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Recently, I met with a young medical doctor. He is looking at the entire medical care industry differently, and questioning why we do things the way we do. For instance, why are certain medications, surgeries, and procedures prescribed — just because they are standard operating procedure? Well, in fact, none of us are the same, and medicine shouldn’t be one size fits all.

I was captivated by this young doctor, who is looking at the world in a totally different way. In my mind, I saw so much potential for this MD. I was thinking, wow! This guy is the next Surgeon General! His future is so bright, what a joy it was to be sitting with him.

So I had to ask him, what did he aspire to be? He paused, looked at me like, really? You are asking that question? He was caught a little off guard. I did not press him, but then began a dialogue on my contribution to his career, which was not going to be from a business perspective at all. My contribution was going to be continually asking him to Aspire to Greatness!  Every day. Visualize being the next Dr Oz. Visualize being the next Jonas Salk.

So, it reminded me that we all have absolutely incredible skills —incredible skills that no one else has except us. No one else has our individual, unique perspective on the world.

So how are you going to Aspire To Greatness today? Will you visualizing the life you want? The accomplishments and bounty you deserve?

The first step is to identify your aspiration, write it down, and put some interesting details around it  —feel it, smell it and start being it. Yup, start being it today and it will happen.

There are so many steps you can take immediately to get you back on your path to greatness.

By just visualizing your aspiration, you are creating momentum. By telling the first person you see today what you are doing gives it more energy. Go online, start reading about the subject. Start becoming an expert. Each day, visualize your aspiration. Visualize the greatness and take one action to make it a reality, and it will happen.

This is the process that all people that accomplish greatness go through. And today, with the tools you have available, like the web, you can become an expert, an accomplished artist or even a performer.

There is only one step you need to take. You just have to chose to start. That is the one thing that all famous authors, artist, performers, doctors and scientists have in common… They all started when they where not famous. In the same way that you are right now, they took one step — every day — towards their aspiration. And then one day, they looked up — or saw a billboard with their mug on it, or heard a song they recorded on the radio — and they paused and said, “Thanks!”  Because they had accomplished everything they visualized and aspired to… Just like you will! Yup, guaranteed!

Onward!

AZ

July is being called national blueberry month, but I think the entire summer should be dedicated to this amazing fruit!

As Dr. Daria said in her post last week, blueberries are a powerhouse little berry that can help us, and our kids, stay healthy. She told about a new study that found blueberries can help reduce damage to brain cells in those who have Parkinson’s disease.

That in itself is amazing. But blueberries go way beyond the call of duty when it comes to healthful compounds. Here are 7 more reasons to stock up on blues, whether you pick them yourself or just grab as many pints as you can from the market.

• Eye health: A study found that 3 servings a day of blueberries can lower your risk of getting age-related macular degeneration by up to 35 percent. A compound found in the berry has also been shown to reduce age-related vision loss.

• Heart health: A big study of over 93 thousand woman between the ages of 25 and 42 found those who ate the most blueberries (and strawberries) were 34 percent less likely to suffer a heart attack. The researchers said that to get this benefit you have to eat at least a half cup of either fruit three times a week.

• Bone health: Being high in the mineral manganese, it appears that blues are also good for strong bone development.

• Immune system benefits: Blues are high in vitamin C and some specific antioxidants that help to fight inflammation. Now this is a really big deal, because inflammation has been found to play a role in the development of more diseases than you can count. Anything that reduces it should play a starring role in your diet.

• Brain health: Research has found that the flavonoids in blueberries help activate areas of the brain that are vital to learning new things and remembering what you’ve learned!

• Tummy health: Blueberries are high in fiber and “polyphenols,” which have antimicrobial effects, and that translates into better gut health! But to make that effect even better, when those blueberry compounds were combined with a good probiotic, researchers found that it significantly increased the amount of “good” bacteria.

• Urinary tract health: We’ve all heard that cranberries are good at preventing urinary tract infections, but so are blueberries. Like cranberries, blues contain a compound that can actually keep bacteria from adhering to bladder tissue.

Now don’t worry if you’ve gone overboard in acquiring blues because they freeze really well and don’t lose any of their great nutritional benefits in the process.

Just make sure your blues are dry when you put them in the freezer. If you did rinse them, dry well with paper towel before popping in the freezer. Or if you didn’t, just rinse when you take some out of the freezer. (But they really shouldn’t be rinsed prior to freezing.)

Bottom line: Don’t leave the supermarket or farmers market without grabbing some blueberries – and then go back and get some more!

Summer is often an opportunity to gather with friends and enjoy the weather. But let’s face it there are so many obstacles to pulling off the perfect gathering. No one wants to go through all the time and effort it takes to pull together a party and have it fall flat because of one forgotten detail.

This is why we love to serve a “bar” when we have guests over, and honestly, even if it’s just family. It’s quick and easy, and everyone is pleased because they can create what they like.

The Hot Dog Bar is easy enough that it can be served to family during the week, but nice enough you will feel good about serving it to your guests. July is National Hot Dog Month, so what better way to celebrate!

We always start with a good quality hot dog, preferably an organic hot dog. We like them either grilled or steamed.

To grill the perfect hot dog – heat grill to medium heat around 350 degrees, for the perfect grill marks place hot dogs at an angle across grate, grill for 8-10 minutes rolling hot dogs every couple minutes to complete the grill marks around the hot dogs.

To steam the perfect hot dog – place the hot dogs in a large skillet and add about 1/2 cup of water and steam them. Then drain the water and brown the hot dogs. This whole process takes about 10 minutes.  Steaming the hot dogs before browning gives them a crisp outside and juicy center.

Then the fun begins – the toppings. The options are endless, here is what we like…

• Condiments – Wild Oats Marketplace Organic Tomato Ketchup, Steak Sauce, Ranch Dressing and Wild Oats Marketplace Buffalo Wing Sauce
• Wild Oats Marketplace Organic Whole Kernel Corn, drained well
• Wild Oats Marketplace Organic Black Beans
• Sweet Pickle Relish
• Bacon, cooked and crumbled
• Cheese, shredded
• French Fried Onions
• Fresh Tomatoes, sliced thinly
• Mild Banana Pepper Rings

Whether you are hosting a Summer cookout, party or perhaps taking a picnic for National Picnic Month, I’m confident you and your family will enjoy the Hot Dog Bar.