All posts tagged Healthy lifestyle

October 23, 2013 · Recipes

pumpkin granola

Ingredients

½ cup sliced almonds
½ cup pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
½ cup pecans, chopped
8-10 dried dates, pits removed, then chopped
½ cup pumpkin puree
⅓ cup coconut oil, melted
1/2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
⅓ cup maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons cinnamon
1 tablespoon nutmeg
⅛ teaspoon ground ginger
pinch of salt

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
In a large mixing bowl, add your pumpkin puree, coconut oil, maple syrup, vanilla extract, and all spices. Mix well.
Then add your nuts, seeds, and dates and mix well with your wet ingredients.
Place parchment paper on a large baking sheet and pour your granola mixture on top. Use a spoon to spread out the mixture evenly so everything will cook at the same time.
Place in oven and cook for 30-40 minutes, moving the granola around half way through to be sure it doesn’t burn.
Let cool. Letting the granola cool will help it harden.
Eat all by itself or top it off with coconut milk, almond milk, or even dairy milk (if you do that).
Enjoy ! Yum!

September 30, 2013 · Blog

I know I am like most mothers and I think my children are brilliant, beautiful beings. But in my case it’s really true! God bless them! I will give you one example. Last week I was sitting with my daughters Yvonne and Laura and my son Michael. We were shooting the breeze, laughing a lot and talking about our lives.

I was telling them how I am having a problem with too much sitting. I never used to sit down. All day I was moving. How ever since I became a health coach and health blogger, I am sitting more than ever. Sure I get at least ½-1 hour of vigorous exercise, but the rest of my day I find myself sitting a lot.

I did ask my family for a treadmill desk for my birthday,( that I still want, hint, hint) but they just don’t like the concept. I still have hope that one day I will be blogging and walking on my treadmill desk simultaneously.

Getting back to the story, Michael brilliantly suggested ” Ma you have to take a few “EXERCISE SNACKS’!”

Every hour to hour and ½ of sitting, take a five-minute exercise spurt. Well you heard it here first folks, I am officially coining that phrase in my son Michael Harari’s name!!

Exercise Snack, ha! I love it! What do you do for an exercise snack? Share your ideas in the comments below!

Now I will give you all the same idea. Take exercise snacks when you have been sitting too long. It’s great, life changing. What a great pick me up. It not only helps the circulation in your legs, but I bet it will get your brain speed back up to normal as well! A couple of rounds of jumping jacks, a brisk walk for 5 min., a sprint around the block or a couple of rounds of burpies should do it. Set the timer on your phone so you don’t sit too long, and go for it!!

If you see me speed walking or running up and down my street, you will know I am just “Snacking”!

September 24, 2013 · Recipes

Almond Milk

1 cup organic almonds

4 cups pure water

1 tsp vanilla extract (optional)

stevia to taste (optional) or 2 dates

1 nut milk bag

Put almonds, water, vanilla, and stevia in a blender. Blend on high speed until well blended and smooth.

pour through a nut bag or cheese cloth into pitcher and squeeze. The milk will keep well in the fridge up to 4 days.

Fresh. Raw. Homemade. Awesome!

August 7, 2013 · Blog

Just Say Yes!

When clients ask me what they shouldn’t eat, my answer usually goes something like this;

“You know what you shouldn’t eat, my job is to tell you what you should eat.”

Some how with old and young alike the minute you say no to something, that’s the very thing they want, and they want it bad!!

My advice to parents, husbands and wives is to accentuate the positive. Instead of telling your loved ones to put down the cookies and chips, offer up their favorite veggies and fruits.

I actually learned this lesson the hard way. Back in the day, I freaked out when I saw my kids, or any kids for that matter eating sugar, high fructose corn syrup, blue ices, and other chemically laden things.

My reactions backfired big time. My children told me, as they got older, about how they used to stuff themselves with sugar (and everything else I said not to eat) when the opportunity came up.

It is so much more effective to focus on what you can say yes to, in a positive non-reactive way.

A little bit of psychology goes a long way. Instead of saying “I am not buying sugar cereal it’s poisonous!” You can say “Oh we ran out of that, try this…..”

If a child asks for something you do not want them to have, you can firmly say ” That is not one of our choices today. You can choose A or B.” Let them choose from 2 or 3 healthy options that they like.

I also want to suggest good old bribery to get your kids to try new vegetables and healthy foods they’re not used to. It takes 3 times for a child to be exposed to a new food and for them to like it. So write down each time they try something new. After 15 times of trying new foods, buy them an agreed upon gift. It can be inexpensive and small.

I’ve been seeing amazing things happen with these simple guidelines. Children who only ate chicken nuggets and noodles are now eating broccoli, string beans and asparagus, and they love it!

Do you have any good ways to coax a picky eater? Share with us in the comments below.

July 31, 2013 · Recipes

Peanut Butter Pie

For the crust:

2 cups almond flour

¼ cup coconut flour

1 tsp Paleozip pure collagen protein

¼ tsp Himalayan salt

2 tbsp. raw honey

½ cup coconut oil, softened or melted

Place almond flour, coconut flour, Paleozip, and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Pulse a few times to combine. Add honey and coconut oil to flour mixture and process until the dough is well mixed. Press the dough on the bottom an up the sides of a tart-pan. Bake on 350 until golden brown.

Filling:

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3 medium bananas

2 tsp. vanilla

1/8 tsp. Himalayan salt

¼ cup coconut oil

stevia to taste

Mix in a food processor or Vitamix blender.

Fill the baked crust with the filling.

Chocolate topping:

½ cup unsweetened almond milk

¾ cup good quality chocolate chips

Bring almond milk to a boil over a med flame.

Close the fire.

Drop in the chocolate chips and let sit for a minute or so.

When chips are melted stir until well combined.

Spread the chocolate ganache in a thin layer over the peanut butter filling.

Refrigerate or freeze the pie.

Serve cold or room temperature.

July 10, 2013 · Blog

Welcome to Holland

A young mother gives birth. She knows this child well. This baby kicked and moved about and the mother understood the child’s special energy. Sometimes, between the 1^st and 4th birthday typically, some children receive a dreaded diagnosis of a spectrum disorder.
The feelings a mother has at a time like this are fear, and worry, maybe panic. The beautiful “Welcome to Holland” story says it like no other.

I love this mom’s analogy. She describes having a child with a disability like planning a trip to Italy but ending up in Holland. It’s not bad, it’s just different. It’s not what you were expecting and now you have to navigate this new place with no itinerary.

A health coach is like your travel agent/ concierge. We help you navigate Holland and help to make it the best trip ever.

(read “Welcome to Holland” HERE)

I am guessing that a lot of parents would like to take back the responsibility and control of their child’s situation. That is where we come in. Those of you who have been reading my blog know I believe very strongly that the brain and gut are totally linked together. We work to help with the challenges of diet change and behavioral issues. The results, healing and behavoiral changes have been astounding. We begin with the following challenges.

Challenge #1– knowing what you can and cannot eat.

What really happens; often when people begin they look at a long laundry list of stuff they can’t eat. So they feel deprived, confused and HUNGRY.

What a Coach does; We help navigate the whole landscape of new foods. We translate old unhealthy choices into healthful ones. We menu plan and answer questions in emails and emergency texts from the grocery store. We help to create substitutes for favorite foods that are delicious, satisfying and easy.

Challenge #2- slowly incorporating different ways to detoxify and change the digestion.

What really happens; people take on these tasks and they start to feel like it’s a full time job.

What a Coach does; We help develop a doable routine that is fun and easy.

Challenge #3-rebuilding gut flora;

What really happens; every member in the family, because of the changes being implemented, feels the resistance.

What a Coach does; We try to meet the emotional needs of all family members and give support with solutions that become part of day-to-day life.

Yes there are challenges, but with the right support a parent can meet them with a smile, and take back control of their child’s health and healing. One of my favorite Client Mom’s recently told me “Had I known how easy my life was going to be, I would have welcomed the challenges with open arms!”

May 8, 2013 · Blog

How Should You Drink Your Water, Hot or Cold or Room Temperature?

For over 20 years I have been drinking water at room temperature, except for a brief period when I was following the Ayurvedic suggestions that had me drinking hot water through out the day. (Truth is, it’s very relaxing.)

Many opinions hold that cold water makes the body work too hard. It has to expend energy to first bring it to body temperature and then digest it. These opinions suggest a loving approach to the body; don’t be too hard on it.

Last week I posted about the leptin reset that I am doing. It’s going real well, thank you. The same Dr. Jack Kruse has another protocol that goes along with it. It is called Cold Thermogenesis (CT). Ever hear about the Polar Bear Club? The people who swim in the ocean in midwinter? That is the ultimate CT.

The protocol starts by exposing the body gradually to cold. First drinking cold water and taking cooler and cooler showers then dunking your face for increased times in ice cold water and finally ice packs and ice baths for the body. The ice baths are an advanced technique to be used under the supervision of a health practitioner. Dr. Kruse claims that this protocol;

Increases metabolism
Is amazing for weight loss
Reverses inflammation
Better sleep
Better recovery from exercise
Boosts thyroid and adrenal function

Athletes, military units, and scientists have used this to increase the limits of human endurance.

Ray Cronise at Thermogenex – Fuel the Burn, says you only need to expose yourself to temps below your body temp to reap the benefits. Cool showers (60-75 deg), swimming in cool water (70-80 deg), and lowering your ambient temperature (house thermostat) to below 60 degrees are all good ways to increase CT.

Dr. Kruse advocates ice baths and extreme cold air temps found in walk-in chillers to be better. He says you should shoot for a skin temp of 55 degrees in your CT session. If this is done, care should be taken to avoid hypothermia and frostbite. He also advises starting by soaking your face in cold water to activate the ‘mammalian dive reflex’. Mammalian diving reflex – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

These opinions drive the body and push it to be in better internal shape. It’s kind of like the difference between restorative yoga and hard-core Crossfit training. You choose.

Warm water is definitely more soothing and comfortable. The thought of cold showers makes me cringe. However I know that uncomfortable situations do make us grow in many ways.

I am kind of on the fence on this one. As far as weightloss is concerned, weightloss remedies always have some thing in them that increases heat in the body to speed up metabolism. That is exactly what CT does. I do like the idea and the benefits of Cold Thermogenesis. I may just start with a glass of cold water and give my body a little internal workout!

I would love to hear what you think of this in the comments below. Let’s get this conversation going!!!

May 1, 2013 · Blog

The Key to Obesity

While doing some research on weight problems and Paleo, I came across a brilliant man. His website is www.jackkruse.com. This man is a neurosurgeon and used to be a dentist; he is also a Paleo Health Coach. Dr. Kruse used to weigh 350 lbs. He lost the weight and kept it off for over 5 Years. I have studied his hypothesis and listened to many hours of webinars that talk about his answer. It’s awesome!

The answer, he claims, is leptin resistance. He has proven over and over with patients and readers of his blog, that resetting leptin, the master hormone, and increasing leptin sensitivity not only cures obesity, but Leptin resistance makes us more susceptible to every other health issue related to inflammation in the body;

Osteoporosis
Disease in your back
Degeneration of the spine
Neck problems
And problems in the brain
Hormone imbalance
Dental Problems
Etc…….

According to Dr. Kruse 68 percent of people who go on a Paleo template do well. The rest are leptin resistant, can’t seem to lose weight and sometimes gain. He says it is all simple biology

(not really so simple).

This is where his Leptin reset works its magic. I have seen this over and over in my own practice. I have clients who follow the Paleo template and can’t lose a pound! Now I understand why and I can guide them correctly.

Dr. Jack Kruses’ Paleo reset takes about 6-8 weeks, Unless a person is severely leptin resistant then it takes longer. If you transition onto a Paleo diet, he claims you will never have to “diet” again!! Well for someone like me who has tried virtually everything, that is an exciting thought!

I am doing the leptin reset right now, I will let you know how it goes. I will keep you posted along the way! Wish me luck.

April 24, 2013 · Blog

Juicerexia

Each year spring rolls around and I just want to purge; My house gets cleaned in a big ‘vacuum out the dust under the fridge’ kind of way. My clothes get sorted out. The best thing that happens is that I start craving green leafy vegetables and wheatgrass.

Our bodies have an internal clock that knows spring is here. Dr. John Douillard says if you detox in the spring, you won’t get sick the following winter. That word “detox” is loaded these days. My clients will call me and insist I give them a good detox. Every magazine has articles on detoxing. What is goin’ on?!

This is the bottom line; your body knows just how to accomplish this task. It does it on a daily basis. If we consistently eat good quality, fresh, unprocessed foods and drink lots of pure water that detox system will be free to work its magic. Yup that’s all you have to do. No torturous crazy protocols of lemonade only. Eating in season helps too. Fresh young greens come up in spring so eat up! Eating things that are in season is always a good idea.

Getting an enzyme rich veggie juice from one of the beautiful Juice bars that are popping up is always a great idea, but according to Courtney Rubin in Marie Claire Magazine it may be wise to skip the “juice fast”. “One expert calls juice cleanses ‘the perfect pathway to disordered eating”, with an alarming power to seduce otherwise healthy women.”

Juice cleanses have become uber trendy, that’s for sure. “Even Starbucks has expanded into Juices. And as interest in them peaks, public health professionals and doctors are dealing with the fallout; an epidemic of malnourished, run-down young women- Juicerexics- some of whom have stumbled into full-fledged anorexia or bulimia.”

“Of most concern? For women already in the throes of anorexia or bulimia, juice fasts provide a great cover….. People say, ‘oh, good for you. That’s so healthy.’ It’s society’s most accepted form of eating disorder.”

The best situation I have seen is at a beautiful Juice bar called Jus by Julie, which has recently expanded to a second Brooklyn location, and a third location in Cederhurst, NY. Julie Maleh is a Certified Health Coach and is very “Hands on” with her clients. She described to me how she monitors her clients closely when they do a cleanse.

“I do not allow the young teens to do a full juice fast. I insist they incorporate the juices into their lives and have at least 1 meal. None of my clients are permitted to do consecutive cleanses. Three days is the maximum, then they incorporate the juices into their daily life. I like them to wait a month to do another 3 day cleanse, I am very strict! I monitor everyone to avoid these problems. I am 100% on top of it.”

Go Julie!!

Stephanie Zakay the Pure Juice Cleanse proprietor is also totally on it with guiding her clients. Her main goal is to encourage people to get more fruits and vegetables into their daily routine. “People that come to me use the cleanse as a way of making a commitment to a new way of eating and say good-bye to the processed junk foods they were putting into their body.”

With responsible guidance like Stephanie and Julie provide, the safety and benefit of juice is fully realized.

April 10, 2013 · Blog

Anger management

Hey guys, as you know I am an AAMET Certified EFT Coach, a tapping coach.

I help people release negative emotional problems. One of the most disturbing

problems that people struggle with is ANGER.

I recently bought and read an amazing workbook that was developed for prison inmates. These inmates are working with Gene Monterastelli, the author, in a highly successful program. Gene does this on a volunteer basis, God bless him.

For every book you purchase 4 books will be given to prison inmates to support the effort.

I noticed, in the book, that Gene thanks my mentor Jondi Whitis for her help and contributions. A big shout out to Jondi!

I just have to say this is one of the most amazing books I have ever read. It is not just for inmates, that’s for sure!

Reading this book was a very big awakening for me. Here I was researching the best way to help a client who has an “anger problem” and I discovered that I too, have lots to work on for myself in this area. I have to say I think of myself as a very even tempered person. Reading “Comprehensive Anger Management” helped me see where the poisonous anger does take hold of me, and now I also have a clear path to grow and improve.

The way Gene dissects and pulls apart the process of getting angry, the way he shows you how to consider the choices that are available to people during this process is truly amazing! This is a Life changing workbook. The instructions on how to tap for anger are clear and understandable.

Consider purchasing a copy of this truly helpful book for yourself or someone you love. You can order here: https://www.createspace.com/4186443

“Between what happens to us and our response is a space. In that space lies our freedom to choose our response.” Anonymous

Read the book!! Create space!! Tap and heal!

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