Mindful Chatter

Slow Down and Find Balance

Have you ever finished a day completely exhausted, and realized you had totally missed it? Maybe it was beautiful outside and you were at your desk all day. Maybe you had planned to eat outside but you opted to "multi-task," eating in seconds at your desk, eyes glued to the computer. Maybe you had planned to exercise but a friend or family member needed your attention. Maybe your digestion is a mess, your head hurts and by Friday you are so exhausted you don't know how you will even make it home. Does this sound familiar?

It seems that only in tragedy do we slow down, express gratitude, and appreciate life. But why do we wait for life's hard lessons to enjoy all of its moments? Why do we wait for a weekend to think about our own needs, and why do we allow 5 days of our life to move like lightening, sleeping the other two away?

This blog entry is dedicated to slowing down. Recognizing your body's own needs and giving yourself permission to truly live.

 

 

Ten Ways to Slow Down and Find Balance

 

 

1-Ask yourself: what do you enjoy that you are missing? Is it a hobby? Is it a place? It is a tv show or exercise class? Why are you missing it?

 

2-Do you enjoy your work? If not why not? What changes can you make? Make a list of all of the qualities that you want in a job and write it like you already have it. Expect positive change.

 

3-One day a week abolish the phrase "have to. "Tell yourself that on this day you can not do laundry, you can not run errands, you can only do something that you feel excited by. If you can't devote a whole day to this, make it an afternoon.

 

4-Eat your lunch away from your desk. Even if it is just for 20 minutes, put down the phone, turn off the computer and WALK AWAY. You will be amazed and how much better you feel.

5- Devote 30 minutes a day to silence. Turn off the tv, email, computer and noise. You can meditate, rest, journal-whatever feels right to you. Give your mind the chance to breathe. What do you hear when your body is quiet?

 

6-Exercise for health not for weight loss. I know this sounds strange coming from someone in my field, but for some exercise is actually another means of stress, or another obligation."I need to burn this many calories, I need to feel sore, I need to etc etc.... More obligations! More rules! Find an exercise that you actually enjoy. Even if it doesn't burn the maximum amount of calories, that is ok! Find something where you move your body and quiet your mind! Take a walk in the park, go to a yoga class, or run, or workout with a trainer-this about what you want to do not what you think you are supposed to do. Plus, when you do something you enjoy you might actually find time to do it!

  

7. Create a ritual to unwind from each day. Our body is overloaded and stressed from a long day at work or from obligations at home. The mind needs to know it is safe to slow down. Take a bath, or shower-wash away the day, read a book or magazine, light a candle, use essential oils, do some light yoga-whatever feels good to you. But shut off all connections to work and the stresses of the day.

    

8.Break your weekly routine. Is there something you can do during lunch or after work that is enjoyable? A class you can take? A show you can see? Dinner with a friend? This doesn't have to be every day but the monotony of the week is sometimes part of the stress of the work week. Creating a fun activity in the middle of it can be very helpful.

 

9-Sleep. This is one of the most important ways to find balance in life. But the number of hours you sleep is only one component. The most restful hours of sleep happen between 10pm-6 am. The body needs to repair itself-especially the liver, and if you fall asleep at midnight or later your body misses time to regenerate the cells of the liver and gallbladder.

 

10-Sunlight. So we have all been told to avoid sunlight because of skin cancer. This is true to a degree. But we can benefit greatly from having 15 minutes of sun per day. The natural Vitamin D helps the immune system, mood, sleep, depression, anxiety and more. Get outside-but in moderation!

 

Now get some rest! :)

Enjoy!

Nicole

 

Struggling with Healthy Snacks for Kids?

Are you trying to keep your kids off of sugar and having a hard time?

Does your child suffer from allergies to dairy or wheat and you feel like there is nothing you can feed him or her?

This is one of the most common complaints I hear from parents. "My child is so picky and I just want to make sure they get enough food," or " I need something quick because I don't have that much time to prepare snacks or meals." I understand. Here are a few quick ideas.

 

 

 

1. Almond Butter on Celery or an Apple with Almond Butter is much healthier than peanut butter because peanuts contain mold, so if you can get your child to eat that over peanut butter it will help them in the long run. 

 

2-Roasted Walnuts or Pumpkin Seeds: I put them on broil and add a little sea salt. Yum!

 

3-Terra Sweet Potato Chips with Daiya cheese: Sweet Potato has a ton of Vitamin A -great for the immune system and it won't spike their blood sugar like white potato chips. Daiya cheese is a wonderful dairy alternative that does not contain casein or soy and it is actually made from green peas! Strange but delicious!

 

4. Hummus with brown rice crackers or gluten free pita: Or If your child isn't a fan of hummus you can do a white bean dip instead. Just blend white beans, olive oil, garlic, lemon and sea salt in a blender or food processor-very easy!

 
 

5-Smoothie:You can try to either blend greek yogurt with frozen berries and a little bit of frozen banana or for a dairy free version try blending vanilla rice milk or almond milk with 1 tsp of cocoa powder, frozen berries, and banana. If it isn't sweet enough for them you can add 1 tsp of agave.

 

6. Ezekiel bread with almond or cashew butter.

 

7. Homemade Quesadilla:Try Brown Rice Tortilla's with daiya cheese and guacamole -if they like it- and salsa. Or for variety you can add turkey and daiya cheese with salsa.

 

8. Homemade Popsicles: I just found a great one on Sur La Table's website: http://www.surlatable.com/product/PRO-179833/Zoku-Quick-Pop-Maker

You can even blend yogurt with fruit and use that for your popsicles.

 

9. Organic Mozzarella sticks:If your child is not sensitive to dairy this is a great snack-quick and easy!

 

10. Mini Pizzas: You can use brown rice crackers or a gluten free pizza crust, add mozzarella or daiya cheese and tomato sauce and bake until either the crust is done or the cheese has melted on the crackers.

 

Enjoy!

Nicole 

 

 

 

Are You Thinking About a Keratin Treatment?

Summer is approaching and more and more people are signing up for poison. Yes poison.  They say that they only do this a few times a year, they can't live without it... etc etc.  But a few times per year is too much, and that is really all it takes to inhale the toxins and suffer the consequences. What am I referring to? Keratin straightening treatments sometimes referred to as Japanese or Brazilian straightening treatments.

Each year I am shocked when some of my most health conscious clients tell me they are going for their hair straightening appointments. They say their hair is unmanageable in the summer and that they know it is bad but they need to do it.

Why is Keratin so bad?

Let me first start by saying that I have not personally had my hair chemically straightened. But at one time my hair dresser was trying to convince me to do it for the summer. So I began to research it. What I found is that formaldehyde is one of the dangerous ingredients in the product and many manufacturers are disguising this ingredient by using different names for it such as aldehyde, and more. Not only is formaldehyde and its derivatives dangerous to the sinuses, lungs and skin but it can also damage the eyes. People should actually wear masks during the process, customers and hair dressers alike. Many people have reported that they feel nauseous during the treatment, that their eyes burned and that their hair fell out in clumps afterwards. Yes their hair actually FELL OUT! In addition two of my family members had it done and they are still dealing with their hair breaking two years later. If you think about it your skin is one of your largest detox organs. It is actually referred to as your second liver. So would you pour a substance on your liver that needs to be used in a ventilated area and with such caution? I think not. Instead people are pouring it on their scalps.

I can personally say that I have treated many hair dressers and oftentimes they have more issues than the average person. Why? They are inhaling chemicals from color treatments, straightening treatments and relaxers-even if they are not applying them themselves, they are still surrounded by the odor. They often have thyroid and liver issues because of these toxins. So please spare yourself the future agony of either chemical exposure or hair damage and nurture your hair in a more natural way.

 

Natural Fixes for Frizzy Hair

 

I know we have talked about natural remedies for hair before. Many times frizzy hair is a product of dryness.

1-Some of our favorite fixes for dry hair are : jojoba oil, avocado oil, emu oil and or coconut oil. You can apply them to the scalp and leave one of them in for an extended period of time or rinse it out 20-30 minutes later.

2-A regular trim can help with frizziness because the breakage is usually part of the hair's frizzy appearance.

3-Vitamins and minerals that are best for the hair are B vitamins, Iron, Zinc and Silica.

4-Of course diet plays a role as well. Hair will thrive with a balanced diet that includes fruits and vegetables and healthy fats. Oftentimes people who are afraid of eating fat suffer from damage to their hair.

 

5-We also found this remedy from Natural Health Magazine:

Mix 2 egg yolks  with 100 ml warm water (not hot, as this sets the eggs). Stir in a few teaspoons of clear honey (an excellent moisturizer), 3 drops sandalwood and 2 drops rosemary oil. Bend over the sink and apply the mixture to your hair, working it through to the ends. Wrap your hair in a towel or shower cap and leave for an hour. Rinse thoroughly with lukewarm water and towel-dry. Use the pack twice a week after shampooing. If pregnant, avoid rosemary oil.

 

 Enjoy!

 Nicole

Gluten-Free Apple Pie Recipe

 

 

Last week, completely out of the blue, my 4-year old requested that I make a cherry pie for her upcoming "pie party".    I had no idea what "pie party" she was talking about, I've never been much of a baker, and our entire family just recently joined the fast-growing Gluten-Free club.  Needless to say, I was pretty intimidated...

First, there's the crust.  I started out with high hopes, but after searching online for "how to make the best gluten-free pie crust" (and there are some good ones out there!), the non-baker in me kicked in.  I switched my search to "the best ready-made gluten-free pie crusts" and found the following:

• Gillian’s makes a crust which is sold at Whole Foods and many health food stores around the country.
•  Gluten-Free Bakehouse, a Whole Foods brand (only sold at Whole Foods), also makes a gluten-free pie crust. Like most ready-made gluten pie crusts, the ready-made gluten-free crusts 
  are stocked in the freezer case at the store.
•  The next best thing to baking from scratch-  gluten-free baking mixes. Favorites include Pamela’s Pancake and Baking Mix, Gluten-Free Pantry and Breads by Anna.

That settled, I looked for an apple pie recipe that would bring me back to the good old days- the times before I had to be concerned about gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, pesticide-free, and the like.  So I adapted a recipe to fit my dietary needs, and voila! 

Prep Time: 30 minutes

Cook Time: 50 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour, 20 minutes

Ingredients:

• 1 recipe Gluten Free Pie Dough - Enough for a 2- crust pie
• 7 cups, peeled Grannie Smith apples, sliced 1/4" thick- about 2 1/2 pounds
• 3/4  cup Agave nectar (if using a tart variety of apple, use more agave)
• 2 tablespoons sweet rice flour OR tapioca flour
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons cubed butter

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400°

1. Roll out half of dough according to recipe instructions and place in a 9-inch pie plate.
2. Combine agave, amaranth, arrowroot OR cornstarch, cinnamon, nutmeg and salt in a large bowl and use a whisk to thoroughly blend ingredients.
3. Add sliced apples and gently coat apples with agave mixture.
4. Pour apples into dough-lined pie plate and distribute them evenly.
5. Dot the top of the apples with cubed butter.
6. Place top crust over the apples. Press edges to seal dough and use your favorite method to flute the edges (pressed with fork tines, etc.). Cut or poke several small vents in the top of the pie crust.
7. Bake for 50-60 minutes, until top is golden brown and apples are tender.
8. Check frequently. If edges brown too quickly, place a strip of foil around the edge to prevent burning.
9. Allow pie to cool for several minutes before cutting.

 

New ingredients:  $50

Hours in the Kitchen: 2 (I had an hour's worth of kitchen-cleaning procrastination before I actually started)

Having a pie party that didn't leave my toddler irritable and gassy:   Priceless.

 

I hope you enjoy as much as we did!

Lindsay

 

 

____________________

http://celiac-disease.com/where-can-i-find-a-gluten-free-pie-crust/