The poor man had never met so many relatives. Nor had he been what I consider so fortunate as to taste so many kinds of authentic home-made curries!

One of the most memorable aspects of that birthday celebration was, of course, the food. This was one of those Indian occasions where a wide variety of cultural delicacies was served. My Uncle Hubert, who was quite talented at making outstanding curries, volunteered to be in charge of the dinner. Uncle Hubert immediately called three of his old army buddies to assist him, along with my nephew Oliver.

They all showed up early on the morning of November 11th, my daughter’s birthday, and set out creating a commotion, banging and clanging pots and pans and utensils and ingredients, as they put together a makeshift kitchen in my grandmother’s backyard.

All day long one delicious smell after another drifted in from the backyard, until the guests began arriving and we transferred the food from the huge pots on the wood fires into serving bowls inside.

Some of the recipes for the food Uncle Hubert and his friends made that day are included in this book: Cumin Chicken, Saffron Flavored Rice Pilaf, Slow-Cooked Marinated Beef (a specialty of my grandfather’s when he was alive), Northeastern Indian Dal, Mint, Tomato and Cucumber Salad, and Daikon Salad. The food was authentic, delicious, and memorable, made from my uncle’s own favorite recipes, adjusted to fit the occasion.

My grandmother performed the ancestor blessings for my daughter’s future – the blessings for good health, peace, joy, prosperity, and abundance. Our culture considers these essential to a child’s future. My Uncle Roosevelt, as the honored Grand Uncle, added his blessings as well. My daughter probably received more blessings that day than most people get in a lifetime.

To this day my husband and I treasure our memories of that visit. We have passed them on to our daughter so she knows all about her First Birthday Indian Feast.

So here are 5 Tips that will hopefully help you save some money and/or time:

1. Get a FREE Turkey! Many grocery stores are currently offering free turkeys so check out the local one in your area. I myself just got a 14 lb bird after I spent $99 on groceries at Lucky’s.
2. Have a Potluck style Thanksgiving or Christmas. If you are having friends or family over, have them bring one or two items so you have less to do, or do the same if you are going to someone else’s place.  Martha Stewart’s side dishes look yummy  if you want to check out her website.
3. Incorporate anti-stress related  foods into your menu. In addition to turkey  which seems to definitely get everyone dozing off after their feast (LOL),  studies have shown that almonds help lower blood pressure and are also high in B vitamin components. Another stress relief power food is the Avocado so be sure to include them  in your salads as they are high in potassium which reduces your blood pressure as well.
4. Give it away - try to go without gifts this year and use the money to help someone else. You will make a difference to someone less fortunate. I was so proud of my daughter and her husband when I found out that they had used the money they had budgeted for gifts for each other and instead spent it on filling a number of shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child.
5. Avoid the Black Friday Rush – If you do have gifts to purchase, avoid black Friday and try to shop the following Monday – there will still be awesome sales, as stores are really trying to get customers in. And you will avoid the insanity of packed stores the day after Thanksgiving. However if you absolutely must shop on Black Friday, here is a BlackFridayInfo.com link that may help you search ahead of time for what some stores are advertising on this day.

Here’s to Your Good Health and Abundance.  Have a Happy Thanksgiving!

Connie

Bitter Melon, also known as Bitter Gourd with the English name of Momordica Charantia, is an amazing fruit-vegetable that appears to have very interesting properties for fighting diabetes, cancer and certain infections and fevers.  It is a green cucumber like food with a rough skin and is grown all over India (called Karela) and other Asian countries.  It can be found in most grocery stores in the United States.

Bitter melon does have a very bitter flavour so it is an acquired taste for most people. I certainly acquired this taste early in my childhood from my grandmother and I LOVE bitter melon! My grandmother would steam it, mush it up, then add lemon juice, chopped garlic, onions, salt and fresh diced hot chillies to it and our family would eat it as one of our side vegetables with rice and curry.

Bitter melon has been used to control blood sugar levels throughout the centuries and science appears to support this. This gourd like fruit contains bioactive properties and could be a powerful treatment for Type II Diabetes. One of it’s benefits is that it allows the body the ability to improve glucose tolerance.

Research indicates that bitter melon has four components (momordicosides Q, R, S, and T with karaviloside XI) which create increased activity of AMPK, which is directly beneficial to fighting diabetes and obesity.

Additionally bitter melon has certain components that appear (again, according to research) to have a potential for treatment against breast cancer , prostrate cancer, and possibly HIV related infections, however anti HIV properties are not conclusive and more research is needed. Some of its other herbal uses include treatments for digestive and skin diseases.

You can add bitter melon to your diet as either a steamed vegetable or juice this great little plant. For some people it is more palatable to eat it fried. It can also be taken as a bitter melon extract.

If you are taking medication for blood sugar levels, please check with your doctor before use. It is not recommended for people with liver problems and should not be used during pregnancy as it may stimulate the uterus. This information is for educational purposes only and for diagnosis or treatment of any medical problem, please consult your licensed health care practitioner.

]]> http://himalayanbootcamp.com/blog/2009/11/16/bitter-melon-diabetes-power-food/feed 0 http://himalayanbootcamp.com/blog/2009/04/22/turmeric-the-incredible-healing-spice http://himalayanbootcamp.com/blog/2009/04/22/turmeric-the-incredible-healing-spice#comments Wed, 22 Apr 2009 14:48:33 +0000 Connie http://himalayanbootcamp.com/blog/?p=192 While I was in India last Oct, I was fortunate enough to be able to visit a farm that belonged to a friend of mine and asked him if we could dig up some turmeric root so I can take a picture for my blog and here it is.

Turmeric is a plant in the ginger family with an earthy, bitter flavor and a mustard-like smell. It is a root that is boiled, then dried, and finally ground into a yellow-orange powder to be used as a spice. Turmeric is the ingredient that gives curry dishes their yellow color.

On of the main components in Turmeric is Curcumin. This component has been found to have amazing healing properties. I have consolidated some highlights of Turmeric below from my upcoming book The Deity Diet. Stay tuned for the release date.

Turmeric as a healing spice has been found to do the following:
•    Produce bile that helps break down fats.
•    Detoxify the liver, and assist in blood circulation and purification.
•    Because of its antibacterial properties, used as an antiseptic for cuts and bruises.
•    Has anti-inflammatory properties and known to be effective as a pain reliever.
•    Assists in digestion and fights off intestinal parasites
•    Works as an anti-oxidant, and helps reduce cholesterol and fight arteriosclerosis.
•    Fluoride in turmeric is highly effective to strengthen teeth & prevent cavities.
•    Used as a beauty treatment by brides in India, known to enhance the complexion.
•    Turmeric’s distinct aroma and taste adds color to, & enhances the flavor of curries.
•    Turmeric is also used in eggs and in salads.

One of the significant benefits of turmeric is its potential for preventing Alzheimer’s disease. According to a UCLA study, India has one of the lowest rates of Alzheimer’s disease in the world. The incidence of Alzheimer’s among Indian adults aged seventy to seventy-nine is 4.4 times less than that of the United States. Research indicates that curcumin, the main component of turmeric, inhibits accumulation of destructive beta amyloids that form the plaques found in the brains of Alzheimer’s patients. Further studies are being conducted.

The next time you cook with Turmeric, think about the positive impact you are contributing to the health and well being of your body.

To your Longevity and Abundant Living!

Connie

A wonderful thing happened to me recently. I belong to this amazing group called Ladies Who Launch (LWL). I consider myself very lucky to be involved with this group as they have been an invaluable for encouragement and feedback on some of my ideas and endeavors as I was launching Himalayan Boot Camp. They are also a great source for recommendations on resources ranging from web designers to insurance agents and more.

A few weeks ago, as I was finishing my book The Deity Diet and looking for people in the health and nutrition field to review and endorse it, I sent out an email to this talented and diverse group of women, asking whether anyone would like to check out my manuscript and endorse my book.

Parenting coach Chandra Giovanni, who I had never met but whose name I have seen often in emails back and forth in the LWL circle forwarded my request to Dr. Susan Lark, an authority on health, nutrition and balanced living and a bestselling author of 13 books. To my delight, a few days later Dr. Lark responded back that she had reviewed my manuscript and would be happy to endorse my book.

I have received just as notable endorsements for my book from other experts in the fitness and nutrition fields, to note just a few fabulous people to which I am thankful. What marvelous people surround us every where.

I would like to pose the following questions to my readers – have you experienced the power of women working together in your life? Were you at the receiving end? Or were you one of the women who helped someone else out? What motivated you to help? I am curious if you were blessed in some strange wonderful way.

I would love to hear your story. Feel free to comment or write me an email and I will take the top two stories and blog about you and your experiences. And remember, anytime I blog your story you receive a free autographed copy of my book.  Lets connect and interact, it makes it so much more interesting that just myself as the lone writer of my blog.

Until next time, here’s to your Longevity and Abundant Living!

Connie

I would like to share with you an absolutely delicious and healthy recipe that my guests at my March 15 boot camp (Scotts Valley, CA) loved. I have been getting requests for the recipe from some of them so I thought I would just post it here.

This is such an easy spread to make so here it is:

• 2 cups of edamame beans
• 3 garlic cloves
• 2” section of fresh ginger
• 4 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup of water

Blend everything together into a paste. Depending on how thick you want it you may need to add a little more water.

If you want to make it a little spicy, add some cayenne pepper or fresh chillies. You can get edamame beans in most grocery stores (under $4 at Costco for a large container).

You can enjoy this spread on whole wheat crackers, or with fresh fruit for a nutritious snack or light meal.

Hope you enjoy it.

To Your Longevity and Abundant Living!

Connie