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Warming Soup Recipes to Feel and Look Fabulous During Cold and Flu Season

Saturday, November 7th, 2009

It is cold outside so we need foods to warm us up, nourish our body, draw energy into our digestive tract, help digest food properly. If we have healthy digestive tract we have less stress on the body which leads to a beautiful skin and hair and also makes us feel and look fabulous.

Healthy intestines also will boost our immune system so we won’t catch colds during Cold and Flu Season and avoid seasonal depression.

Here are some recipes to help you stay healthy and happy during cold days.

Warming Buckwheat Soup

Ingredients:

4 cups water

½ cup buckwheat

2 cups cabbage chopped

2 cups butternut squash, chopped

2 small onions

2 tbsp olive oil

1 strip wakame seaweed

sea salt and pepper to taste

2 tbsp parsley to garnish

Directions:

Roast the buckwheat, by stirring in a skillet over medium heat until it turns golden brown and smells toasty. Sautee onions in olive oil for 4-5 minutes. Bring the water to boil with squash and wakame (cut in small pieces); dd buckwheat and cabbage, simmer for ten minutes. Add onions, salt and parsley. Serve with fresh dill.

White Bean and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients:

1 small rutabaga, diced

2 parsnips, sliced

3 carrots diced

2 stalks celery, chopped

1 cup white navy beans, soaked for 2 hours

6 cups water

1 onion, chopped

2 tsp olive oil

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped, to garnish

2-3 fresh scallions, sliced, to garnish

Directions:

Place the kombu on the bottom of the soup pot, top with beans, add celery and water. Bring to boil, reduce hit and simmer for 50- 60 minutes until beans soft. Meanwhile sautee onions for 5 minutes in olive oil, add carrots, parsnip, rutabaga and sautee for more 10 minutes. Combine all ingredients in the soup pot, simmer for 3 minutes. Serve with cilantro and sliced scallions.

Bon Appetit!

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Tags: Cold and Flu Season, Healthy recipes, Home Cooking, Soups

Sweet Adzuki Soup Recipe to Take Ten Years Off Your Skin

Saturday, October 17th, 2009

Have you eaten some soup lately? It is the right time to start making soups if you want to feel warm and comfy and nourished, not to catch cold and flu or feel like winter blues are coming, feel and look younger.

Soups relax, nourish and stimulate our intestines, liver and kidneys which help our skin look healthier and younger.

I would like to share with you an anti-aging Soup Recipe to nourish your skin form inside out so you will feel and look fabulous. These recipes were adopted from one of my favorite books Glow, a Prescription for Radiant health and Beauty by Christina Pirello.

Sweet Adzuki Soup

There is nothing like adzuki beans to take ten years off your face. Most of us begin to show our age when the delicate skin around the eyes grows puffy or develops dark circles and creases. Those common symptoms are a sign that the kidneys are overtaxed and tired, growing weak and flaccid.

These little red beans help to rebalance the kidney function, restoring the youthful appearance of our eyes.

Ingredients:

1 inch piece kombu

½ cup adzuki beans, rinsed, soaked for 4 hours

5-6 cups filtered water

1 small leek thinly sliced

1 carrot diced

1 cup diced winter squash (butternut, buttercup, kabocha)

1 cup finely diced green cabbage

3 tsp barley

2-3 leaves kale, finely diced for garnish

Directions:

Place kombu on the bottom of a soup pot, top with beans and water. Cook for over 5 minutes (after boiling), reduce heat, to low and simmer for 35 minutes. Add the vegetables and cook for 35 minutes more – until the beans are soft and vegetables are tender. Stir the kale and serve.

Bon Appetit!

Let us be soup smart and start making one soup recipe at a time to feel and look fabulous.

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

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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

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Salmon Cakes with Cabbage Recipe for PMS, Thyroid Function and Breast Cancer Prevention

Saturday, October 10th, 2009

Most of us suffer from severe PMS symptoms, such as cramps, fatigue, weight gain, mood swings, constipation, etc. from time to time, don’t we? As a holistic health and nutrition counselor, I always remind my clients that healthier lifestyle and certain whole foods can help reduce pain and cramps, correct imbalances, manage weight gain and mood swings.

Studies show we need lots of fiber to get rid of constipation and extra estrogen, Calciun for better moods, vitamin B6 to control excess estrogen, essential fatty acids to have milder menstrual symptoms.

I’d like to share with you this recipe from The Ultrametabolism Prescription by Mark Hyman, MD to help you fight pain, get into better mood and prevent breast cancer.

Wild Salmon Cakes with Cabbage Slaw

Ingredients:

One 6 –once can wild salmon, finely chopped

½ cup red pepper

¼ cup scallions, finely diced

½ cup celery, finely diced

¼ cup soy flower

2 tbsp cilantro, minced

1 whole egg, omega-3 type

1 tbsp Sesame Oil

salt and pepper to taste

****************************

2 cups cabbage, shredded

1 cucumber, sliced

½ cup Daikon Radish, sliced matchstick

1/3 cup edamame beans, thawed

2 tbsp fresh cilantro, chopped

½ tsp kelp powder

¼ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

2 tsp honey

2 tsp toasted sesame oil

Directions:

In a large bowl, add the salmon, peppers, scallions, celery, soy flour, cilantro, egg, salt, pepper. Mix together and form into six patties. Preheat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add sesame oil and swirl pan to coat the pan evenly. Add patties and cook for 3-5 minutes on each side.

Meanwhile, in a large bowl, toss together the cabbage, cucumbers, Daikin radish, edamame, cilantro, kelp powder, rice vinegar, honey, toasted sesame oil. Divide salad between two serving plates. Place salmon cakes on top of salad.

P.S. Sea vegetables such as arame, dulse, hijiki, kelp, nori wakame, and others are loaded with minerals, including iodine, important for thyroid function.

P.P.S. Sesame Oil is important to help stimulate our energy level during PMS and the menstrual cycle.

Bon Appetit and let us be cramp and backache free, shall we?

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Ten Reasons to Make Ratatouille -Healing Recipe for Women

Friday, October 2nd, 2009

October is a Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so I would like to share tips and recipes to prevent certain cancers with whole foods.. Have you tried some of my recipes with eggplants yet? Apparently, eggplants are very good for us, women, and here are some reasons why:

* The peel of purple contains anthocyanins and proanthocyanidins eggplant (like elderberry, persimmon, tart red cherries and purple grapes, beets, purple cabbage), compounds to protect against brain aging, heart disease and cancer.

* The eggplant is an excellent source of fiber, a mild laxative and diuretic, helps lose weight, keep blood pressure under control, good for diabetes, helps reduce cholesterol and arteriosclerosis.

*The eggplant is one of the alkaline-forming vegetables to improve our immune system and keep us healthy and in balance (acidity creates inflammation, puffiness, weaken our immune system which can lead to cancers heart disease, etc.)

PS. Foods in the nightshade family, such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, and some citrus aggravate arthritis and should be avoided.

PPS. Eggplant should be eaten in moderation by pregnant women.

Ratatouille -Healing Recipe for Women

Eggplant is considered to be the most powerful food for women-energizing and soothing. Zucchini is excellent for elimination and healthy skin.

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant, chopped

3 medium zucchini, chopped

2 onions chopped

2 tbsp extra virgin oil

1 tbsp garlic

½ tbsp basil

1 tbsp dill and parsley

1 cup diced tomatoes (fresh or canned)

sea salt and black pepper to taste

Directions:

Sautee onions in olive oil for 3 minutes, add garlic and spices, cook for a few minutes more. Add tomatoes, eggplant and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are soft. Serve with couscous, or basmati rice.

Bon Appetit!

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Healthy Eating with the Seasons : Three Eggplant Recipes

Wednesday, September 30th, 2009

Eggplant is rich in fiber, influences liver and uterus and according to Paul Pitchford, “particularly helpful for resolving repressed emotions and their harmful effects on these organs.”

Actually a fruit, eggplant is in season from August through October, and combines with other foods like non-starchy vegetables.

Here are some recipes to enjoy:

Baba Ganoosh/ Eggplant Dip/Spread

Ingredients:

2 medium eggplants

2 large tomatoes

2 cloves garlic

2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 onion chopped

Sea salt and pepper to taste

1 1/2 tbs lemon juice or apple cider vinegar if needed to taste

Directions:

Bake eggplants in 450 degree F. oven for 50 minutes (or in the covered sauce pan until it is soft). Leave eggplants in a strainer for an hour to cool off and get rid of excess juice. Peel eggplants and put pulp in a blender or food processor. Dip tomatoes into hot water for a minute – it will help to peel the skin. Add tomatoes pulp, onions and garlic in a blender and mix to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper. Serve with whole grain toasts, crackers, vegetables or as appetizer.

P.S. if you don’t have blender, chop all ingredients finely and mix in a bowl.

*****

Roasted Eggplant with Garlic and Parsley

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant

1 clove garlic minced

2-3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp parsley or cilantro to garnish

Directions:

Cut eggplant in half and then into thin pieces lengthwise. Grill, roast in the oven or sautee in the pan with olive oil. Spread minced garlic and garnish with some parsley.

*****

Eggplant with Zucchini, Tomatoes and Potatoes Stew

Ingredients:

1 medium eggplant chopped

2 medium zucchinis chopped

1 medium potato sliced and cubed

1 medium onion chopped

2 carrots chopped

2 tomatoes chopped

3 tbsp parsley minced

olive oil as much as needed

salt, pepper to taste

Directions:

Take a big frying pan to sautee onions in olive oil for 3 minutes. Add carrots and sautee for 5 minutes. Add zucchini and sautee for 4-5 minutes stirring from time to time. Add tomatoes and sautee for 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook potatoes in hot water until tender and sautee an eggplant in a different pan.

Mix all ingredients, add parsley, salt and pepper. Serve warm or cold.

P.S. You can also add pieces of chicken, beef or pork.

Bon Appetit!

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Cooking as a Weight Loss Technique and Cold and Flu Remedy

Tuesday, September 29th, 2009

Have you ever thought about the age of the food you eat? For example, how old was that carrot from your stew they served you in the restaurant the other day? Was it a week old, a month or even older?

Studies show we need more home cooking meals to boost our immune system if we want to stay healthy during cold and flu season. Why?

Well, did you notice how challenging our life is nowadays? Everything is about speed, including unregulated cell growth called cancer and overgrowth, which we call obesity. We are always either on the phone or on the run…No time to eat and sleep…and of course, tremendously overstressed because our nervous system cannot handle so much stress. As a result, we suffer from hormonal imbalances which speed up our body, mind and spirit.

Because we are always in a hurry, we eat most of the meals out, in restaurants, delis, fast food chains; buy lots of junk for snacks or precooked meals full of preservatives in grocery stores for dinners at home. Lack of home made meals causes weight gain, high blood pressure, inflammation which weaken our immune system. We suffer from fatigue, catch colds and viruses (you obviously don’t want it when swine flu is around), get allergies, are more susceptible to certain cancers.

Here is four reasons to start cooking at home if you want lose weight, have more energy, not to catch colds in the Fall.

Home cooking will help:

1. avoid foods that can make us even more stressed out or sick:

white foods ( sugar, white flour, cake, pasta, milk), artificial sweeteners and preservatives, cheese, red meat, processed foods, bacon, salami, lunch meats, hot dogs, fast food, soft drinks, butter, margarine, non-free range poultry and eggs,etc.

They all are high in sugar, fat (including saturated fat), sodium and calories which lead to developing high blood pressure, certain cancers, heart disease and stroke, premature aging, diabetes, weight gain;

2. control sugar, fat, calorie and salt intake by reading labels and find hidden sugar and calories (especially if we buy canned food), and using healthier substitutes and alternatives;

3. manage our own portion size for a successful weight loss – studies show that people always underestimate how much calories they consume per serving;

4. buy local or organic, eat fresh produce and with the seasons as often as possible in order to stay healthy and protect environment.

As we can see, making your own meals at home is very beneficial for our health, because it helps control the amount of salt, fat, sugar we consume as well our portion size and fresh/ local//organic produce choice.

So let us be home cooking smart = cook healthy and delicious meals ourselves in order to feel and look fabulous, 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 including “Balancing Act”. 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

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Conscious Cooking: How to Be Alert and Mindful About What We Eat

Wednesday, September 23rd, 2009

Studies show that cooking can save your relationship, eliminate stress, boost your immune system, get you more energy, prevent certain cancers, reduce risk of heart attack, stroke and diabetes…

As a Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor, I am asking you: Are you a good cook? Do you like cooking? How often do you eat home made meals? Home cooking will help you be healthier, save some money, maintain your weight, feel better about yourself.

“Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all.”–Harriet van Horne

To become a good cook, or at least to start cooking simple healthy meals, we need to learn how to buy the right foods first. I‘d like to share with you an abstract from “Food as Medicine” by Dharma Singh Khalsa, M.D. with tips on your first steps to becoming a conscious cook. They might help you next time you are in the grocery store.

…Healing with food should begin even before the food arrives at the table. We must be alert and mindful about what we eat, and that begins with the choices made at the store. Choices begin in your mind. If you can, take a moment to do the following:

1. Meditate, or clear your mind with a few deep breaths, before entering the market. This will also help you buy the right things for you and your family while not reacting emotionally to subliminal messages that are implanted in your mind by advertising.

2. Another option is to make a list in a relaxed state before embarking on a trip to the store. Food provides vital energy for the body while creating subtle energy for your spirit. If you are frenetic when shopping, you will make the wrong choices.

3. Before shopping, you might find it useful to refer back to your food log exercises, such as shopping by color. Remember to have your shopping cart look like a rainbow of nutrition.

4. Experiment by trying new – perhaps try a more exotic food such as goat’s milk, baked tofu or miso soup.

A conscious cook is always aware that every body is a temple of God and that to maintain the health, purity, and strength that are worthy of the soul, only wholesome, cleansing, and nutritious foods should be eaten.

Let us be grocery shopping smart in order to cook nutritious meals to stay healthy during cold and flu season, shall we?

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Cooking Meditation as a Stress Relief Tool and Weight Loss Technique – Part I

Thursday, August 13th, 2009

Do you like cooking? Do you cook at home for yourself or your loved ones? If your answer is yes, then there is always room for improvement to become a good stress free cook. If your answer is no, then let’s start cooking to reduce stress, lose weight, sleep better as well as lower our blood pressure and cholesterol level, prevent heart disease, reduce risk of cancer.

Meditation often involves turning attention to a single point of reference. Wikipedia

You might think that home cooking is complicated and time consuming. Not necessarily. It can be both a challenging and fun learning experience. Learning to cook as well as cooking by itself can be your meditation time if you put your mind into it.

Cooking Meditation as a Stress Relief Tool

1. The first step of meditation is concentration. In cooking meditation, you have to:

– pick the recipe or idea what to make,

– read the recipe carefully a couple of times,

– decide what to do first

– focus exclusively on making the dish without any distraction.

You maybe even have to repeat the ingredients a couple of times while you look for them in your fridge. Does it sound like meditation? Of course it does. Your mind is focused on preparing meal and distracted from all troubles and worries you have at the moment- refocusing helps you to relax and reduce stress.

2. Cooking consists of preparation time and cooking time. To have a stress free first cooking experience:

– pick your favorite veggies and put them together for a salad;

– add nuts, fruits, dry fruits (you don’t need cooking time – only preparation time to rinse, chop and mix all the ingredients).

– use olive oil as a simple dressing or try super healthy and easy to make Turmeric Dressing

– season with love and positive energy, and voila, you have created your own signature salad to impress your friends and relatives.

3. Another form of meditation is visualization. You can visualize what you want to prepare while you are in bed getting ready to sleep. Deep breathing and visualization of your future meal will help you calm down, relax, and sleep better.

If you want to reach your goals, you have to take one step at a time. To become a good and stress free cook, try to master the dishes you like with one recipe at a time.
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Remember: home cooking can help you reduce stress and sleep better as well as improve your relationship with food and significant other.

As for cooking as a weight loss technique, we will talk about it in my next article.

P.S. As a Holistic Health and Nutrition Counselor I always teach my clients how to prepare healthy and easy to make meals.

If you think you might help with my one of my Health and Wellness Program for Women, contact me and let us talk about how I can help you, and which of the programs is a good match for you.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Summer Survival Kit: Six Tips to Make Your Summer Happier and Healthier

Wednesday, July 1st, 2009

As a holistic health and nutrition counselor, I would like to remind you some tips and recipes that will make your Summer days happier and healthier.

I. Don’t forget about Sun Damage and Sun Protection for your family and friends:

Tips on How to Protect Our Skin from Sun Damage Naturally

II. If you want your family and friends to stay healthy and happy, try to avoid foods that can make us easily sick:

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III. Try to incorporate lots of different healthy Super Foods into your diet:

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IV. Before going grocery shopping, read these tips on organic/non organic fruits and vegetables as well as sugar content in certain foods – especially if you have kids:

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V. To be relaxed and peaceful while your family, friends and kids try to make you feel crazy, don’t forget about stress relief tips and techniques you can start practicing right now:

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Instant Mood Boosters MP3 with extra tips and laughs available

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VI. Plan ahead to make your meals as healthy as possible.

- Start with a Healthy Breakfast: