Superbowl Sunday is just a few days away and you need something tasty and healthy to dip all those tortilla chips in. Here is a Mama Short original that is sure to satisfy the whole crew! This makes enough for a good size party but be warned this stuff disappears fast. Enjoy!!!

(To make this a meal, Serve with Brown Rice over a bed of Organic Greens and top with Guacamole) Yeee Haaaaaaawwww!!!

2 cans Black Beans (drained and rinsed) or about 1 1/2 cups dry beans soaked and cooked.

2 cans Muir Glen Fire Roasted Diced Tomatoes with or without green chilies (undrained)

1 can Organic Corn (drained) or 15 oz frozen corn

3 bunches of Green Onions Chopped

1/3 cup Fresh Squeezed Lime Juice

1/3 cup Olive Oil (cold pressed)

1 tbsp Cumin

1 teaspoon Sea Salt or to taste

1/4 cup Chopped Cilantro

Prep: Combine Beans, Corn, Tomatoes and Green Onions into large bowl. In separate bowl mix Lime Juice, Olive Oil, Cumin, Sea Salt and Cilantro then add to bean salad. Stir well, cover, and let marinate in fridge for at least an hour.

*If you want to spice things up, add some Cayenne pepper.

Often I get asked the question… “What made you want to get into eating healthy and doing yoga?” or “Why do you care so much about what you eat?” My answer to this question varies a little bit depending on who I am talking to but the underlying reason is what I like to call PERSPECTIVE. Let me share a story with you to explain.

A couple of days ago while brushing the snow and ice off my car, about to head to the grocery store my neighbors daughter came running out of their house frantically telling me to call 911. My neighbor’s elderly mother had apparently lost consciousness, and was having shortness of breath. I called 911 immediately and then went inside the house to find my neighbor with his mother Bessie who was slumped over in the bathroom. As the ambulance arrived and the paramedics came in I tried to make myself useful but felt essentially helpless. I spoke with my neighbor and I found out that his mother had suffered a mild stroke two years prior and that she was a diabetic. The paramedics loaded Bessie into the ambulance and left for the hospital.

Experiences like this have a way of sobering you up fast. In those short moments you realize that a life potentially hangs in the balance. As I drove to the grocery store I found myself reflecting on the fragility of life and evaluating my own mortality and daily habits. I also thought about how increasingly  rare it is to hear of someone dying simply of old age. Today Cancer, Heart Disease, Strokes and Diabetes are the killers and you would be hard pressed to find someone who has not been affected by one of these diseases in one way or another. It is sad to me that despite all the medical advancements and all the money spent on health care that these diseases are still on the rise and dying of one of these is now considered “normal”.

True, we live in a toxic world. True, we can’t control everything that happens to us. True, we all have the ability and freedom to make decisions for good or for bad. About four years ago I decided to start educating myself on health and nutrition. I did this for two reasons, first because even at 25 years of age I had severe back problems and lack luster health despite conventional medical wisdom and second, my family has a less than epic history of health. Both of my dad’s parents died of cancer, both of my mom’s parents died of heart disease and my mom also has had cancer. On top of that my dad has had more kidney stones than I can remember (which I hear are extremely unpleasant).

So, why do I care about what I eat and how I treat my body? Because, I want to live an abundant life full of vitality. Because, I feel it is my responsibility to be a good steward of the body and life I have been given by God. Because, I want to serve God and fulfill the tasks he has designed for me. And because, I want to see my kids and grandkids grow up and be there every step of the way. This is my perspective. This is my passion.

(photo by Federico Stevenin)

It seems only right that my first official blog post on my website comes in the thick of the New Year Resolution chaos. So we’ve all seen it before and most of us to some extent have experience the highs and lows of this interesting time of year. In my mind when I hear the term “new years resolution,” I think immediately of diet and exercise. Now, I am not usually a betting man but I am willing to bet I’m not the only one who thinks this. Walk into any random gym during the month of January and you will witness a truly incredible sight. Every treadmill and elliptical machine is taken, fitness classes are packed out, and people are throwing back protein shakes like they’re going out of style. Now, I don’t mean to be a “Danny Downer”, and I would consider myself to be one of the more optimistic people I know, but sheer statistics prove that the worst thing for your diet and fitness goals in the new year is the month of February.

So what gives? Why all the February fallout? In my humble opinion is comes down to three things. Unrealistic goals, lack of accountability, and frankly you don’t enjoy whatever it is you’re doing. How do I know this you might ask, because I have personal experience with it. When I look back on the hundreds of things I have not stuck too it usually comes down to one or more of the above reasons. If your anything like me when you start a new plan or set a goal for yourself its easy to shoot for the moon and have all these huge things you want to accomplish but have no idea of how to get there. It’s easy to get lost along the way or fall of the wagon if you don’t have a clear reasonable destination. Someone once said you gotta rock the block before you rock the land. Was that RUN DMC? Regardless, small well planned steps are much more effective than big vague goals.

Whatever you are doing don’t go it alone! Having someone there by your side or in your life to keep you on task is key. Accountability is one of the most overlooked tools to helping you reach your goals. Plus it makes what you are doing much more enjoyable when you have someone or multiple people to do it with. Lastly, (and this is might be a shocker) If you don’t enjoy what you are doing to some extent why are you doing it? For example, if going to the gym and running on a treadmill makes you want to stick a pen in your eye; don’t. Find something you do enjoy doing that still gives you a great cardio workout. Try something new and keep mixing it up. I used to go to the gym all the time and lift weights and run on the treadmill and I finally realized that I hated doing that all the time and wasn’t the best form of exercise for me. Then I found Yoga and started doing things that feed my need to be outside like mountain biking, and rock climbing to keep things fresh. Experiment and don’t take yourself too seriously. The more you enjoy what you do the more likely it will become part of your lifestyle.