8.13.2013

Walking Unplugged

Photo from www.Awaken.org


Over the last few months I have witnessed people taking advantage of this glorious Spring and Summer weather by taking walks either by themselves, with their dogs, or with families, pushing strollers of precious children and grandchildren.    Getting out the door, disconnecting from the desk and home responsibilities, in order to quiet the mind and reconnect with nature is "medicine" we all need for our body and soul.   Have you ever regretted taking this time, or felt more stressed afterwards, probably never.


What are we clinging to?
But, things are different now.   We seem to fall vulnerable to the ties of our cell phones, making sure we are available at every waking moment, right up until our heads drop to the pillow at night.    Is there ever an unplugged time where we aren't waiting for that "buzz" or "ding" that someone is looking for us?  What will they think if we aren't answering right away?  Will they think I am OK?  Will they start wondering if I am ignoring them?  Oh my gosh, what will they think???   How can we break away from this demand our phones have created on us, and the guilt we feel if we don't answer right away?   Yes, this is what I am getting at, our beautiful walks, whether alone or with others, is not without the cell phone in our hands.  OK, so you say you are listing to your music, but wait there is a text, then a call, stop, answer, check it out......it's endless.

Let it go, one step at a time.
Start unplugging by letting go one step at a time.  I overheard someone say, "I forgot my cell phone on the counter at home when I ran out the door and it actually felt good to have a break from it.".     It is actually a treat for yourself to have a bit of daily quiet time.   Whether it is waking up before everyone in the house in quiet mode with your coffee or tea, or closing your eyes and meditating in bed after everyone has been tucked in, drive with no radio or phone with the windows open, your body and mind needs quiet time.   Maybe start once a week, working up to three times a week, or more if your body is so lucky.  Try sitting for lunch in a park (anywhere you won't be disturbed, even your car) for 1/2 hour without your phone, radio, or anything to disturb you.   This is a time for you to be in the moment of quiet, "quieting the mind".    

Quiet Mind for Good Health and Creativity
Medical research has proven that a mind is much more productive when it is given some quiet time.   As mentioned in Harvard Business Review, daydream walks can bring out the creative mind in all of us:
Daydream Walks:

"Most people have heard the story about how 3M's Arthur Fry came up with the idea for the Post-it note: he was daydreaming in church. Jonathan Schooler, a researcher at UC Santa Barbara, has repeatedly shown that people like Fry who daydream and let their minds wander score higher on creativity tests. What separates this from meditation is that, instead of emptying your mind, you're letting it fill up with random thoughts. The trick is to remain aware enough to recognize a sudden insight when it comes."

Another exercise, within our ability to fit in, is Dr.Andrew Weil's breathing technique which can be calming,  stress reducing, relaxing to the mind, and performed basically anywhere you are:


Breathing technique:

While sitting or lying down, (*in the beginning, due to adjustment of your body's oxygen and carbon dioxide exchange in your bloodstream causing some dizziness), place your tongue behind the front teeth, keeping it there and relaxing the lips, take one normal deep breath, blow all the air out, NOW, Inhale 4 counts through the nose, hold breath for 7 seconds, then exhale 8 seconds out the mouth keeping tongue behind teeth and lips relaxed, pushing all the air out. Repeat this for at least 4-5 times. (*Once you do not experience a bit of dizziness you can do this anywhere in any position.)
Make it Simple
If all this is too much at first, simply try a couple of these things, of course unplugged at the time:
  1. Listen to the sounds of nature, seek them out without background noise:  Rain, birds, wind
  2. Listen to yourself breathing, really focus on your inhale and exhale, make note of how your body moves with the breath.
  3. Walk and feel the ground beneath your feet, feel your posture, relax your shoulders, release the tightness.
  4. Watch a child laughing and playing, reminisce your childhood play times.
Let Me Help You Get There
If you are feeling like you just can't fit in one more thing, then call on me as your Holistic Health Coach, I will help you reach the goal of Mindful Practice and Quieting the Mind.   Sometimes we just need a little help from someone else to get us on the right track! 



7.08.2013

Hot Summer Weather Requires Proper Hydration, Make the Right Choices of Drinks

My kids get embarrassed when I sing the old tune, "Summertime, When The Weather is Hot".   This is the time of year when we are faced with hot and humid days of summer, hopefully able to hang by a pool or lake, or escape to air conditioning.   Or, you can be like we were yesterday at a baseball tournament in the sweltering heat and humidity.   

Marketed Drinks
 I realize kids like to drink the typical "electrolyte" type drinks like Gatorade, Powerade and Vitaminwater, but they are the worst selections when it comes to proper hydration in sweltering heat conditions.   Keep in mind, these companies are owned by PepsiCo and  Coca-Cola, they dominate the advertising market convincing kids and adults that their drinks are the best out there.  Don't be fooled any longer, look at the contents of these drinks and you will find an abundance of sugar, high fructose corn syrup, caffeine, artificial sweeteners and colors and more synthetic ingredients (like vitamins) that are not only worthless to the body but possibly harmful causing cramping and headaches from all the sugar and additives, let alone the erosive effect on the teeth.  You may as well just hand them a soda!

Electrolytes, Why Do We Need Them?
Many athletic events do not require such an abundance of electrolyte drink replacements unless intensely exercising for over an hour or more, such as marathons and iron man races.   Electrolytes are your "ions" that help to control the fluid pressure inside the cells and control the pH of the blood.  The most commonly recognized ions are salts, potassium and magnesium minerals, and when depleted in excessive activity can cause muscle cramping.  

So what is the best choice?    
Unfortunately our water supply is not enough to replenish the amount of electrolytes that may be lost in excessive activity, especially with bottled waters and treated waters from our faucets, not like it use to be from wells which brought water from the ground with natural minerals.   That's not to say hydrating prior to events with water isn't good, in fact it is a must do!   Our bodies are made up of 60% water, we need to keep it hydrated.   Starting the night before any events, you should be consuming extra water in addition to the normal 8 cups a day for the average man or women (less for a child).    With any activity drinking water before, during and after should be the routine.   For during and after the activity, drinks with electrolytes is advised, one of the best in my opinion is Coconut Water (with nothing added, look at your labels).  This has great natural electrolytes, vitamins, minerals, trace elements, amino acids, enzymes, antioxidants and phytonutrients, and naturally low in sugar!  I like to combine this with Smart Water, a vapor distilled water with electrolytes, the best bottled water for during and after exercise.   If you are in more intense activity with heavier sweat loss, you may need to go to the more formulated products.  

Home made electrolyte drinks are fun to make.  
Here is one:  squeeze two Lemon halves into a glass, add 2 Orange halves, a squirt of Honey, Four Shakes of Salt, Fill the Glass with Water and drink or place in a travel container for on the go.   Go online for more homemade electrolyte drink recipes.
 
Make the Change
Be brave enough to not get caught up in the media with the sugary electrolyte drinks.   Promote the benefits of good old fashion water to your child and yourself, set a good example.  Once in a while they can drink the other drinks, just in moderation and with water too!  I have observed kids downing 2 - 3 of these branded drinks at one event.   Bring a watermelon or orange slices in a cooler for during and after the events. Kids will thoroughly enjoy the fruit much better than any old drink and will be getting nature's best with natural hydration to boot.

This newsletter/website is not intended to replace the services of a doctor.  It does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship.  Information in this newsletter/website is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional advice. Please do not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating any condition. 

References:  www.mercola.com; www.fitday.com; www.mayoclinic.com; www.livestrong.com


5.06.2013

Ever wonder why all those diet books don't work? What are they missing?

Happy Spring!
 
No More Diets!!
From Winter through Spring entering into Summer, we are bombarded with numerous "fad diets" that promote weight loss by following their "amazing new approach".  What they all come down to is basically, "Eat Real Food, Mostly Vegetables, Lean Protein and Not Too Much" (quoted by Michael Pollan, author of Food Rules).    But food itself and exercise isn't all that promotes a healthy "diet". 
 
Diets steer us away from our common sense and dip deeply into our pocketbooks while eliciting few, if any, lasting results. Why?

  • Diets don't work because each person is unique, with different needs based on gender, age, ancestry and lifestyle; how could one diet be right for everyone?
  • Diets don't work because they are extreme solutions. As in physics, if a pendulum swings to one extreme, it has to swing equally to the other. A diet might work for a short amount of time, but research shows that almost all diets result in a 10-pound gain once off the diet.
  • Diets don't work because they are too restrictive. People who fail on diet plans are not flawed or weak. Diets by nature require discipline and restriction at levels that are unsustainable by a healthy human body.
  • Most people are disconnected from why they gain weight and see diet as the only culprit. For example, ignoring or discounting emotions is often the first thing to cause weight imbalances.

What are we missing?
In our fast-paced world, we have lost sight of many aspects of life that truly nourish and balance our bodies, such as slowing down, eating a home-cooked meal and spending quality time with loving people. Eating consciously and making simple lifestyle changes will create positive results and release you from the endless cycle of dieting.

Given half a chance, your body will balance out by itself, but this is only possible by getting out of the diet mentality and listening to what you truly need. Imagine taking all of the outward energy you expend on diets, fads and gimmicks and turning it inward, so that you can listen to your heart and inner wisdom. There is no such thing as a quick fix; you already have everything you need within you. With careful thought and loving reflection, you can feed yourself in a nourishing way. Working with your body rather than against it will bring you increased energy, stabilized weight and sustainable health.
 
Circle of Life
When working with my clients as a Holistic Health Coach, I look at your "Circle of Life" balance (see below). 
Circle of Life
This represents all the "Primary Foods" in your life that need balance, which results making healthier choices generally in life.  They feed us, but they don't come on a plate.  Elements such as a meaningful spiritual practice, an inspiring career, regular and enjoyable physical activity and honest and open relationships that feed your soul and your hunger for living all constitute primary food.
 
Remember when.....
Remember as children, we lived on primary food, having to be begged to take time to eat.  When deeply in love, or working passionately on projects it is the same.  The fun, excitement and love of daily life have the power to feed us so that food becomes secondary.  The more primary food we receive, the less we depend upon secondary foods to make us happy, and the opposite is also true.  The more we fill ourselves with secondary foods, the less we are able to receive the primary foods of life.  

This Circle of Life exercise helps us to identify what is missing or limited in your life, which can cause less nutritional choices in secondary food.  When these primary foods are balanced and being met, they have a positive effect on the choices we make in the food we eat.
We all want to go back to that childhood where we could just play all day without a worry in the world.  We can have a piece of that if we just take the time to slow down and look at the more important parts of life that result in healthier, happier times.  Some days you just want to blow bubbles.....and you should!Blowing Bubbles
 
Your Health Coach,
Beverly

4.04.2013

Do we have "healthcare" or "disease management" system in our county?





This is the question Dr. Andrew Weil, a renowned Integrative Medicine Doctor,  asks in his interview with CNN on March 8th, 2013 in which he promotes the documentary "Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare".  Dr. Weil, is the author of "You Can't Afford to Get Sick:  Your Guide to Optimum Health and Health Care".    In this CNN interview Dr. Weil voices his opinions about our current health care in our country and how it is simply not working.    See Dr. Andrew Weil on CNN discusses "Escape Fire: The Fight to Rescue American Healthcare.

Also look at Dr. Mercola's Word on Healthcare and Disease"The US does not have a health care system; we have a disease-management system that is dependent on expensive drugs and invasive surgeries. It’s a system rooted in an ideal of maximized profits, opposed to helping people maintain or regain their health"


What is happening in our country? 
What is it going to take for people to be responsible for their health?  Following good heath habits does pay off in feeling good in general every day.  Practicing this not only for their own self but for their family, especially children who are dependent on their adults to lead them to healthy choices.  We need to be good examples to our kids, showing how implementing good nutrition, exercise, stress relief, spirituality, and mindfulness can lead to healthier more energized and fulfilled lives.   We can continue chasing the years away with "busyness" within our family structure, or we can look at what is really valuable in life,  feeling healthy, being grateful, practicing loving kindness.  



Brainwashing
Personally I feel if we stop watching and reading commercials and ads about junk food, fast food restaurants, drugs, etc. we would all be better off.   These companies have spent millions of dollars on studies that mentally attract us to their products, sucking us in.    How many more "warnings" are we going to listen to from the pharmaceutical companies before we opt for other alternatives rather than those "magic pills" to band aid what is ailing us?  Research some holistic methods, they really do work!




Listen to these professionals.....
 Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Joseph Mercola, Dr. Mark Hyman, Dr. Joel Fuhrman,  Dr. Mehmet Oz, Marion Nestle, and so many more professionals. They are getting the point across to people that much of the chronic illness in our country can be reduced by simply making lifestyle changes in diet and exercise, and natural relaxation techniques, along with many other natural remedies.  Many want to just accept, "it's part of getting old" but the average age of nursing home admittance is lowering, remember you don't just suddenly get sick and die, there may be an "in-between" stage.   It is up to you, as your own and your familie's advocate, to look beyond the convenience of fast food and chaotic lifestyle to say, "No More!"   Take control of your future health, make some simple positive changes.  If you find this difficult to do, call a Health Coach to help you along the way.



This newsletter/website is not intended to replace the services of a doctor. It does not constitute a doctor-patient relationship. Information in this newsletter/website is for informational purposes only & is not a substitute for professional advice, it is strictly my opinion. Please do not use the information contained herein for diagnosing or treating any condition.
 


3.01.2013

Salt, Sugar and Fat, Oh My!



Me Eat Junk?
When I meet people they are interested in what I eat, and love to hear if I do eat something that is on the "not so healthy" food list.  It seems as though a Health Coach is assumed to eat well, which we usually do as a matter of fact.   My clean eating is 85%:15% although I try to go for 90%:10%.  You won't see me walking around with a soda bottle in my hands (diet or not), or bags of chips and candy bars (only 70% cocoa).   I rarely eat a bagel, a deli sandwich or fast food, in fact I only eat out at quality restaurants due to fear of where the food, especially meat, is coming from.   If you looked at what I ate 10 years ago, the basics are pretty much the same,  but there are changes I have made based on the food industry today.  I do eat more organic than I ever did, buying as close to home as possible with frequent visits to the farmer's market and other locals.   60% of my diet is raw vegetables, the rest is lean clean protein, legumes and hearty grains.  I only eat red meat once every couple of weeks, which is from a reputable local family butcher that gets his meat from 2 humanly treated cattle farms in Nebraska, or farmer's market meat vendors.   I try to practice no meat days, incorporate fish 2 - 3 times a week . I am not perfect, I have my moments, but the majority of the time I try to "stay clean". 

What is out there?
Since  the 1970's our food industry has made some huge mistakes!   First, they wanted us to eat less fat, which caused us to eat more sugar.  Then they tried to make eating  more convenient, but they increased the salt, sugar and fat in many prepared and  fast  foods.   Next, because everyone wanted to eat more conveniently and quickly, they produced more fast food and chain restaurants so you can eat fast and hurry up to where you are going (that's another blog).  What this results in is no one eating "real food" anymore.   They are eating "food like substances".  Could this be the reason for such chronic illness and obesity in adults and children?  Could many of the controllable illnesses today be due to inflammatory foods which has taken over the diets and  health in our country?   Some chain restaurants may buy cheap poor quality animal protein,  increasing salt, sugar and fat content to make  food taste good.  Next,  look at  the processed boxed foods in your grocery store, READ THE LABELS!  People are eating chemicals, not food.  The problem is, the standard American thinks it tastes good because their taste buds have been use to eating food laced with salt, sugar and fat, Oh My!    Did you realize you may have been had??? 

The New York Time's Article
I just read a great article in the NY Times Magazine,The Extraordinary Science of Addictive Junk Food by Michael Moss, that is adapted from "Salt, Sugar and Fat:  How the Food Giants Hooked Us", published by Random House this month.   Let me quote about Lunchables, please read: 
 "With production costs trimmed and profits coming in, the next question was how to expand the franchise, which they did by turning to one of the cardinal rules in processed food: When in doubt, add sugar. “Lunchables With Dessert is a logical extension,” an Oscar Mayer official reported to Philip Morris executives in early 1991. The “target” remained the same as it was for regular Lunchables — “busy mothers” and “working women,” ages 25 to 49 — and the “enhanced taste” would attract shoppers who had grown bored with the current trays. A year later, the dessert Lunchable morphed into the Fun Pack, which would come with a Snickers bar, a package of M&M’s or a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup, as well as a sugary drink. The Lunchables team started by using Kool-Aid and cola and then Capri Sun after Philip Morris added that drink to its stable of brands.  Eventually, a line of the trays, appropriately called Maxed Out, was released that had as many as nine grams of saturated fat, or nearly an entire day’s recommended maximum for kids, with up to two-thirds of the max for sodium and 13 teaspoons of sugar.

How can we fix this?  
Please help our children, don't allow the largest food companies to brainwash us anymore with packaging and advertising, pretending some of this food is "healthy"!  It is a money making industry, they are not looking out for what is healthy and good for our nation, even after they were approached to look at the obesity epidemic in our country years ago, money was more important (see referenced article with regard to April 1999 meeting of top corp CEO's).   

I am just sayin.........yes, we need to be responsible for ourselves but this should be against the law.


2.13.2013

Mindfulness and Mindful Eating

Mindful Eating

Have you ever eaten something in a hurry, barely tasting what you put in your mouth, then look down and wonder where the food went?  You say to yourself,  "I couldn't have just eaten all that!"   Many times, typical fad diets fail to teach the psychological issue of overeating or unhealthy choices that people make with regards to losing weight and/or overcoming their chronic malnutrition choices.  People need to understand, why they are making  choices that lead to being overweight, or which makes them generally unhealthy and ultimately unhappy.  One of the many components of this psychological aspect is in mindfulness.

Mindfulness , defined as being in touch with and aware of the present moment, is a factor in eating healthy and watching your portions.   When people think of mindfulness they think it is all about meditation, needing more time in the day to fit in yet another thing.   Actually mindfulness can happen for moments at a time, at any time during the day, during any kind of activity you are performing, whether it is housecleaning, working on a project, reading, exercising or even eating!  Yes, you have probably already performed mindfulness in your ordinary task without even knowing it.   Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese Buddhist Zen Master, poet, scholar and peace activist, is a great educator in mindfulness, teaching how to fit it in our modern American lives.     As Thich Nhat Hanh states, "A bonus of practicing mindful living, as many others practicing mindfulness throughout the centuries have found, is the sense of being more centered, more joyful, more at peace with yourself".    Maybe it is because I am in my 50's now, having experienced various emotional situations, I find myself looking for that joy and peace in my life, because it feeds my heart and soul, resulting in happiness.   Isn't happiness our ultimate goal in life?


Be mindful of the food choices for your body which is your one and only temple of your soul, is of utmost importance for your longevity.  The old saying, "you are what you eat", is really true.  Look around at our country and observe the abundance of "food like substances" in the grocery stores, gas stations, fast food.  These foods are just plain horrible for your body.  Yes, it is calories, but are those calories going to take care of your body and soul, give you nourishment and natural energy to get through your work day, give your brain the nutrition it needs to function properly and deal with stress, keep your gut, the second brain, healthy?  Be mindful as to why you are eating this food, is it a craving that will result in you feeling lousy, or is it out of  boredom?  Maybe you need to take a walk, throw clothes in the washer, walk to the water cooler, do something you won't regret.  Be mindful of the reasons why you are making these choices, looking at the long term results.  Ask yourself, will this food make me happy briefly then depressed after, will it cause my scale to go up next week, will it make me tired and lethargic, which will then make me go after more poor food choices?   If you can begin to think about your food as a necessity and not a pastime, your choices will improve over time.

When it comes to eating, embrace the energy of the food you are eating.  Foods that are processed with chemicals, preservatives, and sugar, and  animal proteins coming from unknown  warehoused sources, are foods that will not give you positive energy or nutrition.  Foods that comes from the earth, grown from the sun in rich soil, along with humanly treated and naturally fed animals, will give you  good energy resulting in the most nutritious product for your body.    When purchasing your food, be mindful of it's origin.
 
Now, how do you practice mindfulness?   First, try Thich Nhat Hanh's Apple Meditation as described in his book with shared author, Dr. Lilian Cheung,  "Savor, Mindful Eating, Mindful Life".    As he states after you wash the apple, you hold the apple in your hands and ask yourself, when I eat the apple am I really enjoying eating it?  Or, am I so preoccupied with other thoughts that I miss the delights that the apple offers me?    How about that candy bar purchased at the gas station, devouring it before you make it back to the car, or the drive through food eaten before you get back to the office!  How many times do you have mindless eating, performing other things, like watching TV, driving, working, walking?   Why can't we take 15 minutes out of our day to just sit down and eat our food, being mindful of the food we are eating, thinking about the flavors, where it came from, the texture in our mouth?   Try to make one night a week about cooking a wholesome meal made with love altogether as a family without interruptions of cell phones and TV, allowing conversation at the table, being mindful of the warmth this time brings to everyone that pitched in to help with dinner.

To practice the apple meditation mentioned above, take and look at the apple you are holding.  Smell the apple, take a bite of the apple, chew it slowly and chew several times, really taste the apple's flavor, think about the nourishment it will give you, the natural energy it gives you, continuing to be mindful during the whole process of eating the apple.   As Thich Nhat Hanh states, "the apple is a presence of life, it feeds our body, and if we eat it mindfully, it also feeds our soul and recharges our spirit".    Apply this to any healthy food you choose eat, as you practice this mindfulness you will enjoy your food even better, resulting in a trend of healthy eating.

Mindfulness is not only practiced during eating, it can be practiced during any daily task.  Take a moment at anytime of the day and be mindful of your task, our bodies need this type of nourishment as much as food, to be in the moment of our activity.   I liked one suggestion from Thich Nhat Hanh, when you hear the phone ring (or the cell phone "ding" with a text), don't react with an immediate response, instead take one minute to focus on your breathing, live in the present moment, as you inhale say to yourself, "I am breathing in" and when you exhale say to yourself, "I am breathing out".  Focus just on the breath.  If you can begin practicing this a couple times a day, you will find it makes you feel better, more focused and less stressed.    You may even find yourself taking more than a minute in the day, maybe 5 minutes. 

For more help on mindfulness, contact Beverly as this is part of her Health Coach services she provides.    You can also get more information from Thich Nhat Hanh's book referenced below. 


Reference:  "Savor, Mindful Eating, Mindful Life", by Thich Nhat Hanh and Dr. Lilian Cheung




1.06.2013

New Year's Resolution? Forget Fad Diets, Start Jucing & Blending Your Veggies!


Green Smoothie from Basic Blender
 Happy New Year!

It's that time of year we are inundated with more diet commercials then we could possibly follow, and for what?  To be on the fad diet for a few weeks, lose a couple pounds right away, only to gain back those pounds going back to poor eating habits  because we didn't learn how or why we need to eat healthier.   I don't disagree we all want that svelte body, and in as short of time as we can get it.  But, it is also important to feed our bodies from the inside out, resulting in beautiful skin and abundance of energy and health.

As a Certified Health Coach, I teach people how to progressively crowd out the poor food choices that offer no energy, and add in highly nutrient dense foods that will begin to change the way they eat, how they feel, and how they
Greens & Tomato Juice from Omega Cold Press Juicer
look at food.     When you begin to understand how your brain, digestive system, skin and energy is effected immediately by what you ingest, then you begin to make better choices.    It is only when you realize, "Wow, I didn't need that coffee at 2 p.m. today because I am eating healthier."   You might say, what does it hurt to have the coffee?  Well, a couple cups of coffee in the morning before noon is fine, but after that time many of us experience wakeful nights due to the late intake of caffeine.    Not to mention the fluctuation of the stimulate giving you that lift, only to plummet in energy later, and causing more frequent urination.    Or  eating that candy bar can give you immediate gratification, only to feel like you need a nap an hour after. 

Instead of getting caught up in those fad diets, how about making one change for the better?  Many of us don't get the amount of vegetables and fruits we should daily.   A few cucumbers and tomatoes on a mescalin salad is good, but it still isn't giving us the full potential of nature's hearty bounty.

The new "craze"  is juicing.   I began  making smoothies in my blender a few years ago, and juicing about 1 1/2 years ago.  I have been dedicated to it ever since.  There is nothing as great as drinking a healthy smoothie or juice you made with all types of nutrient dense foods.  You can experiment with other items to add in besides fruits and veggies, such as Kifer (with probiotics), Flax Oil (for the Omegas), Coconut Mana (for the brain), Whey Protein Powder (for the amino acids), Ginger (for the immune system and tummy).   The options are endless and the more you create the better it gets.   And it is my most convenient "fast food" when I make double batches for on the go days (canning jars make it easier)!

Begin with a typical smoothie, my favorite is:



½  Cup            Just Cranberry by R.W. Knudsen
½ Cup              Purified Water
1                      Banana
½                     Cup Frozen Blueberries
1 Tblsp            Flax Oil (I use Barlean’s Highest Lignan Unfiltered – must shake before use)
1 Scoop           Whey Unflavored Protein Powder

Optional:  Plain Kifer, Coconut Mana, Wheatgrass cubes

I tried a new blender smoothie recipe with the following (see top picture):

1 Bunch of Baby Kale Finely Chopped
1-2 Grated Carrots
2 Cups Boiled Water
Place this in the blender for 2 minutes then add
1 Cup of Coconut Milk

I personally enjoyed it better when I added the following to it:

1 Banana
1 Tablespoon Coconut Mana
1 Tablespoon Flax Oil
1 Scoop Unflavored Whey Protein Powder

YUM YUM!!!


If you want a great juice to make in a cold press juicer (extracting the pulp), I love Dr. Oz's Green Juice using Organic Ingredients of course.

Dr. Oz's Green Juice

2 Cups Spinach (Kale or any Hearty Greens are fine)
2 Cups Cucumber
1 Head Celery
1/2 Inch or Tsp. Ginger Root
1 Bunch Parsley
1 Granny Smith Apple (Make it 2 if you need sweeter)
Juice of 1 Lime

My rule of thumb is you juice or make a smoothie once a day.  Your other 2 meals include healthy choices of lean protein, beans and legumes, vegetables, hearty grains and lots of water!!  Over time you will start experiencing the benefits of your juice or smoothie in your energy level, digestion,  and beautiful skin. 

If you don't know where to begin I would be happy to help get you started into the new year with integrating more healthy nutritious vegetables and fruits into your daily life!

(Note:  As always, check with your physician if you are currently on medication or have an illness that is in need of medical attention before changing your diet.)