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12 Ways to Stress Less For The Holidays

Stress Free Holiday
1. Prepare food ahead of time

It’s a busy time of year and plenty of goodies are around, making it easy for us to grab something that may not be the healthiest choice. I find I do best when I plan my meals ahead for the week – or at least for the day. Even if you are planning on ordering food for delivery/take-out plan ahead so that you can choose something that will be yummy and nourishing and not just fast and easy. If you’re having a hard time resisting temptation or just want to start t…

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Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

I recently tried this recipe out from Cookie and Kate. I made a couple of modifications and it was a great hit. I love how the red of the cranberries and the green of the kale makes this a festive holiday dish. And the leftover quinoa stuffing (I added garbanzos), combined with additional chopped kale made a great salad as well!


Quinoa Stuffed Acorn Squash

 

  • 2 acorn squash
  • 2 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil, divided
  • 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, divided
  • 1/2 cup quinoa
  • 1 cup water

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Are These “Health Foods” REALLY Healthy?

My clients often tell me that they are eating a “healthy diet,” so they don’t understand why they can’t lose weight, have digestive issues, crave carbs and sweets, or still feel sluggish. And part of my intake is to take a deep dive into exactly what they are eating on their “healthy diet” which oftentimes reveals that they are consuming what I will call health food imposters.

What is a Health Food Imposter?

If you are not eating food in its original form – such as a piece of fruit, vegeta…

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3 Tips to Reduce Mindless Holiday Overeating

Holiday Overeating

With the holidays upon us, the temptation to eat is all around. Reduce the temptation to mindlessly overeat with these helpful tips.

Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind

A client was telling me that she kept mindlessly eating M & M’s because her husband had his candy jar out on the counter. He was great about self-control, but it seemed that each time she walked by the see-through candy jar, the multicolored M&M’s would grab her attention, her hand would go in the jar and the M&M’s would go in her mo…

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Forgiveness and Gratitude

Tis the season for gratitude and Thanks-giving. And it’s also a good time to practice forgiveness. Both forgiveness and gratitude have been linked to enhanced happiness and well-being. While practicing forgiveness can be a process that takes effort, daily gratitude practices can be relatively easy to accomplish.

The Freedom of Forgiveness

Throughout life, we experience disappointments and hurts both big and small. But when we are unable to forgive, we hold on to the negative feelings – kee…

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Shift Your Snacking

Snacking

For many of us, snacking has increased and daily activities, such as walking from the parking lot to the office and back, have decreased, leading to unwanted weight a la the “quarantine 15.”  Some of us snack out of boredom which can lead to unwanted weight gain as well. As we move into winter where we may be spending even more time at home, being prepared with healthy snacks can be key.

Prepare in Advance

Snacking on a veggie platter can be enjoyable and satisfying, but oftentimes when th…

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Optimize Digestion with Mindful Eating


From joyful holiday traditions to stressful news headlines, different types of events can sometimes trigger “stress eating” or cause you to lose awareness of the food that you are consuming. It’s so easy to eat mindlessly—grabbing a handful of candy left out on the counter, mowing through an entire bag of chips while watching TV, eating food just because it is there and not necessarily because it is healthy and nourishing for us at that time. The key is to shift from consuming foods “just be…

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Light Up Your Life With Red

Have you heard of red light therapy (RLT)? After learning about the many health benefits, I had to try it and I’ve been consistently using my red light for over 18 months. Without changing much else in my routine, I noticed within a matter of weeks: more energy, more power, better mood, less pain, and improved skin texture. And then when I stopped using it for a couple of weeks I felt the difference, so I’m back at it and wanted to share this information with you.

 

A red light device is…

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It’s Pumpkin Time…

This warm and hearty meal has wonderful flavors that are savory and grounding for a fall day. I added sauteed veggies to round it out. Or substitute all veggies for the chicken (such as peppers, cauliflower, carrots, broccoli, zucchini) for a plant-based meal. Yum!


Pumpkin Chicken Curry

 

  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil, divided
  • 1 lb boneless, skinless organic chicken breast or thighs cut into cubes
  • 3/4 cup chopped yellow onion
  • 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 Tbsp yell…

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Regain Calm & Stability with Meditation

Meditation

Has your head been spinning lately? Unable to shut off your thoughts and perhaps spiraling into obsessive worrying? Meditation is one tool that can help you to regain your sense of calm.

Meditation is a practice that helps calm the mind and allows us to be awake and aware, yet detached from our incessant thoughts. Many meditation techniques exist and studies have shown a multitude of health benefits with a regular meditation practice—from enhancing brain structure and function to turning on…

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