Lighting

The intensity, amount, and placement of lighting in a room affects everything from the wall color to the texture of the furniture fabric. Professionals determine the amount and intensity of lighting with algorithmic equations designed to create the perfect balance of illumination. While you don’t need a specialized computer program, adhering to a few basic lighting principles helps you decorate the rest of the room.

• Create small “pools” of light by placing a 100-watt table lamp next to each piece of furniture.
• Soften the ambiance of a room by replacing the previous, translucent lampshade with one made from opaque material.
• Brighten your kitchen by placing a tall halogen lamp in each corner of the room. Never place the lamp near cloth drapes or flammable materials.

Furniture Placement

Your furniture pieces are like marking points that guide the eye around the room and along with lighting, will be the most important of tips on decorating your home. Rearranging the furniture lets you redistribute the space and create an entirely different feel, all within a weekend afternoon.

• Cluster furniture by size and style for visual continuity. Stocky, comfortable furniture belongs in a separate room from family heirlooms. Placing your grandmother’s antique end-table between two overstuffed arm chairs makes the room look visually disjointed.
• Position stationary, non-sitting furniture, such as side tables and dressers, in full view so they aren’t bumping into the window drapes or encroaching behind a slanted arm chair. Fully visible and functional furniture makes your room spatially well-proportioned instead of a cluttered mess.

Wall Decor

Your wall decor must spatially balance the relationship between the ceiling and your furniture. For example, a room with large, geometric furniture requires different wall-hangings than a room with with slender-legged tables and a sleek sofa.

• ?Limit wall-hangings to two or three large, framed images for darker rooms or you’ll lose the image details in the darkness.
• Frame 20-inch by 20-inch patches of colorful fabric to revive a neutrally-colored room.
• Energize a sparse by staggering your wall-hangings horizontally. For example, instead of placing three pictures in a row, place them equidistant apart but 2-inches higher or lower than the previous image.

Kitchen Organization

Using a few simple home decorating tips and techniques will significantly change the interior of your home. Your kitchen will be a place where you enjoy spending hours and you will be more efficient as the kitchen flows better for you.  Beginning with the tips on decorating your home listed above will help you develop a decor plan to ensure your decorative changes are thoughtfully coordinated.

Before we go any further, let us define the term vegan. For a person to be vegan means that they do not partake in any animal product. This means they do not eat fish, milk, dairy, eggs, and honey on top of not eating meat. I am sure that you know someone that is vegan or at least thinking about becoming so. However, if you do not then here are some famous people that are either vegan or vegetarian. Some famous Americans that have become vegan are: Alec Baldwin, Ellen DeGeneres, Lea Michele, Jason Mraz, Brad Pitt, Olivia Wilde, and Mike Tyson just to name a few. They do not all choose to be vegan because they believe that eating animals is cruel and in violation of the Ten Commandments. That view is only held by a few, and it is a very relative idea.

Many of these stars and many people who do decide to become vegan do so because of the health benefits. The effects a vegan diet has on a person’s health are incredible and are often overlooked or pushed to the side. When you eat vegan, you eat less saturated fats and just fats in general. People generally receive the fat that they ingest through dairy products and meat. This means that your cardiovascular health will be much better as well as your overall well-being. You also receive larger amount of the vitamins that your body needs to function at optimum levels. There is more vitamin C and vitamin E as well as other antioxidants in your diet when you eat vegan. These antioxidants help your immune system become stronger as well as allowing your body to heal faster when it is sick or hurt.

As you become more healthy, you are able to prevent a variety of diseases. These diseases range from heart illness to diabetes and cataracts to cancer. You body is much better equipped to handle these illnesses and diseases when you are eating vegan. If you are worried about not eating things that you like, or things that taste good, then you are wrong. Here are some examples of sample vegan recipes: spinach linguine with pesto, Chipotle chili with sweet potatoes, mushroom stroganoff, and raspberry truffle brownies. These are all things that you can fix and make yourself that keep you healthy and following a vegan diet.

If the vegan diet is not for you, that is fine. It takes a huge amount of commitment and dedication to make sure that you do it all the way. I would recommend that you still take a look at the vegan recipes because you might be able to find some that you like that you can cook so that you can avoid meat as much as possible.

You preheat the oven to 425.

Take 4 to 5 pounds of broccoli (I just got two large bunches), cut into florets (but relatively big ones.) Wash and dry them THOROUGHLY.

Now, it’s easy. Put the broccoli on a cookie sheet. Toss with olive oil, salt and pepper. About 5 Tbs olive oil, 1 1/2 tsps kosher salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper – or just eyeballed it. Now add 4 garlic cloves that are peeled and sliced and toss them in too.

Roast in the oven 20 to 25 minutes, until crisp-tender and the tips of some of the florets are browned.

You can shake the pan around once or twice during the roasting.

When it’s done, take it out of the oven–and here’s where it gets really good–zest a lemon over the broccoli, squeeze the lemon juice over the broccoli, add 1.5 Tbs more olive oil, 3 Tbs toasted pine nuts, and 1/3 cup of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

This delicious combination of crispy broccoli with garlic, lemon, and cheese will make this main dish worthy!

You might have seen patches of green, grass-like substances sitting in the window of your favorite smoothie place. That was most likely wheatgrass. It is able to be grown in a tray indoors and it only takes about ten days for the plant to mature to the point that the juices are harvestable. In order to extract the juice, the wheatgrass is typically places in a press of some sort and squeezed until it has yielded all the juice that it can. Next time you are picking up a mango smoothie, ask the cashier about their wheatgrass.

Wheatgrass is a serious superfood. Thirty milliliters of juice is roughly equal to two pounds of green veggies. That type of ratio is hard

to beat! Health food stores and some restaurants offer a wheatgrass shot which is sometimes the easiest way to get the wheatgrass you need. Along with containing a huge serving of your vegetable dietary needs, it also contains two times the amount of vitamin A as carrots have and it has more vitamin C than an orange. Here is another fact for you, having a teaspoon of wheatgrass is equivalent to eating an entire spinach salad (if the salad weighed around fifty grams).

There are so many other benefits of wheatgrass, you should do some research into it. It is truly an amazing food. The health benefits are worth any of the slight discomfort you might have in the taste. Wheatgrass is used very often as a “detox” agent. The vitamins and minerals contained in the wheatgrass are key in the neutralization and elimination of free radicals in your body. This means that you stay healthier and everything works better. Chemicals and such aid the development of free radicals and wheatgrass stops that production and eliminates the ones that are in your body. It also takes away toxins that interfere with the cellular systems. It also can help your body eliminate the decaying waste and hardened mucus within your intestines and such. Your gastrointestinal tract along with your blood and organs will thank you because they will be able to function better thanks to the wheatgrass.

Along with detoxifying your body, wheatgrass helps it fight and prevent various infections and illnesses that your body may be susceptible to. It helps you prevent the common cold, the flu, and various other sicknesses. On top of all of that, it protects your body from harmful carcinogens which cause cancer. The body is able to mount a defense that can last for a long time just because you decided to have a shot of wheatgrass.

Do your body a favor, try some wheatgrass. It can be put into smoothies, supplements, and many other mediums.

Related articles

• Wheatgrass (foodservicewarehouse.com)
• Organic Wheat Grass Powder (chennaifocus.wordpress.com)
• Lemon Shortbread Wheatgrass Shot (thevegetablecentrickitchen.com)

• 2 cups kefir (or ½ yogurt & ½ milk, or use all buttermilk)
• 1/2 cup oats
• 1 1/3 cup whole grain flower mixture (spelt, barley, oat groat, kamut, quinoa, millit, brown rice, etc)
• 1/4 cup ground flax, cornmeal, or toasted wheat germ
• 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp sea salt
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 large eggs lightly beaten
• 2 TBSP raw honey, agave, or maple syrup
• 1 Tbsp applesauce or oil
• 2 teaspoons vanilla

Instructions:

Mix kefir, eggs, sweetener, applesauce (or oil), & vanilla in a medium bowl. Whisk flour, oats, flax, salt and cinnamon in a large bowl.  Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients; mix with a rubber spatula just until moistened.  You can let this sit for as long as you’d like. You can even have it sit overnight in your fridge. Add the baking powder & baking soda just before you are ready to cook & mix well. Coat a waffle iron with coconut oil, butter, or cooking spray.

• 2 cups dry beans, soaked and cooked (I like kidney or black)
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 2 teaspoons sea salt
• 1 green pepper, chopped
• 1 zucchini, shredded
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• 1 teaspoon oregano
• 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne
• 2/3 cup quinoa (ideally soaked overnight in 2/3 cup water + 3/4 tbsp. lemon juice or kefir)
• 1 can tomato sauce (8oz)
• 2 cups tomatoes, diced (or canned stewed tomatoes)
• 2 cups water

Instructions:

Sauté onions in olive oil until translucent. Add green peppers, garlic, and zucchini and sauté until tender. Add garlic, salt, and spices. Add quinoa, tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and water. Simmer for 20 minutes. Add beans and simmer for 15 more minutes. Serve topped with cheese.

Recipe was adjusted from Feed your Family.

• 4 C. cooked whole grain pasta
• 3 C. Veggies of choice (broccoli, cauliflower, zucchini, yellow squash, sweet peppers, snap peas etc).
• ½ large onion
• 2-3 cloves garlic – minced
• 2 tsp dill
• ½ tsp sea salt
• 1 tbsp coconut oil or olive oil

Instructions:

Heat oil in skillet over medium heat. Add all vegetables, spices, & salt. Stir to combine. Cover & let cook (stirring occasionally) until vegetables are as soft as you want them (we like ours pretty crunchy). Serve over pasta with parmesan cheese.

• 1 pressed garlic clove
• 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 teaspoon chili powder (or cumin)
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cups black beans, cooked
• 1 cup corn
• ½ cup cooked quinoa (any color)
• 1 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
• ¼ cup red onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1/3 cup cilantro, chopped (optional)
• 1 avocado, sliced (optional)

Instructions:

Whisk together garlic, vinegar, oil, honey and spices to form a dressing. Combine all other ingredients, pour dressing over and toss. Serve alone, in lettuce wraps, in tacos, or as a side dish.

Recipe adapted from Taste is Trump.

Dinner Plan:

• Veggie Topped Pasta
• Lettuce Wraps w/Raw Thai Nut Sauce from Raw Melissa
• Whole Grain Waffles w/Green Smoothies
• Black Bean Salad in Lettuce Wraps
• Quinoa Chili w/Whole Grain Corn Bread
• Leftovers
• Dinner @ Sisters House

 Shopping List

• Onion (1-2)
• Mushrooms (16oz)
• Zucchini (1-2)
• Sweet red bell pepper (1)
• Cilantro (1)
• Oranges (8-10)
• Broccoli (1-2)
• Strawberries (1-3lbs)
• Tomato sauce (8oz)
• Water chestnuts (1 – 8oz)
• Whole milk (for Kefir)
• Olives (3)
• Eggs

Most of America is on the go or at work, or both. So when you are deciding what to use as snacks to boost your blood sugar, you have to go with something that is portable and potent. You need something that is effective but that can be carried on your person or stowed at a desk. Try to go with something that is less than 150 calories. If you binge on snacks, then you are getting no where as far as weight is concerned. A 150 calorie snack is just enough to curb your hunger and give you the boost that you need. There are also some handy snack-packs that you can pick up at the grocery store that are in packets of 100 calories. Those would be a good choice if you want a ‘brand name’ that fits your needs. There are also granola bars and health bars that you can find for less than 150 calories and will give you extra nutrients in addition to the sugar that you need.

Grabbing a handful of nuts is extremely beneficial for you when you start to feel a little low. They help to lower cholesterol and they also decrease your risk factor for a cardiovascular illness in addition to normalizing your blood glucose levels. They have a huge amount of protein and they also have monounsaturated fats (“good” fats) that will help you avoid a spike that a candy bar will give you. They enter your blood stream and you are able to keep you level normalized for longer when you have nuts as opposed to a chocolate bar. But, try not to go overboard on the nuts. All you need is an amount that will fit inside the palm of your hand. That will be enough for you to keep functioning for a while.

I am sure that you have heard that an apple a day keeps the doctor away. There is some truth to that. If you eat a whole apple, skin and all, you are digesting approximately three grams of fiber. That fiber helps to lower cholesterol, provides antioxidants that are used to fight infections, lowers your risk factor for a cardiovascular disease, and it also lowers your risk for diabetic complications. Those complications can range from hypoglycemia to circulation problems. Just an apple a day when you are feeling low can give you all these benefits.

Even when the package says “low-fat”, check the label. Sometimes companies market foods as low-fat even if they contain a slightly lower fat content than the ‘full-fat’ option. Do not eat more of these because you believe them to be healthier. Check the labels and do your homework regarding that certain product.

These are just a few ideas for you and are only meant to spark some inspiration in your mind as to what you would respond to best.