I encourage all parents who are looking to improve their children’s health and mood, to start the day with a smoothie. This is the easiest way to get dark leafy green veggies into your children without them even knowing it! Here’s my secret…….blueberries mask all green goodness that you might want to throw in there.  A staple green smoothie I make for my girls goes like this: pour 16 oz of coconut water into your blender, add a frozen banana and a cup of frozen blueberries and 2 leaves of kale pulled from the stem. Blend and Done! I highly recommend the Vitamix blender, it is amazing! See how easy that is. The bananas add a nice sweetness and creamy texture and the blueberries give it a nice purple color to hide the green. I recommend the entire family begin their day with a green smoothie. Green leafy vegetables are the number one missing ingredient in the SAD (Standard American Diet) and they are crucial in providing the body with fiber used to carry out waste. They are also extremely high in magnesium and other important minerals our bodies need to thrive at an optimal level.  Did you know that the recommended daily allowance of RAW fruits and vegetables is 7-13 servings? Play with the ingredients and most importantly have fun coming up with your own creations!

My dinner on Thursday night: wild caught swordfish (which is not an endangered fish) topped with sauteed leeks, garlic and tomatoes with a squeeze of lemon juice. Served with lightly sauteed mushrooms, zucchini, kale, garlic and red peppers in coconut oil alongside a salad of arugula and red leaf lettuce topped with pea sprouts. YUM!

As a self professed carbaholic, I am truly amazed at how easy it has been to give up grains and beans. (I have to admit, I do miss french fries just a little.) There has been one major exception and that has been my gluten free brown rice bread in the morning. I LOVE smearing it with almond butter! But I am giving myself props. I have cut back to a half of piece instead of a whole and I’m not eating it every day. Other than that giving up grains with lunch and dinner has been easy and I truly thought that dinner would a huge challenge. I have been eating more veggies than I ever thought possible especially since I am continuing to take the Juice Plus. I am more than filling my RDA of fruits and veggies which is surprisingly a recommended 9-13 servings! Thankfully I have Juice Plus to fill that gap!

Many people think I am nuts when I tell them that I have given up most grains, and I thought it was crazy at first too. I started by removing gluten from my family’s diet. What a HUGE difference. My five year old’s constant crying and fits of anger have dwindled away, my two year old is sleeping better and is “tooting” less and my husband has lost over 15 pounds and weighs what he did in college. My experience with giving up gluten has been more suttle. I had less gastrointestinal upset but I was still incredibly bloated and no matter how hard I worked at the gym, just couldn’t get rid of my belly fat.  I had myself convinced that brown rice and quinoa should be every day staples in my diet, and they were, and I was feeling so bloated and bubbly. I kept thinking…”what gives,  I’m doing everything right so why am I still feeling so horrible”. So here i am giving up my brown rice and quinoa and feeling amazing! I have more energy during the day and I have so much more strength in my workouts. Now, I am also working out on the Power Plate machine 2-3x a week which is contributing to my rapid increase in strength. So the two are working hand in hand.

A few things I have yet to give up as recommended in following the Paleo lifestyle: caffeine (working on it), alcohol (not gonna happen, but have cut WAY back) and salt (not sure I can manage that, but again have cut way back). I have found that to maintain longevity in lifestyle changes it is really important to make it work to fit your capabilities. If your expectations are beyond your capabilities, you are setting yourself up for failure. Aim high but within reason.

Let yourself be silently drawn by the stronger pull of what you really love.

-Rumi

Person to Person, moment to moment, as we love, we change the world.

-Samahria Kaufman

The month of love is not just about love and relationships but also about desire. For many people who are not in a relationship, the month of February leaves many dwelling on their desire for a companion. I find this a perfect time get clear about what it is you want; whether it is someone to share the sweet moments in life with or to pack up and move to Paris. How can you ask for that which you are not aware of?  I am a firm believer in making lists and turning thoughts into things whether it is through a vision board or a scrap piece of paper with your goals or desires written on it. Here is a little exercise to get you going.

This is a tool for you to create a clear list of everything you desire. Go wild!

Get in touch with your desires: from relationships to abundance to feelings to vacations—anything at all.

Step 1: Start filling in your desires. You can begin simply. You will notice that more will come to you once you focus. Use any language you are comfortable with, such as “I want…” or “I desire…” or “I intend…”

example: I want to drive across the USA

Step 2: When you have completed a desire, put at “x” in the “done!” column and write a thank you to whoever helped you complete your desire. You might be thanking yourself.

example: thank you, mom and dad

Step 3:           Put the list in a place where you see it, such as on your refrigerator, and add to it as you wish.

Step 4:           Know that it might take time to complete your list. Enjoy the process of fulfilling your desires and know that when you are clear about what you want, you are supported in getting it!

Soul Food

Have you ever really thought about how food makes you feel? We each have an emotional connection to food. Thoughts of ice cream cones dripping down our arms as kids often create a feeling of warmth or nostalgia. Maybe the smell of a home baked apple pie reminds you of someone special in your life. It is important to hone in on the feelings we have around food but also to pay attention to how food makes us feel physically.

For many of us our connection to food is not always a positive one. If particular foods trigger emotions of guilt it is important to pay attention to where those feelings are coming from. The negative emotions we have around food can often be just a harmful to our bodies as the poor food choices we make.

On the flip side, just because food emotionally makes us feel good doesn’t mean that it is always the right choice for our bodies. Maybe that fourth cookie will be a temporary satisfaction but not exactly the most optimal choice for providing you with energy to get through your day. How many times have you looked in the fridge and realized what you really are looking for is not in there. I encourage you to figure out what it is that you are truly hungry for; maybe a walk in the woods, a warm cup of tea with a friend or a bike ride. Many times we are reaching for food, especially sugar, as a way to fill a void where we lack sweetness in our lives. Instead of reaching for that cookie next time, reach for a hug instead and see what happens.

Eat For Vibrant Health

Food builds the foundation of the body. What we eat will become our blood, cells, tissues and our emotions. Are you feeling run down, stressed out, or overweight? If so, I urge you to take a look at what you are eating. Is your body getting what it needs to function optimally? Each of us needs a balance of Fats, Complex Carbohydrates and Proteins. Some of us need more of one group than the other. This is where eating for health gets fun.

Find your balance!

Keep a food journal or diary and pay attention to how you feel after you eat. Because we are each biogenetically engineered differently, food affects each of us in a unique way.

Experiment to find which foods make you feel good.

Get in the kitchen and have a good time. Take a cooking class; use your hands to connect with your food. Travel to local farms to connect with the source of where your food is coming from. Be involved in your own nourishment.

It is possible to find foods that taste good and are great for you. Buy or borrow cookbooks.

Try new recipes.

Find a way of eating which appeals to you. A large number of nutritional lifestyles exist such as:

Raw foods

Ayurveda

Macrobiotics

Vegan

Vegetarian

Let Go of the Fat Fear

For years we have been trained to be a fat free and low fat nation. People have developed a fear of fat. I want to ease your mind in telling you that if you add a little bit of the right fats to your diet your body will benefit.

Fat is an essential food that our bodies and our brains need to function. Fats and oils from whole foods and other high-quality sources can steady our metabolism, keep hormone levels even, nourish our skin, hair and nails and provide lubrication to keep the body functioning fluidly. Our bodies also need fat for insulation and to protect and hold our organs in place.

Not all oils and fats are created equal. Heavily processed, hydrogenated, “trans” fats and oils that are used in prepared, packaged foods and fast foods can be extremely damaging to the body. In New York trans fats were banned in restaurants because of their harmful affects. For more info on trans fats visit this link http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6407186

A healthy percentage of high-quality fat in a meal satisfies and leaves feelings of energy, fulfillment and warmth. Think for a moment, do you tend to naturally crave foods high in fat in the winter?

There are many sources of healthy fats and oils. For sautéing and baking, try butter, ghee (clarified butter) or coconut oil, because they do not break down when used at high temperatures. When sautéing and stovetop cooking at moderate temperatures, try organic extra virgin olive oil. Oils like flaxseed, sesame, toasted sesame, walnut and pumpkin seed are best used unheated in sauces or dressings on top of salads, veggies or grains. Other healthy fats are found in whole nuts and seeds and in their butters like almond butter or tahini. Whole foods such as avocados, olives and coconuts are great sources of healthy fat, along with wild salmon and omega-3 and omega-6 organic eggs. Experiment with these healthy fat sources and see which agree with you and leave you satisfied.

When selecting oils, buy the highest quality organic products you can afford, since cooking oils are the backbone of so many dishes. Good words to look for on the label are organic, first-pressed, cold-pressed, extra-virgin and unrefined. Words to avoid are expeller-pressed, refined and solvent extracted.

A Good Fat Recipe

Avocado Dip

Prep Time: 3 minutes

Yield: 1 cup

Ingredients:

1 large peeled and pitted avocado

2/3 cup plain yogurt, goat yogurt or soy yogurt

1 diced tomato

dash or two of cayenne pepper

sea salt and black pepper

Directions:

1. Mash avocado with a fork until very smooth.

2. Add yogurt, tomato, cayenne. Blend until smooth. This may be done in a food processor, in a blender or with a fork.

3. Add sea salt and fresh black pepper to taste.

4. Serve chilled with mixed raw vegetables.

Note: Best made a maximum of 1 hour before serving.

Tips for Healthy Eating

1. Cook your meals at home

You will eat less, eat better and save money

2. Plan meals ahead for the week

If you are busy and find you have little time to cook during the week, it is helpful to take a few hours on the weekend to prepare meals for the week ahead.

3. When possible buy organic produce and free range- hormone free meats

Yes, buying organic is more expensive however, when you nourish yourself with food that is free of chemicals and hormones, the appetite is easier satiated and you will find that you need less food to function. When the body is not getting enough nutrients or is fighting to protect itself from the toxins entering with the food, hunger persists as the body is looking for more nutrients. You must break the cycle of perpetual hunger by giving the body what it is asking for….nutrient dense food.

4. Add in raw fruits, vegetables and nuts

Rather than focusing on what you should be taking away, focus on what you can add in and eat those things first. This will help to cut your hunger and your cravings.

5. Avoid eating out of a package and if you do, read labels

Many packaged foods contain preservatives and chemicals which prolong the shelf life. When ingested those chemicals become toxins in the body that accumulate over time.

6. Stop consuming artificial sweeteners.

Artificial sweeteners are highly toxic, especially to the nervous system. Our bodies are unable to break down the unfamiliar chemical components in artificial sweeteners causing the toxic substances to be stored in the body. Products like diet sodas do not prevent weight gain; in fact toxins such as artificial sweeteners can have the opposite effect. Our bodies produce more fat when toxins are introduced as a way of protecting our vital organs.

If something sweet and bubbly is what you crave try mixing ½ cup seltzer water with ½ cup of your favorite juice. Or add fresh fruit, cucumbers or lemon to filtered spring water for added flavor.

Natural Sweeteners that the body recognizes:

• Raw Honey

• Maple Syrup

• Stevia

Remember, learning how to best nourish ourselves is a life long process. Apply what you can now and work on the rest. Building a healthy relationship with food takes time, commitment and an open mind.

The best tip: when thinking of what you should eat at your next meal, ask yourself “will this give my body what it needs to function optimally”. The answer does not ALWAYS have to be yes, but it should often be yes.

Be patient with yourself, but be committed to living a life that you deserve.

I have noticed lately how much small decisions I make throughout the week really affect the success what I’m trying to accomplish here. For instance, if I decide to spend an evening out with friends mid week, it usually results in a tail spin typically beginning with drinking alcohol leading to staying out way too late and resulting in me feeling exhausted and trying to recuperate the whole next day. My patience are limited, my nerves are frayed and I feel overwhelmed; not the best scenario in keeping the flow at home. I am trying to come to terms with the fact that having a social life at night truly throws me out of whack but it is also so necessary to my mental health. What is a girl to do? I’m thinking mental health night will have to involve yoga or African dance class and some tea at my favorite local coffee shop, The Bean and Leaf and definitely bed by 11pm. My old self reads this and thinks….how lame, bed by 11! But my wiser juicy self just smiles inside knowing that this path will lead me to, well……… whatever I choose to manifest.

“As a single footstep will not make a path on the earth, so a single thought will not make a pathway in the mind. To make a deep physical path, we walk again and again. To make a deep mental path, we must think over and over the kind of thoughts we wish to dominate our lives.”  HENRY DAVID THOREAU

The idea of Living Juicy was presented to me when I first picked up one of Sark’s books. If you haven’t read her I highly recommend grabbing one of her books, packing a picnic, going to your favorite outdoor spot where you can spend the day alone soaking up all of the Sarkism.  If that isn’t possible, by all means, keep the book by your bedside table and read a few pages before bed. She will leave you with a warm fuzzy feeling inside which will of course only result in the most fantastic dreams!

I took one of Sark’s workshops at Kripalu last spring and found the experience to be so moving and helpful in so many ways. (Becoming a live in volunteer at Kripalu at some point in my life is definitely on my bucket list. Love that place!) Ok back to Sark, first she became a real person to me. No longer existing in an existential world that seemed untouchable. Second I realized that many of her zaney ideas were just a little over the top (like having regular romantic dinners with yourself….uh not for me) and I really had no desire to completely immerse myself in her way of life. So what I was left with was the ability to pick and choose which gems of wisdom I wanted to take from her. One of the most impactful ideas was to not do anything out of FOG: fear, obligation and guilt. AHH HA! Yup, I had an Oprah moment. This idea felt VERY liberating to me, leading me to begin to question my beliefs in all areas of how I was conducting myself as a mother, wife, daughter, sister,  friend, yada yada yada. In essence, this was the permission I needed to stop worrying and start living MY life. Not for everyone else for fear of letting people down, disappointing my parents or being on the receiving end of judgment.  This was the catalyst for me choosing to JUST GO FOR IT AND LET GO!

So how has this related to what has transpired in my life since then? I have since decided that this is in fact the year of no excuses. No excuses as to why I still do not have the body that I dream of. Really all it needs is a little toning in the belly and thigh area. Wouldn’t I be so much happier to have it as opposed to be dreaming about myself in it!? So this requires regular exercise which has always been an all or nothing experience. In the past month I have been committed to working out on The Power Plate three times a week which I am so fortunate to have access to at Health In Harmony where I am a Holistic Health Coach. YAY! I literally do not have to leave work to get my exercise in three times a week. What a bonus because time is really an issue for me with two little ones. Second, and this is a kicker, I have decided to give up grains and follow the Paleo Diet as recommended to me by my friend Dr. Ryan Casagranda. Yes ALL grains including the gluten free ones! This has proven to be a challenge. No organic corn chips and salsa…….or brown rice bread with almond butter for breakfast. We’ll see how long this lasts but in the name of belly fat I have to give it a go! The point is to eat as our ancestors did way back in the day…..talking caveman times. Did cavemen have brown rice bread? Nope. Nothing out of packages. Only delicious whole foods made and prepared by mother nature and myself.

So raise your glasses of green juice and cheers to my start at Going Juicy! I will post picks to track my progress and and have decided to attempt logging my daily food intake for all of you who always ask “Lindsae what are you eating these days”. And just to be nice….I will throw in some yummy recipes to keep my followers coming back for more.