We’re back! Let me tell you, visiting Costa Rica was a true adventure! We stayed in Nosara, a town on the Pacific west coast, where there is an “American project” near the beach. The older part of the town is where the “Ticos”, or natives, live. The newer part near Playa Guiones (a great beach!) is an area where Americans have built houses and set up businesses that mostly cater to tourists, but also to American residents.
Jungle life has its counterparts in farm life. For example, we went to bed with the sun and woke up to–not the crowing of roosters–but to the King Kong-style hoots of the howler monkeys! Fresh produce abounded in the neighborhood markets, too. I learned to cook a new veggie, called yuca, which was not “yucky”, but “yummy”!
The beaches were incredibly beautiful! Costa Rica has some sort of rule about not building hotels or condos on the beach, so the natural surroundings were undisturbed. George and I surfed and boogie boarded, respectively, just about every day. All that exercise and the negative ions from the ocean breeze were most certainly great for my bones!
We made some friends while we were in Nosara, too, through the local Catholic church and the local Christian Surfers group. We’ll stay touch. Hey, we might even go back for a longer stay!
Tags: Travel
I can hardly believe it! I’m flying to Costa Rica tomorrow to visit the city of Nosara! 
Nosara is a surfing hub located on the Pacific Ocean in Central America, and from what I hear, it’s highly Americanized. My husband, who loves to surf, can hardly wait to hit the waves. Meanwhile, I’ll be boogie boarding and reading and collecting freckles.
I’ve never been to Costa Rica before. I’ll let you know what it’s like, in case you’d like to go there yourself sometime!
Tags: Costa Rica, Nosara
Sarah really wowed us last month with her newest bone-healthy recipe, “Flaky Pear Pie.” I hope you will find her creation as scrumptious as we did!
Flaky Pear Pie
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
You will need:
- 1 – 9″ pie pan
- 1/2 cup Xylosweet
- ¼ tsp Bob’s Red Mill Gluten-Free Baking Mix
- ¼ tsp cinnamon
- 1/8 tsp ground cloves
- 1 tbsp melted unsalted butter
- 8 firm Bartlett pears- sliced ½ inch thick
Milk Glaze:
- 1 tbsp of melted unsalted butter
- 1 tbsp Xylosweet
- 1 tbsp unsweetened almond milk, vanilla flavor
You will need two crusts for the pie–one for the bottom and one for the top.
In a large mixing bowl stir together the Xylosweet, baking mix, cinnamon and cloves. Add the pears and toss to coat. Pour into unbaked pie crust. Cover filling with second pie crust. Crimp or fold in sides to close.
Making the glaze: In a bowl, mix the almond milk, Xylosweet and butter. Brush this glaze over the pie. With a small knife, make 5 evenly spaced slits in the top crust. Bake for 1 hour and 50 minutes, or until the crust is golden brown and the filling begins to bubble through the vents. Let the pie cool for 20 minutes before eating.
Enjoy!
Tags: bone health, osteoporosis, pear pie, Recipes
Breakfast: Fruity Protein Shake, raspberry tea with Beyond C powder, supplements, water
Snack: Apple
Lunch: 2 stalks of celery with almond butter, carrot, raisins
Snack: Banana
Supper: Lean hamburger, tomato slice, romaine lettuce, millet burger buns, Almond Mashed Potatoes, frozen yogurt with almonds, water
Bedtime: Water, supplements
Tags: bone health, Daily Diet, osteoporosis
From Susan in Edmonds, WA: Where can I buy the pH testing tape you use?
Susan, the pH testing tape that I use is labeled “Body Rescue pH Testing Tape.” I buy it at my local health food store, but if it’s not available at yours, there are other ways to get it. The cheapest on-line source for it that I found was Vitacost.com. If you’d rather contact the distributor directly, however, the label says it’s distributed by Body Rescue, P.O. Box 845, Fargo, ND 58107.
Keeping my blood alkaline has made a tremendous difference in my overall health, and I’m sure it was a major factor in my victory over osteoporosis. You were right in your email that the body leaches calcium from the bones to neutralize blood acidity. Keeping the blood at the proper pH level of approximately 7.38 makes this leaching unnecessary, thus benefiting the density and strength of the bone.
To use the pH testing tape, tear off an inch or two of the tape and dip it in either a small amount of your urine or saliva. If the tape turns a dark green, your blood is alkaline; if the tape looks more orange, you’re in acid territory. Check your results against the color chart on the tape dispenser for the most accurate reading.
Now that the battle against osteoporosis has been won physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually, my main thrust is to continue to keep my bones strong by keeping my body healthy and vibrant. Good health habits must be maintained, or the victory won will have to be fought all over again. Perish the thought!
Instead, these ideas and practices must stay at the forefront each day:
1) My optimum bone density level will not be the same for me as it is for the average-sized woman. Because I am a tiny, small-boned woman of Irish descent, my bone density will naturally be lower than the norm.
2) I must keep my blood alkalized by consuming an 80% alkaline / 20% acid diet, so that my body has no need to leach calcium from my bones to neutralize acids from my food intake.
3) Daily weight bearing exercise tells my body to build strong bones for my daily activities.
4) Lots of water helps to keep the lymph vessels clear and flowing freely, so that my cells can be clean and running efficiently.
5) My body needs 7-8 hours of sleep every night to rebuild and detoxify all body systems.
6) Sincere efforts to love God and neighbor engender thoughts of peace and love and forgiveness.
7) Thoughts of peace, love, and forgiveness make life a joyful journey!
May God continue to bless us as we place our hope in Him!
Kathy
Here’s a family favorite that’s sure to please!
Ingredients:
1 9″ pie crust
2 cups chicken or turkey, cooked, cut into small pieces
1 pkg gravy mix
4 carrots, diced
4 potatoes, medium, diced
2 celery ribs, diced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup mushrooms, sliced (optional)
In a large pan, boil the carrots, potatoes, celery, onion, and mushrooms in an inch of water just until tender. Drain. Add chicken/turkey and gravy mix. Stir, mixing well. Pour into pie crust. Bake at 350 degrees for 35-40 minutes, or until pie crust is a golden brown.
Tags: chicken recipes, osteoporosis, Recipes
