I used to suffer from year-round allergies that were at their worst in the springtime. I was on a corticosteroid inhaler and took antihistamines for six months out of the year. I had frequent colds, sinus infections and headaches. I decided to get off the medications and fight the allergies the natural way. This is the protocol that I have followed for the last six years. I can’t promise that it will work for everyone, but I can say that I am now medication and allergy free. Read the rest of this entry »

Most of us have dutifully made a list of resolutions and found to our dismay that 2 months later our habits haven’t changed at all. What can you do to really own your New Year’s Resolutions and make permanent changes?

Write down your resolutions - Write them down and take a good look at them. If you have a long list, pick just one. Pick the one that will make the biggest difference in your life and is the most do-able.

Make a plan - If your resolution is a bit general, break it down into easy-to-do action steps. Decide when you are going to start the first step. Today? Tomorrow? Monday? Put it into your schedule right now.

Tell someone else - No secrets! Tell at least one person who will hold you accountable. Tell them what you’re going to do and when. Have them ask you whether you’ve done it.

Visualization - Sit in a comfortable quiet place for at least 5 minutes. Imagine yourself doing the first action step of your resolution. How does it feel? Imagine that you continue doing this for the next month, six months, year from now… how will you feel then? How will your life be different?

Write down 5 positive outcomes that will come from successfully implementing your resolution. Post these somewhere visible such as on your refrigerator or by your desk as a Reminder.

This is the time of year for colds and flu… and amidst all the dire warnings out there this year I thought some basic tips for staying healthy would be helpful.

• Wash your hands frequently or use hand sanitizer if you are unable to get to the sink.
• Avoid touching your face with your hands. One of the biggest ways that we infect ourselves is by transferring germs from our hands to our mouth, nose or eyes.
• Cough or sneeze into your elbow instead of your hands to avoid spreading your germs to others.
• Use a neti pot or sinus irrigation tool to rinse your sinuses with warm salt water every day. Gargling with salt water is a good idea as well. Don’t give the germs a chance to stick!
• Get enough sleep! This varies by person, but generally 7-8 hours is recommended.
• Stay off the sugar! Sugar depresses your immune system.
• Supplements: Vitamin C, Vitamin D3, echinacea and zinc are all helpful for your immune system. Experiment to see what supplements work best for you to keep your immune system functioning optimally.

It’s easy when you’re feeling overwhelmed and stressed to forget the importance of taking care of yourself. When you take care of yourself first, you have more to give to others in your life - family, friends and co-workers. When you treat yourself well, you are naturally more productive, motivated and energetic and have more to give to the world. What are some easy ways to nurture yourself?

• Eat Breakfast and Lunch - Skipping breakfast and working through lunch is a recipe for afternoon slumps and late night binges.
• Get your Beauty Sleep - Whoa, dark circles! Sleep 7-8 hours a night to look and feel your best.
• Active Relaxation - Take 5-10 minutes every day to meditate, do yoga, stretch or just breathe.

Read the rest of this entry »

Farmers Markets are overloaded with squash this time of year. Here is a simple but delicious recipe that can be served at a dinner party or as a simple meal at home. This naturally sweet vegetable is also a good antidote for sugar cravings.

Ingredients:
3 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 cup chopped onions
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 tblsp curry powder
1 tsp ground cumin
Cayenne pepper to taste (careful!)
1 large butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cubed
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
3 cups water
1 tart green apple, peeled, cored and chopped
Salt & pepper to taste

In a large soup pot over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add onion and saute until golden brown. Add garlic, curry powder, cumin, and cayenne pepper; cook, stirring constantly for 30 seconds. Add squash, vegetable or chicken broth, water and apple. Bring liquid to a boil; reduce heat to low and simmer, covered, 25 minutes or until squash is tender. Remove from heat and cool 15-20 minutes.Puree mixture in a blender or food processor and transfer back into soup pot. Season with salt and pepper.

• Refrigerate or freeze until ready to serve.
• To serve, warm over low heat, stirring until hot.

Collard green wraps are my new favorite thing! Collard greens replace the tortilla and provide a healthier wrap option. It’s also a great way to get more greens into your diet. Get fresh collard greens from your local Farmer’s Market and fill them with your choice of fillings. You can put just about anything in the collard wrap and make them raw too.

My current favorite:

Take 1-2 raw collard leaves with the inside facing up and fill with:

- Hummus, brown rice or quinoa, grated carrot, 1/2 avocado, dash of toasted sesame oil and tamari. Yum!

Collard greens are packed with nutrition! 

Like other vegetables in the cabbage family, collard greens provide anticancer properties. They offer an excellent source of vitamins B6 and C, carotenes, chlorophyll, and manganese.  One cup of collard greens provides more than 70 percent of the RDA for vitamin C. Collard greens are also a very good source of fiber, and several minerals, including iron, copper, and calcium. They also offer a good source of vitamins B1, B2, and E.

I love having smoothies for breakfast in the summer! This chocolate smoothie is my favorite… cooling, nutritious and delicious. Yum!

Ingredients:

• 1 banana
• 4 tblsp hemp protein powder
  
• 1 tblsp cacao powder
• 1 tblsp almonds
• 1 tblsp flax meal
• 2 tblsp hemp seeds
• Splash of vanilla
• Splash of raw agave
• 1 1/2 cup of water
• 4-5 ice cubes

BLEND!!!

Feeling unbalanced, run down, stressed out, or anxious about life in general? Meditation is a wonderful way to recharge and rejuvenate. Meditation has been shown to offer many health benefits* as well. Read the rest of this entry »

Spring is the perfect time to up your intake of greens. The grass is turning green, the trees are blossoming and green shoots are coming up all over. Nature is reminding us to eat our greens! Greens help cleanse and detoxify our bodies, increase our energy and make us feel more in tune with the season. Greens also have a high fiber and nutrient content - calcium, magnesium, iron, folic acid, as well as antioxidant vitamins A, B, C and E. Read the rest of this entry »

I used to suffer from year-round allergies that were at their worst in the springtime. I was on a corticosteroid inhaler and took antihistamines for six months out of the year. I had frequent colds, sinus infections and headaches. I decided to get off the medications and fight the allergies the natural way. This is the protocol that I have followed for the last six years. I can’t promise that it will work for everyone, but I can say that I am now medication and allergy free. Read the rest of this entry »