My favorite salad

 I was going to post this on Valentines Day for a present for everyone (if a salad recipe is considered a present, LOL!) but I didn't get it done. So, here is my favorite way to prepare a salad...have fun with it...experiment and use things you like in your salad too! :o)

 Throw a large handful of baby spinach on a plate...(then go wild!) :o)...then, I put some chopped Bell Pepper (and sometimes banana peppers), chopped Roma Tomatoes. You can add any kind of sprouts...my favorite are Sunflower Sprouts, but around here they're hard to come by and aren't in our budget right now. Most times, I will omit the sprouts and add chopped Walnuts (or the more budget friendly, Sunflower Seeds) and some Craisins (dried Cranberries). Then, I add some Feta or shredded Parmesan Cheese...yum! :o)
For the dressing, I mix about 1/2 cup of Rasberry Balsamic Vinegar, 2 T. Olive Oil (or Grapeseed Oil), and for sweetness I'll add 1-2 T. of Agave Nectar. This dressing will last for 2-4 personal salads or 1-2  family salads. Enjoy! :o)

The Fog on the Bridge

Lori and I are celebrating our 18th Wedding Anniversary today! We went to breakfast for Valentine's Day yesterday and were met with a very thick fog. As we struck out across the mile long bridge near our home we could only see about 20 yards ahead of us and it looked as though we were driving into the clouds. Life feels like that to us right now, we can only see far enough ahead to proceed slowly and trust that the bridge of God's love extends beyond what we can see. God is always God, and always good. I am so blessed by my amazing wife Lori!

How My Day Gets Started!

   I  thought I would write more specifically, about how I start my day with supplements (besides spending time with the Lord, my #1 priority in the morning)...Upon waking, the first thing I do is drink a lot of water. If I exercise first, I'll drink 24-48 oz. of water while I exercise. If I don't exercise first, I'll drink 24-48 oz. of water before I do anything else. Nancy Desjardins, of http://www.healthlady.com/ talks about the importance of hydrating your body properly when you first get up in the morning. This hasn't been easy for me...growing up, I didn't drink water first thing in the morning...I just didn't like it! Now, that I've been drinking water first thing, my body craves it, and that's a good thing!
  The other thing I do most mornings is to take a supplement of "Vitamineral Green" from http://www.healthforce.com/  I can find it in our local health food store. I used to take spirulina by itself, but I've found that "Vitamineral Green," has more vitamins and minerals. Basically, I take this supplement to get the "good stuff" in my body and it also helps to get the "bad stuff" out. "Vitamineral Green" is recommended to take with water, but I don't like it with just water, so I mix about 1 T. in a juice glass of superfood green juice, like "Bolthouse Farms," "Naked Juice" or "Odwalla." My favorite is "Naked Juice," but I usually get "Bolthouse Farms" because it is cheaper. Nancy also recommends that we get enough fiber in our diets, so I also mix in 1-2 T. of ground flax seed (I buy flax seeds in the bulk section of Sprouts Farmers Market and grind it myself in my coffee grinder...it's not used to grind coffee anymore, lol!). Flax seed does not just contain both soluble and insoluble fiber, it also contains Omega-3 essential fatty acids (the "good" fats), as well as Lignans, which have both antioxidants and plant estrogen. Remember, if you take a supplement of Flax seed, you must drink a lot of water, to make up for all the fiber...
  Since I am pregnant, I also take "Supermom" vitamins, which also contain spirulina. I like to purchase them here: http://supermomshealthandwellness.com/catalog.php?item=57&ret=catalog.php . Spirulina also gives you energy and is very good for you! :o)
  These supplements took awhile to get used to, because my body wasn't used to such "good food." Now, I am used to it and I don't like to go a day without w/out these supplements to my daily eating routine. It's also comforting, because if I have a day when I don't eat as I should, at least I got some of the "good stuff" in first thing in the morning, LOL! :o)
  Tell me what you think about these supplements, if you've tried them or if you try them in the future or if there are supplements you take in which you derive great benefit!
Blessings,
Lori

Holistic Nutrition Healthy Lifestyle Natural Health and Wellness

Please listen to Lori's audio interview on this prominent woman's heath site: Holistic Nutrition Healthy Lifestyle Natural Health and Wellness

You look too young to have 10 children!

It's funny to see/hear the reactions people have when they find out how many children we have! Usually, the first comment is "You look too young to have 10 children!" Then, the second one is "You mean, they all came from YOUR body?!?!?" I'm very grateful that my husband and I still look young at my 40 and his 46! :o)
People often ask me about my diet, exercise, etc. So, I thought I would answer some of those questions now. Actually, I will tell you by listing my top 4 priorities for anyone, but because I am pregnant, I'll also talk about what's important for pregnancy.
Tip #1: Spend time with the Lord everyday in prayer and his word...nothing is more important than this. When I neglect my time with the Lord, my day usually is lousy...on days I've spent time with the Lord, my day goes so much more smoothly, because I'm more likely to see people and things from God's eyes, than from my own...need I say more?
Tip #2: Drink lots of water! I have not always drunk lots of water. In fact, for a good portion of my life, Coca-Cola was my preferred drink! I finally weaned myself off of Coke, when I read one of Dr. Mercola's articles about what happends to your body when you drink soft drinks...in fact, soft drinks are #2 on his list for worst foods to eat/drink! Yikes! You can read the article here: http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2001/03/10/soda-pop-dangers.aspx
Then, after I got over that addiction, I moved to coffee...now, I'm not one of those people who can drink coffee black...I always said "I have my milk and sugar with a little coffee, lol!" Well, this wasn't so funny, when I realized I really did have an addiction to coffee and sugar! Not to mention, all of the negative side effects of coffee and sugar!
I realized I needed to clean out my system and rid myself of these cravings (addictions). So, I found a natural cleanse last year by Nancy Desjardins (I needed to do a healthy cleanse since I was nursing), http://7daysugarfreediet.com/, and by the end of the 7 days, I was free of my addictions for coffee and sugar, plus I lost 8 lbs.!
I still eat some sugar and coffee occasionally, but not very often. I've replaced most of my sugar with Agave Necter, which is so much better on your sugar, etc.
Water is the perfect drink and if you can drink filtered water, that's even better! Water will keep you from getting dehydrated and is so healthy for all parts of your body...plus, it's cheap! :o) Water has so many other benefits...one of them being curbing your hunger, if you drink a glass before a meal...So, drink LOTS of water!
Tip #3: EXERCISE! It doesn't matter how much, just do a little (or a lot, depending on your energy level) each day! This isn't easy...many days, I have to make myself, but I know that once I've exercised I'm going to feel so much better! It's best for me to exercise first thing in the morning, because it gives me energy for my whole day...plus, I get it over with and don't have the "I've still got to exercise" voice inside my head all day. My favorite form of exercise are T-Tapp fitness, www.t-tapp.com, because it is healthy exercise and anyone can do it and you don't need much space at all! It's great...plus, it's "rehabilitative fitness" and is designed to work your muscles from the inside out...very effective...you can get in shape without having weights and I like that! :o) ***Note: In my pregnancy with baby #9, T-Tapp saved me! I learned the simple tasks of "tucking my tail bone under," having good posture and keeping my feet turned straight (or even pigeon toed, a little) when I walk. Just the simple exercise of keeping my tail bone turned under during pregnancy (while walking, sitting, standing...you name it!), it kept me from having back pain in the last trimester of my pregnancy! I couldn't believe something so simple, could be so powerful! :o) It also helps to firm your tummy and when your pregnant, it's harder to feel your abs, but when you tuck your tailbone under, you can rest assured that your abdominals are also at work, LOL!
Walking is the best exercise for anyone, that almost anyone can do! I can't always walk outside, and I've been doing a Leslie Samsone dvd the last two weeks and I love it! I do the 5-mile dvd and I can do 1 mile a day or 5 miles a day and it's so much fun! When I get tired of listening to the same thing day after day...I do the dvd, while listening to my "Curves Freedom Fitness Music" while I do the dvd and it works out great! :o) http://store.afa.net/p-10000018-curves-freedom-fitness-cd-vol-7.aspx. I love this music, because it's Christian music/lyrics with a perfect beat for exercising to keep you going!
Tip #4: Eat healthily! I know these things seem basic, but they really do work! If I exercise without eating healthy and vice versa...I will have trouble losing weight. But, when I combine them, the pounds come off! I am eating more protein than carboyhydrates, eating the healthy carboyhydrates found in greens and other foods and eating whole grains instead of "white" flours, rice and potatoes. I no longer buy salad dressing because the store-bought kind is filled with perservatives, fillers, etc. Plus, homemade salad dressing is so easy and cheap to make!
Please here me saying this: make your health changes slowly and don't try to do everything at once; otherwise, you'll get discouraged and fail. When you make your changes slowly, you WILL see progress and that's exciting! :o) When you combine all of these things: Having a Quiet Time with the Lord, Drinking water instead of other junk, Exercising and Eating healthy, you will be healthy spiritually, emotionally and physically...I've discovered that I'm the best servant of God, wife and mother when all these things are accomplished. On days when they're not, I forgive myself and start over the next day! :o)

Matcha Green Tea...a life saver (enhancer)!

Matcha Green Tea has really helped improve my health and well-being! Let me tell you how...for the last 14 years, I have had "sinking spells," (for lack of a better term). I believe the spells were brought on when I took birth control pills before my husband and I were married. I would just "zone out" for a minute or two. I could hear and see what was going on around me, but I was unable to respond. It was as if a dark feeling came over me...I don't know how else to explain it. I tried homeopathic medicine to treat my thyroid and adrenals, exercise, etc. Nothing worked until I started drinking Matcha almost a year ago. I realized after drinking Matcha, that my "sinking spells" went away completely! I was so relieved. This was confirmed when I stopped drinking Matcha for a month or so and I had another "sinking spell." Since drinking Matcha again, I have not had any more problems.

I like to drink Matcha mixed with milk and agave nectar, for sweetener. Sometimes I put 1/8-1/4 t. in a warm cup of water and drink it like that (the healthiest way to drink it). Matcha has so many wonderful health benefits! It is a mood enhancer and it has a ton of antioxidants! Cheap Matcha is bitter and not very good. For the most benefits, it's best to get Matcha from Nishio, Japan. It's not cheap, but it's SO worth the cost, because the health benefits are greater and the taste is sweeter. For an extensive look at the benefits of Matcha, please see this link: http://products.mercola.com/green-tea/

An update on the Gordoni family

Here is a quick update of some things going on with our family (More details later):

1. BABY #11 is on the way!!!!!
2. Don has been cast a movie called "Framed!" He will play the role of a pastor. The shooting schedule has not been set yet.
3. We are excited about developments with After Eden Pictures. However, we won't be receiving an income for some time, so Don is actively seeking opportunities to keep the family fed. :o) (He is a "jack of all trades" and can do almost anything). So, give him a call if you think of anything that he can do for you! 214-578-2644
4. Nathan just got his driver's license!
5. Noah successfully revived an old go-cart that a neighbor gave him. It wasn't running when he received it and now it's fully functional!