Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor. Women’s Health Programs

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Fall Detox: Detox Fruits and Vegetables as a Weight Loss Tool and Cold and Flu Remedy -Part II

Saturday, November 21st, 2009

We know that we should eat with the seasons to get more nutrients and feel better. But did you know that we can detox /cleanse your body with the seasons using seasonal detox fruits and vegetables?

As a holistic health and nutrition counselor, I always remind my clients that everything we breathe, eat, drink, and even touch, contain toxins; in other words, we can acquire toxins from our environment by breathing them, by ingesting them, or through physical contact with them, and this is a bad news.

A good news is that we can detox with seasonal fruits and vegetables without waiting for Spring. It is very important to detox with the seasons in order to boost our immunity, reduce stress, rebalance and rejuvenate our body, especially during Cold and Flu season, to avoid weight gain during stressful Holiday season.

For fall detox, try to incorporate more of these fruits and vegetables into your diet if you want to feel and look fabulous during stressful holiday season.

* Apples to cleanse your digestion, liver and kidneys;

* Pomegranates to detox your lymph;

* Beans to detox digestive tract;

* Broccoli, cabbage,sprouts to help detox the liver;

* Garlic to eliminate toxic microorganisms;

* Watercress to purify the blood;

* Celery to flush your kidneys;

* Onions and garlic to remove heavy metals and parasites;

* Beets to purify the blood;

* Grapefruit peel to help resolve mucus condition from the lungs;

* Turnips to detoxify the body.

You can learn much more about simple detox with the seasons from my eBook “Detox -101 – Super Simple Detox”.

Let us be detox smart if we want not to catch colds and be happy and healthy during Cold and Flu and Holiday season, shall we?

P.S. It is also the right time when you might need help with one of my Holistic Health and Wellness Programs for Women, contact me and let us discuss which one might be a good match for you.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Benefits of Whole Foods, Detox, Healthy Recipes | No Responses »
Tags: Cold and Flu Season, Fall Detox, Holiday Weight Gain, Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor. Women's Health Programs, Super Simple Detox

Healthy Eating with the Seasons: Fall Fruits and Vegetables

Saturday, November 14th, 2009

Are you taking your first step to becoming healthier and happier? Do you try to eat healthier? Did you start eating with the seasons?

Eating with the seasons means that the foods you’re eating are fresher and at their nutritional peak. Eating in seasons and locally grown foods is also better for our body because it is designed to eat in cycles, and to be closer to nature.

Just a quick reminder that seasonal fruits and vegetables are different for different regions, but in general

* Fall fruits:

Apples, avocado, bananas, cranberries, grapes, grapefruit, kiwi, oranges, pears, persimmons, tangerines;

* Fall vegetables:

Beans, beets, bok choy, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, garlic, kale, leeks, lettuce, parsnips, pumpkin, rutabaga, spinach, squash, sweet potatoes, turnips, watercress.

Let us be seasonal fruits and vegetables smart if we want to feel and look fabulous, shall we?

P.S. If you think you it’s the right time to start one of my Holistic Health and Wellness Programs for Women, contact me and let us discuss which one will be a good match for you.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Healthy Recipes | No Responses »
Tags: Healthy Eating, Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor. Women's Health Programs, Seasonal Fruits and Vegetables

Healthy Eating with the Seasons: Ginger and Cinnamon-Spiced Pumpkin Muffin Recipe to Conquer Pain

Thursday, November 12th, 2009

One of my clients suffers from arthritis and she asked me if I could share some pain relief recipes. Of course, I can!

As a Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor, I always tell my clients that to reduce pain, we need more anti-inflammatory foods to help the body create certain hormones which will help regulate inflammation. We need more foods rich in omega-3, vitamins A, C and E.

I would like to share with you this recipe I adopted from old Prevention magazine: the pumpkin, rich in beta-carotene, cinnamon and ginger, well-known anti-inflammatory spices and vitamin C from orange zest might help relieve pain from arthritis and reduce inflammation.

Ginger and Cinnamon-Spiced Muffins

Ingredients:

1 1/2 whole wheat flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

2 tbsp baking powder

1 tsp gound cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 canned 100%pure pumpkin

1/2 canola oil

1/2 tsp freshly grated oraange zest

Candied orange peel for garnish

1/2 tsp salt

1 free range egg

1 cup fat-free milk

Directions:

Preheat oven to 3750 F,;Lightly coat 12 cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Stir flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt in a large mixing bowl. Beat egg in a small bowl for 30 seconds, until foamy. Add milk, pumpkin, oil, orange zest. Beat well, and add to flour mixture- stir until moistened.

Fill muffin cups 3/4 ful with batter. Bake 15 – 17 minutes until tops spring back when touched with a finger.

Bon Appetit and let us be pain free, shall we?

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Benefits of Whole Foods, Healthy Recipes | 1 Response »
Tags: Healthy recipes, Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor. Women's Health Programs, Inflammation, Inflammatory foods, Pain Relief Recipes

Healthy Eating with the Seasons: Cabbage Recipes for Cancer Prevention, Weight Loss and Glowing Skin

Friday, October 30th, 2009

Do you like cabbage? It is the right time to try it because even if you can buy it throughout the year, cabbage is at its best during the late fall and winter.

As a holistic health and nutrition counselor, I always remind my clients that cabbage is rich in cancer-fighting nutrients, including Vitamin C, fiber, and two phytochemicals that help detoxify the body from cancer producing substances, get rid of extra estrogen and flush the fat.

Studies show that women who include cabbage regularly in their diet reduce their risk of breast cancer by 45%.

Cabbage has a unique ability to nourish and relax the spleen, pancreas and stomach which help us to feel and look fabulous.

Cabbage Soup

Ingredients:

I pound green cabbage, diced

1 onion chopped

2 medium carrots chopped

6 cups water

3 tbsp barley miso

Parsley to garnish

1 tbsp dried basil

2 tbsp olive oil

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Sautee onions and carrots in olive oil for in a soup pot for 3 minutes, add cabbage, salt and basil and sauté for 3- 4 minutes. Add water, bring to boil and simmer until vegetables are soft – for about 20-25 minutes.

Use a little bit of broth to dissolve the miso, and stir back into soup. Simmer uncovered for 3- 4 minutes. Add parsley just before the serving.

Cabbage with Lentils and Arame Sea Weed

Ingredients:

4 cups shredded cabbage

½ cup dried Arame sea weed

½ cup cooked lentils

1 onion, chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

3-4 tbsp olive oil

¼ tsp turmeric

1/8 tsp Cayenne pepper

1-2 cloves of garlic minced

sea salt to taste

Directions:

Soak Arame sea weed in some water for 5 minutes. Sautee onion in olive oil for 4-5 minutes, add cabbage, salt, tomato paste, Arame sea weed and sautee for 20 -25 min until cabbage is ready. Add stir in lentils, turmeric, red pepper, mix thoroughly and serve. You can also eat it cold.

Bon Appetit!

Let us be eating cabbage smart if we want to feel and look fabulous all year around, shall we?

P.S. If you think you this is the right time when you might need help with one of my Holistic Health and Wellness Programs for Women, contact me and let us discuss which one might be a good match for you.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Benefits of Whole Foods, Detox, Healthy Recipes, Prevent Cancer | No Responses »
Tags: Cabbage Benefits and Recipes, Healthy and Easy to Make Recipes, Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor. Women's Health Programs, Whole Foods

Three Simple Exercises to Promote Relaxation and Emotional Balance During Holiday Season

Friday, October 23rd, 2009

Holidays is the most stressful time of the year. Do you feel even more stressed out ? Feel burned out, irritated and anxious? Suffer from stress headaches?

You are not alone! But it is time to change that: stress is # one cause of all illnesses and we need to take care of ourselves if we want to enjoy holidays, not to catch cold and flu, have a better sleep and beat seasonal depression.

I would like to share you these three simple exercises to help you to relax and get rid of stress headaches.

1. Try this breathing exercise and if you like it, try to incorporate it into your daily routine:

Every hour, or even more frequently if possible, close your eyes and breath deeply for a minute.

Try to focus on nothing but your breathing. Feel your abdomen go in and out as air enters and leaves the deepest corners of your lungs.

According to Dr.Benkim, this simple exercise has a powerful effect on your autonomic nervous system, promotes relaxation and emotional balance.

2. With your thumb and index finger, gently pull down and out along the edge of your lobe starting at mid-ear, working your way down to the bottom to activate more than hundred acupressure points each ear has. it helps release endorphins to reduce your anxiety.

3. Squeeze the groove between the thumb and index finger of your left hand with the thumb and index finger of your right hand for a minute just when you feel your stress headache is coming. Switch hands and repeat the exercise.

Let us be stress smart if we want to feel and look fabulous all year around, shall we?

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Headache Migraine Relief, Stress Relief | No Responses »
Tags: Accupressure, Breathing exercise, Cold and Flu Season, Holiday Stress, Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor. Women's Health Programs, Seasonal Depression, Stress Reduction Technique

Homemade Soups as a Stress Relief Tool, Weight Loss Technique and Beauty Remedy

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

When it is cold outside we need more homemade meals to draw energy and warmth into our body to feel warm and nourished. Do you make soups often? Soup is one of the healthiest foods, it helps digest and assimilate food properly and make us feel and look fabulous during seasonal depression and Cold and Flu Season.

* Soups relax and stimulate digestive tract, so when you take in solid foods, the process of digestion is already at work. When the body can digest food easily, it’s less stressed which is very beneficial for our immune system.

* Soups make us feel satisfied with less volume which is helpful for a successful weight management.

Cristina Pirrello calls soups a golden elixir in her book Glow, A Prescription for Radiant Health and Beauty, here is an extract from it:

Soup is also like a golden elixir for our skin and hair. Being a warm liquid, soup has an energy that draws moisture and nutrition deep into the body, particularly to intestines. So the ingredients of the soup, using the liquid as the vehicle, travel deep into the body carrying the nutrients, but more important, the energy of the vegetables, grains, or beans to the intestines, liver, and kidneys efficiently and quickly.

When these three organs are working well, they come together in a symphony of energy influencing the quality of our blood, making it strong and clean, which in return, nourishes the skin and hair and nails to be their best.

Here is how it works.

* If you want skin that is less oily and prone to break-outs, you might choose to make soup with daikon and shiitake mushrooms, both of which are reputed to work in the body to break down and eliminate accumulated fat which can result in common skin problems.

* If your problem is dry, tight skin, you might choose to sauté your vegetables before cooking them in soup to add richness of oil to the pot, to soften the dryness. You might also chose vegetables with a sweet, moist nature, like winter squash, onions, dark leafy greens and green cabbage.

So make a fresh pot of soup every day. Savor it’s deep nourishment and delicious energy – and watch as a more youthful and beautiful you is created with each spoonful.

Bon Appetit!

If you think you might need help with one of my Holistic Health and Wellness Programs for Women, contact me and let us discuss which one might be a good match for you.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Beauty Remedies, Benefits of Whole Foods, Healthy Recipes | No Responses »
Tags: Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor. Women's Health Programs, Home Cooking, Soups, Weight Loss Tips and Recipes

Super Foods to Reduce PMS Symptoms and Fight Pain and Fatigue

Monday, October 12th, 2009

Do you experience nervous tension, mood swings, anxiety, constipation, fatigue irritability, sugar cravings, headaches, weight gain at least once a month?

Do you suffer from pain, cramps, backache, irregular periods, excessive bleeding during your periods? As a Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor, I always remind my clients, that healthy lifestyle, healthier foods choices and plenty of physical activities can help us feel better during periods.

As for certain food choices, numerous studies show that we need:

- lots of fiber rich foods to get rid of excess estrogen and detox our liver, so it can metabolize our hormones;

Adding fiber in the form of legumes, grains, vegetables and fruits to your diet will help reduce breast pain and cramps.

Source: brown rice, oatmeal, vegetables such as broccoli, spinach, carrots, sweet potatoes swiss chard, legumes, beans and fruits.

- Calcium balance in the body if we want to reduce cramps and be in a better mood.

Source: almonds, sesame seeds, cabbage, broccoli, kale, oranges, turnip greens, beans, fish, spinach, artichoke,beets, eggplant, mushrooms, cherries, pineapple, yogurt, kefir, etc.

- Magnesium levels have been shown to be lower in women with PMS than in those without this condition. We are talking about breast tenderness, abdominal bloating, weight gain and even premenstrual mood changes.

Source: almonds, apples, apricots, brown rice, garlic, leafy vegetables, spinach, salmon, etc.;

- vitamin B6 rich foods to reduce PMS cramps and pain as well as for successful estrogen removal;

Source: yams, cabbage, bananas, fish, prunes, walnuts, watermelon, avocado, brown rice, black beans, etc.;

- vitamin E to reduce food cravings, anxiety, irritability, depression, and breast tenderness.

Source: almonds, bell pepper, kiwi, spinach, avocado, romaine lettuce, olive oil, etc..

-essential fatty acids to have milder menstrual symptoms;

Source: wild caught salmon, flax seed, walnuts;

Let us make smart food choices before and during our periods, shall we?

If you think you might need help with one of my Holistic Health and Wellness Programs for Women, contact me and let us discuss which one might be a good match for you.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Benefits of Whole Foods | No Responses »
Tags: Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor. Women's Health Programs, PMS Symptoms, Whole Foods