Carrot Juice

I have discovered carrot juice.  Pure carrot juice.  It taste delicious.  I use it for a sweetener in my breakfast smoothies.  The fruit covers the taste of the carrot yet you get the sweetness of the carrot.  It adds very little calories to the smoothie.  When I have a veggie smoothie it adds carrot without any of the pulp.  Just make sure that you get 100% carrot juice and not mixed juice or artificial juice.  You can get it a Jewel in the organic isle or Mariano's in Frankfort.

Three Sisters

Food is fuel, not therapy!

SODIUM RETENTION & WEIGHT GAIN

Your body requires sodium to perform basic functions like transmitting messages among your nerves and keeping your heart beating. Sodium is the most prevalent electrolyte -- a particle that conducts electricity -- outside your cells. While you need sodium in your daily diet, most Americans take in too much sodium on a daily basis. This excess sodium intake can impact not only your blood pressure, but also your weight.

Water Retention

Sodium naturally attracts water in your body. When you take in excess sodium, water you take in pulls water toward your cells. This increases the amount of fluid in your body, a condition known as water retention. Because water has weight, an increase in sodium intake can mean you gain extra pounds as well. You maintain this water because your body works to have a balance of salt to water in your body. As long as you have excess salts, you will continue to carry extra fluid to keep your blood at the same dilution.

Just as your body retains water to keep sodium levels balanced, it also retains sodium if your fluid intake is excessive. The kidneys are responsible for filtering sodium from your body. When you take in excess fluid, hormones in your body will signal to retain as much sodium as possible. Like water retention, this type of sodium retention also contributes to weight gain.

Daily Intake

While the average American gets more than 1,000 mg more than she should in her daily diet, restricting your intake to about 2,300 mg per day can help to reduce sodium and water retention. Foods high in salt include canned, frozen and processed foods. One sign that your weight gain is related to water or sodium retention is if you reduce your sodium intake and notice a weight loss of one to three pounds of water weight. If your weight gain is related to water retention, increasing your water intake can help to activate your kidneys' response, encouraging the filtration of water from your system.

Warning

Sodium retention and weight gain can indicate the presence of an underlying condition and contribute to high blood pressure due to your increased fluid levels. An example of an underlying medical condition is kidney disease, which affects your ability to filter minerals like sodium and fluids from your body. Congestive heart failure and liver disease also can affect sodium filtration. Your physician can evaluate your overall health and recommend treatment options to reduce sodium retention and weight gain.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/485782-sodium-retention-weight-gain/#ixzz2YB5F67C6

This Weeks Vegetable...KALE

Scientific Binomial Name: Brassica oleracea Acephala Group

Usage: Greens are used as you would cooked spinach or used as a garnish.

Selection: Also known as borecole, good-quality kale will have dark-green colored leaves with crisp, rough edges.

Avoid: Avoid greens with leaves that are wilted, yellowing or have dark green patches of slime on parts of the leaves.

Available year-round. Supplies peak December through February.

Washington kale is available June through September.

Kale is low in Saturated Fat, and very low in Cholesterol. It's also a good source of Dietary Fiber, Protein, Thiamin, Riboflavin, Folate, Iron, Magnesium and Phosphorus, and a great source of Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium, Potassium, Copper and Manganese

Nutritional information:  Serving size one cup chopped raw, Calories 33, Calories from fat 4

Total Fat.........0                                                Vitamin A.............206%.
Cholesterol.....0 mg                                          Calcium................9%
Sodium...........29 mg                                         Vitamin C.............134%
Total Carbs....7 g                                              Iron.......................6%
Fiber.............1 g
Surgar............0
Protein...........2gm

• Blanching, steaming and stir-frying are all good cooking methods for kale. It cooks a little slower than spinach.
• Kale, a crinlky-leafed, non-heading cabbage, is one of the earliest members of the cabbage family to be cultivated. It was known to the ancients and it came to America with European settlers.
• Once called borecole, the word kale was bestowed by the Scots who are the champion kale consumers.

I have started incorporting Kale into my daily routine.....Here is how I use Kale!!!!!!

1. In my morning veggie green smoothie.
2. Rinse it, pat it dry, take off the stalk,  preheat oven 350, spray with cooking spray, sprinkle on your favorite seasonings...garlic powders, pepper, salt, Mrs Dash, chili powders, use whatever you like...bake for 10-15 minutes depending on desired crispness. 
3. Sautee Kale in a pan with some fresh garlic a little EVOO, and use it as a side for any protein. I also eat sauteed kale with my scrambles eggs in the morning. 
4. When you make any kind of vegetable soup, throw in a handful of kale.

HOW DO YOU INCORPORATE KALE INTO YOUR LIFE? I REALLY WANT TO KNOW!!!!

Dandelions

Dandelion leaves are very healthy for you.  The leaves are great for water retention.

You can use the flowers, leaves and stems in a lot mexican food and stuff. 

I love to use the leaves and stems in my smoothies.  They have a slightly

bitter taste that can easily be overcame with fruit .