by STRONG | Jul 2, 2015 | Lifestyle+Culture
Ingredients:
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 cups Japanese Brown Beech Mushrooms (or other Asian mushrooms like fresh shiitake)
1/2 small onion, very thinly sliced
1 large piece naan flatbread, about 8×14 inches
2 tablespoons prepared basil pesto sauce
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 tablespoon grated parmesan cheese
3 to 4 fresh basil leaves, chiffonade
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 400F degrees.
2. Heat a skillet over medium high heat, when hot, add the olive oil. Add the mushrooms and the onions, and saute until slightly soft, about 2 minutes.
3. On the flatbread, spread the basil pesto, avoiding the outer one inch edge. Top the flat bread with the mozzarella cheese. Add the mushroom and onion mixture; and top with the parmesan cheese.
4. Bake for 7 to 10 minutes until the cheese has melted and the flatbread is toasted. Sprinkle with the fresh basil.
Enjoy! Let us know how this recipe works out for you.
Credit: Steamy Kitchen
by STRONG | Jul 2, 2015 | Learn + Grow
Music is said to be the universal language. It is said to transcend all boundaries and speak words often unspoken. However, it is the beat that speaks to the soul, the very heart of the person listening. You can feel the beat before any word is said or any hook comes on and it resonates with you. It can be a simple “ooooh that’s my song” , a hand in the air or a clap of your hands. So, the question is how do you take the feeling a favorite song gives you and make your life feel the same way? It’s simple you find your beat! Your beat is unique to you it is a sound that only comes from you. There are 3 simple steps to finding your beat:
1. Test your rhythm: When you are faced with a decision do you immediately seek outside help before ever pondering the idea yourself? Do you act first and consult later or do you come to an understanding then reference people or materials before finalizing your decision?
2. Lay your vocals: When you speak do you hear your voice first, is it drowned out by others or does it appear to be silent or non-existent?
3. Bring the beat in: When you hear the beat does it complement your sound, overpower your vocals or manipulate the vibe you were initially trying to achieve?
These steps translate into method of understanding who we are and who we are not. Lets look at “Test Your Rhythm”, when you are pondering over decision or evaluating an outcome you should look at the process that got your there. When you were first faced with a decision did you turn inward or outward? If you immediately checked with yourself first, you have a basic handle on understanding your beat. Meaning you value your own opinion or view first, not searching for someone to tell you what to think, feel or say. If you immediately went to a person or resource (book) you are in the seeking phase of finding your beat. You are unsure of your personal power, this is clear from the lack of self reflection first. You value your opinion secondary to that of someone or something you respect. In order to find your beat, you have to dig inside and pull up all the self doubt, fear, labels, uncertainty, love, inspiration and any other emotion you feel to the surface. In this process you begin to “Lay Your Vocals.
During the process of laying your vocals you hone in on your true authentic voice, what it sounds like, when, where and how you project it. All the emotions you have drudged up become noise and it is your job to put it into words. Take your pad and pen and write down everything that is bothering you, everything that brings you joy, what you value and what weighs you down. Once you have all four list go line by line, word by word and ask yourself two questions 1. Is this my voice I hear or it it that of someone who has poured into me (doesn’t matter if you feel it’s good or bad)? 2. How much of my life am I owning and how are my actions being translated to others?
The first question is designed to make you confront the things in your life that you bring to the table and those that have been self-imposed due to someone or something else. Through this question you should be able to identify if your voice is the main feature or the background vocals.
If it’s the main feature you have two major things to address power and balance. When you have a pretty good handle on your voice you might be closed off to hearing others opinions, this is not to be confused with searching for validation. Being able to filter what others pour into your life and balance that with your own personal power is necessary for the vocal portions of your track. The ability to give and receive creates crisp vocals without a lot of reverb or feedback, ensuring that you are always the main feature on your track.
If you are the background vocals on your track the two major things you need to address are confidence and fear. Background vocals are often said to be the secret star, but they fear the spotlight shining directly on them, so they “play the background”. In your life, “playing the background” is not an option. You have to take the reigns of the things that you did not invite and fall in love with the confidence that resides among the sound barriers that you have placed on yourself. You have look fear in the face and release yourself from this factious thing that causes you to squeak by in the track of your life. The first step to moving from the background vocalist to the main feature is confidence, once you are confident that your voice can carry across the message you intend the more empowered you are to step out of the safe zone.
The second question is simply self-reflection. How are you impacting your life and are you owning it without excuses. No one is responsible for your life, but you. If you are owning your life, make sure you own the good and the bad, the bitter and the sweet so that you can truly get to the depths of your soul. As you do that you are able to create an environment where you can translate your actions to other without imposing your voice on track. If you are not owning your life, two words come to mind “get busy”. It is your responsibility to do the work necessary to manifest your own greatness. If you do not understand what you voice sounds like your life will be consumed with the sounds of other and you will never get to “Bring The Beat In”.
After testing your rhythm and laying your vocals you have to complete the track by bring the beat in. The beat is all the other stuff that goes with your life. It’s the instability of things that you have no control over, the unexpected things happen in spite of pre-planned safety nets or self-reverting back to the familiar. When you put the track of your life to a beat, make sure it enhances what you already bring to the table and amplifies your voice while mixing in the elements that makes finding your beat worth the wait.
Be Inspired,
by Nadya Logan | Jul 2, 2015 | Lifestyle+Culture
1. Eat healthy
Make sure you know what is in your food. Most people look how many calories are in an item, but you should really what you are putting into your body. Avoid: “Artificial Flavors, Enriched Wheat, Hydrogenated or Fractionated Oils, Monosodium Glutamate (MSG), Sugar, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Potassium Benzoate and Sodium Benzoate, Artificial Coloring, Acesulfame-K, Sucralose, Aspartame, BHA (Butylated Hydroxyanisole) and BHT (Butylated Hydrozyttoluene), Propyl Gallate, Sodium Chloride, Soy, Corn, Potassium Sorbate, Soy Lecithin, Polysorbate 80, and Canola Oil,”(Torres, 2013)^[1] or, in short, all processed food items.
2. Do not become discouraged
Just because you haven’t dropped ten pounds in two weeks like you hoped you would, doesn’t mean that you haven’t made any progress! If you get up every day or every other day and do some type of physical exercise during some time and point of your day, you are making progress. All achievements are not visible with the human eye. You may be breathing a bit better, you might be making better food choices, regardless, you are working to become a better, healthier you! Keep up your routines and one day you will wake up to find that you will need to update your wardrobe.
3. Try new activities
If running on a treadmill becomes more of a to-do as opposed to a must-do, it might be time for you to shake up your routine a little. There are plenty of physical activities that can be fun, different, and provide an empowering workout. Depending on where you live, depends on what you may find, but here are a few activities that you could look into…
• Martial Arts: Self-defense and a good workout in one? Sign me up! There is not one standard form of martial arts, leaving you with many options to choose from.
• Swimming: Did you know that swimming increases your muscle tone, strength, and flexibility? Swimming is a great exercise for any gender and age, and why not learn how to prevent yourself from drowning?
• Cycling: Trim a little off of your waistline while getting in touch with your inner child-self. Cycling is another amazing activity that is not gender or age specific, and good for your muscles and heart.
• Dancing: To be or not to be graceful or on time. The benefits of dancing range from, but is not limited to, improvement of your heart, memory, an increase in balance and energy. No wonder why dancing has thrived so much in the recent decades.
4. Set Goals
Goal setting is the number one tool needed to stay motivated! Setting goals and posting your goals, whether it be on dry-erase board, vision board, or on your phone’s lock screen, is a big help when it comes to not only fitness goals, but goals in life in general. Constantly acknowledge the goals that you have set, and pursue them to your maximum human ability. Plan for a diversion so that if one may so happen, you know how to work past it. Planning for an an uh-oh it’s negative, it’s called you being prepared.
5. Get a workout partner
Workout partners can be a great motivational booster and can assist in making exercise more pleasurable. On the contrary, if you do not have the proper workout partner, they may be able to halt your journey. It is important to sit down and explain your goals and plans with your partner, and make sure that you both are on the same page. Otherwise said partner can become a diseased fish in a tank full of healthy ones—simply, a bad seed. A good workout partner can help time pass faster, make you less likely to cancel, be encouraging, and celebrate your success, no matter how big or small it may be.
Source:
[1] www.wakingtimes.com/2013/03/04/20-ingredients-to-memorize-and-avoid-in-any-
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