It’s been a while since I’ve blogged and the urge is hitting me today! Perhaps it is in tribute to a fellow blogger, TR Crumbley who passed a week ago. He was just 29, battling an aggressive form of duodenal cancer. I connected with him a few years back during our “Sunday Supper” chats and met him at a food and wine conference in 2015. Remember with gratitude the walks three of us took after the enormous meals we were fed at the Conference. Nothing quite beats meals at a “foodie” conference – believe me! TR was a kind, helpful person with a great sense of humor who was always positive. He did a lot of good stuff including creating unique recipes for his Gluten Free blog in the short span of 29 years that he lived on Earth. Anyway even as I grieved last Monday I was reminded of how short life is. Tomorrow is not promised to us and we should live each day trying to make a difference, helping to build, to heal and to make the world a better place. Nobody’s life is perfect. Health issues, financial burdens, family worries – the list can be endless, but taking it in one’s stride and readjusting the sails is the only way to move forward. If anything TR ‘s passing has just made me aware of living in the moment and being grateful for all I have which is a lot. Reminder that life to me has never been about winning or losing. Its about being kind, strong, loving and positive especially for my husband, children and aging parents who depend on me.I have some extra time on my hands now that I am self employed and filling my extra time with meaningful stuff is my goal. TR’s passing just reminded me of the precious gift called life!
Yesterday a deer gave birth to a fawn in our front yard. We didn’t know what to do and called animal control who told us to let it be. Apparently mama deer choose what they think is a safe place to birth their young ones and wait close-by till the young one can run on its own. Well, my children and my husband did not want to leave until we knew the deer was safe. We were headed to the beach which for us is a rare treat given that the closest beach is 3 hrs away. But much as my kids love the beach no one wanted to leave until we knew the deer was safe. As the baby fawn took it’s first steps and made it’s way slowly with rests in-between to the woods at the back of our home we waited, watched and finally left late noon. No regrets because making sure the deer was safe was important to my children and us. My husband said the deer birthing in our yard gave him hope for some pressures he’s been facing at work and I felt the same.
Some pictures from our fawn adventure :)!
Ever heard of “Kombucha” – sounds intriguing? Well, it is an energy giving drink that I am totally sold on. Been drinking kombucha for almost four months and it has become my “morning Java”! The energy and strength with just a few sips is unparalleled to any health drink I’ve ever tried and believe me I have tried a few. Kombucha is a probiotic filled beverage that fills your gut with healthy bacteria and everyone knows a healthy gut is the key to a healthy body. As they say “go with your gut” and a healthy gut is the core to good health. Even since I started making kombucha at home I have experimented with different flavors and wanted to share my current favorite flavor. Pineapple, ginger and cayenne come together in this delightful treat that teases your palate with a host of flavors. Add some chia seeds and you have texture as well! I call this “fat burning” coz pineapple juice is a natural fat burner and metabolism booster, and cayenne does the same. Makes sense that, combining the two with a probiotic rich drink to enhance absorption, will be the ultimate natural fat burning drink. I added chia seeds coz, in my opinion, chia seeds transform a drink into a meal, thanks to the added texture and fiber. The chia seeds soak in the kombucha giving a feel of drinking passion fruit juice with the seeds and stuff. I could go on about how good this combo is but I guess, I should give you the benefits and recipe instead. For this recipe you can use store bought kombucha or use my recipe to make your own kombucha. The black seeds floating on top are chia seeds. I took the photo shoot without waiting for the seeds to soak in.
Nutrition Wise
Pineapple is filled with bromelin, an enzyme which is a natural digestive enzymes. It heals the gut, speeds metabolism and burns fat. Ginger is an immune boosting spice that heals the body in so many ways. Cayenne adds a kick and is a great metabolism booster. Chia seeds are packed with fiber and Omega 3. Need I say more? A lot packed in this super healthy drink! TR this is for you. RIP good friend!
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Hi there! I’m Sunithi, AKA Sue, a registered dietitian with a sweet tooth and a passion for eating healthy (quite a combo) currently working as an independent consultant in the DC Metro area. I’m also a blogger, health nut, nutrition geek who jogs to keep sane :)! I love to revamp recipes and add some ‘Nutrition Bytes’ to them. All my recipes are gluten free! I also blog on natural health and fitness! Visit often and drop me a note if you have any nutrition queries!