Now that I am in the last year of my 50's I have seen major changes to my skin and my friend's who are around the same age. As we get older, everything starts to dry up, sag or look dull and wrinkled. One of the most popular was to stop premature aging and eliminate the appearance of lines and wrinkles is to boost collagen. Collagen is an incredible essential protein to the appearance and vitality of your skin because it improves skin firmness and elasticity. Without it, your skin would lack luster, and start to sag.  
In order to age well, it's important to build up the collagen in your skin so that lines and wrinkles appear less prominent. Here are 3 top collagen booting natural ingredients that are perfect for your anti-aging needs. 
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1. Protein
Even if your skin is not showing signs of aging, you should still care about collagen because it is one of the most important proteins in your body. It's a structural protein that is a building block for not just your skin but also your hair, bones, teeth and muscles. Collagen keeps your skin supple, your bones strong, and your muscles working in proper condition. So when your collagen start to diminish, you will most likely see a change in both your physical appearance and health; with less collagen, you have to me more careful with your body to prevent injury. 
Since collagen is a protein, adding more protein to your diet can replenish your collagen levels and help your body produce more collagen. Drinking bone broth, or collagen powders is a great way to boost your collagen. I love Arbonne's Skin Elixir . It's vegan, so even if you are a vegan or vegetarian, you can drink it or add lentils and chickpeas in your diet as a great source of plant based protein.

2. Vitamin C
Protein isn't the only ingredient to add to your diet; you should also consume more Vitamin C. We all know it's great for your immune system, but is is also used to build up more collagen in your skin.  Vitamin C has been studied to improve collagen production because it promotes the enzyme activity within this process; so more C may lead to younger looking skin. Plus it's an antioxidant, which can eliminate free radical damage that could be reducing your collagen and imparting your collagen production. 
The simplest solution is to eat more fruits and vegetables. Plus Vitamin C can be a healthy addition to your daily and weekly skincare routing, by using Vitamin C skincare (make sure the Vitamin C is stable) Here's my skincare regimen AGEWELL or I can recommend other products speficially for your skin.

​3. Zinc & Copper 
Most people wouldn't even think about minerals for their skin, but these 2 are very important to help achieve youthful skin. Similar to Vitamin C, zinc and copper help support the enzymes involved in collagen production. Even without the benefits of collagen, zinc and copper are still beneficial to the heath of your skin. Zinc can curb inflammation and acne, while copper has been renowned in the Ayurveda for its antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. 
Since zinc and Cooper are trace elements, you don't need to actively search for supplements that contain both of them. Instead you will likely be able to find these nutrients in a well balance diet. For example, many legumes such as lentils and black beans are a good source of both zinc and copper. It is also recommended in Ayurveda to drink water out of a copper vessel to absorb trace amounts of this daily nutrient. Though you won't be able to see the impact of zinc and copper on your skin as much as protein and Vitamin C, it is still very important to get enough of these two nutrients daily to keep your skin healthy, glowing and youthful.
If you need more help in a good skincare regimen to help firm your skin and give you a beautiful glow, please reach out, I'd love to help! 
Best of health, 
Donna
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Have you been told you are deficient in Vitamin D? 
​A recent study found that approximately 40% of Americans were deficient in vitamin D. The same study found that vitamin D deficiency is becoming more common in people younger than age 65. The hypothesis for why younger people are more prone to vitamin D deficiency is that they spend a lot on computers, gaming devices, and big-screen television. The primary source of vitamin D is sunlight converted by the body into vitamin D. 

Our bodies don’t naturally produce Vitamin D3 unless our skin is exposed to sunlight. The more time we spend indoors, the more we see blue light than Vitamin D producing sunlight.
Vitamin D3, or the sunshine vitamin, is key in supporting healthy bones & normal immune function.
Vitamin K2 works with Vitamin D3 and supports calcium absorption and distribution. Get 100% of the daily recommended amount of Vitamin D per serving, in this tasty pineapple-flavored formula.

Types of Vitamin D
There are two primary forms of vitamin D, including vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol) and D3 (cholecalciferol). Small amounts of vitamin D2 are found in plant/fungus-derived foods such as certain types of mushrooms. D3 is found in small quantities in animal foods such as fish liver. However, vitamin D3 is produced by the skin when exposed to sunlight (ultraviolet B radiation). The liver and kidneys can then act on both forms to make the activated form that binds with cell receptors.
Supplemental vitamin D is available in the D2 and D3 forms. There has been debate whether these two compounds have similar benefits. However, a recent review of trials found reduced cancer mortality only with D3 supplementation, not with D2 supplementation. Another recent study found that D3 supplementation was superior to D2 in elevating blood levels of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, the major circulating form of vitamin D.
(reference from the article on America's Natural Doctor/Dr.Mark Stengler)



Here's what I use - Be Well Vit D3 & K2 Spray. It's a spray so there are no pills to swallow and it has a tastey pineapple flavor. 
​www.arbonne.com/us/en/arb/donnawalter/shop-all/nutrition/bewell/bewell-vitamin-d3-%26-k2-spray/p/2043%20US
​I'd be happy to help you or answer any questions. Feel free to reach out! ​

I have to admit that I love the variety of seasons that Pennsylvania has, but my least favorite is winter. The older I get, the less I hate the cold and snow. I tend to want to stay home and be cozy, and cook a lot of comfort foods like soups and stews.
I came across the Tuscan White Bean and Green Soup and it sounded interesting so I thought I'd share the recipe. I did add sausage to mine but you can omit or even make it vegetarian by using vegetable stock.
This was my first time ever eating escarole, crazy - right? I remember my maternal grandmother sauteing it with garlic, crushed red pepper in oil. Well, I had some  left over escarole and I sautéed it last night and  it is delicious. (Now, you have 2 recipes).

Tuscan White Bean and Green Soup (bboyd@thewcpress.com)
1 large onion cut into chunks             2 (15 oz) cans cannellini beans, drained,                  
4 celery stalks cut into chunks           liquid reserve, rinsed 
4 garlic cloves, peeled                         2 small heads escarole, trimmed and chopped        
1/2 c of olive oil                                    2 c finely chopped fennel bulb
1 (28 oz.) can tomato puree                 2 tbsp finely chopped oregano
3/4 tsp salt                                            2 large eggs       
1/8 tsp ground cayenne                       1/2 c grated pecorino romano cheese
6 c chicken broth.                                   1/2 c finely chopped parsley
Cooked sausage cut into bite size pieces (optional)  juice of 1/2 lemon

1. Place onions, celery and garlic in food processor and pulse until very finely chopped. 
2. Heat oil over medium high heat and add mixture along with salt and cayenne.
3. Cook, stirring occasionally, until a light brown fond begins to form on the bottom of pot, about 12 min.
4. Add tomatoes and increase heat to high - stir occasionally until mixture thickens, about 10 min. 
5. Add broth and chopped fennel to pot and reduce hat to medium low. Simmer about 5 min.
6. Add beans and greens; continue to simmer until fennel is fully tender about 5 more minutes, 
7. Whisk egg yolks into reserved bean liquid and stir into soup
8. Add cooked sausage (if desired)
9. Remove from heat and add herbs, cheese and lemon juice - adjust seasons.
10. Enjoy!

What's your favorite season? I have to admit that mine is the summer. One reason is, I was born in July and the second, I love the summer produce, the lightweight clothing and the longer days. Don't get me wrong, I like having all the seasons where I live, but once November comes the days get shorter, and it gets darker and colder out.  


I just came back from a spa get away weekend with my cousins in the mountains, and the foliage was really beautiful. All the fall colors of red, yellows, oranges does put me in the mood for autumn and the harvest season. The Woodhouse Spa was a nice facility. We each received a pedicure, massage and facial and it was so nice to be on the receiving end this time. 

Another reason I do like this time of year is Thanksgiving; it's my favorite holiday. I love hosting my family and anyone who will be alone for the holiday. There's no costumes required, no gift giving, just simply enjoying each others' company, the bountiful of food and giving thanks for all that we have. Every year I try and make something new and I found a tasty and festive acorn squash recipe. So I figured I'd share it with you incase you'd like to add it to your Thanksgiving menu.

WILD RICE STUFFED ACORN SQUASH​
Ingredients

• 2 Acorn Squash (makes 4 servings)
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp unsalted butter
• 1/3 panic breadcrumbs (I use GF)
• 1 tbsp minced flat leaf parsley
• 1/4 tsp garlic salt
• 3 1/2 oz of shiitake mushrooms, thinly sliced
• 1/2 c thinly sliced leeks (white and light green parts only)
• 2 c chopped kale
• 1 clove minced garlic
• 1 1/2 c cooked wild rice or black rice (I like to substitute vegetable broth or chicken broth in leu of water in cooking the rice to add more flavor)
• 1/4 c dried currants
• 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce (I use coconut aminos)
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp sherry vinegar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line baking sheet with parchment paper
2. Cut squash in half lengthwise and remove seeds. Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place cut-side down on the lined baking sheet and bake until tender, 25-30 min. Leave the oven on at 400.
3. Heat the butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil in a large skillet over medium low heat until the butter is melted. Add the breadcrumbs and increase the heat to medium hight and stir constantly until the breadcrumbs begin to turn golden brown. Stir in garlic salt and parsley. Transfer to a bowl.
4. Wipe skillet clean. Heat the remaining 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Saute the mushrooms and leeks until tender, 5 - 6 minutes. Stir in kale and garlic and cook until kale wilts. Stir in rice, currants, soy sauce, honey and vinegar and season with salt and pepper.
5. Scoop some of the mixture into the cavity of each acorn squash half and top with breadcrumbs. Bake until heated through 25-30 minutes.                                                                                                                                                            Enjoy and Happy Thanksgiving!! 

When I was a kid, I used to get a kick out of the story The Princess and the Pea. I actually was the princess in the family on my dad's side, since I was the only girl. When it came time to eat, I was super picky and I definitely did not do well with my vegetables, especially peas. Thank goodness my mom didn't make them often.
But Peas can be a great addition to your diet, and they are becoming more and more popular in the plant based food industry who have discovered that pea protein can be a key ingredient in highly convincing vegan meant and dairy alternatives. I myself who disliked them (not much anymore),  drink Arbonne's vegan protein shakes which are made from pea protein, cranberry and brown rice. They are absolutely delicious and contain 20 grams of vegan protein. Peas are a solid source of protein. While ingredients like pea protein and pea starch provide protein and stability properties for certain products, they don’t provide all the same nutritional benefits as split, frozen, or fresh peas eaten as whole foods. However, pea protein powder does tend to have a better amino acid balance compared to other plant-based protein powders like soy.The bottom line on pea protein: Whole foods are usually best, but if you’re looking for a good source of plant-based protein that has a decent amino acid profile and a light environmental impact, peas seem like a solid place to source it from

There are a few types of peas that you are probably familiar with: Sweet peas, Green or Yellow field peas, Snap Peas and Snow Peas.

There are a ton of different ways you can use them in your cooking as well, besides the boring mushy can of peas used as a side dish. 
I happen to love split pea soup and here's a tasty recipe perfect for the fall.

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​
Creamy Split Pea Soup

Ingredients
4 cups vegetable broth (unsalted, preferably homemade)
2 cups water
​ 2 cups dried green split peas (rinsed) 1 yellow onion, medium (chopped)
 1 cup carrots (chopped)
 2 organic celery stalks
 2 garlic cloves (minced)
 1 tbsp ground cumin
 ¼ tsp cayenne pepper (optional)
 1 tsp dried oregano
 1 tsp dried basil
 ground black pepper (optional, to taste)
 salt (optional, to taste)
 shredded carrots, for garnish (optional)
 fresh basil (chopped), for garnish (optional)

Directions
1. In a large stock pot, combine all ingredients together, from the vegetable broth down to the dried basil, and bring to a boil.
2 Reduce heat, cover and simmer for one hour or until peas are tender, stirring occasionally.

3 Add salt and pepper, if using, to taste.

4 Simmer for ten minutes longer, uncovered.

5 Cool slightly then, in small batches, puree soup in a blender. Return to the pot. Heat for five minutes. Garnish with shredded carrots and basil.


Enjoy!

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I love summer! Not just because I was born in the summer, but I love the warmer weather, the sunshine and wearing light weight clothing. By the way, incase you were wondering, my birthday is July 17th and I accept all kinds of gifts and cards. LOL! 
I also love cooking on the grill, eating al fresco and summer foods. So here are 3 salads that I am serving for a family BBQ we are hosting for the 4th of July. The first one is a JICAMA SALD. Jicama is a starchy root vegetable, from Mexico, similar to a turnip or potato. It tastes slightly sweet, but is low in sugar, which is a healthy carb choice. It is a good source of fiber and it's also rich in inulin, which is a prebiotic fiber. Great source of Vit C and potassium. The second is an all American salad; COLE SLAW, which happens to be one of my husband's favorite. I altered his mom's recipe just a little. And the last one is EETCH, a favorite Armenian recipe that originally is made with bulgher, but because I am gluten intolerant, I substitute quinoa. This salad has so much protein with the quinoa, you can eat it as a meal. 
Enjoy your holiday as well as these salads. Let me know how you like them.
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  JICAMA SALAD                            

• 3-4 ears of corn on the cob
• 2 - 15 oz cans of black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 large jicama shredded
• 1/2 cup of shredded carrots
• 1/3 cup of sliced green onion
• 1/3 cup of parsley or cilantro
• 1/4 cup of chopped fresh basil
• 5 TBLSP of extra virgin olive oil
• juice of 2 fresh limes and grated lime peel
• juice of 1 orange
• juice of 1 lemon
• 1/4 tsp of cumin

1. Grill corn on the cob,  let cool and cut kernels.
2. Place all veggies and herbs in large bowl 
3. Whisk together orange, lime, lemon juice and lime zest with olive oil, cumin, s & p to taste.

               EETCH
     1 Cup of cooked quinoa 
     1 bunch of parsley chopped very fine
     1 bunch of green onion sliced fine
     1 large white onion chopped fine
     1 bell pepper (your choice of color) chopped fine
     2 small cans of tomato sauce
    1/2 cup of extra virgin olive oil 
    1 cup fresh lemon juice
    Cayenne pepper and black pepper to taste

1. Cook quinoa in water and let cool
2. Chop all veggies and place in mixing bowl
3. Add quinoa
4. Add tomato sauce
5. Lemon juice, EVOO and spices 

I hope all you mamas had a nice Mother's Day and you got to spend it your way. It had been way too long for me to see some of my family, other than my own mom. I love to entertain and with our new kitchen I couldn't wait to invite family over. Now that some of us are fully vaccinated, I had a good excuse to celebrate Mother's Day and invite some of my aunts and cousins over for brunch. The invite was well received and so was the food. We started with mimosas; I made a few varieties of GF quiches, (is that even a word or is quiche plural?), lemon poppy seed muffins and I made for the first time a Banana Oatmeal Bake which I attached the recipe below. I also had bagels and lox, bacon and fruit. Of course I made way too much food as usual, so we've been eating quiche everyday for breakfast and or lunch.
But let me know if you try the Banana Oatmeal Bake. It's a great breakfast option, or snack or simple dessert.
Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups mashed banana (about 3-4 bananas) 
• 1/3 cup brown sugar 
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract 
• 1 tsp baking powder 
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon 
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg 
• 2 cups milk (I used oat milk)
• 2 1/2 cups gf old-fashioned rolled oats 
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts 

Instructions

• Preheat the oven to 375ºF. Mash the bananas well with a fork.
• Add the mashed bananas to a large bowl along with the brown sugar, eggs, salt, vanilla, baking powder, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Whisk until the ingredients are combined. 
• Add the milk and whisk until combined again.
• Finally, stir in the rolled oats and chopped walnuts.
• Pour the oat mixture into a 9x9-inch casserole dish and transfer to the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes, or until it is golden brown on top and around the edges.
• Serve warm or refrigerate and enjoy cold!

NutritionServing: 1serving | Calories: 367.87kcal | Carbohydrates: 54.22g | Protein: 11.4g | Fat: 13.28g | Sodium: 324.97mg | Fiber: 5.7g