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!

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

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:

one of my fav past projects...
my version of a chakra system
 made using an old
Georgia O'Keeffe calendar

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!

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:

Thai Basil Chicken

tasted better then this photo shows 

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:

• 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.
• 
  

It was a hit with the whole family, and I will be making it again for sure! Another great example of how great tasting food doesn't have to be complicated, or take a lot or time or skill to make.

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?

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!

Along with the three recorded teleclasses all participants also receive:

• Action Guide with recipes 
• Basic whole foods cleanse plan 
• 21 daily inspirational emails 
• 24/7 online support from a members only forum 

Keep motivated and get help making the changes you want to see for yourself in 2011. 

Ready for a FRESH START? 

Join NOW... and you won't have to be wishing come spring time that you had made the investment in yourself! 

To make it a no-brainer I have made it super affordable for everyone that joins before Jan 21, 2011

Register NOW for only $97

 

* To allow the price to be so low there is a minimum of 6 people required for the group to go... so share with your friends!

Quick Tips for Healthier Holidays!

We are all tempted to indulge over the holiday season - there are sweets, treats and goodies all around. You don't have to be the person standing over the crudite platter and eating only carrot sticks and celery to be healthy this season, it is about making empowered choices, and the following tips are intended to help you with that.

1. Indulge in the foods you LOVE.... just make the portions smaller, and when you do eat, take time to savor each bite! Be thoughtful, and remember just because that morsel is small, one is plenty. Chew, chew, chew and make it last....

2. Drink up.... on water that is! Holiday drinks can be loaded with sugar and calories, so in between the 'eggnog latte' and pomegranate martini etc... be sure to drink lots of H2O. Dehydration is also a leading cause of cravings so keeping hydrated helps that "uncontrollable" hand reaching for another cookie.

3. Fill up... on healthier whole grains and veggies before going out to dinner or to the next holiday party. This makes it so much easier to enjoy in moderation because you won't be starving and gobbling up everything in sight.

4. Keep moving.... it is easy to throw it all out the window with so much going on, but keeping up your exercise routine is important even if it is as simple as going for a walk... exercise can really help keep you on track with what you are eating, and can help reduce holiday stress too.

5. Bring it... if you are not sure what type of food will be at a party - bring a healthier version of something that you know you will be happy to eat.

Wishing you a wonderful holiday season, celebrating love, life, friends, family and most importantly you! Feeling good comes from within, so remember to acknowledge your awesomeness too!

Happy Eating!