The Lady of the NIGHT

She just looks so exotic, her bright pink flesh calling me from across the fruitologists isle I had to take her home. Her delicacy exuding as I gently slice her open to reveal her soft white spotty flesh, she’s as lush as you can imagine any creation to be.

Originally known as pitaya, due to its scaly appearance, dragon fruit is a beautiful fruit with an intense shape and color and dazzling flowers. Since she blooms at night, she is also known as the Queen of the Night, Lady of the Night and Moonflower.

What I didn’t realise was that the ‘Lady of the NIGHT’ is not only gorgeous to look at, a joy to eat and a delicacy to the palette, but she has high nutritional value and is good for your health on many different levels as well. She is a good source of antioxidants, prevents free radicals and protects from cancer causing elements and other health detriments from entering your body.

So next time you hear her calling you name from the fuitologist shelf, take her home as when consumed regularly the ‘Lady of the NIGHT’:

* Enhances the immune system
* Helps neutralize toxic substances such as heavy metals
* Can reduce high blood pressure and cholesterol
* Aids in fighting against cough and asthma.
* Has high amounts of vitamin C
* Helps heal bruises and cuts quickly
* Contains Vitamin B2 which acts like a multivitamin and helps to improve and recover the loss of appetite.
* Contains Vitamin B1 which increases energy production and also metabolizes carbohydrates
* Improves the appearance of your skin by smoothing and moisturizing it
* Improves eyesight and decreases hypertension
* Is a good source of phosphorus and calcium, it reinforces bones, helps in tissue formation and forms healthy teeth.
* Decreases weight, thereby creates a well-balanced body.
* Is helpful in reducing blood sugar levels in people suffering from type 2 diabetes

She is best served chilled and can be used in juices, fruit salads and jams ... though to me she is delectable all on her own!
Enjoy

OK in starting this challenge to eliminate and break habits I thought I had it pretty well sorted, after all life is pretty uncluttered these days my intention was to refine, refine, refine!

In breaking a habit it has become obvious that there are some habits I needed to adopt 'eekkk' some of which I'm totally loving like super foods and raw chocolates to die for and yes a tad more exercise and a dash of discipline needed to be in the mix.

So I start everyday with an element of curiosity 'What will I either add into my day or eliminate' and in the process I've transformed some old thought patterns, hoisted a few reactions, created some boundaries, eliminated even more wardrobe clutter and as you know detoxed my inbox and as always when you put your focus on something you start to see things you hadn't previously noticed.

The other day I woke to find a bottle of Jose Cuervo Margarita mix sitting on the kitchen bench.' What does that have to do with anything? you may ask.

Well its like this

I looked at the bottle and wondered 'Why do we still have that?' after all in the last 5 years we have; merged two full households into one, given more than a house full of furniture, nick nacks and appliances away, moved to an even smaller apartment, given even more furniture and household items away, decked out my daughters apartment with even more excess from our garage and cupboards and of all those things I've given away here sits this quarter of a bottle of Margarita mix taking up space in our tiny kitchen!

I mean 'Does Gino (my partner) even like Margarita's?

How did it manage to survive? After all I'm a dedicated and self confessed minimalist!

So like many things in life it turns out the bottle of Jose Cuervo did have a purpose and it had nothing to do with Margarita's but a symbol that triggered my curiosity to ask

What else is quietly taking up space, lurking in the corners of my mind, thoughts, emotions, friendships, life that I have not even noticed.

What else slips by that I am habitually eating, drinking, buying or carrying from one situation to the next, even wrapping and packing it (sometimes in excuses) to make sure it arrives safely without asking 'Where did it come from?, Do I still need it?, 'Whats its purpose', Do I even like doing this or is it just habit?

So my question to you is 'Whats Your Bottle of Jose Cuervo?, 'Whats cluttering the corners of your mind, emotions and day that's habitually taking up space in the precious moments that are your life?

The curiosity continues!

The Inbox Detox

When I started the challenge of 'Eliminating The Superfluous' I couldn't imagine what I was going to eliminate after all I had already cleaned out the wardrobe and the office and I thought life was pretty uncluttered but its just like steak knives there's always more....

Unsubscribe, unsubscribe, unsubscribe ....
When did I ever subscribe to all these emails ???

Photo Source We Heart It’

Living On The Edge

In my venture to 'Do something that makes me feel insecure' here's an excerpt from my first book 'How Close Are You Dancing to The Fire?' Yah, Yah Yah.

Living On The Edge!

On a day to day basis your immune system ‘seems’ to be keeping your body fit and healthy, however when your living on the edge continually and you don’t listen to your body’s signal system all’s it takes is one immune challenge, high stress incident, or emotional crisis to reach ‘THE TIPPING POINT’ and tilt your immune system over the edge.

Your body’s immune system has the natural ability to keep you fit and healthy when you give it the right tools and create the right environment. At the same time we know that the fast pace of life in the 21^st century and the rapid evolution of:

§ Eating habits

§ Food sources

§ Financial burden

§ Lifestyle changes

§ Continuous stress

§ Family breakdown

§ Community structure

§ Relationship challenges

sometimes sees your mind and bodies struggling to keep up with the pace which is reflected in our current ramped increase in diseases such as Cancer, Diabetes, ADHD, Hormone Challenges and Depression to name a few.

According to the World Health Organization, "Health is more than the absence of disease. Health is a state of optimal well-being." Maintaining our health and well being requires balance and harmony between the various aspects of the whole person; physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

The question is

1. ‘Do you wait until you hit a crisis and pass the tipping point?

or

2. Do you want to be proactive participant in changing your life?

If you answered yes to number one then stop reading now.

If you answered yes to number two then the curiosity and exploration becomes what can you remove or transform in your life to reduce the mental, emotional, physical and spiritual stress and what things can you add to your life to boost your immune system, balance and harmonise your spirit, mind and emotions to maximise your health, vitality and life.

Love, love, love this one!

"There are four questions of value in life...

What is sacred?
Of what is the spirit made?
What is worth living for?
What is worth dying for?

The answer to each is the same.

Only love."

Don Juan de Marco

Image Source We Heart It’

The Mango Is Back!!

Oh yes the joy of summer - A deck chair, the morning sun sparkling on the water, a gentle breeze and a mouth watering Mango w' a dash of Super Berry Lush, Quark, a sprinkle of Hemp Seeds and a dash of Bee Pollen...

What a divine way to start the day

Image Source Mwah

In Bed w' Michael D ...

It may seem a little naff to some but today on my mission to break a habit I woke at my usual 5am leaped out of bed and then I remembered today was the day ...

Even though a glorious morning was at hand ....I tucked myself back under the trusty doona, slumbered a few more hours, then spent the rest of the morning in bed with Michael Douglas A Solitary Man, a cuppa and veg toast ...

Now that's a habit I could perhaps get used to ....

Image Source We Heart It’