Beautiful Dreamer

One of the components that makes up the state of good health is proper rest. Sleep is one of the bodies best weapons against disease , for in the deep sleep state it heals and repairs damage. A solid sleep that includes times of REM state ( that is where you dream) , is also critical to our mental health. This being said, I believe the last few weeks have found me in a great state of health, as evidenced by my dreams last night. They included the following

* the invention of an Iphone app where , when hungry, you lick the screen and it analyzes exactly what nutrients your body needs and suggests a meal idea.
* a group of Buddhist Monks deciding to create small toys out of bamboo wood and placing them in boxes of cereal because of bamboos properties to remove environmental toxins. They decided to do this to adress childhood obesity and other concerns.
* conducting a study that shows that rabbits benefit from showering. A shower helps them to think better and avoid encounters with urban hazards.

Too funny !

The above dreams were brought to you by:

A breakfast of oats with apple, raisins, apricots, figs, blueberries and goji berries

A lunch of Minestrone soup with homemade tortilla chips and grapes. I had 2 high fiber wraps left that had been previously frozen and had to be used or pitched- it is really hard to portion some things exact with a family of 3 ! To make the chips I sprinkled them with garlic powder , cut in wedges and baked at 450 for 10 minutes.

Dinner was something I call bone soup. Take beef or pork neck bones, chicken stock and whatever veggies you have , and toss in a crock pot. This mix included half a butternut squash, onions, carrots, zucchini, kale and barley. I served it with Crazy about carrot salad ( shredded carrots, red raisins, cinnamon and orange juice) and a Thomases multi grain muffin.I had planned on making oat bran muffins , but I was really running out of steam ! With this new approach to eating I have not found my own streamline shortcuts of what and how to pre prep yet, and i spend an enormous amount of time in meal prep. It's a simple fact of reality- healthy eating requires a lot more preparation than less healthy ways. Vegetables are healthy, but some just do not fare well with advanced preparation. Most soups can be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator, and many vegetable can be cut and stored for quick use. Normally I do just that- however when I am learning a new way of doing things iI tend to spend a week or two doing things "old school" to get a real feel for the approach and then I figure out my own short cuts.It will get better, but at the moment I am thrilled that there are a few healthy options available ready made on the store shelves !