Kale, Pear, and Pomegranate Salad

This a perfect dish for the holidays! Take for as a side dish to a Holiday party, salad for Christmas dinner, or to work for a healthy lighter meal after all the heavy holiday yummies! The Citrus dressing makes it so much better! Here’s to a little health this time of year.

Salad:

• 2 Cups of kale- washed and de-stemmed


• 1 cup of chopped cabbage-purple tends to be sweeter and adds more color


• 1 large pear sliced


• 1/2 cup pomegranate seeds


• 1 cup quinoa- sprouted


• 1/4 cup- chopped Macadamia nuts

Dressing:

• 1 cup good olive oil


• 1 lemon juiced


• 1 lime juiced


• 1 teaspoon sea salt


• 1/2 teaspoon fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. 1 cup of quinoa soak in 2 cups of filtered water for 4-6 hours or overnight. Drain, rinse, and drain again.


2. Chop kale and cabbage and place in a bowl.


3. Add sprouted quinoa


4. Slice pears and place on top of quinoa


5. Sprinkle pomegranate seeds and Macademia nuts on top


6. In a jar- add olive oil, salt, pepper, lemon and lime juice. Shake well and add to salad


7. Toss until well blended. Serve and Enjoy!

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Summer Slaw

Summer is perfect for all those summer veggies! Sometimes there’s so many from the garden it’s hard to actually be able to use them all before they start to go bad. So, those are usually the days I’m searching through the fridge and scouring the counter for things I need to start using, which always opens the door to new recipes and trying different things. Loving all the summer produce, it’s the perfect time to eat lighter, go raw, and put healthy spins on our favorite recipes. This slaw recipe is perfect for the beach, bbqs, or just for your everyday lunch.

Ingredients :

• 1/2 head red cabbage


• 3 carrots-shredded


• 1/2 small red onion


• 2 small zucchini


• 1 red bell pepper


• fresh cilantro- roughly chopped


• 1/2 lemon juiced


• 1/4 cup olive oil


• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar


• pinch of sea salt


• fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. Chop cabbage, zucchini, red onion, a bell pepper. Shred carrots. Add everything to a large bowl. In a glass jar add vinegar, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper. Shake well. Pour on top and mix well. Top with fresh cilantro. Plate, serve and enjoy.

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Grilled Peaches and Balsamic Glaze with Homemade Cinnamon Whipped Cream

This recipe is a must have for the summer, especially now as peaches are coming into their full season! Simple, fast, and one for the books you can impress your friends with this one! ;)

Peaches:

• 4-5 fresh peaches


• 2 cups balsamic vinegar

Half and pit peaches. Place on grill on medium to high heat. Flip once as they start to caramelize. For balsamic vinegar, boil on stove, then immediately lower to a simmer for 25 minutes until it becomes thick and syrupy. Place grilled peaches on a plate. Pour glaze over peaches. Top with whipped cream

Cinnamon Whipped Cream

• ½ cup almond milk


• 3 cups plain Greek yogurt


• 3 tablespoons honey


• 2 teaspoons cinnamon


• 2 teaspoons nutmeg

In a metal bowl, whip almond milk, Greek yogurt, honey, cinnamon, and nutmeg with electric beater or by hand. (By hand will take a lot longer) Beat on medium until it thickens.

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New Superfood!-Lucuma Powder

There’s a new superfood in town! I am loving it right now! It’s great to bulk up your smoothies to help you feel fuller longer, perfect for making your own ice cream, add it to your pancake mix on Sunday mornings, even add it to any desserts you have your heart set on baking.

Lucuma powder is made from a Peruvian lucuma fruit. It’s a low-glycermic sweetener. It takes on a caramel or maple-like flavor and has an airy or fluffy texture. It’s high in fiber which is great for the digestive system, high in potassium to help with muscle repair and growth, zinc for an immune boost, and lots of trace minerals.

Recipe:

• 1/4 cup Lucuma powder


• 2 cups coconut milk


• 1 banana


• 1 tablespoon soaked chia seed


• 1 to 1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries

Combine all ingredients in a blender on high for about 30 seconds. Enjoy!

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National Nutrition Month

March is National Nutrition Month, if you haven’t started gearing up for bikini season, this is the month to help you get a little more motivation. I can’t believe March is almost over and still feels like winter where I am. We’re actually forecasted for snow again tonight. Beach season doesn’t feel like it will ever get here! So in honor of nutrition and the upcoming sun, sand and surf season. Here’s a few points on how you can embrace your health and give yourself some love this month.

I had a client call me this morning and tell me she’s been eating clean 80% of the time, dropped the soda completely, been eating breakfast every morning and she can’t believe how much energy she has and how great she actually feels now! I love those stories. I wanted to give her the biggest hug and big sloppy kiss. She totally made my day! I knew she could do it, it’s just getting past that big hump in the beginning that’s the hardest. Those little success stories are what keep me going as a Holistic Health Coach and Healthy Living Advocate. “A little ripple effect” that will hopefully start a change in the world.

So here is 10 things to do for yourself this month (well what’s left of it) ;) But you can continue on and reap all the benefits!

1. Try something new! Never eaten brussel sprouts, artichokes, or monk fruit? Try it out once, you may surprise yourself.


2. Try to incorporate different greens into your diet. If you’re not too crazy about one, try another. You can always hide them in smoothies too!


3. Learn to read a label. You’ll be surprised what you’re really eating!!!


4. Start a garden. Grow your own food, eat the things you really like. Visit a farmers market.


5. Add an extra glass of water to your diet each day.


6. Eat off a smaller plate. You’ll learn portion control and you won’t consume so much food. If you’re still hungry after, then go for seconds.


7. Replace processed sugars with natural…honey and 100% maple syrup are great ones to use.


8. Choose healthy snacks like nuts, fruit, veggies with hummus, plain yogurt and add your own berries, The possibilities are endless!


9. Chose wild caught fish, skip the farm raised. And choose organic or humanely raised pork, beef, and poultry.


10. Get in the kitchen, stay out of the drive-thrus. Anything coming through the window is not food!

Hope these little pointers help! Here is a healthy snacks guide you can check out and grab some great, new healthy recipes!

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An Irish Celebration

It’s St. Patty’s Day! My favorite holiday! Today we woke up to 5 plus inches of snow on the ground again!!! Ughhh, kids out of school once again and so much for the spring like weekend we just had! But instead of wallowing in my winter grumpiness, I decided to have a cooking fest in the kitchen to celebrate my heritage.

My great grandmother Winnie came over “on the boat” from Donegal, Ireland in 1900 at the age of 15. She came into Ellis Island alone after spending weeks upon weeks at the bottom a rat infested ship sending immigrants over to the States. So to celebrate my Irish nationality and celebrate my brave great gram and also my inspiring 93 year old grandmother that continues to fills my head with lots of family stories, tales, and lessons from the motherland… I decided to get my little ones involved on the food side of our heritage and hope that they fall in love with the dreams and hopes their great and great-great grandmother also shared with me. We still have family living in Donegal so I hope one day soon we can all take a trip to truly experience the food, culture, ideals, and traditions of Ireland.

So, with my little ones completely excited and totally under my feet in the kitchen, we made Potato Leek Soup, Watercress and Blood Orange Salad with Homemade Lemon Caper Dressing, Oven Roasted Tomatoes, and Baked Salmon in fresh herbs and leeks with sauteed broccoli. Then we had an Irish breakfast this morning! Scrambled eggs, smoked salmon, cornichons, roasted tomatoes, hash browns, and of course a little Irish soda bread. That’s a lot of cooking so I’m going to pass along a couple recipes we made and save some of the others for later. Hope you enjoy them! Happy St. Patty’s Day! Wishing you all the luck of the Irish!!

Watercress and Blood Oranges with Lemon Caper Vinaigrette:

• 1 bunch watercress-roughly chopped


• 2 blood oranges


• 1/4 shallot-sliced thin


• 2 Tablespoons olive oil


• 1 Tablespoon fresh lemon juice


• 5-8 capers- chopped


• Pinch sea salt


• Fresh ground pepper

In a bowl add watercress, oranges, and onions. Toss well. In an old mason jar or unused bottle add olive oil, lemon juice, capers, salt, and pepper. Shake well. Pour on top of salad. Mix well and serve

Oven-Roasted Tomatoes:

• 2-3 Medium to Large Organic Tomatoes


• 2 teaspoons olive oil


• pinch sea salt


• fresh ground pepper

In a baking dish, add olive oil. Slice tomatoes in half and place in baking dish. Top with salt and pepper. Roast at 350 degrees F for 20-25 minutes.

Baked Salmon with Fresh Herbs and Leeks:

• 16 oz Wild-Caught Salmon- Fresh


• 1 small leek-sliced


• handful fresh dill-diced


• handful fresh sage-diced


• 2 Tablespoons olive oil


• Sea Salt


• Fresh ground pepper

Preheat oven 350 degrees F. In a baking pan, add olive oil, place salmon on top. Tops with a dash of olive oil, fresh herbs, sliced leeks, salt and pepper. Bake for 15-20 minutes. Remember fish cooks fast so keep and eye on it so it doesn’t over cook! Place everything on a plate and devour! Add a Guinness for extra taste and of course celebrating! CHEERS!!

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Citrus Mahi Mahi with Cilantro Lime Cole Slaw

Sometimes you just want something that tastes fresh and zesty, especially after this crazy frigid winter we’ve had. I can’t wait till the weather finally breaks for good! I’m ready for warm days and cool nights, trips to the farmers market for spring veggies, and the fishing boats will finally start running in again with loads of fresh fish. (Hence my husband is obsessed with fishing so that part may not be the best thing for me!)

I also have a small addiction to slaws! My biggest cravings are always for something crunchy. People laugh at me when I tell them this, but my go to at 8:30 every night is not chocolate or something sweet. It’s always Kale Slaw or I’ll make up a batch of whatever I can mix with cabbage. Something about those crunchy, zingy, and earthy flavors, I can’t seem to get enough of!

So here’s my recipe for Citrus Mahi Mahi with Cilantro Lime Cole Slaw and I topped it off with some fresh mashed avocado. These started off as tacos, then I thought the tacos shells would ruin the freshness! I don’t usually eat tomatoes in the winter because they’re out of season, but I had a couple left over from cooking meals for some of my clients. So I through them in there and I think a little more of the acid made the slaw that much better! Let me know whatcha think! Here’s to hoping spring is really right around the corner.

Ingredients:

• 6-8 oz of Mahi Mahi (preferably fresh but frozen is ok too)


• 3 tablespoons of good olive oil


• 5 drops doTerra lime essential oil or juice of 1 1/2 limes


• 1/2 head purple cabbage-shredded


• 1/2 head green cabbage-shredded


• 2 carrots- peeled and shredded


• small handful roughly chopped fresh cilantro


• 1/2 shallot-chopped


• 6-7 cherry tomatoes- sliced


• 1 avocado (ripe)


• Sea Salt


• Fresh ground pepper

In a medium saute pan, add a little olive oil, add Mahi, 2 drops of lime oil or 1/2 teaspoon fresh lime juice. Season with salt and pepper and cook thoroughly. In a separate bowl, add cabbage, carrots, shallots, tomatoes, cilantro, 2-4 drops of lime oil, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt and pepper. Mix well. Slice open avocado, remove pit, mash into a small bowl. On a plate, place slaw, top with Mahi, then add a spoonful of fresh avocado! Soooo good!

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Be an Olympian

Watching the Olympics these past couple weeks still leaves me in awe of all the athletes. Growing up as a year round athlete, I still remember quite well the two-a-day practices, long yard runs for field hockey in the August heatwaves, unlimited gut wrenching suicides for basketball, dry dusty fields, scabbed knees and hips from slide practice for softball, and freezing mornings in the pool for swim team. I can only imagine the training, exercise regimes, diet restrictions, time, mental preparation, and sacrifice the Olympians have to make to chase their dreams. Some sacrificing family, friends, and even children to accomplish everything they’ve set their hearts and minds too. We all can’t be Olympian bobsledders, figure skaters, down hill skiers, or Giant Slalom snowboarders. But we can live our lives like an Olympian! We finally need to start putting ourselves first, taking time for our specific needs, health, desires, and mental stability.

We need to start asking questions about what we’re consuming and where are food is coming from. Focus on our community, support each other, be our own advocate, give back, take time to relax and recharge. We’re letting our number one priority go first. Without your health you have nothing. You can’t take care of your spouse, children or other loved ones, if you’re not healthy enough to care for yourself.

For far too long we’ve let everything else control our lives and it has come back to haunt us, especially Americans. We’ve become lazy, sedentary, technology dependent, fast food junkies, schedule slaves, and insomniacs. Don’t you think it’s time we started to but our wellness, life’s ambitions, and health first before we can’t do anything about it anymore. The number one question I get all the time is “how do you have the energy?” All I can say is I live my life to the best of my ability. I decided to set goals for myself, follow my passions, chase my dreams (even when people thought I was crazy), surround my life with people who believed in me and truly cared about my happiness and wanted to see me succeed. For a long time I kept around the ones that held me back and it ruined myself esteem, my drive, and health. I decided one day enough was enough and looking back I wasted a lot of time that I can’t get back. So now I am motivated to catch up on lost time!

Also what I put in, is what I get out. I am an extreme believer in what you eat, getting exercise, drinking water, sleeping the required hours of sleep you personally need, keeping loved ones close, having faith, and giving back, make life go round so that’s what I strive to do everyday. We never know when our time is up, don’t you want to live for today and be the best you can be just in case tomorrow changes your life forever? No regrets! So finally live your life-like an Olympian! Go out and change your path, your diet, your health, your heart, your soul, learn to love a little more, use your time wisely, take time to put you first and find your happiness. Here’s to all the Olympians that put their blood, sweat, tears, and all their sacrifices into living the lives they always wanted and chased their dreams to the highest level!

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Be Heart Healthy

In honor of heart healthy month we decided to throw out there some great ways to keep your heart healthy this year. Heart disease in the number one cause of death in men and women. It accounts for 40% of all U.S. deaths, that’s more than all cancers combined!!! And 40% of people having a heart attack die before they ever reach the hospital! That’s scary!! Most of us know someone who has a heart attack or heart condition, so here’s our list of ways to make sure you keep your heart as healthy as you can.

Know your risk factors:

• Smoking and second-hand smoke


• High blood pressure


• High Cholesterol


• Obesity


• Being inactive


• Diabetes


• Genetics and family history


• Age/Wear and Tear

What you can do to fight back:

• Eat Right


• See the Doctor often for physicals, blood tests, and blood pressure screenings.


• Go to the Dentist-bacteria on your teeth can get into the bloodstream. (Make sure to go every 6-12 months)


• Get Active-Get Moving


• Reduce Stress


• Drink More Water


• Cut Back on Sugar


• Learn Portion Size


• Fill Your Plate with Fresh Fruits and Vegetables


• Reduce Sodium-Mostly found in processed foods


• Laugh More.

We’ve always heard laughing is the best medicine. Laughing relaxes and expands blood vessels to protect the heart. It boosts our endorphins and our immune system. So, maybe laughter is the best medicine! Here’s to healthy hearts and making better choices for ourselves and our families in 2014.

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Cinnamon Vanilla Coconut Macaroons- No Bake!!

Valentine’s Day is only 2 days away. Want to make something special and delicious for your honey this year? These Cinnamon Vanilla Coconut Macaroons are the perfect treat for that special someone this Valentine’s! They’re perfect for the kiddies too and they’re no bake so they can even help you in the kitchen! Low on glyecemic levels they’re the perfect guilt free dessert. Super easy to make, just pop them in the freezer to let them harden and they’re ready to go!!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups unsweetened coconut


• 1/2 cup raw cacao powder


• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract- no alcohol


• pinch Himalayan sea salt


• 1/2 cup local honey

Directions:

Mix everything into a bowl, until it forms a dough like consistency. On a cookie sheet, lay down parchment paper. Spoon macaroon size dollops on the pan. Top with a sprinkle of unsweetened coconut. Store in freezer for 1- 1 1/2 hours. Pull from freezer and serve!

Enjoy! Happy early Valentine’s Day!!

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Put a Spin on Breakfast! Grab My Loaded Sweet Potato Recipe!

I’m not a breakfast person, at all! My husband thinks I’m crazy and I can guarantee once a week I’ll be asked “how do you not like breakfast foods?” Don’t get me wrong I do like breakfast and I eat it everyday. It’s the most important meal of the day, it sets your glycemic levels, the amount of food you intake, and even helps control your cravings for the day.

But you can keep your bagels, waffles, french toast, omelettes, and cereal. The mornings are when I crave my heavier and more savory foods! I want something to fill me up so I’m not running to the refrigerator an hour later which seems to be the case when I eat a waffle or granola in the morning. So I stick to my hard-boiled eggs, steel-cut oatmeal with all its goodies on top, smoked salmon, my quinoa harvest bowls, green juice or protein smoothies, or my loaded sweet potato recipe! Who says you can’t have something heavy and savory for breakfast that you would normally eat for dinner? It will definitely keep you from running to the vending machine or a quick trip to Starbucks for all those empty calories and artificial sweeteners! It’s loaded with protein, fiber, antioxidants, and natural sugars. (Just make sure to get pure maple syrup to avoid artificial sweeteners and chemicals.) Change up the recipe to make it your own or add some of your favorite things. It’s guaranteed to become a staple in your diet!

Ingredients :

• 1 medium organic sweet potato


• 1/4 cup walnuts


• 1/4 cup pecans or hazelnuts


• 2 tablespoons hemp seeds


• 1/4 teaspoon nutmeg


• 1/4 teaspoon pure maple syrup


• pinch of Fleur de Sel sea salt

Bake sweet potato at 350 degrees F for about 20 minutes or until soft. Slice potato down the middle add walnuts, pecans, and hemp seeds. Top with nutmeg, sea salt, and syrup.

Love this recipe? Grab a copy of my fall/winter cookbook with over 25 recipes just like this one!

Related Articles:

• Flat Belly Breakfasts- http://ift.tt/16q1NyR


• Healthy Breakfast Recipes and Cooking Tips- www.eatingwell.com

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Pomegranate Chocolate Smoothie

Happy New Year! Still looking to tame that chocolate fix? How about one that won’t leave you feeling guilty just in time for the New Year and all your resolutions. Add this to your menu for the year for guilt-free dessert and energy pick me up with a chocolate twist. Packed with fiber, protein, and antioxidants. This one is perfect for the whole family, just remember chocolate does have caffeine. I’ve learned the hard way at 10 pm making these and still being wide awake at 3 am because I’m wired. Happy New Year everyone! Here’s to a year of health, wellness, and happiness!!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups pomegranate seeds or 1 cup of juice


• 1 1/2 cups almond milk


• 1/4 cup cacao powder


• 1-1.5 bananas


• 1 tbs cacao nibs

Add all ingredients to an immersion blender and blend well. Add a little ice to make it cold! Enjoy!

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