Elegant Survival, Established by M-J de Mesterton in 2006…

….is in no way affiliated with the group of musicians who have recently adopted the same name.

Huevos Rancheros, a Health-Promoting Breakfast

Huevos Rancheros--fried eggs and grated cheese on tortillas with red or green chile gravy on top–are a health-promoting breakfast or brunch dish for winter and fall. Placing refritos, or refried beans, under the eggs is optional. Use either flour or corn tortillas, with Monterey Jack or Cheddar cheese. I like to sauté the tortillas in butter, grate cheese onto them, then fry the eggs, assemble the lot and pour on the chile gravy, finishing the top with more grated cheese.

 

 

 

 

 

Coach Shoes from Christabelle’s Closet

Survival Candles

Available at Vitacost, survival candles by Coghlan’s

Survival Storage

CPS Containter and Packaging Supply has the necessary tools for storing your survival foods and materials.

The Health-Benefits of Cinnamon

Cinnamon aids in the regulation of weight and blood sugar. It is delicious on apples, oatmeal, rice pudding, and in coffee or tea.

Cinnamon is rich in antioxidants, and is sometimes added to a foot-soak or a facial treatment to soften skin.

Tea made with cinnamon sticks can soothe a sore throat.

Cinnamon may help to preserve one’s power of memory.

Survival Stocking-Stuffer

Toasty Feet Insoles are made of material developed by NASA. They are thin, lightweight and will keep your feet warm in the winter under the coldest conditions. Please visit Nolan and his son  at The Perfect Present.

Turmeric as a Healing Spice, from the Okinawa Program

This 2001 book, The Okinawa Program by Bradley J. Willcox, M.D., D. Craig Willcox, Ph. D., and Makoto Suzuki, M.D., is based upon the 25-year-long Okinawa Centenarian Study. It is one of my favorite diet and health books.

Turmeric has recently garnered respect and much publicity as a medicinal plant from the ginger family. The qualities of turmeric are not news to the famously long-living people of Okinawa, as related on page 149:

Excerpt:

Ucchin, or Turmeric M-J’s pronunciation note: TER-mer-ick

(Curcuma longa, Jiang Huang, Curcuma, Indian saffron, Ukon, Valerian)

Ucchin, commonly known in North America as turmeric,  is one of the Okinawans’ favorite herbs (as it is in India), and claims a multitude of health benefits. It’s known as ukon to the Japanese….

Folkloric Claims

Turmeric is from the ginger family. The stalk of the plant is the part most commonly used in both herbal and traditional medicine, and is the part that provides the distinctive yellow-orange powder that adds flavor and color to curry. It was probably brought to Okinawa centuries ago from India, which had active trade relations with the Ryukyu Kingdom (as Okinawa was formerly known). In Ayurvedic medicine…turmeric is thought to strengthen the immune system, relieve inflammatory conditions such as arthritis, improve digestion, relieve gas, killl parasites and worms, alleviate menstrual problems, dissolve gallstones, and relieve other ailments. The Okinawans are in full accord with these claims, and highly prize their turmeric.

Excerpt, page 150

Turmeric possesses significant antioxidant properties, comparable to that of vitamins E or C, which is probably why it proves powerful against cancer. The American Institute for Cancer Research has reported some degree of inhibition for cancers of the GI tract, including oral, esophageal, stomach, and colon cancers. And, there is further evidence for its effectiveness against breast and skin cancers.

M-J’s Diuretic Smoothie

One half-cup of water, one fourth-cup of lemon juice, one jalapeño or other hot pepper (roasted or fresh), two stalks of celery, one-half of a cucumber, one tablespoon of thick yoghurt, and one tablespoon of parsley, all whirled in a blender till smooth. Add water if necessary for processing.

Copyright M-J de Mesterton 2009

Apocalyptic Depression and Unrest Coming

I’ve been gently warning about this for two years, and suggesting that citizens prepare for disaster. The economy is going to get much worse after the tax-base dwindles, a condition spawned by trillions in frivolous spending in the last nine months, combined with a health-care monstrosity that will punish small business out-of-existence and force all Americans to buy “insurance” that guarantees them nothing but strife. And the fertile valleys in California whence a great percentage of American produce came are going fallow because of an effort to “save” an inconsequential minnow. People need saving, as do the farmers whose tradition and economy has been shut down in California. The EPA, or Environmental Protection Agency, was founded by Republican president Richard M. Nixon. It has since perverted its original mission, and has become a body of insane fascists who care nothing for their fellow citizens.
I despair…and hereby present to you a chilling opinion-piece by the news editor of World Net Daily.

Dr. Mestrovic and His Important Kennedy-Era Book for Young People

The Honorable Dr. Matthew Mestrovic, by M-J de Mesterton

What You Should Know about Communism and Why (click here to download the book), by Dr. Matthew Meštrović, was required reading in American schools in the 1960s. I was given a paperback copy of it in fourth grade, due to President Kennedy’s initiative a year or two before;  we were regular readers of Scholastic Magazine in school, which had published the 1962 McGraw-Hill book in a series. I have written a brief biography of Dr. Meštrović: ambassador,  member of parliament, lieutenant, professor and prolific author.

Dr. Matthew Meštrović, son of the Croatian sculptor Ivan Meštrović, is an American author, journalist and professor of Modern European history. He was educated in Italy, Switzerland and the United States; he received his Ph.D. from Columbia University.

Dr. Meštrović has taught European History at New York University and Fairleigh Dickinson University in New Jersey. He worked as a Contributing Editor of TIME magazine, and has written many articles for American and European newspapers and periodicals, including “The Commonweal”, “The New Leader”, the North American Alliance news syndicate, “The Intelligence Report” of the London Economist.

In 1986, Dr. Matthew Meštrović was awarded the prestigious Ellis Island Medal of Honor, together with President Gerald Ford, Secretary of State Madeleine Albright, Mrs. Clinton, Zbigniew Brzezinski, Dr. Henry Kissinger, and New York Times publisher Arthur Ochs Sulzberger.

Dr. Meštrović served as a U.S. Army lieutenant during the War in the Pacific, and is a Korean War veteran.Matthew Meštrović is the author of several books in English and Croatian, notably “ What You Should Know about Communism and Why,” “The struggle for Croatia” and “In the Whirlpool of Croatian Politics.” He published, in the U.S., Dr. Franjo Tudjman’s book “Nationalism in Contemporary Europe” and Venko Markovski’s “Goli Otok – The Island of Death.” He authored several political tracts, notably “Violations of Human and National Rights of the Croatian People in Yugoslavia,” and “Croatian Response to the Memorandum of the Serbian Academy of Science and Art.”

From 1982 to 1991 he was president of the Croatian National Congress, a world-wide organization with chapters in several of countries, whose purpose is to champion the right of the Croatian people to sovereignty and democracy. He lobbied on behalf of Croatian self-determination in Washington, D.C., western Europe and Australia. In this capacity, Dr. Meštrović was received by Germany’s President Dr. Richard von Weizsäcker, the U.S. State Department, Quai d’Orsay, European Parliament, the British Foreign Office, and several other entities around the world.

Dr. Meštrović was a deputy in the Croatian Parliament (1993-1997), a member of Croatia’s delegation to the Council of Europe and the Interparliamentary Union and ambassador to Bulgaria (1997-2000). He is also the recipient of numerous Croatian and Bulgarian decorations.

Because of his father’s and his own anti-communist beliefs, combined with a staunch commitment to freedom, Dr. Meštrović was declared by the Yugoslav regime “Enemy Number One of the Yugoslav State”, and labelled as a “top CIA agent”.

Matthew Meštrović’s father, Ivan Meštrović, was the first person to be given a one-man show at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Dr. Meštrović often lectures about his father’s vast body of work.

Dr. Meštrović is a truly great American.

Copyright M-J de Mesterton, 2009

Low-Rise Clothes: Time for an Uprising

Choosing Clothes that Flatter the Human Corpus

So, you are possessed of a perfectly shaped body and decide to go shopping. There is nothing available but low-rise pants and skirts that rest on the hip. The fashion industry and its manufacturers are saving big bucks on your back. You decide that to go against what seem to be the demands of current fashion is pointless, so you buy whatever looks prettiest on the hanger. Once it goes onto your well-toned corpus, something sinister happens: your legs now look a mere foot long, and your tight “abs” sit above the low-rise top of your skirt or slacks, looking for all the world like a beer-gut. What’s happening here? The fashion industry is sabotaging your looks while saving themselves money on yardage. It’s now impossible to find a pair of pants, tights, or a skirt that comes up to the natural waist; anything that does is derisively and incorrectly labeled “high-waisted”.

Photo: Trousers with a Proper Waist, Available to the Elegant Man at www.tweed-jacket.com

If you must have your clothes made for you in order to avoid this sick, disfiguring fashion regime, there are ways to do it without breaking the bank. A well-constructed pair of corduroy, moleskin or tweed trousers will get you through the depression in style, last for many years, and what’s most appealing about them is that they will make you look taller than everyone else (unfortunate fashion-victims that they are). Even a well-shaped jacket can be sabotaged by slacks, skirts, or trousers that hang below it. Last night’s Academy Awards brought out a cavalcade of men whose crotches landed below the bottom edge of their jackets–poor misguided fellows, yet rich enough to get it right. Overly long slacks creating a puddle of fabric on top of men’s shoes do not lengthen their legs visually–they just look wretchedly tailored.

A tasteful and reliable source for elegant, durable tweed jackets and trousers is Bookster U.K. They will guide you through the ordering process, and see to it that your clothes have an actual waist, so that your investment isn’t a waste. The clothes are made by Bookster in England. There are plenty of British and American companies that copy the traditional English styles, but have them made inexpensively in China. Yet, these clothes are crafted the old-fashioned way, close to where the fabrics are milled in the United Kingdom. It may take a couple of months to have a great pair of trousers or elegant jackets made, but you just might be wearing them for a lifetime. Bookster U.K. is a small operation with a huge reputation for customer service and fine clothing. They specialize in equestrian and tweed clothes, which are perfect for town and country.

Don’t let hip-hop fashion and cheap clothing manufacturers dictate your style. It is time for an uprising against the tyranny of low-rise clothing.

~~Copyright M-J de Mesterton; February 23rd, 2009

Elegant Woman’s Equestrian Jacket, New, One-of-a-Kind, Made in England of British Cloth

Size 18 US/20 UK, Measurements on Listing--Uniquely-Appointed Riding Jacket, about $230.00

A classically beautiful, high-quality tweed jacket made in England for a voluptuous woman:

Width armpit to armpit 22.5″
Across Waist 20″
Length from centre of collar to cuff 33″
Length from collar seam to hem 30″
Armpit to cuff 15″
Shoulder seam to cuff: 23″
Shoulder seam to seam: 18.5″
Twin Vent
Condition: New/Perfect

Burgundy velvet trim, back half-belt in velvet, brass horse-head buttons on belt, cuffs and front, made from John Hardy of London’s famous Beauly cloth, wool tweed with a fine overlay of deep red and medium blue plaid. Grab this elegant jacket for fall and winter wear. You know it’s difficult to find a ladies’ jacket this elegant with a 44-inch bust. This is a slimming jacket that can be worn with trousers or skirts, or with jodhpurs for riding.

Sherri Tenpenny on Vaccines

http://www.newswithviews.com/Tenpenny/sherri125.htm

Slow-Cooked Pork Chops Esterhazy

M-J de Mesterton's Slow-Cooked Pork Chops Esterhazy with Fall Harvest Vegetables: Substitute Fresh Tomatoes for Tomato Paste

M-J’s Elegant Cuisine: Pork Chops Esterhazy Recipe

Face & Figure: the Hula Hoop

The hula hoop has been back in fashion for a few years now; it is great for reducing one’s fat and shaping the figure.

I am adding the simple, classic hula hoop to my list of low-tech, compact exercise tools.

Facial Yoga

Skip the Poisonous Botox–botulinum toxin–and just do these exercises. I love this gal’s face–what a trooper!

Central Park Boathouse, by M-J de Mesterton

Loeb Boathouse Central Park, Drawing by M-J de Mesterton 1989

Table Provençale

Outdoors in Provence

M-J’s Original Recipe: Walnut Torte

M-J's Walnut Torte Recipe on Elegant Survival Cuisine

Elegant Cuisine

Men’s Sulka Raincoat, Size 40 Long

Available at Elegant Survival Shop http://www.elegantsurvival.net

http://www.elegantsurvival.net

Elegant Survival Wine Recommendations

Photo Copyright M-J de Mesterton, 2007–
Parallèle”45″ Côtes du Rhône Paul Jaboulet: always dependable and reasonably-priced

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Parallele 45 Rosé

Jaboulet Côtes du Rhône Parallèle 45 Rosé 2005

Pine Bark and Black Cohosh at VitaCost

These two supplements have helped me to stop dangerous and expensive hormone replacement treatment, because they are effective in reducing menopausal hot-flashes. I take three capsules of each per day. They are available at VitaCost for a very good price, and are shipped swiftly.

Sixties Elegance by Giorgio Armani, $50.00 at Christabelle’s Closet

Retro-Chic by Armani Exchange: a Little Black Dress Reminiscent of Audrey Hepburn's Style

Christabelle’s Closet sells high-quality, lightly-used garments at reasonable prices. Christabelle’s Closet owner Christina Carathanassis lives in New York City, and has been featured several times on Fox and Friends. My late cousin Cyndi was a friend of Christina, and modeled for Christabelle’s Closet on FNC. Christina and I met while mourning her untimely passing on July 10th, 2008;  Christina put up a lovely tribute page for our dear departed.  There have been many posts on Elegant Survival News since then showing great stuff from this on-line consignment shop, because every time I find a super-elegant clothing item or accessory on the Christabelle’s Closet webpage, I share it with my readers. Christina carefully authenticates every designer piece that she accepts for consignment. Here is the latest one, which I would snap up were it not too small for me. I can picture Audrey Hepburn wearing this adorable, elegant Armani dress, with long gloves and a hat:

A little black dress for a size 8 woman with elegant taste, for only fifty dollars US, new with tags, at my friend Christabelle’s Closet

Wal-Mart Offers $4.00 and $10.00 Brand-Name Prescriptions–No Program Involved!

http://i.walmart.com/i/if/hmp/fusion/four_dollar_drug_list.pdf

You can get along without health insurance if you pay your doctor in cash, and buy the prescribed medicines at Wal-Mart. Doctors and clinics will charge only half of what they charge those who use health insurance, because the filing costs associated with insurance are very high.

Health-Nuts

My Nut of the Month for June, 2007: the Pecan

Nut of the Month for April, 2007: El Piñon

My Nut of the Month for March, 2007 the Peanut

March on out to the market and procure some raw Spanish peanuts. Spanish peanuts are good for you. Their skins contain oligomeric procyanidins, or OPCs, which strengthen capillaries and help to prevent varicose veins. Pycnogenol is another source of OPCs, but if you’re not unfortunate enough to be allergic to the mighty peanut, you can get your daily dose of them in a delicious way. Here is my own recipe for healthful version of Spanish peanuts: Soak raw Spanish peanuts just until they are all wet, in brine made with your preferred salt. Arrange the wet nuts on a baking sheet (avoid aluminum pans). Roast in a medium oven till they look brown–about 45 minutes. Wait until the Spanish peanuts are completely cool before testing. They ought to be crunchy, and if they aren’t, just put them back in the oven for ten more minutes. I served these at a recent party, and they were a big hit.

Copyright M-J de Mesterton, 2007

Sunday, March 16, 2008

The Pistachio, Magical Nut from the Near East

Pistachios are the new health nut. Research from the University of Toronto shows that they may reduce the risk of diabetes by decreasing the effect of carbohydrates on blood sugar levels. “Pistachios are high in protein, fiber, and healthy monounsaturated fat,” explains study author Cyril Kendall, PhD, “all of which contribute to the slowing of carbohydrate absorption in the body.”Pistachios are delicious roasted and salted, as well as in desserts and pastries. In the U.S., pistachio-studded halvah was once only available in Brooklyn’s Middle Eastern neighborhood–I used to buy it on the famous Atlantic Avenue–but it can now be found at markets around the U.S. Of course, the ever-popular baklava-type pastries from Turkey and Persia, where pistachios originate, usually contain them mixed with aromatic honey.

Research has shown that eating 2 to 3 ounces of pistachios a day can help significantly raise your level of good cholesterol (HDL). Pistachios are full of vitamin B6 and copper, too, which help to increase your energy.

Pistachios salted and unshelled are available at a good price from Sam’s Club. I cannot remember the brand-name–it could be Sunkist–in any case, they are Californian. They’re delightfully easy to eat as a snack, and most welcome on party buffets. For baking, try to find unsalted varieties of these magic nuts.

Mail Order the Best Middle Eastern Pastries from Jordan’s Zalatimo Sweets.

France’s Microfibre Zealot: Watch Him Go, Le Gars de L’Ilot!

Microfibre

Watch the Videos

Note: I discovered the extremely useful microfibre cloths in 2006, and devised a dust-mop that you can easily make with them.

Meat, Dairy Foods, and Eggs Do Not Raise a Woman’s Chances of Breast Cancer

08.28.09, 04:00 PM EDT

Two studies find no clear link; other research supports fiber to ward off the disease

Reproduced Here in Accordance with Copyright Law, this article from HealthDay News:

FRIDAY, Aug. 28 (HealthDay News) — An adult woman’s intake of meat, eggs and dairy products should not boost her risk for breast cancer, new research shows.

For years, dietary factors have been debated as either boosting or reducing the risk of breast cancer, with research yielding conflicting results. But in the new research, scientists could not conclude that meat, eggs or dairy product intake as an adult raised breast cancer risk.

A second new study didn’t find that conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) — found in dairy products and in meat such as beef — provided any protective effect again breast cancer, as some experts had suggested. It did not raise the risk, either.

“So far, we haven’t seen a strong link between meat intake and fat intake in adulthood and breast cancer in adulthood,” concluded Dr. Eleni Linos, MD, an epidemiologist at Stanford University Medical Center, who has also researched the link and co-authored an editorial to accompany the two research reports. All are published in the September issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

But, she cautioned, “women should probably try to reduce their red meat intake to prevent cardiovascular disease.”

In the first study, Italian researchers from Istituto Nazionale dei Tumori in Milan and other institutions used data from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). They looked at diet information collected from almost 320,000 women between 1992 and 2003.

The women were from numerous European countries, including Denmark, France, Germany, Greece, Italy and the U.K. The team found 7,119 cases of breast cancer during follow up that lasted a median of nearly nine years (half of the patients were followed longer, half less). While they found a link between high butter consumption and breast cancer risk, it was only in premenopausal women. They did not find overall that meat, egg or dairy product intake was linked with an increased risk for breast cancer.

The researchers did find that a high intake of processed meat products was linked with increased breast cancer risk in postmenopausal women, but not overall meat intake.

Also, high red meat consumption was associated with an increased breast cancer risk in some countries, but there was no consistent link overall, the team said.

In the second study, researchers evaluated the diets of more than 61,000 women, all cancer-free, who answered a questionnaire from 1987 to 1990. Researchers from the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm and Central Hospital in Vasteras, Sweden, noted almost 3,000 cases of breast cancer from women in the group over an average follow-up of more than 17 years. When they evaluated links between the cancer cases and CLA intake, they found no effect, either good or bad.

”These two studies are a reminder that the connections between what we eat and disease development are multifactorial,” said Connie Diekman, a registered dietitian and director of university nutrition at Washington University in St. Louis.

Recall bias — people not remembering exactly what they had eaten — might have skewed the results, she said.

The study result, however, “does not give us permission to eat as much as desired,” she said. “I would remind readers to keep their food choices focused on what we know, not on every emerging study. So, using the Dietary Guidelines to shape choices and portions will be the best bet for health promotion and disease prevention.”

In yet another study in the same journal, researchers found that dietary fiber intake reduced the risk of breast cancer, confirming previous research. That study, the National Institutes of Health–AARP Diet and Health Study, looked at the intake of fiber to breast cancer among more than 185,000 postmenopausal women, with an average age of 62.

The researchers found 5,461 cases of breast cancer during an average of seven years of follow-up. Those who ate the most dietary fiber — 26 grams a day — had about a 13 percent reduction in risk of breast cancer compared to those who ate the least, just 11 grams a day.

An intake of 25 grams a day of fiber is considered adequate for adult women.

More information

There’s more on risk factors for breast cancer at the American Cancer Society.

Ultra-Violet Germ-Killer Tool from Magellan’s

Essential for travel or everyday use; fits  in your pocket or purse:

UV Germ-Killing Tool

Zadro UV Germ Scanner, at Magellan's

Elegant Dressing for Autumn

It is time to order a made-to-measure jacket for fall at Bookster.

My Ladies' Tweed Jacket with Velvet Trim, Made in England by Bookster

Ideas for a Health-Promoting Smoothie

Cranberries are loaded with antioxidants, such as Vitamin C and anthocyanins (the phytonutrients that give cranberries, blueberries and cherries their deep colours). They also contain a sugar called “mannose”, which, when combined with cranberry juice’s natural phytonutrients, helps to heal and prevent urinary tract infections. Adding cranberry juice to your morning smoothie is a good idea.

I also like to add a few stalks of celery, a vegetable that lowers blood-pressure.

Ginger helps ward-off  the common cold and influenza, especially the fresh variety.

M-J de Mesterton Still Life with Fruit Smoothie, Copyright 2009

Sierra Trading Post

Sierra Trading Post is a reliable company that we have been patronising for many years. They will always graciously accept returns if one is not satisfied. Their heaquarter-barn in Cheyenne is fabulous to visit.

It seems that all women’s pants and trousers offered at Sierra Trading Post, like those offered by most contemporary American companies, are low-waisted leg-shorteners,  so beware of them and perhaps inquire about the garments first via telephone.