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As the weather gets cooler and the couch & kitchen become more of the hangout area, please everyone by baking up some delicious and healthy sweet potato fries. Sweet Potatos are loaded with nutrients, so they are the perfect comfort food without the guilt.!
Directions (serving for 4)
1. Preheat oven to 450
2. Rinse and cut up two sweet potatoes into 1/2 inch strips (I leave the skin on for more nutrients…. tasty too)
3. Season strips with sea salt, pepper, thyme and rosemary (fresh if you have it) to your liking.
4. Throw seasoned strips into a tupperware and shake it up !
5. Lay strips on baking sheet, bake for 15-20 minutes, turning once
6. Enjoy with your favorite dip (guacamole is my favorite)
Lunch is my favorite meal to pack as much nutrients into. Like most people, I don’t have a lot of time to make lunch, but have discovered some easy, tasty and healthy lunch ideas that are powering me through long days.
Mediterranean Chicken Wrap– There are lots of possible veggies to add to this one, but my favorite are grilled zucchini, eggplant, or summer squash (and those veggies are all in season now, so take advantage!).
1. Spread a thin layer of basil pesto on eight 6-inch tortillas. (you can buy it, but pesto is so easy to make… click here for a simple recipe)
2. Cook 1lb boneless chicken breast; chop
3. Roast and slice a red bell pepper and three portobello mushroom caps (discard stems and gills first)
4. Thinly slice a small red onion
5. Chop half a head of Boston lettuce (obviously any kind will do, this is just the tastiest!)
6. Layer meat and veggies on each tortilla; then fold in ends and roll up
Makes 8
ENJOY!
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Do you feel like food controls you?
Do you feel like you can’t be trusted around certain foods?
Do you often eat for reasons other than hunger?
We’ve all been there! Join Hadley for her top tips on how to say goodbye to emotional eating. (Hint: It has nothing to do with willpower!) Hadley is an emotional eating expert who specializes in helping women call off the war with their bodies and eat intuitively. During the call, you will explore how to banish bingeing and ditch the diet mentality while learning strategies to listen to what your body really wants and needs.
TELECLASS — Tuesday, August 24 @ 8pm
Get one hour of expert advice for only $15.
As a special bonus, you will receive handouts on intuitive eating and a list of Hadley’s go-to resources for breaking the cycle of emotional eating.
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Three words for you ladies… “Three Bean Salad.”
I’ve had just as many woman try this recipe as I’ve had men… but never have I had as many men RAVE about how much they loved it. This dish is HEALTHY, QUICK and SIMPLE to make (not to mention dirt cheap). The recipe is an assortment of beans & veggies which is all then tossed in a yummy sweet tasting dressing. The best thing about this recipe is you can improvise on ingredients without sacrificing taste.
Three Bean Salad
1 can black beans, drained & rinsed
1 can black eyed peas, drained & rinsed
1 can shoepeg corn, drained & rinsed
1 green pepper, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped
3-4 stalks celery
1 small red onion, chopped
Toss all of the above ingredients together and then add the dressing
Dressing
3/4 c. sugar
3/4 c. vinegar (I like to use apple cider vinegar)
3/4 c. water
1/4 c. oil (I like to use vegetable oil)
Bring mixture to a boil, remove from heat and let cool. When cooled down pour the mixture dressing over the veggies and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 4 hours before serving.
ENJOY!
Take control of your relationship with food and movement to create real change in your life.
Join us at Spark Wellness! for an inspiring seminar series and learn how to reclaim your natural appetite, feel confident about your food choices, and re-discover the joy of movement.
September 16- October 14, 2010
Thursdays, 8-9pm
During this five-week program you’ll learn:
Secret 1: Understand Your Appetites: Deconstruct your physical and emotional cravings to end the cycle of emotional eating.
Secret 2: Enjoy Your Food While Slimming Down: Throw out your food phobias and learn how eating more of many foods can actually jump-start permanent weight loss.
Secret 3: Move with Purpose: Change the way you think about the E-word – EXERCISE – and find ways to make the gift of movement a joyful part of your life.
Secret 4: Solve the Weight Loss Puzzle: Explore simple lifestyle modifications that can help you finally chill out and shed pounds — without feeling deprived.
Secret 5: Ditch the Diet Mentality: Tired of trying (and failing!) diet after diet? Learn why dieting doesn’t work and discover a new way of thinking about food and your relationship to the act of eating.
Get the expertise of three health specialists in just one class.
Veronica Farje is a Certified Personal Fitness Trainer and movement instructor who helps people uncover their physical and mental strength and flexibility. Andrea Moss is a weight loss warrior who helps women discover the best foods for them to look and feel their absolute best. Hadley Seward is an emotional eating expert who helps women eat intuitively and call off their war with their bodies.
WANT MORE INFORMATION? CLICK HERE TO REGISTER FOR A FREE INFORMATIONAL SESSION ABOUT THE SEMINAR SERIES WITH HEALTH COACHES ANDREA AND HADLEY. SEPTEMBER 8TH, 8-8.30PM.
Buy Local, Eat Fresh.
Did you know most fresh fruits and vegetables produced in the U.S. are shipped from California, Florida or Washington. Before arriving in the supermarket, these foods travel on average 1,300 miles… spending 1-2 weeks in transit. When a once “fresh” apple from California finally arrives in the supermarket, it is now chemically altered with toxins that cause illness & disease, and lacks fresh taste and nutritional value.
Why buy local?
- Tastier. Locally grown fruits and vegetables are usually sold within 24 hours of being harvested, which means they have exceptional flavor.
- Healthier. When a fruit or vegetable is locally grown, the nutritional value is much higher than commercial.
To find locally-produced food near you, click here.
I can’t believe it’s already August! If you are a lover of warm weather like me, you have spent many days outside and have gone through at least two tubes of sunscreen. I think the majority of us are well aware of the importance of sunscreen in preventing wrinkles, but I believe what we eat is definitely overlooked.
Look to food as your wrinkle-fighting weapon of choice, by simply placing healthy choices on your plate.
WRINKLE-FIGHTING RECIPE: MUESLI
Start your day with this energizing muesli packed with anti-wrinkle nutrients from oats, blueberries, and apricots. You’ll keep your blood sugar levels low with the help of cinnamon, and protect your skin from puffiness, redness, and wrinkles with almonds, which contain vitamin E and flavonols that fight free radicals.
What you’ll need:
1/2 c. rolled oats
1/3 c. oat bran
2 tbspn dried blueberries
5 dried apricots, chopped
1 pinch ground cinnamon
1 c. plain yogurt
1 tbspn slivered almonds
Directions:
1. In a medium bowl, mix together the oats, oat bran, blueberries, apricots, and cinnamon. Stir in yogurt.
2. Cover and refrigerate over night.
3. In the morning, pour the milk over the muesli, and sprinkle with almonds
Next time you have friends over, take 10 minutes and make a fresh, healthy and delicious appetizer; summer tomato bruschetta. 
Ingredients:
- 2 c. diced summer tomatoes
- 1 clove garlic, worked through garlic press
- 1/4 c. good quality extra-virgin olive oil
- juice of half lemon
- 8-10 basil leaves, thinly sliced into ribbons
- paprika, to taste
- good sea salt, to taste
- red bell pepper
- splash of balsamic vinegar
- sour baguette, sliced into 1/2 in. discs at an angle
If you are roasting a pepper, start by turning on a burner and placing the pepper on top. Blacken the skin evenly by using tongs to turn periodically. When the pepper is completely blackened, remove from flame and allow to cool. Scrape off blackened skin with a dull knife or fork, remove seeds, dice and set aside.
In the meantime preheat oven to 325 F and slice bread. Combine first 9 ingredients in a mixing bowl. Some people add sugar, but I prefer to add a splash of balsamic vinegar if I want a little more sweetness. Paprika is also optional, but I find it adds a nice, subtle complexity. Don’t be shy with your sea salt in this recipe. Allow mixture to marinate briefly, stirring occasionally.
Next brush your baguette slices on one side with olive oil and place in warm oven. Toast for 6-10 minutes. Monitor carefully and do not allow to burn.
Place baguette slices on your serving plate and heap marinated tomatoes on top. Add extra small spoonfuls of juice on top of the mixture to add flavor and soften bread.
Last thing left is to crack some champagne, and you’re ready to serve! 🙂
Spark! Wellness 