Feeling Stuffed??

Feeling stuffed after Thanksgiving?? 

If you have been eating a little too much lately or not making the best choices, now is the time to stop! 

Start eating health right away, not tomorrow, not Monday, not Jan 1, lol, but today!!  We all too often put it off to a later time while continuing to eat poorly.  The food we put into our mouths is so important.  This time of year sugar is a real problem.  I used to eating sugar on Halloween which would then continue to Thanksgiviing.  Then of course holiday baking would be right around the corner.  By New Years I would have gained 10 to 15 pounds.  It would take me until the summer to lose it and for a few months would look and feel great.  I no longer do that to myself.  Getting sugar out of your system is the key.  Make the choice to not eat sugar, white flour, unhealthy starches.   Feeling good is the best gift you can give yourself this holiday season. 

Take good care of yourself....you will not regret it!!

Wishing everyone a Happy Thanksgiving!! I hope you enjoy your time with family and friends! I try to be grateful for the many blessings in my life year round but am reminded this time of year to really give thanks! So thank you to all of you who have impacted my life in one way or another! God bless!

The Healthiest Time of Year?

Hard to believe it is soon to be Thanksgiving.   I was watching the news this morning and they were showing people camped out at Best Buy for Black Friday.   My thoughts are not on holiday shopping yet. I know that is bad but I can't get there quite yet.   Instead I am thinking of health options for the holidays!  Trying to eat healthy and not let it all go to the wayside.  My goal this year is to continue on a healthy path right through the holidays.  Anyone care to join me?  Let's encourage one another to eat healthy, exercise and enjoy ourselves while feeling great!!  Who's in???

Healthy clothing or not?

I have been looking around on the internet for information about fabrics and the hidden dangers in our clothing. I think this one sums it up quite nicely. If you don't think much about what you are wearing...think again. I often wonder why we don't just go back to basics...cotton, wool, and all natural fabrics.  The world would be a much better and healthier place :)!

http://kriscarr.com/blog/hidden-dangers-of-conventional-fabrics/

What are Digestive Enzymes?

What are digestive enzymes and why are they important?  Wilkepedia defines them as:

"Digestive enzymes are enzymes that break down polymeric macromolecules into their smaller building blocks, in order to facilitate their absorption by the body. Digestive enzymes are found in the digestive tract of animals (including humans) where they aid in the digestion of food as well as inside the cells, especially in their lysosomes where they function to maintain cellular survival. Digestive enzymes are diverse and are found in the saliva secreted by the salivary glands, in the stomach secreted by cells lining the stomach, in the pancreatic juicesecreted by pancreatic exocrine cells, and in the intestinal (small and large) secretions, or as part of the lining of the gastrointestinal tract. "

In layman's terms they help to break down your food which makes them very important for your overall health.  Raw foods are loaded with enzymes while cooked foods are not.  It is very important  to try to eat with a high percentage of raw foods.  It will improve overall digestion and general health.  You will feel more energetic as well.  It is very important to supplement with a good digestive enzyme if you do not have a lot of raw vegetables in your current diet.  Try adding them.  I always tell clients to eat something raw with every meal.  Even if you don't have time to make a salad.  Cut up some cucumbers, carrots or celery to munch on with your lunch.  I'd be interested to hear how  many are eating a primarily raw food diet.  Let's all try to add more raw food to our diets!!

Want to Stop Sugar Cravings in their Tracks?

Anyone familiar with kefir?  Kefir is a probiotic beverage that is very easy to make.  They sell regular kefir, which is a fermented dairy drink similar to yogurt, in the stores.  However, since most of us avoid dairy products, there is an alternative.  Young coconut kefir.   Read what people are saying about this amazing easy to prepare beverage:

• It completely stops your cravings for sugar. Imagine the benefits of that!
• It aids digestion of all foods
• It has a tonifying affect on the intestines, even flattening the abdomen!
• It appears to cleanse the liver. In Chinese medicine the liver rules the skin, eyes, and joints. Coconut water kefir eases aches and joint pains. Many people report having a prettier complexion. They experience the brown liver spots on the skin fading away and skin tags, moles, or warts drying up and disappearing. Vision also improves
• It contains high levels of valuable minerals, including potassium, natural sodium, and chloride, which explains why the hair, skin and nails become stronger and have a prettier shine.
• It appears to have a beneficial, cleansing effect on the endocrine system (adrenals, thyroid, pituitary, ovaries). Women find that their periods are cleaner and healthier; some who had experienced early menopause have found this important monthly cleansing returning again.
• It increases energy and gives you an overall feeling of good health.

I have included a link with directions on how to prepare.  It's not as hard as it looks!

http://bodyecology.com/articles/mcoconutkefir.php

It can also be purchased pre-made by visiting www.bodyecology.com .  Please let me know if you make it.  I would love to hear your results!!

Have a great day!!

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Probiotics !!

Was talking to someone today who asked me "If you could only take one thing to help with digestion, what would it be?" My answer, "Probiotics". Probiotics are very important. The microflora help to balance the gut for a balanced inner eco-system. You can get healthy bacteria from a probiotic supplement or from probiotic foods. This week the focus will be on probiotics so check in for some good recipes.


 Have a great weekend!!

"Do Something Nice for Yourself Today!"

A good friend will often say to me, "Do something nice for yourself today".  It always makes me smile to hear him say that but I honestly don't usually do what he suggests.  I recently went on a trip to Kripalu with my daughter, which if you have never been, I strongly urge you to do so.  We spent just a little over 24 hours there but it was wonderful.  The atmosphere there is just so calming.  It is an escape from the fast-paced lives that we all live these days.  One of the best parts of this getaway is the idea of no electronic devices.  How wonderful!  My daughter and I actually enjoyed ourselves much more because we did not have the distraction of the cell phone.  It was great.  We did yoga, sat in on a whole foods cooking class and relaxed in the sauna and whirlpool.  Shortly before our departure we attended a workshop on "Inhabiting your Body".  It too was great.  It really made me think about how little time I/we spend just being still and paying attention to our bodies and what they are trying to tell us.  We take such good care of everything else, our cars, our homes, our pets, our children and so on.....  I myself do try to take good care of myself.  I eat well (most of the time, lol)  I try to squeeze in exercise but when life gets busy it gets put on the back burner.  We only get one body to take us through an entire lifetime.  We must make taking care of it a priority.  So I have made the decision to take time out for me everyday and I challenge you to do the same.  So in the words of my dear friend, "Do something nice for yourself today".  Slow down a little and take time to nurture yourself :)!

Looking for a new delicious recipe?

Try this one for Anise-Almond Biscotti

Almonds have strong medicinal qualities, including inhibiting cancer and the ability to lower cholesterol and alkalize the body.  They are high in magnesium, protein, calcium and vitamin E.  Almonds are also very versatile as this recipe will demonstrate.  A vegan version of the famous biscotti is truly one of life's pleasures...Enjoy!!

INGREDIENTS:


-1 T. whole anise seed
- 1 3/4 C. whole wheat pastry flour
- 1 C. whole raw almonds, ground to a powder (*)
- 1/2 C. extra virgin olive oil
- 1/2 C. pure maple syrup
- 1 T. vanilla extract
- 1/2 t. salt
- 1/2 C. sesame seeds

DIRECTIONS:


1) Toast anise seeds in a small, dry skillet over medium-low heat for three minutes.  Transfer to a coffee grinder or mini-blender and grind to a powder.
2) Combine the pastry flour with the ground anise seed and ground almonds in a large bowl.  In a separate bowl or measuring cup whisk together the oil, syrup, vanilla and salt.  Stir into flour mixture.  Cover and let rest for 20 minutes.
3) Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Have the oven rack in the center of the oven.  Spread sesame seeds on a large plate.  Shape dough into two 8 inch logs, packing dough tightly together so that it doesn't crumble.  Roll the logs into the sesame seeds and place on a foil-lined baking sheet.  (or just on baking sheet)
4) Bake for 45 minutes or until browned and firm.  Set baking sheet on a wire rack and cool for 5 minutes.
5) Cut each log into 1/2 inch diagonal slices with a serrated knife.  Place the flat side down on baking sheets and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden brown.  Cool on wire racks.  Store up to 2 weeks in an airtight container.

(*) You can purchase almond flour (pre-ground almonds) in a package, but grinding your own will give these cookies a more intense flavor.

Makes about 24 cookies

Recipe from Vegetarian Times Magazine

I make these all the time and I am certainly NOT a baker.  Very easy to make and come out great every time.  I have even sustituted rice syrup for maple syrup and still delicious!  Let me know how they come out!