I'll admit it - I save too much stuff. I have been one of those people that accumulates, saves and holds on to stuff even if it doesn't serve me on a daily basis becasue it holds a fond memory, or think that I might someday need it and it will come in handy some day down the road. The problem with holding on to "stuff" is the more you hold on the more you are cluttering up your space and preventing new things from entering.
Last spring my we finally went through a lot of our old stuff and things in storage and had a big yard sale. I wish I had a video of my husband and I going through things to put in our sale becasue it ended up being a comedy act watching me hold on to stuff. I was actually reluctant to give up my collection of music tapes and VHS videos even though I no longer had a tape player or a VCR to listen or watch them on. The truth is over the last year I haven't once wished I still owned them, and now happy to think that somebody else might have got some joy from watching some of my favorite movies or evening listening to an old tape. It felt great to let go and clear out some things from my past that were not serving me, and made room for new things that I actually do use. It is amazing how tight we can hold on to something
Do you hold on to things?
Are you feeling stuck or stagnant?
Are you ready for to renew yourself?
Yes? You just might be ready from some spring cleaning!
Spring cleaning our homes is a common theme this time of year, and even though it is sometimes hard work the feeling at the end is worth the little bit of effort for a short period of time. The energy shifts and we too feel lighter when we clear out the stuff that is weighing us down emotionally or visually (the piles of stuff we have been looking at all winter).
Just as the stuff around our homes can accumulate and start to clutter our space, the food we eat also accumulates in our bodies causing us to feel sluggish, tired, and heavy, AND just as we need to clear out our homes we also need to clear out our bodies. Spring is the perfect time to clear out the accumulated food waste and weight that have built over the winter and to a cleanse. I recommend a simple whole foods cleanse program, but there are many other types of protocols to choose from... like a raw foods, or juice cleanse, or even a liquid fast. They are all meant to clear out waste, improve your digestion, and have other great benefits like improved energy, clearer skin, weight loss, ditching cravings, and jump starting a healthy new way of eating.
Like the house cleaning, a cleanse is a short lived period of time where you put in a little effort and get a lot in return.
I encourage you to take part in cleaning not only your home this spring, but also your body and mind too - even better do all three! Renew yourself - you deserve it!
Monday, April 11, 2011
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Go Green - Smoothie
Green Smoothie
Spring is coming and we naturally tend to want to eat more greens. Any easy way to get your daily intake of greens is to make a green smoothie. Nutritious and delicious!
1 cup coconut milk
1/2 cup coconut water
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 banana (fresh/frozen)
1/3 cup pineapple
1 large handful of baby spinach
1-2 kale leaves
3-4 large organic strawberries(fresh/ frozen)
1/4 avocado
1/2 cup of ice (optional if you didn't have frozen fruit and like it cold)
Blend all together and enjoy!
1/2 cup coconut water
1/4 cup shredded coconut
1/2 banana (fresh/frozen)
1/3 cup pineapple
1 large handful of baby spinach
1-2 kale leaves
3-4 large organic strawberries(fresh/ frozen)
1/4 avocado
1/2 cup of ice (optional if you didn't have frozen fruit and like it cold)
Blend all together and enjoy!
Happy St. Patrick's Day!
Monday, March 7, 2011
What makes your heart sing?
I received an email the other day from a friend sharing a song that she had recorded. How cool is that! I especially loved the song she picked from Ryan Adams (gave me a warm fuzzy flash back of when my husband and I first started dating), and how effortlessly she sang this song giving it her own style. I could tell that singing was something that spoke to her soul, and I started to wonder.... what am I doing to make my heart and soul sing?
Do you know what I mean? We all have certain things that ignite passion, creativity and purpose, and when we do that something we feel inspired, recharged and nurtured on a deep level.
It is easy to let everyday life..... kids, cooking, cleaning, appointments, work etc... get in the way of making time to do the thing that would most benefit us, but I am working on re-prioritizing that.
I feel lucky to have a profession that I LOVE, and I work on a daily basis to make sure I am nourishing myself with non-food things like.... exercise, spending time with girlfriends, going for a walk, listening to music, or going to the movies (I love going to the movies). All these things are great and help to keep me in balance, but when I heard the song it triggered a feeling that something was missing.
I started brainstorming to figure out what things spark a light within me, and then asked myself why I am not doing it?
Here is what I came up with:
I love creating and doing art work... painting, collage, or really any design. I lived in art classes in high school, studied graphic design in college, but have let my need for perfection and "lack of time" allow me to loose sight of the enjoyment I get just thinking about, working on, and creating a project.
I need to do more artwork!
This came clear to me recently when I started to become a little obsessed while coloring with my 3 year old son - I had so much fun with crayons that I didn't want to stop, and insisted that he please let me finish the page before we did anything else.
My goal is to start making time to work on something... whether it is cutting up an old calendar and making a collage (an old favorite), buying some new paints and brushes and starting a painting, or trying something new that I haven't done before..... perhaps I'll take a class!
What makes your heart sing? Singing, writing, dancing, creating, running, riding, boating, helping, gardening, building.... the possibilities are endless. Are you doing it?
Share in comments... I would love to hear from you!
Do you know what I mean? We all have certain things that ignite passion, creativity and purpose, and when we do that something we feel inspired, recharged and nurtured on a deep level.
It is easy to let everyday life..... kids, cooking, cleaning, appointments, work etc... get in the way of making time to do the thing that would most benefit us, but I am working on re-prioritizing that.
I feel lucky to have a profession that I LOVE, and I work on a daily basis to make sure I am nourishing myself with non-food things like.... exercise, spending time with girlfriends, going for a walk, listening to music, or going to the movies (I love going to the movies). All these things are great and help to keep me in balance, but when I heard the song it triggered a feeling that something was missing.
I started brainstorming to figure out what things spark a light within me, and then asked myself why I am not doing it?
 |
| one of my fav past projects... my version of a chakra system made using an old Georgia O'Keeffe calendar |
I need to do more artwork!
This came clear to me recently when I started to become a little obsessed while coloring with my 3 year old son - I had so much fun with crayons that I didn't want to stop, and insisted that he please let me finish the page before we did anything else.
My goal is to start making time to work on something... whether it is cutting up an old calendar and making a collage (an old favorite), buying some new paints and brushes and starting a painting, or trying something new that I haven't done before..... perhaps I'll take a class!
What makes your heart sing? Singing, writing, dancing, creating, running, riding, boating, helping, gardening, building.... the possibilities are endless. Are you doing it?
Share in comments... I would love to hear from you!
Friday, January 14, 2011
A Little Taste of Thai
In an attempt to add more variety to our evening family meals, and remind my darling husband that I CAN make food that is not only good for you, but also tastes good too; I've been trying a few new recipes this week.
My goal was to keep my grocery list the same, and use a lot of the same ingedients in meals, but have them taste very different without having to go out and buy special spices and such.
One of my favorite types of food is Thai... especially if it is made with fresh whole ingredients, so I decided I would use up the big bunch of quickly wilting basil from my fridge and make:
It was quite delicious if I do say so myself, and super easy to make. I always use whatever I have on hand, in this case, I only had wild rice in my pantry which was a good base, but I think plain brown rice would have been even better.
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts or boneless thighs (skinless and cut into strips)
1 tbl coconut oil
1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy)
1 med onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tbl fish sauce
3/4 cup coconut milk or cream
1 cup rice (rinse and cook with 2 cups of water ahead of time)
Directions:
My goal was to keep my grocery list the same, and use a lot of the same ingedients in meals, but have them taste very different without having to go out and buy special spices and such.
One of my favorite types of food is Thai... especially if it is made with fresh whole ingredients, so I decided I would use up the big bunch of quickly wilting basil from my fridge and make:
Thai Basil Chicken
 |
| tasted better then this photo shows |
Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts or boneless thighs (skinless and cut into strips)
1 tbl coconut oil
1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes (more if you like it spicy)
1 med onion, finely chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup chopped cabbage
1 cup chopped basil
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1 1/2 tbl fish sauce
3/4 cup coconut milk or cream
1 cup rice (rinse and cook with 2 cups of water ahead of time)
Directions:
- Heat oil in a stir fry pan, or wok. Add onions and garlic and cook for a couple minutes (until onions are translucent).
- Add chicken strips and cook for about 5 min or until the chicken is cooked through. Add chopped cabbage and cook 5 more minutes.
- Add the remaining ingredients: basil, cilantro, fish sauce and pepper flakes, and stir all together while cooking for another minute.
- Finally, add the coconut cream/ milk and cook for yet another 5 min until sauce has reduced a little (stirring a few times)
- Serve over a scoop or rice and garnish with slice of lime or sprig of cilantro. You could easily serve over soba or rice noodles as well.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Fresh Start Re-Boot Program
Did you merrily eat and drink your way through the holiday season, but now ready to break free from your post holiday slump and weight gain?
This program is designed for those that REALLY want to make the commitment to themselves and make a change! If you are ready, don't wait another minute!
Are you ready to get take the new year as an opportunity to get a fresh start and re-boot your mind and body?
Well, I've got a a program from you that will help you:
- Lose that holiday weight gain & belly fat
- Feel energized
- Ditch the sugar cravings
- Jump start a healthier new you for 2011
Hit the reset button on your metabolism and have more energy to do the things you love!
Here is what your fresh start 3 week program will look like:
3 weekly telelclasses (all classes will be recorded and emailed to you, so no worries if you can't make it live)
Week One: starting Jan 27, 2011
purify and cleanse, and start creating a new routine
Week Two:
establish new healthier habits, and begin building momentum
Week Three:
set new goals, kick start a healthy new balanced program that will keep you going all year long
Participate from ANYWHERE!
This program is designed for those that REALLY want to make the commitment to themselves and make a change! If you are ready, don't wait another minute!
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