Friends of the Heart

I was reading the packages for the wheat germ and flaxseeds I have, and here are a few ideas I found interesting. I usually put wheat germ and flaxseed meal in my hot cereal in the morning (steel cut oats, quinoa, ect.) or in my smoothies.

Wheat Germ: Wheat Germ is the heart of the wheat berry. It has a delicious nutty flavor, and is packed with nutrition. A two tablespoon serving will provide two grams of dietary fiber, thirteen percent of recommended daily value of folic acid, ten percent of phosphorous, magnesium and zinc, and fifteen percent of your vitamin E and thiamin requirements. You can use Wheat Germ to replace up to one half cup of flour when baking cookies, muffins and breads. Use it as a topping for fruit pies, fruit salads, yogurt and ice cream, or as a nutritious breading for chicken or fish.
Vitamin E, best known for its positive association with heart disease prevention, has also been linked with many other health benefits including strengthening the immune system.
Folic acid (also known as folate or folacin) is a B vitamin necessary for heart and blood vessel health and for proper cell replication.
(During the making of white bread, flour that has had the germ removed is used.)

Flaxseed Meal: Whole ground flaxseed meal has a robust, nutty flavor and tastes really great! Two tablespoons added to your cold or hot cereal, pancakes and waffles or baked into your breads and muffins brings to you amazing nutrition. According to several studies, flaxseed meal may be one of the most powerful natural cholesterol controllers yet discovered. An acronym for FLAX:
F - fiber. Just two tablespoons of flaxseed meal deliverse 4 grams of fiber. Studies prove that when flaxseed meal is added to the diet, harmful LDL cholesterol drops, while good HDL cholesterol stays put.
L - lignans. Flaxseed contains high levels of lignans, a natural antioxidant and a member of the family of plant estrogens (phytoestrogens). The lignans in flaxseed can maintain breast and colon health by binding circulating estrogens and other substances that might promote unchecked cell growth. Many plant foods have some lignans, but flaxseed has at least 75 times more than any other.
A - alpha-linolenic acid. Modern diets, even healthy ones, are routinely deficient in omega-3s. Flaxseed is a mega source for the plant version of omega-3 called alpha-linolenic acid. The oil in flaxseed is about 50%, compared to canola and walnut oils--the next highest sources--which have about 10%.
X - Excellent choice to add to your diet.

My favorite dnb DJs

Here's a link to a Collegiate Times (VT Newspaper) article about Massive Sound, "the cornerstone of the electronic scene in Blacksburg and a main source of electronic music in the area". :) I <3 Massive Sound and I am so glad that I got to know everyone when I was in Blacksburg. I miss everyone + the parties!

The LHC Rap...this is hilarious!

TED: Ideas worth spreading. Inspired talks by the world's greatest thinkers and doers. This website is full of enlightening talks and ideas.

Science Friday website! One of my favorite NPR programs, and there are a ton of cool videos on this website.

Buddhist quote of the day: "All that we are is the result of what we have thought. The mind is everything. What we think, we become."

What I've been listening to lately

Besides the Bloom mini mix (see "Worry about nothing" post from Aug.22), here are a few songs ive been loving:

Veronicas Untouched

Kraak and Smaak Squeeze Me

Telepopmusik Tuesday

Soleil Fortin-Leveille


Image description (from wiki equinox link): The Earth in its orbit around the Sun causes the Sun to appear on the celestial sphere moving over the ecliptic (red), which is tilted on the equator (blue).

U Street Corridor

I went to U Street last night and I loved it. First to check out Utopia, the live jazz hadn't started yet, but still it was a cool spot. They were playing arabic music and the art was interesting. Then I heard some awesome jazz music at Twins Jazz, and there was also for a fundraiser for Obama! I am looking forward to going back and trying some of the organic restaurants I saw. :)

I have been listening to Rachael Yamagata lately, she is playing at the Birchmere next Tuesday I'm thinking about going.

Also, here's the link for jazz at the Kennedy Center.

Love

A few links for this Tuesday afternoon:

DCist: an excellent blog about all things DC. I usually read it to keep up with art, music, and events.

Has the LHC destroyed the world yet?

A really great website listing a bunch of the swimming holes in the area (and the country!)

Weather underground: A good weather site, and also I look at the astronomical information every day to see when the sun is rising and setting, the length of the day, how much shorter the next day will be, ect..

Eleven Minutes by Paulo Coelho

I recently just finished reading this book by my favorite author, Paulo Coelho. Here are a few of my favorite quotes, relating to the subject matter of not living out your dreams:

"She looked around her. People were walking along, heads down, hurrying off to work, to school, to the employment agency, telling themselves: "I can wait a little longer. I have a dream, but there's no need to realize it today, besides, I need to earn some money." It was all a question of selling her time, like everyone else. Doing things she didn't want to to, like everyone else. Putting up with horrible people, like everyone else. Handing over her precious soul in the name of a future that never arrived, like everyone else. Saying that she still didn't have enough...waiting just a little bit longer...so that she could earn just a little bit more, postponing the realization of her dreams, she was too busy right now..."

"Life is too short, or too long, to allow myself the luxury of living it so badly."

Autumnal Equinox

Next Monday, the Sun will be directly over the Earth's equator at 10:44am, EST. The equinox marks a change of season for nature, and this is also an important time for your body and soul. Chinese medicine recommends a check up with every change of the season to see how your body is doing and what, if any, weaknesses need to be addressed to prevent illness or disease. Basically an alignment of energy, through acupuncture if necessary, to make sure you are healthy. This is also a good time to do a detox, no matter how small, even if it is just a day of drinking only water. It is also useful to set a few goals at the change of a season (maybe 1 to 3), to reflect on the past few months, and to get a fresh start on accomplishing your goals. The energy of the change and the start of a new season will be helpful.

It is always good to eat seasonally as well, so visit your local farmer's market or local organic produce section at the grocery store and fill up with different varieties of squash, garlic, ginger, mushrooms, sweet potatoes..

Astronomy in the fall: Saturn can be seen in the morning sky throughout fall. Also look out for the Harvest Moon which can be seen until the end of this week. The Harvest Moon is the Full Moon closest to Autumnal Equinox which rises soon after sunset.

Theme song for this post: Summer's Almost Gone by The Doors -thanks Bloom

Wiki link: Equinox

Greet the new season joyfully on Monday with an open soul and heart. Embrace your goals and amplify the energy of the Earth.

Cloudspotting

I've found that the September clouds are some of the best of the entire year. Ive taken these photos around the DC area.

Friday Afternoon Video

Watch this video!

Rip off the tie! Jump out of the cubicle!

Dream. Think. Dare to be crazy!

Various Links I have come across recently

DC Urban Hikers Group from Yahoo - thanks Jenny

Sadhana on wiki

Does time run backward in other universes? from SciAm

Becoming a LEED accredited professional from Treehugger

Portal to the mythical Mayan underworld - thanks Dave J

Lake Eden Arts Festival in NC

Astronomy Picture of the Day

Brain Food: How healthy eating makes you smarter - from Treehugger

Quote of the Day: All that you give to others you are giving to yourself.