Detox Group Attendee Reveals Her Achievements!

September 14, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Read what a past tele-group member said about her experience in my 8 Week Reboot Detox…

“I have more energy…I eat better…and am conscious of what I consume at all times.

I was stagnant in my health & wellness achievements, so I joined Alex’s 8 Week Detox Group.

Alex’s approach was very gentle and kind.  She informed us, yet in the same manner did not talk down to us. I found her approach very unique with not just “nutrition” but also with positive affirmations from the very first call.  That took me by surprise and yet made the most impact.

I answered Alex’s question: What am I hungering for? That has been a catalyst for me.  I no longer am hungering for other people’s approval of me.  What a relief that is…after 40+ years of holding onto that….whew!  That answer has allowed me to give up a lot; my time now is for me and is now more valuable. 

I have more energy to wake up at 5am and run without having to worry about what the expectations are of me at work that day. I eat better because I take the time to sit down and am conscious of what I consume at all times. My concern with health and wellness is my own not how I think others should perceive me or classify me as healthy  

Alex’s simple grace and genuine kindness is far reaching. Thank you for opening it up to me.”

~ Kate, New Jersey, Mom and working professional

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"Creamy" (non-diary) Carrot Soup

September 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

This recipe is divine – creamy, golden, sweet and savory all at the same time. The energy of the root vegetables are perfect for the coming cold weather, and it’s super easy to freeze leftovers for later!

Ingredients:carrot soup
1 TB coconut, olive or canola oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
4 medium-large carrots, diced
1 medium garnet or jewel yam, peeled and diced
1 small rutabaga, diced
1 package Nori-mu silken tofu
4-6 cups vegetable broth
1 TB turmeric
salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, stir to coat and allow to brown slightly.
  2. Add carrots, yam, rutabaga and tofu. Stir well to combine.
  3. Crumble the tofu into the pot and add enough vegetable stock to cover the vegetables by half an inch.
  4. Add the turmeric and stir well.
  5. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cover and cook for 25 minutes.
  6. When the vegetables are easy to pierce with a fork, turn off the heat and blend the entire soup with s stick blender until very creamy. * You can also blend in batches in a standing blender and return to the pot once creamed. 
  7. Taste for salt and add more to taste.
  8. Serve hot! 
Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

“Creamy” (non-diary) Carrot Soup

September 13, 2009 By Leave a Comment

This recipe is divine – creamy, golden, sweet and savory all at the same time. The energy of the root vegetables are perfect for the coming cold weather, and it’s super easy to freeze leftovers for later!

Ingredients:carrot soup
1 TB coconut, olive or canola oil
1/2 cup yellow onion, diced
4 medium-large carrots, diced
1 medium garnet or jewel yam, peeled and diced
1 small rutabaga, diced
1 package Nori-mu silken tofu
4-6 cups vegetable broth
1 TB turmeric
salt to taste

Directions:

  1. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Add onions, stir to coat and allow to brown slightly.
  2. Add carrots, yam, rutabaga and tofu. Stir well to combine.
  3. Crumble the tofu into the pot and add enough vegetable stock to cover the vegetables by half an inch.
  4. Add the turmeric and stir well.
  5. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Cover and cook for 25 minutes.
  6. When the vegetables are easy to pierce with a fork, turn off the heat and blend the entire soup with s stick blender until very creamy. * You can also blend in batches in a standing blender and return to the pot once creamed. 
  7. Taste for salt and add more to taste.
  8. Serve hot! 
Filed Under: Recipes, Uncategorized Tagged With: ,

Inspiring women to learn from

September 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

My night stand is piled high with books. Always has been. My parents were teachers and my aunt is a librarian, so I guess it’s genetic.

Lately I’ve put aside the health books and cookbooks to focus on an entirely new arena of deeply important tomes: autobiographies and biographies of amazing women.

These books are completely inspiring to me. I now realize that these women not only changed the course of the world, made history and became household names, but they often did it with few resources, fought against a well-entrenched system, and often had children or family members to care for as well. 

Here is my most recent discovery that my readers might enjoy and get inspired from, as I did:

A Taste of Power by Elaine Brown

A Taste of Power cover pb

This young woman of color rose from extreme poverty to become the head of the Black Panther party – a truly revolutionary accomplishment. This woman was at the heart of an organization that, while you may not have agreed with their politics or tactics, changed America. They started the free breakfast program for kids, and many other incredible social programs. 

Elaine Brown was fiercely brave in the face of physical danger, helped to mold the political and social theories of a national, grass-roots organization, was the backbone of the party’s newspaper and raised a daughter. She is truly and inspiring woman, and her story has given me a lot of strength. I hope to meet her some day and shake her hand.

Filed Under: book review, inspiration for women Tagged With:

Baked Sweet Potato Fries

September 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Kids of all ages will love this recipe – another winning way to get healthy veggies into American tummies!

Serves 6

2 large yams, washed and dried
3 Tb. extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp. sea salt
1/2  tsp. cayenne pepper

  • Preheat oven to 350.
  • Cut the yams into 1/2” fries.
  • Toss with olive oil, salt and cayenne.
  • Place on a lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake for 30-45 minutes, when fries are tender and beginning to brown.
  • Serve hot.
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Falling in love with Cranberries

September 9, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Cranberry Relish (aka “most delicious think you’ll put in your mouth for Thanksgiving”)erry Relish

3 cups pure maple syrup 
1 pkg. fresh cranberries 
1 ½ c. white/golden seedless raisins 
½ c. apple cider vinegar 
1 Orange (Juice, pulp and grated zest) 
1 tsp. ground cinnamon 
1 tsp. ground cloves 
1 tsp. ground ginger

  • Combine all ingredients in a large saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat.
  • Cover and cook down for 20 minutes over low heat. 
  • You will hear the cranberries popping. Once the popping stops, lift the cover and stir once or twice. Serve chilled or hot. Will keep in refrigerator in an air-tight container for 2-3 weeks.
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End of season Peaches? Cobbler-ific!

September 6, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Staring at a huge bowl of peaches, I am dismayed to find that half are perfect, half are mealy. What’s a girl to do? Inspired by Sarah Kramer’s recipe from her amazing cookbook La Dolce Vegan (Arsenal, 2005) I made a killer peach cobbler for the whole family – they loved it! 

6 large organic peaches, pitted and cut into 1 inch chunks

1/3 cup natural Sucanat sugar or agave syrup

2 TB whole spelt flour

1/4 tsp salt

Topping:

2 cups whole spelt flour

1/2 tsp salt 

3 tsp baking powder

4 TB natural Sucanat sugar or agave syrup, divided

4 TB Earth Balance vegan margarine, divided

1 cup hemp, soy or rice milk

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 375. Lightly spread 1 TB Earth Balance around an 8 x 12 inch glass baking dish and set aside. 
  2. In a large bowl, stir together the peaches, sucanat, 2 TB flour and 1/4 tsp salt.
  3. Spoon evenly into the baking dish and set aside.
  4. In a medium bowl, stir together the flour, salt, baking powder and 2 TB sucanat. Add the Earth Balance and mash with your fingers or a fork until the flour looks sandy with many little pebbles. Add the milk and stir until just combined with the flour. 
  5. Spoon evenly over the peaches and sprinkle the top with remaining sucanat. 
  6. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until the topping is browned. Let site for 5 minutes before serving.
  7. Makes 6 servings. **Serve with TEMPT Hemp milk ice cream! 
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Tofu Toast

September 1, 2009 By Leave a Comment

Missing eggs in the morning but want to avoid the cholesterol? Try this easy, favorite recipe of mine:

 

Ingredients:

1 pound firm tofu, drained

2 pieces Ezekiel bread (made from sprouted whole grains!)

1 TB olive oil

1 tsp naturally brewed soy sauce (shoyu, tamari or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos)

Earth Balance (trans-fat free vegan margarine)

freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Pat the block of tofu dry with a clean kitchen towel. Slice off two 1/2 inch pieces from the largest side of the tofu. Pat dry again and set aside. (Save the remaining tofu by storing in fresh water in an airtight container in the fridge for tomorrow’s breakfast)

2. Warm up the olive oil for 20 seconds in a cast-iron skillet over medium heat (adds more iron to your food!) and start toasting the toast. 

3. Saute the dried tofu slices in the skillet. Drizzle the soy sauce over both slices and flip after 2 minutes. Saute the second side for another minute. 

4. Spread Earth Balance on toasted bread and serve the “fried” tofu on top. Pepper to your heart’s content and enjoy with a nice cup of green tea. 

Serves 1

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How much sugar are you REALLY eating? Startling pictures!

September 1, 2009 By 5 Comments

My clients are often surprised to find out how much sugar they’re consuming throughout the day. Sitting down and looking at the added grams, teaspoons and different names for sugar listed on ingredient labels can be shocking. 

Understanding the full impact of added sugars on your body is necessary to changing and improving your body and energy. Because sugary foods often crowd-out nutritious foods, diets high in sugar contribute to osteoporosis, cancer, weight-gain, and heart disease. 

The USDA advises people who eat a 2,000-calorie healthful diet to try to limit themselves to about 10 teaspoons of added sugars per day. If you’ve ever seen Super Size Me, you know the average American does not eat a healthful diet, but consumes at least 20 teaspoons of added sugars per day.

To help illustrate this information, I found these pictures floating around the internet – I don’t know who to credit for them, but the person responsible deserves the Nobel prize for Reality! 

* EACH SUGAR CUBE = 1 TEASPOON OF SUGAR

Filed Under: Hidden Sugars, Weight loss Tagged With: , ,
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