The Natural Rx

Get that healthy glow from the inside out!

What Type of Collagen Powder is Best for Skin? Marine collagen is often considered to be the best form for helping skin look younger. It's made from fish sources, and it contains higher amounts of essential

What goes better with Pumpkin Spice Latte than Pumpkin Pancakes?

1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
11/4 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
13/4 cups low-fat milk
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
Ideas for optional toppings:
yogurt low fat
fruit fresh, frozen, canned, or dried
nuts pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts, etc.

In a large mixing bowl, combine dry ingredients: Both flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and pie spice.
In a medium mixing bowl, combine the egg, pumpkin, milk, and oil.
Add the wet mixture to the dry mixture and stir until combined. Do not over mix! The batter should be a little bit lumpy.
Heat a non-stick skillet over medium-low heat.
Pour 1/4 cup batter into pan for each pancake. When the edges start to look a little dry and small bubbles begin to form in the middle, gently turn over with a spatula and cook for about 1-2 minutes more. Pancakes should be golden brown on both sides. Enjoy warm with optional healthy toppings.

Cinnamon Black Bean Brownies

1 15 ounce can black beans drained and rinsed
¼ cup cocoa powder unsweetened
1 teaspoon baking powder
¾ cup sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 eggs
¼ cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350°F and spray an 8-inch x 8-inch baking pan with non-stick spray.
In a bowl, mash the beans with a potato masher until smooth.
Add all the ingredients, except the chocolate chips, and continue mashing and mixing until completely smooth.
Spread the batter evenly into the baking pan.
Sprinkle chocolate chips on top of the batter.
Bake until the top is dry, and the sides just begin to pull away from the sides of the pan, about 30 minutes. (To check, insert a knife into the center to make sure the middle is not raw.)
Allow to cool before cutting 4 X 4 (16 pieces)

Thank you to all the heroes. We remember.

There's a banyan tree on Maui that provides cover like this...takes up a whole block. It's beautiful!

😥she will be greatly missed.

Harder than it sounds! Agreed? But oh so important!

This means summer is really, really over.
😥

Why Fall Makes Us Crave All Things Pumpkin Spice It has less to do with a universal love of squash and more to do with how our brains register the change in seasons.

10 Tips to Lower Your Sodium
#10 boost your potassium intake

Choose foods with potassium, which may
help to lower your blood pressure. Potassium
is found in vegetables and fruits, such as potatoes, beet greens, tomato juice and sauce, sweet potatoes, beans (white, lima, kidney), and bananas. Other sources of potassium include yogurt, clams, halibut, orange juice,
and milk.

10 Tips to Lower Your Sodium
#9 pay attention to condiments

Foods like soy sauce, ketchup, pickles, olives, salad dressings, and seasoning packets are high in sodium. Choose low-sodium soy sauce and ketchup.

Have a carrot or celery stick instead of olives or pickles.
Use only a sprinkling of flavoring packets instead of the entire packet.

10 Tips to Lower Your Sodium
#8 ask for low-sodium foods when you eat out

Restaurants may prepare lower sodium foods at
your request and will serve sauces and salad dressings
on the side so you can use less.

10 Tips to Lower Your Sodium
#7 read the label

Read the Nutrition Facts label and the ingredients
statement to find packaged and canned foods lower
in sodium. Look for foods labeled “low sodium,” “reduced sodium,” or “no salt added.”

10 Tips to Lower Your Sodium
#6 skip the salt
Skip adding salt when cooking. Keep salt off the
kitchen counter and the dinner table. Use spices,
herbs, garlic, vinegar, or lemon juice to season foods or use no-salt seasoning mixes. Try black or red pepper, basil, curry, ginger, or rosemary

10 Tips to Lower Your Sodium
#5 adjust your taste buds

Cut back on salt little by little—and pay attention to the natural tastes of various foods. Your taste for salt will lessen over time.

10 Tips to Lower Your Sodium
#4 choose dairy and protein foods that
are lower in sodium

Choose more fat-free or low-fat milk and yogurt in
place of cheese, which is higher in sodium. Choose fresh beef, pork, poultry, and seafood, rather than those with salt added. Deli or luncheon meats, sausages, and canned products like corned beef are higher in sodium. Choose unsalted nuts and seeds.

Yes! This piece of wisdom came with age for me... Wish I had reached this conclusion earlier!

At the end of the day, enjoyable movement is all that matters. STOP viewing your workout's success or failure through the lens of calories 🛑

I used to walk into the gym, turn on my fitness tracker and start my workout. I never paid attention to how I felt, what would serve me best or doing things I enjoyed. The only thing I thought about was getting my calories burned higher and higher each time.

I'd do high intensity exercises between sets to keep my heart rate up even when I was dead tired, I'd get endlessly frustrated if the fitness tracker wasn't accounting for the effort I was putting in....yet...none of that actually matters.

Tuning back into my body and reconnecting with why I actually like fitness is what allowed me to start enjoying my workouts again. No more calories, no more frustration, just effort put in, performance increases, PR's crushed and community made.

THAT'S what matters.

Remember this when you're walking into the gym next! Why are you there? What is motivating you? What is going to keep you going?

Follow for more!

“A lemon a day keeps the doctor away.” We vote to swap lemons for apples in this famous idiom. After all, the grocery staple can boost our digestive and kidney health plus help us lose weight. Here’s the lowdown on how this citrus fruit could brighten our futures with the top 5 fantastic health benefits they provide! Our prediction: when it comes to your diet, lemons will become your main squeeze!

Improves Digestive Health:
Lemons feature dietary fiber, which helps lower our blood sugar levels and makes it easier for our bodies to create and pass stool.

Supports the Kidneys:
Sometimes, waste products build up in our bodies and we create kidney stones, which are hard and difficult to pass. Fortunately, the citric acid in lemons can help combat this.

Weight Maintenance:
The dietary fiber in lemons (pectin) expands after we digest it, helping us feel full. The fuller we feel, the less compelled we’ll be to eat more, which can help us lose weight.

Immunity Boosting:
Research suggests that the Vitamin C in lemons might help fortify our immune systems against the germs causing the common cold and the flu.

Heart Health Support:
Researchers believe the many antioxidants in lemons could help bolster our cardiovascular system and lower our total blood cholesterol levels.

So the next time life gives you lemons, enjoy the benefits! 🍋

10 Tips to Lower Your Sodium
#3 fill up on veggies and fruits—they are
naturally low in sodium

Eat plenty of vegetables and fruits—fresh or frozen.
Eat a vegetable or fruit at every meal.

10 Tips to Lower Your Sodium
#2 Enjoy home-prepared foods

Cook more often at home—where you are in control of what’s in your food. Preparing your own foods allows you to limit the amount of salt in them.

7 Healthy Breakfasts You Can Eat Anywhere Don’t skip breakfast, take it with you with these healthy tasty recipes that you can make ahead and take anywhere.

10 Tips to Lower Your Sodium
fresh

Most of the sodium Americans eat is found in processed
foods. Eat highly processed foods less often and in
smaller portions—especially cheesy foods, such as pizza;
cured meats, such as bacon, sausage, hot dogs, and deli/
luncheon meats; and ready-to-eat foods, like canned chili,
ravioli, and soups. Fresh foods are generally lower in sodium.

BBQ Beans with Citrus Corn Muffin - Serves 8

Ingredients
Nonstick Cooking Spray
2 tablespoons Vegetable Oil
2 cups Onion (about 2 medium onions), chopped
2 cloves Garlic minced
1/4 cup Ketchup
1/4 cup Yellow Mustard
3 tablespoons Dark Molasses (feel free to use less)
1/4 teaspoon Paprika
1/4 teaspoon Garlic Powder
1/4 teaspoon Onion Powder
28 ounces Great Northern White Beans equivalent to two 14-oz cans, drained and rinsed
1 cup All-purpose Flour
1 cup Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 cup Yellow Cornmeal dry
1 tablespoon Baking Powder
1 teaspoon Salt (feel free to use less)
1 tablespoon Orange Zest (peel)
1 cup Buttermilk low-fat
2 Eggs large
1/4 cup Brown Sugar (feel free to use less)
1/2 cup Banana mashed (about 1 large banana)

Directions
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Spray a 9 x 11-inch glass baking dish with nonstick cooking spray and set aside.
2. In a pan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until light brown, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat.
3. In a bowl combine ketchup, mustard, molasses, paprika, and garlic and onion powders.
4. In the prepared baking dish, combine cooked onion, beans, and ketchup mixture. Put in oven and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through. The beans will have a bit of crust on top.
5. While beans are baking, lightly spray a 12-cup standard muffin tin with nonstick cooking spray.
6. In a bowl, combine flours, cornmeal, baking powder, and salt. Mix together.
7. Using a small knife or zester, remove 1 tablespoon of peel from oranges. If using a knife to remove peel, mince peel.
8. In a bowl, combine buttermilk, eggs, brown sugar, banana, and orange peel. Mix well.
9. Using a rubber spatula, mix the wet ingredients into the dry mixture. Be careful not to over mix, as muffins will be tough.
10. Spoon batter into prepared muffin tin cups, 3⁄4 full. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until muffins are brown on top and a toothpick comes out clean. Remove from oven and place on wire rack to cool.
11. Serve with BBQ Baked Beans.

FRESH BASIL PESTO

Yum! Straight from the summer garden!

2C firmly packed basil leaves
1/2C grated Parmesan
1/2C olive oil
1/2C pine nuts
2 large garlic cloves
1/2 tsp salt

Place all in food processor until smooth. Enjoy!

10 Tips for Eating Better on A Budget
#10
Eating out
Restaurants can be expensive. Save money by
getting the early bird special, going out for lunch
instead of dinner, or looking for “2 for 1” deals. Stick to water
instead of ordering other beverages, which add to the bill.

Calypso Island Chicken with Brown Rice - Serves 6

Ingredients
1 cup Brown Rice Uncooked, instant
2 cups Water
1 tablespoon Vegetable Oil
2 cloves Garlic finely chopped
1 pound Chicken Thighs boneless and skinless, cut up in 1-inch cubes
1 Bell Pepper (about 1 cup), cut into 1-inch pieces
1 Plantains Ripe, peeled and cut into 1⁄2-inch thick rounds
15 ounces Black Beans equivalent to one can, drained and rinsed
1 cup Corn frozen or canned
15 ounces Pineapple chunks, equivalent to one can, packed in juice, reserve juice
1 tablespoon Ground Coriander
2 teaspoons Soulful Seasoning recipe is linked below
1/4 teaspoon Ground Cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon Ground Ginger
1/4 teaspoon Salt (feel free to use less)
1/4 teaspoon Black Pepper
1 Lime juiced

Directions
1. In a saucepan, combine rice and water and cover with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat to simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until the water is absorbed and rice is cooked.
2. Remove from heat and keep covered 5 minutes. Fluff rice with a fork. Set aside.
3. In a skillet, heat vegetable oil on medium heat. Add garlic and cook for about 1 minute. Add chicken pieces and stir to cook on all sides, about 7 minutes.
4. Add bell pepper and plantain, then cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes.
5. In a bowl, combine black beans, corn, pineapple chunks, 1⁄4 cup reserved pineapple juice, ground coriander, Soulful Seasoning, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, salt, and pepper. Mix well.
6. Add bean mixture to the skillet and stir. Cover and simmer, stirring every few minutes, for about 15 to 20 minutes or until heated through.
7. Serve chicken over rice and squeeze lime over chicken.

Soulful Seasoning:
Ingredients
3 tablespoons Onion Powder
4 tablespoons Garlic Powder
1 tablespoon Ground Red Pepper
1 tablespoon Chili Powder
1 tablespoon Paprika
1 teaspoon Black Pepper
2 teaspoons Ground Thyme
Directions
1. Mix all ingredients together to make ¾ cup seasoning.
2. Store in an airtight container and use in place of seasoning salts.