So You Think You're Eating Healthy... Hmmmmm???

Hi!

We're all taught that a salad is the healthiest thing to eat when trying to stay fit. Well, the fast food people have decided to play on that by taking what should be great for you and making it horrible for you.

So.. You're out shopping (I use shopping because I love it so much!) and you get hungry. You see your favorite on the go restaurant and say... I have to be good --- I'll have a salad! So you happily walk in feeling great in knowing that you are going to "be good"... Reality check... As soon as you add that packet of high calorie dressing and other accoutrement you may as well have had the burger WITH fries.

Men's Health Magazine gave a list of the worst fast food restaurant salads.. How many have you had?

Wendy's Chicken BLT Salad with Croutons and Honey
860 calories with 59 grams of fat --- A Whopper from Burger King is 670 calories and 40 Grams of fat...

Quizno's Regular Chicken Caesar Chopped Salad
920 Calories and 66.5 grams of fat

Applebees Regular Grilled Shrimp and Spinach Salad
1050 calorie and 72 grams of fat -- for some of us on more strict weight loss programs.. That's all your food for the day.

On The Borders Grande (that should be the first indication that this won't be good) Taco Salad with Ground Beef and Chipolte Honey Dressing
1690 Calories and 124 grams of fat

Great tips.... Always ask for the dressing to be served on the side (that way you control the calories).. Ask for half to be taken home automatically - Some of these salads are huge and really shouldn't be consumed entirely in one sitting.

And remember, health and nutrition professionals suggest that the average person really shouldn't consume more than 65 grams of fat in one day -- no more than that! Some of the salads up there have over that and one has almost 2 days worth of fat in one salad...

So... I hope this helps you be more conscious when you are thinking about that "healthy" meal on the go.

With Sweet Goodness,
Shermaine

Watermelon... Who knew?

Hey Everyone...

I can't think of anything better on a hot summer day than a bowl of cold watermelon cut in cubes (my body is tingling just thinking about it). I try to eat as much of it as possible because I just love the taste! But now... I have even more reasons to enjoy this sweet heavenly treat... For my health. When I read about this, I had to post it.

Watermelon is a member of the Cubcurbitaceae Family (pumpkin, squash and canteloupe belong to this family) and is rich in carotenoids including lycopene & beta carotene. Several medical researches have discovered an association between dietary lycopene consumption and lower incidences of colon and oral cancer. Lycopene also has been shown to reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. Beta Carotene is rich in Vitamin A and we know that Vitamin A is great for maintaining great eye health! And best of all, it's low in calories!!

Watermelon seeds are an excellent source of protein. They are also rich in magnesium, calcium and potassium. In the Arab world, these seeds are roasted and salted for a snack.

So... Besides being this amazing thirst quenching summertime treat. Watermelon is also great for maintaining optimum health. Although you can get it year round (at a premium in the winter), it's best in the summer.

Quick Tip: Wanna know how to pick a good watermelon? Pick it up, and knock on it with the palm of your hand in the middle. If it sounds full or it just sounds like you are smacking a watermelon -- put it back... But, if it sounds hollow inside (kind of like a hearing an african drum) -- put it in your cart, you've probably got a really good one.

With Sweet Goodness,

Shermaine

Avocado Butter - My personal choice

Ok... I've taken the hiatus... Gotten myself relatively healthy again... But now it's time to get back to business...

I know it's been a long time, but I know you haven't forgotten that I suffer from Eczema. It was my reason for starting my company The Body Patisserie (which look for changes from that very soon)... Well I wanted to let you in on what is my personal preference in skin moisturizing. Avocado Butter...

Avocado Butter comes from the flesh of the avocado fruit. It is is rich in vitamins E, A and D, unsaturated fatty acids and lecithin, all of which are beneficial to your general health and especially to that of your skin. Its a little heavy, but eczema suffers like myself generally have very dry skin so it works for us.

Want to see how great it is? Right before bed, rub pure avocado butter on your hands and then place them in cotton gloves. I guarantee in the morning, your hands will be "baby's bottom" smooth.

Give it a try.

With Sweet Goodness,

Shermaine

Have You Been Diagnosed With Depression?

I know it's been FOREVER since I posted. But I have had to revaluate what was going on in my world and work on making my life a little sweeter. Well actually.... A lot sweeter.


I'll share with you what's been going on. Remember a while back, I had a post about Vitamin D. I told you about how people had Vitamin D deficiencies and it it affected skin and hair and all that good stuff. Well... Vitamin D also affects your BRAIN. For about the past 8 years I haven't been feeling right. In the beginning, it was just that kind of "off" feeling we get from time to time. But then it got worse. Over the past 6 years I have been hospitalized for anxiety twice. Was told to spend a couple of days resting and they would release me. Now, they did blood work each and every time. I would go to the doctor and they would tell me I was depressed. Over the past 2 years I have felt like I was under water. I would go to the mall and would have to sit down frequently because the walls looked like they were closing in on me... Like the people around me looked like they were swelling. It was weird... And draining. I was constantly tired and somewhat suidical. I couldn't focus at work and couldn't remember anything. I had a nervous breakdown one evening and the EAP (Employee Assistance Program) at my job suggested to my husband that he take me to the Psychiatric Hospital here in Atlanta immediately. They wanted to admit me because they thought I was going crazy! I felt like I was going crazy!! I decided to make an emergency appointment with one of their psychiatrists and saw her the next morning.


She first listened to what I had to say and then stated, "Well... You are clinically depressed". She prescribed Cymbalta and sent me on my way. Well after 5 weeks of taking the meds, I was feeling ok, but was starting to go back to feeling bad again. I called the doctor and she said, I would like for you to come in and have your Vitamin D levels checked. So I did...


Doctors get concerned when you Vitamin D levels are below 40. My doctor gave me a frantic call and told me my Vitamin D Level was 6! Not 60.... 6. And she was calling in a prescription for me immediately. She has me on Vitamin D therapy. A prescription of 50,000 iu of D every week for 8 weeks.. She will check my blood again in 2 weeks (this is week 6). But let me tell you. I feel AMAZING. I feel better than I have in 15 years. I have tons of energy, I can focus and I'm even getting frisky with my husband (he says we're going to keep a truckload of it! LOL!) I am even able to stay controlled on my diet. I've lost 11 pounds since I started the therapy. And I haven't had one suicidal thought .


How strange it is that I had been to countless doctors, hospitalized twice and NO ONE thought to check my Vitamin D Levels. It's a test you have to ask your doctor for. I implore you all to ask your doctors to check your Vitamin D levels. I had NO idea that it could affect your mental wellbeing in such a drastic way. Now I am in no way saying that Vitamin D should replace mental health meds if you take them. Nor am I saying that Mental Health issues are not real, because they are VERY real. But, I am saying if you are feeling any of the symptoms that I have listed, get it checked. It can't hurt.


I'm telling everyone who will listen my story. I want to bring more awareness to this.


Please do not take it upon yourselves to diagnose yourselves or start on such an intense therapy alone. CONSULT WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN or mental health professional...



With Sweet Goodness,
Shermaine

THE BODY PATISSERIE IS GOING PLACES!!!

Thank you to all who have supported us! We've enjoyed bringing you amazing products in fabulous scents! However, we have decided to make some changes...

We will be temporarily closing down our site until July, 2010 as we move our headquarters to Henderson, Nevada!

Please stay tuned to see our fabulous new site with wonderful products that will not only appeal to pastry lovers... but to ALL!

Once again... Thank you for your support and we look forward to seeing you in July! In the interim, look for upcoming new posts on A Sweet Existence.

With Sweet Goodness,

Shermaine

Has Happiness become the Myth of the 21st Century?

A Sweet Existence means more than simply what we put into our bodies. I mean that's great, we should all eat healthier for our physical wellbeing, but what about our mental and emotional wellbeing?

I decided to make this particular post my last for 2009 because I wanted it to be one which we could think about as we enter the new year.

I read a survey last night that 70% of Americans are UNHAPPY with their jobs. 70%? That's an astounding number! And it made me think to my own upbringing. I don't know about you but I was told -- you get a good job, have great place to live, drive a great car. I can remember throwing out certain things that I wanted to be when I grew up only to be told... that's not going to make you any money. I would answer, but it's what makes me happy; only to receive the reply "Happiness has nothing to do with it -- making money is the way to go". How many of you have been told the same thing? But why does happiness have nothing to do with it? Could this be the reason that pharmaceutical companies are making trillions of dollars each year from the sale of Xanax, Cymbalta and the like? Because happiness has nothing to do with it?

I'm sorry to tell you... Happiness has EVERYTHING to do with it. I am a big biography person.. Particularly biographies about super successful people. And they all stated... Do what you love! If you do what you love to do, you will do it well. When you do it well, the money will come. The sad part about this is we have been so programmed to believe that money and happiness are synonymous, that we are so busy chasing the money doing something that we hate and wonder why we are not getting where we want to be. Why is my blood pressure out of control? Why am I 100 pounds overweight? Why am I underweight? Why am I depressed?

We have thrown happiness by the waistside so much, till we don't even know what we LOVE to do anymore! We don't dream anymore... We walk around in a perpetual state of unconscious routine. We are in Auto-Pilot. We've become drones..

What are we teaching our children? Are we raising the next generation of anti-depressant users because we are going to teach them that happiness doesn't matter? Now I'm not saying teach them to be lazy. But while we are preaching hard work, maybe we can throw happiness in that talk somewhere.

I realize that we all have responsibilities. Children to put through school and many bills to pay. But I'd like for you to do something as we go into the start of a new year... DREAM! I want you to ask yourself, if I could do anything in the world, what would that be? Then think of others that are successful doing that very thing. Why can't that be you? Trust me, it's not a waste of time (I've been told that one too). Every success begins with a thought (I wrote about thinking earlier this year).

We spend the majority of our day on our "job". That's way too much time to be unhappy.

Make a committment to yourself to strive for happiness. Don't worry about what others will say about your dream. Don't listen to those who say you can't do that because you're the wrong color, or wrong gender, or wrong weight. Those people are unhappy and want you stay in that dark place with them.

Happiness can be real.. Not a myth like Big Foot or the Lockness Monster.

Be blessed this holiday season and thank you for taking time to read my posts! See you next year!

With Sweet Goodness,

Shermaine

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Happy Holidays!

With Sweet Goodness,

Shermaine