Weight Loss Tips and Recipes

...now browsing by tag

Three Salad Recipes for Weight Loss, Detox and Glowing Skin

Saturday, August 7th, 2010

Here are three salads made with cooling, fat-dissolving and green leafy vegetables to detox/cleanse your intestines and circulatory system, improve your kidney functions, lose weight, lower blood cholesterol and high blood pressure, clear your skin, help with menopause problems.

* Watercress with Almonds and Grapefruit Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups watercress

1 cup radishes, sliced

½ silvered almonds or pumpkin seeds or pine nuts

1 cup red grapefruit membrane discarded

½ avocado sliced

1/2 cup Detox Turmeric Dressing

Directions:

Mix watercress with radishes, grapefruit and avocado in large bowl. Add Detox Turmeric Dressing and toss gently. Season to taste with salt and pepper I f needed.

* Swiss Chard with Zucchini and Shitake Mushrooms Salad

Ingredients:

1bunch of Swiss Chard chopped

1 zucchini sliced

1/2 cup green onions chopped

2 cloves garlic minced

1 cup shitake mushrooms

4 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

Sauté mushrooms in olive oil for 5 minutes, add garlic, Swiss Chard, zucchini and saute covered for 5 more minutes. Add onions and serve.

* Arugula, Summer Squash and Blackberries Salad Recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups Arugula

1 summer squash sliced 2 tomatoes sliced

1 red onion sliced

1 cup blackberries

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

½ tbsp fresh ginger, grated

½ bunch cilantro, chopped

1 cup blue cheese or goat cheese sliced

2 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp olive oil (you can use Detox Turmeric Dressing instead of apple cider vinegar and olive oil)

Directions:

Mix all ingredients, top with blue cheese (or goat cheese), season with salt and pepper and serve.

Bon Appetit!

P.S. For more recipes listen to the Celebrity Chef Maria Liberati on Healthy Summer Recipes, click to listen.

P.P.S. Click to also listen to award winning nutritionist and cookbook author Robyn Webb on How to Eat to Feel Sexy and Confident.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Benefits of Whole Foods, Detox, Healthy Recipes, High Blood Pressure Remedies | 1 Response »
Tags: Cooking, Detox, Fat Dissolving Vegetables, Healthy recipes, Salads, Weight Loss Tips and Recipes

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

Friday, June 25th, 2010

As a holistic health and nutrition counselor, I would like to give you some natural summer recipes, and food and diet tips to make your Summer days happier and healthier.

I. Don’t forget about sun damage to skin and sunscreen protection for your family and friends:

Tips on How to Protect from Sun Damage on Face and Skin Naturally

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

Video Tip: 10 Super Foods that Can Make Us Super Sick

Video Tip: 10 Beverages That Can Make Us Super Sick

“Super Foods” to Avoid to Stay Super Healthy

Headache Trigger That Might Be In Your Lunch

III. Try to incorporate many types of healthy Super Foods into your diet:

Super Foods as Cures for Headaches

Fiber Rich Foods to Keep Everyone Happy MP3 available

Go Red for Your Heart

10 Reasons to Create Your Own Rainbow Salad

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:

Why Strawberries, Peaches and Cherries Can Be dangerous to Your Health

Are Your Fruits and Vegetables Really Fresh

Sugar and Caloric Overload Foods

How to Read Labels and Find Hidden Sugar

Video Tip: Sugar Surprise – How Much Sugar Do You Think You Eat

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:

What Sex, Garlic and Swearing Have in Common

Instant Mood Boosters MP3 with extra tips and laughs available

Video Tip: Three Instant Mood Boosters That Work

Instant Feel Good with Chocolate

Video Tip: Simple Exercise for Detox, Weight Loss and Better Sleep – Part I

Video Tip: Simple Exercise for Detox, Weight Loss and Better Sleep – Part II

Eight Tips on How to Get a Better Sleep

Video Tip: How to Fall Asleep Faster and Sleep Longer

Food Meditation as a Stress relief Tool and Weight Loss Technique MP3 available

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

- Start with a Healthy Breakfast:

Video tip: How to Make Fast and Nutritious Breakfast

Healthy Pancakes for the Whole Family

Healthy Breakfast to Feel and Look Fabulous

- Don’t forget about Healthy Snacks:

Video tip: Healthy Snacks for Energy, Weight Loss and Better Mood and Memory

4 Reasons to Eat Apples

One Extra Glass of Water to Drink and 500 Calories to Burn the Easy Way MP3 available

- Be Choice Smart Making Lunches and Dinners:

Healthy Recipes for a Picnic in the Park

Video Tip: Super Healthy and Easy Turmeric Dressing

Asparagus, Beets and Chicken Salads with Turmeric Dressing

Simple Detox with Cleansing Spices

Simple Detox with Cleansing Herbs

Detox Recipe: Kale with Cranberries and Sesame Seeds

Three Detox Recipes to Feel and Look Fabulous

Healthy Sweet Eats

Quick and Easy to Make Recipes to Beat Sugar Cravings

Healthy Recipes to Keep Our Skin Sun Damage Free

Heart Healing Recipes with Heart Healthy Foods

Lentils Recipes to Be in a Better Mood

Salmon and Avocado Recipes

Beet Salad for Detox, Headaches, High Blood Pressure and Weight Loss

Let your Summer be the happiest and the healthiest time of the year!

Never forget to breathe, smile and be happy!

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Books I Recommend to Feel and Look Fabulous

Check the side bar on the right

Posted in Detox, Healthy Recipes, Stress Relief | No Responses »
Tags: Detox, Diet and Nutrition, Holidays Recipes, Home Cooking, stress, Weight Loss Tips and Recipes, Whole Foods

How to Nourish Our Arms to Feel Sexy and Confident

Wednesday, May 12th, 2010

Have you ever wanted to firm and shape your arms up to feel sexy and confident? Well then, you might want to listen to my interview with celebrity nutrition and weight loss expert JJ Virgin on how to shape your arms in six weeks. Her new book “Six Weeks to Sleeveless and Sexy, The 5-Step Plan to Sleek, Strong, and Sculpted Arms ” is available at a cost of of only $10!). Click to order the book. The Best Arm Workouts to Get Rid of Arm Fat

During our interview, we discus what we should eat, what mistakes most of women make while trying to loose weight naturally, how much is too much when we go to the gym, and much more. Click to listen to our healthy ideas and tips on “Feel and Look Fabulous with Irina”.

Below, I would like to share with you the article Want Hot Arms? Then Head to the Kitchen! by JJ Virgin, to give you an idea about the interview.

Of course, the right exercise is crucial for shaping slim & sexy arms but it
is only one part of my integrated program for creating the arms and body of
your dreams. You must also feed your arms so that you are building muscle
while burning off the fat. I am sharing three of my top tips from Six Weeks
to Sleeveless and Sexy that you can put into action right away.

How to “Feed Your Arms”:

1. Drink up. Be sure to drink eight or more glasses of pure spring water
in-between meals to keep your appetite at bay, support metabolism and burn fat. Don’t drink more than a few ounces with your meals because too much water during meals can dilute stomach acid and impair digestion. Drinking pure spring water throughout the rest of your day will also help your stress hormones stay balanced as even mild dehydration can raise stress hormones. And remember sodas, coffee and sugary sports drinks pretending to be water do not count as your daily water intake.

2. Eat a substantial breakfast. Research shows that people who eat a
substantial balanced breakfast of clean lean protein, high fiber carbs and
healthy fat lose more weight AND keep it off. Make a little time in the
morning and indulge in a satisfying meal that will keep you going for hours.
By the way, you don’t need to eat “breakfast” for breakfast. If you want a
turkey wrap for breakfast, then enjoy!

3. Follow your workout with clean lean protein and a high fiber carb. The amino acids from protein support muscle growth and recovery, plus your body uses carbs to refuel your muscle stores of energy (glycogen) to set you up for success during your next workout. Please skip the sports nutrition bars, which I always dub “adult candy bars.” And remember: Just because you worked out doesn’t mean it’s okay to saddle up to Ben or Jerry.

Click to listen to our discussion on how to have sexy arms at any age.

P.S. Click to listen to our discussion on How to Eat, Feel and Look Sexy and Confident with award winning nutritionist and cookbook author Robyn Wood.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Feel Sexy, Tips to Lose Weight | No Responses »
Tags: Sexy Arms, Weight Loss Tips and Recipes

Feet Massage for Stress Reduction, Weight Loss, Better Sleep, and More Energy

Tuesday, May 11th, 2010

Did you know that foot massages can be used as foot therapy to increase energy, balance your emotions, improve your blood and lymph circulation, relieve your aches and pains, reduce stress illness, and for holistic weight loss detox, headache relief, constipation relief, and your sleep needs.

Sometimes a headache is all in your head. Relax. ~ Hartman Jule

Use the foot diagram below for foot rubbing tips you can use on yourself or your partner. For my husband, a foot rub acts as foot therapy that helps him relax and reduce stress illness after a hectic day at work.

You can start by gently rubbing the base of your first (little) toe. Continue at the base of the second toe. Next, apply slight pressure between the first and second toes. Then, rub between the third and forth toe. Next, massage, stretch and pull the big toe gently and rub each side of the nails. Finally, massage the ball of your foot in a circular motion, followed by circling around your ankle joint with both hands in a clockwise motion.

Foot massages can also improve the circulation and energy level of your body. Repeat the same steps on your other foot. You can do this feet massage in the evening a couple of times a week to give your tired feet a break. Foot rubs and Feet Massages as Foot Therapy Stress Reducers

Use the foot chart to find the areas where you can perform your foot massages:

* As Stress Reducers

by feet massage of the stomach, intestine, gall bladder, and neck areas

* Natural Fast Weight Loss:

by feet massage of the thyroid gland, and pancreas areas;

* Address Your Sleep Needs:

by foot massage of the head, cerebellum, liver, ovary, testicle areas;

* As Stress Reducers:

by feet massage of the stomach, intestine, gall, liver, head, thyroid gland, kidney, ureter, and uterus areas;

* Constipation: by feet massage of the intestine and stomach areas for a foot detox;

* Headache: by feet massage of the head, cerebrum, cerebellum areas;

* Shoulder Tightness: by foot massages of the shoulder, trapezius, muscle, head areas.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Stress Relief | No Responses »
Tags: Energy, Foot Massage, Sleep, stress relief technique, Weight Loss Tips and Recipes

Easy Detox with Simple Turmeric Dressing Recipes

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food. – Hippocrates

Some of the healthiest and simple detox recipes are turmeric recipes.

The ingredients and benefits of turmeric can help you to detox naturally, boost your immune system, loose weight naturally, improve your circulation, reduce inflammation, prevent heart disease, lower your blood pressure, treat headaches and much more.

Ingredients:

Turmeric (with the active component curcumin) is rich in antioxidants, which fight/prevent cancer, boost immune system, reduce inflammation, and help with menstrual problems, toothache, bruises, rheumatoid arthritis; it also can be used as a herbal cleanse and natural holistic detox.

Cayenne pepper is a blood and tissue purifier. It also improves circulation, treats weak digestion, helps prevent heart disease, and helps with chronic pain, sore throats, headaches and toothaches.

Olive oil is rich in monounsaturated fat and antioxidants like chlorophyll, carotenoids and vitamin E. It helps lower your blood pressure and reduce your risk of heart attack. Studies show it also may prevent colon and endometrial cancers.

Plain Yogurt contains healthy good live bacteria we need for proper digestion, which helps with constipation, diarrhea, colon cancer, inflammatory bowel disease. Plain yogurt also contains protein (for natural fast weight loss detox) as well as calcium, vitamin B-12, potassium, and magnesium.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Video Tip: Simple Exercise for Detox, Weight Loss, and Better Sleep

Video Tip: Sugar Surprise

Video Tip: Beauty Remedies to Feel fabulous

Posted in Detox, Healthy Recipes, Video Blogging | 4 Responses »
Tags: Blood pressure, Cancer, Home-made Recipes, Weight Loss Tips and Recipes

Food Meditation as a Stress Relief Tool and Weight Loss Technique

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

To gain the wisdom, and healing power and benefits of organic food, try this visualization exercise I adopted from the book Food as Medicine by Dharma Singh Khalsa. I call it food meditation. It will help you learn to relax which is very important not only for proper work of our metabolism but also to help you fall asleep fast. Visualization is a very powerful tool, so you can start using it right now, even before you eat organic. eat organic foods

Come to a comfortable seated position. Inhale and exhale through your nose, a few times, and allow yourself to completely relax. In your mind’s eyes, focus on your typical dinner plate. Visualize what you eat on an average day.

Is your plate mostly covered by an animal protein such as red meat, or do vegetables take up most of the plate?

Notice the color. Smell the aromas. Feel the texture of he food in your mouth, and taste the flavors. Is your plate absolutely healthful, or is there room for improvement?

Meditate on the changes you would like to incorporate into your plate to make it a perfectly healthful one.

Now, inhale through your nose, hold your breath for a moment or so, and let the breathe go out easily through your nose. Drift into an even more relaxed state of mind.

Now visualize the perfect plate for you. Perhaps, it will contain soy, for protein, in the form of tofu or a soy burger, or maybe grains, beans and nuts. If you eat meat, see only a small portion of chicken, or fish, and a larger amount of fresh raw, or slightly steamed vegetables. flow

Visualize the colors. See the orange of carrot, the red of beets, the dark green of kale, the pale green of broccoli, and the off-white of cauliflower. What colors are on your ideal plate?

Visualize a small portion of grains-perhaps, a bed of fluffy brown rice with sliced mixed vegetables. Finally as you sit, still very relaxed, see the size of your portions becoming appropriate to your physical activity level.

When you have let the picture of your perfect plate sink into your mind and it feels easy, peaceful, and effortless there, take a deep breath. Hold the breath as you stretch your arms up above your head, and then lower them as you exhale through your nose and relax. Enjoy the new awareness of your perfect plate.

This is just one of my stress reducers and holistic tips to lose weight, which I hope will be a ble to use to learn to relax. Let me know how it works for you.

P.S. For more tips listen to my guests on “Feel and Look Fabulous with Irina” Radio Show for Women.

Breathe, smile and be happy.

Irina Wardas, HHC

Women’s Holistic Health, Nutrition and Relationship Expert

NaturalCounselor.com

Posted in Benefits of Whole Foods, Healthy Recipes, Podcast, Stress Relief | 1 Response »
Tags: Imagery meditation, Meditation, Sleep, stress relief technique, Weight Loss Tips and Recipes, Whole Foods

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