Don't Go Down Without A Fight

It’s cold season. And I don’t just mean the weather outside of southern California.  This time of year brings sniffles, sneezes and germs-a-plenty.  While you might do all you can to avoid catching a cold, sometimes one sneaks up on you anyway.  The best way to get the upper hand is to take action right away.

There are the obvious things we all should be doing on a regular basis, regardless if we have a cold or not…  get enough sleep, drink enough water. While those seem simple and insignificant, they are important to your immune system.  For many people, the moment their nose starts to run or their throat gets scratchy they reach for name brand remedies, but those pharmaceutical remedies only address the symptoms.  When you have a virus (which is what a cold is) your body needs support to fight it and heal.  These five suggestions all give your body and immune system key building blocks to speed up healing and reduce the severity of your cold.  If you find yourself with the sniffles, here are a few interventions to start implementing:

1.    Umcka -  When taken at the first sign of a cold, this homeopathic remedy does wonders for lessening the severity and duration. Keep a box on hand all year long.

2.    Oxylent or Emergen-C -  Follow directions and don’t add too much water or you will reduce the strength and effectiveness of the mix.  I prefer Oxylent as it has more zinc, calcium and magnesium than Emergen-C, but whichever you can easily find will help fight your cold.  Don’t drink more than 2 packages per day.

3.    Homemade chicken soup – (try this bone broth recipe by Against All Grain).  Homemade chicken broth contains important minerals that come from the long slow simmering process of making the stock.   After your stock is done (strained and ready to eat) add in chopped chicken and some fresh spinach before eating. 

4.    Teas - My favorite is Triple Echinacea Green Tea by Yogi teas, but there are other great cold fighting teas available.  Try chamomile, peppermint and ginger teas, too.

5.    Apple Cider Vinegar Gargle – for sore throats and coughs, mix 1 tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar (Bragg's brand is my favorite) with ¼ cup of warm water and gargle every few hours throughout day. The vinegar coats your throat and helps fight off germs.

One extra reminder for you…

Wash your hands – frequently! And use - Hand sanitizer  – not just on your hands, but use wipes as well to disinfect door knobs, faucets and handles in common areas of your home to prevent spread of germs.

Stock your cabinet before a cold shows up and be prepared at the onset.  Hopefully you’ll be getting enough sleep, drinking enough water and keeping hands and surfaces clean so you’ll not need to use any of these remedies this season. 

Wishing you a healthy winter!

(Healthy) Valentine's Sweets That are Easy to Love

Did I just say healthy and sweets in the same sentence? Yes. It is not a typo.  While all sweets need to be eaten infrequently, there are ways to enjoy them without going overboard in the 'bad-for-you' category.  I, for one, love a yummy dessert and Valentine’s Day is one of the occasions where I like to splurge.  But at the same time, I don’t want to stray from eating clean, so I choose carefully.  If you want to indulge this February 14th, without too much guilt, I’ve got a few recipes to share.

Here are 3 recipes that satisfy a sweet tooth while sticking with healthy, unprocessed ingredients… and you won’t have to sacrifice taste. 

Chocolate Chia Pudding – there are dozens of versions of chia seed pudding. This one is really chocolaty.  {print recipe}

Almond Butter Cups – love the hint of cinnamon in these! {print recipe}

Lime Cheesecake Squares – from Clean Eating Magazine, this re-invented recipe saves you more than 200 calories over the original and slashes sugar and fat by eliminating sweetened condensed milk and cream.  {Click here for link}

May your Valentine’s Day be full of smiles, love and (healthy) sweets.

New for 2015!

One recurring request I’ve had is to post more dinner or main meal “clean eating” options.  It seems that breakfast and lunch are not the most challenging meals to keep clean and that the end of the day seems to be where healthy, clean eating habits are most often put to the test.

 In an effort to help you end your day on a good note (at least when it comes to food), I’m introducing “Meal of the Month” for 2015.  I’ll post a complete meal (with recipes or links to recipes) that incorporates the ideals of clean eating: organic grown, fresh, healthy fats and ingredients you recognize… and avoiding heavily processed and refined, factory made ingredients whenever possible.

Since February brings with it Valentine’s Day, I thought I’d start with a meal that includes a delicious dessert that won’t add guilt for indulging. This meal is a favorite around here and finds its way to our dinner table quite often.

Main: Turkey and Farro Zucchini Boats – This recipe is from Clean Eating and usually makes more filling than we can fit in the zucchini shells, which gives you leftovers for later. It says to soak the farro overnight, but 4-5 hours of soaking time will also work - just be sure to cook for about 20 mins. and taste test for doneness before you remove the farro from the stovetop in step 1.

Side: Roasted Green Bean ‘Fries’  - No recipe needed, just wash and trim organic green beans, then dry and lightly toss with a bit of olive oil.  Spread on a baking sheet and sprinkle with sea salt and pepper.  Roast in a 400 degree F oven until they turn brown and wrinkly.  Serve hot and eat like fries.

Salad: Winter Salad with Apple Cider Vinegar dressing.  You can have a little fun with this one.  The recipe is more like a list of guidelines.  Start with your favorite salad greens (spinach?, arugula? mixed greens?) and add in sliced pears (or in-season fruit), toasted walnuts (or pecans), a bit of goat cheese (or feta) and some pomegranate seeds (or not).  Toss the mixture with a dressing of raw apple cider vinegar (full of health benefits!), extra virgin olive oil, a teaspoon of Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.

Dessert: Baked Apples – Or baked pears. This recipe is from a previous post. Take the time to make your own whipped cream by whipping organic heavy cream with a bit of vanilla, some orange zest and a tablespoon of coconut sugar. 

There's a whole year ahead and many more meals to share... if you like what Grow in Wellness has to offer, please share with a friend.  Enjoy!

Oatmeal Make Over

In the world of healthy breakfasts, oatmeal has its place, if done right.  What do I mean by done right? Well, not the flavored, instant packets filled with sugar and factory made flavors.  Not much healthiness going on there. But if you like a bowl of warm comfort food in the morning, then oatmeal is a way to meet that need. It is low-glycemic (in its plain state), minimally processed and can help lower cholesterol because it contains soluble fiber. It is commonplace to add brown sugar, butter and raisins to a steamy bowl of oats, but there are healthier ways to dress up your oatmeal. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

Start by using a high quality rolled oats brand like Bob’s Red Mill or  Better Oats.  Mc Cann’s Irish steel cut oats are another good option if you like a little chewiness.

When cooking the oatmeal, I usually add some cinnamon and a half-teaspoon of vanilla.  Once the oats are cooked, then the fun begins.  Add-in’s can be just about anything you have on hand, but think nutrient-dense and choose things like fresh fruit, flax seeds, and chopped nuts. If you like yours on the sweeter side, drizzle a teaspoon of raw honey or 100% maple syrup on top, or choose a plant based artificial sweetener like stevia. Here are a few options to try:

·      Like Chai tea? Then mix oatmeal with a pinch of cardamom, cloves, ground ginger, cinnamon (if not already in it), warmed low-fat coconut or almond milk, 1 tsp of raw honey and some slivered almonds for a chai-like flavor.

·      Strawberries and Cream.  Add a ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt (good protein boost), ¼ cup sliced strawberries and a tsp. of raw honey and it’s almost like having dessert for breakfast. Add some chopped nuts for a little crunch.

·      Banana Blast.  Add sliced banana, 1 TBSP almond butter, dash of cinnamon, 1 TBSP of chia seeds and 1 tsp of honey to your bowl of warm oats. 

Feeling a little lazy or short on time? Then try one of these packaged blends for a boost of nutrition and flavor.

A bowl of oatmeal is an invitation for creativity… What’s your favorite way to add flavor to yours?

Healthy Ways to Kick Off the New Year

Happy second week of the New Year!  It's time to take a deep breath and slowly let it out… and repeat.  The holiday craziness is behind us and a new year is under way! Make it a healthy one!

There is no shortage of articles or advertisements telling us we need to lose weight and get in shape for the New Year.  And who doesn’t know that we need to drink more water, stop eating sweets, get more sleep and get to the gym more often to be healthier?  How about a different approach this time?

This week I’m sharing 5 tips for healthy ways to kick off the New Year.  Remember, you have the entire year to steadily make changes that will stick.  Maybe you’ll fall off track sometimes and need to get back on… that’s ok! That’s being human - what matters is that you are on-track more than you are off. Start by working on one goal at a time.  Some will catch on quickly and be easy to maintain, others might take you a little longer and will need a little extra effort to make them stick. 

Where to start? Anywhere. Like I said, start with one or two and add on every few weeks.  (Rumor has it, it takes thee weeks to make or break a habit.) My suggestions below are the things I believe make the biggest difference in long term wellness, but whichever you choose, keep it simple to start, make your goals tangible and keep believing you can do this!

5 Healthy Tips to Kick Off Your New Year

1.    Learn to like plants… the kind you eat.  Michael Pollan said it best, “eat food, not too much, mostly plants”. Make vegetables the star of your meals and make proteins your sides. Colorful vegetables offer a variety of nutrients; think red, dark green and orange.

2.    Make food quality a priority.  The fresher, the better.  The closer it is to how it was grown, the better it is.  Choose whole foods that are in season and follow the dirty dozen/clean fifteen list whenever possible. (Translation: have an orange, not a glass of orange juice when you want some fruit).

3.    Eliminate harmful artificial sweeteners. Say no to the yellow, pink and blue packets and reach for 100% stevia instead, or sweeten with nature’s ingredients like raw honey or 100% real maple syrup (in moderation).

4.    Say no to processed and (unnaturally) fat-free foods.  Choose real foods. Taco Bell is a processed food…homemade tacos are not. Yes, that means you’ll need to start cooking a bit more, but you’ll be increasing your intake of nutrients and fiber and lowering your intake of fat, sodium, chemicals and calories. Make a little extra and you’ll have leftovers for a later meal.

5.    Reduce your exposure to environmental toxins. Start with switching to reusable water bottles that are BPA free (better for your body and our planet) and reusable bags for your grocery shopping. Consider dryer balls in place of chemical-laden dryer sheets for your laundry and look for personal care products that are free of pthalates, triclosan and parabens.  Click here and here to learn more about how environmental toxins take a toll on our health. 

Your body is the biggest investment you will have in your life – take care of it! (And yes, please drink more water; get more sleep and exercise, too!) 

Three (Healthy) Sides for Your Christmas Dinner

While the term Thanksgiving dinner might be code for “turkey, stuffing and gravy”, Christmas Dinner is usually anything but the big bird on a platter.  Prime rib, pork roast and ham are a few of the offerings I’ve heard people say they are serving this holiday season.  But what about sides to go with those mains? Typically side dishes are what do the most damage to our healthy eating holiday plan.  Many are filled with cheese, cream, butter and other sources of unhealthy fats and calories.  If you’re looking to ‘healthy up’ your sides and not give up flavor or a festive look, then read on for a few of my suggestions (and links to the recipes).

Before we get to dinner, I have to make a quick stop for an appetizer. Appetizers with less guilt are a great way to start your evening.  Choose endive leaves as a base for transporting a yummy spread like honey drizzled goat cheese. Goat cheese is easier to digest than cow’s cheese and a little goes a long way. Raw honey keeps the nutrients in tact and walnuts offer healthy fat.  Try this recipe: 

Spread herbed goat cheese onto cleaned and separated endive leaves. Sprinkle raw walnut pieces on top and drizzle with raw honey.  Arrange on a platter and serve.

Now, on to dinner and three sides to try:

Pomegranates are in season and their beautiful color adds a festive flair to salads.  Try this one for a healthy ingredient, brightly flavored addition to your meal:  Avocado, Endive, Apple and Pomegranate Salad. (note: some medications react with grapefruit, so if this applies to you, substitute with orange.) 

Who doesn’t love bright green veggies as a side? Elevate your heavy, fat filled green bean casserole to a new level with this side dish: Green Beans with Walnuts and Lemon Vinaigrette. This is always a hit when I serve it!

And if you’re looking for a side dish that fills the comfort food need, this cauliflower dish uses roasted cauliflower to add depth of flavor to a great mash potato substitute.  

Whatever may end up on your table next week, I hope it is the love of family and friends that truly make for a treasured meal.  Thanks to each of you for reading and supporting the Grow in Wellness blog… you are all appreciated! 

Merry (Healthy) Christmas!

Looking for Something Perfect?

I can’t even begin to add up how much money I’ve spent trying to find a nutrition bar that contains real, quality ingredients (without a bunch of artificial sugar, processed chemicals,  preservatives or soy products)... and tastes great. The aisles of the grocery store are filled with less than ideal choices in nutrition bars. And the nutrition bar business is just that – big business.  In this fast paced world of on-the-go-living, these so-called “snack bars” have become a must have for so many of us… moms on the go, kids on their way to practice, travelers and those looking for a quick snack between meals, etc. But are you really looking at what’s in that bar you’re eating?

It’s a tricky, slippery slope to navigate through the aisle of granola-nutrition-protein bars.  Finding the perfect one can take a lot of trial and error and cost more than a few dollars… and that’s if you can find one you like and isn’t full of crap. Yes, crap, because maltrodextrin, caramel color, and vegetable glycerin don’t count as real food ingredients and real food, aka clean eating, is what we do here at Grow in Wellness.  But I do believe there is a place for these types of bars in one’s life, so finding the right one, with the right ingredients (and for the right purpose) is key. 

Of the many bars I’ve tried, there is one that stands out above the rest for freshness, quality ingredients, taste and purity. The Perfect Bar. 

This line of fresh nutrition bars hits the real food mark on several counts:

·      Non-GMO

·      Contains nutrient-dense super foods like flax, papaya, alfalfa, kelp and spinach (no, you can’t taste the green)

·      No chemical preservatives, stabilizers, or refined sugars (they’re sweetened with organic honey)

·      Contains whole-food protein essential for muscle recovery and repair

·      Are gluten free

·      Come in a variety of flavors: Almond Butter, Almond Acai, Fruit & Nut, Almond Coconut, Cranberry Crunch, Peanut Butter and Carob Chip

Based on a family recipe, they are made in San Diego, California and can be found at many markets… our Costco even carries them.  Yes, they need to be stored in the refrigerator, but they can make it through the day in your purse or bag with no problems. They vary in protein, fat and calorie count; some will be better as a meal replacement in a pinch (like the Peanut Butter or Fruit & Nut) and others will be better for snacking or post workout (like Almond Acai or Cranberry Crunch). 

Take the time to choose a nutrition bar that actually has real-food nutrients in it (that’s code for "read the ingredients list"). After all, you’re investing more than money into this food; you’re infusing nutrition into your body.  Make it count!  Want to learn more about them? Find more info at www.perfectbar.com. 

 My favorite is the new Almond Acai...what will be your favorite flavor?

Started Your Christmas Shopping Yet?

December is here and shopping season is in full swing.  Have you started your shopping yet? Or maybe you’re already done? Are you looking for some ideas that inspire and encourage a healthy, wellness focused life?  I know I am and I wanted to share a few favorites with you today.

Five Finds for Christmas Giving (or Receiving!)…

1.    Fit Bit – this is the ‘it’ gift for all things fitness this Christmas.  This activity wristband helps you keep tabs on your steps taken, distance traveled, calories burned, floors climbed and active minutes.. It monitor yours sleep and has a silent, vibrating alarm. It charges wirelessly and syncs your stats to your smartphone and computer. This Charge model is my wish list.

2.    LifeFactory Reusable Water Bottle – Our family has these in several colors.  Glass wrapped with colorful silicone, this bottle is BPA free, easy to clean (you don’t have to remove the silicone before putting it in the dishwasher) and it has a wide opening to easily add ice cubes. Comes with a straw drinking spout, but you can also buy an optional flip top cap.

3.      A New Cookbook from the family of one of my favorite food writers, Michael Pollan– The Pollan Family Table: The Best Recipes for Kitchen Wisdom for Delicious, Healthy Family Meals. “A gorgeous, fully illustrated collection of recipes, cooking techniques, and pantry wisdom for delicious, healthy, and harmonious family meals from the incredible Pollan family—with a foreword from Michael Pollan.”

4.    Fenugreen Fresh Paper – I LOVE these small papers you put in your produce drawer.  They keep your fruits and veggies fresh longer – and they really work!  “FreshPaper sheets are infused with organic spices that keep fruits & veggies fresh for 2-4x longer, naturally.” Great for giving and receiving!

5.    Photo Fun with Ollo Clip – an iPhone gadget that actually works great.  This small clip on lens transforms the photos you take with your iPhone.  Two macro setting, wide angle and fish eye.  Easy to use with great results.

These are just a few of my favorites this year.  I’d love to hear what health and wellness items you are gifting or wishing for this Christmas, too.  Wishing you a healthy and peaceful shopping season!

One More Thing for Your Thanksgiving Table...

A quick little post to share with you before Thanksgiving dinner is done being planned, but first I want to say a Big THANK YOU to all of my readers for following this blog and supporting Grow In Wellness!

Are you looking to upgrade parts of your Thanksgiving meal?  One way you can do so is to try one of these two delicious (and easy) recipes. Both center around a vegetable that is most often an afterthought, but please keep reading, because this vegetable has a lot to offer.  I’m talking about cauliflower.  A cruciferous vegetable that gives us a myriad of vitamins like B’s, C and K, it also contributes to cancer prevention, reduces inflammation, gives us fiber and adds cardiovascular support from it’s omega 3’s. 

While it typically shows up on a plate steamed and hiding between carrots and broccoli as a restaurant’s vegetable side dish, there are better ways to prepare this gem of a vegetable.  My favorite is to roast it until it is golden and delicious.  Below are links to two of my favorite (healthy!) recipes - one with garlic and lemon by Emeril Lagasse and the other by Giada Di Laurentiis.  If those don’t sound good to you, I’ve added a link to Bon Appetit’s grouping of cauliflower recipes, too.  (I can’t say BA's are all healthy, but they do look tasty and it’s still a better choice than mashed potatoes and gravy). 

Mix things up a bit at this year’s Thanksgiving dinner and bring a new “guest” to the table with one of these recipes.  Stop back by and let me know if any of these made it to your table this year.

Wishing you a Happy (and healthy) Thanksgiving!

Plans for the Holidays?

Wow, November is quickly passing by and that means Thanksgiving and holiday eating invitations are just around the corner.  Are you already worrying about how to navigate the food scene so you don’t end up feeling regret once January 1 rolls around? A little planning ahead (and a little self control - wink, wink) can help you get through the biggest eating season of the year with minimal damage.  I know there are more tips online than you can feasibly integrate without ending up on a long term fast (and that is not a fun way to celebrate the season!), but how often to you read what people actually do vs. what they tell you to do? It really boils down to having a realistic plan and sticking to it (yes, that self-control thing once again). 

Food is more than what we eat, it has a big social component and at this time of year I look forward to seeing family and friends as much as I look forward to a good piece of homemade pumpkin pie.  As a health conscious, clean-eating Health Coach, I can make numerous suggestions, but rather than just tell you what you should do, I thought I’d share with you what my plan is.  Maybe you’ll adapt some of these ideas for yourself, maybe you’ll need to come up with a few variations that work for you. The main thing is to have the plan…and write it down!  Even if you veer off course from time to time, you’ll have a road map for getting back on track.   

Here is my plan for staying “food sane” as the last weeks of 2014 slip by:

I will start my day with warm water and the juice of ½ a lemon to detox and to get my digestive system going.  I will eat appetizers with salads (oil and vinegar dressing, of course) instead of large main courses or else I will split large meals with someone else. I will ask for extra veggies instead of potatoes and I will eat my vegetables first.  I will choose foods that have high nutrient content and say no to those that only chase hunger.  I will savor one glass of wine, not two, or at least call the second glass dessert (unless there is pumpkin pie, then it's definitely only one glass).  I will share a dessert, or skip it all together if I’ve had too many splurges during the week. I will choose plants over animals to fill me up and I will stick to my 90/10 rule (see below).  I will add 15-minute walks to my week, even when I don’t feel like walking. I will continue to drink ounces and ounce of water every chance I get.  I will focus on the people I am with instead of the food put in front of me.  I will not let one bad food day derail me for the next.  Each new morning brings a chance for a fresh start; I won’t let that ‘bad food day’ be an excuse to not make changes for the next. In January, after all the holiday madness is behind me, I will do a three day organic juice cleanse to reset my body because I love Ritual Wellness’s program and I want to start 2015 off on a good note.

As I said before, there are dozens of options to come up with a plan that works for you. Make sure stress reduction is included. Stress releases cortisol and high cortisol levels can cause us to hold onto extra pounds and make it difficult to lose weight. Start now and be prepared.  I’m happy to offer suggestions, just send me an email.  As the old saying goes…. “Failing to plan is planning to fail”. Don’t let that be you this year!  

The 90/10 plan.  90% of the time, I’ll eat clean and healthy, 10% I won’t worry about it.  Over the course of one week (21 meals) that means I can eat guilt free for 2 meals and 1 snack. You may want to start with an 80/20 plan. Choose your “20” wisely (dessert or wine, but probably not both) – a little self control needed here- and weight gain and guilt are kept to a minimum.