Spring Cleaning People like “stuff”. We tend to hold onto it year after year. We save and stock up on things that we don’t know what to do with anymore. Maybe we keep things because they hold precious memories of days gone by, or they remind us of our parents, grandparents, past loves or childhood….
What Are Your Most Important Accomplishments? I was asked this question as part of a grant application submittal. It didn’t take me long to write my response. Here its is, unedited: My biggest accomplishments are raising my three sons as a single-mother in a manner that has allowed them to become healthy and productive…
Color Your Plate Healthy How are you doing with your New Year’s resolution? Every year millions of Americans make resolutions on January 1st. Many of them have something to do with improving health and wellness. But by February 1st a majority of those resolutions have gone right out the window. Since 1980 the American Dietetic…
Is the CDC looking out for us? Our country is in the midst of a huge health crisis. According to the CDC’s recently released Annual Report on the Nation’s Health, the U.S. spends over $2 trillion a year on healthcare. In fact, according to the report, “The United States spends a larger share of its…
A Health Coach Today Keeps the Doctor Away The following article was originally posted at MY Nutrition School, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition In the last century modern medicine has made incredible breakthroughs in the treatments of some of our worst diseases. So why are Americans still very sick? According to American Diabetes Association in…
Quinoa Pilaf (This recipe appeared in the March, 2011 issue of A Healthy You.) Prep Time: 3 minutes Cooking Time: 30-40 minutes Yield: 4 servings Ingredients: 1 cup quinoa; 2 1/4 cups water or stock; 1/2 cup dried cranberries; 1/2 cup walnut pieces; 1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley; pinch of salt Directions 1. Rinse…
Food Focus: Walnuts Walnuts are rich in protein and high in potassium, zinc and iron. They are the fruit from a tree in the walnut family Junglandaceae. Most of us are familiar with the “nut” which is found inside the hard shell. But did you know that other parts of the walnut tree have beneficial…
Food Focus: Quinoa This article appeared in the March, 2011 issue of A Healthy You. Quinoa (pronounced keen-wah), is a nutritional powerhouse with ancient origins. It was originally cultivated by the Incas more than 5,000 years ago; they referred to it as the “mother of all grains.” It contains all nine essential amino acids, making it…
Go Ahead – Take a Bite! (This article appeared in the March, 2011 issue of A Healthy You.) When it comes to increased health, it’s not just what we eat but how we eat. Digestion actually begins in the mouth, where contact with our teeth and digestive enzymes in our saliva break down food. But…
It’s About Life This post is dedicated to a wonderful young man named Kashief Cross, who was taken from this world much too soon. Kashief and his friend Eric died as a result of a tragic accident which occurred at approximately 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, February 13th. The cause of the accident has not been…
Food Focus: Beans (This article appeared in the February, 2011 issue of A Healthy You.) Beans. They are good for the heart. Beans are found in most traditional cultures as a staple food, offering grounding and strengthening properties that enhance endurance: Beans, or legumes, which include peas and lentils, are an excellent source of plant-based…
Food Focus: Chocolate Ahhh! Chocolate! The thought of it can bring up certain emotions. Chocolate has been associated with love for generations. Almost everyone I know loves chocolate! Many of us have even been known to crave the stuff. But did you know that chocolate has many amazing health benefits? Cacao is high in iron,…
Food Feeds the Soul Food has the power to impact us on a level deeper than just our physical well-being. What we eat can reconnect us to precious memories, like childhood playtimes, first dates, holidays, life cycle events, our grandmother’s cooking or our country of ancestry. Our bodies remember foods from the past on an…
Prescription Drugs – at what cost? When someone begins to take a statin drug, he/she will probably take the medication for LIFE. Imagine the economic implications associated with this – for both the patient and the pharmaceutical companies. I’ll give you a personal example: My husband’s endocrinologist has been trying to persuade him to take…
Cholesterol – what is “bad”? what is “good”? What is cholesterol? Cholesterol is a fatty substance that resembles wax. It is made by the liver and found in every cell in the body. Do we need cholesterol? Cholesterol is important. Without cholesterol, our bodies would not be able to function. For example, cholesterol is needed…
Why it’s important to question your doctor Over the past several years, my husband has been under the care of an endocrinologist for the treatment of diabetes. My husband’s overall cholesterol level is good, but his LDL/HDL ratio is not, so at almost every visit, the Dr. has tried to sway him to utilize a…
Recipe: Mighty Miso Soup (This recipe appeared in the January, 2011 issue of A Healthy You). Prep Time: 5-10 minutes Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes Yield: 4-5 servings Ingredients: 4-5 cups spring water 1-2 inch strip of wakame, rinsed and soaked 5 minutes in 1 cup of water until softened 1-2 cups thinly sliced vegetables of…
Food Focus: Sea Vegetables Sea Vegetables (This article appeared in the January, 2011 issue of A Healthy You). In traditional Chinese healing, sea vegetables correspond to the winter season and to the kidneys, adrenal glands, bladder and reproductive organs. The strengthening, balancing and cleansing properties of sea vegetables are known to help these organs as…
New Year, New You A lot of people begin the New Year by making resolutions. We’ve all been there.We take a vow to lose weight, exercise more or spend more time with our family. We start the year with great intentions, but then we quickly relapse into old habits. Why is it so hard to…
If we are serious about improving WELLNESS in our society, our Health Care System should provide an INTEGRATIVE approach towards WELLNESS, which MUST include nutrition and nourishment education to our clients.
This is one of my family’s favorite dishes. Leftovers don’t last long!
Recipe: Sweet Potatoes with Lime and Cilantro (This recipe appeared in the December, 2010 issue of A Healthy You). This recipe is an eye-opener for those who find sweet potatoes cloyingly sweet or those who are tired of eating them smothered in marshmallows and brown sugar. Japanese sweet potatoes, with their pale flesh and delicate…
Cilantro (This article appeared in the December, 2010 issue of A Healthy You.) The leaves of the coriander plant are called Cilantro. It is also known as Chinese Parsley. It is a sweet and fragrant herb that has been used medicinally in many cultures for many years. It is also a very good source of…
Food Focus: Sweet Potatoes (This article appeared in the December, 2010 issue of A Healthy You.) Sweet potatoes are on everyone’s mind this season. They seem to go hand in hand with the holidays, and fortunately, eating these and other sweet vegetables needn’t be limited to this time of year. If you don’t have any…
Beautiful Body Types (This article appeared in the December, 2010 issue of A Healthy You.) Almost all of us have a distorted image of our body, often due to the importance our culture places on outward appearance and the onslaught of media images of airbrushed models and celebrities. On a daily basis, we talk to…
Call to Action for Engineers Yesterday, I attended the December meeting of the American Society of Civil Engineer’s Dallas Branch (ASCE). The keynote speaker was James M. Crites, Executive Vice President for the Operations Division of DFW International Airport. During his speech, he gazed out at the audience and commented on the number of gray…
“The use of essential oils for deep soul-spiritual work integrating classical homeopathy, modern physiology, Chinese and herbal medicines, Kabbalah and anthroposophical medicine.”
Why is Health Coaching important to me? I was asked this question as part of my coursework at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. Personally, this work will allow me to be myself. I have struggled with the concept of “living in two worlds” for most of my life. My physical reality has been to raise…
Leadership I attended a wonderful workshop last week. The workshop leader was Janice Madariaga. This was the second time that I attended one of her workshops and I was thrilled to see her there!!. Janice encouraged us to find an “Aha!” moment every day, and read or listen to at least one inspirational book every…
Avocado Dip (This recipe appeared in the November, 2010 issue of A Healthy You) Prep Time: 3 minutes Yield: 1 cup Ingredients: 1 large peeled and pitted avocado 2/3 cup plain yogurt, goat yogurt or soy yogurt 1 diced tomato dash or two of cayenne pepper sea salt black pepper Directions: Mash avocado with a…
Savory Tahini Sauce (This recipe appeared in the November, 2010 issue of A Healthy You.) Prep time: 5 minutes Yield: 1 cup Ingredients: 1/2 cup tahini 1/4 cup water 3 tablespoons lemon juice 2 tablespoons tamari 2 tablespoons maple syrup 1-2 cloves of garlic minced pinch of cayenne (to your taste) Directions: In a bowl…
FOOD FOCUS: OILS AND FATS (This article appeared in the November, 2010 issue of A Healthy You.) Not all oils and fats are created equal. Heavily processed, hydrogenated, “trans” fats and oils that are used in prepared, packaged foods can be extremely damaging to the body. However, fats and oils from whole foods and other…
Get Slow Easy Does it…. If we must accomplish many things each day, we can still change the quality with which we do things. How can we transmute that sprint to the train into something delicious instead of the usual gripping and tightening experience? Where can we find ease in the midst of stress? How…
Recipe: Roasted Root Veggies (This recipe appeared in the October, 2010 issue of A Healthy You.) Ingredients 1 sweet potato 2 parsnips 2 carrots 2 turnips or 1 large rutabaga 1 daikon radish (or substitute/add in your favorites, like squash) olive oil salt and pepper herbs: rosemary, thyme or sage (fresh if possible) Directions 1….
Food Focus: Root Vegetables (This article appeared in the October, 2010 issue of A Healthy You.) The roots of any plant are its anchor and foundation; they are the essential parts that support and nourish the plant. Root vegetables lend these properties to us when we eat them, making us feel physically and mentally grounded…
Time Management (This article appeared in the October, 2010 issue of A Healthy You.) Have you ever wished for a few more hours in the day? Why is it that some people seem to get everything done effortlessly and others feel that time constantly eludes them? The secret to managing your time well isn’t working…
Water Today, in my Distance Learning studies at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition, I became much more informed about water. Those of you who know me personally, know that I have a passion for the preservation of our natural resources as well as for promoting Water Conservation. The following websites were brought to my attention:…
It is very important to know which chemotype one has, because of possible contraindications and safety data (one particular chemotype might be safe for use and another chemotype might be an irritant).