Luscious Late Spring

Recently a good friend from Atlanta commented on how much he enjoys experiencing our open windows when he stays with us. I love them too. These are the days I simply cannot get enough of. The birds wake me up long before the sun, the breeze blows in the warmth, or rain, or sweet mowed grassy smells. It is great to be outside, in a garden, on a walking path, or on a shaded back porch. It is glorious to take it all in. 

Our gardens and farmer's markets are showing off their best - strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, watermellons, deep green kale and lettuces, plump snap peas and crisp leeks. It feels shameful to cook such beauties. I want to eat each one just as they are  - sweet, soft, bitter, crisp and oozing with health benefits. 

Here is a recipe for an easy raw kale salad. The pleasure of this salad starts as you make it. Use your hands, tearing and massaging the kale to soften it. There are 4 simple ingredients. You will distinctly taste each one, but the combination is glorious. Enjoy!

Lemony Kale and Avocado Salad

Makes 2 cups

Ingredients:

2 cups cleaned, dry kale leaves chopped well (collards or Swiss chard work too)

1 medium sized lemon, juiced

1 tablespoon lemon zest finely chopped

1 large ripe avocado, pitted, peeled and cut into chunks

Salt

Method:

Place chopped or hand torn dry kale in a large bowl. Add the lemon juice and sprinkle with a little salt. With clean hands massage the juice into the kale leaves. This will begin to tenderize them. Add the avocado pieces and lemon zest. Using clean hands massage the avocado into the kale leaves until well blended. Season as desired with salt and pepper.

Talk About Local

You can't get much more local than your own back yard!
Each year I get the same itch. One or two unusually warm days in March, tease me into wanting to plant a vegetable garden. It seems easy - no weeds, no bugs, just pure cool soil, waiting to be planted.

Unfortunately my haste and poor planning usually leaves me wanting by June.

Need a little more inspiration? If so don't miss
"Talk About Local..." featuring home, organic, garden-building expert, Ron Ziegler of the Suburban Farming Company. We'll share a seasonal pot-luck vegetarian buffet together, engage in lively conversation and learn a little a long the way. Join us!

Spring 2012 Seasonal Supper

“Talk about local…”

Join us for this evening of healthy, delicious food, interesting conversation and learning:
Friday, March 30th

1505 Gwynedd View Rd, in North Wales

7:00pm - 9:00pm

Patti and Ron will team up to demonstrate dishes you can make and GROW by Memorial Day, right in your own back yard!

Admission is free and friends are welcome.

Simply bring a dish to share, a dessert or a chopped healthy item we can add to the salad bar section of our dinner.

Space is limited. RSVP no later than March 25th.

215-692-3427 or patti@embracehealthtoday.com

REBOOT TIME

Two weeks until March 1st...
That is plenty of time to make changes that can produce great results!

A program like this if followed daily should produce any number of things. The list below includes emotional, mental, and physical things one might experience:

 

• Clarity of thinking
• Awareness of eating habits
• Changes in taste
• Awareness of physical energy, stamina, alertness and lightness
• Awareness of the issues - detox symptoms are pronounced
• Bowel changes
• Skin changes
• Weight-loss (1-2 pounds per week on average)
• Sleep improvement
• Mood improvement
• Sense of accomplishment
• 'Will-power' awareness

Many of you have spoken about weight loss. Contact me for more personalized guidance if that is something you would like to do. We have 2 weeks and several options. They all involve the LEAP basics. The 5 food categories form your foundation.

Option 1:
Get VERY seriously on the LEAP foods. Stick to them each day in earnest. ( See January 29th post for details.)

 

 

Option 2:
Do all of Option 1 but completely eliminate all refined foods, sugar, bread, pasta and dairy products. A little whole grain - quinoa, brown rice, is fine.

A sample days menu might be:

• Smoothie or fruit salad for breakfast
• Fruit and nuts as a mid-morning snack
• Large salad with beans for lunch
• Green vegetable with hummus as a snack, or green smoothie (no dairy) for a snack
• Large salad, green veggie or 2, rice and beans, or other veggie - yam, potato, soup, or veggie omelet for dinner
• Fruit or nuts after dinner
• Lots of water, herbal teas to drink 

Remember you can always have more of any of the foods on the LEAP (nuts are the possible exception depending on what else you are eating)

 

Option 3:
Follow Option 2 but eliminate all whole grains. In other words eat all LEAP foods and only LEAP foods.

Option 4:
Follow Option 3 but add in 2 days of only raw fruits and vegetables - no beans, nuts or cooked foods.

 

All of the options above can be practiced for the entire 2 week period or for less time. You may choose to do one for one week and another for 5 days or so.

None of these are harmful to your health. If you choose Option 4 let me walk you through the 2 day vegetable-and-fruit-only days carefully. You will be fine. Some of you may choose to do these days even as a fast - just drinking liquids

 

Let me customize any plan to meet your needs. Contact me at veggiecoach@gmail.com

Often on a program like this we don't see results because our choices are still reflect the (SAD) - Standard American Diet. For example, heavy salad dressings, lots of cheese, breads, meats, or sugary foods will mask the benefits of the nutrient rich foods on the LEAP. Cut them out as much as possible for quick, remarkable results.

Let's LEAP into HEALTH as we LEAP into March!!!

Water, Water All Around

Finding it hard to keep up with your water goal?

During our LEAP the goal is 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day.

It is amazing how much better we feel if we are simply well hydrated. Check out this article for some details. In the mean time here are a few tips to get it all in:
1. Drink a huge glass immediately upon waking.
2. Refill that glass and make it a goal to finish the new one before you leave for work.
3. Carry a large water bottle with you. Aim to finish it twice during the day.
4. Have another large glass before bed.
5. Drink cups of herbal or caffeine free tea all day. (These count too!)
6. Put a splash of lemon, lime, orange or another favorite juice in each glass.
Your body's 'water table' will rise as you continue to practice this. Although you may be hitting the potty a lot at first, you will see it balance out soon.


What else are you doing?

2 SUPER BOWLS FOR GAME DAY

Check out these deliciously healthy WINNERS!

Colorful Vegetarian Chili

The vegetable juice adds a nice flavor to this simple recipe. Be sure to get one with no added sugar. After it has cooked about 4 minutes, taste it, and adjust the seasoning to your liking.

Makes 6 servings

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons oil of your choice
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 large onion
• 1 pound carrots
• 3 small bell peppers ( use any color or combination)
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 can black beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can navy or cannelloni beans drained and rinsed
• 1 can vegetarian re-fried beans
• 1 large can crushed tomatoes
• 1 16 ounce jar vegetable juice (spicy is fine too)

Chili seasoning blend of your choice or:

• 2 teaspoons chili powder
• 2 teaspoons coriander
• 2 teaspoons cumin
• Salt/ Pepper and hot sauce to taste

Method:

Crush and mince garlic.  Chop onion.  In a heavy sauce pan saute in oil the onions and garlic until onions are transparent.  Be careful not to burn the garlic.

Chop all remaining vegetables into fork size pieces.  (Remember that they will shrink a little after cooking.)

Add the remaining vegetables, beans and tomatoes and juice. Stir this all together adding the seasoning to taste.  Bring it to a boil and then lower the heat so you have a steady but low simmer.  Let this cook ½ hour, then taste and season again. 

Chili can cook on very low heat for a up to two hours, or be served as is.

Crock pot option - After onions and garlic are sauteed, simply add the rest of the ingredients with them to a crock pot.  Cook 4 hours on highest setting.

Serve immediately, freeze after it cools, or store in an air tight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Amazing Salsa

This deliciously healthy (and easy) salsa recipe is a real SUPER bowl! 


1 jar of your favorite salsa

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 cup frozen corn (thawed)

1 cup finely chopped cilantro (rinse well before chopping)

2 chopped green onions

Method: Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Chill and serve.

Transition Time

When is all this energy coming?

Our amazing bodies function on the fuel we give them. Every one's normal is different. If your usual diet is full of nutrient-dense, high fiber foods, detoxing might not be noticed. If you are LEAPING in from a typical diet of heavily processed foods, you will likely experience detox symptoms. The changes are for the good. They mean something wonderful is happening...

Bye-bye toxins  

You are stirring up a system that has been sluggish for a long time. Impurities will start circulating through your lymphatic and digestive systems. They may even move through your skin. 

The nutrient-packed, high fiber LEAP foods cleanse your system. Drinking 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water each day moves the nutrients in and the toxins out - as you are probably noticing!

Typical detox symptoms:

• Headaches
• Diarrhea or constipation
• Digestive pain
• Food cravings
• Trouble sleeping
• Fatigue
• Runny nose
• Irritability

The more prominent the 5 LEAP foods are in your diet, the stronger your detox may be. 

This won't last long. As you transition to a predominately whole foods, high fiber, low sugar, nutrient-dense diet you will see vitality increase quickly. You will LOVE the lightness and sense of accomplishment you get by eating these fabulous foods.


Tips to speed the process along:

• Eat more great food - Aim for 100% whole foods and eliminate processed foods completely.
• Move - Exercise and yoga support the work of your lymphatic system.
• Good bugs -Take probiotics as a supplement or in (plain) yogurt or kefir to boost digestion.
• Sleep - Let your body rest and heal. Aim for 8 hours each night.
• Brush your skin - Dry skin brushing stimulates the lymphatic system.
• Breathe - Lots of aerobic exercise brings life-giving oxygen into your blood.

Here are a few things to bring your attention to:

• You are washing and watering your body with every sip of water.
• You are bringing life giving proteins and vitamins to your blood and cells as you eat these good foods.
• You are introducing fiber to absorb cholesterol and waste as it moves through your digestive system.
• You are consuming insoluble fibers to push the waste for elimination.
• You are rebooting what fuels you - sugars, stimulants and chemicals out, REAL life giving food in!

Congratulations!

Getting Ready for the LEAP!

The LEAP begins tomorrow. Here are some tips to help you get started. Be sure to post your progress, questions, and thoughts as they come up. This will be fantastic, but also an adjustment. Be sure to observe yourself, do your best and let it happen!

The Plan:

Each day you must strive to eat all of the foods listed below. You must also drink 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water. The foods on the list are among the most nutrient dense on the planet. That means high nutritional value and compared to the calories they contain. Eat them raw whenever possible. You will see the most benefits if you eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables whenever possible.

Green Vegetables - Eat at least 2 large servings of any green vegetable. The BEST are dark green leafy items like kale, spinach, Swiss Chard, and collard greens. Others like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, asparagus and beans are the next best, followed by starchy green veggies like peas and Lima beans.

Salad - Eat one very large salad full of dark greens - romaine, spinach etc. and other raw vegetables each day. You will benefit most if this is NOT HEAVILY DRESSED. Use a small amount of dressing or a good healthy oil like flax seed oil and some vinegar or lemon. 

Fruit - Eat three raw fruits every day. These can be frozen fruits as well if they are not in heavy syrup or cooked.

Beans - Eat at least 1/2 cup of beans everyday. These can be in the form of soup, in pasta, re-fried, as hummus or even in chili. Try to have them without added sugars or fats.

Nuts - Eat at least 1/4 cup of raw nuts everyday. 

Shopping List:

At least one shoe box sized container of either romaine, Spring mix or spinach. 

Several cans of low sodium black, pinto, kidney or white beans and chick peas.

Several cans of vegetarian baked beans. You can certainly get other kinds but watch the fat and sodium content.

Pick up dried beans if you have the time to prepare them. (Watch for help on that this weekend.)

Lots of good fresh fruit - apples, pineapples, bananas and all sorts of citrus. You can get frozen berries as well and use them in smoothies. Try to get the berries and apples organic whenever possible.

Raw nuts - pick up a bag or two of what you really like. Trader Joe's has great nuts at good prices. Raw almond butter or any RAW nut butter counts as well. One tablespoon is about all you will need.

Green Veggies - Look for organic dark greens at Whole Foods - the price is very good for what you get especially on collard greens and chard. You can find broccoli at any store now at a good price. You can also find lots of frozen vegetables that are very good - avoid sauces.

Buy yourself a nice big water bottle and keep it filled a lot. Drink it down, and fill it up all day!

More to come on meal planning etc.

Here is an idea for tomorrow:

How about a nice smoothie for breakfast? Use one banana, and another fruit of your choice. Add some greens and blend with a non-dairy milk, water and ice. Feel free to have your coffee and toast later, if you even still want them!

For lunch have a nice big salad with lots of veggies, or stuff it all in a wrap with some hummus. Dip a few more veggies in hummus as a side instead of chips.

For dinner have some chick peas on a nice size salad, and a big helping of broccoli or string beans along with your usual meat or fish. If you are a vegetarian add a baked potato or yam.

Before bed cut up another piece of fruit and enjoy it with some almonds and a nice cup of tea.

It's that easy. Add the foods you want along the way. You may find you don't need to. 

Your body will be thanking you!!!

That's it. I will elaborate more on each item and share ideas in blogs to come.

Join in the GUIDED LEAP for a customized plan with maximum results, weekly recipes, meal ideas, accountability and more. 

The cost for this program is $30. Contact me for details veggiecoach@gmail.com.

Tomorrow-

What to watch for as you begin...

29 DAYS TO LEAP INTO HEALTH!

February, a perfect month for transformation - nice and short.


By February we see what our New Year's Resolutions are really made of - or should I say, what we are made of. Did we mean it? Can we do it? Do we even remember what they were?


This year is even better. It's odd. It's Leap Year. It's slightly imperfect, and interesting... just like us.


This February join in the 29 Day Leap Into Health Challenge. 


The 29 Day Challenge has the benefits of a cleanse without any deprivation.  You actually have to eat all of the foods on the list each day. You can easily lose weight, feel better and form habits completely without 'dieting'. Here is how it works:


Each day be sure you eat all of the following foods -


One very large (raw) salad
Two large servings of greens or green vegetable - cooked or raw
Three pieces of raw fruit
1/4 cup of raw nuts
1/2 cup of beans


To this list add 1/2 your body weight in ounces of water. (If you weigh 150 pounds drink at least 75 ounces of water.)


That's it!


As you practice this each day, less healthy foods get crowded out. You will notice changes in your body immediately. By March 1st, just in time for Spring, you will be on your way to a new level of wellness, more aware of what your body really wants, and full of energy!


Watch for more information. I'll also be offering a Guided 29 Day Mastery version featuring menu ideas, health information, recipes and support through free conference calls several times each week. 


Spread the word! Through this page and on our fan page, we'll create a community of support to help you Leap into Wellness for 2012.

Are you in?

Harmony for the Holidays

'It's the most wonderful time of the year', at least that's what the song says.

Why not? It is a time of giving with a focus on children and family. Happy sounding songs fill our radio stations, and we hear the sounds of bells, even at the mall!

Unfortunately too many women dread these months. I was listening to friends stress about the stress even back in October. May it not be so, especially when it comes to food.

Why not stand back and create the possibility of a fully conscious, empowered, joyful holiday season?

Join us as we create a community of positive, focused individuals ready to embrace the next 6 weeks with gusto. Here's how:

• Subscribe to this blog, for quick tips, recipes and strategies for managing your growing to-do lists.
• Pop over to Embrace Health Today and click the link for Harmony for the Holidays. From there you can sign up for a free 30 minute coaching conversation to help you navigate the tempations and mind games, holiday fare stirs up!
• Share what works for you right here or on our Facebook  fan page

Together we will see wonderful results!

Best One Yet

Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead

Do not let the not-so-attractive title fool you. I have seen a lot of scare 'em straight food movies, but nothing beats this. Joe Cross does an amazingly realistic and entertaining job reeling the audience into his quest and his pain. Along the way he artistically educates us about the connection of what we eat and our health. He is a successful, big spending Australian who embodies exactly what the title says. He is a radical type of guy at the end of his rope. Here is the trailer.

He comes to America and meeets with Dr. Joel Fuhrman. As you may recall Dr. Fuhrman coined one of my favorite phrases - 'nutrient density'. He is the author of Eat to Live and a nationally known nutrition expert. Under Dr. Fuhrman's care, Joe goes on a 2 month fresh juice fast to clean himself up. He does this while traveling the USA interviewing and trying to inspire people along the way.

The film documents his own, at times very painful, journey.  Just when you think it is over you will meet an unlikely character that is sure to inspire you.

Here is the link to watch it free online: http://www.hulu.com/watch/289122/fat-sick-and-nearly-dead.  I hope you will invest the hour and a half. It is well worth it.