The Blu Premiere: NYC
Sharks were splashing down Broadway last week, and I don't mean the normal financial executives from Wall Street. It was actual sharks. TheBlu.com launched last week in New York City, and the sky-high screens of Times Square lit up with blue water, larger-than-life fish, and sharks swimming past building windows. The Blu is a remarkable virtual program where you can create your own ocean - and it's incredibly soothing to watch. Watching the free starter version is akin to an afternoon at the shore - without the seagulls or beach trash. (Sorry Snookie) To kick off the launch, creators Neville Spiteri (fiancé of delicious friend and Mink vegan shoe designer Rebecca Mink) and Scott Yara presented the second-life-ish online program on the screens above Times Square - The results of their years of work is amazing. Spend a few bucks to buy a fish or shark to inhabit your underwater virtual world, and the money goes to ocean conservation projects and non-profits - so … [Read More...]
Join me and Jamie Oliver: Food Revolution May 18th!
Parents are annoyed and kids are whining. The Ice Cream Guys are waiting for us, like every weekday, at the exit from school. Some parents buy the ice cream for their kids on a regular basis, no questions asked. Other kids get it after whining and wearing down their parents into submission. My kid has never had one – I bring fresh fruit or a cold coconut water drink because I know he’ll be hungry. I have a plan to inspire the families to say no to the ice cream guys and yes to real, healthy food. Will You Donate $1-$5? Help me give the kids of PS 295 a free organic fruit snack after school for our Cardio Carnival on Friday, May 18th, in honor of Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Day. I see the challenges parents and schools with healthy intentions. Our “food environment” is plagued with commercials aimed at kids to support the idea that junk food is cool. Most school budgets allows for $.97 a day per kid … [Read More...]
Heal Your Gut With Easy Turnip-Leek Soup
Tweet this recipe! I've said it before and I'll say it again - Your gut is the base of your health. When your digestion works well, the rest of your health will be well too. This simple soup recipe combines sweet turnips, potatoes, leafy greens and garlic for a powerful digestive aid. (If you're having trouble with your tummy, enter to win a Go Stool! on my blog here by April 30th!) And it's a perfect dinner on a chilly spring evening. (I served mine with hot polenta and chickpeas tossed in olive oil, garlic and rosemary.) Turnips aid the digestion, dissolve mucus, and are good for general detoxification. They're also high in anti-carcinogenic glucosinolates. Potatoes nurture stomach functions and help cool inflammation, except arthritic conditions. Leeks support the movement of energy, or chi, throughout the body and are an excellent source of lutein, which protects your eye and cardiovascular health. Chard treats the large intestines, stomach and … [Read More...]
Top 3 Tips To Go #2 (Win a Go Stool!)
If you deal with constipation, you're not alone. Most of my clients have trouble in the bathroom, and smooth elimination is just a dream. This can be caused by stress, diet and ...how you sit in the bathroom. The human body is built to squat, and our modern bathrooms (and creaky knees like mine) don't allow us to get into the natural squat spot that makes elimination easy. My top 3 tips for making your movements easy: 1. Stay hydrated! Yes, you need lots of water on a daily basis to make your bowels work properly. Drink 1 big 16-oz. glass in the morning when you wake up to get things going. (You'll need less caffeine to feel awake, too - bonus!) 2. Add flaxseeds seeds in the morning: Grind 1 tablespoon of flax seeds in a spice grinder (AKA coffee grinder) and swirl into 8-oz of water or juice. Drink this before breakfast, or add it to your morning smoothie or mix into your oatmeal. The flax seeds are a gentle fiber that also provide excellent Omega-3's. *BONUS: … [Read More...]
Fruit Kabobs
This week I taught over 20 preschoolers how to make a yummy, healthy, high-fiber snack, fruit kabobs. But this recipe is great for adults too - the high-fiber fruit and seeds are easy to incorporate for great digestion. This hands on class offered the kids lots of different techniques that they enjoyed. Measuring, mixing, skewering, dipping and rolling! And they loved the food, too! Fruit Kabobs rolled in Trail Mix Cut 2 bananas into 4 pieces each, wash 8 strawberries, dry and de-stem. Set aside. 4 tablespoons sesame seeds (fill up 1/4 measuring cup) 4 tablespoons pumpkin seeds (fills up 1/4 measuring cup) 4 tablespoons raisins (fills up 1/4 measuring cup) 8 tablespoons unsweetened shredded coconut (fills up 1/2 measuring cup) Measure and mix all together in a bowl. Skewer pieces of banana and washed strawberries on toothpicks or popsicle sticks. Dip fruit skewers gently in a bowl filled with dairy-free yogurt and roll in the trail mix. … [Read More...]
Cornbread Waffles
I love cornbread, I love waffles, I love coconut, and I love pineapple. Why not have everything I love in one magical brunch plate? These cornbread waffles were inspired by Isa Chandra Moskowitz's book Vegan Brunch, and I've added my own twists for a healthy, delicious taste sensation. I made up the pineapple coconut sauce on the fly and it turned out pretty spectacular, if I do say so... Cornbread Waffles 2 cups almond milk or other non-dairy milk 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar 1 1/2 cups cornmeal 1 cup unbleached white flour 1/4 cup ground flaxseeds 1 tablespoon baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/4 cup maple syrup 1/4 cup sunflower seed oil Pineapple Sauce Ingredients: 1 can unsweetened coconut milk 1 can pineapple chunks, juice reserved 1 tablespoon agave or maple syrup Directions: Preheat your waffle iron. Measure the milk into a large measuring cup and add the vinegar to it. Set mixture aside to curdle. In a large mixing … [Read More...]
Why Girlfriends = Health
It’s been said that “one of the best things a man could do for his health is to be married to a woman, whereas for a woman, one of the best things she could do for her health was to nurture her relationships with her girlfriends.” Women’s need for connection with other women is built in to our DNA – it’s part of our biological makeup. Expert Louann Brizendine wrote about how women find biological comfort in one another’s company in her book “The Female Brain.” Our brains just work differently than men’s, and there’s nothing wrong with that. We get energized by our own “happy” hormones when we respond to stress with nurturing, fun activities and the creation and maintenance of protective social networks. (That’s why women are the most active users on Facebook and Twitter!) That means we actually feel better and become healthier when we connect with supportive girlfriends. Quality “girl time" physically and mentally helps us create more … [Read More...]
5 Minute “Flat-Belly Lunch” Recipe
If you're like me, lunch can be an after-thought... Oh! It's 1 o'clock, I'm hungry, and I need to keep my energy up to tackle my to-do list! Most of my clients and Reboot & Refresh members are super busy, mostly moms with a ton on their plates, and they want healthy recipes that give them energy while being easy and delicious. That's my speciality! I've created the perfect lunch that's filled with foods for energy, takes 5 minutes to make, and helps keep my tummy in a happy state (read: no gluten bloating, protein rich, and filled with gut-supportive greens): Collard Wrap "Sandwich" Ingredients: 2 big collard leaves 1/2 cup hummus 1/2 avocado, sliced 2 tablespoons olive paste (or chopped kalamata olives) 2 tablespoons raw sauerkraut 2 teaspoons hemp seed oil Directions: Wash and dry the collard leaves. Remove the thick stem sticking out below the leaf. With the shiny, "front side" of the leaf facing up, spread half the hummus on the … [Read More...]
How To FEEL Like You Got More Sleep: Exclusive Video
Do you feel like you need 2 hours more sleep than you're getting? If you’re tired and not rested your mind isn’t sharp, your temper is short, and your food cravings are harder to resist. There are ways you can feel like you got 2 more hours of sleep, even if you don't call in sick to work. No, I didn't figure out how to fold space and time, I just have some really handy tricks that I've used personally, and offered to my clients who tell me that they're really experiencing better, more restful sleep. Tip #1: Stretch and Relax Do 5-10 minutes of relaxing yoga before hitting the sheets. Your body will release tension that may be keeping you up at night, your breathing will fall into a more relaxing pattern, and your mind will quiet down. *Don't know what yoga moves to try? Watch this exclusive video I created to help move you to lullaby land. This is also a great routine to try if you have insomnia in the middle of the night: Tip #2: Shut OFF The … [Read More...]
Healthy Chocolate for a Hedonistic Valentine’s Day
Congrats to Carley Lang who won the gorgeous Gnosis Chocolates! If you didn't win, don't worry - there are more great contests coming up ~ keep coming back! I might have mentioned this once or twice...I LOVE chocolate. (Can't wait to show you the chocolate making class I attended in the Costa Rican rain forest last month ~ video coming!) And one of my FAVORITE chocolate brands is from right here in NYC. Gnosis (which means knowledge of intuition, experience, and heart) Chocolate is made from the best quality, organic, raw , ethically sourced cacao available. With Valentine’s Day just around the corner, here’s great news: Gnosis Chocolate’s organic, Passion Collection is here… brimming with chocolate’s love-enhancing ingredients and crowned with aphrodisiacs from around the world! And it’s all created 100% by hand in Gnosis’s kitchen - folded into raw vegan chocolate that’s free of soy, dairy, cholesterol, and refined sugar. You already know … [Read More...]
