Buddha means awareness, the awareness of body and mind that prevents evil from arising in either. ~ Bodhidharma

TUSHKATEERS!!! Helloooooo!!!  Howdy Do!  …  AND – guess where I am right now!  35,000 miles high in the sky; finishing this week’s KITT Club newsletter ‘a day late and a dollar short,’ as they used to say.   I was busy yesterday, true enough, but that’s not what derailed me.  It was the heat and even more so the humidity, and the fact that the AC in my office was on the blink, so I blinked on out of there, and once I left my desk – that was that.

One of the many things that I wanted to share with you/talk about was/is the documentary “Forks Over Knives.”  Have you seen it?  I’m betting a bunch of you have, or you’ve at least heard about it.   It’s been out for awhile, and it’s building steam.  I seriously loved it.  I appreciated the graphics about food and disease, the information about cancer, diabetes, heart disease, the inspirational stories, the muscled firemen and the shirtless athletes!  Captured your imagination with ‘naked men,’ right?

I do believe that we are best served by eating copious amounts of vegetables and fruits, whole grain … you know, “Real Food,” as opposed to processed ‘stuff.’  Whether their science is completely accurate or not (read this review for more information about their science), I think – that at the very least – “Forks Over Knives” serves as a wake-up call.

I receive tons of emails from Tushkateers who are either pre-diabetic or diabetic, who have heart disease or signs of it.  At the risk of being overly dramatic, I just want to say from my heart, that it breaks my heart.   Want to get healthy?  Want to lose weight?  It’s easy to get going.  Your first step:  Start eating more real food!!!  Don’t worry about what you think you can’t let go of … just keep adding to your health.

Here follows two absolutely delicious, Our Lady of Weight Loss approved recipes to get you started!  Add fruits, veggies, beans, grains to your day!!!  Okay? Okay!!!!

And … one more ‘ your health matters’ item!!!  Please read my Beliefnet Blog post: Foodborne Illness Survivors Tell President Obama We Can’t Wait.  More important information that we should be aware of!  Here’s to our individual and collective awareness and health!!!

I’m going to sign off after the veggie recipes, because I am up high with a low battery, and only God knows what might happen if we hit turbulence!   More “Chewing the Fat” letters from y’all next week!  More happy thoughts, inspired quotes, get jiggy puzzles!!!  Ain’t life grand?!

Eggplant, Apricots and Kidney Beans, Oh My
2 T olive oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 cups diced eggplant
2 cups chopped tomatoes
12 dried apricots
dash of Tabasco
2 cups drained and rinsed canned kidney beans
whole wheat penne (8 oz box)
salt and pepper to taste
vegetable broth (organic from the box)

In large skillet, sauté garlic for a minute or two, add eggplant, tomatoes, apricots, Tabasco and a 1/4 cup vegetable broth.  Season to taste with salt and pepper, then cover and simmer.  If it starts to look dry, add a splash or two more of vegetable broth.

Meanwhile, in a big pot, make the penne, according to directions on the box.  When done, drain water.

Pour a good amount of sauce on penne.  Remember 1/2 cup of penne is about 120 calories; 1 cup is 240 … in other words, do not eat it all!

Roasted Vegetable CousCous with Garbanzo Beans
2 cups seeded/chopped red bell pepper
1 cup sliced zucchini
2 T olive oil
1 cup couscous
2 cups drained and rinsed can of garbanzo beans
2 cups drained bottle artichoke hearts, halved
1 cup cherry tomatoes
salt and pepper to taste
basic leaves, to scatter

Heat the oven to 40 degrees.  Put the bell peppers and zucchini in a large baking dish, season with salt and pepper, drizzle oil and toss.  Roast in the hot oven for 20 minutes until tender, turning once.

Put the couscous in a bowl, season with salt and paper, drizzle with remaining oil.  Stir with a fork, then pour into1 cup boiling water and let stand 5 minutes.   When the couscous is done, add the roasted vegetables to couscous.

Thanks for listening!  I’ll pick up where I left off last week and this week, next week!

In the meantime …

Spread the word … not the icing!

Janice

Life & Wellness Coach
Self-Help / Weight Loss Artist
wise * fun * utterly useful

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