Category Archives: All blog posts

Do What You Love…

First things first! I’m thrilled to announce that we have a new addition to our family! Brooke Arianna, our third child, was born on Friday evening and she is practically perfect in every way. Our whole world has been turned upside down in the best of ways, as I suspect has happened throughout history for everyone blessed with a new child. There’s a never-ending list of newborn needs, two other children beside themselves with excitement, visitors to entertain and major sleep deprivation…and yet, I’m blogging. It might make you ask “WHY?!”

In fact, throughout my pregnancy I was often asked how much time I planned to take off with this baby. With each of my other two, I took a one-year maternity leave from my corporate marketing job to fully immerse myself in being a mom! Those were two incredible and memorable years filled with wonderful moments and I wouldn’t change a thing about them. But there is something different this time around that is leading me to take a different approach. What’s different? I am doing what I LOVE.

I simply can’t imagine wanting to “take a year off” from my work with Nourish because it never really feels like work to me at all! I love every second of meeting new prospective clients, speaking about wellness topics, working with clients 1:1, leading group classes, researching wellness topics, blogging, creating new content for classes, working on marketing plans and ideas, testing recipes, you name it! Sometimes I feel like I’m cheating because I’m getting paid to have so much fun! And yet, isn’t that exactly how life should be?

Have you ever had a morning when you woke up before the alarm because what you had scheduled for that day literally drew you out of bed and into the activity? It may have been something at work or something for leisure, but I hope you’ve experienced that feeling of anticipation where getting out of bed outweighed the appeal of staying under the covers. Lately, I have been experiencing that feeling every day! And it’s the most incredible thing. In fact, it’s my wish for you. To discover a life you love, one that fuels you with energy as you apply your talents to worthwhile work – at home or outside the home. I feel so blessed to be living my own version of that life.

So…you’ll continue to hear from me throughout these chaotic and amazing newborn days and beyond. For now, Brooke is my most precious reason for being drawn out of bed and into my day…but I’m so grateful that my work is a source of energy for me as well. What are YOU doing to discover the life you love? Are you living it yet?

This entry was posted in All blog posts, Lifestyle and tagged , on by .

Chicken and Udon Noodle Bowl

This is simply delicious. Light, refreshing even, incredibly flavorful, simple. It has a definite Asian influence (udon noodles were the giveaway, right?) but isn’t overwhelmingly associated with any one ethnicity. It made a wonderful dinner but could be a terrific appetizer/soup course for a more complex meal. You’ll love it.

Have you tried udon noodles? Our kids love them because they taste like really soft spaghetti! And we have a children’s cooking alphabet book which has taught them that “U is for Udon Noodles.” How great is that? As for you, you’ll find udon noodles in the Asian section of your grocery store – usually in an 8-10 oz package if dried. Sometimes they are precooked and just need to be reheated. Either will work for this but if you are using precooked, you’ll need to adjust the quantity (probably 2 packages of cooked noodles).

This dish is really low calorie (232 calories per 1.5 cup serving) and still packed with 20 grams of protein, leaving plenty of room for great accompaniments. And isn’t THAT always a bonus?

I am in love with Clean Eating Magazine. Aren’t you?

Chicken & Udon Noodle Bowl
minimally adapted from Clean Eating – July 2010

serves 8

Ingredients:

8 oz. package of dried udon noodles (preferable whole wheat)
4 c. low sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp. fresh ginger, minced
2 jalapeno peppers, chopped
5 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 Tbsp. fresh lemon juice
1 tsp. lime zest
14 oz. unsweetened light coconut milk
1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin slices, each about 1″ long
1 1/2 c. fresh baby portobello mushrooms, sliced
6 oz. baby spinach leaves (about 6 cups, loosely packed)
1/2 Napa cabbage, chopped (about 1-2 c.)
12 sprigs fresh cilantro, chopped (about 1/4 c.)

Directions:

Cook noodles according to package directions; drain and set aside.

Bring broth, ginger, jalapenos, lime juice, lemon juice and lime zest to a boil in a Dutch oven or large pot; reduce heat to medium-low.

Add coconut milk, chicken and mushrooms, stirring well. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add reserved noodles, spinach and cabbage and cook, stirring occasionally for 5 minutes or until wilted. Garnish with cilantro before serving.

This entry was posted in All blog posts, Food, Recipes and tagged , , , on by .

Water, Water Everywhere

Water is one of those life essentials with SO many health benefits across the spectrum of wellness that it’s high time I write about it! At no time is it more critical to stay conscious of water intake than in the peak of summer’s heat…so here are a few thoughts for you about water and hydration.

1 – Drink a full glass of water upon waking.
Drinking a full glass of water upon waking is an age-old beauty secret. Whether or not it’s true, I can still recommend this practice! You’ve just gone 7 or 8 hours without water – break the fast!

2 – Drink water throughout the day.
I’m not going to give you a formula for determining exactly how much water to drink. What I will say is that MOST of us are chronically dehydrated and one way to be less so is to drink water throughout the day. Try it. You’ll be amazed by how much better you feel from this one simple change!

3 – Recognize that dehydration masquerades as hunger.
Sometimes you will THINK you are hungry when in reality you are thirsty! Try this. The next time it’s a hot day and you are jonesing for ice cream… drink a big glass of cold water first. See if it quells your craving. 9 times out of 10 it will – the other time you can go find yourself a cone of the best ice cream in the vicinity with my blessing!

4 – Learn that water can taste great and still be healthy.
Many people claim they don’t like the taste of water – or that they find it boring. This group has fueled an entire industry of flavored waters, many of which are filled with sugar and added calories. Here’s an alternative. Try infusing your water with herbs, or fruit, or even vegetables! Buy a beautiful pitcher…fill it with water…add fresh mint…or watermelon chunks…or cucumber and lime slices…or lemons….and allow it to sit in the refrigerator for a few hours. Voila – spa water!

5 – Practice good hydration for mental clarity.
When we’re starting to feel a little foggy, many of us reach for coffee or a caffeinated soda. Switch that to a big glass of water and you’ll clear your head just as well without buzzing and then crashing. Just nice, steady energy. Aaaah.

6 – For heaven’s sake, bottle your own water!
There’s really no reason to buy bottled water at this point – there are so many beautiful and practical reusable bottles on the market that you can just filter your own and take it with you, refilling on the go. Have you seen these gorgeous bottles from KOR? Or these from SIGG? Or these from Camelback which my kids love? Need a filter? PUR makes a great faucet-mount or refrigerator pitcher. Or you can use the built-in filter in your fridge if it has a water dispenser – that’s what I do! Just remember to periodically change your filter.

A closing thought – please don’t take clean water for granted!
In my former life, I worked for Procter & Gamble, and in my last role with the company, I had the privilege of working pretty closely with a P&G-run organization devoted to providing safe drinking water in the developing world. Called Children’s Safe Drinking Water, the organization really opened my eyes to the World Water Crisis and its impact on the health of individuals without access to clean water. You can learn about the crisis and the organization at the Children’s Safe Drinking Water website but here are a few facts pulled from the site to get you started. I hope you’ll start to view the clean drinking water you have access to as a privilege and that you will take FULL advantage of it!

  • More than one billion people do not have access to safe water.
  • Diarrhea caused by drinking contaminated water remains a leading cause of illness and death among infants and children in the developing world.
  • About 1.8 million children die every year due to diarrheal diseases.
  • More children die from diarrheal illnesses like cholera and dysentery than from HIV/AIDS or malaria combined.
  • P&G has collaborated with the Center for Disease Control (CDC) since 1995 to develop safe drinking water systems that people can easily use in their homes.
  • There is conclusive evidence that simple, low-cost interventions at the community level can dramatically improve the quality of household stored water and greatly reduce the risk of diarrheal disease and death.
  • It is well documented that simply providing safe, clean, drinkable water can reduce deadly diarrhea and other devastating diseases by about 50%.



This entry was posted in All blog posts, Food, Lifestyle and tagged on by .