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Leda is the founder of Simply Leda. She is a Board Certified Holistic Health Counselor accredited by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP). She received her training from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in NYC and also holds a Certificate in Integrative Nutrition from Columbia University. She has studied all the different dietary theories from the top in their fields as well as both eastern and western nutritional philosophies. Leda also holds a BA in Journalism from NYU and a BA in French Studies from NYU, Paris.
Please see website for my services and more on my personal philosophy toward balanced healthy living.
www.simplyleda.com |
| Affirmation of the Month |
I am recognizing
the voice of fear
and releasing
it from my
mind and life.
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| Soul Work
January Reading
by Anna Celestino |
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Live Now
As I look into this month, the image I get is that of a tangled chain. Frustrated as I am when that happens to one of my necklaces, I somehow can't resist the challenge of trying to straighten it out. This is the challenge we face in the beginning of this new year - to straighten out the messes we've created. The "we" is both personal and collective. The task is not insurmountable, but definitely inescapable.
If we are to move collectively from where we are to where we want to be, some of what has been will have to be undone. Though we've talked about this in more abstract terms in the past, this year it is real. What needs to change is happening right in our own homes. Talking about sustainability is not enough. We are being called on to change our habits and to make this world a better place.
In some ways, this might sound difficult. On the other hand, the opportunity we have is unparalleled. Now is the time that feeding everyone on the planet gets real; making sure everyone has clean water becomes a reality; genocide stops. Talking about it and having good intentions will not get the job done - it's time to take stock of what we value as a collective race of people and make the hard choices. If we don't, I suspect those choices will be made for us. Watching current affairs, it certainly seems that change is occurring. Now it's just a matter of us getting on board or dealing with the consequences.
This first month of this new year urges us to release the ideas we've clung to that give us a false sense of security. "Live only in the moment" is the message of the hour. Accept what is given, let go of what is not. This is our primary task - every day. Difficult as it may be, forget about planning. We are no longer in charge of the plan. Be at peace with what you have for right now. Do that, and your destiny will be revealed.
This kind of release may be hard for those who like to be in control. Rest in the knowledge that what is unfolding is more than we can imagine. Holding onto our petty plans keeps the game too small. It's let go and let life all the way. Yield and life will safely steer us through tumultuous waters to a much greater reality. |
| Where to find me |
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You can now
find me on Facebook and Linked-In!!
I am starting a group entitled Simply Leda.
Come join and let's create an open forum for discussion on how to keep ourselves in balance beginning with good nutrition.
See you there...!!
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| Simply Leda Blog
WRITE IN!! |
I would love to hear from you!
Comments, questions and thoughts are all welcome.
All the articles are posted.
Click above on the link in the heading to go straight to the Simply Leda blog and be heard.
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What sustains you becomes the basis for your future happiness.
- LA
Dear Friends,
Welcome to the New Year...and to new beginnings!
I trust you all had a wonderful holiday season but now it's down to work. And what I mean by that is getting busy with the work of "ourselves". As Anna tells us this year's theme is sustainability; both personally and collectively. We need to get down to the business of acknowledging what sustains us internally and then act on it. It's time for action everyone; change old habits and actually implement new ones.
The way to kick the old habits and establish the "you" of your visions is by first Recognizing the Voice of Fear. Once you know what it sounds like you can get to the job of releasing its hold on you and replace it with the voice of self-love and positive affirmations. It's so much easier than we think!
Our food focus this month is a forgotten winter favorite: the grapefruit
It's still great for assisting in weight loss but take a look at what it offers nutritionally. I have included grapefruit recipes for both kids and adults this time to give you an idea of it's multiple uses aside from eating it raw or broiled as was customary in the past.
Don't forget, you can now find me on Facebook and Linked-In!! I have started a group entitled Simply Leda, come join and let's create an open forum for discussion on how to keep ourselves in balance beginning with good nutrition.
And finally, all of the articles and recipes will be posted on the Simply Leda blog (log on thru website) for comments and discussion. Jot me a note and tell me what you think. I look forward to hearing from you.
Looking forward to the year ahead!
Leda
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| Deconstructing Cravings |
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Nobody can give you wiser advice than yourself.
- Cicero
The body is an amazing source of intelligence. It is always there for you, pumping blood, never skipping a heartbeat, digesting whatever food you put in it, and maintaining homeostasis. Is this reliable, intelligent bio-computer making a mistake by craving ice cream or a hamburger or chocolate? Are cravings due to lack of will-power or discipline? I'd like to suggest that cravings are not a problem. They are critical pieces of information that tell you what your body needs.
The important thing is to understand why you crave what you crave. Perhaps your diet is too restrictive or devoid of essential nutrients. Perhaps you are living a lifestyle that is too boring or stressful. Your body tries to correct the imbalance by sending you a message: a craving. A craving for something sweet could mean you need more protein, more exercise, more water, or more love in your life. The key to stopping the sugar craving is to understand and deliver what your body really needs.
Your body knows best and is always trying to create balance. However, products like refined foods, sugar, caffeine, alcohol and drugs (which have little or no nutritional value) are confusing to the body. They throw the body off-balance and can create serious cravings as your body tries to get what it needs to restore internal harmony. The more your food is whole and healthy, the easier it is for your body to stay in balance and provide you with a happier, healthier life.
No book or theory can tell you what to eat. Only awareness of your body and its needs can tell you. Of all the relationships in our life, the one with our body is the most essential. It takes communication, love, and time to cultivate a relationship with your body. As you learn to decipher and respond to your body's cravings, you will create a deep and lasting level of health and balance.
The next time you have a craving, treat it as a loving message from your body instead of a weakness. Try these tips to respond to your body:
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Have a glass of water and wait ten minutes.
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Eat a healthier version of what you crave. For example, if you crave sweets, try eating more fruit and sweet or root vegetables.
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What is out of balance in your life? Is there something you need to express, or is something being repressed? What happened in your life just before you had this craving?
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When you eat the food you are craving, enjoy it, taste it, savor it; notice its effect. Then you will become more aware and free to decide if you really want it next time. |
| Food Focus: Grapefruits |
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The forgotten grapefruit. Do you remember the grapefruit diet? Millions of people consumed this citrus fruit in an attempt to shed unwanted pounds. The good news is that yes, grapefruit does assist in weight loss but it also provides some well needed nutrition and is in abundance at this time of year.
The grapefruit belongs to the citrus fruit family and, as with the other fruits in this category, it is high in Vitamin C, folic acid and potassium while being low in fat, sodium and cholesterol free. This basic food family is credited with reducing the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke and other cardiovascular diseases while the Vitamin C prevents scurvy, promotes healthy gums and tissue, and is critical to wound healing. All grapefruits have fiber with counts registering at about 6 grams per half fruit. The pink grapefruit is relatively rich in antioxidants while the ruby red type contains lycopene, a phytochemical that keeps LDL, bad cholesterol, in check.
The fruit is medium to large sized and may be flattened at both ends. The skin is mostly yellow but can have shades of green, white or pink. The skin color is not a sign of ripeness as the grapefruit is fully ripe when picked. There are three basic varieties that are grown here in the US:
- Marsh White - white to amber colored flesh and almost seedless
- Ruby Red - pink to reddish colored flesh with few seeds
- Flame - Red flesh and mostly seedless
The reason the grapefruit is such an aid on weight loss is due to a flavonoid compound called naringin. It gives the fruit its characteristically bitter flavor and blocks the uptake of fatty acids into cells. Although delicious the juice of the grapefruit contains no fiber.
Primarily the grapefruit is eaten raw or juiced but it is also used in many salads pairing wonderfully with avocado or fennel, in marinades or dressings and even some desserts. Recently I have seen it used in cooking savory dishes and the results are wonderfully complex flavors. Try it and see.
*References healthlearninginfo.org, university of Florida |
| Recognizing the Voice of Fear
by Leda Anagnostopoulos |
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Feel the fear and do it anyway.
- Susan Jeffers, 1988
I've gown certain that the root of all fear is that we've been forced to deny who we are.
- Frances Moore Lappe, 2004
I have included both of these quotations above because both are indeed accurate. The first one runs along the lines of advice on how to overcome the voice of fear and the second an explanation, if you will, of where fear comes from to begin with. Let's take the second instance, where does fear in it's raw form stem from? We are spiritual beings living a physical existence - we have heard this repeated many times over. This basically means that our natural state is one of spirit, not humanness. To enter into this dense earth plane we temporarily take the form of a physical human body, yet in essence we are still spiritual beings. The spiritual being before entering the earth plane dwells in the Realm of the Absolute, here on earth; is the Realm of the Relative. Thus is created a duality of both absolute and relative, spirit and humanness, love and fear. Both of these co-exist within us as we make our way through our chosen lives. Both love and fear have a voice. We all know it - they are constantly having an internal dialogue in our head all day long, from choosing what we wear, to what job we'll take, to where we should live etc. All day long we make decisions and both of these voices are always a part of it. So what does each voice sound like?
In certain circumstances they are obvious but here is where it's gets tricky. Fear is very subtle and can mask itself as logic, established fact, worry, anxiety, stress, guilt etc. Don't fall into its trap, paralyzing yourself from living your life to it's fullest.
Do these phrases sound familiar to you?
- I've never been good at ______ (fill in the blank).
- It's too complicated - I can't figure it out
- It always comes down to money, I can't do anything without it
- I can't do what I really want, I don't have time
- I am worried something will go wrong
- It's too good to be true
- I am too much of this and not enough of that
- Oh, that's just dreaming, it will never come true
- Look at what he/she did to me, it wasn't my fault
The list is endless as you see and I am sure you can add much more of your own. Meditate on this for a while and you will see that every conversation you have with yourself or others begins with a fear-based thought passing itself off as something else and from these thoughts and all thoughts we thus create our reality. Would you not rather have success, love, daily fulfillment in your lives instead of endless struggle in one form or another? Fear has told you that endless struggle on some level is "just the way life is". But the truth is that it is not the way it is, nor is it a part of our essential nature. We have just come to believe that it is so. We have been taught to live in fear. We have even been taught to fear God, the source of all love...a loving God who demands/instills fear? Think about it.
So here comes the first quote. Listen and pay attention to your thoughts and words. What are you thinking? Saying? Ask yourself this question: Is this Who I Really AM? Every time you are about to decide on something ask yourself this question. Pause. Think. Then Decide.
Fear is the energy which contracts, closes down, draws in, runs, hides, hoards, harms.
Love is the energy which expands, opens up, sends out, stays, reveals, shares, heals.
Which will you decide to choose?
*Susan Jeffers has a wonderful book and audio CD entitled "Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway". It is a wonderful practical tool to help you recognize the voice of fear and learn to turn it off. I recommend the audio CD; for your commute, at the gym etc. It is much more effective when you hear her say it. |
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by Dr. Chris Berge Hutchinson |
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 What comes to mind when thinking about sustainability at this particular time of year isn't just resources and energy, it's also resolutions! Yes, the New Year's Resolution.
The idea that called from within at some point late in the last year. The idea that we would like to make into more that just an idea, aided by the magic of the "new beginning". Perhaps the reason why so many of those ideas are not truly realized is because they are not sustainable. So if you have a resolution in mind, here's a tip from evolutionary biologist Elisabet Sahtouris: Co-operation is the only way toward sustainability.
She writes "The highly complex ecosystem of the rainforest is a particularly vivid example of a mature system that has survived through millions of years because species learned to co-operate with each other. In the rainforest, every species is fully employed, all work cooperatively while recycling all of their resources, and all products and services are distributed in such a way that every species remains healthy. THAT is sustainability."
What would the concept of co-operation mean as applied to your resolution? Enlisting the help of those around you? Lets say for example you would like to nourish yourself with more of Leda's wonderful nutritional examples and recommendations. There are family, friends, neighbors, at home, at work, maybe even where you shop for food, who could co-operatively partner with you, helping you reach for your goal. As they help your idea become a reality, they can share in the joy of your accomplishment, and are nourished themselves through their involvement . Maybe soon they will look for your co-operation and you will gladly reciprocate.
On the flip side, it can be incredibly empowering when you realize that something you have been struggling with is just NOT sustainable, whether it be a relationship, a spending pattern, a living arrangement, a commitment, an office procedure, a behavioral plan, whatever. One can expend an enormous amount of energy trying to sustain something that simply has to change. When you acknowledge it for what it is and let it go, energy is released to fuel the creative process which will naturally align you (and the others involved) with a much more suitable and beneficial situation.
When we start to see that our well-being is intimately linked to the well-being of others, we see why co-operation leads to development, progress and sustainability. | |
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| Recipe of the Month |
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In keeping with our food focus theme I came across this recipe by Elie Kreiger. The pairing of grapefruit and salmon might leave you a bit skeptical but the dish is actually light and tangy and a nice change to the way most salmon dishes are prepared. Give it a try.
Roasted Salmon with Shallot-Grapefruit Sauce
Yield: 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 skinless salmon fillets (5 to 6 oz each)
1/4 tspn salt, plus more to taste
2 ruby red grapefruits
2 tspn extra virgin olive oil
1 tbs minced shallot
1 tspn peeled and grated or minced fresh ginger
2 1/2 tspns honey
Pinch of cayenne pepper
2 tspns fresh lemon juice
2 tbs thinly sliced fresh basil
Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Season the salmon with 1/4 teaspoon salt, place in a baking dish and roast until cooked through, about 18 minutes.
While the salmon is cooking prepare the sauce. Cut 1 of the grapefruits into sections by cutting off the top and bottom of the fruit, then standing it on 1 end, cut down the skin to remove the pith and peel. Then, with a paring knife, remove each segment of fruit from its casing and cut the segments in half. Set the segment pieces aside. Juice the other grapefruit and set the juice aside.
In a medium skillet, heat the oil over a medium heat. Add the shallot and saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the ginger, grapefruit juice, honey, and cayenne pepper and bring to simmer. Cook until sauce is reduced by about half about, 10 minutes. Add lemon juice and season with salt, to taste. Right before serving, toss the grapefruit pieces and basil into the sauce. Put the salmon onto a serving dish. Spoon sauce over the salmon and serve. |
| Kids Recipe of the Month |
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I came across this recipe on a parents connect website. It's simple and appeals to kid's taste buds. I have made some adjustments and revisions. Let's hear the kid's feedback!
Get on the blog and let me hear from you.
 Chicken Breasts with Honey Grapefruit Glaze Prep Time: 10 minutes
Yields: 4 servings
Ingredients:
½ cup grapefruit juice, plus ¼ cup for serving, from fresh grapefruits
1 tspn minced garlic
1 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs honey
½ tspn salt
¼ tspn pepper
4 boneless and skinless chicken breast halves
Directions:
Heat the grill to medium-high heat. In a small bowl whisk all the ingredients together except the chicken and 1/4 cup of the grapefruit juice. Grill chicken till desired doneness about 5 minutes per side brushing frequently with grapefruit glaze. Remove from heat and keep warm. In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the remaining grapefruit glaze and the additional grapefruit juice to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer for 5 minutes. Pour glaze over grilled chicken and serve.
Serve with baked sweet potatoes fries or mashed for a highly nutritious dinner. |
Simply Leda is a philosophy of nourishment that embodies your whole self thus enabling you to find balance and come home to your essence. For more information of my services, please log on to www.simplyleda.com.
Eat well and be happy and healthy.
Leda Anagnostopoulos
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