Month: August 2024

Do you enjoy having a salad every day? I don’t mean just eating one every day. I mean enjoying it.

The key for me is variety. Variety in the kinds of salads I make throughout the week and variety in the kinds of things I put in every salad.

When it comes to salads, variety truly is the spice of life. Because eating healthy doesn’t have to be boring or complicated.

Here are three sensational summer salad recipes that are not only delicious but also easy to prepare.

Tropical Spinach and Mango Salad

Ingredients

• 4 cups fresh spinach leaves
• 1 ripe mango, peeled and diced
• 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
• Juice of 2 limes
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup (optional)
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Rinse and dry the spinach leaves.
2. Peel and dice the mango.
3. Thinly slice the red bell pepper and red onion.
4. In a large bowl, combine the spinach, mango, red bell pepper, red onion, and black beans.
5. Chop the fresh cilantro and add it to the salad.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the lime juice, olive oil, honey (if using), salt, and pepper.
7. Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
8. Toss gently to combine all ingredients.
9. Serve immediately for the freshest taste.

Nutritional Benefits

This tropical salad is a burst of flavors and nutrients. Spinach is rich in iron, vitamins, and minerals, while mango provides a sweet touch with a boost of vitamin C. Black beans add plant-based protein and fiber, making this salad both satisfying and nourishing.

Classic Greek Salad with a Twist

Ingredients

• 1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
• 1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1/2 red onion or scallions, thinly sliced
• 16 ounces frozen shelled edamame, thawed
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Chop the romaine lettuce into bite-sized pieces.
2. Halve the cherry tomatoes and slice the cucumber and red onion.
3. In a large bowl, combine the romaine lettuce, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, Kalamata olives, edamame, and red onion.
4. Crumble the feta cheese over the salad.
5. Sprinkle with fresh oregano.
6. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, red wine vinegar, Dijon mustard, salt, and pepper.
7. Drizzle the dressing over the salad.
8. Toss gently to combine all ingredients.
9. Serve immediately for a crisp and refreshing salad.

Nutritional Benefits

This Greek salad is a classic with a twist, offering a delightful combination of flavors and textures. The fresh vegetables provide essential vitamins and minerals, while the olives and olive oil contribute healthy fats. Edamame and feta cheese add protein and calcium, making this salad both delicious and nutritious.

Mediterranean Salad

Ingredients

• 1 cup grape tomatoes, halved
• 1 cucumber, sliced
• 1/2 cup Kalamata olives, pitted
• 1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 pear, diced
• 1 orange or red pepper, diced
• 3/4 cup frozen corn, thawed
• 1 can garbanzo beans, rinsed thoroughly
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled
• 2 teaspoons oregano
• 1 teaspoon dill
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons garlic vinaigrette
• Juice from 1/2 lemon
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Combine the dressing mix and blend well: oregano, dill, garlic, olive oil, vinaigrette, lemon juice, salt and pepper.
2. Add remaining ingredients and toss gently to combine.
3. Allow to sit for 15-20 minutes for flavors to blend.

Nutritional Benefits

This vibrant and refreshing salad offers a refreshing mix of flavors and textures, perfect for a light meal or a side dish. The inclusion of diced pear and orange or red pepper brings a subtle sweetness, complementing the savory elements. The garlic vinaigrette and a squeeze of lemon juice tie all the flavors together, creating a well-balanced and delicious salad.

Salads and Aging Well

One easy and effective way to support healthy aging is through a balanced diet, with salads playing a key role. Eating salads rich in leafy greens, colorful vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats provides essential nutrients, antioxidants, and fiber.

These ingredients help reduce inflammation, support cardiovascular health, and maintain a healthy weight. Incorporating a variety of ingredients into salads ensures a diverse intake of vitamins and minerals, promoting overall vitality and longevity as we age.

Throw in a healthy dessert and you’re good to go!

Final Thoughts

These three sensational and healthy salads are perfect for any occasion, whether you’re looking for a solid lunch or a healthy dinner. Each recipe is packed with nutrients, variety and flavor that will keep you coming back for more. Don’t be afraid to experiment with different ingredients and make these salads your own.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How often do you eat and enjoy a good salad? Which do you think you might try? Do you have your own favorite salad you could share with us?

Whether you’ve been single for a while or are newly navigating the dating scene after a major life change, it’s easy to feel like you’re either not enough or too much to attract the type of man you’d like to date. But here’s a comforting truth: these feelings are not only normal, but they’re also part of the journey. Embracing who you are and letting go of self-doubt is key to finding a fulfilling connection.

Let’s be real, dating can feel like an uphill battle at any age. At this stage of life, it often comes with its own unique set of challenges. You might find yourself questioning if you’re still relevant in this young woman’s world. You may worry that your past experiences, or your current life circumstances, are too complicated or won’t align with what someone else is looking for. Maybe you think you’re not enough because you haven’t achieved certain milestones, or maybe you’re concerned you’re too much because of your rich life experiences or strong opinions.

First off, let’s squash that myth that there’s a one-size-fits-all blueprint for dating success. The truth is, there’s no magic age where everything just clicks into place. We all come with our own stories, quirks, and baggage. And guess what? That’s not just okay, it’s what makes you – and everyone else, even men – you. These are normal feelings and many, many, many of us are feeling the same way.

Feel Like You’re Not Enough?

If you’re feeling like you’re not enough, remember this: everyone has insecurities, and they’re often louder in our heads than they are in reality. Maybe you think you don’t have enough money to compete with other women, or your physical appearance has changed over the years. Your worth isn’t tied to a checklist. It’s about the sum of who you are, your experiences, your kindness, your resilience, and your capacity for love.

Think about this: every wrinkle, every grey hair, every story from your past adds to the rich tapestry of who you are. Those are not marks of inadequacy, but signs of a life lived fully. So, what if you have what some people call baggage? It’s what I call life, and we all live one. The people who are meant to be in your life will appreciate you for exactly who you are, not who you think you should be.

Or Maybe You Feel Like You’re Too Much!

On the flip side, you might worry that you’re too much – too opinionated, too independent, too set in your ways. The reality is that being yourself is never too much. Your individuality is what makes you stand out in a crowded dating field.

If someone finds your confidence overwhelming, that’s more about them than it is about you. You deserve to be with someone who values your strengths and appreciates your personality. Will there be compromises you make along the way? Of course, that’s what love is all about, give and take.

Being authentic takes courage, especially when you’re concerned about rejection. But consider this: how hard is it to constantly play a part? If you continuously adjust yourself to fit into someone else’s idea of a perfect match, it’s exhausting for one thing, and more importantly, you may end up in a relationship where you’re not truly seen or valued. Authenticity is about finding someone who embraces you for who you are – flaws, quirks, and all.

Celebrate You

So how do you navigate these feelings and find joy in dating? Start by embracing your uniqueness. Celebrate what makes you different. Whether it’s your sense of humor, your love of adventure, or your passion for a particular hobby, own it. Your genuine self is your best asset.

Think of dating as a chance to connect with others who are also navigating this stage of life. They’re likely dealing with their own insecurities and challenges. By being open and true to yourself, you create space for deeper, more meaningful connections.

Let Go of the What Ifs

It’s easy to get caught up in the anxiety of “what if,” but remember that every stage of life has its own beauty and potential. Your second chapter is a time of self-discovery and confidence. Use this time to focus on what you want, what makes you happy, and what kind of partner you’re seeking. If you’re comfortable in your own skin, you’ll naturally attract people who appreciate the real you.

Take it one step at a time. Date with the knowledge that you’re bringing your own secret sauce to the table. And above all, have fun with the process. It’s not just about finding someone to share your life with – it’s also about enjoying the journey of discovering and loving yourself along the way.

The worst thing that comes from this insecurity is nothing. You do nothing because you’re so focused on how you see yourself that you’re afraid to even put yourself out there. That’s the biggest waste of love.

How you see yourself is nothing like how others see you… so stop worrying! The world around you sees you totally differently than you see yourself. Only you know your bad habits, past failings, mistakes, or bad decisions. They base their opinion on the version of yourself that you present to the world. And changes are, they feel the same way too. It’s absolutely normal.

Although you may wonder if you’ll measure up, you’re never too much or not enough for the right person. So be daring. Go ahead, be yourself, and let your true light shine in the dating world. The right person will be drawn to you for everything that makes you uniquely you.

If you’re finding it difficult to put yourself out there, you may be missing one of the key ingredients to finding love. To learn more, check out my newly revised masterclass, How to Find Love over 50, Without Losing Yourself. It will teach you how to date successfully and attract high-quality men who will love you the way you want to be love. Schedule your personal watch party here.

Let’s Have a Conversation:

How do you overcome your dating insecurities when meeting someone new? Do you hide your authentic self when dating? What are your fears and insecurities?

I am numb. I am stuck. I am sad. I am worried. For nearly six decades, writing has been my happy place; whenever I am challenged by life’s obstacles, I turn to writing. Through a troubled adolescence, bedrest during three pregnancies, raising a family, losing loved ones, and three cancer diagnoses, I always trusted how writing brought me to a special healing place.

Whether I was writing books, articles, or poems to express my own feelings or help others deal with theirs, I loved everything about the writing process.

How I Started Writing

My grandmother was also a writer, so the passion is already embossed on my DNA. My own passion for writing began at an early age. I was a 10-year-old only child when my grandmother and caretaker died by suicide in our home. To help me cope with this tragedy, my mother handed me a Khalil Gibran journal and told me to pour my love, grief, and feelings onto the pages of that journal.

For hours on end, I would sit on the floor of my walk-in closet, with clothes hanging in my face, writing by the light of its lone bulb. I learned that writing was and transformative and brought healing. I still call myself a writer. I also love teaching and sharing my passion with others.

I Kept Writing, Until I Couldn’t

Because of my history with writing, I knew it could always help save me in what was a chaotic world. I also write because writing is my calling. I have boxes of completed journals, each one having served over time as my confidant and best friend. On their pages, I jotted down feelings, emotions, dreams, and hopes. There weren’t many times when I wasn’t writing.

The sad part is that much of my writing stalled about six months ago when I was diagnosed with my third cancer in 20 years. I might have jotted a poem here or there, or an article idea, but I was unable to sustain the enthusiasm for any length of time. Sometimes illness does this, when our minds and bodies are focused on healing. I’ve learned to be very patient with myself during times like this.

A Shift in the Writing World

I started to read a little more which inspired some writing. However, I felt another shift occurring about the same time. The media was starting to talk more and more about the emergence of AI and its uses. The platform where I often submit articles rewrote their guidelines to say, “We do not accept AI-generated work.”

In my evolution as a writer, this was a shocking comment to witness. I had a visceral reaction that not only was my competition other writers, but it was now also AI. In social situations, when people spoke about AI, I’d bow out of the conversation, as if an allergy had overcome me – I did’t want to hear any more about it.

Fear of AI

Like many writers, my fear is that AI will play an integral role in stealing jobs from us. In actuality, it’s happening already. One business owner I know had a blog where she hired writers for content about yoga. She was so happy when AI became available, because she said, “It’s such a pain dealing with people and going back and forth in emails.” Of course, the fact that AI is free is another added bonus for some, although seasoned writers can tell work that’s been generated by AI.

While articles inform us that AI can help creative writers without replacing them, the entire situation is still daunting for me to fathom because as a reader, I like visualizing the writer, but all I’m seeing is a robot. Advocates of AI agree that it can enhance our work, but right now it’s not likely that it will replace us.

They say AI’s role will primarily be as a collaborator. I’m okay with this. After all, most writers use references in their writing.

As a young student, I collaborated with the World Book encyclopedias, and, in my graduate work, I collaborated with research papers found in library databases. What will this look like moving forward? We will wait and see.

Can Chatbots Replace Human Writers?

In a recent article in The New York Times, written by Stephen Lohr, he claimed that Chatbots “can write poetry, summarize books and answer questions, often with human-level fluency….but at times AI Chatbots have stumbled with simple arithmetic and math word problems that require multiple steps to reach a solution.”

I’d like to argue that point, as the sensitivity and warmth that poets bring to the page is often quite intimate and not something that can be created by a robot. I don’t believe a robot can ever honestly replace my feelings and emotions. After all, AI lacks the emotional understanding and complex situations of the human condition.

I also wonder about voice. We often choose to read certain writers because their voice resonates with us, but with AI we’re reading generative work, and I wonder about the implications of using a generated voice instead of an original one.

AI Experiment

When my memoir, Hummingbird: Messages from My Ancestors, was in its final stages, I decided to do a little experiment. I wanted to include a poem about hummingbirds at the beginning of the book. I visited ChatGPT and asked it to write me a poem. It was done in about five seconds.

I made some minor edits and submitted it to a number of magazines. After five or so rejections, I decided to write my own hummingbird poem. My originally created poem was immediately accepted for publication, so that’s the one I decided to include in the beginning of my book. This is only one example of where publishers choose original work instead of AI-generated work.

Of course I was thrilled at the results, but it leaves room for exploration as to the idea of what will humans do when bots take over so many of our jobs? Sometimes I wonder if being a senior makes me more apt to worry about the future. However, right now, my instinct tells me that it might be better to live in the moment because like in so many other life realms, our future is uncertain.

Living in the Moment

One way I live in the moment is by watching the birds and the sunset while doing needlepoint in my yard, the way I learned it from grandmother. Since her passing, I’ve crafted numerous needlepoint pillows and wall hangings for grandchildren and family. I love the idea of sharing passions and ideas, which is one of the reasons I fell in love with writing. Needlepoint and writing for me are both meditative, although the former is not as mentally challenging.

I hope to shake my despondency towards my lifelong passion for writing affected by the presence of AI. I’m forever hopeful because it’s not that easy to just let go of a lifelong passion. I have faith that there might be a larger project brewing inside of me. I’m patiently waiting.

Please Join the Conversation:

What do you fear about AI? Do you think Artificial Intelligence can replace original work from human creators? If you know that something was produced by AI, would you read or buy it? What limitations should be placed on AI, in your opinion?

Click Here to Shop Additional Stock of Her Top

Originally posted at: Tamra Judge’s Black Long Sleeve Top and Skirt

Click Here for Additional Stock / Click Here for More Stock / Click Here for Even More Stock

Originally posted at: Emily Simpson’s Raw Hem Denim Jacket and Sunglasses