Health Coach – Page 2 – Enlightened Nourishment

Yay, another giveaway!!

In honor of reaching (and now passing) 100 “likes” on Facebook, I am running another fantastic giveaway! I love my readers and I want to show it with this lovely basket of goodies from Fig Bontanicals in Somerville, NJ. The owner, Figen, has put together a basket of tea, soap, bath tea and salts, body oil, a candle and some dried jasmine flowers to relax and rejuvenate you. The giveaway will start this evening and end at the end of the day Sunday, May 4th.

So, if you like Enlightened Nourishment and relaxation, go to my Facebook page or click on the link below,for a chance to win this awesome gift from me to you!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

How to beat inflammation naturally.

This post is dedicated to one of my Facebook readers, Alyson, that suggested I write about inflammation and foods that help reduce its effect on our bodies.

First of all, there are two kinds of inflammation that take place inside of us. One is acute inflammation which shows up as redness, heat, soreness and swelling. Acute inflammation is your body’s response to harmful stimuli, damaged cells or irritants. It can be easily confused with an infection, but it is actually your body trying to correct the disturbance by flooding the area with blood. It is the way in which we attempt to heal ourselves. The other type of inflammation is called chronic inflammation. It is described as constant healing and destruction of local cells. It may take months or even years for chronic inflammation to take it’s toll on your health, but if chronic inflammation is left unchecked, it leads to a plethora of serious and potentially deadly diseases.

Some diseases and conditions caused by chronic inflammation are:

-Inflammatory Bowel Disease

-Vasculitis

-Sarcoidosis

-Asthma

-Celiac Disease

-Autoimmune Diseases

-Alzheimer’s Disease

-Heart Disease

-Cancer

-Rheumatoid Arthritis

So, how do we reduce inflammation and it’s long term effects? There are many foods and a few supplements that are readily available to most of us.

I’ll start with common spices that you probably already have in your cabinet. Ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, cayenne pepper, black pepper and cloves are all fantastic in reducing inflammation. Try to include them in your cooking daily for noticed improvement. I’m particularly fond of cinnamon, turmeric and ginger when allergy season comes around. Allergies are after all, inflammation caused by your body’s reaction to foreign substances. So, I make sure to add cinnamon to my coffee, yogurt and my kid’s oatmeal and pb&j sandwiches all year long. Although turmeric is bright in color and used in many Indian dishes, the flavor is mild enough, that I use it in many of my favorite dishes. I’ve even added it to smoothies without my kids knowing the difference. Ginger is wonderful for digestive issues as well as sore throat.

Other foods that are wonderful for their anti-inflammatory properties are: Fish, dark leafy greens, nuts (almonds and walnuts), beets, garlic, onion, high quality olive oil, berries and tart cherries. Sounds pretty good, huh? I would say out of all of these foods, fish is my number one pick to fight inflammation. They are high in healthy omega-3 fats that are so vital to your body’s well being. If you truly can’t stomach the smell or taste of fish, you might try fish oil capsules. I recommend a high quality fish oil, such as Nordic Naturals Cod Liver Oil. They are easy to take and don’t have an aftertaste. If you are vegetarian, but still want a great source of omega-3 fats, I recommend chia seeds. They are high in omega-3, fiber, protein, calcium and iron. You can buy a big bag of them at Costco for a fraction of the regular price! Another incredibly important element to add to your diet to reduce inflammation is WATER. Drinking lots of fresh water everyday is nothing but good for your body.

Vitamins and minerals that are great for reducing inflammation are: Vitamin C (200 mg),Vitamin E (400 IU) and Selenium (200 mcg).

Now for the not so fun part. Foods to avoid or limit: Sugar, alcohol, caffeine, white flour, omega-6 fatty acids (vegetable oils), dairy, MSG and trans fats. For some people, avoiding gluten is also key to reducing inflammation. It has been shown to hugely reduce the symptoms of people suffering from fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis and respiratory ailments.

So there you have it, Alyson. I hope this was helpful to you and the rest of my readers. If you have any questions regarding this article, please feel free to ask them here or on my Facebook page.

Simple Sweet and Savory Springtime Salad

I am so crazy glad that spring is finally here. I’m choosing to celebrate the new season by devouring as many delicious leafy greens and asparagus as I possibly can. I invite you to join me in this salad filled celebration, by sharing this very simple recipe. It takes about 20 minutes to whip up and is far more filling than you’d think. Try it (or a variation on it) this weekend!

1 cup- uncooked quinoa

1 cup- beef broth (or chicken or vegetable)

1 cup- water

4 or 5- handfuls of chopped kale

1- handful of fresh young asparagus spears (washed and trimmed and cut in to 2 inch long pieces)

1- apple (any variety chopped in to cubes)

a drizzle of sesame oil

a sprinkling of tamari (soy sauce)

Instructions: Cook quinoa as per instructions substituting the broth for one of the cups of water. Should cook up in exactly 15 minutes. While that’s happening, put the chopped kale and asparagus in a large bowl. Add the sesame oil and tamari and lightly massage the greens til they are completely coated. When the quinoa is finished, poor it on top of the veggies and mix so that the kale softens. Lastly add the chopped apple and mix again. That’s it, enjoy!

Loving the Lemon Verbena!

If you’ve never sipped a lovely cup of lemon verbena tea, here’s a little nudge from your friendly neighborhood health coach. Lemon verbena is well known for it’s amazing sedative properties. It not only helps to encourage relaxation for your mind and spirit, but for your body as well. It does wonders for women suffering from the symptoms of PMS including cramps, indigestion and mood swings (ladies, you know the ones). Lemon verbena leaves are also a blessing if you suffer from chronic digestive distress such as IBS, Celiac Disease and even Crohn’s Disease. It soothes the digestive tract, just as it soothes our stressed out minds. It has a light refreshing lemony flavor which is wonderful in the spring and summer months and you can drink it hot or iced.

<Just like with any herbal tea, if you are pregnant or nursing it is wise to consult with your doctor or midwife before drinking.>

Not Your Average Jersey Diner

Here’s another post I’ve been meaning to write for a while, but never seemed to have the time. Well, with Spring Break here and no new module to work on, now is the time.

A little while back I was invited to join my friend, her mom and sister for a late lunch. They decided to give me my first (and certainly not last) taste of a unique Jersey diner that they had fallen in love with. I know, unique and diner don’t really seem to go together do they? The Americana Diner in East Windsor, NJ however is just that. Most diners are so cookie cutter with their burgers, salads, soups and huge shiny desserts when you walk in the door. Instead of that over the top dessert case, this is what you see when you are waiting to be seated.

Yep, that’s a display case of fresh fruits and vegetables. Not kidding. I all but rubbed my eyes in disbelief. It is the perfect introduction to this amazing eatery. The menu boasts grass-fed beef, free range chicken and locally sourced produce when available. There are so many healthy options to add to your meal that if there wasn’t a sign outside saying it was a diner, you’d never believe it. From roasted beet salad to cauliflower mac and cheese for the kids. I had a the Napa Valley Burger without a bun and a side of Garlic Mushrooms in Truffle Oil. Though I only had water with my meal, there are fresh squeezed juices available. Oh yes, for the non-gluten intolerant, there is a fresh baked loaf of bread and real butter delivered to the table to start the meal. It’s really quite lovely.

The bottom line is that this is definitely a place that I would recommend to my clients as a healthy dining out option. So please, if you are from New Jersey or planning a trip here in the future, make time to enjoy a refreshingly unique meal at The Americana Diner. You won’t regret it.

Homemade Pink Limeade

I always seem to stumble upon nummy, refreshing drinks when I least expect it. This was a total stumble upon moment.

About a week or two ago (I’ve been thinking of posting this for a while, but lost track of time.), I was making my morning cup of hot water with lime juice and I took a little detour. The first odd turn was deciding to pour the hot water into a tall mason jar (to make it more portable) instead of my usual coffee mug. After adding the lime juice, I of course realized that the glass jar would be WAY to hot to handle, so I decided to add a couple handfuls of frozen cranberries to try to cool it off a bit. As I stirred and watched the pretty little red ribbons of color snake their way down the glass, I knew there was only one thing to do. So, I added about a teaspoon of maple syrup and Voila! Homemade pink limeade! Yes, I had to let it cool for a while before I could enjoy it, but it was worth the wait. What a great springtime refresher!

Woot! I Made It!!

Well folks, I made it to the end of my March Challenge! At the beginning of the month, it definitely felt like a huge undertaking. For those of you that are just tuning in, I challenged myself to exercise in some way every day for the entire month of March. I started off with a very regimented schedule that pretty much flew out the window after the first week. Even though the schedule didn’t stick, the exercise did. For that I am very proud. As I stated at the beginning of the month, I have never been a physically fit person. I eat better than the majority of people I know, but move much less. So, I decided that if I was going to be an effective health coach and expect my clients to get their bodies moving daily, I needed to walk the talk.

After 31 days of making a conscious effort to be active everyday, I feel pretty great. The chronic back pain that I have dealt with for the past 5 years only bothered me twice this month. That’s a record. I feel much more in tune with my body now, since I made a point to think about what my body needed every day. There were of course days that I just did not want to get off the couch, but I did it anyway. Sometimes it kind of sucked, but mostly it made me feel better afterward. One of the coolest outcomes of this challenge is that I no longer ask my husband to carry the clothes hamper up and down the stairs for me in fear that if I do it myself, I’ll throw my back out. Yay for me!! Yay for him too, I guess. Oh yeah, I’ve got myself a pretty buff husband now too. He was my partner in this challenge and so he has been fine tuning his upper body and midsection this month.

So, mission accomplished. Today is the last day of the challenge and I got my exercise in for the day with a walk this morning. I think I’ll probably do some strength training tonight as well. But, I’m not ready to just hang up the resistance bands after tonight. I’m in this for the long haul now and couldn’t be prouder or happier about it. I know things will only get easier as the weather gets warmer and I can do more outside. I feel like this is going to be a great challenge to give my clients too, as it has had such a positive impact on my life. Hey, If I can do it, anyone can!

End in Sight

My March Challenge will soon be finished. It hasn’t all been easy, or even fun. There have been days when I have been excited to workout and there have been others when I’ve just wanted to veg out in front of the TV. I suppose that’s how it goes with exercise. I can say, that even on the days where I’ve had no ambition at all to move, I did anyway. When I am challenged to do something, I can pretty much guarantee that I will accomplish my goal. So, with only 3 days left in the month, I know without a doubt that I can do this. I hope that in some way, I inspired even 1 person to attempt this challenge with me and that they too have pushed through to this point.

In case you were wondering, I stopped with the Facebook selfies a while back due to the fact that life happens. I got too busy to remember to take the photo, post the photo and change the photo daily. Plus, I decided to concentrate more on the actual activity rather than how I looked preforming that activity. It kept me honest for the first few days, but after a while, I didn’t need the photos to get me moving.

This weekend is going to be jam packed with crazy, so I have no doubt that I will get my exercise in with ease. I will check in on the 31st to wrap things up and take some physical inventory. See you soon!!

2 Weeks of Awesome!

First off, I need to wish everyone a very happy Pi Day! One of my favorite days of the year. I am not a great lover of math, but is does give us all a fantastic reason to bake or patronize our favorite local bakery. Being a health coach in training has taught me that life is about being good to yourself and not expecting perfection. So, if on occasion we are tempted by some fine pastries or other baked goodies, I say enjoy! Just make sure that the treats are well made and well worth the splurge.

Secondly, I am very proud to say that I have enjoyed 2 full weeks of daily exercise in one form or another. Yes, I said enjoyed! I didn’t think it was possible for me to look forward to physical activity, but I now find myself wondering how I’ll get my body moving each day and it’s not stressful. It’s… fun. I know, I’m just as shocked as you are. Dancing, light saber fights, weight training while doing homework and watching TV. Also, I’ve come to think of fast walking at the mall as “speed dating” for shopaholics. So far there is nothing I don’t like about my March Challenge! I spend time with my husband and kids as we exercise together and I can see us getting stronger and healthier every day.

*If you are a fan of my facebook page, you can keep up with my daily exercise photos.*

Nori Roll-ups!

Yep, I’m still trying to tackle this thing called wheat free living. My newest wonderful experiment in sandwiches with no bread, is the nori roll-up. It’s simple, just take some flat toasted nori sheets, meant for sushi and fill ’em up with whatever you like to eat for lunch! Turkey, avocado, hummus, greens, cheese, hard boiled egg, tuna… whatever floats your boat! They are a little crunchy on the outside and if you love the taste of sushi, you’re going to love these. You don’t even need a rolling mat. Just do it freestyle.

What would you put int your nori roll-up?

The Jena Kayne Interview

Once upon a time there was a little girl named Jena. Jena was troubled, unable to control her emotions. She was thought of as a “problem child” by her parents, teachers and doctors. It took years and a huge toll on her health, to get to the bottom of her real problem. For years she suffered from undiagnosed celiac disease. Now she is a 17 year old high school senior and I was lucky enough to speak to her and hear her story.

Me: Tell me a little bit about your childhood and what some of the challenges were that you faced.

Jena: Well I was usually very happy, but I acted out a lot. I got sick a lot and I would stay home from school. I didn’t like going to school. I was very aggressive and yelled. Acting out with my brother and parents, I was very physical. Which if you know me now, you know, not at all the way I am. I didn’t really know who I was, I didn’t know how to express myself. So it was hard, because it wasn’t me.

Me: Physically, did you feel off after you ate? Did you feel anything different, or did it just feel normal to you?

Jena: I think it really did just feel normal to me. When I was maybe 5, I was sent to the ER because they thought I had appendicitis. I had severe abdominal pain and then it went away within 2 days. That was actually how I was diagnosed 2 years ago. I was in the ER again with severe abdominal pain and it didn’t go away this time. So they finally reluctantly gave me the test for celiac disease and they said,”Maybe you should go see the GI doctor.” and from there I was diagnosed. I always had stomach aches and chronic headaches and we didn’t know what it was. There were a lot of headaches in middle school. I just didn’t feel right. I wasn’t really healthy.

Me: Did it effect your appearance in any way? Your skin, skin quality or your hair?

Jena: Not really. I was just pretty overweight. When I was little it was OK, but when I was in middle school, it got more intense. So now I’ve lost 35 or 40 pounds and I feel much better.

Me: Why do you think it took so long to be diagnosed?

Jena: I think my symptoms were so scattered and they didn’t all happen at the same time. Like, they thought the headaches were just light sensitivity or my mom gets migraines so they thought it was migraines. But it wasn’t that intense, nothing like what she has. And they didn’t really know about my anger and that the outbursts were a symptom. They just thought I was a troubled child.

Me: Did you have treatment for the outbursts and anger?

Jena: Yeah, I when to a psychiatrist that prescribed ADHD medication. Maybe 6th grade I think. Yeah, we worked a lot with that and ironically as soon as I was diagnosed with celiacs, I didn’t need to go anymore. Now I go every 6 months to get my medication refilled.

Me: So you’re still taking the ADHD medication?

Jena: Yeah, but we dropped it down. I do have some trouble concentrating in school, but it’s just who I am. I’m kind of all over the place. (Laughs)

Me: So, what would you say are some new challenges that you face now that you’ve had the diagnosis?

Jena: At first the diagnosis was very hard for me, especially dinner with my family. If they would have something that wasn’t gluten free and I had to have my gluten free pasta (because we hadn’t found any good brands yet) it was so disgusting and they were eating such delicious foods. That was hard. Or going out to restaurants and not being able to eat everything that I wanted to and them having a very small selection, or going to parties. I had to bring my own snacks and that was kind of weird. But it’s gotten a lot easier now. So, I’m kind of like, “Eh, whatever.”

Me: It’s getting better, the gluten free selection. I personally can not have wheat and it’s starting to move towards it being that I can’t have anything with gluten in it. So it is nice that you can get the better selection now.

Jena: What’s hard now is that I’m looking into colleges and I’ve had to check if they could accommodate me. It’s kind of stressful. So far it hasn’t hindered anything and I’ve gotten into the school that I want to go to. I’m glad because they can handle it, but the thought of me not being able to go to a certain college that I want to go to because they can’t accommodate my diet is… I never thought I’d have to think about that. I want to go to a school because I want to learn, not because I can eat there. But I’m going to school in New York and they are very aware. I’m going to be in Brooklyn.

Me: Congratulations, what are you going to major in?

Jena: Architecture.

Me: Wow! High five! (through the computer)

Jena: (Laughs)

Me: So, what kind of changes do you see in yourself in your daily life, now that you are taking a proactive approach to your health?

Jena: Well, I’m much healthier and I have a ton more energy. I walk like 5 miles a day. I love exercising. I didn’t use to. I have so much energy and I’m sleeping so well. I’m happy all the time. You’re never going to see me not smiling. I don’t act out anymore. I know how to deal with my feelings now. I don’t know if that’s just partly because I’m older, but definitely a lot of that was the celiacs. It changed a lot, I feel more… ME.

Me: How do you see your future now as compared to what it would have been without the diagnosis?

Jena: I think I’m a lot more spontaneous now, which is ironic because with celiacs it’s much harder to be spontaneous. It’s like, whatever happens happens, you know? I wasn’t as close to my mom and my dad as I am now, so that’s changed. I want to go to school closer to home, so I can be with them.

Me: Why do you think that is?

Jena: I think that I resented them a lot when I was younger. I thought that they were the reason that I was like I was. That they were causing all my anger. But now I know how to deal with it and we’re very close. It’s very nice.

Me: That’s so good to hear. Is there any advice you would give to other teenagers that are dealing with similar health issues? Somebody that might be feeling some of the same things that you were, but don’t know what’s happening to them.

Jena: Yeah, I would definitely say to advocate for yourself. With my mom, when I first started having the pain, she wasn’t sure if it was real pain, but maybe some subconscious thing. I took a couple of days to think about it and came back and said, “This is not subconscious, I’m feeling this.” Maybe if I hadn’t said that, I wouldn’t have gotten a diagnosis so quickly. And it was very important that I got the diagnosis when I did. You are going through what you’re going through and you need to advocate for yourself so that your parents know what’s going on and don’t minimize anything. You can put on a brave face, but you have to make sure that the doctor knows what your symptoms are. Tell them how much it hurts.

Me: Have you done a lot of research yourself or have you kind of left it in the doctor’s hands?

Jena: Well my parents both have their PhD’s in science and my mom is a nutritional scientist, so whenever a doctor tells us to do anything we do tons of research.

Me: You’re very lucky.

Jena: Yeah, my dad is very on top of things and my mom too.

Me: Well, that’s all the questions that I had, but I just want to say thank you so much. I think that your story is not going to help just teenagers and young women, but people of all ages who just go through this painful situation everyday. Some people who have celiacs don’t even have symptoms, so there’s no connection. If they don’t feel anything after they eat, they don’t know. It’s great that you have discovered this so early in your life and that you are able to control it now.

Jena: Yeah I’m very fortunate that it was a diagnosis, not like diabetes like my cousin has, where he’s dependent on insulin. It was just a diet change for me. It effected my life at the beginning, but now it’s just such a part of me I don’t even realize it. It’s been 2 years and a long road. This feels like the light at the end of the tunnel.

*I’d like to thank Jena’s parents for allowing me to interview their daughter and to publish the results on my blog.

http://celiacdisease.about.com/od/symptomsofceliacdisease/a/Silent-Celiac-Disease.htm

Rising to the Challenge.

It has been over a week now since I started my March Challenge and I have to say, I’m so glad that I decided to do this. It has been much easier than I thought it would be to move my body every day. It feels good to know that I am doing something very positive for myself and my family. My body is getting stronger and I’m able to do more. Furthermore, my kids are going to have a positive roll model in more than just how to have a healthy diet. My husband is strong, but since we’ve had kids and “settled down”, he gets very little exercise. As I exercise more, it encourages him to be more active too. It’s an all around YAY!

The one thing about this challenge that isn’t happening the way I thought or hoped it would, is that I haven’t been following my schedule. It started out great, but within a few days, when and where flew out the window. I’ve still exercised in some way every day, just not how I planned. Maybe that just doesn’t work for me. Maybe as long as I have an arsenal of fitness possibilities in my closet, it doesn’t matter which one I pull out each day. Maybe flexibility is key for my continued progress. I know, that’s a lot of maybes. So what if this weekend, instead of the Saturday dance party and Sunday yoga, I took walks around town each day with my family? Exercise happened and I spent quality time with my men. Sounds good to me.

Do you keep a tight schedule or just let exercise happen the way it needs to? What works for you?

Switchin’ it up!

My March Challenge is only 5 days in and I am already seeing the huge difference it is making in my life. I have more patience for my kids, feel proud of myself for making the effort and making me more aware of what my body wants and needs. Somehow I was not really listening to that little voice up until now. Yes, I have been feeding my body the foods it needs to stay healthy, but not moving it the way it needed. Today, it was screaming, “Rest your legs!!”. I listened and decided to do some work on the weakest parts of my body, my arms and back.

So instead of fast walking at the mall, I decided to unearth my resistance bands form the downstairs closet. I’m so glad I did. My back was tight and my arms started to shake after just a few tricep curls, but that’s how I know the muscles needed the attention. Thanks, body for speaking up. A big shout out to my brain for paying attention!!

What is your body trying to tell you today?

The final step…

The final step in my preparation for my March challenge is to find and build a good support system. Who will be there to make sure that I am staying on track and reaching the goals of my personal challenge? Everyone needs some kind of support to reach their goals. Whether it be from a friend, spouse, website, book or organization, support pushes us ahead when we just don’t feel like going further.

My support system will be made up of a little of everything:

1. My husband has decided to take the fitness challenge with me. WooHoo!

2. My friend with the YMCA guest passes is letting me join her there once a week.

3. I have all of you to answer to if I falter.

4. I am reading the book “Hot Sweaty Mamas” which is a great source of inspiration for me.

So, my challenge officially starts tomorrow. I’m a little nervous and a lot excited to see if I can make it a whole month with daily exercise. Are you ready to start your personal March Challenge?

No ho-hummus here.

Do you love hummus?

Are you always looking for creative ways to get more greens into your body?

What do these two questions two have to do with each other? Maybe nothing. But maybe, just maybe a really nummy something. Today I was making some homemade hummus. Not a big deal, right? Well, I decided that I didn’t want it to be just some boring old hummus like usual. So I decided that instead of lemon juice, I would use some plain yogurt to add zip and creaminess. Then I decide that since I needed to use up some not so fresh greens in the fridge, that I would throw in a couple big handfuls of baby spinach, kale and chard mix. The results were spectacular.

If you don’t know me that well yet, you should know that I am not real big on recipes. I tend to make things up on the fly in the kitchen. Relying on my knowledge of taste combinations usually works just fine for me. This time was right on the money. So, what I have to offer is a rough retelling of how I made the hummus with greens. I hope it’s not too vague for you.

Non-recipe:

About a cup and a half- chickpeas (soaked and cooked)

1 heaping tablespoon- tahini paste

1 clove of garlic (unless you really love the garlic, then add another)

2 tablespoons- whole milk plain yogurt

2 big handfuls of greens (any kind will do really)

Avocado oil (enough so that I thought it wouldn’t kill the Vitamix by not having enough liquid in it)

Salt, turmeric and cumin to taste

Directions:

Put all ingredients in the blender. Blend until smooth. Add more oil if it is not at desired smoothness.

That’s it! Give it a try and let me know how you like it.

In preparation

I’m getting ready for next month’s challenge by narrowing down exactly which exercises will fit in to my schedule. I’ve come up with some good possibilities that I think I will enjoy.

1. Fast walking at the mall in the morning while pushing the stroller.

2. Dance parties with the kids after school.

3. Yoga

4. Joining a friend at the Y, using some of her guest passes.

I’ve got the beginnings of a good list. I just need to fill in a couple of blanks and then actually find openings in my schedule for them.

What ways can you work your March Challenge in to your life?

Take a good look.

I’ve learned quite a bit about myself in these past few months. Some good, some not as good. It’s all part of the process, learning our strengths and weaknesses.

Some positive things:

I can handle a much bigger work load than I ever thought possible.

I absolutely 100% love my chosen profession of being a health coach.

I am highly adaptive to an ever changing life.

I have surrounded myself with the most supportive and loving people any human could hope for.

Some not so positive things:

My psyche kind of crumbles when my home is in disarray.

My focus on school and my career have definitely taken it’s toll on my parenting skills.

I wasn’t as healthy as I thought I was going in to this certification course.

As cool as I thought I was with my past, it can still pop up and throw me in to a tail spin.

If life is a journey, my passport has been decorated with lots of brightly colored stamps lately. What’s your passport look like?

Vegging Out

I’m a bit behind this week with my veg prep. I usually try to get all of my vegetables that I’ll need for the week washed and cut by Monday afternoon at the latest. This week I’m finally getting to it on Tuesday morning. With this lovely batch, I’ll be making a big salad for my husband to take for his lunches. I’ll also have some pre-chopped veggies for quick dinners. Lastly, the scraps will be used for homemade vegetable stock. This is an invaluable time saver. I use some frozen corn, peas and spinach throughout the week too, to fill in if I run out of fresh. So take a tip from a soon to be health coach. Investing the time at the beginning of your week to prepare your ingredients, will make you life so much easier later in the week.

Oh, That’s Pinteresting!

Hey kids, it’s been a hectic few weeks here at Enlightened Nourishment headquarters. Lots of snow days, runny noses, homework, writing and filming. This morning I decided that it had been way too long since I’d updated my blog and kept you in the loop as to what I’ve been up to.

Some truly lovely things are filling up my life lately. I have 3 wonderful health coaching clients that are working their tails off trying to improve their lives, one step at a time. Each individual session that I have with them, brings new discoveries for both client and coach. I can’t express how much I love this work. Together, we set goals and week after week, continue to reach them! I am so proud of them all. It takes a courageous person to look at their life and say, it’s time for a change. It takes an even stronger person to take the steps to actually make that change. So this is me saying, “Woo hoo!!”.

My book is coming along slowly, but surly. It is a no nonsense guide to how to feed yourself and your children, creating a healthier future. Thankfully, I haven’t been short on inspiration so far. My husband and kids have been the best source of data for me. Three men with very different tastes and temperaments. My husband, a life long picky eater. My oldest, a good eater, but a dawdler. My youngest, is finicky to say the least.

Also, school is still filling my brain with so much new knowledge, that I feel it may pop. Big, scary knowledge. We are well into the business end of becoming a health coach. This is a scary area for me. Nutrition comes easy to me, the money end of it definitely does not. Going in to this program, I wanted to save the world one person at a time. Of course, I knew that I also needed to eventually charge people for this help. On top of learning how to get paid what I’m worth, I am learning how to market my business to get an edge over my competitors. This is so not me. Before I started school, I pictured myself magically having lots of clients that would somehow just transfer money into my account without me asking or even talking about the “M” word. In reality, it’s incredibly hard for me to put a monetary value on what I do. I want everyone to be able to afford my services, but I also need to make ends meet. In the end, I have decided on a rate that is slightly higher than I am comfortable with, but lower than the “going rate” for health coaches. Blech, money talk.

Lastly, I had taken a rest from pinning for quite a while. I found it to be a big sucker of my time. However, I have found a new and wonderful use for Pinterest. I created a board called “Nourishments” specifically for my clients to follow. It’s full of recipes, food prep ideas, exercises and inspirations. Sure, anyone can follow it, and I hope that they do. But this way, if a client is stuck in a dinner rut or in need of a new workout routine, this can be their go to page. Go ahead, take a gander at the “Nourishments” board and let me know what you think!

Know your MSG

If you are someone that suffers from chronic migraines or high blood pressure, you should be aware that consuming MSG is a major trigger for both of these conditions. It’s not enough to check that there is no monosodium glutamate listed on the box or bag you just picked up. MSG goes by many different names. Here is list of some of the aliases that the food industry tries to slide past us, never mind the health risks.

-Hydrolyzed protein
-Hydrolyzed vegetable protein
-Sodium caseinate
-Yeast extract
-Hydrolyzed oat flour
-Yeast nutrient
-Autolyzed yeast
-Textured vegetable protein
-Calcium caseinate
-Yeast food

But did you also know that MSG can be hiding in harmless looking words (spices, seasoning, artificial flavors, natural flavors and flavoring)?

Basically, the only way to tell if you are getting MSG free food is to either not buy anything that comes in a package or make sure that each ingredient is clearly listed. For example, if the box lists the spices it contains (salt, black pepper, cayenne pepper, basil…) go for it. If it literally says “spices” in the ingredient list, skip it!