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Healthy Halloween Pumpkin Cookies – Yummm

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

Halloween is the time when we have to remember that our kids are not the healthiest in the world and we must protect them from diabetes, obesity and heart disease which are are on the rise among children.

So, I would like to share with you this Healthy Recipe I found at www.foodnetwork.com

Why is it healthy?

Just in case if you don’t know, spices, like ginger and cinnamon boost our immune system helping fight with cold and flu.

Dark molasses are a great substitute for sugar as well as a good source of iron and B vitamins.

As for raisins, they can protect our oral, dental and bone health, be helpful for our vision and beneficial if you have constipation, weight gain or anemia.

Spiced Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients

2/3 cup whole-wheat pastry flour

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

3/4 cup canned plain pumpkin puree

3/4 cup packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1/4 cup canola oil

1/4 cup dark molasses

1 cup raisins

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat 3 baking sheets with cooking spray.

Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, allspice and nutmeg in a large bowl.

Whisk pumpkin, brown sugar, oil and molasses in a second bowl until well combined. Stir the wet ingredients and raisins into the dry ingredients until no traces of dry ingredients remain. Drop the batter by level tablespoonfuls onto the prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies 1 1/2 inches apart.

Bake the cookies until firm to the touch and lightly golden on top, 10 to 12 minutes, switching the pans back to front and top to bottom halfway through. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.
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Bon Appetit!

Don’t forget to breathe, smile and be happy.

Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Heart Healing Recipes with Heart Healthy Foods

Saturday, May 9th, 2009

Enjoy these Heart Healing Recipes with heart healthy foods to get rid of constipation, lower blood pressure, reduce cholesterol level, improve circulation, reduce inflammation, and risk of heart attack.

Spinach and Cantaloupe Salad

All ingredients (yogurt, turmeric, spinach, tomato, garlic cantaloupe, parsley, raisins) are all rich in heart healthy foods rich in omega-3, potassium an dfiber Potassium to help body get rid of excess of sodium.

Ingredients:

1 cup baby spinach

1 cup cantaloupe sliced in cubes

1 tomato sliced

1 clove garlic minced (reduce inflammation)

1/2 cup parsley chopped

½ cup pine nuts

½ cup raisins

Dressing:

My Super Healthy Turmeric Dressing

Directions:

Mix all ingredients, and serve.

Green Beans with Apples and Portobello Mushrooms

All ingredients (mushrooms, apples, green beans, walnuts, broccoli) are rich in fiber to get rid of constipation, lower blood pressure and prevent heart attack.

Ingredients:

2 medium Portobello mushrooms sliced

1 medium onion sliced

1 cup green beans cooked

1/3 cup walnuts chopped (reduce inflammation)

1 medium apple chopped

1 cup broccoli boiled

3 tbsp olive oil (reduce inflammation)

1 tbsp chopped ginger (to improve circulation)

Directions:

Saute onion with mushrooms in olive oil for 5 minutes, add cooked broccoli and beans, and saute for 3 minutes more. Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve immediately.

Black Beans and Avocado Salad

Avocado, olive oil, pistachios, walnuts almonds, black beans, onions help lower blood pressure and cholesterol level.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp olive oil

1 cup cooked black beans

2 carrots sliced

1 onion sliced

½ avocado sliced

1/3 cup pistachios/walnuts/almonds (your choice)

cleansing herb of your choice

cleansing spice –dash of cayenne pepper (to improve circulation)

salt to taste

Directions:

Saute onions with carrots in olive oil for 10 minutes, add black beans and saute for about 2 minutes more. In a big bowl combine all ingredients and serve (warm or cold).

Bon Appetit! And let us be Heart Smart, shall we?

If you think someone you know might need help with one of my Holistic Health and Nutrition Programs for Women, let me know, and we’ll talk…

Breathe, smile and try to be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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From an Earth Day Diet to an Every Day Diet One Step at a Time

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.-- Annie Dillard

Let us celebrate the Earth Day by starting taking care of ourselves, one step at a time:

Listen to Podcast

1. Cook at home.

The food we take into our mouth goes into our stomach where it gets digested and eventually assimilated into the bloodstream. Our blood is what creates our cells, our tissues, our organs, our skin, our hair, our brains and our thoughts and feelings. Learning to cook high quality food for yourselves and those you love can change everything.

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2. Eat the right foods.

- drink more water;

One Extra Glass of Water to Drink and Extra 500 Calories to Burn the Easy Way

- start with a breakfast

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Healthy Pancakes

- incorporate more fruits, vegetables, legumes, beans, grains, nuts, seeds, herbs and spices into your diet;

4 Reason to Eat Apples

11 Reasons to Eat Beets

Eight Reasons to Eat Squashes

Detox, Weight Loss, Glowing Skin and Other Reasons to Eat Radishes

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Lentils Recipes to Fight Seasonal Depression

- switch to only healthy fats with omega-3 fatty acids you can find in olive oil, salmon (chose fish carefully because it can be highly contaminated with toxic chemicals like mercury and PCBs), walnuts, flax seeds;

Salmon and Avocado Recipes

3. Watch what you eat.

Avoid super unhealthy processed foods which add more stress on our system and are super harmful for our health.

Super Foods to Avoid in Order to Stay Healthy

Listen to Your Body and Be Crave Smart

4. Read labels.

We read all labels carefully looking for ingredients we cannot pronounce or don’t know the meaning of. There are too many preservative, chemicals, artificial colors we must avoid in order to stay healthy. Even more careful we have to be with labels on meat and diary products because most of the terms mean not exactly what we think.

Sugar and Caloric Overload Foods

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5. Go USDA organic.

Did you know that the worst toxins we can ingest are put into our foods as additives and preservatives? Organic foods are supposed to be produced without synthetic growth hormones, genetically engineered organisms, antibiotics, chemical fertilizers or chemical pesticides.

Why Strawberries, Peaches and Cherries Can Be Dangerous for Our Health

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6. Go local and eat in season.

To eat local and in season means that food was stored for less time and traveled not far. You get it fresher and more nutritious. Did I mention, that it will be cheaper?

Go local and find Farmer’s Markets near you at www.LocalHarvest.org

7. DeStress.

Stress is #1 cause of all our illnesses. If we want to be healthier, sleep longer and feel better we need to take care of out stress overload first.

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8. Detox.

Toxins can be poisons, heavy metals, pesticides, fungicides, cleaning solvents, smog, and many substances that we don’t even know are leeching into our bodies via our clothing our furniture, and even out carpets. We need to detox with the seasonal fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. It is also very important to avoid chemicals and pesticides not only in foods but also in skin care products, make up, cleaning products, etc.

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Healthy citizens are the greatest asset any country can have.–Winston Churchill

If you feel you might need help with one of my Holistic Health and Nutrition Programs for Women, let me know, and let us talk…

And don’t forget to always breathe, smile and try to be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

eBook “DeStress – 101- The Ultimate Guide for Busy Women”

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Best of 2008

Wednesday, December 31st, 2008

Here are my best Health Tips of 2008:

10 Tips on How to Stay Healthy this Winter

What Sex, Garlic and Swearing Have in Common

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Take a Break and Relax with Butterflies

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Facial Meditation for Your Winter Skin

4 Reasons to Eat Apples to Feel and Look Fabulous

Get Healthier with Fall Detox and Exercise Shortcuts

Eight Reasons to Eat Butternut-Acorn Squash Soup

As for your New Year Resolutions to get healthier, let me know how I can help you to feel and look fabulous.

Contact me and let us talk…

and discuss which of my Women’s Holistic Health Programs might be a perfect match for you.

Have you read about my new unique and affordable eCoaching Program?

Look forward to hearing from you.

Meanwhile, breathe smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Healthy Substitutes for Your Recipes

Monday, December 15th, 2008

Just wanted to remind you about healthier alternatives for your cooking or baking recipes:

1 whole egg can be substituted with 2 egg whites

white flour can be substituted with whole grain flour (rice, barley,millet, buckwheat – basically you can grind any whole grain)

sour cream can be substituted with low fat plain yogurt or low fat sour cream

milk can be substitute with skim, 1% milk or powdered milk

ice cream can be substitute with frozen yogurt

heavy cream (not for whipping) – 1:1 ratio of flour whisked into non fat milk (eg. 1 cup of flour + 1 cup of non fat milk)

whipped cream can be substituted with chilled evaporated skim milk or other low fat whipped products

cheese can be substituted with low-fat cheese (please note: non-fat cheese does not melt well if use in cooking or baking)

margarine can be substituted with butter

butter can be substituted with light butter, vegetable oil or ghee

sugar ( brown or white) can be substituted with date sugar, barley malt, blackstrap molasses, pure raw honey

table salt can be substituted with sea salt

Happy and Healthy Cooking and Baking!!!

Breathe, smile and be happy,

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Ten Tips to Stay Healthy through the Cold and Flu Season

Friday, December 12th, 2008

Do you feel that your clothes feel already tighter? Feel exhausted?

What about anxiety and cravings?

Here are some tips on how to go through the Holidays and Cold and Flu Season without gaining too much weight, staying healthy and feeling fabulous.

1. Start your day with a glass of warm water with juice of ½ lemon. This simple drink will help detoxify liver and colon as well as suppress appetite. As for me, I take a glass of warm water with 1 tbsp organic apple-cider vinegar and ½ tsp organic honey.

2. Eat as much as you can high-fiber foods (regular bowel movements are an important mechanism for removing toxins from your body and loosing some weight) such as fresh fruits, raw green leafy vegetables (kale, collard greens, dandelion greens, spinach, arugula), whole-grain oatmeal, barley, asparagus, beans, cabbage, carrots, garlic, kale, sweet potatoes, cranberries, prunes. More on High-fiber foods

Also consume plenty of foods that are high in pectin, such as apples, carrots, beets, cabbage, citrus fruits.

3. Wash your hands – 80% of dangerous germs will be eliminated. And don’t touch your face:germs enter you through your face (eyes, nose and mouth). Some adults touch their faces more than 100 time, and kids…

4. Take a break from protein, dairy products, fat and sweets, and try to eat more:

soups, such as Pumpkin Soup, Mushroom Pumpkin Soup, Butternut Squash Soup, Fennel Soup, etc;

grains, such as brown rice, millet, quinoa, buckwheat (especially good for weigh loss) and

seasonal vegetables. Recipes

5. Drink more water, and teas with nettles, ginger, clover, dandelion, burdock root.

6. Use detoxifying spices such as turmeric, coriander, cumin, fennel, rosemary, oregano, ginger. Try Immunity Boosting Spices Mix.

7. Have omega-3 foods daily (walnuts, flax seed oil or freshly ground flax seeds, salmon)

8. Between meals have healthy snacks (walnuts, raisins, almonds, prunes, figs, carrots, celery, etc.)

9. Get some exercises – at least take a walk before and/or after your meal more on walks

10. Take time to reduce stress and relax: listen to music, enjoy nature, spend time with your friend, dance, or maybe have some extra sleep .

And never forget to breathe, smile and be happy.

Look forward to hearing from you: let me know how I can help you.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Ayurvedic Immunity Boosting Spice Recipe

Friday, December 5th, 2008

Ingredients

1/4 part ground cinnamon

1 part ground black pepper

1 part ground dry ginger

2 parts ground turmeric

3 parts ground cumin

3 parts ground coriander

6 parts ground fennel

Directions:

Mix all the ingredients and put into a container or a glass jar in a dark cabinet. Every time you cook, prepare this mixture to sprinkle on your vegetables, rice or any dish: sautee one teaspoon of mixture in one tsp of ghee (purified butter; you can find it in Whole Foods or any Health Store) for a couple of minutes until you can smell the aroma, but be careful and don’t burn the spices. Season with sea salt if needed.

Use this recipe on a regular basis to boost your immune system during cold and flu season.

Don’t forget to breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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How to Sleep Better During the Cold and Flu Season

Sunday, November 30th, 2008

Thanksgiving is over and so is Black Friday. Do you feel tired, stressed out and a couple of pounds heavier? If you want to feel better, you have to take care of your stress overload. And the first step to reducing stress is having a better sleep. A better sleep will help you to reduce stress which will boost your energy and immune system to stay healthy during cold and flu season, and even to loose some extra pounds.

Here are some tips on how to get a better sleep:

1. Have physical activity.

Sleep is not just for your mind- sleep is nature’s way of resting your body, too. If your muscles are not tired because you are getting no exercise during the day, there is less physiological reason for sleep. Once you feel the fatigue in your muscles, you’ll know you are almost certain to sleep better. Even a 30-minute walk might surprise you with the results.

2. Stretch and yawn.

Studies show that simple stretch and yawn help ready the body for sleep. Try it every day and you might be surprised.

3. Eat more food rich in Magnesium.

Magnesium helps the body make serotonin, which helps in producing melatonin (the hormone that helps us to relax and sleep). A spoon of walnuts with a little bit of honey around 8:00pm-9:00pm might help. Foods rich in Magnesium are almonds, apples, apricots, brown rice, garlic, leafy vegetables, spinach, salmon, etc. More on stress and sleep

4. Go to bed around 10:00 pm.

There are two reasons. First, according to Ayurveda,(from Sanskrit literally means “science of life” or “practices of longevity”) there are cycles that are the most beneficial for certain activities. Sleep from 10:00 p.m. till 6:00 a.m. allows the body to rest the most. It also helps with metabolism, so if you want to loose some weight try to sleep more by getting to bed earlier.

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Second, studies show that nighttime exposure to light may elevate breast cancer risk by suppressing production of melatonin, a brain hormone that is made during darkness and that normally peaks at night.

5. Have fresh air in the room.

A lot of people underestimate the importance of fresh air in the room during your sleep time. Study shows that indoors air is one of the most toxic air around. The fresh air will help promote sound sleep while stale air and toxins escape from your window.

6. Get a foot massage.

Ask your partner, or you can do it yourself and it will help you relax as well as improve circulation. More on massage

7. Have a home-made facial.

Home-made facial is one of the best relaxation techniques, because you kill two birds with one stone: you not only nourish, cleanse or rejuvenate your face but also have to lie down for at least ten minutes – I call it facial meditation.

Try an uplifting mask made of kiwi and honey (mash one kiwi and add 1/2 tsp of honey, mix and put on your face for 15 minutes) – it is delicious. While lying, don’t forget to think about something very pleasant. More home-made facials.

8. Have a cup of bedtime tea.

You can always treat yourself to a cup of bedtime tea with Lemon balm or Chamomile flower.

Pampering / taking care of ourselves we do our bodies a big favor: we reduce stress which is priority number one if we want to feel and look fabulous, especially during a cold and flu as well as holiday season.

Never forget to breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Tags: Ayurveda, Breast Cancer, Cold and Flu, health, Holistic Health, Immune System, Massage, Meditation, nutrition, Physical Activity, Relaxation, Sleep, stress, Toxins, Weight Loss Tips and Recipes, Whole Foods, women's health

Create a Healthy and Delicious Thanksgiving Pie

Sunday, November 23rd, 2008

Here is an opportunity for you to create your own delicious Sweet Potato or Squash Pie for your Thanksgiving dinner. Or… you can bake three different pies to impress and surprise your family and friends

Good Luck!

Ingredients to choose:

I. Pick one:

1 and a half can pumpkin puree

3 cups cooked mashed sweet potatoes

3 cups cooked mashed buttercup squash

3 cups cooked mashed butternut squash

II. Pick one:

¾ cup brown sugar

½ cup honey

½ cup maple syrup

¾ cup Agave Nectar

III. Pick three or more:

1/5 tsp ground cinnamon

¼ tsp ground ginger

¼ tsp nutmeg

¼ tsp ground cloves

¼ tsp allspice

1 tbsp lemon zest

1 tbsp orange zest

IV. Pick one:

1 cup soy milk

1 cup evaporated milk

1 cup almond milk

1 cup rice milk

V. Pick one:

3 eggs slightly beaten + 2 tbsp flour

¼ cup cornstarch

½ cup firm tofu

2 tbsp semolina

VI. pinch of salt

VII. I – 2 tbsp Molasses

Directions:

Mix all ingredients together and pour into the crust.* Bake at 400 F for 10 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 F and bake for 45 – 50 minutes.

* Basic Crust

Ingredients:

3 cups whole wheat pastry flour

1 teaspoon salt

¾ cup margarine

5- 6 tbsp cold water

Directions:

Mix together flour, margarine and salt. Add water, one spoon at a time until pastry holds together. Shape the pastry into a ball and put into the refrigerator for 45 min.

Bon Appetit!

Let me know which one you like best.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Pumpkin Brulee

Banana – Sweet Potato Pie

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"Super" Foods You Should Avoid During the Cold and Flu Season

Thursday, November 20th, 2008

Holidays are here. It is a very stressful time for all of us. It is also cold and flu season when we have to take care of ourselves to stay healthy.

If you want not to catch a cold, reduce stress, have more energy, sleep better, or even to loose or at least not to gain some weight during the holiday season, you need to know not only which foods to eat but also which foods to avoid to survive the busiest time of the year.

Did you notice that we always look for super foods to be healthier and feel better? But what about foods that might make us super sick?

These are super unhealthy foods which add more stress on our system and are super harmful for our health:

Hydrogenated oils

Sugars

Artificial sweeteners

High-fructose syrup

Flour products

Refined grains

Junk foods

Fast foods

Processed foods

Caffeine

Alcohol

Tobacco

*** The trans fatty acids most fast and processed foods contain actually reduce circulation and raise blood pressure, keeping your body in a constant state of stress.

*** Alcohol upsets the blood sugar level and disturbs sleep patterns.

*** Caffeine boosts the production of the stress hormone adrenaline.

*** Sweets, raise your insulin levels increasing serotonin for a little while, and then serotonin level goes down very fast turning you into cranky and irritable person.

Did you know that average American consumes more than 190 pounds of sugar a year, and 3/4 of it are “hidden” in processed foods?

Be aware of hidden sugars in the following items:

Breakfast cereals

Salad dressings

Luncheon meats

Canned fruits