Red-Winged Black Bird

Morning Music

My heart's a singin'.
The morning dawn,
Calls you from slumber.
What are we sharing
With our morning song & call?
It's our joy, our love, our all!
We sing because we're happy.
We sing because we're free.
A song for you as a reminder,
You too have a song within you.
Share it. Sing it. Tell us.
Your beauty, your song -
May too wake someone from a slumber.

Healthy Banana Bread Recipe

This is healthy and yummy!

5 ripe bananas, mashed
3/4 cup Agave Nectar, or Sucanat, or Rapadura sugar, or Honey
3/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup milk (skim, soy, rice or almond)
1/4 cup fat free, plain greek yogurt or fat free cottage cheese
2 egg whites
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray entire 9x5" loaf pan or muffin pan with cooking spray

2. In medium bowl, mash bananas. Add sweetener, flaxseed, milk, yogurt (or cottage cheese) and egg whites. Mix until well blended. In a smaller bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda and salt. Stir the dry ingredients into the banana mixture until mositened. Spoon into muffin pan or loaf pan.

3. For muffins - bake 20 minutes at 350. For loaf pan, bake 1 hour and 10 minutes at 350. (toothpick inserted into the crown will come out clean)

Makes 12 servings/12 muffins
Nutrition per serving:
Calories: 193; Total fat: 3g; Carbs: 39g; Fiber: 6g; Sugars 18g; Protein: 6g; 0 Saturated, 0 Trans fats.

March 18 - I hear the birds again today.....

We sing because we're happy.
We sing because we're free.
Our eyes, we always see.
Our song - is a life of being free.

We want you to know, our song is for you.
To inspire and lift you to see,
That freedom and happiness is yours every day too,
If you are willing - it can be.

March 9th - The birds continue to inspire me.....

March rain - cold, wet.
The birds are back,
They don't mind getting wet.

They gather in bunches, we hear their call.
Their spirits are talking - joy, joy is for all.
Sing, sing let your spirit soar.
Open your hearts and there will be more.

The ground is thawing, the bulbs are sprouting.
For us a reminder - relax, remember - we too are growing.

Cardinals

Here's a poem I wrote yesterday:

Cardinals

Red, brown - I hear your voice.
Early in the spring, even in winter - you offer me choice.
Your song cheers me up, wakes my spirit and gives me reason.
Always hopeful, your call is sweet each and every season.

Out my back door, up high out front.
You have a view that's big and wide,
Reminding me of possibility - you are on my side.

Your vibrance, your stature, your trust
Always says "Wake up Spirit, you must!"

You brighten the winter, on gray days you pop.
Cold or not, you never stop.

Thank you for your sweet call and doing your part.
With you, I can always open my heart.

Are You Drinking Enough Water?

Probably not, given that 80% of people are dehydrated. If you wait until you are thirsty, you are probably already dehydrated. The body NEEDS water to function well. How much water is ideal? 1 quart for every 50 lbs. of body weight. That's 3-4 quarts of water per day for the majority of us. Always round up. Water makes up 60% of the human body. That’s 70% in the brain, 82% in the blood and 90% in the lungs. With such high ratios, the importance of drinking high quality water cannot be underestimated. Scientists report that a 2% reduction of water levels in the body can correspond to a loss of 20% in both physical and mental productivity. This is important because, the thirst reflex does not become active until the body has already reached a state of dehydration. Low energy, acne, wrinkles, fatigue, bad breath, headaches all can be signs of dehydration. Remember, don't leave the house without a bottle of water. You'll be a great model for your family & co-workers too!

What's Your Afternoon Pick-Me-Up?

Many people like to go to Starbucks for a little energy boost to carry them through until dinnertime. A plain coffee is one thing, but a vanilla soy latte or another sweet drink can lead to unnecessary weight gain. Did you know an additional 100 calories a day, leads to an extra 10 lbs. per year? An additional 300 calories a day, is an extra 30 lbs. per year! Know your nutrition! A Grande, Skim Vanilla Latte is 250 calories. A Tall Skim Mocha Frappuccino w/ whip is 280 calories! Check out more of your favorite drinks at: http://www.starbucks.com/retail/nutrition_beverages.asp

Keep your energy up throughout the day by eating every 2-3 hours. Have a small, healthy snacks between meals, such as nuts & fruit. This can go a long way to keep your blood sugar even & avoid that late afternoon slump.
Examples of Healthy Snacks: (think, unprocessed!)
- 1/4 c. raw nuts (cashews, almonds & walnuts) and an apple
- 2 percent Fage yogurt w/ grapes
- 1 Tbs. natural peanut butter on one slice of whole wheat toast
- Grapes or Apple & 1 serving mozzarella string cheese
- Raw veggies & hummus or string cheese
Examples of Non-Healthy Snacks:
- chips
- crackers
- candy bars
- candy
- cereal/granola
- cereal/granola bars
- fruit juice/soda/Gatorade
- muffins
- sweetened yogurt

Look at ingredients and avoid:
- Sugar
- Enriched wheat flour
- Partially hydrogenated oils
- Aspartame
- High Fructose Corn Syrup

Shop ahead of time & be prepared when you leave the house w/ a lean protein & low-fat snack. Make it part of your routine! Planning + preparation = progress!