turns to cheese, it goes through a process called acidification, which is a souring process.  The lactose in the milk converts to lactic acid.  It becomes a different entity altogether.   By the time a cheese is aged, most if not all of the lactose is gone.  The more aged or the firmer the cheese, the safer it is to eat if you’re lactose intolerant.

WHEW!  I’m really glad to know all of that.   Both Mark and I are cheese lovers, but we do limit ourselves, AND as always, I read every label when buying cheese.

There are organic cheeses that are really good and easily available in the States.  Horizon and Organic Valley make some good basic  cheeses and they’re reasonably priced.  But if you want something really special, you should be looking at cheeses that are not made in the US.   Knowing the contamination factor of GMO’s in this country, as always, you should go organic.

And knowing that Europe is very anti-GMO gives me a better feeling about their cheeses.  There are some excellent Canadian cheeses as well. I could spend hours in the cheese section of Whole Foods or any other store that has an excellent cheese section. Trader Joes?  Just read the labels.  Trader Joe’s has inexpensive food, but it’s often NOT organic and NOT non-GMO.

When it comes to labeling, like anything imported into the US, the country of origin should be displayed on the product.  In my case, I’m not looking to eliminate the product from viable choices.  I’m looking for something that is a better choice than most cheeses in the US.

Until fairly recently, you could count on the type and name of a cheese to know where it was produced based on the PDO (Protected Designation of Origin) , PGI (Protected Geographical Indication and TSG (Traditional Speciality Guaranteed).  The European Union protects the name of regional foods and it is enforced within the EU and internationally via bilateral agreements with non-EU countries.  This protects the reputation of regional foods and insures a consistent quality for those items.  Wines, cheeses, hams, sausage, olives and beer are governed by this.  Some examples of cheeses that fall into this category are Gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano, Asiago and Roquefort. But cheesemakers nationwide have begun to infringe on these protections. If you ask me, it makes them look really bad.   Yes, they make some tasty (and some organic) cheese in Wisconsin but can’t they create their own styles? Why do they feel they have the right to take something that is not theirs?

The US hasn’t been particularly helpful in this legal process, protecting these lovely foods, and thus, you see more and more US-made ‘imitations’ of European cheeses.  Without the particulars of the location that they are traditionally made in, you aren’t getting anything remotely close to the original.  For example, to be named Roquefort,  Cheese.Wikia.com says, ”  cheese must be made from the milk of a certain breed of sheep, and matured in the natural caves near the town of Roquefort in the Aveyron region of France, where it is infected with the spores of a particular fungus (Penicillium roqueforti) that grows in these caves. ”

Interestingly enough, what’s good for the goose doesn’t seem to be good for the gander.  Cheese producers in Wisconsin infringe on EU PDO products constantly.  You really have to read the labels to know what you’re getting, because the people in Wisconsin have adopted Italian, Dutch and French names for their companies.  Here is a prime example and if you ask me, it should be illegal. Those who know no better could be easily duped into buying a product that is in fact NOT Gorgonzola and NOT Italian.  YET, many regions in the US feel they deserve the protections that the US denies European producers.  Some examples:  Georgia feels that to be labeled a Vidalia Onion, it must be produced in the area of Vidalia, Georgia.   Idaho feels the same way about their potatoes and Florida is very protective of their Florida Orange Juice moniker.

So again, we’re back to reading labels.  On my trip to the market yesterday, I took some pictures of cheese labels to illustrate what we’re talking about.

Note how BelGioioso uses an Italian Name, claims to be an Italian Blue Cheese, yet it’s made in Wisconsin.

 

Also, this Feta, which is traditionally a Greek cheese, uses a more Mediterranean company name and yet it is made in the US.

And finally, I found this interesting little gem (Castello) in the cheese section at the local supermarket.  I’ve turned it inside out and found no country of origin.  So I bought it, since I love this type of cheese, thinking perhaps that once it was opened, the magical country of origin would be revealed.  Nope!

Now, I suspected it was from Denmark since I saw a small stamp on it that said DK.  But again, it didn’t meet the requirements for labeling in the US.

 

As it happens this is a delicious cheese and I’m sure it’s from Denmark, but still, this proves that you must read every label, every day to know what you’re putting in your body.

And shame on Publix for not adhering to the law that requires that anything they sell is properly labeled as to country of origin.   I might have passed this by, assuming it was another deception by a Wisconsin cheesemaker, if I’d not seen the DK in the small circle on the back.  And most Americans don’t know the symbols for European countries.

Finally, the entire time I’ve been writing this, a commercial jingle from the 80’s kept rolling around in my head so I am including it below.  Now it will probably embed itself in YOUR head for the rest of the day.  Enjoy!

(Edit:  Now after posting, I realized that this ad was for the American Dairy Council and our dairy products in 1987 were already soaked in pesticides.  Oh well.  All we can do is demand better for ourselves and our family. )

 

 

The key is to read the labels – for now.

Some of you may have noticed that I’m fairly rabid when it comes to giving our bodies the food we need to keep us healthy, encourage wellness and discourage disease.  The two things that are key to wellness are (1) healthy food and (2) keeping out the toxins and poisons.

It’s such a shame that our food supply has been poisoned by big companies, who think it’s absolutely ok to embed poisons in the genetic material of the basic foods that Americans eat.  While we rarely eat anything that is processed, I still read labels every single time.  These poisons are often hidden and you may not even know it.   What is even more disturbing is that the food producers (i.e. General Mills), chemical companies (Montsanto, Dow and more), and non-organic factory farming operations are lobbying and lobbying HARD to remove labeling and our right to know what is in our food.  The biggest these days?  GMOs.   They truly don’t want you to know what’s in your food.   The interesting thing is that these companies are required to comply with stricter labeling requirements in Europe and in other countries.  Yet they are doing all they can to keep from doing this in the US.  Do they have that much contempt for their U. S. consumer?  Obviously so.

Yesterday, I read the posts of someone who said he was a student at one of the top universities in the country for bio-engineering.  His argument?  That GMO’s are no more harmful than hybridization.  I am NOT a chemistry major nor a genetics major and I know that is not the case. This is really just more evidence that these big corporations are doing all they can to  keep us in the dark about what we are eating.

I’ve just made a trip to the market for a few basics, and took a few photos of labels to share.  This illustrates what you will find on labels and how misleading they can be. They’re far from healthy.

Here is an example of a ‘meal in a can’ for someone in a hurry.  Here’s the adult version and its’ label.  Can someone tell me why they need to add modified corn starch and corn oil into this product?  And of course, it’s all GMO, laced with poison and insecticide.  And the beans are just called ‘prepared’.  How were they prepared?  So many questions!

I was even more shocked when I looked at what parents are feeding their children as a ‘meal in a can’!  There were two mothers there, each with a child in her cart, each buying a cart load of this stuff! It may be hard to read, but the sheer number of ingredients on this can of Chef Boyardee are outrageous.  There is soy protein, textured vegetable protein (what is that) that is made with soy protein concentrate, soybean oil.  And they wonder why children are maturing so early?  There is also corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, modified corn starch among other things.

Here are two labels from two boxes of macaroni and cheese mixes.  Both were in the ‘organic’ section, but there is a big difference.  Again, I apologize for the blurred photography.  A woman was watching me as if I am nuts.

Relief …. I hope.

Relief – I hope.   I have just come off one of the worst back episodes that I’ve had in many years.   I’d had an injury in 1992, but it had calmed down and gave me very little trouble until I was rear-ended by a hit-n-run in 2008.  That, of course, was when the weight really ‘cemented’ on and I ended up with a 33% permanent disability.   I simply couldn’t be active at that time.  I had many bad days then, but it had seemed to cool.  I honestly can’t put my finger on what it was that caused this episode, but I honestly cried out in pain at the slightest movement. I could sit (for a while), I could stand (for a while) and I could lie down (for a while) but the transition between any of those states?  EXCRUCIATING!

I was desperate for help.  I’ve had every support, cushion and aid known to man in the past but none did the trick.  So a week ago, I found this online and decided to give it a try.  It’s called Backfriend and is made by a company in the UK.   It was shipped from California and surprisingly, arrived quickly. It came in a number of colors so you can attempt to ‘blend’ it in with your sofa and decor.   And no, it isn’t cheap.

I was skeptical.  I sat on it and I won’t kid you, it is HARD.  (They make a more padded version but it is really recommended for very heavy people and I’m not that any longer!)  It is lightweight and is portable, with a Velcro strap that holds the seat and back portion together when you carry it.

However, my back is better.  Actually, I’m almost pain free for the first time in weeks.  There is a downside, though.   Now my tail bone hurts from the hard seat portion.  And some days, the upper portion of my back hurts as well, from sitting on this.  I guess we can’t have it all, huh?

I have ordered the predictably-expensive sheepskin cover to see if it helps with the tail bone pain.  (So much for blending in with the decor.)  At least now, though, I can stand easily, walk upright right away.  Before?  I barely could move and was ‘S’ shaped.

Since most everyone has some sort of back pain, I believe this would be helpful for many.  If you have an interest in purchasing one, please post or email and I’ll give you the links and some info on the US supplier.  The reason I am not going into it all right here at the moment is that I’d initially ordered from one supplier on eBay, and to get expedited shipping was outrageously expensive ($45) especially knowing what the real COST was via USPS for the item ($18).  Also, they were in California and even expedited, I could expect a 10 day wait to receive, I was told.   They were taking unfair advantage of someone in pain.

Thus, I found a company, also in California, and they shipped with a far more reasonable expedited shipping ($24) and shipped within hours.  I had it in two days – no kidding!

Please feel free to post your back experiences and challenges here or on Facebook or on Twitter.

 

 

Some questions and answers from Goodreads.com

It’s a lazy Sunday afternoon and so, I’m sharing the questions (and answers) posed to me on Goodreads.com.  Please feel free to ask your questions as well on that site or this blog, anytime.

I also strongly recommend that all readers and seekers join http://www.Goodreads.com   You’ll get the latest info on books, reviews and of course, you can review as well.






“Ask Suki S. Miller a question.”










How do you deal with writer’s block?





Suki S. Miller I deal with it the way I’ve always dealt with artists’ block: First, I step away from it for a bit. That could be an hour, a day, or even a week. Secondly, I put my concerns in my daily morning meditation and now, it seems the block is broken rather quickly. The ideas begin to flow!









What’s the best thing about being a writer?





Suki S. Miller This is hard to answer because I’m so new at this. I enjoy it immensely and enjoy putting my thoughts into words. Obviously, many people will say they like working at home. But I’ve worked out of my home (as well as my company’s office) for 14 years now, so that is not something that has changed for me. Some will say it’s the flexible hours, but again, I’ve done that for years. And also, there are those who will find the lack of structure, but I’ve always been very structured with my time, so that isn’t a benefit.I know it sounds trite, and I promise, I was never a beauty pageant contestant, but I think the best thing is knowing there is a possibility that what I write can help others.









What’s your advice for aspiring writers?





Suki S. Miller As a first-time author, I had very little advice to start with. A friend who writes mystery novels just gave me this bit of advice “double space, Times New Roman 12″ Yup – that was it! he he he   Yes, there’s a lot to learn, especially doing it the way I did. But I navigated through the system myself.It didn’t hurt that I work full time as a manager and a graphic designer. That was helpful with cover art and concept. And about 40 years ago, I was an administrative assistant, so typing, sentence structure and grammar are second nature for me. (BUT no matter how good you are, spellcheck is always your friend!)The best advice? Be passionate about your subject and research, research, research. If you’re not passionate, then you could become discouraged.








What are you currently working on?





Suki S. Miller Currently? Since the print version just now became available, I’m working on PR and sales for the book.The next will probably have a lot to do with healing.









How do you get inspired to write?





Suki S. Miller I am inspired by subjects that are fascinating to me, and by my own quest for knowledge and by my wish to share what I learn with others. I’m of the belief that when we stop learning, we’re dead. Thus I’m constantly learning and I’m constantly trying to improve my life, my spirituality, my heart, my home and myself.I’ve always been passionate about animals and animal rights and am considering at some point (it may not be the next book, but soon) to write about this subject and to highlight the plight of the wonderful beings on our planet who are the most downtrodden and the most abused – the animals.Another upcoming subject: The difficulty of navigating our current ‘western medical’ system and overcoming the roadblocks that are there for us thanks to government regulation and medical ‘professionals’ who participate in those road blocks that are counterintuitive to healing and wellness.








Where did you get the idea for your most recent book?





Suki S. Miller In a meditation with a facilitator, I was told that I should write and that I should teach. Since I have never been a writer nor a teacher, I was flummoxed by this. However, several months later, as my weight began to fall off with meditation, it became clear to me what I was to do: Write about it and teach others to do what I’d done. So, the answer? It came from my own life experience and my own discoveries.

I lost the weight. Now it’s time to fine-tune

I met my first weight loss goal a few months ago, when my BMI indicated I was no longer overweight and was ‘normal’.  I then immediately set another weight goal and essentially, that is to get rid of this tummy!   Wow!  Even a thinner person can have a tummy and I just HATE it.

So I’ve done some reading to find anything that I may have missed that could help get rid of the belly fat, and came up with a few simple teas that I can make.  The article I found was from a website that I follow, called TheHeartySoul.com

I’m really enjoying most of their articles and the one I found highights various ingredients added to warm water, to help with weight loss and losing belly fat.  So I’m now the official guinea pig for these mixtures and my main goal – no more tummy!  The truth is, they’re really tasty, too!

Before I get into the details of the mixtures, I really should talk about the ingredients.  They’re really simple, easy to obtain and of course, yummy. 

As always, I’m going organic.  No need in putting poison in my healthy food!   Organic lemons are fairly easy to come by and generally quite nice in the markets.  Obviously, there are no real lemon trees here in S. FL, so we’re at the mercy of the usual suspects when it comes to supermarkets.   (My potted Meyer Lemon trees do give me a half-dozen grapefruit-sized lemons each year.  I’m not sure if they have the exact same properties as the usual Eureka lemons we’ve seen for years.  I use the Meyer Lemons for an occasional citron martini and don’t generally use for other purposes.)

But the other ingredients?  There are great resources out there.  This honey is amazing and if you’ve read my previous posts about skin routines, you know I love honey and bee products.  This is one is raw, natural state, organic and as good as it gets.  It’s from YS Organic Bee Farms and I buy it from Amazon.  The price has gone up some because of the loss of bees across the planet thanks to spraying for mosquitos and other insects.  I know I personally have seen a big decline in bees here in our town.  Once, they were easy to see.  Now, not so much.  I use this in herbal teas as well as recipes.

The cinnamon is excellent as well.   Some health food stores may have the organic version, but if not, you should be able to find it online and I believe this one came from Amazon as well.  There’s another excellent brand called ‘Simply Organic.’

So the benefits are:

Honey:  First, it gives you the sweetness you may crave and just may keep you away from other sugars that have zero nutritional value.  It’s good for digestion.  However, please be sure you do NOT purchase honey that are processed.  You will lose all the benefits of honey if it’s been boiled or processed in any manner.  Raw is the way to go.

Lemon:  Fresh lemon juice is known to increase your metabolic weight and thus, you burn calories faster.  It also is a great way to alkalize your body.  I’d stay away from the lemon juice that is in little plastic containers that look like lemons.  It’s been boiled and pasteurized and who knows what is left, if anything, that might be good for you.

Cinnamon:  This wonder spice stabilizes blood sugar levels and helps curb cravings.  It’s an ancient spice mentioned in ancient texts.

Now, to combine, here are three drinks that are helpful:

I’ve been doing this one morning and noon:  To a cup of hot, purified water (or distilled), add a tablespoon of organic raw honey, a tablespoon of organic, fresh squeezed lemon juice and one teaspoon of organic cinnamon.   Stir til the honey is dissolved and the cinnamon manages to break up and become part of the tea.  You’ll need to stir this until you’ve finished the cup.

This one is good for the morning on an empty stomach:  To a cup of hot, purified water (or distilled), add 2 tsp of organic lemon juice and 1 tsp of organic raw honey.  It will not be as strong in taste as above, but it should be helpful.

And then, this one is recommended to drink half of the recipe in the morning on an empty stomach, and the other half in the evening after your dinner:  To a cup of BOILING purified or distilled water, add 1 tsp of organic cinnamon and 1 tsp of organic raw honey.

All of this and more can be found here:  Drink for Weight Loss   I give credit and gratitude to the following for the above:

TheHeartySoul.com who shared the article sourced from http://www.FitnessRepublic.com.

Upcoming promotions

Happy Friday, all.  So there are a few upcoming promotions.

We’ll be doing the first of several free eBook promotions with Amazon probably September 3rd and 4th.  It’s a great time to download for holiday reading without hitting your pocketbook.  Keep an eye out for it.  We’ll be promoting on this site and on social media.  As always, we simply ask that you write a review – and try to relax and enjoy!

Also coming soon, a limited time promotion:  free T-shirts for those who spread the word about the book and write reviews on Amazon for the book.  WRITE A REVIEW!

We’ll need of course, your contact information and the best way to give that to us is through comments here on the blog.

For book dealers and resellers, we’re offering free materials to help you to promote the book such as rack cards and tees with your direct orders.  Simply email to Suki@SukiSMiller.com for more details.

Please tell your friends, SHARE on Facebook, retweet on Twitter, rate us on GoodReads.com and spread the word!

 

Snack du jour: Can you name this item?

I have very little affinity for Southern food, even though I was raised around a lot of it.  To me, it is just too greasy, too salty, too overcooked and because of the overcooking and lack of herbs, there is little flavor.  One thing I do like about Southern food is simple and fresh veggies and fruits.  Nothing can match a vine-ripened fresh tomato or a tree-ripened peach.

Today I ran into this in Publix market:   So the question is, who knows what this is?  Any comments?  Any ideas?  Nothing?  ::::crickets:::::::

Ok.  These are muscadines.  Muscadines are a thick-skinned fruit that grows very much like concord grapes, except they are larger and have a wholly different flavor.  And I LOVE these things!  I have to watch myself, though.

If I sit down with a small dish of muscadines, I’ll rip right through them all and then by this evening, they’ll be ripping right through ME!

Luckily for my digestive tract, they are a rarity here in South Florida and I generally can’t find them for very long.  When Waterfront Market was open, Buco Pantelis ALWAYS had both Muscadines and Scuppernongs (the white / green version of the above) for as long as he could get them.

Now both varieties are grown commercially in Georgia and in Alabama but originally scuppernongs were a bronze-green wild variety that grew in the trees in the woodlands in northern Alabama and Georgia and up through North Carolina.

And occasionally, for a week or two towards the end of the summer, we can find them at Publix.  Sadly, they are picked rather ‘green’ because of the inevitable shipping, so they never really develop as they would on the vine, but I’ll take them any way I can get them!