Flu Buster Tonic for those in need

Hi Everyone,

I have let some time go between writing (again!), but here I am back in action. I was speaking with a friend who has been struggling with a persistent cold/flu the last couple of weeks which made me think of the "Flu Buster Tonic" from Renee Loux's the Balanced Plate book. I may have posted the recipe for this last year, but I want to do it tonight for those who did n't see it and just in case I didn't!

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

1-2 cloves garlic (if you dare)

1/4 cup shredded ginger

2 teaspoons wasabi powder ( I never have this so I skip this ingredient)

1-4 tablespoons raw honey

In blender, combine the vinegar, garlic and ginger and blend until smooth. Pour through a fine strainer and press with the back of a spoon to extract as much juice as possible. Discard pulp.

Whisk in the wasabi, cayenne, and honey. Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator. Serve 2 tablespoons at a time on an empty stomach. Add to 1 cup hot water for a warming tonic.

I usually omit the wasabi and squeeze fresh lemon juice into this tonic as well. I also just put all the ingredients in the blender except the lemon juice (squeeze that in at the end). It really does work wonders if you feel like you are getting sick or if you are sick, it speeds up the process.

The Balanced Plate cookbook is an amazing resource of healthy and delicious recipes, healing tonics, macrobiotic guidelines, healthy cleaning product recommendations and much more!

Good night!

Lysa

Holiday Detox/New Year Cleanse!

Hi Out There!

Happy New Year to you! I did a decent job this year of not eating too many holiday sweets but certainly indulged more than I had planned. Also found myself having a glass of wine or so each night over the 10 days that I spend with family during the holidays.

So for me that means that by the end of it I wasn't feeling like myself. Sluggish, and puffy, not good! That prompted me to think about what I wanted to feel in the New Year. Here's what came to mind: energized, strong and clear! So, I am on my third day of no alcohol or sugar and feeling like I am returning back to my spunky self again.

I invite you to do a 3, 7 or 21 day cleanse with me. Give your body a break for a bit.

Start with these simple steps:

1. Drink at least 6 to 8 glasses of water a day.

2. Get 1/2 hour extra of sleep per night (it's winter, you need it)

3. Move your body as often as you can: take the stairs instead of the elevator, park further away from wherever you are going to get the extra walk. Go to the gym, dance at home, take a zumba class (which I did today for the first time, very fun and sweaty). You get the point.

4. Try eating 1/4 protein, 1/4 starch and 1/2 veggie on your plate.

5. Avoid alcohol and sugar this week or couple of weeks.

6.Make the effort to spend some time reading, writing, meditating.

Feel free to write in, would love to start a healthy New Year's trend!

Cheers to your healthiest self!

Lysa

Back Again

Hi Everyone,

Well, it was May 26th the last I wrote and I am not happy about that. I love keeping this blog and although I can't commit to writing daily, I would like to commit to writing weekly. So from now on, expect a weekly update. I have been super busy ( my guess is you all have been busy too). This week I finally followed through with doing some form of exercise almost everyday. It has felt excellent to make the time to do it and feel the energy that I get when I do it. For this reason, I thought it would be fun to go over some good guidelines for people that are trying to transform their bodies with exercise and a new food plan. These ideas are taken from "O's Guide to Life". If you read my blog regularly, you know I really love "O" magazine. The article is called "Twelve Weeks to a Better Body: the Plan".
1. The food" main rule: eliminate the white stuff. Stop eating 3 hours before bed. I would add that as important as it is to eliminate the white stuff, it's more important to add the green stuff!

2. Exercise: Six days a week, you do 20 minutes of resistance training using dumbbells. Five days a week you do cardio workouts, starting at 30 minutes. On the 6th day, double the time to an hour. You need to change it up. It can't be comfortable (sorry to say this because I am all about comfort). So run and then walk. Run faster and then walk on an incline. Keep changing it. You should not be able to talk comfortably when you are working out.

You need to make a contract with yourself that you will commit to this for at least 12 weeks to really see changes in your body. To add to that, you need to get enough sleep and enough water. Eat well, drink well, sleep well and exercise, and remember to get and give lots of love!

Goodnight! Lysa I.

Inspired!

Hi Everyone,

It's a beautiful, very warm May day out today. I am feeling inspired after going to a fantastic spin class this morning and getting a great book that I ordered called "The Diet Cure" by Julia Ross. She has some great insights she shares in this book and some wonderful recipes too.

Here are some of her suggestions on how to "undiet":

1. Do not skip meals.

2. Eat at least 25% of the day's calories at breakfast.

3. Do not undereat.

4. Start your meals with plenty of protein. (She recommends twenty grams or more).

5. Eat unlimited amounts of green veggies with your protein. Eat some red and yellow ones too. (My favorite suggestion).

6. For snacking, eat fruit and vegetables with proteins ( for example, nuts, seeds, or cheese), not sweets or starches (like bagels or pretzels).

7. Be sure to include some good fats in each meal.

8. Stop counting calories and fat grams.

Here's a yummy recipe for a frittata from the Diet Cure book:

Egg and Vegetable Frittata:

1/4 red onion, chopped

1 cup kale or 1/2 cup other vegetables, chopped

2 tsp butter

3 whole eggs, well beaten

2 tbsp crumbled sheep milk feta

Saute onions and veggies in the butter in a small ovenproof skillet. Add the eggs and the cheese and cook without stirring, tilting the skillet while lifting the edge of the cooked egg with a spatula, allowing uncooked egg to flow underneath. When no more uncooked egg will flow, put under a broiler and broil until top begins to brown, 1-2 minutes.

Closing thought for the day:

Find one thing to inspire you today!

Lysa

http://www.thedailygreen.com/healthy-eating/eat-safe/Save-on-Sustainable-Gallery-44032808

This is the site!

The skinny on veggie and fruit safety!

Hi Everyone,

I want to share some good info I looked up tonight online. There is a site ( I will post in a moment) that tells what the most heavily sprayed fruits and veggies are and which are the least sprayed or absorb the pesticides the least.

Here are the worst, they are called the Dirty Dozen:

celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, kale, cherries, potatoes, grapes (imported). These you should only buy organic.

Here are veggies and fruit that are okay to buy non-organic:

onion, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, mango, asparagus, sweet pea, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, papaya, watermelon, broccoli, tomato (try to get local), sweet potato.

Try to keep this list with you when you shop so you know which to avoid and which to go for.

Goodnight,

Lysa

Hi Everyone,

I have been thinking a lot about eating locally lately. I realized that this is an area of healthy eating that I haven't brought up yet on my blog. So, I would like to encourage you all to buy your food locally as much as possible. Why? Because it is better for you. Think about it, the nutrients in food that was picked yesterday and eaten today is going to be higher than the food picked a week or two ago and eaten today. Other reasons? Think about the fuel being used to transport the food, the fumes that are going into the air from the truck that is transporting, and I am sure there are a lot of other environmental factors that come into play. Most importantly, the best reason to eat locally? It tastes better!!! Support your local farmers and visit your farmer's market. It's a feast for your eyes and your tummy. Also, if you don't have a veggie garden (yet), try growing some tomatoes in a pot. Also, grow some herbs, they are wonderful to cook with and it's a lot cheaper to grow your own rather than buying them fresh every time you need them.

I would like to share a site with you that lists the most eco-best fish & the worst. It also lists which are the best regarding containing the least amount of mercury/PCB's. The site is EDF.org/seafood ( Environmental Defense Fund). It's a really great site and you can print their "seafood selector" chart that you can take with you to the market.

Halibut, which is among my favorite got the thumbs up for health wise and eco-best wise ( from the pacific). Here is a recipe for halibut from the Whole Foods newsletter:

Halibut Tacos with Creamy Corn and Tomato Slaw:

3/4lb boneless, halibut fillet

2 tsp olive oil

1/4 tsp each salt and pepper or to taste

4 cups shredded cabbage

3/ cup chopped tomatoes

2 tbsp veganaise

2 tbsp lime juice

2 ears of corn kernels removed or 1 cup frozen corn

tortillas

1/3 cup salsa

Brush halibut all over with oil, season with salt & pepper. Cook in a large skillet or on grill over medium heat. Flip once until golden brown and cooked through, about 10 minutes. In a large bowl, toss together cabbage, tomatoes, mayonnaise, lime juice, and corn to make a slaw. Remove and discard skin from halibut and flake into bite-size pieces. Fill tortillas with slaw and fish. Serve with salsa. Enjoy! Let me know if you try them and how you like them.

Okay, we are finally at the end of Dr. Phil's 10 step renewal plan:

#10 What is one thing you can do for yourself everyday? It could be as simple as finding 2o minutes to take a bath. Everyday is a new opportunity to pay attention to your own needs and make choices you feel good about. This decade, claim the right to minister to yourself.

I love that one too. I think his last two are my favorites!

Goodnight,

Lysa

Take time for rest and relaxation

Hi Everyone,

Tonight my message is to take time to rest and relax your mind & body. Allow yourself to get into bed early and read a book or just snuggle with your lovie. This is a busy season, especially for parents with all the sports & school activities. Making time for recharging is essential! Here are some ways to recharge yourself, I encourage you to pick one:

walk your dog or yourself

read a great book (yes, it has to be great to make it worth it)

take a bath

stretch

breathe

unplug your phone, turn your computer off, turn your iphone off

get a massage

drink some herbal tea

go to sleep an hour earlier than usual

get out in nature. Lie down on your lawn or at a park & look up at the trees.

Okay, here's Dr. Phil's 9th step on his renewal plan and it's a powerful one:

#9 Who is standing in your way? The answer may be you. Reject self-loathing and treat yourself with the kindness and respect you would show your best friend. ( I think that may be my personal favorite).

Here's a yummy turkey burger recipe:

Noel's Tasty Turkey Burger:

1 package of Plainville natural turkey

1/2 red onion chopped

1 tsp cumin

1 tbsp tamari

1 handful of chopped parsley

slices of cheese of your liking

slices of avocado

In a large bowl, mix the turkey meat, onion, cumin, tamari, & parsley together.

You can either place them on a grill or cook them on the stove top in a skillet. If on grill, should take about 10-12 minutes. On stove top will take longer, cook on one side for about 8 minutes and then turn over and cook another 8 minutes.

Coming out of my body's natural cleanse

Hi Everyone,

I am sorry I haven't written for a few days. My body decided to its own little cleanse over the weekend. Another name for that would be "the stomach bug". A mild one luckily, but nonetheless uncomfortable and a bummer that it fell on Mother's day weekend. I am already feeling so much better. Tomorrow I will exercise for the first time in a few days. I can't wait because one of my Mother's day presents was a pair of bike shoes that have clips for my spinning class! Can't wait to try them out!!!!

Here's a quick, fun, easy & tasty bite:

Artichoke, cannellini,lemon dip:

1 jar of artichoke hearts in water ( if you can only find them in oil, that's okay too)

1 can of cannellini beans (Eden is a good company to get)

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tbsp of oil

sea salt

pepper
can also add a handful of chopped parsley

2 tbsp water

Put all the ingredients in blender and press puree. You will have to stop and mix it a few times. When done it will have a hummus like consistency. It is super flavorful. Good for dipping in or inside a wrap or even sandwich.

Dr. Phil's 8th step on his Life Renewal Plan:

What are your goals? Define specific goals with measurable outcomes and assign yourself a timeline. Passion and willpower alone won't cut it- you need a strategy.

Okay, what about exercise? Have you done any lately? Remember that eating well & exercising are like a happily married couple. They compliment eachother. Even it's a brisk walk, some stretching, weight lifting, dancing in your house. Do something to move your beautiful body.

And..... while you are moving your body, remember to thank it for all it does everyday. I was realizing this weekend when my body wanted to do NOTHING, how incredibly lucky I am that my body does SO MUCH every single day. We need to remember to thank our bodies for what they do and be grateful for them.

On that note, it's time for me to say goodnight.

Goodnight!

Lysa

Hi Everyone,

Today is day 21 of 21! Can you believe it? The only thing is that I am going till day 24 now since I let myself go off the cleanse 3 times. That's okay, I am not even wanting any sugar or alcohol anyway.

So tonight I lead a "Spring Cleanse & Renewal" class. It was a small class but I feel good about it. I learned a lot prepping for it and hope that the people that took it went home with some good info. One of things that came up and I think I have shared this before is to just do the best you can do with the cleanse. So if you think you can give up sugar for 2 weeks, try it. If you think you can do it for 1 week, try it. Just commit to making a change in your diet. Even if you do it for a few days, it will have its benefits. Something my spin teacher says " you can do anything you want to do". I believe that. If we set on our minds to something, we can accomplish it if we stay focused and patient. It might take a while, but if we keep trying we can do it. I used to have a real issue with sugar ( needed it everyday for many years) and now I don't. It took me a long time to get here, but it feels good. It's empowering. Empower yourself by breaking free of whatever holds you back in life. Sugar, alcohol, caffeine, negative thinking, lack of exercise, too much television, etc.

That's all for now,

Lysa

Hi Out There,

Day #13 of 21 on my spring liver cleanse. Feeling good today. I want to share that after I slipped last eve with some homemade ice cream sweetened with maple syrup, I was starving at 11pm and needed a snack. I was amazed because even though I had all those extra calories from the heavy cream and milk, my sugar must have peeked with the maple syrup and then dipped to make me hungry. I am sharing this because I haven't been hungry at night at all since I've been doing this cleanse and last night I was famished only 3 hours after eating this dessert. The theory that sugar makes you eat more is true (at least for my body).

Okay, I promised you some more cleansing foods. I figured it might be helpful to have a recipe for practicality. This is taken from Linda Page's "Cooking for Healthy Healing".

Evergreen Salad: this is good for skin, hair & eyes, digestive disorders, & liver power.

Good for 2 salads.

Mix 2 cups chopped mixed ( romaine, endive, chicory, spinach) 1 handful of each: watercress, parsley, and chives minced, and 2 cups green onions, minced.

Dressing: mix together juice of 1/2 lemon, 1 TB Dijon mustard, 1 TB sesame seeds, and 1 TB toasted sesame oil. Pour over salad.

Here's something to think about (taken from O magazine, from Dr. Phil):

Does the way you spend your time reflect what's important to you? Make a list of your top five priorities- marriage, children, work, volunteer work, etc. and track how many hours you devote to each in a week. If any numbers are too low, recalculate your time budget so you can live according to who you want to be.

Bye for now,

Lysa

Hi Everyone,

Today is day #11 of 21 on my spring liver cleanse. So just to recap, here's what I have been doing:

1.Staying away from all sugar & alcohol ( am having some fruit).

2.Adding more greens to my daily food.

3.Doing a liver flush every morning. Juice of one lemon, preferably organic, 1 tsp olive oil, pinch of cayenne pepper. I have it first thing when I go downstairs before any water or food.

4.Taking an herbal liver support supplement that contains, milk thistle, tumeric rhizome, Ch. Skullcap root & licorice root (if you have high blood pressure you should not take licorice).

5.Doing my best to redirect & deconstruct negative thinking with helpful, useful thinking.

6. Watching and being aware of the irritability that comes up and trying to let it go.

Yesterday I was inspired to make a soup with some leeks, potatoes, carrots, & asparagus. It came out really delicious so I would like to share it with you.

Spring Medley Soup:

1 tablespoon butter

3 leeks chopped

3 potatoes

3 carrots

3 cloves of garlic

1 bunch of asparagus chopped with end removed

Fresh herbs of your choice ( I had on hand cilantro, basil & rosemary)

shitake mushrooms washed & sliced

4 cups of water or stock

lemon

In a soup pot heat the butter and add leeks. Let cook for a few moment and then add potatoes. Let potatoes cook and then add carrots & garlic. Stir to make sure the contents don't get stuck to bottom of pot. After about 5 minutes add stock or water. Add salt & pepper. Let potatoes get soft and then add fresh herbs. While this is simmering, in another pan heat some butter and add the shitake mushrooms. Let get brown and then remove and add to soup. Add the asparagus to the soup pot. When asparagus is bright green, turn off soup and serve. If you like the zesty flavor of lemon, add a squeeze of fresh lemon to each bowl.

If you try this recipes, please let me know if you like it!

Wow, I am already at the end of day 9 out of 21 on this spring liver cleanse. I have to say it is flying by. If you are considering joining me, this would be the perfect time to come along for the detox ride! I must admit that I was nervous about drinking the liver flush tonic(see my previous post from two days ago) first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. I now look forward to it. It really gives me a boost, it's very invigorating.

Here's my inspiration for the day. I just listened to a fantastic live tele-seminar with Connie Bennett Certified Holistic Counselor who has written a book called "Sugar Shock". She was a sugar addict for many years and kicked her habit 12 years ago. She helps people with their sugar issues and lectures all over the world. Her tele-seminar was super informative. Here's what I got out of it. Her approach is to "find sweetness in your life in different ways". So instead of just focusing on substituting healthier foods for the sugary foods, she also focuses on healthier activities. Connie's take on the sugar issue is that we focus too much on needing sweet in the form of food. We can get sweets from all the wonderful things in our life; our children, our spouse, our dog, our garden, exercising, etc.

I leave you with this question:

Where do you find sweetness in your life?

What could you do to create more sweetness in your life?

I almost forgot, remember how I mentioned getting enough sleep yesterday? One of the things she talked about was getting enough sleep. She interviewed a doctor named, Dr. Teitlebaum, and he stated that people who get less than 7-8 hours of sleep per night often carry 5-6 more pounds of weight on them then they need to. There's a good reason to go to sleep earlier! On that note, I will write again tomorrow with some more good stuff.

Sweet dreams,

Lysa

Hi Again,

Day #8 of spring liver cleanse. Today went well for the most part. I have to say I hit a wall at about 8:30pm tonight, but I don't think that had anything to do with the cleanse. I stayed up too late last night, was woken up too early by my 3 year old son & then had a nonstop action day & early eve.

Okay, I will keep it short as it is once again past my bedtime. In case you're wondering, my current ideal bedtime is 10:30pm. I read in my new favorite book "How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy" by Paul Chek, that we should go to sleep by 10:30. He writes that our bodies work on physical repair from 10pm-2am and then mental repair from 2 until sunrise. I have been trying for the last two months to do this but it is sometimes mission impossible. I do want to say that my burning the midnight oil hours have decreased quite a bit (I am almost never up until midnight anymore). This brings me to my next suggestions for eliminating negative thinking by Martha Beck.

Here we go :

Suggestion #3

"NEVER QUIT: always substitute. Bad habits fill needs, so find good alternatives to them. But remember, push-ups can't substitute for pancakes unless you love push-ups. Companionship, laughter, play-these things can sub for pancakes most of the time. And that's enough.

#4 Instead of planning to be perfect, plan to do a little better. Win 51 percent of the battles and you'll win the war".

That's what I have for today. Just a little recap of what I have been for my cleanse:

1. liver flush with 1 juice of a lemon, 1 tsp olive oil & pinch of cayenne first thing in the morning.

2. avoiding sugar & alcohol.

3. adding as many greens as I can to my meals.

4. trying to implement the "how to fix the broken record in your head" suggestions.

By the way, if you choose to join me on a liver cleanse you don't need to do it for 21 days. It is a great amount of time, but a week is super too. Any cleaning you for your body goes a long way. Just a thought....

Sweet dreams,

Lysa I.

Hi,

I am already at the end of day #7 of my spring liver cleanse and feel really good. I want to share with you some detoxifying thoughts tonight. This is from the January, 2010 issue of "O" magazine. It's written by Martha Beck who is a contributing editor of "O" and I believe a life coach as well.

The article is "How to Fix the Broken Record in Your Head". Here are the first two tips Martha Beck suggests for negative thinking. For the last two, you will have to read again tomorrow.

"1. Recognize your negative voice as a 2-year old tantrum. Trying to reason with it only increases the hysteria. Instead, take your inner 2-year old to a quiet place and let it throw its fit. Write down all the cruel judgements until they fade to a grumble.

2. Accept that some of your self- criticism may be true, but never let failure end the story. Instead of saying no to the negative voice, say, "yes, and ...for example, last year I jogged as only as far as that new kielbasa stand and I also managed to stop a few binges by reading trashy novels instead."