Cancer Survivor Story

I came across this video the other day and wanted to share it with all of you. It truly is an inspiring video about one woman's journey to cure her cancer. With cancer, or with any disease, it's important not to make yourself a statistic! Our bodies are truly amazing and when given the right nutrients, love and support, healing can take place. Click on the link below to view this 10 minute video about Evita's story to heal herself.

http://www.foodmatters.tv/_webapp_413654/A_Remarkable_Cancer_Survivor's_Story

Hope this video inspires you to make the healthiest choices to live your best life!

Chilly Weather, Warm Soup...Perfect Combo!

Butternut squash....so creamy, rich and sweet, it makes the perfect chilly weather soup. Butternut squash is loaded with phytonutrients (plant nutrients), such as lutein and zeaxanthin- great nutrients to protect your eyes, alpha and beta carotene, and vitamin C. These plant nutrients also provide you with powerful antioxidants and anti inflammatory agents, and is an ideal fall vegetable that you must add to your diet! And for you all you calorie conscious foodies, 1 cup contains only 80 calories! So check out the soup recipe below and enjoy all the benefits this wonderful veggie has to offer:

BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP W/ SPICY PUMPKIN SEEDS

Spiced Pumpkin Seeds
2/3 cup raw pumpkin seeds
1/4 tsp. curry powder
1 tsp. tamari soy sauce
Black pepper to taste

Roasted Butternut Soup
2 medium-sized butternut squash (about 4 3/4 lb. total), halved lengthwise and seeded
2 Tbs. vegetable oil
2 cups thinly sliced onion
1 Tbs. light brown sugar
4 tsp. minced ginger
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups vegetable stock
1 cup apple cider
Salt and black pepper to taste

Directions
To make Spiced Pumpkin Seeds: Toast seeds in nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, stirring for 5 minutes, or until they pop. Stir in curry, turn off heat and add tamari. Stir, season and set aside.

Preheat oven to 375F.

To make Roasted Butternut Bisque: Put squash, cut side down, on baking sheet. Bake about 50 minutes, or until tender. When cool, use paring knife to remove peel. Cut squash into 2-inch pieces.

Heat oil in large pot over medium heat. Add onion, brown sugar, ginger and garlic. Cover; cook, stirring often, until onion is tender, 15 minutes. Add squash, stock and cider. Simmer mixture; reduce heat to medium-low. Cook 10 minutes.

Purée until smooth (hand held immersion blender works best) . Season, bring to a simmer, then ladle into bowls. Garnish with pumpkin seeds and viola!!

Enjoy!

Benefits of Dry Skin Brushing

September long weekend.....no sun, rain, and 3 days of sweaters! My tan is fading fast! As we head into the cooler months and cover up with over sized sweaters, our sunny summer glow slowly starts to fade away. So how can we keep our skin looking flawless and keep our glow all winter long?? We need to dry skin brush!! So....what do you need you ask?? First, a brush made with naturals bristles (preferable) not synthetic so it won't scratch the surface of your skin. A long handle would be great as well to reach inaccessible areas of your back. A loofah may also be used, as long as it's not wet, but you definitely get more benefits from a dry brush.

Our skin is our largest organ and responsible for 1/4 of your body's daily detoxification! That's huge! Dry skin brushing can help assist your body with proper toxin elimination. It assists with detoxification by helping to cleanse your lymphatic system of toxins that accumulate in your lymph glands, it aids in increasing circulation, opens pores and truly invigorates your skin. Everyday we are exposed to toxins, whether is be from food and/or the environment. If we cannot properly eliminate these toxins, our skin will be ONE of the many organs that suffer. Cell renewal will take longer, wrinkles become more apparent, acne, eczema or psoriasis can worsen, and our everyday 'glow' will start to fade.

Dry skin brushing will help to:
- rid your body of metabolic wastes
- encourage cell regeneration
- increase blood flow
- lessen the appearance of cellulite
- improve muscle tone
- eliminate dead skin cells

How to Dry Brush:

Always dry brush before getting into the shower...hence the word DRY! Brushing on wet skin will not have the same effects on cell regeneration.

1. Begin with long sweeping strokes, starting from the soles of your feet. Work upwards towards your legs and thighs.
2. From your hands, work up towards your elbows and towards your shoulders. Brush across your stomach and buttocks.
3. Try to brush upwards from your lower back to your neck
4. Strokes should always be towards the heart
5. Brush several times in each area

Extra Tips:

Try to dry brush first thing in the morning. Afterwords, try alternating between hot and cold water in the shower to further stimulate circulation and bring blood to the surface of your skin. Always begin with hot and end with cold. Hot and cold showers is just another therapeutic way to invigorate your skin, ease muscles soreness and enhance overall health!

Happy Brushing!