Category Archives: Food

A Lesson in Generosity

I’m going to be honest.  I’m not making any healthy eating resolutions this year. Things are going pretty well in that area for me, so I’m just going to stay the course and keep learning and incorporating new ideas as they come along. I’ll also be supporting YOU in YOUR resolutions, of course!

That said, one of my resolutions this year is to be more generous in big and small ways.

Today, I pulled into a Panera (my home away from home) and it was raining. Hard. There was a parking spot right up front (score!) and just as I started to pull into it I changed my mind. Taking that spot would be beneficial to me,  especially because my husband left with BOTH of my umbrellas this morning, but not so generous. I’d be in Panera for hours working at a quiet table, all the while taking up that prime spot.  Conversely, leaving the spot open might allow MULTIPLE people to stay dry as they ran in for coffee on their way to work.

So, I kept driving and took a spot in a far corner of the lot and hustled in the door through the rain, feeling good about my decision. I put my things down at a table, grabbed my wallet, and went up to order my coffee. The young man working behind the counter, whom I’ve never met before, handed me a cup and said with a smile, “It’s on me today. Have a great day!”

And that, my friends, is a lesson in generosity.

Have you had similar experiences?

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Green “Detox” Soup

There is no law saying that you have to go on a diet when January rolls around. I promise I’m not going to be someone who tells you that you need to eat nothing but kale and celery for the next 100 days.

That said, it may be time to rest your overworked digestive system this week. After all the extra cookies, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres of the holidays,  this soup is just the thing to restore balance to your body and soul.

Do you notice that you instinctively seek balance after you’ve overindulged? This soup is one great way to achieve the balance you’re looking for with lots of good-for-you green things and fresh seasonings simmered together on the stove. Take this chance to nourish yourself. You’ll be so glad you did.

 

Green “Detox” Soup

adapted from The Gluten-Free Goddess

makes 4 servings

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons diced onion

1-inch fresh ginger, peeled and chopped

1 bunch of broccoli, cut up

8 oz. fresh spinach leaves

3 parsnips, peeled and sliced

2 ribs of celery, sliced

1 handful of fresh parsley, roughly chopped

salt and pepper to taste

fresh lemon or lime juice, optional

Directions:

1. In a large soup pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Stir in garlic, onion, and ginger. Saute, stirring for 3 minutes.

2. Add broccoli, spinach, parsnips, celery, and parsley. Stir just until spinach wilts. Add just enough water to submerge vegetables.

3. Bring to a gentle boil, cover pot and reduce heat to a moderate simmer. Cook for approximately 15 minutes or until all the vegetables are soft.

4. Puree in a blender or by using an immersion blender.

5. Add salt and pepper to taste. Add a squeeze of lemon or lime juice if you prefer a brighter flavor.

 

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The best date to start your new year’s resolution

Many of you are telling me you’d like to wait another week or two before tackling your healthy living resolutions for 2013, and I can understand why!

There is so much to be done to get things back in order after the happy holiday chaos; starting anything that requires significant focus and attention (which is, ahem, exactly what resolutions require) feels like a tall order.

And guess what? Waiting a bit to begin your resolution may actually work to your advantage! That’s because the best day to start a resolution is THE DAY WHEN YOU FEEL READY to start it.

In fact, a recent study showed that people who began implementing their New Year’s Resolutions on January 31st were actually more successful than those who started on January 1st. Why? Because the later starters were truly committed to making changes and not just swept up in the energy of “everybody else is doing it so I may as well join them.”

You have likely heard stories about gyms being super-crowded for the first two weeks of January, but then thinning out quickly as those new members fell off the wagon and stopped going. They weren’t ready. They rushed headlong into the gym on auto-pilot, but they hadn’t thought through what it would take to keep up the practice week after week, so when the going got tough, they gave up!

Let’s not be the people who give up this year, okay? Let’s be ready.

If you’re feeling stressed because January 1st has come and gone and you haven’t begun to make changes yet, I want to reassure you that there is no magic in January 1st. It’s simply a very popular date to start fresh, so if you’re already ready, then I’m ready to support you! But if you need a little more time to get your ducks in a row, then by all means take it! Set yourself up for success.

Now, since more than a few of you have told me that you ARE ready to get started now (using your new workout clothes, cookbooks, home gym equipment, and Vitamix blenders), I thought today I’d offer you one simple and proven tip that will help to ensure you begin your healthy lifestyle changes on the right foot. Are you ready? Here it is.

GET MORE SLEEP.

That’s right. Start building a sleep pattern that gets you 7-8 hours a night with consistency. I cannot tell you how much this will help you implement any healthy change you want to make. You will have better judgment, more willpower, and your mood will improve. You will be more productive and creative. You will even boost your metabolism – that’s right. You can eat more if you sleep more.

To kick off 2013, figure out what it will take for you to get more sleep and make it happen.

There are 364 days remaining in 2013….don’t panic. Just get ready. And get some sleep. You are going amaze yourself this year.

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