Vegan Meal Plan

I put together a meal plan for a vegan friend of mine...thought I'd pass this along in case it's helpful to any of you. The meal plan contains links to all of the recipes, and my own recipes or those I've changed are posted below.

Breakfast	Lunches/snacks	Dinner	Sides	Treats:  (1-2x week, on a lower carb day, after a workout)
Grits	veggies with guacamole	Vegetable soup (add carrots, onion, celery and seasonings to broth)	Kale and Cauliflower “tabouli” salad	Hot coconut milk cocoa
Vegetables sautéed in olive oil, with some protein (nuts?)	coconut butter on chia crackers	Fajitas (grill veggies with cumin, sever with tortillas, salsa, avocado)	cauliflower “rice”	Chocolate covered mint leaves
avocado-coconut-milk smoothie with protein powder (put fruit and  leftover kale here)	date bars	Spinach and chickpeas	Roasted vegetables in coconut oil
coconut pancakes	Veggies with Roasted eggplant with sundried tomato dip	Tomato avocado onion salad	sweet potato fries
cranberry walnut muffins*	Red pepper walnut dip with chia seed crackers	Coconut curry and almond soup	cabbage “noodles” (just slice cabbage and sauté in olive oil till soft)	Raw banana mango pie
Vegan Grits	Almond butter on apple slices	Zucchini hazelnut salad	sliced tomatoes and cucumbers drizzled with olive oil, seasoned with salt and pepper	Strawberry cream “cheesecake”
chia seed crackers* with almond butter	Green Soup with ginger	Roast pumpkin and red onion with rosemary	salad greens	Vegan sorbet or Banana “ice cream”
grain free zucchini bread	avocado	sweet potato hash	Creamed spinach	Avocado pudding
Almond cocoa smoothie	Trail mix	Stir fry veggies with tamari	Broccoli
Baked apple crumble	smoothie	Kale sautéed with olive oil, apples and red onions. (curry powder, salt, pepper)	Green Salad
Blueberries and coconut cream	macadamia nuts	Carrot scallion pancakes	Roasted asparagus
Butternut squash hash with apples and pecans	olives	Ratatouille	Roasted balsamic carrots and onions
Macadamia chia pudding	applesauce	Quinoa Salad with Yellow Tomatoes, Kalamata Olives, Basil + Mint	Veggie skewers
	dried fruit, coconut flakes	spaghetti Squash with marinara sauce	lemon brussel sprouts

Enjoy!!!! Most Recipes are linked above. Recipes I’ve created or changed are posted below.

Chocolate Avocado Pudding

Ingredients
1 avocado, soft and ripe
1 teaspoon vanilla
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup grade b maple syrup (or honey)
6 tablespoons milk (coconut, cow or any type of milk you prefer)

Instructions
Cut avocado in half and remove pit. Scoop out flesh and put in the blender
along with remaining ingredients. Process until smooth, occasionally scraping
down sides. Serve immediately or refrigerate until you're ready to serve.

Blueberry Walnut Flax Muffins

Start with this basic recipe: http://civilizedcavemancooking.com/grain-free-goodies/honey-muffins/ and replace each egg with 1 tablespoon ground flaxseed + 3 tablespoons of water.

Trader Joe’s has blueberry flax meal, which is perfect for this recipe. Add 1 cup blueberries and ½ cup walnuts or pecans.

Strawberry Cream Pie

Simple, easy treat: 
Two cups strawberries, one cup macadamias, one cup coconut oil (melted), tsp vanilla, a few drops stevia. Throw it all in a blender and blend till creamy and smooth.  You could stop right there and it's like yummy yogurt. Chill it and it sets up like a pie. Original recipe below includes a crust and uses cashews and honey. 

http://www.freecoconutrecipes.com/index.cfm/2010/6/15/strawberry-cream-pie-gluten-free-and-dairy-free-blog

Zucchini Bread

Follow recipe below, but replace 6 eggs with ¾ cup applesauce and 3 “flax eggs” (3 tbs ground flaxseed with 9 tbs water)

http://theprimalhome.blogspot.com/2011/09/grain-free-zucchini-bread.html

Baked Apple Crumble:

Slice or chop apples and place in a baking dish. Top with a mixture of almond meal, flax seeds, cinnamon, and ground cloves. Drizzle with honey. Bake 20 mins at 350.

Cauliflower "rice"

Just put raw cauliflower in the food processor or cheese grater. Then steam it in the microwave for 3 mins, fluff with a fork and season with salt, pepper and butter.

Hot coconut milk cocoa:

In a small pot, heat 1 can coconut milk over medium heat. Add 1 tsp vanilla, 1 pinch sea salt, and 2-3 tbs cocoa powder. Sweeten with honey or stevia to taste. Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Dark Chocolate Covered Mint Leaves 


30 Fresh mint leaves

2 squares Baker's 100% chocolate

3 tbs coconut oil

2 tbs honey (to taste)

1 tsp vanilla

A pinch of sea salt

Wash and pat dry your leaves.

Prepare a tray with wax paper covering it.

In a double boiler (or a soup can in a pot with boiling water), melt 2-3 large squares of Baker's 100% chocolate, unsweetened.

Add other ingredients and mix together as the chocolate melts.  

Dip leaves in chocolate to cover both sides, Lay flat to cool on wax paper.

Freeze before serving.

Chocolate Cranberry Almond Bars (makes 8 bars)

1/2 lbs raw almonds

5 dates

1/4 cup coconut oil

3 tbs unsweetened organic cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

1 tbs vanilla

Combine nuts and dates in food processor, chop finely.

In a mixing bowl, add cranberries, vanilla and cocoa powder.

Melt coconut oil (place jar in warm water), and add liquid to nut mixture.

Mix all ingredients and form into bars on wax paper. Wrap in wax paper or cellophane and refrigerate. 

More flavor variations: http://evolvenatural.blogspot.com/2012/01/fruit-and-almond-bars-man-cub-approved.html

Sweet Potato Fries
3 large sweet potatoes, cut into wedges or strips

1/4 cup coconut oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbs ground cinnamon

1 tbs chili powder

1stp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

Preheat your oven to 425F.

In a bowl, coat evenly the sweet potatoes with oil/fat, spices and salt and pepper. 

Place on a baking tray in a single layer. 

Toast about 20 mins. Broil another 5 minutes, or until crispy. Test with a knife, they should be soft inside.

Coconut Almond Curry Soup

Simmer 1 1/2 coconut milk, 1/2 cup or so almond butter, curry power, and chili pepper to taste. Add chopped red pepper, mushrooms, onions and tomato. Simmer 15 minutes over low heat for vegetables to soften and favors to meld.

 Serve over rice (or cauliflower) or cabbage noodles and top with fresh basil.

Compassion in Tupperware

When was the last time you felt really compassionate for another fellow human? For me it was the day I heard my friend Bryan Hagan was gone. I was just starting to get to know him, but his girlfriend Justine is one of my favorite people, and she was by his side through this whole tragic event. That morning, they were so content and warm, they let the kids skip school so they could snuggle in bed late that morning. Later, Bryan suffered a massive seizure as a result of a blood clot in his lung, and was suddenly just gone. I can't even imagine. Just gone. 


I was sitting in a meeting that afternoon, and I peaked at Facebook on the break, only to find the world all upside down. Between Bryan, Justine, and I, there were 60 mutual friends posting their remembrances. So many people were touched by Bryan's life, devastated by this loss, and inspired by their happiness. This hit me HARD. He was vibrant and funny, a talented musician, loving father and loyal friend. They were in love in a way that inspired and uplifted everyone who laid eyes on them. The way they supported each other made me hopeful that things really do turn our alright, and love conquers all. 


I left that meeting to call Justine. The pain in her voice cut through the phone lines and stabbed me in my heart, giving me chills. All I wanted to do was run to hug her. No, first I wanted to run and hug my son. For a second, the world went black with the reminder that happiness can be ripped out from under you without rhyme or reason, and there was not a thing I could say to Justine to ease that reality. Life is precious, and unfair, and sometimes tragic. All the cliche quotes about manifesting our destiny, things happening for a reason, and trust and faith in the universe- all nonsense that day.

This. ^ That's why it's soul crushing. 

So, I did the only thing I could think of... I bought her some wine. And dark chocolate. And then I cooked my ass off. Because I know that if it were me, I'd want all the minutia of the world to stop so that I could just lay in bed and cry. It was all I could do, but it was something. I poured my heart into those meals for her freezer- in hopes that she and her boys could have one less thing to do while in the eye of the storm. And as I cooked, I made extras for myself and my son, because we all have days when we want the minutia to stop so we can just get caught up in a feeling. I vowed to slow down, and enjoy life more. I also vowed to speed up, chase dreams, catch the sunset at the beach or hike all day and come home tired.


Two weeks later, the food was running low and our poor girl's grief was stronger than ever. Again, I wanted to help by DOING something, since words seem so utterly tiny. Justine traveled across the state for his funeral, so I sent her with a cooler full of food for her trip.


This blog post is my tribute to Bryan, with love for Justine, and a reminder to appreciate every second you have in this life. The recipes are posted below, with lots of ideas for meals that freeze well, and then camping and road trip meals. If you find a recipe you enjoy, or you want to honor Bryan by donating to the family, click here or the picture below to visit link to his memorial page, with a fundraiser to support Justine with the financial burden of losing a partner. The thought of waking up in a few weeks and realizing that missing work to mourn has taken a financial toll, and there's no one to help pay the bills and take care of the kids... well that's just unbearable, isn't it? You can also give a gift of kind words and loving thoughts.

https://www.facebook.com/events/416296688392259/


Here's the first batch of cooking I brought: 

And some of the road trip food:

Ok...here's the recipes... enjoy <3 


Part one: freezer friendly foods


Below is what I packed for Justine that first week. (recipes follow, or are linked here). 


Tim's chili (<click link for recipe)

(I tweak this a little differently every time and it always comes out great. I used grass fed beef from my farmer, and ground pork because that's what I had on hand.)

Civilized Caveman's sweet pulled pork (<click for recipe)

Civilized Caveman's beef and squash casserole with bacon and caramelized onions. My friend Orleatha over at Mrs. Paleo suggested making the original recipe a casserole by cubing the butternut squash and letting it roast while you brown the beef and bacon. Then put it all back together and let it bake again. (click her link for more freezer recipes!)

Recipes below:

• Almond coconut shrimp curry with cauliflower "rice" 
• Caribbean Chicken Soup
• Zucchini bread (see optional hacks below)
• Dark chocolate covered mint leaves
• Chocolate cranberry almond bars

I also brought the following groceries for back up and comfort:

• Flank steak
• Bacon
• Raw cheese
• Dark chocolate
• Wine
• Macadamias
• Smoked salmon

*Disclaimer: I cook with the philosophy of "a lil' of this and a lil' of that until it tastes right"... your recipe may vary. Let me know how they turn out, you may need to give or take a little in the spice department, but nothing is so exact that it won't turn out if you tweak the recipe a little. 

Almond Coconut Curry Shrimp

Ingredients:

2 lbs cooked shrimp

1 head cauliflower
1/2 cup almond butter
1 1/2 cup coconut milk
2-3 tbs curry powder
1-2 tbs chili powder
1 clove garlic
3-5 leaves fresh basil
salt, pepper, to taste

In a skillet, combine coconut milk, almond butter, curry power, and chili pepper to taste. Throw in your shrimp and simmer on low about 15 minutes for flavors to meld. I added large coconut flakes, you could also add red pepper and other veggies. 

"Rice"
Just put raw cauliflower in the food processor or cheese grater. Then steam it in the microwave for 3 mins, fluff with a fork and season with salt, pepper and butter. 




Caribbean Chicken Soup

Ingredients:
2 cups bone broth of your choice (I had grass fed beef broth, so I used that)

1 cup water

1 cube/packet organic chicken bouillon (Trader Joe's sells one that's pretty clean-if you're using chicken broth to start with this isn't really necessary but enhances flavor)

2 cups roasted chicken (I used leftover rotisserie chicken)

2-3 tbs jerk seasoning

2 tbs red chili powder (to taste)

1 tbs oregano

4 stalks celery

4 medium carrots

1/2 onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

Easy peasy, just throw everything in the pot and simmer at least an hour for flavors to meld. Photo above is my leftovers, I added local grass fed beef sausage I picked up at the farmers market. 

Zucchini bread 
You can follow the recipe above and it turns out great. Justine has mentioned that she prefers a fluffier bread, so I changed the recipe, adding about a cup of gluten free flour mix, and 1/2 cup coconut milk. I've made it several times and never really measured the coconut four/GF mix... just eyeball equal parts of each flour until the batter is the consistency of thick pancake batter. I also added about a tbs of ground cloves and doubled the spices to make the flavor deeper. Again...I taste as I go, so no recipe is ever exact on this blog as far as spices go. This recipe seems pretty fool proof though- it was even delicious when I forgot the baking soda ;)

Dark Chocolate Covered Mint Leaves 

30 Fresh mint leaves

2 squares Baker's 100% chocolate

3 tbs coconut oil

2 tbs honey (to taste)

1 tsp vanilla

a pinch of sea salt

Wash and pat dry your leaves.

Prepare a tray with wax paper covering it.

In a double boiler (or a soup can in a pot with boiling water), melt 2-3 large squares of Baker's 100% chocolate, unsweetened. 


Add other ingredients and mix together as the chocolate melts.  

Dip leaves in chocolate to cover both sides, Lay flat to cool on wax paper.

Freeze before serving.

Part Two: Have Food, Will Travel
This menu could also just be your next getaway to a cabin or camping trip!


Road Trip Snacks

• Boiled eggs
• Trail mix (almonds, walnuts, cranberries, banana chips)
• Strawberries
• Carrot and celery sticks

Breakfast:

• Breakfast casserole (recipe below)
• Zucchini bread 
• Bacon and eggs
• Coffee with heavy cream and honey

Lunch/Dinner

• Lettuce wrapped burgers
• Sweet potato fries (recipe below)
• Sirloin and chicken fajitas (recipe below)

Chocolate Cranberry Almond Bars (makes 8 bars)

1/2 lbs raw almonds

5 dates

1/4 cup coconut oil

3 tbs unsweetened organic cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups dried cranberries

1 tbs vanilla

Combine nuts and dates in food processor, chop finely.

In a mixing bowl, add cranberries, vanilla and cocoa powder.

Melt coconut oil (place jar in warm water), and add liquid to nut mixture.

Mix all ingredients and form into bars on wax paper. Wrap in wax paper or cellophane and refrigerate. Coconut oil will solidify and hold bars together well. 

Breakfast Casserole

*I adapted from THIS recipe, which also looks delicious


Ingredients:
2 cups cooked sausage ( I use Isernio's GF, Nitrate Free Italian Sausage- it comes in a roll)
1 zucchini, grated
1 yellow onion, diced
4 cloves of garlic, minced
8 eggs
2 Tbsp oregano
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat your oven to 350F

Saute onions, peppers and garlic until your onions start to caramelize and then turn off the heat. In your mixing bowl, combine eggs, cooked meat, shredded zucchini, oregano, and salt and pepper and mix well.

Once mixed, add in your sauteed onions, peppers and garlic, and half of the cheese, and mix again. 

Grease your 9×13 Inch baking dish using oil of your choice, I used olive oil.

Pour your mixture into your baking dish, top with remaining cheese. Place in the preheated oven and cook for 30 minutes or until cooked through and passes the toothpick test. I baked mine for about 25 mins- slightly under cooked so that it would be perfect when reheated.

Sweet Potato Fries

Fries prepped for the cooler, with beef patties and lettuce to wrap the burgers in, and a side of broccoli

3 large sweet potatoes, cut into wedges or strips

1/4 cup coconut oil, bacon fat, or ghee

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbs ground cinnamon

1 tbs chili powder

1stp sea salt

1 tsp black pepper

Preheat your oven to 425F.

In a bowl, coat evenly the sweet potatoes with oil/fat, spices and salt and pepper. 

Place on a backing tray in a single layer. 

Toast about 20 mins. Broil another 5 minutes, or until crispy. Test with a knife, they should be soft inside.

Sirloin and Chicken Fajitas

Prepped for the cooler

Ingredients:

2lbs sirloin and chicken thighs, cut into strips

1 red bell pepper

1 green bell pepper

1 yellow bell pepper

1 medium yellow onion

1 large tomato

2 avocados

3 cloves garlic

3 tbs cumin

2 tbs chili powder

1 tsp salt

1 tsp pepper

1 tbs poultry seasoning

1/4 cup olive oil

veggie seasoning:

1/4 cup lime juice

1 clove garlic

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp cumin

In a bowl, combine beef, garlic, half of oil and spices except poultry seasoning. Cover and marinate overnight. 

In a separate bowl, cover chicken with the remaining spices, cover and marinate overnight.  


Drizzle a large skillet with olive oil and bring it to medium-high heat on the stove. Grill meat about 8 minutes until cooked tender. Add bell peppers, and onion, and sprinkle with garlic powder, chili powder, lime juice, and cumin. Stirring occasionally, cook until veggies are tender, about 6 minutes. Serve with chopped tomatoes, avocado, and salsa on top.

Well friends, let me know how these turn out for you, and please take the time to cook for those who are special to you, and appreciate those precious moments with the ones you love. 


Cheers!

Kellie

Sleep is the Best Medication

My focus for this month is on some things I've really been needing to focus on for a while. I'm getting more sleep, increasing my meditation practice, cutting caffeine and really being kind to my body and mind.

In the past year I've been dealing with a nightmare custody battle with my ex, then suddenly found out that my son was the victim of a serious crime that tore our family apart and led to legal process and lots of trauma and therapy appointments. I'm a single working mom, I own a small business, I workout, volunteer, and sit on an executive board, as well as try to maintain a social life, date, and juggle family time. As a result, I can't remember the last time (before this month) when I got 8 or more hours of sleep on any regular basis. I've really been feeling it lately, and I've decided to finally focus on this aspect of my health. Below, I'll give you a quick summary of how our bodies handle stress, and how I plan to get my mellow back!

Natural Stress Response
When the body or mind is stressed, our adrenals (glands that sit atop the kidneys) produce a surge of hormones, including cortisol and adrenalin to help us push through. This "fight or flight" response is the body's survival instinct. Typically, these instances are short term and not a chronic state, but when we subject ourselves to chronic daily stress and run our bodies down, the entire system starts to crash and misfire. The result can be the overproduction of  hormones that signal immune system repression, high blood pressure and fat storage-particularly around the belly.

Cortisol
When cortisol is released into the bloodstream, the brain receives a charge in anticipation for some intense battle. The brain in turn signals the release of glucose into your bloodstream, increasing blood pressure. The immune system is suppressed in order to to save energy for physical activity. Cortisol consumes energy from the body’s muscle tissue to produce glucose for energy. Triglycerides are mobilized from fat tissues. It's all quite a beautiful symphony of stress management. During short term stress and cortisol release, you get a burst of energy, lessened pain sensitivity, and heightened memory functions. The problem with this, however, is the chain reaction these hormones cause- exhausting and damaging the body when overproduced over time.

Some symptoms of chronic stress and elevated cortisol levels are:

• Impaired cognitive performance
• Suppressed thyroid function
• Blood sugar imbalances such as hyperglycemia
• Decreased bone density
• Decrease in muscle tissue
• Higher blood pressure
• Lowered immunity and inflammatory responses in the body, slowed wound healing, and other health consequences
• Increased abdominal fat, which is associated with a greater amount of health problems than fat deposited in other areas of the body. Some of the health problems associated with increased stomach fat are heart attacks, strokes, the development of metabolic syndrome, higher levels of “bad” cholesterol (LDL) and lower levels of “good” cholesterol (HDL), which can lead to other health problems!

Adrenal Fatigue
 Although it's not widely recognized in the western medical community, Dr. James L. Wilson coined the term ‘adrenal fatigue’ in 1998 to identify a specific kind of chronic tiredness that many people experience. It can affect anyone who undergoes frequent, persistent or severe mental, emotional or physical stress. Adrenal function can also be an important factor in health issues ranging from allergies to obesity. This is the physical manifestation of misalignment of mental, physical and spiritual well being. Adrenal fatigue occurs when adrenal gland function becomes less than optimal—usually as a result of stress.

Some typical symptoms of Adrenal Fatigue include:

• Morning fatigue. You don’t really seem to wake up until 10 a.m., even if you’ve been awake since 7 a.m.
• Afternoon “low” (feelings of sleepiness or clouded thinking) from 2 to 4 p.m.
• A burst of energy at 6 p.m. when you finally feel better from your afternoon lull
• Sleepiness around 9p.m. to 10 p.m. However, you resist going to sleep
• A “second wind” at 11 p.m. that lasts until about 1 a.m., when you finally do go to sleep
• Cravings for foods high in salt and fats
• Chronic low blood pressure
• Sensitivity to cold and feeling chilled
• Increased PMS or menopausal symptoms
• Mild depression
• Mood swings
• Mental fog
• Memory problems
• Lack of energy and feeling rundown
• A decreased ability to handle stress
• A decreased ability to recover from illness
• Muscular weakness
• Increased food allergies
• Lightheadedness when getting up from a sitting or lying down position
• Decreased sex drive
• Frequent sighing
• Inability to handle foods high in potassium or carbohydrates unless they’re combined with fats and protein
• You crave sugar
• Not only are your energy levels affected. Your bodily organs and functions will also reflect diminished efficacy. Your heart and cardiovascular system will be compromised; so will your immune system in fighting off infections; and other systemic functions, as well. In all, adrenal fatigue is a systemic blow to your body. I have almost every symptom I've read about chronic high cortisol and moderate adrenal fatigue.

May goals
Here's my game plan to get my cortisol levels back on track, reduce the stress load on my body and form some new self care habits:

Diet
I'm eating a high protein breakfast within and hour of waking. In the past I've never been a fan of breakfast, and with my current paleo diet I could easily fast from dinner until lunch without ever feeling hungry. But certain foods (protein is one) signal the release of cortisol, and eating my biggest meals mid day and late evening were creating a backwards cortisol curve. Cortisol should be highest in the morning, giving us energy to get through the day, then tapering off as the day continues, allowing us to easily wind down and get rejuvenating sleep. A high protein breakfast is recommended to jump start cortisol levels in the morning.
I'm also replacing all coffee with a mild green tea, and no caffeine at all after noon.

Supplements
I'm really not a fan of popping pills, no matter how natural. But, I'm fortunate to have many friends in the naturopathic, nutrition and health fields, and after much research and consultation, I've decided to consistently take the following supplements: vitamin d, a good multivitamin, cod liver oil, calcium/magnesium and coconut water kefir for probiotics. I'm also going to try epsom salt foot baths. I've had some other recommendations that I'm still researching, so I won't post those yet. If you are following along at home, please see your naturopathic doctor or another professional to help you figure out what supplements are right for you. Mine are tailored to my symptoms, lifestyle and diet- yours should be to.

Sleep
This is the big one! All electronics and bright lights in my house will be off by 9pm, to signal my body it's time to shut down. I'm going to try to be in bed by 10pm most weeknights. This will be the hardest for me, and I'm not going to turn down social events because of my 9pm bedtime, but I'm sure going to try to get to bed sooner on weeknights! I've got a giant stack of books by my bed I'm looking forward to reading.

Exercise
I'm backing off of intense crossfit workouts to only 1-2 days per week, and focusing on more gentle exercise like walking or yoga for at least a month. Low impact, low intensity strength exercises might be included... depending on how I feel.

Meditation
I'll continue to meditate in the evenings. I've been incorporating some chakra balancing, which is feeling really great. I'm reading more, and trying some new practices. I've been so tired lately that I often fall asleep meditating, but as The Dalai Lama says "sleep is the best meditation"

So that's it. It feels monumental but it's been a week so far and I already feel more rested. When I eat a big protein breakfast I notice that I don't feel tired until the evening when it's time to start winding down. I'm still tired a lot, but getting to bed earlier is making a huge difference. I've already noticed an improvement in my skin tone and mental clarity. Can't wait to post results at the end of the month.

Cheers to our health, friends! Namaste.

Resources:

Here are a few of the sites that I've found helpful in my research:

The Cortisol Connection
http://cortisol.com/

Dr James Wilson's Adrenal Fatigue
http://www.adrenalfatigue.org/

Women to Women: Adrenal Health Library
http://www.womentowomen.com/healthtopics_adrenalhealth.aspx

And a HUGE shout out to Michael Roesslein over at Natural Evolution Health and Holistic Nutrition. He's been kind enough to share a domain name with me, answer my questions and be an awesome and inspiring friend. He's about to launch an amazing website for total health, and his new Amazon store is one stop shipping for all things healthy and holistic. Mad props to Michael, go show him some love on fb.

Building Habits

"You must do the thing you think you cannot" -Elinor Roosevelt(yeah, yeah, I know my form's not perfect in this pic...part of building a habit is learning ...and mancub took the picture before I got deep!  

Hi guys, I can't believe it’s already May! I've had so much fun for the month of April, it's great to know that things really do get easier with practice! I know now that I can do ANYTHING at all that I put my mind to, and that’s really nice feeling. It takes at LEAST 21 days to create a habit, and some studies say it’s as much as 60 days without fail for more complex tasks. It takes about four weeks to really see changes in your body from diet and exercise, so keep consistent and keep having fun. I’m seeing the biggest changes in my body with clean diet and meditation for stress reduction… More on that tomorrow when I unveil May’s goal! 

I overhauled my nutrition almost exactly a year ago. I went from eating processed junk and sugar daily to eating nothing but organic whole foods including meat, veggies, fruits, eggs, oils and nuts. It was hard at first, but it’s become habit now, and I don’t even think about eating clean most days, it’s just what I do. I know that I feel better when I take care of myself, and my attitudes and priorities have really changed in this year. Why would I feel lethargic and unfocused if I didn't have to? When I listen to my body it tells me exactly what I need and we are a great team.


In March I focused on growing my own food and I’m now in the habit of watering my plants daily and planning to plant more. (There were a few casualties in the process of creating that habit…oops). I can’t wait to see my grocery bills go down when I have organic produce growing in my backyard!

In April I've worked on meditating every night and exercising every day. These are both complex goals for me because they relate to a bigger goal of time management and learning to say “no”. I catch myself procrastinating, then feeling SO amazing after I do it. I have never once regretted being mindfully present, sitting in silence, or working myself hard. It’s an amazing way to relieve stress, and I’m planning to keep at these daily for as long as it takes to become habit.


One habit that I can say has stuck, is working small movements into my day. I raised my work space into a standing desk, and I do lunges and squats while I type. I do a minute or two of planks in the kitchen while my food is cooking. Triceps dips on the kitchen counter, and I can squeeze in 100 kettlebell swings while my coffee is brewing in the morning. I’m getting stronger every day and really enjoying feeling more grounded and strong. Although I've been meditating off and on for most of my adult life, it's really been a challenge this month. I've been going through some really tough things in my personal life, but staying in the present and feeling my own inner strength has been so freeing. My mental energy is on the rise, I'm sleeping better and just feeling at peace. I wish I could show you before-and-after pictures of my psyche and my chakras. Here’s a comparison shot of how my body has responded to new habits.

Before: May 2011, already down 10 lbs after one month eating clean paleo diet. After: April 2012, down 40lbs and maintained 6 months.

Thanks to everyone who is reading and following along with me at home. I love being part of a community that pushes each other to grow. Shout out to my friends in the International Paleo Movement Group on Facebook… without you guys none of these habits would be possible, and I wouldn't be striving for new challenges (brewing my own Kefir, making cosmetics, and all natural cleaning products!!)


Here's a few of my favorite sites for FREE workouts you can do at home, and meditation techniques for beginners. 

• HIIT workouts in under 20 mins with Zuzana Light (formerly of BodyRockTv)

• 16-Days of Beginner CrossFit Workouts You Can Do From Home

• Netflix also has tons of Crunch workouts on instant streaming. 

• 108 Meditation Techniques

• Basic Chakra Introductions and opening meditations

Mango Banana Coconut Pie

This was super easy to make and tasted great.  And with such minimal ingredients and no sugar, I’ll totally look the other way if you want to eat it for breakfast ;)  

Crust:

One bag (about two cups) sliced almonds

2 mejool dates (pitted)

¼ cup virgin coconut oil

1 tsp vanilla

1 tbs cinnamon

Place, almonds dates, vanilla and cinnamon in a food processor and grind until fine. Melt coconut oil by heating the jar in warm water. Mix coconut oil into the nut mixture. Press the mixture into a pie plate about for a  standard raw crust can be used for any kind of raw pie.  

Filling:

2 ripe mangos sliced

4 bananas

1 ½ cup unsweeted finely shredded coconut.

Place bananas and mango into the food processor or blender. Mix coconut flakes for a thicker consistency and pour into crust. Top with coconut shreds cover tightly to prevent the fruit from turning brown. Freeze one hour before serving, the fruit filling will set up a bit. It’s best to assemble and serve this quickly, because it will lose it’s gorgeous color. (my pictures show the not so beautiful result)

If desired, top with coconut milk whipping cream. 

5 Ways to Love Yourself Right Now

      

1. Stop Negative Self Talk

I want you to REALLY understand the power of your own self talk. Just hang for a few minutes in that space between your thoughts and listen. We all have this little voice in our heads that rambles incessantly. What’s yours saying? Your body can hear it at the most cellular level. When you work out to punish yourself because you don’t like what you see in the mirror, your body releases the stress hormone cortisol, which raises your blood pressure, inhibits your immune system, and tells your body to go ahead and hold onto that fat around your abdomen. When you obsess over some unrealistic perfect body image, you create a self fulfilling prophecy because you've already conceded defeat. Knock it off! When that incessant voice tells you your thighs are too lumpy, just smile and notice what’s happening. In our culture we are conditioned to constantly compare ourselves to others, even when we know we are each different and have diverse strengths. How silly of us.

2. Speak kindly to yourself.

When you love yourself unconditionally, just as you are in this moment, your brain immediately releases endorphins which boost your immune system, lower depression and send messages to all of your organs to do what they do best. Your thighs are powerful; work them because you know how good it feels to dance, hike and jump. Whatever you do, do it out of love for yourself. Strive for a goal because you know how great you’ll feel, not because you’re unsatisfied with the body you have today. It’s a small shift in consciousness that has immense ripples of effect throughout your body. It’s great to make progress towards goals, but be kind to yourself along the way.

3. Practice accepting others.

Try to remember that we are all human. We are all connected to each other and the earth, and the way we treat each other matters. We each wake up in the morning and do the best we know how to do. We all have vices, goals, ambitions and insecurities. Have you ever noticed how everything seems more possible with kind and supportive friends in our lives? Do someone a favor and give the gift of kind acceptance. It’s ok if you disagree with someone’s life choices, just accept them as a fellow human being on a journey. This small gift, practiced often will come back to you ten-fold. Empowering others is great for your heart and when you accept others, it’s easier to accept yourself.

4. See the media for what it is.

“You are perfect right now, just as you are” is a terrible sales slogan. Instead, advertisers make millions off of making people feel inferior. You’re almost perfect, but Red Bull will give you wings. You need the shake weight to tone those weak arms, creams to get rid of those wrinkles, new jeans might help you fit in with the hip crowd (You’d obviously never get invited to the party in those jeans you have on). It goes deeper than consumerism. American culture is so heavily steeped in patriarchy that both men and women are constantly objectified and reduced to simplified images of sexuality, masculinity, and function. You don’t have to watch media long to notice that human bodies are constantly being used to sell a product, cut down, criticized, photo shopped or worshiped. Every week some star is praised for losing weight, then slammed for losing too much weight. Our culture is one of materialism that drives many into a frenzied chase for the next best thing. Don’t get sucked in to the unrealistic ideas that are constantly crammed down your throat. You are much smarter than they give your credit for.

5. Don't wait for people to support you; inspire them to join you.

Whatever your goal is, there’s a reason why it’s yours. You’ve probably put some time and energy into getting fired up and moving. Your friends and family might not know, care, or understand your goals. If your husband doesn’t want to sell everything and live in a yurt somewhere so that you can live off the land- don’t be discouraged. Plant your garden with enthusiasm and show him how awesome it is to harvest food for dinner that you’ve grown. You have the passion and enthusiasm to support yourself in your dreams, and when you take the plunge and don’t let anyone stop you, it’s so inspiring that you just might be surprised at who jumps on the bandwagon with you.

Imagine your next office potluck or family gathering. You’ve got the choice to feel unsupported or inspiring.

You could refuse to eat any of their inferior food because it doesn’t meet your needs on this new “diet”. You could pick at the salad because it's got croutons, and pout or even complain that no one supports your new lifestyle. You could try to explain that fasting is perfectly healthy and you feel perfectly satisfied with that tea- to people who are becoming further concerned about your attitudes towards food. But just last year you were joining the fun and feeling fine, now this “whole new you” is a bit of a drag. They simply don't understand why you're acting like such a neurotic freak and you aren’t helping the matter by acting like a neurotic freak!

Or, you could glow as your walk through the door with your latest magnificent dish. You could offer up an amazing creative salad, some delish treats, fresh fruit or deviled eggs. You could be hearing "you've outdone yourself again" and “how do you do it?” Go ahead and gush about how great you feel, how satisfied you are and why you'll never go back to eating food that doesn't make you feel fantastic. Tell them about your garden. You are clearly happy, healthy and excited about life, and that enthusiasm is contagious.

If you're like me, the second party sounds way more fun for everyone! Don’t wait around for others to support your goals. Follow your dreams, be the change you want to see in the world, and just keep putting one foot in front of the other: you might really surprise yourself!

xoxox

We Don’t Stop Playing Because We Grow Old; We Grow Old Because We Stop Playing

When was the last time you ran as fast as you possibly could, arms waving wildly in the air, with an open mouth smile on your face? Played red light green light? Did a cartwheel?

My six year old is my guru in a lot of ways, but one of the most important lessons he’s taught me is this: All things worth doing can be fun with the right attitude.  If life’s not fun, you’re doing it wrong. Blood rushing to your head when you’re upside down makes you just a little high. Winning a race feels good, but playing for hours with your friends on a clear night until the street lights come on can’t be replaced by any ribbon or trophy.

Another plus: studies show that laughing boosts blood flow, immune systems, lowers blood sugar levels and helps you to sleep better!

April's goal is to move more, in fun ways without boredom, resentment or procrastination. Here’s a few fun ways to get our bodies moving, no gym fees necessary and no waiting in line for the never-ending cardio train. Have fun, and post pictures on the fb page if you doing something crazy! 

·            Hula hoop for as long as you can, then try to beat your time.

·            Jump on a small trampoline during TV commercials. Better yet turn off the TV and play! 

·            Go for a bike ride: as fast as you can, without hands, standing up.

·            Dance around the house: in heels.

·            Practice your handstand against a wall.

·            Have some wild sex! (don't post those pics on fb)

·            Jump rope.. but do it with a friend and sing rhymes like Miss Mary Mack.

·            Race with your kids, play tag in the backyard.

·            Play one on one or tag football in the park. 

·            Swing on the monkey bars, go knees to bar on the high bar, ride the zip line and jump hopscotch.      


        Go ahead: frolic, cavort and horse around....I dare you! 

"I run like I did when I was a kid, because that's the only way it's fun" -Pheobe