Sick in summer? Introducing the Self Care Menu

July 27, 2009 By 4 Comments

I have a confession to make – I have a cold. What I thought were bizarre seasonal allergies turned out to be a cold! How can a Certified Holistic Health Counselor have a cold?! In summer! I’ll tell you, it has more to do with stress than anything else. 

As you know, I’ve been burning the candle at both ends. Writing furiously with my book deadline looming, riding my bike with my 2.5 year old son on the back to the Co-op to buy high-quality, low-price organic food, cooking fresh food daily, working with clients, re-organizing my business and NOT TAKING TIME FOR SELF-CARE have all added up to a summer cold.

Full-time women, those of us who are “on” 24/7 for work and/or family,  just don’t make ourselves a priority. We see the needs of others so easily, but put our own needs at the bottom of the list. Something I counsel my clients about regularly is how important it is to take care of yourself with pampering, stress-reduction techniques, natural body care and emotional soothing. 

So, this week, I am committed to ordering at least one item from my self-care menu every day to get myself and my energy back on track:

- yoga

- meditation

- sugar-scrub in the steam room at the Y

- meeting up for iced tea with friends in the park

- reading a magazine in my hammock

- going to bed early

- dancing to at least 1 song in my house every day

- saying NO to one time-commitment this week 

Choose a rewarding, healing activity every day this week – it can take 5 minutes to walk through the aisles of the library or 30 minutes to watch a funny episode of the Family Guy on www.hulu.com – and it’s free. Print out your own self-care menu and add a few additional ideas on there – crafting, gardening, reading, boxing, singing, writing poetry. Whatever works! 

Here’s to your health,

Alexandra

Filed Under: Natural Energy Tips, self care menu Tagged With:

I'm exhausted – what do I cook?

July 27, 2009 By 2 Comments

I just got this email from a young woman who read my book, The Great American Detox Diet: 

“Hi Alex, I love your book, and blogs, cant wait for your new book. I am a 31 year old new mom to a 5 month old. I am so busy all the time, and the times that I am not busy the last thing I want to do is cook! I am wondering if you have any ideas someway I can feed my family, as well as myself during the day, without much fuss. I am so exhausted all the time, help! - Kelly”

I get a lot of questions like this and thought this would be a good time to offer up my favorite cookbooks. 

For my busy  life a cookbook needs to be inspiring, easy to understand, the recipes MUST work, and there has to be an abundance of great, tasty, healthy recipes that my entire family will enjoy. Here are my top favorites:

Cooking the Whole Foods Way by Christina Pirello

The Great American Detox Diet by Alex Jamieson (I love my own recipes!)

The Vegan Lunch Box by Jennifer McCann

Feeding The Whole Family by Cynthia Lair

Eat, Taste, Heal all about Ayurveda and cooking for different body types, or doshas

and, my new book can be pre-ordered here for November:

Living Vegan for Dummies by Alexandra Jamieson (40 new recipes! And they’re yummy!)

Happy cooking!

Alexandra


Filed Under: Uncategorized

I’m exhausted – what do I cook?

July 27, 2009 By 2 Comments

I just got this email from a young woman who read my book, The Great American Detox Diet: 

“Hi Alex, I love your book, and blogs, cant wait for your new book. I am a 31 year old new mom to a 5 month old. I am so busy all the time, and the times that I am not busy the last thing I want to do is cook! I am wondering if you have any ideas someway I can feed my family, as well as myself during the day, without much fuss. I am so exhausted all the time, help! - Kelly”

I get a lot of questions like this and thought this would be a good time to offer up my favorite cookbooks. 

For my busy  life a cookbook needs to be inspiring, easy to understand, the recipes MUST work, and there has to be an abundance of great, tasty, healthy recipes that my entire family will enjoy. Here are my top favorites:

Cooking the Whole Foods Way by Christina Pirello

The Great American Detox Diet by Alex Jamieson (I love my own recipes!)

The Vegan Lunch Box by Jennifer McCann

Feeding The Whole Family by Cynthia Lair

Eat, Taste, Heal all about Ayurveda and cooking for different body types, or doshas

and, my new book can be pre-ordered here for November:

Living Vegan for Dummies by Alexandra Jamieson (40 new recipes! And they’re yummy!)

Happy cooking!

Alexandra


Filed Under: Uncategorized

Perfect Pooping Revisited: Win a book on how to "go" properly

July 27, 2009 By 11 Comments

My recent article on “proper pooping” was a big hit! There are so many people out there with chronic constipation, hemorrhoids, and pelvic floor problems. I just know that Oprah is going to do a show on this topic soon – she always catches on sooner or later! (I’ve been recommending Neti Pots for years, and when Oprah finally did a show on them even my local pharmacist started carrying them!) 

The owner of Nature’s Platform, those genius toilet designers who provide appendages for your existing home throne, has written a book on “the health benefits of the natural squatting position.” 

Win a copy of Nature Knows Best by Jonathan Isbit by commenting on this blog!

Here’s to your health, Alexandra

Filed Under: Hemorrhoid relief, Natural constipation cure, Oprah, Weight loss, Win Free Natural Health Care Products Tagged With: , , ,

Perfect Pooping Revisited: Win a book on how to “go” properly

July 27, 2009 By 11 Comments

My recent article on “proper pooping” was a big hit! There are so many people out there with chronic constipation, hemorrhoids, and pelvic floor problems. I just know that Oprah is going to do a show on this topic soon – she always catches on sooner or later! (I’ve been recommending Neti Pots for years, and when Oprah finally did a show on them even my local pharmacist started carrying them!) 

The owner of Nature’s Platform, those genius toilet designers who provide appendages for your existing home throne, has written a book on “the health benefits of the natural squatting position.” 

Win a copy of Nature Knows Best by Jonathan Isbit by commenting on this blog!

Here’s to your health, Alexandra

Filed Under: Hemorrhoid relief, Natural constipation cure, Oprah, Weight loss, Win Free Natural Health Care Products Tagged With: , , ,

Proper Pooping

July 20, 2009 By 6 Comments

Proper Pooping

“[Humans are] not meant to sit on a toilet, but to squat in a field.”

-Michael I. Freilich, MDsquatting

As the mother of a 2 ½ year old, and certified holistic health counselor, you can bet that I talk about poop a lot. Helping people to poop properly has become a major part of my life!

Daily, comfortable elimination is one of the “platforms” of overall health. I have worked with countless clients who were dealing with chronic constipation. Some people are constipated and they don’t even know it – they think it’s normal to “go” 2-3 times a week. It’s not. Healthy elimination means pooping without strain or discomfort at least once a day.

Encouraging people to squat on the toilet, or use one of the new squat platforms below, has cured many people of hemorrhoids and prevents fecal stagnation that can lead to intestinal diseases.

One of the easiest, cheapest ways that I have found works to help people poop more perfectly is the old fashioned squat. The “primitive” people of the world still eliminate the way our ancestors did, by squatting over holes in the floor which are connected to a septic system, ditch or even modern plumbing.

I am reminded of my trip to Hong Kong several years ago. At almost every tourist site, the public toilets looked like “modern” American facilities – until you went in the stall! There was no toilet! Just a hole in the floor floor toilet china– but it was clean, there was toilet paper, and everyone seemed fine with it so I gave it a “go.” I found it was much easier for eliminating.

Now you can buy modern, squat-inducing “natural position” toilets at – http://www.blueearthceramics.com/.squat toilet

If you don’t want to go all the way to installing a new toilet (even though they look pretty cool!) you can buy a cheaper kit called Nature’s Platform at http://www.naturesplatform.com/index.html which fits around your already existing toilet.nature's platform

If you don’t feel like plunking down some change for a new toilet or even the platform kit, you can help yourself eliminate easier by simply squatting on your heels for a few minutes before sitting on the toilet. This will get things moving quicker and easier. squatting

 

Happy eliminating!

Alexandra

Filed Under: Hemorrhoid relief, Natural constipation cure, Weight loss, Women's Health Tagged With: , ,

Amazingly easy, protein-rich Tempeh "Chicken" Salad recipe!

July 19, 2009 By 1 Comment

Not sure what to do with tempeh, but you’ve heard about it’s amazing protein content? Want to avoid turning on the oven in this heat? Never fear, Alex has done all the leg-and-knife-work for you! Here’s an amazing tempeh recipe that will solidify your love for cultured soy beans:

Tempeh Chicken Salad

 

12 ounces tempeh, cubed

1 stalk celery, minced

2 tablespoon red bell pepper, minced

1 large dill pickle, minced

2 scallions, minced

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise 

1 tablespoon yellow or stone ground mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon pickle juice

salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1
Place the cubed tempeh in a saucepan of boiling, salted water.

2
Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 12 minutes, drain and set aside to cool.

3
I usually toss it in the fridge.

4
In a large bowl, combine the celery, pepper, pickle, scallion and parsley.

5
Run a knife through the cubed tempeh, just to give it a rough chop (optional, the cubes work fine too) Add chopped tempeh to the bowl, along with the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon, pickle juice, salt and pepper.

6
Fold everything together, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors combine.

7
This will keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.

8
This salad goes great on wheat toast, in a pita pocket, or in a lavash wrap.

Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Amazingly easy, protein-rich Tempeh “Chicken” Salad recipe!

July 19, 2009 By 1 Comment

Not sure what to do with tempeh, but you’ve heard about it’s amazing protein content? Want to avoid turning on the oven in this heat? Never fear, Alex has done all the leg-and-knife-work for you! Here’s an amazing tempeh recipe that will solidify your love for cultured soy beans:

Tempeh Chicken Salad

 

12 ounces tempeh, cubed

1 stalk celery, minced

2 tablespoon red bell pepper, minced

1 large dill pickle, minced

2 scallions, minced

1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped

1/2 cup vegan mayonnaise 

1 tablespoon yellow or stone ground mustard

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon pickle juice

salt & freshly ground black pepper

Directions

1
Place the cubed tempeh in a saucepan of boiling, salted water.

2
Reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 12 minutes, drain and set aside to cool.

3
I usually toss it in the fridge.

4
In a large bowl, combine the celery, pepper, pickle, scallion and parsley.

5
Run a knife through the cubed tempeh, just to give it a rough chop (optional, the cubes work fine too) Add chopped tempeh to the bowl, along with the mayonnaise, mustard, lemon, pickle juice, salt and pepper.

6
Fold everything together, cover, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to let the flavors combine.

7
This will keep covered in the fridge for 2-3 days.

8
This salad goes great on wheat toast, in a pita pocket, or in a lavash wrap.

Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

New Reader Testimonial – (I love this job!)

July 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

M. from Phoenix wrote:

Hi there!

I am a big fan of yours and Morgans.  I am currently reading The Great American Detox Diet and just love it.  I am already a vegan, who eats as much fresh, local organic food as possible.  I have cut out coffee, refined sugar and have been drinking more water and I think just doing that I’ve already dropped a pound or two!  Woo hoo! 

Thanks M! Keep up the great work! For those of you who want to drop those stubborn extra pounds, increase your energy and get back to vibrant living like when you were a kid, get a copy of my book:

The Great American Detox

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Creamy Vegan Lime Dressing over Herbed Greens

July 15, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Inspired by a recent article on herbs-as-landscaping, I’ve veganized a recipe from Food and Wine magazine:

herb and endive picture

1/3 cup Veganaise mayo

1 Tb. fresh lime juice

1 tsp. finely grated fresh lime zest

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup packed flat-leaf parsley

1 cup packed small basil leaves

1/2 cup packed 1-inch chive pieces

1/3 cup small mint leaves

1/3 cup tarragon leaves

1 Belgian endive, separated into leaves or halved lengthwise and sliced crosswise 1/2 inch thick

2 cups finely sliced romaine leaves

Directions: In a small bowl, whisk together the mayo, lime juice, zest, salt and pepper. In a large salad bowl, mix the herbs with the endive and romaine. Add the dressing and toss well to coat. Serve immediately.

Filed Under: Recipes Tagged With:
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