Author: superspiderclub

This after-dinner drink from Skinnygirl Cocktails is the best of both worlds: a sexy cocktail and a dreamy dessert all in one. It’s sweet but not cloyingly sweet, and it won’t leave you too stuffed to… well, you know.

1 ounce vodka
1 ounce Godiva Chocolate Liqueur or Mocha Liqueur
1 ounce brewed espresso, room temperature
Chocolate sauce, for garnish

Combine the vodka, liqueur, and espresso in a shaker filled with ice.

Rim a martini glass by dipping it in chocolate sauce, and pour a teaspoonful of chocolate sauce into the bottom of the glass.

Shake the drink until well chilled and strain it into the glass.

In the Perfect Health Diet, we explain why mixing and matching foods not only makes them taste delicious but reduces their toxicity.

Flavor combinations are highly rewarding. Desserts usually combine carbs with fat, for instance.

Try this experiment. Take a baked potato and put butter, vinegar, and salt on it. It will taste delicious. Now eat the baked potato by itself, butter by itself, vinegar by itself, and salt by itself. You may have trouble finishing the meal.

It looks as though evolution designed the food reward system to get us to eat foods in combination. Does that make sense?

It does, because combining foods increases their nourishment and reduces their toxicity.

For good nourishment, we need a balanced diet—a diet that includes a broad range of nutrients. No single food has a broad enough range of nutrients. It’s easiest to achieve balance if we combine a diversity of plant and animal foods at every meal. The food reward system encourages us to do that.

Toxicity is another problem with unbalanced diets. A famous rule of toxicology—Paracelsus’s rule—is that “the dose makes the poison.” Small amounts of a toxin will be harmless, but large amounts very dangerous. Many foods are like this: a small amount of bok choy is healthful, but two pounds a day of raw bok choy can be deadly. Recently a Chinese woman needed four weeks in the hospital to recover from that amount.

So the food reward system encourages us to mix and match foods, eating only a modest amount of any one food.

Food combining is beneficial for starchy carbohydrates. You may have heard of the “glycemic index,” a measure of how high blood glucose levels rise after eating a food. In general, blood glucose levels below 140 milligrams per deciliter are safe, but glucose becomes increasingly toxic above that level; and higher-glycemic-index foods are more likely to increase blood glucose to a dangerous level.

But the glycemic index is radically reduced when foods are combined:

Fat reduces the glycemic index. Putting butter on French bread lowers its glycemic index from 95 to 65.

Fiber reduces the glycemic index. Adding a polysaccharide fiber to cornstarch reduced its GI from 83 to 58; to rice reduced its GI from 82 to 45.

Acids, such as vinegar, reduce the glycemic index. The amount of vinegar in sushi rice is sufficient to dramatically reduce its glycemic index. Pickled foods, which are sour due to lactic acid released by bacteria, reduce the glycemic index of rice by 27 percent.

Sauces in traditional cuisines typically combine an acid, such as lemon juice or vinegar, and a fat, such as olive oil or coconut milk. These sauces beneficially reduce the glycemic index of a meal, reducing its potential to induce hyperglycemic toxicity. (They are also nourishing in their own right.)

Learn more about the Perfect Health Diet

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What Is Fat Burning WaterPurchase for Best Prescription Weight Loss Pills Canada Get NowThe Fat Loss Factor Package Free Download will help you remove all of the disturbing and troublesome body weights. Dr. Charles D.C as the author of the program will provide you with much information about crash diets along with diet items, such as pill and drops. He’ll explain that the foundation of this plan

Trying to conceive? Try this healing, hormone-balancing fertility soup recipe from Magic Soup.

This soup is unashamedly for women. Our friend Emma Cannon is an amazing acupuncturist and fertility specialist; she gave us this recipe, telling us: “this is the Queen of soups. As one of my old teachers would say, even the making of it is something of a ritual; it’s not only about eating but also connecting to the essence of the bones and heart of ourselves.” Gathering the ingredients, putting them in a big pot and watching the transformation take place is a bit like alchemy. It contains the Chinese herbs dang gui (angelica root) and huang qi (astralgus), both of which are gentle tonics that help to balance the female hormones. They are widely available in Asian stores or online.

Note: It is not recommended to include dang gui root if you are taking the medication Warfarin.

SERVES 4-6

1 small organic chicken (weighing about 2 lbs 3 oz)
4 cloves
1 tsp coriander seeds
5 cardamom pods, bashed
2 star anise pods
a few slices of fresh ginger
3 strips huang qi (astragalus)
2 dang gui roots (angelica)
2 cups black glutinous rice wine, such as Shaoxing noodles or cooked rice, to serve (optional)
tenderleaf salad, to serve

Bring a large pan of water to a boil. Add the chicken and blanch it for 5 minutes, then remove, drain and rinse it. Return it to the pot.

Put the spices, ginger and Chinese herbs in a square of cheesecloth and tie it up to make a spice bag. Add it to the pot along with the rice wine and enough water to cover the chicken. Simmer gently over low heat for up to 4 hours, until tender.

Remove the chicken from the broth, allow to cool slightly, then take the meat off the bones, discarding the bones. Remove the spice bag and pass the stock through a cheesecloth or a fi ne-mesh strainer.

Shred the chicken into large pieces by hand and return it to the broth. You can add your favorite noodles or ladle the soup over cooked rice, or just enjoy the simplicity of chicken soup on its own.

Serve with the tenderleaf salad.

Good health is a state of balance where food choice is key. Learn how to harmonize yin and yang foods with these checklists from The MILF Diet: Let the Power of Whole Foods Transform Your Body, Mind, and Spirit, Deliciously.

Of course, the things we put into our mouths are made of yin and yang forces too, and they impart their distinct energies to us. Some natural foods create more contraction, heat, and pressure (more yang), while others have a relaxing, expanding, and cooling (more yin) effect on the body. Still others hang out in the middle. Natural foods help us maintain our balance.

But when we eat too many foods that contain extreme yin or extreme yang force, they make us lose our balance.

Let’s take a look. Here are foods and substances that carry strong, or extreme, yang force:

EXTREME YANG FOODS
• Meat (beef, pork, lamb, venison, etc.)
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Salty cheeses
• Too much or bad-quality salt (and sodium in processed foods)
• Hard, dry baked flour products
• Caffeine (has strong yin, too)
• Some food additives and preservatives

Yang foods tend to contain more sodium and less potassium. They are saltier and denser, and have a contracting or drying effect on the body. Of course, you can eat some of these foods some of the time, but daily use and/or overuse of these substances causes the systems of your body to tip into excess tightness and contraction. Eating too much of them can make your overall energy too tight, intense, or overheated and may even make things clot, harden, or close. Consumed in excess, over long periods of time, these foods can help fuel conditions like high blood pressure, muscle stiffness, constipation, kidney stones or gallstones, atherosclerosis (or anything ending in sclerosis, which means “hardening”), heart disease, and cancers that are hard and found in the lower parts of, or deep within, the body, such as ovarian, prostate, pancreatic, and bone.

Clearly, we don’t want that.

But extreme yang force doesn’t work just on physical systems; it has some emotional and behavioral side effects, too:

• Chronic aggression
• Rigidity in thinking and behavior
• Being controlling and overly competitive
• Sexual obsession or compulsivity
• Materialism
• Inability to relax
• Self-absorption
• Closed-mindedness
• Lack of sensitivity to one’s inner world, one’s emotions, or other people
• The desire to dominate nature and others

Do you know anyone who fits this checklist? And how does he or she eat? Think about it. On the other end of the spectrum are the foods and substances that carry strong, or extreme, yin force:

EXTREME YIN FOODS
• White sugar and other refined carbohydrates
• Milk, cream, butter, ice cream, and soft cheeses
• Tropical fruits and fruit juices (unless you live in the tropics)
• Tropical spices (unless you live in the tropics)
• Nightshade vegetables (potatoes, tomatoes, eggplants, and bell peppers)
• Chocolate
• Alcohol
• Marijuana and other recreational drugs
• Caffeine (has strong yang impact, too)
• Artificial sweeteners
• Most prescription drugs
• Birth control pills
• Some food additives and preservatives

Yin foods often contain more potassium than sodium. Tropical foods are considered more yin because they have a more expansive and cooling effect on the body. Many extreme yin foods are highly processed and have been stripped of their minerals, and as you may have noticed, lots of yin things we ingest on a regular basis aren’t actually foods at all. For the most part, yin substances tend to release energy and send it to the periphery.

The Biggest Loser is back January 4, 2016 for its 17th season, but with a new host, a new gym and even a brand new logo, this season will be anything but business as usual. America’s favorite trainers Dolvett Quince and Jen Widerstrom return this season to train eight teams of two contestants, all competing to […]

When author Daniel Smith called home in an anxiety-induced panic, his therapist mother instructed him to sit quietly and breathe deeply. It worked. For the short term, at least. From Monkey Mind: A Memoir of Anxiety.

My mother is the Billy Graham of therapeutic breathing. Many years ago, she had little rectangular signs made with the word “breathe” printed on them in flowery epigraphical type, to display in her office. She owns dozens of sheets of neon-orange breathe stickers that she distributes to anyone in need. Growing up, one was posted on our refrigerator and another on the wall just beneath the kitchen telephone, at eye level. They were meant to remind my mother that whenever she felt unsteady, whenever the old anxiety feeling came back, she should sit down, close her eyes, and—

And what? What was this process by which the beast was to be neutralized? What alternate states of consciousness or bodily contortions did it require? I had never before asked, and when my mother had tried to tell me I hadn’t listened. I listened now, and I was incredulous, for the change in breathing my mother preached was, when you got down to it, minuscule.

“Go,” she said. “Find a quiet place to sit.”

“But there isn’t a place to sit.”

“Of course there is. I’ve been there. It’s a college campus.

There are tons of places to sit.”

“No, there aren’t. The place is overrun. There are people everywhere. It’s an infestation!”

“The library,” she said. “Go to the library.”

“But there are loads of people in the library! That’s where they keep the computers.”

“Then try another floor. Go to the basement.”

I did as she said. In the periodicals room I found a wool-knit lounge chair with a heavy wooden frame and heaved it in front of a window overlooking a copse of trees at the base of a steep hill.

“The secret is to breathe much lower than you’re breathing,” my mother said. “When you’re anxious you breathe too high in the chest. You want to breathe lower, in your belly. You want to be able to feel your belly rise and fall. When you sit, put your hand on your belly and feel it rise and fall as you breathe. Breathe slowly. First breathe in through your nose. Count to four as you breathe. Then breathe out as you count to six. Close your eyes. Breathe. Keep your hand on your belly. In through your nose, four, out through your mouth, six. In through your nose, four, out through your mouth, six. In through your nose, four, out through your mouth, six…”

I did as she said. I laid my right hand on my stomach, closed my eyes, and breathed. I felt my belly rise and fall. In through the nose, four, out through the mouth, six. In through the nose, four, out through the mouth, six… At first, nothing happened. It was difficult even to sit still, let alone to focus on the numbers. I almost stood and bolted for the stairs. Then, gradually, I felt it working. Somewhere within me things shifted. My blood chemistry recalibrated. Ions flipped their charge. Molecules realigned. The organism settled. Behind my eyelids the dark was now a dampening dark rather than the dark of terrifying space. I felt, as I opened my eyes to the bending trees, as I imagined I was meant to feel. I felt lucid.

My mother is far from the only therapist to tout the powers of the breath. Anxious people breathe too quickly, and from the upper parts of the lungs, increasing the heart rate and throwing off pH balance and resulting in all sorts of unpleasant physiological changes. Learning to breathe slowly and more deeply is sound advice. “Once a client of mine can control his breathing patterns in a variety of situations, I believe he is 50 percent along on the road to success,” writes one anxiety specialist. “For some people, identifying and mastering breathing patterns will completely end their symptoms and resolve their problems.”

Unfortunately, this has not been the case for me. Breathing techniques have helped, but they haven’t been able to resolve the problem—probably because my anxiety is so cerebral. For true change, I require higher-order instruction. Whatever help breathing did bring, meanwhile, it didn’t bring for years, until I was ready to put in the time needed to change my habits.

In six months, Miles had gone from a toddler with no language and poor adaptive skills to a delightful little boy who was pointing to objects he wanted, putting two words together appropriately, and initiating games like peekaboo and ring-around-the-rosy. He ate with a spoon, helped get himself dressed, and named hundreds of objects around the house. His language was becoming easier to decipher now, too. In Unraveling the Mystery of Autism and Pervasive Developmental Disorder, I share the moment I knew he would be OK.

Dinosaurs had become an interest of Miles’s. Actually, I had to admit that they were an obsession. He knew them all by name, and sometimes did a little bit of verbal stimming on the names: “Tywannisauwus wex, Tywannisauwus wex, Tywannisauwus wex, Tywannisauwus wex . . .”

We did not take away his dinosaur toys, however, because his play with them was so normal. He would use two toy dinosaurs to enact a conversation, playing both parts. When speaking for the dinosaurs, his language was a mixture of jargon and real words, sometimes in short, meaningful sentences.

“Hi, you a Ceratops?”
“Aha. I Ceratops.”
“Roaaar!”
“Roaaarrrr!”

I joked to my friends that he could name every dinosaur but that he still couldn’t call me Mommy.

One day at the shopping mall Miles and Laura were running around some benches, hiding then popping up. When Laura jumped up from behind her bench, Miles waved at her.

“Hi, Waw-waw!” he shouted. Alan and I looked at each other excitedly.
Laura simply responded, “Hi, Milesie!”

Another time, on an airplane, Miles was absorbed with a book and did not notice Alan leaving his seat. When Miles looked up, he looked at me and clearly asked, “Where’s Daddy?” I stared at him for a moment, wondering if he had really said what I thought he had said.

“Daddy will be right back,” I replied hesitantly. Miles went back to his book.

Just a few days later, I was sitting in the living room watching Miles play. He was looking through some cards with dinosaurs on them. When he got to his favorite one, he became quite excited. “Wook, Mommy, wook at dis. Issa Tywannisauwus wex.”

I sat, stunned for a moment, and then I began to weep. At twenty-eight months old, more than twice the age his sister had been when she evidenced the same knowledge, Miles knew that his mother had a name. I held out my arms and said, “Miles, come here. Come to Mommy.”

He put down the card and stood up with a big smile. He ran into my arms with an expression of pure joy, and when I picked him up, he wrapped his arms tightly around my neck. It felt so good to hold him without being pushed away. As if he knew how I was feeling, he let me hold him like that for a long time. A long, wonderful time.

For months an old poem had been dancing along the fringes of my mind, and suddenly a scrap burst forward:

And hast thou slain the Jabberwock?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy.

Miles then lifted his head from my shoulder and gave me one of the exaggerated kisses Alan had shown him.
“Mwah!” he said, grinning.
“Mwah yourself,” I said.

I put him down and he went back to his cards. I stood there for several minutes and let the feeling sink in. Miles was better. He still had a way to go, but my heart was finally at ease. The delays were present, but the roots of autistic behavior were gone, and I could project the normal development that was yet to come. I did not care how many people claimed it was impossible. Miles was going to recover from autism.

It’s possible to eat your way to better health. These 12 anti-inflammatory foods will help slow the aging of your circulatory system, says author Dr. Mike Moreno in his book, The 17 Day Diet Breakthrough Edition.

Salmon. It’s high in omega-3 fatty acids, which reduce inflammation. The best choice is wild-caught salmon. (Avoid farm-raised salmon; it’s higher in arachidonic acid, as well as toxins, all of which increase inflammation.) Herring, mackerel, and sardines are also loaded with omega-3s.

Walnuts. These nuts are another plentiful source of omega-3s and other healthful compounds, including vitamin e, which is a powerful immune booster.

Onions. Onions are rich in quercetin, a type of antioxidant that prevents harmful enzymes from triggering inflammation. Onions also contain sulfur compounds that bolster the immune system. Other good sources of quercetin include apples, broccoli, red wine, red grapes, grape juice, and tea.

Blueberries. I can’t say enough great things about blueberries. Blueberries are packed with anthocyanins, a type of antioxidant that boosts immunity and protects the body from free radical damage (an inflammation trigger). other good sources of anthocyanins include blackberries, strawberries, raspberries, and cranberries.

Sweet potatoes. Sweet potatoes are rich in carotenoids, a type of antioxidant known for boosting immunity and preventing inflammation. Not a sweet-potato kind of guy or gal? Try chomping down on other orange, red, yellow, or green fruits and veggies like carrots, yellow squash, peppers, and mangoes.

Spinach. Spinach also has carotenoids, not to mention immune-boosting vitamin E. Any green leafy vegetable is powerful for immune support.

Garlic. Like onions, garlic is rich in sulfur compounds that boost the activity of immune cells. Garlic is also a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.

Pineapple. Bromelain, found in pineapple, is an enzyme that decreases inflammation and confers some immune-enhancing effects. Pineapple is also an excellent source of the antioxidant vitamin C.

Ginger. Fresh ginger root acts as an anti-inflammatory. It works by dampening the action of inflammation-promoting enzymes in the body.

Turmeric. The key component in curry, turmeric contains curcumin, a compound that has anti-inflammatory effects.

Pomegranate and pomegranate juice. Revered since ancient times, the pomegranate has recently become acclaimed for its cardiovascular health benefits. It is a powerful antioxidant that appears to protect the heart and blood vessels. Pomegranate juice may have anti-clogging properties, slowing the progression of arterial plaques. It may even reduce blood pressure.

Any and all vegetables. Besides the veggies I mentioned above, I want to emphasize the importance of all vegetables for circulatory health. Vegetables, which many people now refer to as “plant foods,” contain phytonutrients—protective disease-fighting substances in foods. some of these may help the body produce nitric oxide, which is a vasodilator and can help reduce blood pressure. A study published in the July 2011 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has linked diets rich in vegetables and fruits to better cardiovascular health and overall longevity. Basically, this study looked at total vegetable intake, total fruit intake, and cruciferous vegetable intake in two large groups of Chinese subjects and found that high intakes of total vegetables, particularly the cruciferous ones (such as broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage), were associated with a significantly reduced risk of death due to cardiovascular disease. Cruciferous vegetables are rich sources of compounds called sulforaphanes, which act as antioxidants and anti-inflammatories in the body. These two effects are of particular importance with respect to heart disease.

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