Kathy's Healthy Living Blog

Craving an Egg McMuffin - Making it Vegan

2/19/2022

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I went out for an early morning sunrise hike in Ramapo Reservation in Mahwah NJ. On the way back, I picked up English Muffins for breakfast. I was really craving an Egg McMuffin. So I looked up, online, recipes for it. Found this one that I really like. I didn't have any vegan bacon or sausage, but I'm sure it would be even more delicious with it. It's very easy to make too. Here are some pictures...and a link to the recipe. It looks like a lot of vegan butter in the pan, but it wasn't really. :)

Note: I also coated the tofu with nutritional yeast. I did use a large glass to make the tofu and cheese into a circle. Just looks better!

Let me know what you think!

vegangela.com/2013/07/07/vegan-egg-mcmuffins

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17 Home Remedies For Stomach Flu

12/6/2016

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BELIEVE ME! You will wish you had this list printed out and handy when you get the stomach flu. Some of these remedies really do help. I'm a ginger fan myself.

From Mother Nature Network (www.mnn.com)

One minute you're perfectly fine; the next, you're racing to the nearest bathroom. Stomach flu, or what is correctly called viral gastroenteritis, is serious business.

The stomach flu is technically not influenza at all. We call it that because it makes us feel just bad as seasonal flu does, but with symptoms concentrated in the pits of our guts. You know it when you have it: diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, cramps and sometimes fever. Stomach flu symptoms — which can range from mild to horrific — can last 24 to 48 hours or as long as 10 miserable days.
Antibiotics won't help because the cause of your discomfort is viral. You can head to the store for some medication, but do you really want to swallow drugs when nearly everything makes you queasy? Here are some home remedies for the stomach flu that likely won't cure you, but the treatments may help ease the ickiness for a while.
Things to do
1. Rest
This might sound obvious, but the most natural remedy for stomach flu — or any illness — is to rest your body, and sleep as much as possible.
2. Stop eating
If you're feeling queasy, or especially if you're vomiting, give your stomach a break. Let things settle for a few hours and don't eat anything.
3. Heat
Put a heating pad or microwaveable heat pack on your stomach to ease cramps and stomach pain.
Things to drinkWhen you can't bear the thought of eating anything, try to eat an ice chip or two.

4. Ice chips
One dangerous side effect of stomach flu is dehydration. But when you're feeling horrid, you may not be able to keep anything in your stomach — even tiny sips of water. The next best thing is an ice chip or two. Suck on a few to stay hydrated.
5. Clear fluids
When you have diarrhea or you're vomiting, you need to increase the amount you're drinking. WebMD suggests 1 cup of fluid every hour for adults. Sip slowly so you keep it down. Water may not be enough, so try sports drinks or clear broth. Skip caffeinated, sugary or carbonated drinks because they can make diarrhea worse.
6. Rice water
Rice water (water left over after boiling brown rice) is high in electrolytes. Strain it, cool it and sip it. A study published in the Lancet found it eased diarrhea in babies better than an electrolyte solution.
Things to eatBananas and yogurt are both good choices when you're in the midst of stomach uproar.

Getting something in your stomach as you recover will give you strength, and it will help keep stomach acids regulated. Doctors used to suggest sticking only to the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) diet for a few days, but now they say that's OK for just the first 24 hours. Your body needs other nutrients from a more varied diet to recover fully.
7. Bananas
Bananas are easy to digest and high in potassium, a nutrient often lost through diarrhea. They're also high in pectin, a fiber that helps ease diarrhea.
8. Other bland foods
When your stomach can take it, start adding more bland foods back to your diet. Try easy-to-digest foods like chicken, rice and gelatin. Protein from lean meats and well-cooked eggs can give you energy. If you want fruits and vegetables, eat them cooked, not raw.
9. Crackers and pretzels
Snack on foods like these that are high in sodium. Salt helps you retain water so you don't get dehydrated.
10. Yogurt
Usually dairy products aren't a good choice when you have a stomach bug because they can be hard to digest. But live bacteria — the probiotics — in yogurt help bring your digestive system back into balance. Be sure to choose plain, unsweetened yogurt.
11. Kefir
Like yogurt, this fermented milk drink is rich in probiotics, which can help replenish the good bacteria in your gut.
Herbs to tryGinger is one of the first herbs people turn to for digestive ailments.

12. Ginger
With its natural anti-inflammatory properties, this ancient herb has long been used as a digestive aid and natural nausea remedy. You can try ginger capsules, drink ginger tea or ginger ale made with real ginger root, or you can chew a piece of ginger root.
13. Mint
Peppermint is another herb widely used to fight upset stomach. Studies have found that mint can help ease symptoms of indigestion and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). Even chewing peppermint gum can calm the stomach, but the most effective use of mint for upset stomach is as tea.
14. Tea (rooibos, chamomile, fennel)
Rooibos tea, also known as red tea, is said to calm the digestive tract and ease stomach cramps. Chamomile, too, has soothing properties. Fennel may help with indigestion, gas, bloating and cramping and is easy to take in tea form.
Folklore that might workMaybe not so appetizing, but burnt toast could ease gas and cramping.

15. Burnt toast
Plain toast is a nice bland food good for the early days of a stomach bug. But people (maybe even your grandma) claim that burnt toast soaks up the toxins in your stomach that are contributing to your illness.
16. Apple cider vinegar
Some people swear by this concoction. Mix 1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and 1 tablespoon of honey in 1 cup of warm water. It may help with gas and cramps.
Not quite medicine17. Probiotic supplements
The nausea, vomiting and diarrhea of stomach flu come from a build-up of “bad bacteria” in the colon and digestive tract. Often, taking antibiotics brings on these symptoms, because antibiotics wipe out both the good and bad bacteria in your body. Probiotics, organisms used to replenish the good bacteria in your gut, can bring your digestive system back into balance. Discuss probiotic supplements with your doctor, as there are three specific types that work best for stomach flu.

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We Know Nature Makes Us Happier. Now Science Says It Makes Us Kinder Too

3/13/2016

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My life has been...well...very stressful lately. Wait a minute. Let me rephrase that. "I" have been making my life very stressful lately. When things really got overwhelming, one of the first things I did...go for a long walk in the woods. It didn't matter what the weather was. I went in the extreme cold, a really snowy day, very early in the morning...any time I could get out and walk! At first, it was difficult. I was so focused on how miserable things were, I wasn't taking in the moment. Eventually, my goal became getting up the mountain (both figuratively and physically). So, I took one of the harder hikes up in Ramapo Reservation and climbed the steep path. I thought to myself "If I can get up this mountain without complaining and crying and carrying on, I can get up the mountain I put in front of me in life." So...I climbed. I hiked. I calmed down over the weeks. And...I'm working on getting up the mountain...step by step.

I read an article in YES! Magazine today. And related to it. Especially after an 8 mile hike yesterday up in Ringwood which brought me through some truly beautiful areas and then went for a couple of miles today with some friends and had such a wonderful time. I REALLY enjoyed myself outdoors.

So, in the article, this quote rang true. "Scientists are beginning to find evidence that being in nature has a profound impact on our brains and our behavior, helping us to reduce anxiety, brooding, and stress, and to increase our attention capacity, creativity, and ability to connect with other people."

"... scientists may believe nature benefits our well-being, we live in a society where people spend more and more time indoors and online—especially children."

I won't owe my being a little bit happier in my life...kinder too to just being in nature. It takes a will on my part. But being in nature is certainly helping the process. I have a long way to go, but I have begun to ascend the mountain.

The warm weather is coming folks. Get out into nature! Oh...and take the kids and dogs along as well!

To read the article, click here:

http://www.yesmagazine.org/planet/we-know-nature-makes-us-happier-now-science-says-it-makes-us-kinder-too-20160312

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Maia Helles (An Inspiration)

1/2/2016

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"My Friend Maia" is one of the most beautiful videos I've watched in a long time. Something to aspire to...truly. Maia Helles was 95 years old when this was filmed. It's about 4 1/2 minutes long and worth watching. When you want to say "I'm too old to do that," this is the video to watch for inspiration. Maia was a former Russian ballet dancer. She passed away peacefully at almost 100 in 2016 (when I first read about her).

Look up the Helles Method if you might want to see how Maia so gracefully aged to almost a century.

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Erdély (Transylvania) Trip

9/23/2015

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A trip across Hungary from the western border next to Austria all the way to the eastern border took my parents and I over 10 hours in the car last Thursday, the 17th of September. It was a very long drive and we were exhausted by the time we got over the border into Romania last Thursday night. We stayed in a simple, clean hotel over the border in a town called, by the Romanians, Oradea. But when it was part of Hungary it was called Nagyvárad; and that is what my parents still call it today. They are both bitter that Hungary lost this most beautiful region of Eastern Europe. Friday morning we continued our drive another 7 hours to the hotel at Gylkosto (Red Lake) where we stayed for two nights. A very lovely inn and the staff all spoke in Hungarian which made my parents so very happy. The three of us thoroughly enjoyed our time there...as short as the stay was.

From what I've read on the Internet, Transylvania was associated with Hungary for over 1000 years. In the 10th century a Magyar (Hungarian) tribe, the Székelys, settled in what it called Erdély (‘beyond the forest’ – the literal meaning of Transylvania). The Magyar tribes first entered the region in the 5th century, but they didn't fully control it until 1003, when King Stephen I placed it under the Hungarian crown. The valleys in the east and southeast were settled by the Székely, a people akin to the Magyars. It is not known, however, whether they came into Transylvania with or before the Magyars.

In November 1918, after the endo fo World War I, the Austro-Hungarian empire suffered a complete military loss, even if at the time of the collapse, all forces were standing outside of borders of 1914. With the collapse of the army, Austria-Hungary also collapsed. In the Treaty of Trianon signed on June 4, 1920, Hungary lost two-thirds of its territory, more than half of its population, more territory than any other country at that time (excluding colonies). Eight million Hungarians were left in Hungary and more than 3 million Hungarians were stranded outside of the newly established borders. The southern part of Hungary was given to Yugoslavia. More than 104.000 square km (the whole of Eastern Hungary and Transylvania) were lost to Romania, more than what was left for Hungary itself 93.030 square kilometers. The northern part of Hungary was annexed by the newly created Czechoslovakia. Austria got Burgenland which was a part of Hungary also.

These newly created or greatly enlarged states formed the Little Entente (Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia) after the war encircling Hungary in order to make border reestablishment impossible. The Hungarian Army was reduced to a mere 30.000 troops, Hungary was forbidden to have air force, tanks and any more sophisticated weapons. The borders were set in such a way that all natural defense lines were crossed making the remaining territory totally vulnerable and difficult to defend.

On the American Hungarian Federation's website:

"Count Apponyi pleading to the Supreme Council of the Paris Peace Conference: "In the name of the great principle so happily phrased by President Wilson, namely that no group of people, no population, may be transferred from one State to another without being consulted,- as though they were a herd of cattle with no will of their own,- in the name of this great principle, an axiom of good sense and public morals, we request, we demand a plebiscite on those parts of Hungary that are now on the point of being severed from us. I declare we are willing to bow to the decision of a plebiscite whatever it should be. Of course, we demand it should be held in conditions ensuring the freedom of the vote."

The United States has never ratified this treaty. At the time President Wilson said: “The proposal to dismember Hungary is absurd” and later Sir Winston Churchill said: “Ancient poets and theologians could not imagine such suffering, which Trianon bought to the innocent.” Others warned that a weakened, dismembered Hungary would lead to a weak, fragmented Central Europe unable to resist Soviet expansionism. We are sad to report they were right."

In any case, Hungary lost (in my own opinion) the most beautiful parts including the Carpathian mountain range. It was quite an enjoyable ride. The views were spectacular with the flatness of the plains against the mountain ranges in the distance. A common site was people on horse-pulled wagons. Everywhere! Every village (falu in Hungarian) we went through, we saw at least one of these carts. I wish I would have had a chance to take more pictures of them but I was driving.

We drove through one village where we were delayed for a few minutes while sheep were being driven through the streets and walked right along side the car. i did get a few pictures of that.

When we got to the border of Romania, which was once a part of Hungary, we didn't find many Hungarian-speaking people. But once we got to the mountains and stayed at a most wonderful inn called Red Lake Inn located in Gheorgheni, everyone spoke Hungarian. It was a small inn, very intimate and comfortable. If I ever want to take the long trip back, I know where I would want to stay.

On the way up to the lake, I heard some bells when we pulled over to look at the view. I got out of the car to investigate and found some cows in a small clearing.

Here are some pictures from our trip. Enjoy!

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Magyarorszag (Hungary), It's people and the Refugees

9/16/2015

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Returning "home" to Hungary after a couple of years, I came to visit with my parents who live in a city called Szombathely on the western side of the country near the Austrian border. The last few weeks in the US, I have been reading about the refugee crisis. Of course, I was eager to get back to Hungary to see the situation for myself; witness it with my own eyes and ears if I could. I spent the first few days relaxing out in the country where a couple of my siblings own small vineyards (which means that I drank wine and was treated to a delicious meal of potato dumplings, called dödölle, which I enjoyed with homemade strawberry jam). One of the neighbors makes this dish for me especially since he knows I love it and it's vegetarian. This area, called Pöse, is one of the few places on earth where I truly feel at peace with the world...with myself...with my life...at least temporarily. I also had the great opportunity to eat my mom's cooking (it was vegetarian - which she still doesn't understand...especially since I don't eat dairy or meat. Her Hungarian, meat-eating self can't comprehend how a child of hers could end up eating the way she did for the first 20 years of her life - as a vegetarian. During WWII, her parents couldn't afford meat so they ate lots of vegetables, potatoes, whatever they could get their hands on to feed a family of 11!).

Thousands of refugees are pouring INTO Hungary now. And yet, it wasn't so long ago thousands of refugees were pouring OUT of the country. In 1956, after a failed revolution against the Soviet Union, some 200,000 Hungarians fled Hungary (my parents, 2 uncles and an aunt included) and fortunately, for them, Austria kept its borders open. But that is not the case today. At least not any more. The Hungarians have built a 12 foot barbed wire fence along the border of Serbia to keep the refugees from coming across. Now the poor souls are looking for other ways of getting to the countries who will accept them. Unfortunately, it will be a much longer route.

I was anxious to hear what the Hungarians were thinking about the refugee crisis - especially my parents since they were refugees in Austria after escaping from Hungary in 1956 aiming to better their lives as well as their unborn child (mom was pregnant with my older sister when they left).

Szombathely is a beautiful, old city with a population of about 80,000. In this city, people have never met any refugees. It is homogeneous (except for the tourists); everybody speaks the same language, eats the same food and looks the same—white. That's a generalization, but the majority of the ones I have met are this way. I'm not sure how much they would welcome people from the Middle East; especially since their prime minister, Viktor Orbán, has had one message for months: that the people arriving from the Middle East are not refugees, but illegal immigrants seeking European prosperity. The refugees...they do not even want to stay in Hungary but this is lost on people believing everything they hear and see on the news which is dominated by Orbán’s propaganda. A translation from an article from The Guardian, has Orbán saying "Those arriving have been raised in another religion, and represent a radically different culture. Most of them are not Christians, but Muslims,” he said. “This is an important question, because Europe and European identity is rooted in Christianity...Is it not worrying in itself that European Christianity is now barely able to keep Europe Christian? There is no alternative, and we have no option but to defend our borders.” Well, being Christian means that you follow the teachings of Christ. Correct? What happened to "Love one another?" I'm just askin'!

The people in Szombathely may never have met a refugee (and may never in the future either), but they watch TV, read the news and listen to what the government says about the people arriving in their country. The news, which is always on in my parents' house is the local and regional TV station and CNN World. They don't read alternative news sources and the TV doesn't offer other alternative media either. And like many of their friends and relatives in the area, they are concerned about the situation. One cousin believes there will be war because of the refugee situation and the closing of the borders (she sympathizes greatly with them).

There are those who talk about how the "migrants" are dangerous. Not unlike some people out in the States who believe the propaganda spewed out from CNN, FOX, ABC, CBS.

Then there is one aunt who told me that she can't watch much of the news for her heart breaks for the children. It cannot bear it.

As I wrote this, my parents were watching as Hungarian police in riot gear fired teargas and water cannon over the border with Serbia today. This, after frustrated crowds gathered there in the thousands when Hungary closed it's border on Tuesday. They tried to burst through a gate that connects the two countries. Hungary’s actions were met with fury by the Serbian government, which said its northern neighbors had no right to fire into Serbian territory. If refugees attempt to cross the fence, new rule, they will be arrested. So, there you have it.

The whole world is witness to these events. Reporters and film crews are in Hungary. Hungarians, as a people, are no worse than anyone else – thousands of volunteers have been helping the refugees for weeks – but they don’t act for the government. While driving down the road, my mother and I watched as police pulled box trucks over to check to see that no refugees were being transported in the back by smugglers. They don't want another incident like the one that happened a couple of weeks ago when several refugees died in the back of a truck on the way to Austria. I believe there are police who are truly trying to protect them. But, despite their good work and that of civilians who are helping, thanks to the actions of the government, Hungary will have a bad name...perhaps. We shall see how it sorts out.

I am not sure what to think of this entire situation. Of course, as is my nature, I sympathize with the refugees wanting a better life. At the same time, when does a government stop accepting refugees? How much should they help? And what is the best way to help? The EU should be working these problems out so that no one country is responsible for all those fleeing to safety. I may not like Orbán, but I understand the difficulty of the situation of the country he runs.

The answer is simple, really. The conflicts in the Middle East must be resolved. Can that happen while the U.S. (and Russia, and Germany, and France) continue selling arms to the wrong people in the region? Saudi Arabia just secured a massive new infusion of missiles and so-called smart bombs from the U.S., in addition to the regular arsenal that our country supplies to the middle eastern country. “There are more arms in the Middle East region than bread,” Annette Groth of the German Parliament reflected. “I remember a discussion with an ambassador from this region about three years ago, and he looked at us other parliamentarians, as well, and he said, ‘It is time that the West collects the weapons you have brought us.’ Very, very true, and very simple.”

My parents and I leave for Romania in a few hours. What we will encounter on our way out or back is unknown. But, if I can, my camera will be ready as will my mind and heart.

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How our thoughts control our DNA

8/22/2015

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I want to share an article sent to me last week. I have had many discussions with people about how we are slaves to our DNA and that in many cases (there are definitely exceptions), people use their DNA as an excuse for their behavior or physical health. Bruce Lipton blows a lot of that out of the water with the research that's been done on the subject.

Please take a few minutes to read the article. Just click below:

http://in5d.com/bruce-lipton-how-our-thoughts-control-our-dna/

Here is the fifth step of his explanation on how our thoughts control our DNA.

5. Fight or flight

Blood flow is directed away from the vital organs to the limbs, which are used for fighting and running. The immune system becomes of lesser importance. If you picture the responses we once needed for running from a lion, for example, the legs would have been infinitely more important in that immediate situation than the immune system. Thus, the body favors the legs and neglects the immune system.

So, when a person perceives a negative environment, the body tends to neglect the immune system and vital organs. Stress also makes us less intelligent, less clear-minded. The part of the brain related to reflexes is given more prominence in fight-or-flight mode than the part related to memory and other mental functions.

When a person perceives a loving environment, the body activates growth genes and nurtures the body.

Lipton gave the example of Eastern European orphanages, where children are given lots of nutrients, but little love. Children in such institutions have been found to have stunted development in terms of height, learning, and other areas. There is also a high incidence of autism. Lipton said autism in this case is a symptom of protection genes being activated, like walls being put up.

“Beliefs act as a filter between the real environment and your biology,” he said. Thus, people have the power to change their biology. It is important to keep a clear perception, he said, because otherwise you won’t develop the right things biologically for the real environment around you.

“You are not victims of genes,” he said, asking the audience to consider “What beliefs are you selecting genes with?”

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To sing like a bird without fear

6/11/2015

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I love to sing. Now...don't get me wrong. I'm no Whitney Houston or Barbara Streisand, but I hold my own. When I was in middle school, I used to sing solo once a year. Since then, I just sing in the shower or in front of my family. It's a running joke with my dad. He always throws up his hands and mockingly pleads with me to stop singing!

Anyway, I took a few guitar lessons a few years ago so that I would have an instrument to sing along with but I just haven't had much time (or at least haven't made the time) to play much and learn more. I have a friend who plays guitar very well and I have sung along with him once in a while.

But this past week, I mustered up the courage to sing at a wonderful local restaurant (www.classicquiche.com) where Bill and I have gotten to know the owner, Joe Sciarrone.

Tuesday nights he and Mike Richmond (http://www.mikerichmondmusic.com/ ) play jazz music with Joe's daughter, Roxanne, who comes in once in while to sing - she's fantastic! Here's a video of Roxanne singing with her dad on guitar and Mike on bass - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STe5tXhFHVU.

A couple of weeks ago, Mike told me he would get the music for Dobie Gray's "Drift Away" after I told him I loved that song. He asked if I would sing it this week. I waited until the end the of the night - I was too nervous to sing in front of all those strangers. But I did it. My voice was shaking from fear! Ha ha! and it was very low from what Joe told me - he wants me to use the microphone next time. So, this coming Tuesday, I may muster up the courage, again, to sing Besame Mucho in English. I'll see how I feel. Joe will bring the music. I may chicken out, but if I practice the song enough and just sing from my heart, I'll do fine.

It's something I've wanted to do...all the time. I'm glad I had a chance to do something I truly love doing. I would probably never have this chance again, so I'm taking advantage of the opportunity as long as they will have me and I'm still enjoying it.

We should all take those moments of opportunity to make our lives a little better and go for it! See what magic you can create.

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Peace and Fear and a Monk

6/1/2015

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A truly humanist Buddhist, Thich Nhat Hanh: He coined the phrase "Engaged Buddhist." (Buddhists who are seeking ways to apply the insights from meditation practice and dharma teachings to situations of social, political, environmental, and economic suffering and injustice). So apropos for someone from a war torn country to come up with such a term - and the following quote:

"In order to rally people, governments need enemies. They want us to be afraid, to hate, so we will rally behind them. And if they do not have a real enemy, they will invent one in order to mobilize us.": Thich Nhat Hanh - Vietnamese monk, activist and writer.

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