Sherry A Phillips -

Is Salt Really That Bad For You?

Anyone who knows me, knows my love of salt! Given the choice between a burger and a decadently sweet dessert, I will choose the burger every time! Potato salad or ice cream? Potato salad! Chocolate Kiss or olives? The olives win hands down! However, there is a history of heart disease on my father’s side [...]

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed. – Robert H. Schuller

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements. – Napoleon Hill

One Thing You Can Do To Be More Productive

Motivational speaker and business expert Brian Tracy is famous for saying, “What one thing, if you did it today, will move you toward your goal?” A few weeks ago, I was reading several articles regarding productivity. During my perusing, I visited Michael Hyatt’s site. My husband and I used to go to church with Michael [...]

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. – Robert Louis Stevenson

Is Salt Really That Bad For You?

Posted by sherry on May 17th, 2013

Anyone who knows me, knows my love of salt!

Given the choice between a burger and a decadently sweet dessert, I will choose the burger every time! Potato salad or ice cream? Potato salad! Chocolate Kiss or olives? The olives win hands down!

However, there is a history of heart disease on my father’s side of the family, so now that I’m older, I’m vegetarian most days and increasingly, a vegan. But I still want don’t want to give up my salt!

Now there’s a report that says I may not have to! From CNN:

Reducing salt consumption below the currently recommended 2,300 milligrams – about 1 1/2 teaspoons– per day maybe unnecessary, according to a new report released Tuesday by the Institute of Medicine (IOM).

The news follows a decades-long push to get Americans to reduce the amount of salt in their diet because of strong links between high sodium consumption and hypertension, a known risk factor for heart disease.

The IOM, at the request of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, reviewed recent studies published through 2012 that explored ties between salt consumption and direct health outcomes like cardiovascular disease and death. The organization describes itself as “an independent, nonprofit organization that works outside of government to provide unbiased and authoritative advice to decision makers and the public.”

Researchers determined there wasn’t enough evidence to say whether lowering salt consumption to levels between 1,500 and 2,300 mg per day could increase or decrease your risk of heart disease and mortality. But lowering sodium intake might adversely affect your health, the panel found.

“These new studies support previous findings that reducing sodium from very high intake levels to moderate levels improves health,” said committee chair Brian Strom, the George S. Pepper professor of public health and preventive medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s Perelman School of Medicine. “But they also suggest that lowering sodium intake too much may actually increase a person’s risk of some health problems.”

Those problems, he said, could include heart attack or death.

Wow! I don’t use as much salt as I did when I was in my 20′s, but I still use it. Maybe salt is like most other things. Too much or too little can be harmful, but in moderation, it’s a good thing!

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

Posted by sherry on May 17th, 2013

I’d rather attempt to do something great and fail than to attempt to do nothing and succeed. – Robert H. Schuller

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

Posted by sherry on May 16th, 2013

Cherish your visions and your dreams as they are the children of your soul, the blueprints of your ultimate achievements. – Napoleon Hill

One Thing You Can Do To Be More Productive

Posted by sherry on May 15th, 2013

Motivational speaker and business expert Brian Tracy is famous for saying, “What one thing, if you did it today, will move you toward your goal?”

A few weeks ago, I was reading several articles regarding productivity. During my perusing, I visited Michael Hyatt’s site. My husband and I used to go to church with Michael and his wife, Gail and he is also a business expert.

There was one thing Michael said he does that I have adopted and I cannot believe how much more productive I have been ever since.

What is it?

I’ve started getting up at 4:45 every day. I know, it sounds insane. Who in their right mind would get up at 4:45?

Try it. Your body will get used to it and start waking up automatically. Sometimes I’m even waking up at 4:30 these days.

Let me tell you how this has helped me become more productive. I laid out a plan of everything I need to get done in a day and plugged in the things that had set times, like taking my daughter to school and two hours later, taking my sons to school. Then I figured out what I needed to get done to reach my goals and the available time I have to do them.

When I get up at 4:45, no one, with the exception of my faithful German Shepherd Reagan and my cat, Sox, is up. It’s very quiet. I allow myself 15 minutes to play on the internet. Once those 15 minutes are up, I pull up my novel and don’t stop until I hit 1,000 words. That is my daily goal. 1,000 words. Sometimes it takes me an hour. Most days, it takes me about 45 minutes.

After I’ve reached the 1,000 words, I update my website before waking my daughter for school. Once I’ve returned from taking her to school, my sons and I go for a run and do pushups, situps and stretching. Then it’s shower time and I take them to school.

By 9:00, I’ve written 1,000 words, updated my website, fed three children breakfast, made lunches, ran and exercised, taken a shower and dropped off the kids at school. I’m also relearning algebra, geometry and physics, as well as teaching myself to draw. Most of it is done before noon.

Prior to adopting this schedule, there were days I didn’t get a run in, or didn’t write, or both. Now, at 9:00, if nothing else gets done that day, I have already accomplished a lot.

Try this one thing and see what you can accomplish!

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

Posted by sherry on May 15th, 2013

Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds that you plant. – Robert Louis Stevenson

Angelina Jolie: Why I Had A Double Mastectomy

Posted by sherry on May 14th, 2013

This morning I awoke to find out that an actress I admire made the courageous decision to undergo a double mastectomy which very well may have saved her life.

Angelina Jolie chose the elective procedure to put her mind at ease, as well as those of her young children. Jolie lost her mother to ovarian cancer when her mother was only 56.

From the NY Times:

Two weeks later I had the major surgery, where the breast tissue is removed and temporary fillers are put in place. The operation can take eight hours. You wake up with drain tubes and expanders in your breasts. It does feel like a scene out of a science-fiction film. But days after surgery you can be back to a normal life.

Nine weeks later, the final surgery is completed with the reconstruction of the breasts with an implant. There have been many advances in this procedure in the last few years, and the results can be beautiful.

I wanted to write this to tell other women that the decision to have a mastectomy was not easy. But it is one I am very happy that I made. My chances of developing breast cancer have dropped from 87 percent to under 5 percent. I can tell my children that they don’t need to fear they will lose me to breast cancer.

It is reassuring that they see nothing that makes them uncomfortable. They can see my small scars and that’s it. Everything else is just Mommy, the same as she always was. And they know that I love them and will do anything to be with them as long as I can. On a personal note, I do not feel any less of a woman. I feel empowered that I made a strong choice that in no way diminishes my femininity.

You can read the entire column here.

Her partner and father of their children, Brad Pitt issued the following statement:

“Having witnessed this decision firsthand, I find Angie’s choice, as well as so many others like her, absolutely heroic. I thank our medical team for their care and focus. All I want for is for her to have a long and healthy life, with myself and our children. This is a happy day for our family.”

I applaud Ms. Jolie’s decision. She is one Hollywood celebrity who has used her money and her fame to do wonderful things for the world she lives in.

Thank you, Angelina, you are an inspiration to many.

Five Benefits of Asparagus, plus Roasted Asparagus Soup Recipe

Posted by sherry on May 14th, 2013

I love asparagus! It is one of my favorite vegetables! Some of the benefits of asparagus are:

1. It’s loaded with nutrients: Asparagus is a very good source of fiber, folate, vitamins A, C, E and K, as well as chromium, a trace mineral that enhances the ability of insulin to transport glucose from the bloodstream into cells.

2. This herbaceous plant—along with avocado, kale and Brussels sprouts—is a particularly rich source of glutathione, a detoxifying compound that helps break down carcinogens and other harmful compounds like free radicals. This is why eating asparagus may help protect against and fight certain forms of cancer, such as bone, breast, colon, larynx and lung cancers.

3. Asparagus is packed with antioxidants, ranking among the top fruits and vegetables for its ability to neutralize cell-damaging free radicals. This, according to preliminary research, may help slow the aging process.

4. Another anti-aging property of this delicious spring veggie is that it may help our brains fight cognitive decline. Like leafy greens, asparagus delivers folate, which works with vitamin B12—found in fish, poultry, meat and dairy—to help prevent cognitive impairment. In a study from Tufts University, older adults with healthy levels of folate and B12 performed better on a test of response speed and mental flexibility. (If you’re 50-plus, be sure you’re getting enough B12: your ability to absorb it decreases with age.)

5. One more benefit of asparagus: It contains high levels of the amino acid asparagine, which serves as a natural diuretic, and increased urination not only releases fluid but helps rid the body of excess salts. This is especially beneficial for people who suffer from edema (an accumulation of fluids in the body’s tissues) and those who have high blood pressure or other heart-related diseases.

So, with all of that in mind, here’s a wonderful Asparagus Soup recipe:

Roasted Asparagus Soup

2 tablespoons butter or vegan butter
1 onion finely chopped
4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
2 pounds medium asparagus, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a large saucepan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the onions and asparagus, cook, stirring constantly until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the broth and basil. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Increase the heat to high and bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the asparagus is tender, about 15 minutes. Using an immersion blender, blend the soup until smooth. Season with salt and pepper, to taste.

If I’m not having a vegan day, I like to top mine with a small round of goat cheese.

I hope you enjoy this soup as much as I do!

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

Posted by sherry on May 14th, 2013

Either you run the day or the day runs you. – Jim Rohn

Amelia Barr’s Nine Rules for Success

Posted by sherry on May 13th, 2013

I like to read articles and quotes on positive thinking and success. This morning I read an article in the New York Times about what successful people do that the rest of us do not. It takes more than just persistence.

Anyway, while looking around the internet for success tips I could pass along, I ran across this list by British novelist Amelia Barr. Though these “rules” were written a while ago, their truth remains unchanged:

1. Men and women succeed because they take pains to succeed. Industry and patience are almost genius; and successful people are often more distinguished for resolution and perseverance than for unusual gifts. They make determination and unity of purpose supply the place of ability.

2. Success is the reward of those who “spurn delights and live laborious days.” We learn to do things by doing them. One of the great secrets of success is “pegging away.” No disappointment must discourage, and a run back must often be allowed, in order to take a longer leap forward.

3. No opposition must be taken to heart. Our enemies often help us more than our friends. Besides, a head-wind is better than no wind. Who ever got anywhere in a dead calm?

4. A fatal mistake is to imagine that success is some stroke of luck. This world is run with far too tight a rein for luck to interfere. Fortune sells her wares; she never gives them. In some form or other, we pay for her favors; or we go empty away.

5. We have been told, for centuries, to watch for opportunities, and to strike while the iron is hot. Very good; but I think better of Oliver Cromwell’s amendment — “make the iron hot by striking it.”

6. Everything good needs time. Don’t do work in a hurry. Go into details; it pays in every way. Time means power for your work. Mediocrity is always in a rush; but whatever is worth doing at all is worth doing with consideration. For genius is nothing more nor less than doing well what anyone can do badly.

7. Be orderly. Slatternly work is never good work. It is either affectation, or there is some radical defect in the intellect. I would distrust even the spiritual life of one whose methods and work were dirty, untidy, and without clearness and order.

8. Never be above your profession. I have had many letters from people who wanted all the emoluments and honors of literature, and who yet said, “Literature is the accident of my life; I am a lawyer, or a doctor, or a lady, or a gentleman.” Literature is no accident. She is a mistress who demands the whole heart, the whole intellect, and the whole time of a devotee.

9. Don’t fail through defects of temper and over-sensitiveness at moments of trial. One of the great helps to success is to be cheerful; to go to work with a full sense of life; to be determined to put hindrances out of the way; to prevail over them and to get the mastery. Above all things else, be cheerful; there is no beatitude for the despairing.

Apparent success may be reached by sheer impudence, in defiance of offensive demerit. But men who get what they are manifestly unfit for, are made to feel what people think of them. Charlatanry may flourish; but when its bay tree is greenest, it is held far lower than genuine effort. The world is just; it may, it does, patronize quacks; but it never puts them on a level with true men.

It is better to have the opportunity of victory, than to be spared the struggle; for success comes but as the result of arduous experience. The foundations of my success were laid before I can well remember; it was after at least forty-five years of conscious labor that I reached the object of my hope. Many a time my head failed me, my hands failed me, my feet failed me, but, thank God, my heart never failed me.

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

Posted by sherry on May 13th, 2013

Be Impeccable With Your Word. Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your word in the direction of truth and love. – Miguel Angel Ruiz

Sherry A Phillips

Is Salt Really That Bad For You?

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

One Thing You Can Do To Be More Productive

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

Is Salt Really That Bad For You?

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

One Thing You Can Do To Be More Productive

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

Angelina Jolie: Why I Had A Double Mastectomy

Five Benefits of Asparagus, plus Roasted Asparagus Soup Recipe

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

Amelia Barr’s Nine Rules for Success

Daily Vitamin for the Soul

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