Ch-Ch-Changes!

Photo courtesy of thecaregiverspace.org

Ahhh, puberty. Remember it? As if learning to wear deodorant and operating a water pick to clean between our braces wasn’t hard enough, we also had to navigate hairy armpits and menstrual cycles as a girl, or a squeaky voice and vivid dreams as a boy. One thing is for sure, we were all painfully awkward for a relatively short period of time for a very good reason. That confusing experience literally made us the men and women we are today… and the same is true about all worthwhile changes.

So when we want to stop exercising and eating well because…
It’s hard
I don’t have the time
It’s boring

or when we want to give up on obtaining our dream job because…
The path is too hard
I’m not good enough
I don’t have enough money

or when we keep putting off being in a loving relationship because…
I don’t deserve it
I need to be thin first
All the good ones are taken

Just remember puberty. Remember how painfully awkward it was… then smile, laugh. Because all worthwhile changes are awkward at first, but then you get through it, and the universe on the other side is better than you could have ever imagined.

Your Weight is Not Your Worth

You are not your weight.

You are not a clothing size.

You are not a body shaped like fruit.

You are not a fad diet or exercise regime.

You are not the negative noise in your head.

You are not your circumstances.

You are not your career.

You are not your hobby.

You are not your checking account, savings account or money market fund.

You are not your home, your car, your smart phone or your diamond ring.

You are not, and never will be, what someone else says you are.

 

You are your compassion.

You are your graciousness.

You are your unique soul.

You have always been, are, and will forever be the love you show to others and to yourself.

That Good, Good Feeling

Silly Things + People You Love (like my awesome niece!) = Dancing on Rainbows Happiness

Holidays are tough on those of us that have the self-proclaimed sweet tooth (or fat tooth, alcohol tooth… maybe they are more like sweet teeth… really, doesn’t matter). Cookies are tucked in every nook and cranny, wine flows like water and the full-o-meter of our stomachs takes a holiday too because we are either 1) so dang happy being surrounded by family and friends that we don’t realize what and how much we are consuming or 2) so dang stressed being around family and co-workers that we don’t realize what and how much we are consuming (FYI: if friends stress you out, choose new ones). Is there anything wrong or bad about eating a few pieces of fudge or enjoying a slice of pecan pie? No, there isn’t. You better believe I’m going to be cherishing every inch of my mom’s cream cheese shrimp dip. What is unproductive is when we eat ourselves sick or worse yet, eat ourselves into an ugly, self-loathing, guilt trip stupor because we fell off the “diet” wagon. For the love of all that is sane in this world, I strongly dislike the word “diet.” Live a life of nourishing food, activity and self-love. Screw the quick fixes and fad diets and embrace how you want and deserve to FEEL.

When you think about your body and your health, what do you want to feel? Write down every word that comes to mind–there are no wrong answers. Then, choose two or three feelings that really speak to you. For example, maybe you chose the words sexy, confident, strong, healthy and connected. Well, sexy comes from confidence and strong is a version of healthy, so maybe your main feelings are confident, healthy and connected. Choose one of those words and ask yourself, what is one thing I can do today to feel (insert feeling)? And do it. I don’t care if the first thing that pops in your mind is to dance around in your kitchen singing “Kiss” by Prince at the top of your lungs while wearing neon green slouch socks and a personalized puffy paint sweatshirt. Do it and do it with passion, self-permission and abandonment…. and invite me, because I’m awesome with puffy paint and have some killer dance moves.

Wishing all of you a beautiful Christmas!

Steph

Thanksgiving: Enhanced

(photo courtesy of http://www.health.com)

All good things in life need a little tune-up from time to time. Whether it is your car, upgrading software or buying new underwear, tune-ups  help things run more smoothly, look nice (who doesn’t like a new pair of tighty whities?) and save you time and money in the long run. The same is true for your body. When you make subtle little tweaks such as choosing nutrient-dense foods, your body will feel energetic, function efficiently and look foxy. So why not start adding simple twists to traditional Thanksgiving recipes that deliver taste and energy? Let’s just say Thanksgiving got a whole lot coco-nuttier.

 

Stuffing

Everyone uses different herbs in their stuffing, so stick to your base recipe and make these healthy swaps.

1. Sauté veggies (plenty of celery, carrots and onions) in coconut oil or ghee. Olive oil can’t take the high heat and margarine and vegetable oils contain trans fat.
2. Use Julian’s Bakery coconut bread for the bread cubes. This keeps stuffing low glycemic and high fiber.
3. Use organic low sodium free range chicken broth to keep salt intake down.

 

Gravy

1. Keep it low glycemic by swapping out all-purpose flour with coconut flour.
2. If you want to up the flavor, use chopped onions a la Elana’s Pantry to thicken the gravy without flour.

 

Mashed Potatoes

I love making mashed fauxtatoes with cauliflower—and so does my body. It is a great way to up your vegetable game while keeping your blood sugar levels (aka good energy) balanced.

1. Replace all (or half if you are afraid the texture won’t be the same) of the potatoes with steamed cauliflower, parsnips and/or turnips. (Note: 1 head of cauliflower makes about 4 cups of mashed fauxtatoes).
2. Use ghee, unsweetened almond milk, sea salt and roasted garlic for a flavor kick.

 

Candied Yams/ Sweet Potato Latkes

I’ll be honest; I am not a fan of candied yams, but if Thanksgiving isn’t the same without them, then here are my thoughts below. However, I also wanted to add an alternative recipe that is yummy and fits anyone who is celebrating Thanksgiving and Hanukkah since they share the same wonderful day this year. Hence the Sweet Potato Latkes recipe below.

For the Candied Yams

1. Use real sweet potatoes or yams or unsweetened canned version.
2. Replace brown sugar with a lower glycemic coconut palm sugar.
3. Skip the marshmallows and top with toasted hazelnuts and/or pecans.

For the Sweet Potato Latkes

1. Mix 2 large grated sweet potatoes, 2 eggs, 1 small minced onion,  sea salt and pepper to taste and any other spice you like (cinnamon, garlic, cumin, etc.) in a large mixing bowl.
2. Melt coconut oil on skillet or griddle, form “cakes” with latke mix and cook for 5 minutes on each side. Makes 10-12 latkes.

 

Pumpkin Pie

Ahhh—one of my favorite pies! The ultimate upgrade is to forget the pie crust (we all know the filling is the best part!) and serve in individual ramekins. Not only is it delicious and looks fancy, but it is also instant portion control on deserts.

1. Replace sugar with coconut palm sugar for a lower glycemic option.
2. Use real roasted pumpkin or unsweetened canned pumpkin.
3. Unsweetened almond milk is also a great switch if your recipe calls for milk.
4. Top it with toasted pecans.

 

Round out your meal with turkey (the “not deep fried” variety of course), roasted Brussels sprouts and sautéed green beans with shallots.

 

It can be scary to stray from tradition, but it can also be a healthy and rewarding act of gratitude for your family to start a new tradition. Nothing says good lovin’ like caring about what you feed your family and friends. Plus, they won’t even notice the difference. Yeah, I’m sneaky like that…

 

Happy Thanksgiving! I am so grateful to be surrounded by amazing and inspiring individuals (that’s you!) and a career that I love. Thank you for your support!