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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

pumpkin cookies

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.

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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Create Your Own Healthy and Delicious Pie

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Three Green Smoothie Recipes for Weight Loss, Headaches, and High Blood Pressure

Monday, June 22nd, 2009

Try to incorporate more green smoothies into your diet to feel and look fabulous. Some of the fruits and vegetables should be used only organic because of their high level of pesticides. So if you want to be healthier, check on which fruits and vegetables make the dirty dozen” and

Why Strawberries, Celery, Peaches and Even Apples Can Be Dangerous for Our Health.

These three nutritious Green Smoothies are overload with:foodpr

-vitamins A and carotenoids, C, E to boost our immune system, prevent heart attack and different cancers, keep our skin and body look and feel young

- lycopene to protect our skin from sun damage, prevent certain cancers, lower blood pressure

- fiber to detox our system, lower blood pressure and cholesterol, get rid of constipation, lose weight, help with headaches and migraines;

- B-vitamins to deal with our moodiness

- Omega-3 fatty acids to reduce inflammation and keep our skin look young.

- Potassiumto keep our nervous system healthy as well as to boost metabolism of proteins and carbohydrates.

I. Green Smoothie with Berries

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raspberries (frozen or fresh)

½ cup blueberries

1 cup of apple juice

4 dates (pit removed) Handful of spinach

2-3 leaves of kale

Handful of parsley

2 tbsp sunflower seeds

Slice of fresh ginger

¼ tbsp Spirulina powder

Directions:

Blend everything until smooth in a blender or food processor and enjoy.

II. Green Smoothie with Apricots and Papaya

Ingredients:

1 cup carrot juice

1 cup apricots pitted

1 cup papaya sliced

1 tbsp sesame seeds

½ avocado

1 tbsp Spirulina powder or Blue Algae Powder

2 cups fresh herbs mix

handful of parsley

handful of dill

1 tsp dry nettle

1 banana

Directions:

Blend everything until smooth in a blender or food processor and enjoy. Always try to adjust to your taste.

III. Green Smoothie with Pear and Pineapple

1 cup pineapple juice

1 pear sliced

1 cup mango

1 cup pineapple

2 tbsp flax seeds

handful of parsley

3 cup collards or beet greens

1 kiwi

Directions:

Blend everything until smooth in a blender or food processor and enjoy. Always try to adjust to your taste.

Bon Appetit and

let us be green smoothie smart this summer, shall we?

If you feel that it is the right time to have your “ME” TIME to take care of yourself with one of my Holistic Health and Nutrition Programs or my unique and affordable eCoaching Program for Women, let me know and let us talk…

Breathe, smile and be happy.

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Healthy Snacks for Energy, Weight Loss, and Better Memory

Monday, April 27th, 2009

Just because you’re not sick doesn’t mean you’re healthy. ~Author Unknown

Try these healthy snacks to get more energy, keep your blood sugar stable, feed your brain, improve memory, speed up your metabolism, get rid of constipation, strengthen your heart.

They are rich in vitamins including and minerals, full of protein, fiber and omega-3 fatty acids which will help you lower your blood pressure and cholesterol level, balance your hormones, lose weight, boost immune system, reduce inflammation, reduce risk of breast and colon cancer, improve your mood.


Hear your heart.  Heart your health.  ~Faith Seehill

Breathe, smile and be happy.

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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3 Detox Recipes to Feel and Look Fabulous

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Try these Healthy Recipes to detox the body and beat sugar cravings. They will also help you to lose some weight, boost your energy level and balance your hormones.

Ginger-Carrot Breakfast Cookies

Ginger promotes circulation, stimulates lymphatic flow, detox the body.

Carrots help to beat your sugar cravings as well as improve your eyesight, lower cholesterol and prevent heart attack and stroke.

This recipe was adopted from the Self-healing Cookbook by Kristina Turner.

Ingredients:cookie

¾ cup rolled oats

½ cup oat flour

¼ cup brown rice or barley flour

2 cups cooked millet

1 and ½ tbsp olive oil

1 cup shredded carrots

1tsp. vanilla

1 tsp grated ginger

¼ tsp sea salt

1 tbsp sunflower seeds

½ cup water

Directions:

Lightly roasted oats and flour by stirring over medium heat in skillet, until toasty smelling but not browned. Mix all ingredients and add just enough water for a moist, (not mushy). Shape into cookies on an oiled baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 min.


Fennel and Orange Salad

Fennel stimulates the liver, improves fat digestion, contains essential oils that help get rid of excess fluid.

Orange, rich in vitamin C helps to boost your immune system, as well as uplift your mood (zest of oranges).

Onions cleanse/detox the liver and skin and have antiseptic properties.

Ingredients:fennel1

2 oranges, sliced

1 bulb fennel, sliced

1 red onion sliced into rings

juice of 1 orange

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar

zest of 1 orange

mint or parsley to garnish

Directions:

Place a layer or oranges, then a layer of fennel and then a layer of onions. Mix orange juice with apple cider vinegar and drizzle over the salad. Add orange zest and mint or parsley to garnish.


Detox Beet and Apple Juice

Try this delicious detox juice to feel and look fabulous.

Beet stimulates the liver and helps to detox/cleanse digestive system and blood.

Apple adds sweetness and fiber which helps to detox the body.juice

Spinach contains antioxidants to fight free radicals which helps boost our immune system.

Ingredients:

1medium beet

1 large apple

1 carrot

1 cup fresh spinach leaves

Directions:

Place all the ingredients in the juicer or blender and process. If you wish, you can dilute with filtered water to taste.

Bon Appetit!

P.S. If you think you might need help with one of my Holistic Health and Nutrition Programs for Women to learn how to have more energy, beat your cravings, detox your body and maintain the weight you want,

contact me and let us talk…

Breathe, smile and be happy.

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Feel Good Instantly with Chocolate

Friday, February 13th, 2009

Chocolate…. Mmmmm. Are you smiling already? Chocolate…

We, women, like chocolate so much because it like light, exercises, laughter or sex triggers the release of endorphins which give us instant feel good mood. In general women are more sensitive to chocolate than men, and that is why chocolate can boost our serotonin level to fight our moodiness and seasonal depression.choc

Did you know that chocolate is better and I mean healthier than kissing? When we kiss or eat chocolate our heart rate and brain activity both raise, but only with chocolate it lasts longer. We burn 34 calories in 30 min while light kissing. I am wondering how much calories we burn while eating chocolate  :lol:

Studies show that chocolate- the main ingredient cocoa- contains health beneficial antioxidants flavonoids. They, like in fruits and vegetables, help prevent cancer and heart disease and stroke by protecting our immune system from radical damage and fighting inflammation. And by the way, if we drink a cup of good quality cocoa every day, we might have smoother and more moisturized skin.

When we talk about healthy benefits of chocolate we mean dark chocolate, and the more cocoa in chocolate, the darker and healthier it is. We should always buy 70-75% cocoa content to enjoy the taste and get health benefits( if chocolate contains more than 75% it tastes bitter, if less, it is not healthy any more).

Dark chocolate is very good for us but we have to eat it in moderation because of sugar and fat content. Even if it is made with cocoa butter and has less blood cholesterol, it still has a lot of calories, fat and refined sugar which can make us fat.

To buy good / healthy quality chocolate we have always read labels looking for 70-75% cocoa contain and cocoa butter as an ingredient. And we have to avoid chocolate with milk solids or with any mention of alkali or Dutching / Dutching cocoa which is known to reduce nutrients.

Let’s have some mood enhancing dark chocolate with a glass of red wine full of antioxidants and toast to us, ladies, while breathing, smiling and being happy!!!

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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11 Reasons to Eat Beets

Saturday, February 7th, 2009

People don’t realize how important beets are for our health. They are rich in B vitamin, folate, manganese and potassium, as well as dietary fiber, vitamin C, magnesium, iron, copper and phosphorus.

Benefits of eating beets:beets2

- strengthen the heart,

- improve circulation,

- purify / detox the blood,

- benefit the liver,

- lower blood pressure,

– regulate hormone imbalances during menopause if used with carrots;

- treat constipation

- help with nervousness

- promote weight loss

- help lessen inflammation

- fight colon cancer

Here are two my favorite easy to make recipes:


Beets Salad

Ingredients:

3 medium beets

1 tbsp apple-cider vinegar or 1 tbsp white o red vinegar + some brown sugar to taste

Directions:

Boil the beets in salted water for about 45 minutes.

Peel and slice/grade them. Add apple-cider vinegar and mix.


Beets with Prunes and Walnuts Salad

Ingredients:

3 medium beets

7-8 prunes, sliced

2 tbsp walnuts sliced

1 tsp horseradish

2 tbsp sour cream

Directions:

Boil the beets in salted water for about 45 minutes.

Peel and slice/grade them. Add all ingredients and mix.

Bon Appetit!

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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Winter Super Foods to Stay Healthy through the Cold and Flu Season

Monday, January 5th, 2009

Because we are what we eat, it is very important to eat more winter super detox foods to help our body detoxify and reduce stress.Holistic Detox Foods and Detox Ideas

I. Whole detox foods rich in anti-stress vitamins and minerals can fight stress illness and you should try to incorporate them in your diet to have less stress.

Magnesium
It has been found that people who exhibit stress illness have low magnesium levels. A deficiency of magnesium interferes with transmission of nerve and muscle impulses, causing irritability and nervousness.

For more magnesium, eat more apples, dried apricots, avocados, brown rice, garlic, grapefruit, lemons, leafy vegetables, millet, nuts, sesame seeds, salmon (wild caught).

Calcium
Our body needs a proper balance between magnesium and calcium to have a healthy stress response. Healthy foods rich in calcium are almonds, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, figs, kale, kelp, mustard greens, oats, prunes, sesame seeds, salmon, seafood, sesame seeds, tofu, plain yogurt / kefir.

B6.
Studies show that people who are depressed have low levels of B6 and serotonin. Eat more avocados, bananas, fish, spinach, walnuts to get more Vitamin B6.

B12.
As we know, B12 deficiency can contribute too many anxiety disorders caused by stress, such as hormonal imbalances, blood sugar fluctuations, chronic fatigue, depression, irritability, moodiness, nervousness. To eat more salmon, seafood, sea vegetables (if we don’t eat meat) will help.  A detailed plan with suggestions for reducing stress overload you can find in my eBook “ DeStress-101-Survival Kit for Busy Women”

II. The second step in helping us feel better and be healthier during Winter is to boost our immune system with winter holistic detox.

For a quick detox drink, drink more water (filtered of course!) – it helps us eliminate more toxins. You can also drink teas with Dandelion, Nettles, Ginger, Burdock Root.

Also, try sifting from the most congesting foods (sweets, diary products, bread, fats, fried foods, refined flours, meats, hydrogenated fats, drugs) to the least (fruits and vegetables, grains, nuts and legumes),which can help with holistic detox cleansing of your body to bring it into balance.

And we don’t need an excuse to wait for spring to a herbal cleanse of our bodies, because we can use healthy detox super foods, such as apples, beets, celery, squashes, garlic, carrots, onions, green leafy vegetables, lemons, oranges, parsley, seaweed, beans as well as detoxifying spices like turmeric, coriander, fennel, cumin right now.

We need to include these fantastic detox whole foods in our routine and use one or two every day. Why? Because these detox foods can purify our blood, purify and protect our liver, and cleanse our intestines. More on Super Simple Detox – in the detox eBook “Detox – 101

Never forget that it is also very important to avoid certain foods if you want to stay healthy and not to get colds. My article “Super Foods to Avoid...” has a list of foods to stay away from.

It is Winter, so slow down, relax and enjoy.

And, of course, let me know if you need some Holistic Counseling or e-Coaching to take your first step to a Healthier and Happier You.

Meanwhile, breathe, smile and be happy,

© Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

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