Lots of Mileage from Flavored Olive Oils/Balsamic Vinegars!

There's a new olive oil bar here in town, and I've just discovered the simplicity of leaning on the flavors and nutritional benefits of various flavored olive oils and balsamic vinegars.

You can cook up some pasta (not the enriched flour variety), mix it with flaked, cooked salmon and some fresh spinach, and some pine nuts, and then drizzle a lemon flavored olive oil and a black currant balsamic vinegar over it, a bit of fresh basil and some feta cheese.

Simple and delicious.

In the old days, I'd fry up some hamburger and diced onions in the grease from the hamburger, and then add tomato sauce for a topping over a pile of spaghetti. Needless to say, that kind of cuisine sat on top of your stomach for a long time before it every digested, leaching fat into your digestive system and on to your arteries. Nothing light about it!

Opting instead for the healthier fats delivered by olive oil, it's not only simpler, it's a much better contribution to the health of your arteries.

The olive oil/ balsamic vinegar combo is a great choice for anointing any mix of salad greens. For a quick, nutritious meal, just make sure you add lots of whole vegetables to it!

There's Wisdom In Cleansing

As we prepare a for winter, there is some wisdom in doing a cleanse this time of year, even if it's just for a day or two.

The main reason is our bodies build up a level of toxicity as a result of the amount of processed stuff that we eat, and that results in a sludge that builds up in the liver. One of the best ways to slough that off is to eat unprocessed, whole foods ~ such as nuts, vegetables, fruits and herbs.

It kick starts the process of detoxifying the liver, and that in turn jump starts a sluggish metabolism so that a big plus right off the bat is weight loss. When toxins are removed, you're down the road in preventing chronic disease and optimizing your immune system.

You'll notice increased energy and a greater ability to concentrate. By planning what you are going to eat, most likely you'll also save money (since on the average we waste 40 percent of the food we buy!)

Ah... but cutting out our comfort calories can cause some trepidation, yes?

That's because for many of us, snacking on crackers, candy, chips, and other types of processed foods is a habit, pure and simple.

It often accompanies periods of boredom or stress, such as you might experience given dearth of  menu of viewing options on TV.

Maybe its just having something to chew, never mind whether or not we're hungry.

When you eat anything, "Am I really hungry?" should be the first question.

There are a variety of cleansing diets out there that are very simple and easy to follow. It's a way to "change things up a bit" in your life, because a side benefit can be new insights on where you're headed.

Try it for a day or two, keep a journal, and then see what you notice.