Archive for the ‘Wellness’ Category

1 Bunch of Kale or Collard Greens (chop with a knife into small pieces or use a fine slicing blade of a food processor)
½ Cup of Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ Cup of Lemon Juice
½ Cup of Avocado Cubed
1 Tsp Chili Powder or Chinese 5 Seasons Powder
½ Tsp Celtic Salt

• Place chopped greens in a bowl, mix remaining ingredients in a separate bowl, use your hands to massage the seasoning into the greens. Cover and left the kale marinate in the ingredients.

• Cut tomato of choice into small pieces and cube avocado and add right before you serve the salad.

I love the ginger salad dressing at Benihana’s. This recipe is fantastic and can be used on your favorite salad of choice.

1/4 cup Organic Virgin Olive Oil
1 Tbs Sesame Oil
1/3 cup Rice Wine Vinegar
1 tsp Soy Sauce or Bragg’s Amino Acids
2 Tbsp Freshly Grated Ginger
2 Tsp Sesame Seeds

Mix all ingredients together and use.

Keep refrigerated. Will keep in fridge for a couple of weeks.

I grew up always hearing that its better to give than to receive, that was my Catholic upbringing. I prefer to be on the giving side of things: afterall isn’t that what its all about? 16 years of Catholic school education….you get the picture.

Oh sure I’ve read lots of books about sharing your gifts with the world and it’s in giving that we receive with total emphasis on giving.

This year I have learned a great deal about being on the other end – the end of receiving. And let me tell you there is no greater gift to give yourself than the gift of receiving.
Moving to Arizona in the summer of 2010 was the fulfillment of a dream come true. But it wasn’t short of life’s hiccups. I have had many humbling experiences lately and its enabled me to grow in ways I never knew possible.

I attended mass on Father’s Day with a heavy heart. My Dad is fighting terminal brain cancer and he lives in NY. I set the intention before going to mass for a sense of peace for me and healing for my Dad.

The sermon by the priest started off …………..a true story about a 5 year old boy who was born blind & the parish who raised money for him to have surgery to restore his vision. The boy and his parents traveled to Massachusetts for the surgery. The young boy was known for carrying around a teddy bear that never left his side. The bear was described as “Flea-ridden” his left eye was hanging by a prayer, an ear had been bitten off and stuffing regularly was being stuffed into the bear’s right side. The bear accompanied the boy throughout the pre-op and doctor meetings. The boy’s mom had offered to replace the bear with a “Build a Bear” but the young boy wouldn’t have it!! The surgeon made sure that the bear was placed as close to the boy as possible during the surgery – ensuring it would be placed in his bed during recovery so that he would find it upon waking.

The surgery went as planned and the family was to return back to the hospital after several days for the removal of the bandages. The big day finally arrived and as soon as the bandages were removed the boy clutching his bear began to sob !! Can you imagine the 1st time he saw his parents and the world after 5 long years of living in the dark!!! He was crying tears of joy running into the arms of his parents!!! He was finally introduced to the surgeon who was responsible for giving him his sight – he was overwhelmed with gratitude and asked the doctor “How can I pay you for giving me my sight – it must have cost a lot of money” the little boy handed him his beloved teddy bear. The doctor smiled and thanked the little boy. Can you imagine how the Dr felt when the boy gave his most beloved treasure??? By graciously receiving the gift the Dr made the little boy feel like a million bucks!!!

The doctor placed the teddy bear in a glass case with a plague that reads “Here is the greatest amount of money I have ever received for a medical procedure.” And it’s dated. It still stands today in the hospital. it was in accepting this gift that the dr received the biggest gift of all – that of receiving.

This story brought me to tears during the homily. I had an “aha” moment – at 48yrs of age I finally got the true meaning of receiving. Its not giving in that we receive as much as it’s receiving with an open heart. Let the giver experience the gift of giving!!! Honestly until you have received you haven’t truly learned to give.

Happy Saturday!!!

This tapenade can take regular chicken or fish to a new level of delish:) OR  you can use endive lettuce leaves to dip into the deliciousness!!

1 Avocado

1 tbsp Cilantro

6-8 Green Olives, chopped

1 Tsp Red Onion, chopped

1 Tbsp Lime Juice

Celtic Sea Salt

1 Head of Endive, separate leaves

Mix all ingredients in a bowl except the endive.  When mixed serve in a bowl and use endive leaves to dip.

Used to love the days when I had an herb garden!! Basil is my favorite herb.  Here is a quick down and dirty Pesto made with walnuts rather than pine nuts.

1/2 cup of Garlic

2 cups Fresh Basil Leaves, packed

2 cups Raw Walnuts

1/2 cup first cold pressed extra virgin olive oil

Makes 3 cups

In a food processor or blender, homogenize garlic and basil leaves.  Stir in olive oil.  Keeps 5 days in the refrigerator.

Pass on the pasta and serve it over spaghetti squash.

This recipe is from RAW: The UNcook Book – Juliano Brotman & Erika Lenkert

1)   KEEP IT CLEAN
Before you head out on your adventure, make sure you wash your cooler well with soap and     hot  water. Dry it thoroughly

2)   START WITH SOMETHING SOLID
Make your own ice blocks with milk cartons, it tends to last longer than ice cubes.

3)  THINK AHEAD FREEZE DRINKS
Freeze drinks & juice boxes the night before!!! The colder the better!!

4)  ORDER IS EVERYTHING
The less you move things around the colder the contents will stay.  First things to be eaten go on    top and itens that you need last go on the bottom of the cooler.

5)   ZIP IT, CLOSE IT, TWIST IT
Make sure that food is placed in containers that fit tightly and/or put the containers into zip lock bags.

6)   KEEP IT SEPARATE
Make sure cooked food is kept in another cooler away from non-cooked food.  Cross contamination is a BIG No No!

7)    IN THE SHADE
Keep your cooler out of the sun as much as possible. Cover it with a blanket or tarp.

8)    CLOSE IT
Each time you open the cooler the inside temperature warms up.  Keep others out by placing a heavy object on top of the cooler.

9)    CLEAN THOROUGHLY
When you get home make sure everything is removed from the cooler and cleaned thoroughly with soap and hot water. Let it air dry before storing it.

I find the word “Goal” thrown around and loosely used as though it has no meaning. Similar to The Teflon Don – meaning nothing sticks!!!! I find that to be the case with many of us. “I’m going to drop 20 pounds, my 25th high school reunion is coming up and I need to vamp my body”.  We want a change, a transformation, but haven’t the foggiest idea how to get there. And nor do we have a plan.

I believe in setting goals – without them we are going nowhere FAST!!! So here’s the deal with goals……… Goals are great but you must be smart about them. Having goals lead me to my 1st NPC Figure Contest in 2008. I never would have made it without my coach or my written personal goals.

To set goals they must be:

1) Realistic
2) Attainable
3) Specific
4) Measurable
5) Trackable

There are 2 Types of Goals:

1) Performance
a) Ex: I will walk in the am & the pm each day
b) I will swim for ½ mile each day

2) Outcome
a) I want to weigh 30lbs less

Setting an Outcome goal without a Performance Goal is the equivalent of participating in a triathlon without ever training for it. That leaves you with little chance for success.

Breaking goals into actionable steps is KEY.   And it keeps you motivated.   Future goals are hard to attain without immediate goals to keep you focused and motivated.

Champion athletes don’t become champs 1st and then train like one- hoping that training and dedication pay off. It doesn’t work like that.

Treat your health as you would your business – with Goals: Performance and Outcome based.

So what are you GOALS now?????

Who wants to cook on a hot summer night??? Here’s the perfect dish…………..

1 ½ Cup Quinoa Cooked
16 ounces Roasted Chicken, cut into chunks
½ Red Onion Chopped
2 Red Peppers Chopped
3 Stalks Organic Celery Sliced
¼ Cup Organic Olive Oil
Juice of ½ Lemon
Sea Salt & Pepper to taste

Make sure the quinoa is cooled before preparing the salad.

Assemble ingredients in a decorative glass bowl, dress with olive oil and lemon & season and you’ve got a delicious and healthy salad!!!

I usually make a double batch of quinoa and use one serving for dinner and the other I refrigerate and use for lunch the next day – chicken salad.

Eat Better: When you cook in bulk you set yourself up to make healthy choices!! Especially during the week when you are short on time, and in dire need of a quick meal. You set yourself up for success. No temptation to drive-thru when you are armed and dangerous with food waiting at home.

Time Saver: Ok so it takes alittle prep work and planning but oh the rewards you will reap- making it well worth your effort!! Time is a resource we can Never get back – and I for one place alot of value on my time and how I spend it!! So when you cook a large quantity and get multiple servings from it you end up saving a bunch of time in the kitchen that you be used on YOU!!

Cash Savings: Cooking enough food for multiple meals is a Ca-Ching money saving option! Cooking in bulk and freezing portions or making several different meals from one is a beautiful thing and great budget friendly option. It cuts down on food waste, and its time efficient!!! Since you have meals ready at home you are less likely to spend eating out!!!

I allocate time on Sunday am to bang out my meals for the upcoming week!!! I love making life easier so I can actually live it not just go through the motions!!!

To Your Healthy Eats!!!!!

Ok so you are finally getting some traction on your weight loss and the dreaded weekend is here!!! You are heading out to the family BBQ. You know its going to be hard to keep to your program – no worries- here are 5 Tips To Survive A Barbeque

• Pass on the hot dog and go for the hamburger minus the bun. Skip the ketchup (its full of hfcs) and add lettuce and tomato. If you are lucky steak and chicken are will be available – heck yeah is what I say to that☺

• Pass over the mayonnaise laden salads; macaroni, potato, cole slaw and hit up the green lettuce salad.

• Drinks – wine (red, merlot), club soda with a dash of cranberry juice or bring your liquid stevia travel pack! I love squeezing a fresh lime, lime stevia and throwing in some frozen raspberries – limeade (getting carried away). Beer is a show stopper – but if you must go for the low carb variety. Just know that alcohol prohibits fat loss. If its your “Cheat Night” Cheers!

• Eat alittle something before you go. And make sure you have already consumed ½ your body weight in water. It will fill you up and help if you have an alcoholic beverage as it will dehydrate you!

Last but certainly not least – “Step away from the food table”