Make Every Day Better - Happy New Year!

Every day you are an older and wiser version of yourself; it’s up to you whether not each new day is better or worse than the one before it, but it can never be the same.  Tuesday – a day of the week that is otherwise pretty insignificant and part of the routine – marked the beginning of a whole new year. Most people are making resolutions and goals and ideas for what they want to accomplish, as they see a clean slate and fresh opportunities.

Here are some question for you to think about as you address this fresh round of 365 days ahead.  Use these, and your unique answers, to make each day better, creating your best year yet:

-What top five things do you value most in your life?
-What is your greatest strength? How do you demonstrate/use it?
-How old would you be if you didn’t know how old you are (i.e. age is just a number!)?
-What are you avoiding?
-What are you passionate about?
-What are you learning?
-What/who are you teaching?
-What have you committed to?
-What do you wish you had more time for?
-What clutter can you remove?
-What worries you? Why?
-What excites you? Why?

-What do you hope to accomplish this year? Why?
-What is the one BIG thing you’re ready to do in 2013?

Take these questions with you as you plan out the year in your own way – day by day, week by week or month by month. Feel free to share some of your big goals and other questions you use to identify what’s worth working towards for you in this new year!

Source: Tiny Buddha – 28 Powerful Questions for a Happy Life

Fit in Fitness: Keeping up with your routine throughout the holidays!

One of the biggest challenges of these busy holiday seasons is trying to maintain any type of routine, and balancing time to squeeze everything in. We’re busier for a variety of reasons, but there are always ways to keep up with your health and fitness. It simply has to be a priority, and you’ll find a way to fit it all in! It also requires some mental flexibility; you may have to shake things up a bit, be creative, and open to trying something new.

When time is of the essence, here are a few tips to help you stay fit and healthy through the holidays:

1)     Walk all over and walk often! Try to come up with ways to add in as many steps to your day as you can – if you’re driven by numbers and/or goals, think about getting a pedometer, which tracks how many steps you take. It can be a fun way to motivate yourself to keep getting a higher number (i.e. walk more)! Walking is the easiest form of exercise to do anywhere, anytime and at any level of physical fitness.

2)     Embrace the challenge – have fun with finding ways to stay fit and active, so that you enjoy it rather than see it as a nuisance. Join a friend at one of their favorite fitness classes or ask a family member to join you for a jog. Whatever the “new” thing may be for you, don’t be afraid to try it!

3)     Put it on the calendar/agenda. Making a plan is and actually scheduling a workout is usually an essential factor in the motivation to go and do it. Having a plan, or detailed schedule, can be key to keeping up with your fitness! Feel free to be as specific as you want, creating anywhere from a daily fitness goal to weekly planned workout routine.

4)     Don’t sit still for too long! Use time watching movies and/or TV to get in some easy, at-home exercises like squats, lunges, jumping jacks, push-ups, crunches, etc.

5)     Avoid the extremes. There’s no need for extreme workouts or restrictive diets that leave you feeling deprived or fatigued. Stick to what you know works for you in terms of routine, time spent exercising, healthy food choices, etc!

All of that said, this time is about enjoying time with family, friends and the reasons you have to celebrate! Our health and ability to be physically active are both things to be grateful for and to enjoy, so we hope that these tips help you do that.

Peppermint Perks: Enjoying a Holiday Flavor with Health Benefits

When the peppermint bark, candy canes and peppermint mocha lattes are back in the spotlight, you know it’s the winter holiday season! This flavorful leaf is available throughout the year and often associated with treats, warm beverages and maybe salads or cocktails, but its many uses make up a long list. The plant is indigenous to Europe, but can be grown anywhere including your windowsill.

As much more than just a minty flavor, peppermint contains minerals such as calcium, copper, iron, manganese, potassium, and also vitamins A & C.  It has a high menthol content making it useful for topical ointments that relieve minor aches/pains, lip balms, cough medicines and even in some medications used to treat minor burns (for the cooling sensation).

Peppermint oil is high in natural pesticides which have been shown to help reduce symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and indigestion, heartburn, nausea, colds and coughs.  It also helps stop the growth of certain bacteria, which may help increase overall gut health.

With all of that said, here are some of our favorite ways to enjoy this healthy holiday mint:

• Peppermint tea
• Peppermint-flavored smoothies (use the oil or fresh leaves in your fruity smoothie)
• Mint-banana “soft-serve” (frozen banana blended with mint leaves/oil & cocoa powder)
• Mint Cooler
• Mango-Mint Salsa
• Healthy Peppermint Patties
• Lamb Chops with Mint Sauce
• Grapefruit Mint Chicken
• Lemon-Mint Snap Peas & Lima Beans

Add any or all of the above to your holiday party menus and you’ll surprise guests with not only a tasty dish but a healthy one, too!

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Source: Harvard Health Review – Health benefits of peppermint

Webinar - Cooking Basics: Steaming and Roasting

Quick and easy methods for delicious vegetables 

There is no question that healthy eating is easier with a little expertise in healthy cooking. Although, perhaps expertise is a strong word. You don't need to be an expert to quickly and simply prepare healthy dishes for yourself, your family and friends. 
In this first Cooking Fundamentals webinar, we open the door to a world of delicious vegetable dishes using two simple, yet very versatile cooking techniques: steaming and roasting. Tune in and get started! You won't regret it. 

Watch the webinar

Balancing the Grocery Budget: Healthier Eats for Fewer Dollars

The holiday season marks the time we start spending on a lot of extras - travel, gifts, food for feasts, etc - and trying to save where we can! Grocery bills are something we can all relate to, as they're a necessity, and yet there's quite a difference in what each individual might spend.  Most of what we buy is out of habit, some out of seasonal preference, and the rest is usually an impulsive splurge.

If you're ready to keep the extras out of your grocery cart and off of your bill, we're here to help. Healthy food does not have to be more expensive; a little bit of planning goes a long way! See the tips below on how to select foods and staples that will keep your weekly eats healthy but affordable!

1)     Search for Sales on produce: if fruits/vegetables are on sale, it often means they're in season! This is the time to buy them - not only because they're inexpensive, but also because they're at their peak in terms of flavor and nutrients.

2)     Lose the brand loyalty: sales and coupons vary week by week so be open to trying new brands! Chances are there's a generic version of your staple food, no matter what it is.  When in doubt, check and compare ingredient lists to make sure the two products are similar in quality and nutrition.

3)     Plan out your plates: make a plan for each plate of the week! Think about what you can cook on Sunday and/or Monday night that will also provide leftovers for lunches; have a general plan for dinner each night of the week; plan to cook the fresh foods first, and use any canned or dried foods later in the week.

4)     Buy in bulk: if you haven't check out your local grocery store's bulk section, you're missing out! You'll often find dried beans, grains (rice, quinoa, flours, etc), nuts and/or trail mixes, dried fruits, cereals and/or granolas, rolled oats, etc. You can buy exactly what you need, and it's often cheaper than the packaged version.

5)     Try to DIY: we sometimes forget how easy it is to make some of our staple grocery buys. Recipes for homemade sauces, dressings, dry rubs and marinades are easy to find and easy to make yourself! You'll save a few dollars every trip by not buying the bottled versions.

Once you put all of these tips in your grocery-shopping toolbox, remember the single most important thing you can do is to set a budget. The amount will vary for each person and/or family, but you can start by averaging what you spend each week for 1-2months and seeing where the little things add up. Think about what you would realistically like to be spending, and find a happy medium!

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Do you have other grocery-budget tips that work well for you? Share your expertise by leaving a comment!

Spiced White Bean Pumpkin Soup

There was a time when we only used real pumpkins to carve them, and we only consumed pumpkin in the form of holiday pies. The famous orange member of the squash family has really made some moves as of late! It is considered a “trendy” seasonal food, highly sought after for recipes of all kinds. Now we see pumpkin pancakes, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin granola bars, pumpkin spiced beverages and even more creative pumpkin desserts!

My latest experiment with the pureed form of this vegetable resulted in a delicious, comforting and creamy soup.

Spiced White Bean Pumpkin Soup
Makes ~4 servings

1 tsp Olive Oil
1 medium yellow onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 cup lite coconut milk
1 can (15 oz) organic white (cannellini) beans, drained & rinsed
1 can (15 oz) organic pumpkin puree
3 cups vegetable broth (low-sodium)

Seasonings:garam masala, turmeric, salt/pepper, cayenne pepper.

In a deep pan or dutch oven, heat the oil over medium; sauté onion and garlic until softened.  Add remaining ingredients, stir to mix well – this may take a few minutes as the pumpkin “melts” into the mixture. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and let simmer for 25-30 minutes. Stir frequently.
Optional: serve with a green onion garnish.

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Nutrition info  per serving:
Calories: 180  Fat: 2.2g (Sat. fat: 0.4g) Carbs: 37g  Fiber:12g Protein: 9 g

Plate Plan for Healthy Skin!

The tone, look and feel of our skin is dictated by a number of factors, with genetics, age, gender and lifestyle all making an appearance on the list. One of the most influential game-players is our diet – what we put on our plates and in our glasses can make or break the health of our skin. 

November is a month of many health observances, one of which is National Healthy Skin Month! The foods that bring a healthy glow to our skin are often plant-based and provide vitamins, minerals and healthy essential fats. Incorporate the following foods (and drink) in your plate/menu plan for each week to improve the health of your skin:

Bell Peppers, Carrots, Broccoli & Citrus Fruits
These foods are high in Vitamin C, which is vital in the formation of collagen – which maintains skin’s firmness and elasticity – and therefore helps prevent wrinkles. 

Almonds & Sunflower seeds
Nuts and seeds are a good source of Vitamin E, which resides in the skin’s top layer and acts as an antioxidant against UV free radicals. 

Dark Leafy Greens, Oranges & Reds (Sweet Potatoes, Butternut Squash, etc)
A wide variety of foods are high in the orange/red-hued antioxidant beta-carotene. Our body converts beta-carotene to Vitamin A, which can decrease sensitivity to the sun and also helps with cell turnover. 

Salmon, Walnuts & Plant-based Oils
Essential fats such as omega-3 fatty acids - found in some fish, nuts and oils – help fight inflammation and sun-damage. 

WATER
Plain and simple – our skin needs to be hydrated to stay healthy! Water is essential to skin and body health, and should be part of your everyday “diet”. We can get water from a variety of things – e.g. soups, oatmeal, coffee or tea, fruits and vegetables, etc – but should always make an effort to drink at least a few glasses of pure and plain water every day. 

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Start incorporating these foods into your daily diet and help your skin stay strong & healthy!