Greetings of the season, friends. I wish you all health in mind, body and spirit during this festive time of year.
This season comes and goes as quickly as Santa down a chimney, and if we aren't healthy, we may miss out on some of the enjoyment, so here are a few tips to help keep you feeling and looking your best during the holidays:
1) Increase your intake of fruits and veggies. Fruits and veggies give you much needed defense against colds and flu's. They also help you repair from stress and lack of sleep. make a conscious effort to get double doses of each daily. Soups are a great way to get your five and five in.
2) Don't skip the exercise. Although it's a busy time of year, the average person gains an extra 3-5 pounds. Now is not the time to let your exercise routine take a vacation. Stay disciplined about your habits now more than ever, and you will not have to pay for it later.
3) Add vitamin C and zinc to your diet daily.
4) Follow the three bite rule when indulging in holiday treats. The key to the three bite rule is to enjoy three polite bites as if you are on national television eating with the Queen. No, the bites are not the size of an ice cream scoop.
5) Drink extra water. During this season, the furnace runs more and we can tend to drink more hot fluids and alcoholic beverages, all of which can dehydrate us. Be sure to keep the water intake up to flush out toxins and prevent hydration.
6) Try these healthful ingredients when doing your holiday cooking: whole-wheat pastry flour combined with coconut flour for baking, nuts of all kinds, cinnamon and other spices, coconut oil instead of butter when baking cookies, substitute regular sugar with lower calorie, palm or coconut sugar.
7) Be the example, not the enabler. Exercise restraint and discipline and others will follow your example. It is impressive not to be excessive. You will love yourself for it and so will others come January.
8) Give the gift of health. We spend lots of money on toys and goodies, but why not commit to making the world a better place with your gift-giving? Give something that will make someones life better. A book about health, a gift certificate for a massage or exercise, or even a healthy cooking class. There are also many great videos and documentaries out there about health that could really make a difference in peoples lives.
9) Beware the beverages. Tis the season for peppermint lattes, egg nog, hot totties and more. Beverages are often loaded with calories, moderation is your friend.
10) Keep a healthy living journal. I am a big fan of writing down what you eat and drink. Actually seeing it in writing helps you to realize your habits.
Well, there you have it. A little advice sprinkled with holiday spice. Now go out there and eat, drink and be healthy!
Monday, December 6, 2010
Saturday, August 7, 2010
Summer in Sonoma
Hello there Body Talk friends!
Good summer? Living the 80-20 rule?
I was quite proud of myself for having water at the farmer's market last week. Really trying to keep the 80-20 thing going during the summer, which is not always easy in Sonoma. ;)
My week has gone something like this:
Monday, delightful dinner at my friend Kellie's house. Did I mention how delightful it was?? Amazing, is more like it. The theme was Zucchini, and she had zucchini sushi, ratatouille, soup, and an amazing pork dish. The wine and the company were equally amazing. (all in honor of the zucchini races which happened this week at Sonoma's farmers market, which we WON!)
Tuesday, a little slow from the over-indulgence, so drank loads of water and ate kale salad and tomatoes for breakfast, a protein smoothie, and very light at the farmers market, including water to drink.
Feeling still a bit sluggish on Wed., due to the red wine on Monday (I don't do well with sulfates, so red wine takes me down and I pay dearly for it) so I kept it clean with 2 brisk walks in the sunshine. Thursday and Friday, much the same, not perfect, but pretty clean. Today the fog seems to have lifted a bit and I think I will finish the week at 80/20 exactly.
And you???
Ok, so, lots going on in the world of healthy living. Oprah just bought Discovery Health Channel and is accepting video clips for new show ideas for her new healthy living network called OWN, Oprah Winfrey Network. I smell an 80-20 healthy living show a brewing.......Me likey. :)
Speaking of cool television networks, www.naturalnews.com is the bomb.
You seriously need to check it out. It's an amazing web site and newsletter about natural health. Subscribe. You'll love getting their newsletter with great tips articles, special reports and more.
THEY ALSO HAVE A NEW ONLINE TELEVISION NETWORK where I will be posting reality bites on 80-20 living, so stay tuned!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my butt has been in the chair feverishly working on ways to make the world a better place. Some cool healthy living stuff in the works and you will be the first to hear when the cat is out of the bag. :)
Here's some summer lovin' for ya:
zucchini sushi - paper thin clices of zucchini with a touch of wasabi, served with soy sauce. that's it. Simple. Delicious. (thanks Kellie!)
blend 2 bananas, 1/2 pineapple, 2tbsp coconut milk, 8 tblsp pineapple juice. yum.
kids love 3c steamed broccoli, 3 cups steamed cauliflower mashed together, butter, sea salt, parmesean.
fizzy drink - pulp 1/2 melon, 2 kiwi fruits, juice of lime, 4-6 ice cubes, then add sparkling mineral water to top off.
Kiss your man (or woman) after having sipped an ice cold Corona with lime. :)
Hope you are living life to it's fullest and soaking up as much sun as possible. The sun heals, folks. Don't hide from it. be smart, cover up if your starting to burn, but get as naked as possible and let your body develop a base so you can expose as much of your body to the sun at least 20 minutes per day. Do it for a week and tell me if you notice a difference in your energy.
Food for thought:
Fresh fizzy fruit elixirs, crispy veggie platters, cold soups, salads, shaved ice.
What is your body saying to you these days? I hope you are listening........
QFTD: When taking someone's picture in Sonoma, you don't have to ask them to smile. :)
Yours in summer smilin,
Heather
Good summer? Living the 80-20 rule?
I was quite proud of myself for having water at the farmer's market last week. Really trying to keep the 80-20 thing going during the summer, which is not always easy in Sonoma. ;)
My week has gone something like this:
Monday, delightful dinner at my friend Kellie's house. Did I mention how delightful it was?? Amazing, is more like it. The theme was Zucchini, and she had zucchini sushi, ratatouille, soup, and an amazing pork dish. The wine and the company were equally amazing. (all in honor of the zucchini races which happened this week at Sonoma's farmers market, which we WON!)
Tuesday, a little slow from the over-indulgence, so drank loads of water and ate kale salad and tomatoes for breakfast, a protein smoothie, and very light at the farmers market, including water to drink.
Feeling still a bit sluggish on Wed., due to the red wine on Monday (I don't do well with sulfates, so red wine takes me down and I pay dearly for it) so I kept it clean with 2 brisk walks in the sunshine. Thursday and Friday, much the same, not perfect, but pretty clean. Today the fog seems to have lifted a bit and I think I will finish the week at 80/20 exactly.
And you???
Ok, so, lots going on in the world of healthy living. Oprah just bought Discovery Health Channel and is accepting video clips for new show ideas for her new healthy living network called OWN, Oprah Winfrey Network. I smell an 80-20 healthy living show a brewing.......Me likey. :)
Speaking of cool television networks, www.naturalnews.com is the bomb.
You seriously need to check it out. It's an amazing web site and newsletter about natural health. Subscribe. You'll love getting their newsletter with great tips articles, special reports and more.
THEY ALSO HAVE A NEW ONLINE TELEVISION NETWORK where I will be posting reality bites on 80-20 living, so stay tuned!
Meanwhile, back at the ranch, my butt has been in the chair feverishly working on ways to make the world a better place. Some cool healthy living stuff in the works and you will be the first to hear when the cat is out of the bag. :)
Here's some summer lovin' for ya:
zucchini sushi - paper thin clices of zucchini with a touch of wasabi, served with soy sauce. that's it. Simple. Delicious. (thanks Kellie!)
blend 2 bananas, 1/2 pineapple, 2tbsp coconut milk, 8 tblsp pineapple juice. yum.
kids love 3c steamed broccoli, 3 cups steamed cauliflower mashed together, butter, sea salt, parmesean.
fizzy drink - pulp 1/2 melon, 2 kiwi fruits, juice of lime, 4-6 ice cubes, then add sparkling mineral water to top off.
Kiss your man (or woman) after having sipped an ice cold Corona with lime. :)
Hope you are living life to it's fullest and soaking up as much sun as possible. The sun heals, folks. Don't hide from it. be smart, cover up if your starting to burn, but get as naked as possible and let your body develop a base so you can expose as much of your body to the sun at least 20 minutes per day. Do it for a week and tell me if you notice a difference in your energy.
Food for thought:
Fresh fizzy fruit elixirs, crispy veggie platters, cold soups, salads, shaved ice.
What is your body saying to you these days? I hope you are listening........
QFTD: When taking someone's picture in Sonoma, you don't have to ask them to smile. :)
Yours in summer smilin,
Heather
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
What does HEALTHY LIVING mean?
Hey everyone,
It's been a while......I have no excuse other than I have been busy making the world a better place, I promise. AND, while doing so, I came across something that I wanted to share with you....
I Googled the term "healthy living" to see what's out there in terms of resources etc., and do you know what came up?
EggBeaters.com
Uncle Bens
Amway
Amerimark
Kashi
Wrinkle Soulution
Healthy Choice
...and one called 'Tips for Healthy Living' that claims Coke gives you choices for healthy living.
Yikes. We have a long way to go, people.
Now, I see this as being bad news and good news both.
Bad news for obvious reasons. I have always been frustrated with the fact that so many food companies (which are all primarily under the same evil umbrella) claim they are healthy when they are not. How can this be allowed? Take Cheerios, for example. I'll bet if we polled 100 people in various towns accross America, the majority of people would say Cheerios are healthy. I remember my son, who was absolutely fascinated with cereal commercials because of all the fun crazy and exciting characters, recited word for word, the nutritional facts about Cheerios and how it was part of a healthy breakfast. Ugh.
So, if you are out there scratching your head right now saying to yourself that you though Cheerios were healthy, I've got 2 words for you. DEAD FOOD.
Processed foods are dead. They give you little of the vital, life giving nutrients that come from foods directly from the ground. Period. I don't care how much something is fortified with synthetic garbage. If it had to be fortified, it's dead.
Our bodies do best on foods from the earth and foods from something that had eyes. Yea, I said it. But YOU MUST pay attention to food QUALITY. Spend the extra 50 bucks a month for organic. I added up a comparison list for a family of 4 on organic vs non-organic. Trader Joes. 54 dollar difference for the month. Even if it's 100, you can find a way to do it. You are powerful, capable, and resourceful. Find another way to save. Cut out a bottle of wine or three and a few Starbucks please. You get what I mean.
Now, I have to say that I do believe that 'back in the day', food practices in America were brought about with good intentions. Unfortunately, good has gone bad, and big industry food practices have gotten so far out of hand that I am afraid there is no way of righting the wrong.
Sadly, today, the Food and Drug Administration has tremendous power and huge money to have major influence through the media. Their agendas are pretty simple. CORN, DAIRY, SOY, WHEAT, BEEF, and DRUGS. Find as many ways as possible to use them and then promote them as healthy through sophisticated marketing. Wonder how much more money goes into marketing than into the actual manufacturing itself.... The average American eats the same 12-15 foods their entire lives....Oh, and guess what foods Americans are increasingly becoming highly sensitive to? Wheat, dairy, soy, corn, and eggs are among the top food sensitivities today......hmmmmm. Food for thought.
Now, I hate to be that complainer who complains and doesn't offer any solutions, so here I go with some information for you to share so that you can help make the world a better place. That is your goal today, right? Just making sure. :)
Now, here is where the good news comes in.....The fact that there was little info out there about how to actually live healthfully, means that we have lots of opportunities to make a difference. So many people out there are unaware of what sugar, processed foods, fake chemicals, dead foods, etc. are doing to them. Knowledge is power. You can become empowered and help others to do the same. One person at a time.
Tell your friends to check out the following:
Food, Inc. - DVD
www.naturalnews.com (read their special report on the State of our Health)
The Future of Food - DVD
Sugar, the Bitter Truth, a UCSF medical school - YouTube - WATCH THE WHOLE THING. Believe me, you owe it to your health to do so. Let me know what you thought about all of these and please pass them along.
Here's what Healthy Living means to me:
Caring enough about yourself and others to make the necessary choices and/or sacrifices that will result in you looking, feeling and being healthy in mind, body, and spirit.
QFTD: Health is a state of mind, wellness is a work in progress. ~ Stevy Stevens.
Yours in living healthfully,
Heather
It's been a while......I have no excuse other than I have been busy making the world a better place, I promise. AND, while doing so, I came across something that I wanted to share with you....
I Googled the term "healthy living" to see what's out there in terms of resources etc., and do you know what came up?
EggBeaters.com
Uncle Bens
Amway
Amerimark
Kashi
Wrinkle Soulution
Healthy Choice
...and one called 'Tips for Healthy Living' that claims Coke gives you choices for healthy living.
Yikes. We have a long way to go, people.
Now, I see this as being bad news and good news both.
Bad news for obvious reasons. I have always been frustrated with the fact that so many food companies (which are all primarily under the same evil umbrella) claim they are healthy when they are not. How can this be allowed? Take Cheerios, for example. I'll bet if we polled 100 people in various towns accross America, the majority of people would say Cheerios are healthy. I remember my son, who was absolutely fascinated with cereal commercials because of all the fun crazy and exciting characters, recited word for word, the nutritional facts about Cheerios and how it was part of a healthy breakfast. Ugh.
So, if you are out there scratching your head right now saying to yourself that you though Cheerios were healthy, I've got 2 words for you. DEAD FOOD.
Processed foods are dead. They give you little of the vital, life giving nutrients that come from foods directly from the ground. Period. I don't care how much something is fortified with synthetic garbage. If it had to be fortified, it's dead.
Our bodies do best on foods from the earth and foods from something that had eyes. Yea, I said it. But YOU MUST pay attention to food QUALITY. Spend the extra 50 bucks a month for organic. I added up a comparison list for a family of 4 on organic vs non-organic. Trader Joes. 54 dollar difference for the month. Even if it's 100, you can find a way to do it. You are powerful, capable, and resourceful. Find another way to save. Cut out a bottle of wine or three and a few Starbucks please. You get what I mean.
Now, I have to say that I do believe that 'back in the day', food practices in America were brought about with good intentions. Unfortunately, good has gone bad, and big industry food practices have gotten so far out of hand that I am afraid there is no way of righting the wrong.
Sadly, today, the Food and Drug Administration has tremendous power and huge money to have major influence through the media. Their agendas are pretty simple. CORN, DAIRY, SOY, WHEAT, BEEF, and DRUGS. Find as many ways as possible to use them and then promote them as healthy through sophisticated marketing. Wonder how much more money goes into marketing than into the actual manufacturing itself.... The average American eats the same 12-15 foods their entire lives....Oh, and guess what foods Americans are increasingly becoming highly sensitive to? Wheat, dairy, soy, corn, and eggs are among the top food sensitivities today......hmmmmm. Food for thought.
Now, I hate to be that complainer who complains and doesn't offer any solutions, so here I go with some information for you to share so that you can help make the world a better place. That is your goal today, right? Just making sure. :)
Now, here is where the good news comes in.....The fact that there was little info out there about how to actually live healthfully, means that we have lots of opportunities to make a difference. So many people out there are unaware of what sugar, processed foods, fake chemicals, dead foods, etc. are doing to them. Knowledge is power. You can become empowered and help others to do the same. One person at a time.
Tell your friends to check out the following:
Food, Inc. - DVD
www.naturalnews.com (read their special report on the State of our Health)
The Future of Food - DVD
Sugar, the Bitter Truth, a UCSF medical school - YouTube - WATCH THE WHOLE THING. Believe me, you owe it to your health to do so. Let me know what you thought about all of these and please pass them along.
Here's what Healthy Living means to me:
Caring enough about yourself and others to make the necessary choices and/or sacrifices that will result in you looking, feeling and being healthy in mind, body, and spirit.
QFTD: Health is a state of mind, wellness is a work in progress. ~ Stevy Stevens.
Yours in living healthfully,
Heather
Tuesday, May 4, 2010
Spring Cleaning
It's spring cleaning time, Body Talkers, and I not talking about garages and closets. I'm talking about the most important asset you own, your most important piece of machinery......your body!
How about it?!
We spend a lot of time and energy cleaning our homes, cars, garages, offices, etc., but we actually spend very little time thinking about, let alone actually cleaning out ourselves!
Here's a dirty little secret for you........our exposure to toxins is over 100 times greater than it was 100 years ago. The amount of chemicals that have been created over the past 75 years is in the hundreds of thousands and these chemicals are taking a toll on our poor cells daily. Disease is on the rise at alarming rates, and for the first time in history, life expectancy is going backwards. This, along with poor eating habits, high levels of stress, poor sleep habits, sedentary lifestyles, etc., creates a toxic burden greater than what our bodies can handle.
That's the bad news.
The good news is there is a solution. But it takes YOU to be willing to take charge of your health. Are you? This is important because it's going to take you, along with everyone else, to get educated and to be proactive about taking care of your health from the inside out. Most people care for their health from the outside, focusing on the things they can see, rather than the things they feel. Your body talks to you long before you end up in the Dr's office. You just have to learn to listen.
The SOLUTION:
Spring Cleaning is a great place to start. The best way to do this is to eat and/or juice clean, fresh, local organic fruits and veggies from all colors of the rainbow. Give your body a break from alcohol, processed sugar, fried foods and other toxins that build up in your system. Go to bed early and get 8+ hours of good quality sleep, rest, relax, exercise appropriately and engage in spiritual practice daily, such a sprayer or meditation.
Now is the time to focus on you. Become part of the healthy living revolution and start enjoying each day to it's fullest.
QFTD: The human body is the only machine for which there are no spare parts. ~Hermann M. Biggs
How about it?!
Here in Sonoma, we are fortunate to enjoy a culture of food and wine unlike anywhere else in the country. Combine this with the greatest community of people in the nation and we have one big reason to party, and we do, which is why we need to find a way to have healthy balance in our lives, so we can live longer, better quality lives in this great city of ours.
If you're like me, it may never have occurred to you that the inside of your body may actually need a good scrub down.
The truth is, when working properly, the body is an amazing cleaning machine all on it's own. One that is a thousand times more sophisticated than any drive-thru car wash you have ever seen. Even the ones with pretty psychedelic colored soap. :)
But no matter how effective a cleaning machine it is, a combination of environmental and lifestyle factors over the past 5 or so decades has made it difficult for even the healthiest of bodies to keep up with the job.
The truth is, when working properly, the body is an amazing cleaning machine all on it's own. One that is a thousand times more sophisticated than any drive-thru car wash you have ever seen. Even the ones with pretty psychedelic colored soap. :)
But no matter how effective a cleaning machine it is, a combination of environmental and lifestyle factors over the past 5 or so decades has made it difficult for even the healthiest of bodies to keep up with the job.
That's the bad news.
The good news is there is a solution. But it takes YOU to be willing to take charge of your health. Are you? This is important because it's going to take you, along with everyone else, to get educated and to be proactive about taking care of your health from the inside out. Most people care for their health from the outside, focusing on the things they can see, rather than the things they feel. Your body talks to you long before you end up in the Dr's office. You just have to learn to listen.
1) Get inspired. Something has to spark inside of you that says, "I am ready....bring it!". (Hopefully it will be before you are on the pharmeuceutical highway of no return :)
2) Get motivated. Either find a buddy to get healthy with or a coach to guide you.
3) Make a plan. One that involves what you eat, when you eat, quality of sleep, proper exercise, stress management and relaxation.
4) Get educated. There are numerous books, classes, DVD's, and websites out there promoting healthy living.
5) Get committed. Set goals and commit to living a healthy lifestyle. Put them in writing and have an accountability person working with you, making sure you are walking your talk.
2) Get motivated. Either find a buddy to get healthy with or a coach to guide you.
3) Make a plan. One that involves what you eat, when you eat, quality of sleep, proper exercise, stress management and relaxation.
4) Get educated. There are numerous books, classes, DVD's, and websites out there promoting healthy living.
5) Get committed. Set goals and commit to living a healthy lifestyle. Put them in writing and have an accountability person working with you, making sure you are walking your talk.
Spring Cleaning is a great place to start. The best way to do this is to eat and/or juice clean, fresh, local organic fruits and veggies from all colors of the rainbow. Give your body a break from alcohol, processed sugar, fried foods and other toxins that build up in your system. Go to bed early and get 8+ hours of good quality sleep, rest, relax, exercise appropriately and engage in spiritual practice daily, such a sprayer or meditation.
Now is the time to focus on you. Become part of the healthy living revolution and start enjoying each day to it's fullest.
To hear more about how to make positive lifestyle changes, listen in to my radio show on SUN FM, 91.3, Sonoma, every Tuesday at 2pm. You can stream this on your computer or download my radio show podcasts on itunes for free!
Yours in living clean,
Heather
Monday, April 19, 2010
Happy foods!
Don't worry, be HAPPY!!! :-)
HaPPy! happY! HAppY!!!!
Ok, are you ready to throw up yet?
I actually have a cheerleader suit on and I'm jumping up and down with Happiness! Yaaaaayyyy ME!!
(finger in the mouth yet?)
You're probably thinking this cheerleader needs to stuff her pom poms right down her big smiley mouth, and I don't blame you. Or maybe your saying I want some of whatever she's drinking! Ahhh, how smart you are....
Am I really that happy????........well, lets just say I'm excited about getting HAPPIER by DRINKING more foods that support feeling Good.
The movie FAT, SICK, and NEARLY DEAD was a great reminder that I can do so much better with my feel good food intake, even better than I am doing now, which is usually in the ball park of 75/25. It was a huge reminder of the POWER of juicing, which provides dense amounts of phyto-nutrients (nutrients from plants) for our happy wellness of being.
Do me a favor, imagine yourself drinking a wonderful tasting freshly juiced beverage with both fruits and vegetables in it. The rainbow..... take a moment to experience actually drinking it, tasting it, feeling it nourishing your body.
Ok, how do you feel?
I swear when I did it peptides started marching throughout my body singing hallelujah!
Now let me ask you this:
On a scale of 1-10 how happy were you today? Were you as happy as you would like to be? If not, does the reason have to do with:
your state of health?
your fitness level?
body composition?
tiredness?
level of stress?
sleeplessness?
Read on my friend...........happiness is only a green drink away.
It's true, you cheerleader you, the foods you eat can actually affect your mood. As a matter of fact, 80% of our serotonin (that wonderful "feel good" chemical our body produces that helps us to be happy) is actually produced in the stomach! And, the stomach actually has it's own nervous system! No wonder foods affect our mood so much. Doesn't it make sense that we feel uplifted when we consume foods that are full of nutrients that help make serotonin??
Conversely, how do we feel after we eat a few slices of pizza or a burger and fries?
Try keeping a diet log and marking down how you feel after you eat certain things. Listen to what your body is saying....your body will tell you if it doesn't like something, I can assure you.
Here's some Body Talk for you.....try protein from something that had eyes and TONS of veggies and fruits daily. A great way to get lots of nutrients from fruits and veggies at one time is to try juicing.
.........I'm ON IT folks. Let the cleanse begin!
This time it's a quick, 4 day deal, ending with my husband's b-day on Friday, but I will still keep it clean through the weekend, just not perfect. More like 80/20 over the weekend, per usual.
Here's what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow.........
1 clove garlic
1/4 avocado
1/2 lime juice
bunch of kale
pinch of salt
2 cups of water
all blended into frothy yum.........
Hello Cells! Love ya! Here's comes some yummie green stuff for your nourishment pleasure!
And lunch......
kale, feta, red onion, olive oil salad, with 4 oz. citrus poached salmon (not juiced :)
Dinner......
My favorite chocolate protein shake: almond butter, banana, chocolate protein powder, almond milk, water, ground flax seeds.
Try it, happy foods. Fruits and veggies from the colors of the rainbow as your main food staple. Add in some lean organic protein and healthy fats and you are going to be one HAPPY (and hot looking) CAMPER.
QFTD: Whoever is happy makes others happy too. -Mark Twain
Yours in happy food delight,
Heather
HaPPy! happY! HAppY!!!!
Ok, are you ready to throw up yet?
I actually have a cheerleader suit on and I'm jumping up and down with Happiness! Yaaaaayyyy ME!!
(finger in the mouth yet?)
You're probably thinking this cheerleader needs to stuff her pom poms right down her big smiley mouth, and I don't blame you. Or maybe your saying I want some of whatever she's drinking! Ahhh, how smart you are....
Am I really that happy????........well, lets just say I'm excited about getting HAPPIER by DRINKING more foods that support feeling Good.
The movie FAT, SICK, and NEARLY DEAD was a great reminder that I can do so much better with my feel good food intake, even better than I am doing now, which is usually in the ball park of 75/25. It was a huge reminder of the POWER of juicing, which provides dense amounts of phyto-nutrients (nutrients from plants) for our happy wellness of being.
Do me a favor, imagine yourself drinking a wonderful tasting freshly juiced beverage with both fruits and vegetables in it. The rainbow..... take a moment to experience actually drinking it, tasting it, feeling it nourishing your body.
Ok, how do you feel?
I swear when I did it peptides started marching throughout my body singing hallelujah!
Now let me ask you this:
On a scale of 1-10 how happy were you today? Were you as happy as you would like to be? If not, does the reason have to do with:
your state of health?
your fitness level?
body composition?
tiredness?
level of stress?
sleeplessness?
Read on my friend...........happiness is only a green drink away.
It's true, you cheerleader you, the foods you eat can actually affect your mood. As a matter of fact, 80% of our serotonin (that wonderful "feel good" chemical our body produces that helps us to be happy) is actually produced in the stomach! And, the stomach actually has it's own nervous system! No wonder foods affect our mood so much. Doesn't it make sense that we feel uplifted when we consume foods that are full of nutrients that help make serotonin??
Conversely, how do we feel after we eat a few slices of pizza or a burger and fries?
Try keeping a diet log and marking down how you feel after you eat certain things. Listen to what your body is saying....your body will tell you if it doesn't like something, I can assure you.
Here's some Body Talk for you.....try protein from something that had eyes and TONS of veggies and fruits daily. A great way to get lots of nutrients from fruits and veggies at one time is to try juicing.
.........I'm ON IT folks. Let the cleanse begin!
This time it's a quick, 4 day deal, ending with my husband's b-day on Friday, but I will still keep it clean through the weekend, just not perfect. More like 80/20 over the weekend, per usual.
Here's what I'm having for breakfast tomorrow.........
1 clove garlic
1/4 avocado
1/2 lime juice
bunch of kale
pinch of salt
2 cups of water
all blended into frothy yum.........
Hello Cells! Love ya! Here's comes some yummie green stuff for your nourishment pleasure!
And lunch......
kale, feta, red onion, olive oil salad, with 4 oz. citrus poached salmon (not juiced :)
Dinner......
My favorite chocolate protein shake: almond butter, banana, chocolate protein powder, almond milk, water, ground flax seeds.
Try it, happy foods. Fruits and veggies from the colors of the rainbow as your main food staple. Add in some lean organic protein and healthy fats and you are going to be one HAPPY (and hot looking) CAMPER.
QFTD: Whoever is happy makes others happy too. -Mark Twain
Yours in happy food delight,
Heather
Monday, April 12, 2010
Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead!
Heads-up Body Talk fans!
The Sonoma International Film Festival is here and I will be first in line for one of it's featured films, FAT, SICK, and NEARLY DEAD.
The Director/Executive Producer/main subject of the film, Joe Cross, happens to be a friend of a friend, but that's not the only reason why I am rolling out the red carpet for these folks.....
I am all over this for the simple reason that these people share my passion to educate people on why America is so FAT and SICK.
Part road trip, part wellness manifesto, FAT, SICK, and NEARLY DEAD chronicles two men's lives who were diracstically changed when they changed the way they ate. By giving their bodies the proper nutrition they were designed to have, and by removing fake, processed junk, they both experienced dramatic improvements in their health and body composition.....now that's what I'm talkin about, Sonoma!!
Another healthy living convert, Sonoma's own City Council member/ former Mayor, Ken Brown, will have much to talk about with Joe as he will be interviewing him on his radio show, Mornings in Sonoma, this friday, April 16th at 9:15 a.m. This can be streamed live at SUN FM 91.3 KSVY, Sonoma.
Ken Brown has recently experienced the benefits of healthy living by making important lifestyle changes himself. He felt it was time to make his health a priority and has openly shared the experience with his town hoping that others will step up and follow in his foot steps along the path to healthier living........a step in the right direction for already pretty savvy Sonoma.
As his Nutrition and Healthy Living Coach, I have seen the sacrifices Ken has been willing to make short-term in exchange for the long-term benefits of adding more quality years to his life. This is not easy to do.
Sonoma should be proud to have a leader who has his priorities in the right place. The goal is to get education in place so that the future generations of this town do the same........
QFTD: Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food. -Hippocrates
Yours in good health,
Heather
The Sonoma International Film Festival is here and I will be first in line for one of it's featured films, FAT, SICK, and NEARLY DEAD.
The Director/Executive Producer/main subject of the film, Joe Cross, happens to be a friend of a friend, but that's not the only reason why I am rolling out the red carpet for these folks.....
I am all over this for the simple reason that these people share my passion to educate people on why America is so FAT and SICK.
Part road trip, part wellness manifesto, FAT, SICK, and NEARLY DEAD chronicles two men's lives who were diracstically changed when they changed the way they ate. By giving their bodies the proper nutrition they were designed to have, and by removing fake, processed junk, they both experienced dramatic improvements in their health and body composition.....now that's what I'm talkin about, Sonoma!!
Another healthy living convert, Sonoma's own City Council member/ former Mayor, Ken Brown, will have much to talk about with Joe as he will be interviewing him on his radio show, Mornings in Sonoma, this friday, April 16th at 9:15 a.m. This can be streamed live at SUN FM 91.3 KSVY, Sonoma.
Ken Brown has recently experienced the benefits of healthy living by making important lifestyle changes himself. He felt it was time to make his health a priority and has openly shared the experience with his town hoping that others will step up and follow in his foot steps along the path to healthier living........a step in the right direction for already pretty savvy Sonoma.
As his Nutrition and Healthy Living Coach, I have seen the sacrifices Ken has been willing to make short-term in exchange for the long-term benefits of adding more quality years to his life. This is not easy to do.
Sonoma should be proud to have a leader who has his priorities in the right place. The goal is to get education in place so that the future generations of this town do the same........
QFTD: Let thy food be thy medicine, and thy medicine be thy food. -Hippocrates
Yours in good health,
Heather
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Food Revolution!
Ok, people, I have two words for you.......
J a m i e O l i v e r
I NEED to know this man.
He is the host for the new ABC show on Friday nights, Jamie Oliver's FOOD REVOLUTION. Heard of it?
Someone tell me, please, before I blow a gasket.........why on earth has it taken this long for media to turn their attention to the absolute absurd eating habits in this country???.....and what's worse......it took a Brit to do it!
Embarrassment, people, embarrassment.
If you have not seen this show, you need to.
You will laugh, cry, throw-up, clap, and praise God all in the same hour. :)
THANK YOU, Jamie Oliver, for having the golf balls to stand in your purpose.....if I had a glass of wine in my hand I'd be lifting it as I type.
Basically, Jamie Oliver, a healthy chef, has taken on what is supposedly the unhealthiest town in America and has infiltrated the school lunch system as well as people's homes and other levels of society only to be challenged every step of the way by unhealthy, negative, byproducts of the SAD (Standard American Diet) way of being in America.
Tricky thing, telling people they are unhealthy and doing it all wrong.......
As a healthy living coach, I have the good fortune to help change the lives of those who are ready, willing, and seeking change......but this poor man is thrown into situations where many of the receivers of his message are not ready to make the change........my hats off.
It's hard to look at ourselves and take responsibility for our health because our health and physical appearance are in part the result of our lifestyle habits and our emotions......not always easy things to own.
And, like a book, our habits and emotions write the chapters of our lives and our physical appearance becomes the story teller. What story does your physical appearance tell? I'm packing an extra 7 lbs. I like to call my Sonoma 7, which is the most recent chapter of my life.
It is a beautiful thing when someone is ready to step out of the comfort zone, let go of the poor habits, stop the self abuse, and replace it with habits of self love.
I pray this show goes BIG because we are in trouble, people. Look around.
The media is a powerful tool for change, and this could be a big step in the right direction, so please visit the web site, sign the petition, and join the revolution.
http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution.
QFTD: "Be the change you want to see"......anonymous.
Yours in revolutionary change,
Heather
PS. Wendi and Sarah, thanks for joining my Blog!
J a m i e O l i v e r
I NEED to know this man.
He is the host for the new ABC show on Friday nights, Jamie Oliver's FOOD REVOLUTION. Heard of it?
Someone tell me, please, before I blow a gasket.........why on earth has it taken this long for media to turn their attention to the absolute absurd eating habits in this country???.....and what's worse......it took a Brit to do it!
Embarrassment, people, embarrassment.
If you have not seen this show, you need to.
You will laugh, cry, throw-up, clap, and praise God all in the same hour. :)
THANK YOU, Jamie Oliver, for having the golf balls to stand in your purpose.....if I had a glass of wine in my hand I'd be lifting it as I type.
Basically, Jamie Oliver, a healthy chef, has taken on what is supposedly the unhealthiest town in America and has infiltrated the school lunch system as well as people's homes and other levels of society only to be challenged every step of the way by unhealthy, negative, byproducts of the SAD (Standard American Diet) way of being in America.
Tricky thing, telling people they are unhealthy and doing it all wrong.......
As a healthy living coach, I have the good fortune to help change the lives of those who are ready, willing, and seeking change......but this poor man is thrown into situations where many of the receivers of his message are not ready to make the change........my hats off.
It's hard to look at ourselves and take responsibility for our health because our health and physical appearance are in part the result of our lifestyle habits and our emotions......not always easy things to own.
And, like a book, our habits and emotions write the chapters of our lives and our physical appearance becomes the story teller. What story does your physical appearance tell? I'm packing an extra 7 lbs. I like to call my Sonoma 7, which is the most recent chapter of my life.
It is a beautiful thing when someone is ready to step out of the comfort zone, let go of the poor habits, stop the self abuse, and replace it with habits of self love.
I pray this show goes BIG because we are in trouble, people. Look around.
The media is a powerful tool for change, and this could be a big step in the right direction, so please visit the web site, sign the petition, and join the revolution.
http://www.jamieoliver.com/campaigns/jamies-food-revolution.
QFTD: "Be the change you want to see"......anonymous.
Yours in revolutionary change,
Heather
PS. Wendi and Sarah, thanks for joining my Blog!
Wednesday, March 17, 2010
The State of our Health
I love this town. It's no secret.
I spend quite a bit of time in the Plaza at my office, the El Dorado kitchen Cafe :) working and observing people.
I am impressed with the way the people in Sonoma take care of themselves......fresh, local, organic, farmers market, people exercising and making good choices in the cafes......Still, I see people (every where I go, not just Sonoma) who wear their lifestyle stories on their faces AND on their bodies.........and for the most part, the story is the same........
Yea, their bodies are talking, sometimes SCREAMING that they are out of healthy balance. Our bodies don't lie. I am personally packing an extra 10 and there's no denying it, trust me....no baby doll smock, skinny jean, designer belt, sassy haircut, pitcher of margaritas can mask the extra ten and imprint of stress mileage donned here.
So here are my thoughts about the STATE OF OUR HEALTH today.......
Personally, I THINK PEOPLE FEEL LIKE CRAP AND THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE IT.
Yep, clueless consciousness I like to call it. Thinking we are healthier than we actually are.
COULD THIS BE YOU?
Of course not. Me neither. I am a Health Coach people, come on!!
After all, you eat Kashi cereal, exercise 4x a week, and cut out the diet sodas, right??.........you are ON IT!
Well, brothers and sisters, do you want the bad news or the bad news?
I would venture to say that most of us, including YOU and ME, are somewhat clueless when it comes to being fully conscious of the TRUE state of our health. WE are, most likely, less healthy than we think we are and could ALL benefit from a hot soak in a bath of Reality while enjoying a shift in perspective for dessert....uhm...Yum, I think??
Reality CHECK PLEASE!
1) Are you on any medications?
2) Are you on birth control pills?
3) Do you sleep less than 8+ hours of uninterrupted sleep beginning by 10pm nightly?
4) Do you have stress related to finances, relationships, work, children on a daily basis?
5) Do you work out less than 4x per week?
6) Do you eat less than 5-7 serving of fruits and veggies each day?
7) Do you consume coffee daily?
8) Do you consume processed sugar daily? (Careful with this one, it's in almost everything you drink besides water)
9) Do you consume alcohol 3x a week or more?
10) Do you smoke or breathe in environmental toxins on a regular basis?
You know the deal, the more "yes" answers, the bigger the reality check about the state of your health.
I love this........
I review clients' health appraisal questionnaires and it amazes me when they score PERFECT on the score sheets. It's partly because people are so OUT OF TOUCH with the true state of their health that they don't even notice the symptoms after a while. They become DEAF to the language their BODY is TALKING.
Mind you, these are people who come to me for HEALTH COACHING, yet their questionnaires say they are healthier than Jack Lalanne. :-)
Me: OK, so your score is perfect. Fantastic.
Me: Compared to WHAT?
Me: Ahhh, your co-workers who drink Red Bull and play games on the computer all day and the ladies at Curves?? I see.......
Me: You are on 4 pharmaceuticals, including BC pills and you answered that your menstruation and female cycles are perfect......can you explain a little more??
Me: Oh, so you went on the pill because your PMS was so bad you needed to be locked up one week out of the month??? I see......so PMS really IS an issue?? Got it. Thanks for the clarification.
Uhmmm, yea. OK. Whatever.
Moving on then......
The simple fact is that most of us don't know what optimal health looks or feels like. We live high-pace, high-stressed lifestyles that prevent us from looking and feeling our best. We are designed to feel generally optimistic when our body chemicals are in healthy balance. We are designed to be lean and energetic, to desire to have sex, to rise with the sun feeling ready to conquer the day......... without coffee.
Now THAT'S what I'm TALKIN about.
Look around you........ do people look happy, healthy, vibrant?
Do you look and feel the best you can be? The days are going by........are you going to settle for feeling 1/2 and looking1/2 of what you could and should? Or do you feel you are already close enough.
And now here is the biggie.........
What are you going to do about it?
Resource for you - Book - How to Eat, Move, and be Healthy, Paul Chek
PERSPECTIVE, baby.
QFTD: Sometimes your body is smarter than you are. - Author unknown.
Yours in healthy perspective,
Heather
PS, JD, you rock, thanks for joining in!
I spend quite a bit of time in the Plaza at my office, the El Dorado kitchen Cafe :) working and observing people.
I am impressed with the way the people in Sonoma take care of themselves......fresh, local, organic, farmers market, people exercising and making good choices in the cafes......Still, I see people (every where I go, not just Sonoma) who wear their lifestyle stories on their faces AND on their bodies.........and for the most part, the story is the same........
Yea, their bodies are talking, sometimes SCREAMING that they are out of healthy balance. Our bodies don't lie. I am personally packing an extra 10 and there's no denying it, trust me....no baby doll smock, skinny jean, designer belt, sassy haircut, pitcher of margaritas can mask the extra ten and imprint of stress mileage donned here.
So here are my thoughts about the STATE OF OUR HEALTH today.......
Personally, I THINK PEOPLE FEEL LIKE CRAP AND THEY DON'T EVEN REALIZE IT.
Yep, clueless consciousness I like to call it. Thinking we are healthier than we actually are.
COULD THIS BE YOU?
Of course not. Me neither. I am a Health Coach people, come on!!
After all, you eat Kashi cereal, exercise 4x a week, and cut out the diet sodas, right??.........you are ON IT!
Well, brothers and sisters, do you want the bad news or the bad news?
I would venture to say that most of us, including YOU and ME, are somewhat clueless when it comes to being fully conscious of the TRUE state of our health. WE are, most likely, less healthy than we think we are and could ALL benefit from a hot soak in a bath of Reality while enjoying a shift in perspective for dessert....uhm...Yum, I think??
Reality CHECK PLEASE!
1) Are you on any medications?
2) Are you on birth control pills?
3) Do you sleep less than 8+ hours of uninterrupted sleep beginning by 10pm nightly?
4) Do you have stress related to finances, relationships, work, children on a daily basis?
5) Do you work out less than 4x per week?
6) Do you eat less than 5-7 serving of fruits and veggies each day?
7) Do you consume coffee daily?
8) Do you consume processed sugar daily? (Careful with this one, it's in almost everything you drink besides water)
9) Do you consume alcohol 3x a week or more?
10) Do you smoke or breathe in environmental toxins on a regular basis?
You know the deal, the more "yes" answers, the bigger the reality check about the state of your health.
I love this........
I review clients' health appraisal questionnaires and it amazes me when they score PERFECT on the score sheets. It's partly because people are so OUT OF TOUCH with the true state of their health that they don't even notice the symptoms after a while. They become DEAF to the language their BODY is TALKING.
Mind you, these are people who come to me for HEALTH COACHING, yet their questionnaires say they are healthier than Jack Lalanne. :-)
Me: OK, so your score is perfect. Fantastic.
Me: Compared to WHAT?
Me: Ahhh, your co-workers who drink Red Bull and play games on the computer all day and the ladies at Curves?? I see.......
Me: You are on 4 pharmaceuticals, including BC pills and you answered that your menstruation and female cycles are perfect......can you explain a little more??
Me: Oh, so you went on the pill because your PMS was so bad you needed to be locked up one week out of the month??? I see......so PMS really IS an issue?? Got it. Thanks for the clarification.
Uhmmm, yea. OK. Whatever.
Moving on then......
The simple fact is that most of us don't know what optimal health looks or feels like. We live high-pace, high-stressed lifestyles that prevent us from looking and feeling our best. We are designed to feel generally optimistic when our body chemicals are in healthy balance. We are designed to be lean and energetic, to desire to have sex, to rise with the sun feeling ready to conquer the day......... without coffee.
Now THAT'S what I'm TALKIN about.
Look around you........ do people look happy, healthy, vibrant?
Do you look and feel the best you can be? The days are going by........are you going to settle for feeling 1/2 and looking1/2 of what you could and should? Or do you feel you are already close enough.
And now here is the biggie.........
What are you going to do about it?
Resource for you - Book - How to Eat, Move, and be Healthy, Paul Chek
PERSPECTIVE, baby.
QFTD: Sometimes your body is smarter than you are. - Author unknown.
Yours in healthy perspective,
Heather
PS, JD, you rock, thanks for joining in!
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Hey everyone! How goes it?
Living 80/20? Feeling 80/20? Funny thing, when you live 80/20 you feel 80/20.
If you are not feeling 80+%, you are probably not achieving 80% healthy living.
For those of you who need a refresher on the 80/20 rule, it's basically based on the fact that EVERY TIME YOU EAT OR DRINK YOU ARE EITHER FEEDING DISEASE OR FIGHTING IT. You are either supporting your healthy living goals or sabotaging them......
By living with the 80/20 rule, you are making sure that what you put into your body is HEALTHY 80% of the time. The other 20% is reserved for those moments when we want to enjoy things we would not consider to be fighting disease.
The best way to live this is to BE PREPARED with your calendar each week. Be clear on what events and activities in your schedule might tempt you to tap into that 20%. Plan accordingly by making sure the rest of the week is disease fighting activity.
Guys, THE RULE adds years to your life and improves your quality of life greatly. Like anything else, it takes practice, but when you master it, your golden.
This rule goes for all healthy living habits. Eating, exercise, spiritual practice, you time, loving relationship time, etc.
The KEY - being prepared, planning out your week and having the foods ready to go daily.
Truly, you are WHAT you eat and WHEN you eat.
Yeah, WHEN you eat has a huge impact on what your body looks like.
You literally WEAR your eating and lifestyle habits......there's no hiding em!
Eat balanced in the a.m., balanced in the afternoon and light (and early) in the evening, your body will look and feel balanced. If you don't eat in the a.m., eat more later in the evening, your body will reflect that by being heavy in those unwanted areas.
Is this you? What are your eating habits?
I am currently leading a nutrition seminar called Weight Loss Boot Camp.
These guys rock.
I am so proud of the participants for their honest, open, sharing and HARD WORK.
Besides the EDUCATION component, our fearless warriors are getting real with their lifestyle habits and the 80/20 rule.
L I F E C H A N G I N G.
I will be launching a Weight Loss Boot Camp on line via webinar in May, along with another one here in Sonoma in June, so it's not too late for those of you who want to get ready for summer.
Stevy, Thanks for joining my Blog!
QFTD: Yet this is health: To have a body functioning so perfectly that when it's few simple needs are met it never calls attention to it's own existence. - bertha Stuart Dyment
Yours in 80/20,
Heather
Living 80/20? Feeling 80/20? Funny thing, when you live 80/20 you feel 80/20.
If you are not feeling 80+%, you are probably not achieving 80% healthy living.
For those of you who need a refresher on the 80/20 rule, it's basically based on the fact that EVERY TIME YOU EAT OR DRINK YOU ARE EITHER FEEDING DISEASE OR FIGHTING IT. You are either supporting your healthy living goals or sabotaging them......
By living with the 80/20 rule, you are making sure that what you put into your body is HEALTHY 80% of the time. The other 20% is reserved for those moments when we want to enjoy things we would not consider to be fighting disease.
The best way to live this is to BE PREPARED with your calendar each week. Be clear on what events and activities in your schedule might tempt you to tap into that 20%. Plan accordingly by making sure the rest of the week is disease fighting activity.
Guys, THE RULE adds years to your life and improves your quality of life greatly. Like anything else, it takes practice, but when you master it, your golden.
This rule goes for all healthy living habits. Eating, exercise, spiritual practice, you time, loving relationship time, etc.
The KEY - being prepared, planning out your week and having the foods ready to go daily.
Truly, you are WHAT you eat and WHEN you eat.
Yeah, WHEN you eat has a huge impact on what your body looks like.
You literally WEAR your eating and lifestyle habits......there's no hiding em!
Eat balanced in the a.m., balanced in the afternoon and light (and early) in the evening, your body will look and feel balanced. If you don't eat in the a.m., eat more later in the evening, your body will reflect that by being heavy in those unwanted areas.
Is this you? What are your eating habits?
I am currently leading a nutrition seminar called Weight Loss Boot Camp.
These guys rock.
I am so proud of the participants for their honest, open, sharing and HARD WORK.
Besides the EDUCATION component, our fearless warriors are getting real with their lifestyle habits and the 80/20 rule.
L I F E C H A N G I N G.
I will be launching a Weight Loss Boot Camp on line via webinar in May, along with another one here in Sonoma in June, so it's not too late for those of you who want to get ready for summer.
Stevy, Thanks for joining my Blog!
QFTD: Yet this is health: To have a body functioning so perfectly that when it's few simple needs are met it never calls attention to it's own existence. - bertha Stuart Dyment
Yours in 80/20,
Heather
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Hi everyone! Haven't left me, have you?
I wrote a post last week and did not send it because it was just a bunch of pity party whining.
Now, the subject was of great value for us all, my son, his ADHD, and how we are addressing it, and I will post on the subject soon, but I couldn't subject you to listening to my feeling sorry for myself, so after I shamed myself for whining I put my big girl panties on and deleted it.
I was just too over myself to sit down and start all over after that, so here I am, back in the seat talkin' body.
Oh, and did I mention it was a certain time of the month when that all went down?
Thank God I held on to that post and had the good sense to wait until I was of sound mind before deciding to post it.
Be glad, I saved you. :)
PMS :O
Lets talk about this. Shall we?
I think I can help you, Sybil.
The only thing worse than feeling out of your mind that time of the month is your husband pointing out that you are out of your mind.
Am I right, or am I right?
Here's some advice to help you go with the flow baby..............
MonaVie.
The "Active" formula is the bomb when it comes to reducing PMS.
WHY?
Anti-inflammatories.
Many of the uncomfortable symptoms of PMS and Menopause are related to inflammation.
MonaVie is loaded with anti-inflammatory properties. Drink it for a month and you'll see what I am talking about. Now I don't want to plug my own business, because that's not usually how I roll, but I am going to anyway because it will help you..... So there you have it. www.acaistory.com/morgans.
What else is good for PMS?
Keep a clean diet with lots of organic fruits and veggies and lots of lean PROTEIN.
Avoid bad oils and fried foods, coffee, alcohol, as well as starchy breads and pastas which can also cause inflammation.
Take your fish oils and load up on calcium, magnesium, and Bvits too.
Oh, and don't forget plenty of water and always, SLEEP.
Are you starting to see a theme in my posts?
Water, sleep, whole foods, get rid of the toxic food and drinks, and exercise! :)
I need to talk more about I N F L A M M A T I O N.
Why?
Because it is present in all of us and it can be dangerous for our health. It is present in most disease processes and can make us more vulnerable for various diseases.
What is inflammation?
Well, just as it sounds. It can be anywhere from your joints all the way down to the cellular level.
What causes it?
toxins from the environment
over-consumption of packaged, processed foods, fried foods, bad oils, alcohol, coffee, sugars, chemicals preservatives, cigarettes, etc.
repeatedly eating foods we are sensitive or reactive to such as gluten or dairy
cleaning products, household paints, synthetic furnishings and carpets, and more.
GO GREEN, protect yourself from inflammation at the cellular level. Seriously.
Listen to me.
Inflammation is an epidemic and a big reason our bodies are breaking down.
My friend has lost 60 lbs over the last 10 months by COMPLETELY cutting out all forms of sugar (except from fruit) and flour, both of which are pro-inflammatory.
I know, I know, that's an old one, no sugar, no white flour, been there, done that.
Have you?
She looks AMAZING, feels AMAZING, and has greatly reduced all ups and downs related to depression, anxiety, PMS and sleep.
Think you can do it? Avoid all sugar and flour?
I have done it for 27 hours. :)
I plan to continue as much as possible.
Let me define what than means for me.
It means whenever I am not having a weak moment, I will make the right choice.
Well, in all fairness, I am a little better than that, but I must admit, I was tested for food sensitivities and I came up highly sensitive to both, as many people are...... It is actually much harder to avoid foods you are sensitive to, believe it or not. We crave them more.....
trust me.......ain't nothin good ganna come from eating (and drinking) any form of sugar, even the fake sugars) and white flour on a daily basis.
Can you say AGING???
Want to age gracefully? Reduce inflammation. Limit toxic exposure and get lots of Antioxidants in the diet.
UNDERSTAND sugar feeds disease....... flour feeds inflammation, bleached flour has chemicals bad for breast health.
BIG TIME.
KEEP a journal of everything you eat and drink for a week. What, you don't have time? How much time do you spend on facebook?
Thought so.
I promise you, you'll be surprised and the many ways sugar and flour sneak into your diet........let me know how it goes!
A great book WORTH reading: Inflammation Nation, Floyd Chilton
QFTD: Our bodies are apt to be our autobiographies, Frank Gillette Burgess
Have a good one! :-)
Yours in anti-inflammation,
Heather
I wrote a post last week and did not send it because it was just a bunch of pity party whining.
Now, the subject was of great value for us all, my son, his ADHD, and how we are addressing it, and I will post on the subject soon, but I couldn't subject you to listening to my feeling sorry for myself, so after I shamed myself for whining I put my big girl panties on and deleted it.
I was just too over myself to sit down and start all over after that, so here I am, back in the seat talkin' body.
Oh, and did I mention it was a certain time of the month when that all went down?
Thank God I held on to that post and had the good sense to wait until I was of sound mind before deciding to post it.
Be glad, I saved you. :)
PMS :O
Lets talk about this. Shall we?
I think I can help you, Sybil.
The only thing worse than feeling out of your mind that time of the month is your husband pointing out that you are out of your mind.
Am I right, or am I right?
Here's some advice to help you go with the flow baby..............
MonaVie.
The "Active" formula is the bomb when it comes to reducing PMS.
WHY?
Anti-inflammatories.
Many of the uncomfortable symptoms of PMS and Menopause are related to inflammation.
MonaVie is loaded with anti-inflammatory properties. Drink it for a month and you'll see what I am talking about. Now I don't want to plug my own business, because that's not usually how I roll, but I am going to anyway because it will help you..... So there you have it. www.acaistory.com/morgans.
What else is good for PMS?
Keep a clean diet with lots of organic fruits and veggies and lots of lean PROTEIN.
Avoid bad oils and fried foods, coffee, alcohol, as well as starchy breads and pastas which can also cause inflammation.
Take your fish oils and load up on calcium, magnesium, and Bvits too.
Oh, and don't forget plenty of water and always, SLEEP.
Are you starting to see a theme in my posts?
Water, sleep, whole foods, get rid of the toxic food and drinks, and exercise! :)
I need to talk more about I N F L A M M A T I O N.
Why?
Because it is present in all of us and it can be dangerous for our health. It is present in most disease processes and can make us more vulnerable for various diseases.
What is inflammation?
Well, just as it sounds. It can be anywhere from your joints all the way down to the cellular level.
What causes it?
toxins from the environment
over-consumption of packaged, processed foods, fried foods, bad oils, alcohol, coffee, sugars, chemicals preservatives, cigarettes, etc.
repeatedly eating foods we are sensitive or reactive to such as gluten or dairy
cleaning products, household paints, synthetic furnishings and carpets, and more.
GO GREEN, protect yourself from inflammation at the cellular level. Seriously.
Listen to me.
Inflammation is an epidemic and a big reason our bodies are breaking down.
My friend has lost 60 lbs over the last 10 months by COMPLETELY cutting out all forms of sugar (except from fruit) and flour, both of which are pro-inflammatory.
I know, I know, that's an old one, no sugar, no white flour, been there, done that.
Have you?
She looks AMAZING, feels AMAZING, and has greatly reduced all ups and downs related to depression, anxiety, PMS and sleep.
Think you can do it? Avoid all sugar and flour?
I have done it for 27 hours. :)
I plan to continue as much as possible.
Let me define what than means for me.
It means whenever I am not having a weak moment, I will make the right choice.
Well, in all fairness, I am a little better than that, but I must admit, I was tested for food sensitivities and I came up highly sensitive to both, as many people are...... It is actually much harder to avoid foods you are sensitive to, believe it or not. We crave them more.....
trust me.......ain't nothin good ganna come from eating (and drinking) any form of sugar, even the fake sugars) and white flour on a daily basis.
Can you say AGING???
Want to age gracefully? Reduce inflammation. Limit toxic exposure and get lots of Antioxidants in the diet.
UNDERSTAND sugar feeds disease....... flour feeds inflammation, bleached flour has chemicals bad for breast health.
BIG TIME.
KEEP a journal of everything you eat and drink for a week. What, you don't have time? How much time do you spend on facebook?
Thought so.
I promise you, you'll be surprised and the many ways sugar and flour sneak into your diet........let me know how it goes!
A great book WORTH reading: Inflammation Nation, Floyd Chilton
QFTD: Our bodies are apt to be our autobiographies, Frank Gillette Burgess
Have a good one! :-)
Yours in anti-inflammation,
Heather
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Well??
So, how was it? Good Valentine's day?
I got chocolate and a card from Whole Foods. ;)
Did I call it or what?? (ok, not flowers, but I was close!)
.......on the 13th though, because he thought Valentines Day was on Saturday. I guess with all my hint dropping I forgot to tell him what day it was. ;)
Love that guy.
Annie, Suzan, Tom, Laureen, thanks for joining my Blog!
Well, my weight loss goal is happening as it should, in all fairness, sloooooowly...... I have not been the best student of myself and the 80/20 rule.
Now I am going to finish what I started. If I can't do better than what I ask others to do, then shame on me.....
Oh, and the fact that I have to get 1/2 naked in a salsa dress for a benefit ball in 3 weeks might have a little to do with it.........I am desperate to look killer!
Speaking of Salsa, do you ZUMBA?
For the love of God, people, Zumba!!
It's the funnest, most exuberating, humiliating experience of my 40's so far!
O U T OF C O N T R O L
My exercise club is big into Zumba.
Yea, we shake, mambo, cha cha, salsa, slide, squat, gyrate, spin, thrust, drink, sweat and secretly imagine ourselves as being in a performance seen by all our old high school friends. .... or is it just me? Come on girls........... :)
Lisa, one of our group, goes with me a lot. She could basically teach the class. She is the sassiest 40 (something:) year old you'll ever see on Zumba floor. Talk about inspiring. She also works, donates a ton of her time, supports local causes, networks like an ant, exercises faithfully, goes to church, is good to her husband, and so on.........you get the picture. Easy Breezy.
Why is it that some people can get 50 things done in a day, and some people 5?
When you find out let me know.
Not like I only do 5 or anything........
Zumba,
I must admit I felt pretty good about myself in the beginning, until I looked in the mirror and realized i did not look AT ALL like the instructor, or Lisa, or anyone else for that matter. I do fine if I don't look at myself. I FEEL my way through it and pray I won't hurt anyone. :)
What else is going on with the "club"?
Well, we are going to Tanya's house next week to watch "Food Inc." and to eat healthy appetizers.
What am I bringing?
Mini tostada bites:
round organic tortilla chips topped with healthy organic shredded cabbage and chopped spinach, spoonful of my fish taco recipe (in other blog), mango salsa, cilantro. Everything fresh and organic.
Oh, and Vanessa, another one of our gals, is planning an ADVENTURE weekend for us!
How cool are we??!
Quick tip for busy moms (as requested by my friend Cristina)..... drink your nutrition instead of trying to get it all through your diet. Often we do not get enough nutrition from the foods we are eating, so smoothies are a great way to get loads of nutrition if done right.
Killer smoothie recipe:
1 scoop choc. whey protein powder
1 tblsp almond butter
1 tsp ground flax seeds
1 c choc almond milk
1 banana
1 c water
2 c ice
blend into a yummy choc nutty smoothie and carry out the door!
Awe man, 9:30. Past my bed time.
A Book worth reading: Never Be Sick Again, Raymond Francais
QFTD: "If the label has words you cannot pronounce, don't eat it!" Paul Chek
Yours in Zumba addiction,
Heather
I got chocolate and a card from Whole Foods. ;)
Did I call it or what?? (ok, not flowers, but I was close!)
.......on the 13th though, because he thought Valentines Day was on Saturday. I guess with all my hint dropping I forgot to tell him what day it was. ;)
Love that guy.
Annie, Suzan, Tom, Laureen, thanks for joining my Blog!
Well, my weight loss goal is happening as it should, in all fairness, sloooooowly...... I have not been the best student of myself and the 80/20 rule.
Now I am going to finish what I started. If I can't do better than what I ask others to do, then shame on me.....
Oh, and the fact that I have to get 1/2 naked in a salsa dress for a benefit ball in 3 weeks might have a little to do with it.........I am desperate to look killer!
Speaking of Salsa, do you ZUMBA?
For the love of God, people, Zumba!!
It's the funnest, most exuberating, humiliating experience of my 40's so far!
O U T OF C O N T R O L
My exercise club is big into Zumba.
Yea, we shake, mambo, cha cha, salsa, slide, squat, gyrate, spin, thrust, drink, sweat and secretly imagine ourselves as being in a performance seen by all our old high school friends. .... or is it just me? Come on girls........... :)
Lisa, one of our group, goes with me a lot. She could basically teach the class. She is the sassiest 40 (something:) year old you'll ever see on Zumba floor. Talk about inspiring. She also works, donates a ton of her time, supports local causes, networks like an ant, exercises faithfully, goes to church, is good to her husband, and so on.........you get the picture. Easy Breezy.
Why is it that some people can get 50 things done in a day, and some people 5?
When you find out let me know.
Not like I only do 5 or anything........
Zumba,
I must admit I felt pretty good about myself in the beginning, until I looked in the mirror and realized i did not look AT ALL like the instructor, or Lisa, or anyone else for that matter. I do fine if I don't look at myself. I FEEL my way through it and pray I won't hurt anyone. :)
What else is going on with the "club"?
Well, we are going to Tanya's house next week to watch "Food Inc." and to eat healthy appetizers.
What am I bringing?
Mini tostada bites:
round organic tortilla chips topped with healthy organic shredded cabbage and chopped spinach, spoonful of my fish taco recipe (in other blog), mango salsa, cilantro. Everything fresh and organic.
Oh, and Vanessa, another one of our gals, is planning an ADVENTURE weekend for us!
How cool are we??!
Quick tip for busy moms (as requested by my friend Cristina)..... drink your nutrition instead of trying to get it all through your diet. Often we do not get enough nutrition from the foods we are eating, so smoothies are a great way to get loads of nutrition if done right.
Killer smoothie recipe:
1 scoop choc. whey protein powder
1 tblsp almond butter
1 tsp ground flax seeds
1 c choc almond milk
1 banana
1 c water
2 c ice
blend into a yummy choc nutty smoothie and carry out the door!
Awe man, 9:30. Past my bed time.
A Book worth reading: Never Be Sick Again, Raymond Francais
QFTD: "If the label has words you cannot pronounce, don't eat it!" Paul Chek
Yours in Zumba addiction,
Heather
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
From love FEAST to Love FEST......
Get ready to get your LOVE on girlfriends, because I am going to tell you about FOOD that puts you in the MOOD.......
They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right?
Or is it his.........did you know Venus is named after Venus, the Goddess of Love???? I am serious about that.
What's LOVE got to do with it??
Well, it's Valentine's Day, silly! Now don't you forget, that's the man's job. :)
If you're like me, you've been dropping hints for 3 weeks now..... like posting new FAVORITES to his computer such as Swarovski Crystal and Anthropology.
Due to my genius antics, I now have a 50/50 chance of scoring a gift. The truth is, though, it will most likely be picked up on his way home from biking with the guys on Sunday, at somewhere convenient for him, such as Whole Foods.
Which means flowers and a card.
It's ALL good.
He IS my Valentine's gift. The gift that keeps on giving......xoxoxoxoo
.....and, assuming you ARE like me, since you are reading my blog, your man is also probably due for a little worshiping.....
So from my end, here's what's going on:
Sitter is arranged.
Dinner reservations made at our favorite OYSTER Bar. Meritage. Their Maritin's are simply to die for.....
But truth be known, Martini's are not the reason I chose this cozy little spot. Oh no, I was thinking more about the dessert. ;)
Did you know Oysters are one of the most well know aphrodisiacs?
Aphrodisiac - Something that arouses one's desire for sex.....name comes from the Greek Goddess, Aphrodite. Goddess of sexual Love and beauty.
Why oysters, and can we bottle it?
The answer is yes....and we have.
Zinc.
A trace mineral otherwise known as the element of primal passion. grrrrrrrr.......
Zinc helps our sex drive in two ways.......
1. It helps you tune into your lovers natural scent - Pheromones. They can literally drive a person wild. Much more effective than perfume and a lot cheaper! Detected subconsciously, they are an important part of sexual arousal.
2. Zinc helps keep female hormones in balance, including sex hormones.
Hair, nails, outfit ready.
Card and strawberries dipped in chocolate.
CHOCOLATE........the ultimate aphrodisiac.
Chocolate contains two compounds, phenylethylamine and seretonin, which serve as mood elevators. Both occur naturally in the brain, and when released into the central nervous system, a feeling of euphoria, love, passion, and even lust can be experienced.
The LOVE FEAST.........
For those of you planning a romantic dinner at home, here are some foods to help rev up your love machine:
seafood, especially shell fish and Oysters
pumkin seeds (a ton of zinc) in your salad
watermelon (high in zinc)
caviar
figs
asparagus
grapes
mushrooms
cheese
sesame seeds
whole grains
How about a little more spice in your life? Yea, spices too. Especially cinnamon.
Oh, and we can't forget the Martini. How about watermelon?
My favorite is one made with HelloCello - Limoncello di Sonoma. The stuff is out of control in the most delightful way...... Perfect for an out of control evening. :)
Your love feast men-you:
Before dinner Martini
appetizer - platter of figs, cheese, grapes, caviar, rain coast crisp crackers (whole foods)
main - cracked crab and/or oysters
crusty whole grain bakery bread
salad with pumpkin seeds, mushrooms
Dessert - Chocolate Mousse or Chocolate covered strawberries
Cappuccino with cinnamon and nutmeg on top.
oh, and don't forget the Parsley for your breath after wards...... :)
Now your ready for the love FEST....
um, think I'll stop there and let you figure out the rest. :)
I'll expect a censored report on Monday!
And for you wonderful women who do not have a partner this Valentines Day, burn pink candles. Yea. A very wonderful and wise friend once told me if you burn pink candles it will bring love into your life. xo
QFTD: You've made your bed, now you get to lie in it! - Esther Blum
Yours in Goddess love,
Heather
P.S. Jen, Sarah and Beth, thanks for following!
They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right?
Or is it his.........did you know Venus is named after Venus, the Goddess of Love???? I am serious about that.
What's LOVE got to do with it??
Well, it's Valentine's Day, silly! Now don't you forget, that's the man's job. :)
If you're like me, you've been dropping hints for 3 weeks now..... like posting new FAVORITES to his computer such as Swarovski Crystal and Anthropology.
Due to my genius antics, I now have a 50/50 chance of scoring a gift. The truth is, though, it will most likely be picked up on his way home from biking with the guys on Sunday, at somewhere convenient for him, such as Whole Foods.
Which means flowers and a card.
It's ALL good.
He IS my Valentine's gift. The gift that keeps on giving......xoxoxoxoo
.....and, assuming you ARE like me, since you are reading my blog, your man is also probably due for a little worshiping.....
So from my end, here's what's going on:
Sitter is arranged.
Dinner reservations made at our favorite OYSTER Bar. Meritage. Their Maritin's are simply to die for.....
But truth be known, Martini's are not the reason I chose this cozy little spot. Oh no, I was thinking more about the dessert. ;)
Did you know Oysters are one of the most well know aphrodisiacs?
Aphrodisiac - Something that arouses one's desire for sex.....name comes from the Greek Goddess, Aphrodite. Goddess of sexual Love and beauty.
Why oysters, and can we bottle it?
The answer is yes....and we have.
Zinc.
A trace mineral otherwise known as the element of primal passion. grrrrrrrr.......
Zinc helps our sex drive in two ways.......
1. It helps you tune into your lovers natural scent - Pheromones. They can literally drive a person wild. Much more effective than perfume and a lot cheaper! Detected subconsciously, they are an important part of sexual arousal.
2. Zinc helps keep female hormones in balance, including sex hormones.
Hair, nails, outfit ready.
Card and strawberries dipped in chocolate.
CHOCOLATE........the ultimate aphrodisiac.
Chocolate contains two compounds, phenylethylamine and seretonin, which serve as mood elevators. Both occur naturally in the brain, and when released into the central nervous system, a feeling of euphoria, love, passion, and even lust can be experienced.
The LOVE FEAST.........
For those of you planning a romantic dinner at home, here are some foods to help rev up your love machine:
seafood, especially shell fish and Oysters
pumkin seeds (a ton of zinc) in your salad
watermelon (high in zinc)
caviar
figs
asparagus
grapes
mushrooms
cheese
sesame seeds
whole grains
How about a little more spice in your life? Yea, spices too. Especially cinnamon.
Oh, and we can't forget the Martini. How about watermelon?
My favorite is one made with HelloCello - Limoncello di Sonoma. The stuff is out of control in the most delightful way...... Perfect for an out of control evening. :)
Your love feast men-you:
Before dinner Martini
appetizer - platter of figs, cheese, grapes, caviar, rain coast crisp crackers (whole foods)
main - cracked crab and/or oysters
crusty whole grain bakery bread
salad with pumpkin seeds, mushrooms
Dessert - Chocolate Mousse or Chocolate covered strawberries
Cappuccino with cinnamon and nutmeg on top.
oh, and don't forget the Parsley for your breath after wards...... :)
Now your ready for the love FEST....
um, think I'll stop there and let you figure out the rest. :)
I'll expect a censored report on Monday!
And for you wonderful women who do not have a partner this Valentines Day, burn pink candles. Yea. A very wonderful and wise friend once told me if you burn pink candles it will bring love into your life. xo
QFTD: You've made your bed, now you get to lie in it! - Esther Blum
Yours in Goddess love,
Heather
P.S. Jen, Sarah and Beth, thanks for following!
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
For the love of God, people, I had a bit of writers block this week......a temporary short-circuit in my writers mojo......
I knew there was a reason and I went with it. It wasn't until my dog started passing major gas that I became inspired to write about carbs. Yea, her body was talking to her alright. Too many carbs and fiber from some veggies she got her paws on. Poor baby...Poor me!
About that same time my husband walks through the room with a bowl of popcorn, which has the same affect on him as the veggies do on our dogs, but the way he handles it is by eating some almond butter....read on to see why.
One thing I can promise YOU for sure is........I WILL KEEP 'EM COMING, the Blogs, that is.
Another thing I can promise is......Each one WILL BE WORTH IT. So don't miss one! Always scroll back to make sure you haven't missed one. ok?
It's all about quality over quantity here.
If I don't have the time and inspiration to write something I feel is valuable to you - lessons, inspirations, humiliations, I won't waste your time or mine. Deal?
Yesterday I had a LIVE radio gig. 91.3 fm Sonoma. 15 minutes of fame and afterwards I realized we didn't even say my name! Doh!
I gave lots of good advice, though.......like the 80/20 rule, why resverotrol, an antioxidant compound found in the skin of red grapes, makes red wine healthier than white wine, and the importance of balancing wine (which is a carb) with protein and healthy fats (such as raw, organic cheese) for optimal metabolism. That's why the French diet is so healthful. The french are dialed in when it comes to understanding how to eat. They balance their macronutrients masterfully.
WTF are macronutrients?
Proteins. Carbs. Fats.
We need them all, combined in the right, way from sources that are good quality, to keep us metabolizing efficiently.
Quiz for you: yes or no.
Sugar is a carb?
Veggies are a carbs?
Chocolate is a carb?
Maple syrup in your hubbies belly button is a carb?
Wine is a carb?
Coffee is a carb?
fruit is a carb?
If you answered YES to ALL you are right!! They are ALL carbs!
Dig this......not all carbs are created equal. Some are SIMPLE, such as bread, pasta, popcorn, rice etc. which end up on your hips and around your mid-section. The other are COMPLEX carbs, which are better for your metabolism, such as most green veggies and berries. These become a more sustained, efficient energy source and burn as fuel rather than ending up on your hips. I have a list that gives you optimal choices - if you want it let me know and I will make sure you get it.
Here's the trick:
EVERY time you eat, including snacks, look at what you are eating and ask yourself if the protein and carbs are equally balanced. Usually we are eating substantially more carb than protein and fat combined. And make sure there is a little healthy fat in there too. All three are important each time you eat because that is what your body is expecting. You will feel more satisfied if you eat that way.
example of snacks when combined the right way:
apple with 12 almonds.
celery with almond butter
banana with almond butter mixed with choc protein powder. yum.
So why the almond butter with the popcorn? Well, it helped balance out the simple carb and made it easier to digest.
Fruit is a carb. We don't eat carbs alone. Can you repeat that?
Doesn't mean that eating an apple is bad for you, just means that you can control your sugar response better by combining a little protein and fat with it and keeps us more satisfied.
Oh, and BTW, the best kind of protein comes from something that had eyes. If that is not how you roll, then study up on other complete protein options.
Why do you think Americans are so fat?
Sugar. processed foods that deliver very little nutrition to your body. Empty calories. Way over-consumption of carbs.....ya think????!
Here's a mind-blower that is also a repeat. I seriously had no friggin idea that what I put into my body had an affect on how I looked and felt until I started studying nutrition. I spent many years feeling like crap (ok I looked pretty good due to my young age and good genes, but that would not have lasted too much longer) but I honestly had no clue that what I was eating (or not eating) had any correlation to my bad health. Even when my body was speaking to me loud and clear saying, "wtf, woman, are you joking?!!
Which is a big part of the reason why I do what I do.
Wish I would have had an intervention way back when.......
Fill-osophical tip for the day...... you have to get healthy in order to lose weight, not lose weight to get healthy.
You get healthy by eating LOTS of good stuff. PHYTONUTRIENTS. Nutritients from Plants. (and by sleeping, and drinking a ton of water and exercising) So if you are starving yourself trying to lose weight are you getting healthy by losing weight?
You get it......7 servings of fruits and veggies per day! When you do this you are loving yourself.
It's about loving yourself enough to honor your temple. It's about respect for the person who was gracious enough to loan it to you. You only have one while you are here on earth, and, remember, what you do today will take a toll on you big time in 15-20 years. So exercise discipline now and you will age gracefully and be able to enjoy your family without having to drag them down with your health issues. There is nothing more important than the way you love and care for yourself NOW. When you do this, your children will learn to love themselves.
(BTW, which is why I am going for a mani/pedi tomorrow during the super bowl ;-)
Cracks me up how so many people take such good care of their cars, clothes, homes, etc., yet they eat crap and do not exercise, and complain about the cost of organic food. Where is the temple in their priorities?
For shame people! For shame.
It's all of us at some time or another, I can assure you. me included.
FOOD for thought.......... arugala, goats cheese, beets, and salmon in a salad with a light balsamic vinaigrette. Yum.
QFTD: "Your Body Speaks to you in ways that words cannot...learn to understand the language." - unknown.
Yours in living well and having fun,
Heather
I knew there was a reason and I went with it. It wasn't until my dog started passing major gas that I became inspired to write about carbs. Yea, her body was talking to her alright. Too many carbs and fiber from some veggies she got her paws on. Poor baby...Poor me!
About that same time my husband walks through the room with a bowl of popcorn, which has the same affect on him as the veggies do on our dogs, but the way he handles it is by eating some almond butter....read on to see why.
One thing I can promise YOU for sure is........I WILL KEEP 'EM COMING, the Blogs, that is.
Another thing I can promise is......Each one WILL BE WORTH IT. So don't miss one! Always scroll back to make sure you haven't missed one. ok?
It's all about quality over quantity here.
If I don't have the time and inspiration to write something I feel is valuable to you - lessons, inspirations, humiliations, I won't waste your time or mine. Deal?
Yesterday I had a LIVE radio gig. 91.3 fm Sonoma. 15 minutes of fame and afterwards I realized we didn't even say my name! Doh!
I gave lots of good advice, though.......like the 80/20 rule, why resverotrol, an antioxidant compound found in the skin of red grapes, makes red wine healthier than white wine, and the importance of balancing wine (which is a carb) with protein and healthy fats (such as raw, organic cheese) for optimal metabolism. That's why the French diet is so healthful. The french are dialed in when it comes to understanding how to eat. They balance their macronutrients masterfully.
WTF are macronutrients?
Proteins. Carbs. Fats.
We need them all, combined in the right, way from sources that are good quality, to keep us metabolizing efficiently.
Quiz for you: yes or no.
Sugar is a carb?
Veggies are a carbs?
Chocolate is a carb?
Maple syrup in your hubbies belly button is a carb?
Wine is a carb?
Coffee is a carb?
fruit is a carb?
If you answered YES to ALL you are right!! They are ALL carbs!
Dig this......not all carbs are created equal. Some are SIMPLE, such as bread, pasta, popcorn, rice etc. which end up on your hips and around your mid-section. The other are COMPLEX carbs, which are better for your metabolism, such as most green veggies and berries. These become a more sustained, efficient energy source and burn as fuel rather than ending up on your hips. I have a list that gives you optimal choices - if you want it let me know and I will make sure you get it.
Here's the trick:
EVERY time you eat, including snacks, look at what you are eating and ask yourself if the protein and carbs are equally balanced. Usually we are eating substantially more carb than protein and fat combined. And make sure there is a little healthy fat in there too. All three are important each time you eat because that is what your body is expecting. You will feel more satisfied if you eat that way.
example of snacks when combined the right way:
apple with 12 almonds.
celery with almond butter
banana with almond butter mixed with choc protein powder. yum.
So why the almond butter with the popcorn? Well, it helped balance out the simple carb and made it easier to digest.
Fruit is a carb. We don't eat carbs alone. Can you repeat that?
Doesn't mean that eating an apple is bad for you, just means that you can control your sugar response better by combining a little protein and fat with it and keeps us more satisfied.
Oh, and BTW, the best kind of protein comes from something that had eyes. If that is not how you roll, then study up on other complete protein options.
Why do you think Americans are so fat?
Sugar. processed foods that deliver very little nutrition to your body. Empty calories. Way over-consumption of carbs.....ya think????!
Here's a mind-blower that is also a repeat. I seriously had no friggin idea that what I put into my body had an affect on how I looked and felt until I started studying nutrition. I spent many years feeling like crap (ok I looked pretty good due to my young age and good genes, but that would not have lasted too much longer) but I honestly had no clue that what I was eating (or not eating) had any correlation to my bad health. Even when my body was speaking to me loud and clear saying, "wtf, woman, are you joking?!!
Which is a big part of the reason why I do what I do.
Wish I would have had an intervention way back when.......
Fill-osophical tip for the day...... you have to get healthy in order to lose weight, not lose weight to get healthy.
You get healthy by eating LOTS of good stuff. PHYTONUTRIENTS. Nutritients from Plants. (and by sleeping, and drinking a ton of water and exercising) So if you are starving yourself trying to lose weight are you getting healthy by losing weight?
You get it......7 servings of fruits and veggies per day! When you do this you are loving yourself.
It's about loving yourself enough to honor your temple. It's about respect for the person who was gracious enough to loan it to you. You only have one while you are here on earth, and, remember, what you do today will take a toll on you big time in 15-20 years. So exercise discipline now and you will age gracefully and be able to enjoy your family without having to drag them down with your health issues. There is nothing more important than the way you love and care for yourself NOW. When you do this, your children will learn to love themselves.
(BTW, which is why I am going for a mani/pedi tomorrow during the super bowl ;-)
Cracks me up how so many people take such good care of their cars, clothes, homes, etc., yet they eat crap and do not exercise, and complain about the cost of organic food. Where is the temple in their priorities?
For shame people! For shame.
It's all of us at some time or another, I can assure you. me included.
FOOD for thought.......... arugala, goats cheese, beets, and salmon in a salad with a light balsamic vinaigrette. Yum.
QFTD: "Your Body Speaks to you in ways that words cannot...learn to understand the language." - unknown.
Yours in living well and having fun,
Heather
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
OK, now I've done it. Net Nanny shut me out of my own Blog for my use of profanity. :0
I'll do better, promise.
Is Net Nanny the only person reading my blog on a regular basis?? Because she is the only person I am hearing from...... :)
That bossy little b@#$% is squelching my literary mojo!....see if she can figure that one out! I may have to start using code......
Hey! Did you Watch Oprah yesterday?! PLEASE watch it if you did not. It is important for your health and the health of your family. Michael Pollan wrote Omnivores Dilemma - have you read it?
Also, watch the movie, Food, Inc....it's great and along the same lines as Oprah's show.
Eye-opening.
I read it with my book club and now we are discussing it in our exercise club.
Yea, Tanya, after watching Oprah, has invited our exercise club to her house to watch Food Inc. together. We are doing a healthy, mostly veggie pot luck too........so fun! I am taking my healthy fish tacos. (you have to read my other posting to get the recipe :)
In case you are wondering where I stand on the vegan thing......I think it can be great for some folks, when done right, which is the challenge. We are all different metabolically. If we listen to how our BODY TALKS to us, we know what we need by how we feel through trial and error, but we must be listening.....and, education is powerful. So is eating right for your metabolic needs.
I have coached many people through the METABOLIC TYPING process, helping them to figure out the right balance of macro nutrients for themselves, and I have discovered many people really do need a more paleolithic type of diet involving clean , lean proteins. Some do better on mostly veggies and other types of proteins. FOOD QUALITY is most important, which is why you need to watch FOOD INC.
Unfortunately, we get little education in America on the subject of food quality and how to eat right for our metabolic needs, but it is SOOO important for ourselves and future generations. So get educated folks and take your health into your own hands before it is too late. Once your health is in the hands of big pharma.......well, good luck chickie.
OK, Net Net Nanny and friends, thanks for taking time to get a little inspired today........and, please, if you feel so inspired, help socialize this Blog for me?
Maybe there is someone out there who would find my profanity and silly stories.....um, momentarily distracting?
QFTD: "One man's food, is another's poison"
Yours in livin it up while living live,
Heather
I'll do better, promise.
Is Net Nanny the only person reading my blog on a regular basis?? Because she is the only person I am hearing from...... :)
That bossy little b@#$% is squelching my literary mojo!....see if she can figure that one out! I may have to start using code......
Hey! Did you Watch Oprah yesterday?! PLEASE watch it if you did not. It is important for your health and the health of your family. Michael Pollan wrote Omnivores Dilemma - have you read it?
Also, watch the movie, Food, Inc....it's great and along the same lines as Oprah's show.
Eye-opening.
I read it with my book club and now we are discussing it in our exercise club.
Yea, Tanya, after watching Oprah, has invited our exercise club to her house to watch Food Inc. together. We are doing a healthy, mostly veggie pot luck too........so fun! I am taking my healthy fish tacos. (you have to read my other posting to get the recipe :)
In case you are wondering where I stand on the vegan thing......I think it can be great for some folks, when done right, which is the challenge. We are all different metabolically. If we listen to how our BODY TALKS to us, we know what we need by how we feel through trial and error, but we must be listening.....and, education is powerful. So is eating right for your metabolic needs.
I have coached many people through the METABOLIC TYPING process, helping them to figure out the right balance of macro nutrients for themselves, and I have discovered many people really do need a more paleolithic type of diet involving clean , lean proteins. Some do better on mostly veggies and other types of proteins. FOOD QUALITY is most important, which is why you need to watch FOOD INC.
Unfortunately, we get little education in America on the subject of food quality and how to eat right for our metabolic needs, but it is SOOO important for ourselves and future generations. So get educated folks and take your health into your own hands before it is too late. Once your health is in the hands of big pharma.......well, good luck chickie.
OK, Net Net Nanny and friends, thanks for taking time to get a little inspired today........and, please, if you feel so inspired, help socialize this Blog for me?
Maybe there is someone out there who would find my profanity and silly stories.....um, momentarily distracting?
QFTD: "One man's food, is another's poison"
Yours in livin it up while living live,
Heather
Saturday, January 23, 2010
and we're rollin!
Hello Body Bloggers!
Hey, guess what, my good friend Marina reminded me that tomorrow (Wednesday, 27th) on Oprah they are talking about healthy eating and "do you really know what's in your food?"..........She is interviewing Michael Pollan and Alicia Silverstone. Seriously worth your time if you can watch it.
How was the weekend? 80/20 rule?
THE RULE ROCKS.
If you haven't already tried it, start this week. Keep a journal of everything you eat and drink. EVERYTHING. Are you following the 80/20 rule? Or is it more like the 20/80 rule? Surprisingly, it's usually the drinks that get ya. Lemme know how it goes....
Well, my girls and I started our "cleanse" this week. I really don't like that word for several reasons...........C L E A N S E ..... What do you think of when you hear that word? Starving for a week while drinking some nasty tasting yuk? Douching during a full moon? Getting rid of the junk your husband has been holding onto forever? Getting rid of the husband?? Just kidding. :)
To clarify what we are doing...........we are eating a clean, whole foods diet of mostly raw veggies, healthy fats, and lean proteins. We are also drinking daily shakes which include a cleansing powder that supports the liver. The process is gentle and mostly involves removing toxins from our diet such as white sugar, white flour, dairy, wheat/gluten, alcohol, coffee, processed foods, and fried foods. That's it. During this time it's the 100% rule. Lot's of water and exercise. we feel gooood!
SO, the club.
Now we are just "the club".
We rock. Ok, I'm sayin' it! We are bitches on roller skates and takin' names while we roll!
Hey, wait a minute! That's a great idea! We need to get our roll on here in Sonoma! Roller skating around Sonoma would be awesome!
I'm telling you, we are having a blast with this new exercise club! You really should do one with your friends.........
Oops, for the love of God, it's past my bed time! It's almost 10 and I am supposed to be in bed by 9:30. It's usually 9, but I have pushed it back lately to be productive. :)
Ever since I was in High School my mom preached to me about the importance of going to bed by 9. Ya know what? it stuck with me. I still go to bed by 9....and so should you sister you-out-there! When you sleep your body is doing much of it's very important repair work. Important for ANTI-AGING. Needed to pull that word out so you would listen to me.
Sleep IS one of the TOP secrets for beauty, girls, listen up.
Sleep and water........don't tell anyone I told you those two secrets. I am thinking about writing a book. ;)
QFTD: "If it tastes good spit it out!" - jack Lalanne
Yours in anti-aging,
Heather
PS. Kathy and Cristina thanks for joining my blog!
Hey, guess what, my good friend Marina reminded me that tomorrow (Wednesday, 27th) on Oprah they are talking about healthy eating and "do you really know what's in your food?"..........She is interviewing Michael Pollan and Alicia Silverstone. Seriously worth your time if you can watch it.
How was the weekend? 80/20 rule?
THE RULE ROCKS.
If you haven't already tried it, start this week. Keep a journal of everything you eat and drink. EVERYTHING. Are you following the 80/20 rule? Or is it more like the 20/80 rule? Surprisingly, it's usually the drinks that get ya. Lemme know how it goes....
Well, my girls and I started our "cleanse" this week. I really don't like that word for several reasons...........C L E A N S E ..... What do you think of when you hear that word? Starving for a week while drinking some nasty tasting yuk? Douching during a full moon? Getting rid of the junk your husband has been holding onto forever? Getting rid of the husband?? Just kidding. :)
To clarify what we are doing...........we are eating a clean, whole foods diet of mostly raw veggies, healthy fats, and lean proteins. We are also drinking daily shakes which include a cleansing powder that supports the liver. The process is gentle and mostly involves removing toxins from our diet such as white sugar, white flour, dairy, wheat/gluten, alcohol, coffee, processed foods, and fried foods. That's it. During this time it's the 100% rule. Lot's of water and exercise. we feel gooood!
SO, the club.
Now we are just "the club".
We rock. Ok, I'm sayin' it! We are bitches on roller skates and takin' names while we roll!
Hey, wait a minute! That's a great idea! We need to get our roll on here in Sonoma! Roller skating around Sonoma would be awesome!
I'm telling you, we are having a blast with this new exercise club! You really should do one with your friends.........
Oops, for the love of God, it's past my bed time! It's almost 10 and I am supposed to be in bed by 9:30. It's usually 9, but I have pushed it back lately to be productive. :)
Ever since I was in High School my mom preached to me about the importance of going to bed by 9. Ya know what? it stuck with me. I still go to bed by 9....and so should you sister you-out-there! When you sleep your body is doing much of it's very important repair work. Important for ANTI-AGING. Needed to pull that word out so you would listen to me.
Sleep IS one of the TOP secrets for beauty, girls, listen up.
Sleep and water........don't tell anyone I told you those two secrets. I am thinking about writing a book. ;)
QFTD: "If it tastes good spit it out!" - jack Lalanne
Yours in anti-aging,
Heather
PS. Kathy and Cristina thanks for joining my blog!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
So proud of my girls!
It's basically a Monsoon out there and we are still going strong with the exercise and 80/20 rule....
My friends Michelle and Tanya, being the warriors that they are, braved the elements and grew because of it......
I'm inspired, ladies, way to go......
No kidding, Tanya is a marathon runner and a professional BAKER. Can those words even be used in the same sentence? Think maybe she runs because she bakes?? Oh, and BTW, her last name happens to be Baker -how cute is that?
Here's the visual. She's fit, tall, gorgeous, talented in the kitchen, AND one of the greatest gals you'd ever meet. One of those people that makes everything look easy breezy. She also happens to be one of my heroes for the mere fact that she makes running doable for me. Last week when we met at the track (a few of us from the group) I SO almost did not go because I didn't want to look like a fool. No, you have no idea how deconditioned (is that a word) I am compared to these Divas. But I put on my big girl panties and made myself step out of the comfort zone for a beating..........
After we were finished, I, in my "mommy look at me" proudness, gave Mrs. Baker, the baker, the coach, a ride home. And wouldn't ya know, on the way home she told me that she was nervous too? Yea, here I was all worked up about looking like a fool, and SHE, the seasoned runner, was nervous about nobody showing up to run with her. Lesson girls, if you are feeling uncomfortable about a situation, chances are, you are not the only one feeling that way.
Did you know that most people eat the same 12-15 foods and participate in the same 3 forms of exercise their entire lives..........something to think about.
Here's some advice.........Mix your exercise like you mix your cocktails. Try something new and see how you feel. :)
Now, there are a few kinds of exercise I just do not do.....running was one of them......yoga is another.
Here's why.
They cause me pain.
I am a wimp and have been WAY too comfortable in my recent years. Life has been a little too good, if you know what I mean, comfy cozy, little me not stepping up in the way that I know I should and could. I was too busy......
WRONG!
Lazy, is more like it. Missing the mark as far as healthy balance goes, and I have the extra 10 lbs to prove it.
So we also have 2 gorgeous gals in our exercise group who happen to be a yoga instructor (Amber) and a ballet instructor (Sarah). Again, drop dead beautiful and easy breezy. Love these gals. So how I am going to face not joining in to their yoga and ballet classes? It's like Jr. High.....I so want to be part of the group and I don't want to hurt their feelings, but, for the sake of risking major embarrassment and pain, I must make excuses, oops, I mean, gracefully decline.
So why don't I just give it a try?
I honestly think it's because my butt is too wide for my feet. I fall over. I'm cereal. It is painful for me.
For the love of God, and I mean this sincerely, because he gave me frozen fish sticks for legs that will snap in two if you try to bend em, I can't imagine how I can possibly be that beautiful, free-flowing picture of grace I so desire to be.....
In cheerleading I always chose the longest skirt (and in the 80's they were long) to cover the 12 plus inch space between me and the floor when I was doing the splits. Today it would be more like 36 inches.....
Went to a wonderful mother's meditation group recently and had to use like 4 major props to help me sit Indian style.....humiliating.
My feet are so stiff I cant tuck them under my body so when it was time to get up to walk I had to let my feet defrost for a few minutes before standing. Ouch..... Totally felt like everyone was noticing how unlimber I am, but, of course, they were not. They were lovely, open, incredibly supportive women with much to offer. It was all me, baby, all me.
In my defense, thought....I tried that very hot yoga before and actually loosened up and could touch my toes. Think maybe I'll start there...... I want to make my girls proud.
I used to have dreams about doing the splits and being limber. it was so cool....
Parsley, Karen, Beth, Jen, Rene, Amy, and Marina.........thanks so much for joining my blog!
QFTD: (long, but worth it)
PHILOSOPHY DRIVES ATTITUDE
ATTITUDE DRIVES ACTIONS
ACTIONS DRIVE RESULTS
RESULTS DRIVE LIFESTYLES
IF YOU DONT LIKE YOUR LIFESTYLE, LOOK AT YOUR RESULTS
IF YOU DONT LIKE YOUR RESULTS, LOOK AT YOUR ACTIONS
IF YOU DON'T LIKE YOUR ACTIONS, LOOK AT YOUR ATTITUDE
IF YOU DON'T LIKE YOUR ATTITUDE,
LOOK AT YOUR PHILOSOPHY
- Jim Rohn
Yours in philosophical alignment,
Heather
My friends Michelle and Tanya, being the warriors that they are, braved the elements and grew because of it......
I'm inspired, ladies, way to go......
No kidding, Tanya is a marathon runner and a professional BAKER. Can those words even be used in the same sentence? Think maybe she runs because she bakes?? Oh, and BTW, her last name happens to be Baker -how cute is that?
Here's the visual. She's fit, tall, gorgeous, talented in the kitchen, AND one of the greatest gals you'd ever meet. One of those people that makes everything look easy breezy. She also happens to be one of my heroes for the mere fact that she makes running doable for me. Last week when we met at the track (a few of us from the group) I SO almost did not go because I didn't want to look like a fool. No, you have no idea how deconditioned (is that a word) I am compared to these Divas. But I put on my big girl panties and made myself step out of the comfort zone for a beating..........
After we were finished, I, in my "mommy look at me" proudness, gave Mrs. Baker, the baker, the coach, a ride home. And wouldn't ya know, on the way home she told me that she was nervous too? Yea, here I was all worked up about looking like a fool, and SHE, the seasoned runner, was nervous about nobody showing up to run with her. Lesson girls, if you are feeling uncomfortable about a situation, chances are, you are not the only one feeling that way.
Did you know that most people eat the same 12-15 foods and participate in the same 3 forms of exercise their entire lives..........something to think about.
Here's some advice.........Mix your exercise like you mix your cocktails. Try something new and see how you feel. :)
Now, there are a few kinds of exercise I just do not do.....running was one of them......yoga is another.
Here's why.
They cause me pain.
I am a wimp and have been WAY too comfortable in my recent years. Life has been a little too good, if you know what I mean, comfy cozy, little me not stepping up in the way that I know I should and could. I was too busy......
WRONG!
Lazy, is more like it. Missing the mark as far as healthy balance goes, and I have the extra 10 lbs to prove it.
So we also have 2 gorgeous gals in our exercise group who happen to be a yoga instructor (Amber) and a ballet instructor (Sarah). Again, drop dead beautiful and easy breezy. Love these gals. So how I am going to face not joining in to their yoga and ballet classes? It's like Jr. High.....I so want to be part of the group and I don't want to hurt their feelings, but, for the sake of risking major embarrassment and pain, I must make excuses, oops, I mean, gracefully decline.
So why don't I just give it a try?
I honestly think it's because my butt is too wide for my feet. I fall over. I'm cereal. It is painful for me.
For the love of God, and I mean this sincerely, because he gave me frozen fish sticks for legs that will snap in two if you try to bend em, I can't imagine how I can possibly be that beautiful, free-flowing picture of grace I so desire to be.....
In cheerleading I always chose the longest skirt (and in the 80's they were long) to cover the 12 plus inch space between me and the floor when I was doing the splits. Today it would be more like 36 inches.....
Went to a wonderful mother's meditation group recently and had to use like 4 major props to help me sit Indian style.....humiliating.
My feet are so stiff I cant tuck them under my body so when it was time to get up to walk I had to let my feet defrost for a few minutes before standing. Ouch..... Totally felt like everyone was noticing how unlimber I am, but, of course, they were not. They were lovely, open, incredibly supportive women with much to offer. It was all me, baby, all me.
In my defense, thought....I tried that very hot yoga before and actually loosened up and could touch my toes. Think maybe I'll start there...... I want to make my girls proud.
I used to have dreams about doing the splits and being limber. it was so cool....
Parsley, Karen, Beth, Jen, Rene, Amy, and Marina.........thanks so much for joining my blog!
QFTD: (long, but worth it)
PHILOSOPHY DRIVES ATTITUDE
ATTITUDE DRIVES ACTIONS
ACTIONS DRIVE RESULTS
RESULTS DRIVE LIFESTYLES
IF YOU DONT LIKE YOUR LIFESTYLE, LOOK AT YOUR RESULTS
IF YOU DONT LIKE YOUR RESULTS, LOOK AT YOUR ACTIONS
IF YOU DON'T LIKE YOUR ACTIONS, LOOK AT YOUR ATTITUDE
IF YOU DON'T LIKE YOUR ATTITUDE,
LOOK AT YOUR PHILOSOPHY
- Jim Rohn
Yours in philosophical alignment,
Heather
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Changing the channel......
I am trying to work through this one, friends.......
I have been feeling "off" since the earthquake in Haiti hit, and I recently discovered that beautiful and brave 11 yr old girl who they rescued with the hurt leg died. I don't know if you followed her story, but as a mother of an 11 year old daughter, I was completely broken.
That brave angel's last words were, "mommy please don't let me die."
Deep breath........
Acknowledge the emotion.
Change the channel.
Charity.
My heart is uplifted, though, by the enormous outpouring of love and support from around the world. A world with heart. Its almost as if you can feel a pulse beating from the core of the earth. I wonder if you can see it beating from outer space?
During this time I am aware of how emotions affect all aspects of our lives...... social relationships, productivity, and even our health.
There have been loads of studies done on emotions and health. The glass-half-full people are sick less often than the glass-half-empty people. Yeah, it's true.
Would you agree with this statement? Know anyone who is on loads of meds who also has a bad attitude? Know anyone who has health issues who is often depressed?
Chicken or the egg?
I am living, breathing proof that this is true. I had many health issues going on in my life before I developed the skill set to properly manage my emotions. I tended to operate from a very "me" point of view, and often from a perspective based on fear and negativity. I did not have the capacity to think beyond my own drama some of the time. Don't get me wrong, to most people I seemed pretty normal, but as times got tougher, my lack of skills to pull myself out of the muck became obvious, not only that, made life worse. You see, when you are a negative thinker and life hits you hard what do you do? You focus on all the bad, you react out of fear. Then what happens? yes, you attract more bad stuff.
During those years my body was talking to me, letting me know that it was over burdened with stinkin thinkin and unnecessary worry. Headaches, digestive issues, tiredness, etc.
It wasn't until the formal breakdown in my health that my "awakening" happened. A conscious shift, if you will, that opened my perspective and desire to change. A desire to be healthy in all aspects of my life. To be positive, to bring positivity into my life and to motivate and inspire others so that they may be uplifted as well. Guess what, BIG shift in my health. Sure the eating better and exercise helped, but I would not have been able to sustain those habits without getting a grip on my mental habits. Learning to change the channel saved my life and my marriage.
I am a definite work in progress. If we are doing it right, we all are......
Life's too short.
Learn to change the channel. And WHATEVER YOU DO don't judge others, criticize, put others down, or talk badly about others. ESPECIALLY NOT IN FRONT OF YOUR CHILDREN. Don't repeat the cycle of stinkin thinkin you learned.
FEAR.
Those behaviors come from fear and unhappiness with oneself. All those ugly emotions, including jealousy, are usually rooted in dislike of ones self. Love yourself, you will find that you will automatically find more to love in others. Be the best you can be and you will begin loving yourself and others. Only you know what that personal best is and what you need to do to make that happen.
Switching the channel is a powerful tool for you in managing your emotions. Managing your emotions is an important part of managing your health.
A healthy attitude is a great place to start. Be your personal best, love yourself, love others.
Good book. Your Destiny Switch. Google it. Can't remember the author off the top of my head.
QFTH: "If your all wrapped up in yourself, you're overdressed." - Kate Halverson
Yours in positivity,
Heather
PS Karen! Welcome to my blog! I am so glad you have joined in..... :)
I have been feeling "off" since the earthquake in Haiti hit, and I recently discovered that beautiful and brave 11 yr old girl who they rescued with the hurt leg died. I don't know if you followed her story, but as a mother of an 11 year old daughter, I was completely broken.
That brave angel's last words were, "mommy please don't let me die."
Deep breath........
Acknowledge the emotion.
Change the channel.
Charity.
My heart is uplifted, though, by the enormous outpouring of love and support from around the world. A world with heart. Its almost as if you can feel a pulse beating from the core of the earth. I wonder if you can see it beating from outer space?
During this time I am aware of how emotions affect all aspects of our lives...... social relationships, productivity, and even our health.
There have been loads of studies done on emotions and health. The glass-half-full people are sick less often than the glass-half-empty people. Yeah, it's true.
Would you agree with this statement? Know anyone who is on loads of meds who also has a bad attitude? Know anyone who has health issues who is often depressed?
Chicken or the egg?
I am living, breathing proof that this is true. I had many health issues going on in my life before I developed the skill set to properly manage my emotions. I tended to operate from a very "me" point of view, and often from a perspective based on fear and negativity. I did not have the capacity to think beyond my own drama some of the time. Don't get me wrong, to most people I seemed pretty normal, but as times got tougher, my lack of skills to pull myself out of the muck became obvious, not only that, made life worse. You see, when you are a negative thinker and life hits you hard what do you do? You focus on all the bad, you react out of fear. Then what happens? yes, you attract more bad stuff.
During those years my body was talking to me, letting me know that it was over burdened with stinkin thinkin and unnecessary worry. Headaches, digestive issues, tiredness, etc.
It wasn't until the formal breakdown in my health that my "awakening" happened. A conscious shift, if you will, that opened my perspective and desire to change. A desire to be healthy in all aspects of my life. To be positive, to bring positivity into my life and to motivate and inspire others so that they may be uplifted as well. Guess what, BIG shift in my health. Sure the eating better and exercise helped, but I would not have been able to sustain those habits without getting a grip on my mental habits. Learning to change the channel saved my life and my marriage.
I am a definite work in progress. If we are doing it right, we all are......
Life's too short.
Learn to change the channel. And WHATEVER YOU DO don't judge others, criticize, put others down, or talk badly about others. ESPECIALLY NOT IN FRONT OF YOUR CHILDREN. Don't repeat the cycle of stinkin thinkin you learned.
FEAR.
Those behaviors come from fear and unhappiness with oneself. All those ugly emotions, including jealousy, are usually rooted in dislike of ones self. Love yourself, you will find that you will automatically find more to love in others. Be the best you can be and you will begin loving yourself and others. Only you know what that personal best is and what you need to do to make that happen.
Switching the channel is a powerful tool for you in managing your emotions. Managing your emotions is an important part of managing your health.
A healthy attitude is a great place to start. Be your personal best, love yourself, love others.
Good book. Your Destiny Switch. Google it. Can't remember the author off the top of my head.
QFTH: "If your all wrapped up in yourself, you're overdressed." - Kate Halverson
Yours in positivity,
Heather
PS Karen! Welcome to my blog! I am so glad you have joined in..... :)
Friday, January 15, 2010
girlfriends......
What would we do without them?
Janelle, Jessica, Jaime, Michelle, Georgie and Judy.....I love you guys for following my Blog......Thank you for your support. I am so lucky to have such wonderful, strong, talented women to share this with.....and I must say, I am not surprised you are the first to join. Class act sisters, class acts.
Speaking of girlfriends, remember I told you about that awesome little exercise club my posse and I started?
LOVE!
You seriously need to do this with your friends. We are now setting up a shared Google calendar that we can all access which lists all the fun exercise options here in Sonoma. We exercise together, share healthy recipes and snack ideas and we are also planning occasional outings together to mix it up such a bike outings, spa days, tennis tournaments and healthy cooking classes. So much fun!!
For dinner tonight I am making healthy fish tacos:
1lb. tolapia
1 c. organic chunky salsa of your choice - I like the fire roasted kind with corn and blk beans in it
1c. orange juice.
1tbsp olive oil
shredded mixed cabbage (cole slaw mix works well)
organic mixed greens
fresh avocado
fresh salsa for garnish
cilantro
shredded organic Monterey Jack and lite sour cream - optional
organic corn tortillas
In a frying pan, heat olive oil. Add fish and brown for 30 sec. on each side. Then combine fire roasted chunky salsa with orange juice and pour over fish. Cover with lid and let simmer 3-6 minutes until fish is lightly cooked through. Lightly warm corn tortillas in pan with a touch of olive oil or coconut cooking spray. Put out all garnishings "buffet style" and have your guests build their own tacos.
Dessert we are having Raspberry and Peach Champagne Sorbet with Gluten Free Brownie Bite on top.:)
80/20 rule baby!
Have a great weekend all....
Quote of the Day: You are what you eat and what you think!
Yours in gratitude,
Heather
Janelle, Jessica, Jaime, Michelle, Georgie and Judy.....I love you guys for following my Blog......Thank you for your support. I am so lucky to have such wonderful, strong, talented women to share this with.....and I must say, I am not surprised you are the first to join. Class act sisters, class acts.
Speaking of girlfriends, remember I told you about that awesome little exercise club my posse and I started?
LOVE!
You seriously need to do this with your friends. We are now setting up a shared Google calendar that we can all access which lists all the fun exercise options here in Sonoma. We exercise together, share healthy recipes and snack ideas and we are also planning occasional outings together to mix it up such a bike outings, spa days, tennis tournaments and healthy cooking classes. So much fun!!
For dinner tonight I am making healthy fish tacos:
1lb. tolapia
1 c. organic chunky salsa of your choice - I like the fire roasted kind with corn and blk beans in it
1c. orange juice.
1tbsp olive oil
shredded mixed cabbage (cole slaw mix works well)
organic mixed greens
fresh avocado
fresh salsa for garnish
cilantro
shredded organic Monterey Jack and lite sour cream - optional
organic corn tortillas
In a frying pan, heat olive oil. Add fish and brown for 30 sec. on each side. Then combine fire roasted chunky salsa with orange juice and pour over fish. Cover with lid and let simmer 3-6 minutes until fish is lightly cooked through. Lightly warm corn tortillas in pan with a touch of olive oil or coconut cooking spray. Put out all garnishings "buffet style" and have your guests build their own tacos.
Dessert we are having Raspberry and Peach Champagne Sorbet with Gluten Free Brownie Bite on top.:)
80/20 rule baby!
Have a great weekend all....
Quote of the Day: You are what you eat and what you think!
Yours in gratitude,
Heather
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Do I have OCBD?
OCBD....Obsessive Compulsive Bloggers Disorder? I am not quite sure of the etiquette around blogging, but this is my 3rd one in a week, is that ok? or annoying? It's ok. You can tell me.
I was working with a client today who does not like sushi and it reminded me of when I first moved to San Francisco from Indiana when I was 22. (Imagine banjo music while I am telling you this part) As I got off the plane in my flowered dress with 2 suitcases to start my new life I noticed someone eating raw fish. I looked around to see how others were responding to this absurdity and no one seemed to care. I had never seen Sushi before. That was my first exposure to "ethnic" food.....
Food-wise the culture shock was huge. I had no car and there was no fast food in my neighborhood. I worked at Nordstrom downtown, so I was able to get my McDonalds fix there, but the LIFESTYLE was so vastly different in San Francisco, I may as well have been from another country. I learned where the "American" restaurants were, like Hard Rock Cafe, and I hit those places often as I could. After a year or so, I got brave enough to walk into a burrito shop after seeing so many people walking around with burritos. The ordering process went like this...ugh em, "Can I have a tortilla wrapped with ground beef, cheese, sour cream in it?"....."Oh, and a little lettuce please?" "Salsa?" um, not if it has tomatoes." "You don't have ground beef?" " Carnitwhat?" "Forget it, no meat, just cheese and sour cream. " I kid you not.
Don't get me wrong, I am SO grateful for having grown up in the Mid West. Indiana is an awesome place with awesome people, and in their defense, they have changed with the times. I was impressed and delighted last time I went home to find Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and other natural stores popping up. Good values, good people. Mid-westerners have it dialed in when it comes to treating others the way you would like to be treated. Wouldn't trade that for the world.
To wrap up my story, though....as the clock ticked and the years advanced, situations with my health arised. I was the only 26 year old I knew who was tired all the time and need to go to bed by 8-9pm. I was tired, achy, and "just didn't feel right". I was also having a lot of migrains. The Dr. said I had some sort of unspecified autoimmune condition and that was that. Until after I got married and had my 2 kids and went without sleep for 5 years. Compromised immunity and lack of sleep - nothin good is going to come out of that..trust me.
Add major stress and poor diet, or no diet sometimes, and what is a poor body to do? Well I'll tell ya what mine did......I got Bacterial Menengitis. Yea, sucked. 2 kids under the age of 3 and, oh, did I mention my husband got meningitis too? We shared a hospital room. First dinner date we had had in a year. We had no family around to help with the kids and a business to run that was overwhelming us. There is much more to this story, but I am now going to get to the nutrition part to help YOU.
STRESS. If you have a lot of stress you need to make changes to your lifestyle to reduce it. Do you hear me? I don't want excuses why you cannot change, I want reasons why you should change. If you feel your health is out of balance, then your body is talking to you. Stress causes certain chemical reactions in your body that can, over time, affect hormones, vitamin status, weight gain, immunity and more. Now I understand that many of us are overburdened, and much of it cannot be helped due to our situations, but I also know that we have a lot more control over our health than people realize and it is UP TO YOU to take control of your health. Don't wait until you end up in the Dr's office where you will get sucked into the pharmaceutical vortex of no return.
Stress support tips for you:
1) If you do not have a spiritual outlet/support practice get one. I mean, pray, meditate, positive affirmations, support groups, whatever is meaningful to you. Whatever works for you. Personally, I pray. It works for me big time. Over time, spirituality has meant different things to me and I have drawn upon different sources during my process of growing. Spiritual practice regularily helps to keep stress under control. If you want suggests for this let me know.
2) exercise appropriately. If you are highly stressed DO NOT train for a marathon! Heavy duty exercise is also a stressor on your body. If you are highly stressed walk, meditate, yoga, pilates, moderate cardio and weights. I have a bunch of chi building exercise that are great for stressed individuals. They are in the book How to Eat, Move, and be Healthy, by Paul Chek.
3) Boost immunity with zinc, vitaminC, minerals, fish oils, smoothies with coconut milk and acai. My favorite is MonaVie's new Immunity drink, Mmun has everything in it and more.
4) Identify your stressors and try to reduce them by making lifestyle adjustments. I have helped many people see a different way when they thought there was no way out of their stressful grind. Talk to someone with an outside point of view who you respect. Another perspective is always helpful.
We all know stress over time creates fat around the mid-section, so if this is an issue for you, reducing stress may also help with the love handles. :)
QFTD: "I've learned that you can't have everything and do everything at the same time." Oprah Winfrey.
In relaxation,
Heather
I was working with a client today who does not like sushi and it reminded me of when I first moved to San Francisco from Indiana when I was 22. (Imagine banjo music while I am telling you this part) As I got off the plane in my flowered dress with 2 suitcases to start my new life I noticed someone eating raw fish. I looked around to see how others were responding to this absurdity and no one seemed to care. I had never seen Sushi before. That was my first exposure to "ethnic" food.....
Food-wise the culture shock was huge. I had no car and there was no fast food in my neighborhood. I worked at Nordstrom downtown, so I was able to get my McDonalds fix there, but the LIFESTYLE was so vastly different in San Francisco, I may as well have been from another country. I learned where the "American" restaurants were, like Hard Rock Cafe, and I hit those places often as I could. After a year or so, I got brave enough to walk into a burrito shop after seeing so many people walking around with burritos. The ordering process went like this...ugh em, "Can I have a tortilla wrapped with ground beef, cheese, sour cream in it?"....."Oh, and a little lettuce please?" "Salsa?" um, not if it has tomatoes." "You don't have ground beef?" " Carnitwhat?" "Forget it, no meat, just cheese and sour cream. " I kid you not.
Don't get me wrong, I am SO grateful for having grown up in the Mid West. Indiana is an awesome place with awesome people, and in their defense, they have changed with the times. I was impressed and delighted last time I went home to find Trader Joes, Whole Foods, and other natural stores popping up. Good values, good people. Mid-westerners have it dialed in when it comes to treating others the way you would like to be treated. Wouldn't trade that for the world.
To wrap up my story, though....as the clock ticked and the years advanced, situations with my health arised. I was the only 26 year old I knew who was tired all the time and need to go to bed by 8-9pm. I was tired, achy, and "just didn't feel right". I was also having a lot of migrains. The Dr. said I had some sort of unspecified autoimmune condition and that was that. Until after I got married and had my 2 kids and went without sleep for 5 years. Compromised immunity and lack of sleep - nothin good is going to come out of that..trust me.
Add major stress and poor diet, or no diet sometimes, and what is a poor body to do? Well I'll tell ya what mine did......I got Bacterial Menengitis. Yea, sucked. 2 kids under the age of 3 and, oh, did I mention my husband got meningitis too? We shared a hospital room. First dinner date we had had in a year. We had no family around to help with the kids and a business to run that was overwhelming us. There is much more to this story, but I am now going to get to the nutrition part to help YOU.
STRESS. If you have a lot of stress you need to make changes to your lifestyle to reduce it. Do you hear me? I don't want excuses why you cannot change, I want reasons why you should change. If you feel your health is out of balance, then your body is talking to you. Stress causes certain chemical reactions in your body that can, over time, affect hormones, vitamin status, weight gain, immunity and more. Now I understand that many of us are overburdened, and much of it cannot be helped due to our situations, but I also know that we have a lot more control over our health than people realize and it is UP TO YOU to take control of your health. Don't wait until you end up in the Dr's office where you will get sucked into the pharmaceutical vortex of no return.
Stress support tips for you:
1) If you do not have a spiritual outlet/support practice get one. I mean, pray, meditate, positive affirmations, support groups, whatever is meaningful to you. Whatever works for you. Personally, I pray. It works for me big time. Over time, spirituality has meant different things to me and I have drawn upon different sources during my process of growing. Spiritual practice regularily helps to keep stress under control. If you want suggests for this let me know.
2) exercise appropriately. If you are highly stressed DO NOT train for a marathon! Heavy duty exercise is also a stressor on your body. If you are highly stressed walk, meditate, yoga, pilates, moderate cardio and weights. I have a bunch of chi building exercise that are great for stressed individuals. They are in the book How to Eat, Move, and be Healthy, by Paul Chek.
3) Boost immunity with zinc, vitaminC, minerals, fish oils, smoothies with coconut milk and acai. My favorite is MonaVie's new Immunity drink, Mmun has everything in it and more.
4) Identify your stressors and try to reduce them by making lifestyle adjustments. I have helped many people see a different way when they thought there was no way out of their stressful grind. Talk to someone with an outside point of view who you respect. Another perspective is always helpful.
We all know stress over time creates fat around the mid-section, so if this is an issue for you, reducing stress may also help with the love handles. :)
QFTD: "I've learned that you can't have everything and do everything at the same time." Oprah Winfrey.
In relaxation,
Heather
Sunday, January 10, 2010
OK Body Bloggers, quick one here....
I wanted to tell you about this cool little exercise club we have going here in Sonoma. I think it might be useful for others who are looking to get inspired about exercise........
My friend, Michelle, who is a lover of exercise and a lover of people, has called together a group of friends to get healthy together in the 2010. We started with just three of us end of 09 and it has grown into a formal "club" and here is how it works....
We invited all interested friends to join us at a coffee house to kick off. Michelle led the group through sharing of goals and what our biggest challenges are.....we created a master calandar of all the exercise options available to us in the Sonoma and the idea is we use the calendar to plug into whatever options fit into our individual lifestyles, but it is our goal to do some sort of exercise every day. I will post the calandar for you to see when it is ready to give you and idea of how we are doing it. With 10+ of us participating, the hope is that there will "buddies" available for accountability at each of the calendar offerings. We communicate by email what we are doing daily and try to stick together as best as we can. There is also a nutrition component. We are beginning a guided cleanse in the upcoming weeks and I will be providing meal plans, snack ideas, supplement and smoothie suggestions for those who are interested.
Now I don't know about you, but when trying to stick to a program alone, I find it much more difficult to do. But being part of an organized club has made all the difference. I hope to post materials for you in the near future that will help you to get your own club going. It is a very powerful way to stay on track to being the best you can be........:-)
QFTD: "If you read a food label and can't pronounce the words don't eat it!" me.
Yours in inspiration,
Heather
I wanted to tell you about this cool little exercise club we have going here in Sonoma. I think it might be useful for others who are looking to get inspired about exercise........
My friend, Michelle, who is a lover of exercise and a lover of people, has called together a group of friends to get healthy together in the 2010. We started with just three of us end of 09 and it has grown into a formal "club" and here is how it works....
We invited all interested friends to join us at a coffee house to kick off. Michelle led the group through sharing of goals and what our biggest challenges are.....we created a master calandar of all the exercise options available to us in the Sonoma and the idea is we use the calendar to plug into whatever options fit into our individual lifestyles, but it is our goal to do some sort of exercise every day. I will post the calandar for you to see when it is ready to give you and idea of how we are doing it. With 10+ of us participating, the hope is that there will "buddies" available for accountability at each of the calendar offerings. We communicate by email what we are doing daily and try to stick together as best as we can. There is also a nutrition component. We are beginning a guided cleanse in the upcoming weeks and I will be providing meal plans, snack ideas, supplement and smoothie suggestions for those who are interested.
Now I don't know about you, but when trying to stick to a program alone, I find it much more difficult to do. But being part of an organized club has made all the difference. I hope to post materials for you in the near future that will help you to get your own club going. It is a very powerful way to stay on track to being the best you can be........:-)
QFTD: "If you read a food label and can't pronounce the words don't eat it!" me.
Yours in inspiration,
Heather
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Introducing Body Talk with Heather Morgan
Hello Body Bloggers!
My name is Heather Morgan. I live in Sonoma, California, and I am a 41 year old mother of two school-aged children. We recently moved to Sonoma and I have absolutely fallen in love with this charming little slice of historical heaven. Have you been here? Country, yet sophisticated due to it's food and wine culture, but it's the PEOPLE that make this town, make no mistake. Good, caring, neighborly folk who love to have a good time. And can you imagine?? They also LOVE to be healthy!
I am inspired.
........which is why I am writing this blog......I am inspired to provide a space for women who are INSPIRED TOO. Inspired to find balance in their lives so that they can be their personal best. Is this you?
Then join in....I am a Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach, former teacher, counselor, and, my biggest claim to fame......ultimate fan of the 80/20 rule. Know what that is? A life changing philosophy to live by that keeps you in healthy balance, while allowing for your guilty pleasures. For example, don't tell anybody, but I just took a break and went into the kitchen and had 2 healthy pigs in a blanket. Yes, I said "healthy" and "pigs in a blanket" in the same sentence. Ahhhh, now you are ready to listen in......
The 80/20 rule involves putting healthy foods into your body 80% of the time, while enjoying in those guilty pleasures 20% of the time. Now where people get caught up is in knowing what is actually healthy and what is not. Fortunately, this I can help you with....
So how can pigs in a blanket be healthy? Depends on what they are made of and when you eat them. We'll get more into this as we get into quality of foods, but suffice it to say, "there are pigs in a blanket, and there are pigs in a blanket". Mine were made at home with all organic ingredients, gluten free, no hydrogenated oils, and mini dogs that are totally natural, no preservatives or harmful chemicals. I ate them at a time that's right for my metabolic needs and enjoyed every bite.
Here's the crack up. I grew up in Indiana eating fast food, soda with dinner, candy every day, and the same 3 veggies came from a can my entire life (maybe some frozen in there too). I know, crazy, isn't it? I remember putting velveta on bologna in the microwave and ate that daily for a while. Oh, and we had doughnuts every Saturday for breakfast. I still love doughnuts. I eat one WHEN IT MAKES SENSE, which is about once a year, but I do it without guilt.
How I got here is quite a story in itself, and I will share more as we go along........but I made the transition from junk food junkie to Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach over many years of painful evolutionary change which came about by force of nature when my health started to fail me.
Don't we all have a story? We do. I love hearing peoples stories. How they grew to be who they are by process of screwing up. Someone once told me you spend your first 30 years getting screwed up and the next 30 years fixing it. Yikes. Hope it's not that way for everyone. I, do, however, believe the more we screw up, the more opportunity there is to grow. Whether or not we seize that opportunity is up to us. But some of the coolest people I know and respect are people who have done a lot of screwing up in their lives. So I should turn out to be pretty exceptional!
I hope you will share your story. Especially as it relates to your health. I have a feeling it is meant for me to find some pretty cool friends on this Blog. Hopefully we can change lives together.
So here you will find daily (well, hopefully daily, but certainly a couple of times a week) nutrition and lifestyle tips to incorporate into your"story" that will help you to live a better you. Expect tips on healthy eating, exercise, guidelines for maintaining healthy balance in your lives while nurturing your mind, body and spirit. Many great things have come across my desk over the past 7 years and I am looking forward to sharing it with all of you.
My GOAL: to make the world a better place.
Closing Quote of the day : "Every time you eat or drink you are either feeding disease or fighting it." -a friend. How about keeping a journal of everything you eat or drink and at the end of the day write "feeding" or "fighting" next to each item. What was the percentage breakdown?
Yours in friendship.
Heather
My name is Heather Morgan. I live in Sonoma, California, and I am a 41 year old mother of two school-aged children. We recently moved to Sonoma and I have absolutely fallen in love with this charming little slice of historical heaven. Have you been here? Country, yet sophisticated due to it's food and wine culture, but it's the PEOPLE that make this town, make no mistake. Good, caring, neighborly folk who love to have a good time. And can you imagine?? They also LOVE to be healthy!
I am inspired.
........which is why I am writing this blog......I am inspired to provide a space for women who are INSPIRED TOO. Inspired to find balance in their lives so that they can be their personal best. Is this you?
Then join in....I am a Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach, former teacher, counselor, and, my biggest claim to fame......ultimate fan of the 80/20 rule. Know what that is? A life changing philosophy to live by that keeps you in healthy balance, while allowing for your guilty pleasures. For example, don't tell anybody, but I just took a break and went into the kitchen and had 2 healthy pigs in a blanket. Yes, I said "healthy" and "pigs in a blanket" in the same sentence. Ahhhh, now you are ready to listen in......
The 80/20 rule involves putting healthy foods into your body 80% of the time, while enjoying in those guilty pleasures 20% of the time. Now where people get caught up is in knowing what is actually healthy and what is not. Fortunately, this I can help you with....
So how can pigs in a blanket be healthy? Depends on what they are made of and when you eat them. We'll get more into this as we get into quality of foods, but suffice it to say, "there are pigs in a blanket, and there are pigs in a blanket". Mine were made at home with all organic ingredients, gluten free, no hydrogenated oils, and mini dogs that are totally natural, no preservatives or harmful chemicals. I ate them at a time that's right for my metabolic needs and enjoyed every bite.
Here's the crack up. I grew up in Indiana eating fast food, soda with dinner, candy every day, and the same 3 veggies came from a can my entire life (maybe some frozen in there too). I know, crazy, isn't it? I remember putting velveta on bologna in the microwave and ate that daily for a while. Oh, and we had doughnuts every Saturday for breakfast. I still love doughnuts. I eat one WHEN IT MAKES SENSE, which is about once a year, but I do it without guilt.
How I got here is quite a story in itself, and I will share more as we go along........but I made the transition from junk food junkie to Nutrition and Lifestyle Coach over many years of painful evolutionary change which came about by force of nature when my health started to fail me.
Don't we all have a story? We do. I love hearing peoples stories. How they grew to be who they are by process of screwing up. Someone once told me you spend your first 30 years getting screwed up and the next 30 years fixing it. Yikes. Hope it's not that way for everyone. I, do, however, believe the more we screw up, the more opportunity there is to grow. Whether or not we seize that opportunity is up to us. But some of the coolest people I know and respect are people who have done a lot of screwing up in their lives. So I should turn out to be pretty exceptional!
I hope you will share your story. Especially as it relates to your health. I have a feeling it is meant for me to find some pretty cool friends on this Blog. Hopefully we can change lives together.
So here you will find daily (well, hopefully daily, but certainly a couple of times a week) nutrition and lifestyle tips to incorporate into your"story" that will help you to live a better you. Expect tips on healthy eating, exercise, guidelines for maintaining healthy balance in your lives while nurturing your mind, body and spirit. Many great things have come across my desk over the past 7 years and I am looking forward to sharing it with all of you.
My GOAL: to make the world a better place.
Closing Quote of the day : "Every time you eat or drink you are either feeding disease or fighting it." -a friend. How about keeping a journal of everything you eat or drink and at the end of the day write "feeding" or "fighting" next to each item. What was the percentage breakdown?
Yours in friendship.
Heather
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