ArcticGypsy

Flavorful fruit smoothies are one of my most favored breakfasts’ and snacks during the summer months.  For me, the summer heat affects my appetite and I find that regular meals are unappealing or hard to ingest without feeling nauseated. I swear there are few better ways to energize your day, than enjoying a delicious berry smoothie, nor a more refreshing desert than a berry sorbet or parfait.

I have many fond memories (growing up in Alaska) of picking berries. Down here in the lower 48, berry season runs from May thru September; coincidence or Divine design? Either way, with the summer heat, it is fortunate as berries are not only a sweet treat, they are also a lovely way to help you stay hydrated and healthy during the summer months. Here are some nutritional facts about my 4 favorite types of berries.

Strawberries are 91% water content and provide fiber, disease fighting antioxidants, vitamins and minerals including vitamin C, folate and manganese.  Consuming strawberries on a regular basis has been shown to reduce inflammation, which can help protect against heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer’s and various types of cancer.

Raspberries contain 87% water and are an excellent source of fiber, vitamins B and C, manganese, folic acid, copper, iron and have the highest concentration of antioxidant strength amongst all fruits. They not only aid in boosting your immune system, they also support skin health and their high dietary fiber and prebiotics help grow and maintain a healthy gut flora.

Blueberries are also 87% water content and are among the most nutrient dense berries. They are an exceptional source of fiber, vitamin C and K as well as manganese and antioxidants. Blueberries boost your heart health, brain function and numerous other aspects of your body.

Blackberries have a content of 88% water, have a low glycemic index and are a great source of vitamins C and K, as well as fiber, manganese, fiber and antioxidants. They promote a healthy gut, boost your immune system, lower cholesterol, help with blood and bone health, improves brain health and even supports oral health. Blackberries contain anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial abilities that fight against some types of bacteria that cause oral disease.

"It’s difficult to think of anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato.” -Lewis Gizzard

I would have to agree whole heartedly with Lewis Gizzard. This bold fruit is jam packed with an impressive amount of nutrients and provides a number of health benefits as well as supplying hydration for our bodies.

A tomato is 94% water, one medium tomato provides 1/2 cup of water as well as a significant amount of immune boosting vitamin A and C. Tomatoes are also rich in fiber and have disease fighting antioxidants including Lycopene. Lycopene, if you remember from my last recipe entry, has the potential to lower the risk of heart disease and studies have suggest that Lycopene may help prevent the development of prostate cancer as well.

Tomatoes being so high in water content are only 32 calories per cup and can be enjoyed in soups, sauces, salads, salsas, beverages, breakfast, and the list goes on and on.

The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/brown-v-board-of-ed-is-decided

https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/05/17/478389720/after-50-year-legal-struggle-mississippi-school-district-ordered-to-desegregate

https://www.leagle.com/decision/infdco20160516954

#brownvsboardofeducation #cowanvsbolivarcountyboardofeducation

“We must let go of the life we had planned, so as to accept the life that is waiting for us.”

Since the time of the Aztec, Mexican culture has been filled with traditions, rituals and celebrations. Many are religious, such as praying the rosary, attending mass before 12o’clock and lighting candles, while others are more superstious and have more to do with luck and good fortune. With the arrival of a new year, hopes for better times also arrive. In Mexican culture, year-end rituals are an important part of popular belief for finding love, luck, wealth, good fortune, abundance and travel. There are an endless number of rituals, perhaps one for every Mexican family, and they are passed on from generation to generation.

Throwing a bucket of water out the window, signifies throwing out the old year and welcoming the new. Cleaning the house, taking a bath, mopping the floors with water and cinnamon before midnight are all part of New Year rituals for new beginnings and renewal. When midnight strikes, it’s tradition to symbolically sweep the old year out the door and sweep 12 coins from outside into the house, representing fortune and prosperity. Ladies wear colored underwear on New Year’s Eve, red underwear for love and passion, yellow underwear for prosperity and happiness, green for wealth and wellbeing and white for hope and peace. After midnight, it is customary in some households to walk an empty suitcase around the house (or block) to bring good travels. Some homes place suitcases in the middle of a room for people to walk around them. Like many other cultures, fireworks at midnight are set off to frighten evil spirits away and to welcome good luck. Eating a spoon full of cooked lentils is believed to bring good fortune for the coming year, as is giving guests a handful of dry lentils for prosperity.

At the stroke of 12 midnight, a popular tradition is to ring a bell and ring it loudly. No home should be without this item for it symbolizes the home’s joy and happiness. While many Americans share a kiss at the stroke of midnight or toast to the new year, Mexicans are busy eating 12 grapes with each chime of the clock’s bell. “Las doce uvas de la suerte” are to bring good luck in the new year. Like any other culture, Mexicans love to gather with close friends and family. The table is arranged with the best tablecloth, the most luxurious dinnerware and sparkling glasses for the midnight toast. It is also a common New Year ritual to place candles on a white plate surrounded by lentils, beans, rice, corn, flour and cinnamon: Blue candles bring peace, yellow: abundance, red: passion, green: health, white: clarity and orange: intelligence. the candles are left to burnout, and the wax covered foods are collected and buried to promote good fortune and abundance of food.

In Oaxaca, there is a tradition of eating crispy fritters called buñuelos, which are drizzled with a sweet syrup and served on a ceramic dish. After eating the sweet treat, people make a wish and break the dish by smashing it on the floor or on a wall. This custom is believed to date back to an Aztec tradition surrounding Atemoztli, the sixteenth month of the Aztec calendar, and a special festival in which plates, pots and other dishes were broken as a way to break with the past and make way for new things to come. Bacalao (dried salted codfish) is a staple in Mexico, no New Year’s Eve dinner is complete without it! The most common way of preparing it is in a dish called Bacalao a la vizcaina, which originally comes from Spain, and contains tomatoes, olives and capers. But perhaps the most famous Mexican food tradition is the Tamale. Tamales make an appearance at pretty much every special occasion in Mexico. But the holiday season is an especially favored time for the food. In many families, groups of women gather together to make hundreds of the little packets, with each person in charge of one aspect of the cooking process. These are handed out to friends, family and neighbors. On New Year's, it's often served with menudo, which is a tripe and hominy soup that is famously good for hangovers, and on a personal note one of my favorite dishes. That recipe will hold for now as we honor what has become known to American’s as tamale season.

Chakra Two Sacral Chakra: – Power of Relationships

The second chakra is associated with sensual movement and with sexuality. The Sacral chakra relates. to relationship, emotions, intimacy, sexuality, creativity, work and money.

Some of the Signs of imbalance in the second chakra are:

• Sexual addiction

• Addition to food, alcohol, drugs, shopping, etc.

• Avoidance of responsibility

• Overwhelmed and ruled by emotions (hysteria,

mood swings, drama junkies)

• Emotionally sensitive

• No or few boundaries, invasive of others

• Seductive manipulation

• Codependent

• Obsessive attachment

Emotional and mental issues related to the second chakra:

• Issues of power and control

• Excessive blaming

• Excessive guilt

• Lack of creativity or excessive creativity and not

functioning in daily needs

• Money issues

• Issues related to sexual activity (promiscuity etc.)

• Issues related to ethical behavior

The imbalance of the subtle energy around the body shows up in the chakras, they are like computers that receive and analyze all the information that comes in. This imbalance can affect our emotional, physical, spiritual and mental health.

Healthy Relationships allow both people to feel loved, cared for, and respected and allow for each person's individuality and pursuit of their own professional lives, recreational activities, and friendships outside of the love relationship. An imbalance of the sacral chakra can lead to delusional/obsessive love. Unfortunately, obsessive love has been romanticized in literature for centuries. From the mutual suicides of Romeo and Juliet to many of the most recent romantic movies. Being obsessed with the object of one's love is often held up as something to aspire to rather than having the potentially devastating aftermath of the behaviors when the movies fade to black.

Aside from delusions and jealousy, obsessive love can be differentiated from a healthy love relationship by having addictive qualities. For example, the person who suffers from obsessive love tends to want to spend excessive time with their love object, such that they think excessively about and engage in behaviors that put them in touch with their love object to an extreme degree. They may even become distracted to the point of being unable to work. In this state, a person may engage in escalating tools of psychological control, or other forms of control, in an effort to keep their love object close. This include controlling, manipulative and threatening behaviors such as stalking or use of violence. A person who loves obsessively may behave as if addicted to their love object. In turn, the object of this obsession may have difficulty expressing apathy or setting clear limits and boundaries on the obsessive behaviors.

Counseling can help to visualize relationships in a healthier manner, as well as using affirmations and other techniques to enhance self-esteem. Any underlying mental illness should be treated with medication if appropriate. The process that mental-health professionals engage in to assess these types of obsessive attachments are very useful for self-inquiry, which is important for the healing of the sacral chakra. By understanding our emotions and reactions, we can better defuse the unconscious programming ruling our actions. This allows us to choose how we react and see our emotions as useful indicators rather than being ruled by them. Healing the second chakra therefore consists in being more mindful of one’s thoughts and intentions, as well as being more aware of the types of emotions arising at specific moments.