“Good friends are good for your health. Friends can help you celebrate good times and provide support during bad times. Friends prevent isolation and loneliness and give you a chance to offer needed companionship, too. Friends can also:
- Increase your sense of belonging and purpose
- Boost your happiness and reduce your stress
- Improve your self-confidence and self-worth
- Help you cope with traumas, such as divorce, serious illness, job loss or the death of a loved one
- Encourage you to change or avoid unhealthy lifestyle habits, such as excessive drinking or lack of exercise
Friends also play a significant role in promoting your overall health. Adults with strong social connections have a reduced risk of many significant health problems, including depression, high blood pressure and an unhealthy body mass index (BMI). In fact, studies have found that older adults who have meaningful relationships and social support are likely to live longer than their peers with fewer connections.”
(Mayo Clinic: “Friendships: Enrich Your Life Improve Your Health”)
Last weekend we hosted Katie’s high school girlfriends at our family property in Sanpete County, UT. This article describes perfectly the dynamics of these cherished friendships that have lasted well over 3 decades, many of them going back to childhood.
Eric kept the fire in the wood burning stove going and found projects to do around the house and property. Katie and the girls laughed, cried, played games, shared our “5 Favorites” from the past year, enjoyed delicious food, stayed up late, and ate way too much chocolate. And of course we snuck in a chick flick, “Pride and Prejudice” Keira Knightly style!
Depending on what you put in it, a good “Bowl” is always a tasty and nutritious hit anytime of the day. More than one group chose them for their assigned meal for the weekend. Friend Gina told us her formula for a great bowl is a protein, a green, a grain, something crunchy, and a yummy sauce.
This recipe from our family is one we threw together, and served with some fresh berries made for a wonderful Sunday brunch! The flavors and textures of these ingredients complement each other and will satisfy all parts of your tastebuds. Try your hand at creating your own combination. The options are endless!!!
Brekky Bowls
Ingredients
- spinach and or baby kale, or greens of choice
- scrambled eggs
- quinoa, or other ancient grain
- golden potatoes
- sweet potatoes
- avocado or EVOO
- Simply Organic Garlic Salt
- green onions
- mozzarella balls
- basil pesto
- sun-dried tomatoes
- pine nuts
- dehydrated and seasoned grain or lentils
- balsamic vinegars of choice
- EVOO’s of choice
Instructions
- Cook quinoa (or optional grain) using 1 part quinoa, 2 parts water, salt.
- Preheat oven to 400℉.
- Rinse potatoes and sweet potatoes and cut in to 1″ squares.
- Layer on cookie sheet, drizzle with avocado oil, season with garlic salt, lightly stir, distributing them evenly on cookie sheet.
- Scramble eggs.
- Chop green onions.
- Serve ingredients buffet style, everyone makes their own.
- Drizzle with vinegars and EVOO.
