Healthy Living Guide… Health Food Recipes…

This was JE Tzu Chi Sunday school mini sport day. Everybody was looking forward to it and teachers and some parents have even came to the field a day earlier to get the lines and tents ready.

But it was raining heavily since the early Sunday morning. It was very obvious to that their hard work of the past few weeks in preparing the mini sport day looked like was going to be a waste. Raindrops kept pouring in… non stop.

Children were complaining with disappointment. But the teachers were not going to give up this moment. Teachers shared about their hard work for the past weeks and told the children that why complain when those who put in hard work were the teachers and parents. It seemed to be quite a human nature that whenever we see things not going our way, we start to complain and express our disappointment.

Then the teachers started to lead all the students, with eyes closed, in a prayer that has the lyrics of 3 main wish, i.e.:

1. May we be free from all sufferings and hatred.

2. May the world be blessed with peace and harmony

3. May our minds be purified to be as clear as the early dawn.

And thus with the blessings from the Lord Buddha, after the first round of this prayer, it seemed that the thick black cloud which was enveloping the sky has started to move away.

With all hearts, the students and teachers continued to recite and sing this prayer again and again.

Then…..when they started to open their eyes again, one could not believe their eyes but to contemplate on the bright sky.

Here, is the power of prayers…..

Prayer for the mind and body

Praying not only for ourselves, but also for the betterment of all beings..

Here, is the great compassion, that when it proliferate, will make all being is great state of healthy mind and body.

Health Guide Recipes

BY John Robbins

No parent wants to raise a spoiled brat-a kid who is sel?sh, demanding, and
insensitive to others. But what is it that spoils children? I don’t think it’s an abundance of love and
thoughtful attention. I think it more likely happens when we substitute material
things for genuine love, when we try to give them everything they want, when we
try to appease their every desire, when we indulge them with loads of toys and feel like failures if they aren’t always happy.
I think spoiling happens when we give our kids junk food that provides short- term pleasure, instead of providing them with real nourishment.
The truth is that we live in a culture where, as environmentalist Bill McKibben puts it, “almost everyone is a little spoiled, where spoiling children underwrites a signi?cant part of the economy.”
If a child’s needs become so paramount to the parents that they sacri?ce
everything, the child feels insecure, with little chance to learn how to live a
self- reliant life. If parents can’t tolerate any discomfort from their child,
if they can never say no to him or her, the child grows fearful. If parents have no sources of joy other than their children, the children may believe they are the center of the universe.
What spoils kids is when they are taught to ?ll up their emptiness from the
outside by purchasing things and activities, rather than learning how to ?ll
themselves up from the inside through making good choices, caring, and creativity.
It’s not love that spoils our kids. They become spoiled when we ply them with too many toys, too much stimulation, and too much of the wrong kind of attention. They become spoiled when they learn, often from our example, to identify their self-worth with other’s approval, with how they look, with how much stuff they have, with how expensive their clothes are, or with how large their homes are.
We spoil our kids when we teach them to meet their deepest spiritual and  emotional needs with material things. We spoil them when we don’t help them to learn to deal with disappointment or to learn about the joys of helping others.
Spoiling happens when kids aren’t helped to know their own inner beauty, when they feel they will be valued only for their looks, possessions, or performance. Spoiling happens when children aren’t celebrated for who they are, when they are forced to pretend, to put on a mask, to ignore their own deepest promptings and truth. Spoiling happens when kids aren’t valued for their inner qualities, their kindness, their laughter, their inspirations, their passion for life.
You may sometimes feel that children aren’t listening to you, but I can assure you they are always watching you. They may not seem to be heeding your words, but they are paying a great deal of attention to your example. They are great imitators, so be careful what you give them to imitate.
“When you thought I wasn’t looking,

You hung my ?rst painting on the refrigerator,
And I wanted to paint another one.
When you thought I wasn’t looking,
You fed a stray cat,
And I thought it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn’t looking,
You baked a birthday cake just for me,
And I knew that little things were special things.
When you thought I wasn’t looking,
You kissed me goodnight,
And I felt loved.
When you thought I wasn’t looking,
I saw tears come from your eyes,
And I learned that sometimes things hurt
But that it’s alright to cry.
When you thought I wasn’t looking,
You smiled
And it made me want to look that pretty, too.
When you thought I wasn’t looking,
You cared,
And I wanted to be everything that I could be.
When you thought I wasn’t looking, I looked,
And wanted to say thanks
For all those things you did When you thought I wasn’t looking.”
This poem was written by Mary Rita Schilke Korzan, in gratitude to her mother, Blanche Schilke. She didn’t thank her mom for the money she spent on her, for the presents she bought her, or for the advice she gave her. She didn’t thank her mother for sending her to the best schools or for making sure she had designer clothes.
But it’s a poem that I think any parent would be grateful and happy to someday receive from a grown child. May it remind us all that the example we set for our children by the way we live is our real message to them.

Health Guide

Ever wanted to take a low sugar cheesecake but don’t know how?
Here is a delicious version of cheesecake: Figure-trimming cherry cheesecake recipe

Healthy Guide Recipe

Vitamin D is a vitamin. It can be found in small amounts in a few foods, including fatty fish such as herring, mackerel, sardines and tuna. To make vitamin D more available, it is added to dairy products, juices, and cereals that are then said to be “fortified with vitamin D.” But most vitamin D – 80% to 90% of what the body gets – is obtained through exposure to sunlight. Vitamin D can also be made in the laboratory as medicine.

Vitamin D is used for preventing and treating rickets, a disease that is caused by not having enough vitamin D (vitamin D deficiency). Vitamin D is also used for treating weak bones (osteoporosis), bone pain (osteomalacia), bone loss in people with a condition called hyperparathyroidism, and an inherited disease (osteogenesis imperfecta) in which the bones are especially brittle and easily broken. It is also used for preventing falls and fractures in people at risk for osteoporosis, and preventing low calcium and bone loss (renal osteodystrophy) in people with kidney failure.

Vitamin D is used for conditions of the heart and blood vessels, including high blood pressure and high cholesterol. It is also used for diabetes, obesity, muscle weakness, multiple sclerosis, rheumatoid arthritis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma, bronchitis, premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and tooth and gum disease.

Some people use vitamin D for skin conditions including vitiligo, scleroderma, psoriasis, actinic keratosis, and lupus vulgaris.

It is also used for boosting the immune system, preventing autoimmune diseases, and preventing cancer.

Because vitamin D is involved in regulating the levels of minerals such as phosphorous and calcium, it is used for conditions caused by low levels of phosphorous  and low levels of calcium

Vitamin D in forms known as calcitriol  is applied directly to the skin for a particular type of psoriasis.

If you travel to Canada, you may have noticed that Canada recognizes the importance of vitamin D in the prevention of osteoporosis. It allows this health claim for foods that contain calcium: “A healthy diet with adequate calcium and vitamin D, and regular physical activity, help to achieve strong bones and may reduce the risk of osteoporosis.” But the US version of this osteoporosis health claim does not yet include vitamin D.

“>Get one bottle of Vitamin D now!

Beans are about the best nutrition bargain going. Low in cost, they provide thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, iron, and calcium. When complemented by grains or dairy products, they are a main source of high-quality protein for vegetarians.

The simplest cooking directions are to sort through the beans and discard any bad ones, then rinse well, drain, and gently boil, uncovered, in three times their volume of water until tender.

For some beans, cooking “until tender” can take a considerable length of time. If you prefer, you can shorten their cooking time by soaking them according to one of the following methods.

1. Quick soaking: In a kettle, combine 6 to 9 cups hot water with 1 pound dry beans. Bring to a boil over high heat and continue to boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let soak, covered, for 1 hour before draining.
2. Long soaking: In a kettle, combine 6 to 7 cups cold water with 1 pound dry beans. Add 2 teaspoons salt, (it helps beans absorb water evenly). Let soak for at least 3 to 4 hours or until next day. Drain before cooking.

To cook soaked beans: In a kettle, bring 6 to 7 cups water to a boil. Add drained, soaked beans. Boil gently partially covered, until tender Add water if needed to keep beans covered. Add salt to taste (up to 2 teaspoons) when beans are tender. Drain excess water when done; reserve for soups or stews, if desired.

Beans double in size; 1 pound dry beans yields about 4 cups cooked beans. We prefer to cook a large quantity of beans and freeze whatever we don’t plan to use right away.

The following list of legumes (mostly beans) contains a brief description as well as recommended cooking time after soaking for each item. Note that lentils and split peas do not need soaking.

1. Black beans: Robust flavor; popular in South American cooking. 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
2. Black-eyed peas: Smooth texture, pealike flavor; good mixed with other vegetables. 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
3. Garbanzos (chick peas, ceci): Firm texture, nutlike flavor; naturals for minestrone, salads. 2 to 2 1/2 hours.
4. Great Northern beans: Mild flavor; good in soups, and combined with other vegetables. 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
5. Kidney beans: Firm texture, meaty flavor; hold shape well in chili dishes and other casseroles. 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
6. Lentils: No soaking needed. Mild flavor blends well with many different foods, spices. 40 to 45 minutes.
7. Limas, baby: Versatile; use like other white beans in soups, casseroles. 1 to 1 1/2 hours.
8. Pink, pinto, and red beans: Hearty flavor; great for barbecue-style beans, Mexican cooking, soups, casseroles. 1 1/2 to 2 hours.
9. Soybeans: Strong-flavored, near-perfect protein source. Refrigerate while soaking. 3 to 3 1/2 hours.
10. Split peas, green and yellow: No soaking; good for soups, side dishes. 40 to 50 minutes.
11. White beans (navy), small: Hold their shape when cooked; classic for baked beans. 1 to 1 1/2 hours.

Health Guide Recipes

1.  Ensure that your diet contains a wide variety of foods
2. Control your weight: avoid obesity
3. Cut down on total fat intake
4. Eat more high-fibre and micronutrient-rich foods (fruits, vegetables, wholegrain cereal products). Especially include leafy green and yellow vegetables such as spinach and carrots, and members of the cabbage family such as brussels sprouts and broccoli
5. Be moderate in using salt-cured, smoked and nitrite-cured foods
6. Limit alcohol intake:
*Because heart authorities advise a lowered salt intake in addition to the preceding recommendations, the recipes incorporate this dietary strategy.

Health Guide Recipes

Official cancer prevention campaigns have tended to shy away from advice about nutrition, preferring to focus on personal control of what enters the lungs and is absorbed through the skin. But the self-help anti-cancer strategy is entering a new age. A steady stream of studies, providing compelling evidence linking diet with various types of cancer, has convinced Australia’s state cancer councils that it is time to act. They have issued general advice on nutrition, summed up in the term the ‘Prudent Diet’. This advice is consistent with the dietary recommendations of the National Heart Foundation and with the national dietary guidelines of Federal Health authorities in Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States.

The Prudent Diet, is no ‘fad’ diet based on intuition about possible nutritional influences on cancer risk. Nor will it leave a feeling of perpetual hunger, the outcome of so many dietary regimes. By reducing the emphasis on fats and accentuating complex carbohydrates and fibre-rich fare, we can enjoy delicious foods that have fallen into disrepute in recent years (such as steamed potatoes, bananas and crusty grain breads) while simultaneously minimising cancer-related health risks.

Researchers have suspected for some time that diet influences the incidence of some common cancers. But it is only in recent years, with data from long-term studies of disease trends among population groups, that firm conclusions have supplanted suspicions. The researchers who conduct such studies are known as epidemiologists and, although still hazy about some aspects of the diet-cancer connection, their advice is firming up year by year. Their findings indicate that some components of the foods we eat actually promote cancer risk (a fat-rich diet heightens the risk of breast and bowel cancer, for example), while other constituents help protect against cancer (the fibre, vitamins and minerals in fruits, vegetables and grains, for instance, reduce the risk of cancers at most sites).

Despite the strong circumstantial, population-related evidence of the role of diet in various cancers, supported by laboratory findings, scientists still have some way to go before they can define precisely the relationships between specific aspects of diet and specific disease outcomes.

Nevertheless health authorities recognise there is now sufficient evidence to warrant changes in food selection, preparation and handling so that the cancer risk of all Australians will be reduced.

Raw Food Plan

Health Guide Recipes

Official cancer prevention campaigns have tended to shy away from advice about nutrition, preferring to focus on personal control of what enters the lungs and is absorbed through the skin. But the self-help anti-cancer strategy is entering a new age. A steady stream of studies, providing compelling evidence linking diet with various types of cancer, has convinced Australia’s state cancer councils that it is time to act. They have issued general advice on nutrition, summed up in the term the ‘Prudent Diet’. This advice is consistent with the dietary recommendations of the National Heart Foundation and with the national dietary guidelines of Federal Health authorities in Australia, Britain, Canada and the United States.

The Prudent Diet, is no ‘fad’ diet based on intuition about possible nutritional influences on cancer risk. Nor will it leave a feeling of perpetual hunger, the outcome of so many dietary regimes. By reducing the emphasis on fats and accentuating complex carbohydrates and fibre-rich fare, we can enjoy delicious foods that have fallen into disrepute in recent years (such as steamed potatoes, bananas and crusty grain breads) while simultaneously minimising cancer-related health risks.

Researchers have suspected for some time that diet influences the incidence of some common cancers. But it is only in recent years, with data from long-term studies of disease trends among population groups, that firm conclusions have supplanted suspicions. The researchers who conduct such studies are known as epidemiologists and, although still hazy about some aspects of the diet-cancer connection, their advice is firming up year by year. Their findings indicate that some components of the foods we eat actually promote cancer risk (a fat-rich diet heightens the risk of breast and bowel cancer, for example), while other constituents help protect against cancer (the fibre, vitamins and minerals in fruits, vegetables and grains, for instance, reduce the risk of cancers at most sites).

Despite the strong circumstantial, population-related evidence of the role of diet in various cancers, supported by laboratory findings, scientists still have some way to go before they can define precisely the relationships between specific aspects of diet and specific disease outcomes.

Nevertheless health authorities recognise there is now sufficient evidence to warrant changes in food selection, preparation and handling so that the cancer risk of all Australians will be reduced.

Raw Food Plan

Health Guide Recipes

Take a stroll through any large supermarket . . . shelves groaning, freezer cabinets piled high, aisles stretching into the distance. While the goods on display look appetising enough, it is the labels that attract attention – NO ADDED SUGAR; HIGH IN FIBRE; SALT REDUCED; LOW IN CALORIES; NO ARTIFICIAL COLOURS, FLAVOURINGS, PRESERVERS OR ‘IMPROVERS’.

The labels are signposts of our times, reflecting the growing consensus among medical researchers that small changes to diet can have a big impact on health. Encouragingly, the same alterations that seem to benefit our hearts, waistlines and general fitness also seem to reduce our cancer risk. Indeed the three leading causes of death in Australia, heart disease, cancer and stroke, as well as prevalent debilitating conditions including adult-onset diabetes, diverticular disease, weight disorders and liver cirrhosis, can often be prevented . . . with dietary change a key strategy.
The influence of diet on cancer is considerable. Scientists estimate that diet is a major contributory factor in about 35 per cent of all cancer deaths. Thus, of the 22 000 people who die of cancer in Australia each year, no fewer than 7700 deaths are reckoned to be diet-related. The most prevalent cancer killers among Australian men are those affecting the lung, bowel (colon and rectum) and prostate. In women, the ‘big four’ are breast, bowel, lung, and reproductive organs (particularly the uterus and ovaries).
World authorities on cancer trends and causes consider that diet could play a major part in as many as 70 per cent of breast cancers, 70 per cent of cancers of the endometrium (lining of the uterus), 61 per cent of cancers affecting the bowel, and 96 per cent of those affecting the prostate. And, in the case of lung cancer – one of the biggest cancer killers of men and, increasingly, of women -dietary imbalance appears to enhance the damaging effects of tobacco. Thus smokers who neglect fresh fruits and vegetables have a lung cancer risk that is somewhat higher than that of their counterparts who regularly eat these foods.

Cancer authorities worldwide consider dietary modification to be one of the most constructive ways by which individuals can reduce their cancer risk. Based on current evidence, the measures most likely to achieve this end include eating a diet that has plenty of variety and is low in fat, minimising the intake of smoked and salt-cured foods, ensuring that meals include fruits, vegetables and whole grains every day and drinking less alcohol. For the one in three Australians who develop some form of serious cancer during their lifetime, doctors recommend a similar dietary strategy in the lead-up to treatment. Improving nutritional status prior to anticancer therapy does not guarantee success but it is certainly a practical step that patients themselves can take towards helping their bodies cope with the impact of treatments such as surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Low Sugar and Sugarless Recipes

Low Fat and Non Fat Recipes

In recent years, the message from medical research has become increasingly clear; a diet rich in high-fibre foods (such as fruits, vegetables and wholegrain cereals) protects against several common disease conditions. It also assists in controlling weight as high-fibre foods are ‘calorie bargains’, that is wholesome, low-calorie substitutes for fatty foods.
Several epidemiological studies have suggested a protective effect of fibre-rich foods in populations with low rates of bowel cancer. Scientists are particularly encouraged by the findings of Japanese research based on a very large population sample showing a direct relationship between daily consumption of green and yellow vegetables and low rates of cancer at most sites.
Many Australians eat far less fibre than the 25 g to 30 g daily recommended by nutritionists. Even rich sources of fibre contain only about 6 g per serve. Thus eating the proverbial ‘apple a day’ is far from adequate; four or five servings or portions of high-fibre foods are advisable. Excellent sources of fibre include beans, dates, nuts, prunes, berry fruits, apples, oranges, pears, bananas, apricots, figs, bran cereals, corn ears, peas, spinach, potatoes, lentils, brussel sprouts, parsnips and wholegrain breads. Although it is uncertain whether fibre itself confers nutritional benefits, it clearly assists body functions related to cancer risk. In particular, fibre speeds the passage of food through the digestive system, influencing rates of nutrient absorption and of waste excretion. Such influences appear to benefit the bowel environment, apparently reducing the risk of cancer.
The vitamin A and C groups and minerals found in small quantities in many fibre-rich foods also seem to play an important role in cancer protection. Fruits and vegetables rich in these vitamins (as well as fibre) include broccoli, cantaloupe, carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, kohlrabi, turnips, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, peaches, plums, tomatoes and watermelon.

Nutritionists consider the best way to obtain such micronutrients is within whole foods rather than separately in high dose tablets or liquid preparations. They argue that mega-doses of vitamins and minerals can create dietary imbalance and may even prove toxic when taken in excess.
To gain maximum nutritional value from fruits and vegetables, eat them fresh where possible; cook vegetables complete with skins; steam or bake fruits and vegetables, rather than boiling them; and reduce cooking time to the minimum.

Healthy Salad Recipes

Health Guide Recipes