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Happy 2012! As we enter a bright, new 2012, we'd like to take the opportunity to wish everyone a year filled with health, happiness, and contentment. Over the ages, the turning to a new year brings reflection. Less than helpful habits to be discarded and new goal setting established. According to Gretchen Rubin (author of best-seller "The Happiness Project"), "You hit a goal, you achieve a goal. You keep a resolution." There are religious parallels to this secular tradition. During Judaism's New Year, Rosh Hashanah, through the High Holidays, and culminating in Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), one is to reflect upon one's wrongdoings over the year, and both seek and offer forgiveness. People may act similarly during the Christian fasting period of Lent, though the motive behind this holiday is more of sacrifice than of responsibility. The concept, regardless of creed, is to reflect upon self-improvement annually. The desire of improving, the commitment to outperform is somehow inherent to the human being. However, most of these resolutions fail. Making a resolution is not enough, you need to structure a work plan to be successful and define the resolutions with a well thought methodology. Those in the know have identified steps that more often than not lead to a successful outcome: 1. Having the right mindset 2. Category identification 3. Selecting the resolution 4. Quantifying the resolution 5. Setting intermediate milestones 6. Setting the tracking tool 7. The tough decision: abandon or persevere Source: Gretchen Rubin, "The Happiness Project" |
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Eliminating Extra Weight with the Lemon Juice Diet
 In the Lemon Juice Diet, leading health writer Theresa Cheung suggests that the reason so many of us battle with our weight is because our digestive systems are not working properly - and that the conventional dieting process tends to exacerbate that. However, including lemons in your diet - both juice and peel - will boost your digestion and, if you also eat healthily and exercise, can help you lose weight. Research seems to show that if your digestive system is not working correctly, healthy weight-loss is almost impossible. The problem is that poor digestion can stop your body getting the nutrients it needs to burn fat. It can also cause a build-up of toxins in your body, leaving you feeling sluggish and depressed. This, in turn, slows down your metabolism, making any weight-loss goals unattainable. Furthermore, if your body isn't absorbing the right nutrients, then no matter how overweight you are, it thinks it is malnourished and constantly craves nutrients, telling you you're hungry when you're not. "When it comes to boosting the body's digestive and detox systems, lemon is a natural powerhouse," says Cheung. Lemons are rich in citric acid (at seven to eight percent, they have the highest concentration of all fruits), which, combines in a complex interaction with other acids and enzymes to ensure healthy and problem-free digestion by stimulating stomach juices. Thanks to its acidity, even a little lemon juice can improve your digestion and lower the impact of any meal on your blood sugar. The pectin in lemon - found in the peel - is a great source of fiber that helps weight loss by turning it into a sticky gel when you digest it, preventing your stomach from absorbing sugar too quickly.
A study published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found pectin can eliminate the urge to eat for up to four hours, because after eating it you tend to feel satisfied longer. Lemon juice is also one of the most concentrated food sources of vitamin C. Not only is this great for warding off colds, but recent research at Arizona State University suggests that people who eat fruit and vegetables high in vitamin C have more efficient digestive systems and are more likely to lose weight than those who don't.
In addition, lemon juice increases the acidity of the digestive system. This helps the body absorb calcium, which is then stored in fat cells. Research has shown that the more calcium there is in a fat cell the more fat the cells burn. It seems the humble lemon could be a powerful aid to digestion, and a useful diet booster. But it's not a case of eating only lemons: the good news is that you can eat perfectly normal foods on this diet, including cheese and other proteins. You can even have chocolate ice-cream. You can also eat as much as you like of the right sort of foods: there is no calorie-counting involved. All you have to do is make sure that at least one meal a day includes lemon - either a squirt of juice or some peel.
The Lemon Juice Diet advocates a simple healthy-eating plan based on seven principles. These are the principles on which the meal plan is based, but you can use them to adapt the meals to suit your tastes. If you combine these seven principles with an exercise regimen involving 30 minutes of aerobic activity five or six days a week, within just a week you should start feeling healthier and your clothes will be looser. By week two, you will be dropping pounds.
Source: Theresa Cheung
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 Love Your Lemons Lemons keep for eight to ten days at room temperature, longer in a fridge, and can be frozen for up to six months. Freeze fresh juice in ice-cube trays. A lemon loses none of its potency when defrosted. Keep a cut lemon fresh longer by brushing the cut side with vinegar (the acid helps preserve it). You get more juice from a lemon at room temperature than straight from the fridge, and even more if you soak it in warm water and then roll it on a hard surface to break down the small juice pockets under the skin. Most lemons yield 2-3 tbsp. of lemon juice. For small drops of lemon juice, pierce the lemon with a skewer and squeeze. Choose unwaxed lemons if using the zest (the wax can be removed by scrubbing with a brush). Small lemons with thin peel tend to give more juice than varieties with a thick peel. To store lemon peel, spread strips on greaseproof paper and leave to dry for two days or put on a baking sheet in a low oven for four hours with door slightly open. Before using, soak in water to soften.
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The Seven Principles Of The Lemon Juice Diet
The following rules will help achieve the weight loss and fat burning
 1. Drink lemon juice with warm water every morning. Starting the day with the juice of a lemon in a glass of warm water will stimulate your digestive system. Water is also crucial to weight loss. Water aids healthy digestion and the elimination of waste, so make sure you drink six to eight glasses a day. Alcohol should be limited to one small glass of wine a day, and keep coffee and tea to a minimum. Avoid fizzy drinks and sweetened fruit juices.
2. Eat at least five portions of fruit and vegetables a day. All vegetables and most fruits are low-calorie nutritional powerhouses, rich in vitamins, minerals, fiber, and nutrients that can boost immunity, balance hormones, calm the nervous system, aid digestion, and help weight loss.
3. Balance your blood sugar levels. Irritability, poor concentration, fatigue, and headaches are all symptoms of fluctuating blood sugar levels, which can make you crave sweet and fattening foods. When blood sugar levels swing too high, so does insulin. This hormone helps shuttle blood sugar (glucose) into your cells to be used as energy. In other words, it promotes fat storage. Sprinkling lemon juice over your meal can be enough to lower the blood sugar impact by as much as 30% - use it in all of your cooking. Using peel in cooking helps ensure the sugar is released steadily into your bloodstream. Add peel to soups and salads, and sprinkle on fish and chicken. Lemons are also a fantastic source of fiber. Eat protein with each meal, as it steadies your blood sugar by delaying the absorption of carbohydrates and fats. Eating five or six times a day will help combat food cravings.
4. Cut down on sugar-rich foods. This give you a brief high followed by a big slump, and leave you feeling edgy and tired. Refined foods - such as white bread, white rice, instant potatoes, and cornflakes - can act like sugar in your system, and end up being stored as fat. Instead, stick to whole grain, fruit, vegetables, and protein. Natural sugars in fruit can hit your bloodstream fast, so don't eat a piece of fruit without a handful of nuts or seeds to slow the impact. Beware of artificial sweeteners as they can increase sugar cravings.
5. Forget low fat - your body needs some fat to lose weight. Unsaturated fats can help with weight loss by delaying the passage of carbohydrates into your bloodstream, keeping blood sugar levels stable and insulin down.
Avoid saturated fats - found in red meat, cakes, and pastries - and trans-fatty acids in processed foods. These are low in nutrients and can increase your risk of heart disease and obesity. Increase your consumption of Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids found in nuts, seeds and oily fish, and unsaturated fat found in extra virgin olive oil.
6. Eat lots of fresh whole foods. Switch from processed to whole foods to boost your intake of the nutrients your body needs for weight loss. Whole foods such as beans, legumes, and lentils also contain fiber, which stimulates the digestive system and can slow down the conversion of carbohydrates into glucose. Best of all, whole foods are free of hidden sugar and chemicals that overload your liver, making it hard for your body to digest food and burn fat. Choose brown pasta, wholegrain bread and cereals, vegetables, fruit, fresh soups, smoothies and juices (not from concentrate), and eat a salad with every meal.
7. Slow things down. Eat slowly and chew properly. Chewing relaxes the lower stomach muscle and triggers nerve messages that activate the digestive process. If food is not properly chewed, nutrients remain locked in and undigested. Keep portions moderate, and eat at regular times. If you find you're still hungry, wait 20 minutes for your brain to catch up with your stomach and recognize that you are full. Your stomach and intestines are sensitive to stress. When you feel anxious, digestion will shut down, leaving food partially digested. So finding ways to manage stress is not only important for your emotional health, but your digestive health, too.
Source: Theresa Cheung
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Candles for Meditation
If the new year ahead and the thought of goal-setting leaves you anxious and overwhelmed, candles offer an inexpensive and simple way to relax. According to Real Life Solutions, calming colored, fragrant candles can enhance and bring peacefulness to our hectic lives. The act of having lit candles around the house, or around the bathtub for a relaxing bath, can provide a calming atmosphere. Limoneira Lifestyles Lemon Sugar Candle provides the natural scent of fresh lemons out in the orchard on a nice spring day. This candle captures that fresh and rejuvenating fragrance, and blends it with sweet and subtle hints of vanilla (very calming) and sugar. Each candle is 4 ounces, and also makes a great decorative piece with its brushed aluminum encasing.
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Consumer Trends for the Year Ahead
Trendwatching.com scans the globe for the most promising consumer trends, insights, and related hands-on business ideas. For the latest and greatest, they rely on our network of hundreds of spotters in more than 120 countries worldwide. Their trend findings help marketers, CEOs, researchers, and anyone else interested in the future of business and consumerism in more than 180 countries dream up new goods, services, and experiences for their customers.
12 Global trends have been identified:
 1. Red Carpet: In 2012, department stores, airlines, hotels, theme parks, museums, if not entire cities and nations around the world will roll out the red carpet for the new emperors, showering Chinese visitors and customers with tailored services and perks, and in general, lavish attention and respect.
 2. Diy Health: Expect to see consumers take advantage of new technologies and apps to discreetly and continuously track, manage, and be alerted to, any changes in their personal health.
 3. Dealer-Chic: In 2012, not only will consumers continue to hunt for deals and discounts, but they will do so with relish, if not pride. Deals are now about more than just saving money: it's the thrill, the pursuit, the control, and the perceived smartness, and thus a source of status too.
 4. Eco-Cycology: Brands will increasingly take back all of their products for recycling (sometimes forced by new legislation), and recycle them responsibly and innovatively.
 5. Cash-Less: Will coins and notes completely disappear in 2012? No, but a cashless future is (finally) upon us, as major players such as MasterCard and Google work to build a whole new eco-system of payments, rewards, and offers around new mobile technologies.
 6. Bottom Of The Urban Pyramid: The majority of consumers live in cities, yet in much of the world city life is chaotic, cramped and often none too pleasant. However, at the same time the creativity and vibrancy of these aspiring consumers, means that the global opportunities for brands which cater to the hundreds of millions of lower-income citysumers are unprecedented.
 7. Idle Sourcing: Anything that makes it downright simple, if not completely effortless, for consumers to contribute to something will be more popular than ever in 2012. Unlocked by the spread of ever smarter sensors in mobile phones, people will not only be able but increasingly willing, to broadcast information about where and what they are doing, to help improve products and services.
 8. Flawsome: Why to consumers, brands that behave more humanly, including exposing their flaws, will be awesome.
 9. Screen Culture: Thanks to the continued explosion of touch-screen smart-phones, tablets, and the 'cloud,' 2012 will see a screen culture that is not only more pervasive, but more personal, more immersive, and more interactive than ever.
 10. Recommerce: It's never been easier for savvy consumers to resell or trade in past purchases, and unlock the value in their current possessions. In 2012, 'trading in' is the new buying.
 11. Emerging Maturialism: While cultural differences will continue to shape consumer desires, middle-class and/or younger consumers in almost every market will embrace brands that push the boundaries. Expect frank, risqu� or non-corporate products, services and campaigns from emerging markets to be on the rise in 2012.
 12. Point & Know: Consumers are used to being able to find out just about anything that's online or text-based, but 2012 will see instant visual information gratification brought into the real and visual world with objects and even people.
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Get Ready For The Super Bowl
The Count Down for Super Bowl XLVI is on. Our Superbowl Party Pack provides you with all the support to cheer your team to victory. Order now.
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The 7th Annual Los Angeles Travel and Adventure Show
 On Sunday, January 15th, from 1:00 to 2:00 pm, Limoneira and Chef Jason Collis will present Luscious Lemon and Avocado Taste Sensations from the 120 Year Old, Sustainable Limoneira Ranch. Strategically located between Los Angeles and Orange Counties, the Los Angeles Travel and Adventure show is expected to draw record-breaking attendance from the Southern California mega-market, as well as exhibitors from around the globe. The 2012 show will take place January 14-15, 2012, with new media partners, Los Angeles Magazine and NBC LA, dramatically expanding promotion of the event. An invaluable source for travel enthusiasts, the expo features seminars by world-class travel experts, hundreds of knowledgeable representatives from domestic and international destinations, and exciting hands-on activities for extra vacation inspiration.
This year's line-up of speakers includes such celebrated travel personalities as Samantha Brown, Andrew Zimmern, Peter Greenberg, Pauline Frommer, Mark DeCarlo, and Patricia Schultz. Samantha Brown is known as the fun-loving host of Travel Channel Shows including "Passport to Europe" and "Samantha Brown's Great Getaways." Andrew Zimmern, also a Travel Channel favorite, can be seen sampling strange cuisine around the world on "Bizarre Foods." Peter Greenberg is an award-winning travel expert and book author, whose many hats include travel editor of CBS News and host of Peter Greenberg Worldwide. Pauline Frommer, together with her father, Arthur, founded an award-winning line of travel guide books. Mark DeCarlo is an authority on good eats across the nation, the author of "A Fork on the Road," and the Travel Channel show "Taste of America with Mark DeCarlo." Patricia Schultz penned the bestselling guide "1,000 Places to See Before You Die" - which was adapted into a Travel Channel Show with Schultz as producer -and has contributed to many travel books and publications.
Supporting Sponsors are Guam Visitors Bureau and Indonesia Tourism. Additional 2012 media partners include Los Angeles Consortium of Online Travel (LACOT), KABC-AM, and KLOS-FM, guaranteeing widespread exposure about the show's new location and its unique offerings.
Source: Ann Flower
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 Limoneira Ranch, A California Fun Spot
In January, and running throughout 2012, Limoneira Ranch will be featured as one of California's Fun Spots, a featured program of Visit California. Visit California is a non-profit organization with a mission to develop and maintain marketing programs - in partnership with the state's travel industry - that keep California top-of-mind as a premier travel destination. California is currently the number one travel destination in the country. In 2010, travel and tourism expenditures totaled $95.1 billion annually in California, supported jobs for 873,000 Californians, and generated $6.1 billion in state and local tax revenues. California Fun Spots will promote Limoneira Ranch to an estimated 2 million people looking for things to do in the Golden State.
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Limoneira Winner's Block
This month our lucky winner is Brittany Allen of Seattle, Washington . As our monthly winner, Brittany has won a Limoneira Orchard Fresh or Lifestlyes Gift.
Congratulations Brittany!l!
For your chance to win, make sure you're on our mailing list to be entered into our monthly drawing. To join click here or visit our website at www.Limoneira.com
Be sure to check out our other contests and drawings for additional changes to win prizes.
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