2 Steps, and 2 Really Smart Tips for Creating Healthy Eating Habits That Last

Really smart to nail these two down before your next “diet” or healthy eating program:

Purpose is when you know why you do what you do. That thing that gets you out of bed in the morning and keeps you up late at night. The thing that has others turn their head when you walk in the room, or stop to ask you a question because they just want to be around you.

• Purpose is sexy
• Purpose is the fuel that will drive success in every area of life, not just healthy eating (why do you want this?)
• Purpose defies odds
• Purpose is addictive-forming

Preparation is the tool you will use to win every game you ever hope to win.

• Prepare ahead, do the work upfront, to create lasting success
• Preparation requires slowing down — most will not slow down long enough to add this in, but it is essential
• Preparation is non-negotiable to produce lasting results

Two really smart tips to easily add in to your plan for getting healthy and warding off “the craving” when it hits are

1. Always have a green apple handy — it will save you every time. In your car. In your office. In your brief case or handbag. Always. And when a craving rises, make a commitment to eat that apple first and then decide after you eat that apple if you still need whatever craving was about to take you down. Funny thing is, that green apple will save you every time!
2. Drink green juice or a green smoothie every morning and eat a big salad as one of your meals every single day. Just by doing this alone you’ve increased your “raw” food intake up to 66%. Since raw food has the most vital, life-force nutrition and is loaded with the enzymes we need to digest our food, you are well on your way to up-leveling your health!

Power to choose

A great way to give thanks …

Is to honor the way you fuel your body, because you’ve got important things to do with it …

Yourself and all the things you really care about. Your passions, your cares and your mission. Your family, your children and your love. Your physical, your emotional, your mental and your Spiritual wellbeing. All of these are invitations, opportunities, to choose powerfully what really matters to you…

The value of “live-foods,” cannot be over-emphasized. Live foods fuel your body with literal “life-force” energy to support your body, your “machine” to run optimally, as it was designed to run.

As you gather together with your families and friends this Thanksgiving, do not forget that there are many around the world and in this country without resources to choose, to choose health as you get to choose. Don’t forfeit your power to choose. Choice, not chance, determines our destiny. Non-negotiable.

What is the smartest thing you can do? Ask questions.

Marie Forleo opened enrollment to her highly acclaimed B-School March 10th this year. I’ve had this business program on my Vision Board for 2 years. Anthony Robbins notes Forleo as one of the top marketers on the planet in his highly acclaimed Money Masters Training program, so I really wanted to register, but now that I was a solopreneur with no other source of income, it didn’t seem too smart.

What would be the smartest thing I could do right now? Forleo only offers the program 1x per year.

I will likely write a book someday (and likely sooner rather than later) about the events of my first year as solopreneur and the ways “invitations” to step out on Faith continuously called me out onto “skinny branches” for the “fruit” of opportunity. But at the time I approached this question as I have approached all moments of opportunity in my life, what could be the benefits, what could be the losses if I do register? If I don’t?

Landmark Education taught my to live beyond the world of reasons.

Anthony Robbins taught me that in moments of decision my destiny is shaped.

Darren Hardy taught me that smart choices + time + consistency = radical difference … and at this point, though registering for B-School didn’t seem too smart, I’d established a solid foundation on daily, healthy habits that set me up for success.

And truth be told, my life had already taught me many times over that I garnered my greatest success by stepping out on Faith. Heck, if creating family and home as a young single mother did not teach me that everything is possible, then leaving my full-time job with my son in a private high school to attend Mount Holyoke College on a full-scholarship taught me yet again.

Ha! Yes, of course I registered and attended B-School. And … it has made all the difference. Because I asked the question, what would be the “smartest” thing for me to do right now? And the funny thing is, Marie Forleo enforced what life already taught me that “everything is figureoutable,” and worked with me in a way that made B-School possible.

Anthony Robbins also taught me that successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.

What would be the smartest question you could ask right now?

• Would it be to eat more healthfully?
• Would it be to set goals and finally produce the results you’ve wanted?
• Would it be to create healthy lifestyle habits?
• Would it be to empower you, so you could empower your life?
• Would it be to register for a new class, or hire a coach?
• Would it be to move beyond the world of reasons and do something just for you, that thing you’ve always wanted, but have never done?

Since attending B-School, my whole objective to “cause a mass ripple effect,” about ALL that becomes possible when we really create vibrant health and wellbeing is coming to life in “miracle,” “beyond-dreams-fulfilled” ways. Since B-School my business has taken off. I’ve now had the direct experience of coaching people from all over the planet. From Oregon to Florida, from Australia to England … and I most recently I began 1:1 coaching a new “my IDEAL client” for 1:1 coaching from social media—NO referral.

I’d love to know one smart thing you want to do, but haven’t done yet?

What do you know would be, could be possible, if you did do this one smart thing?

I’ve recreated my coaching programs for healthy living to directly impact performance and productivity in all areas of life to TOTALLY rock YOUR 2015. I now offer 3 Months to a Healthier You, 6 Months to a Healthier You: Next Level Health, and Foundation for Success. If you’d like to explore if one of my programs is a right fit for you to create the changes you’ve wanted with lasting success, please sign up for a Discovery Call with me to learn about all the modalities of nutritional support, success development, strategic intervention and personal transformation that I integrate into every Weekly Module. Spaces for 1:1 coaching are limited.

Spaghetti Squash and Tomatoes

This really delicious and easy-peasy recipe may not seem like much because it is SO easy, but everyone loves this one!  

• 1 spaghetti squash
• 3 tomatoes or 2 cups,cherry tomatoes
• 2-4 cloves garlic
• 2-4 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste
• ¼ cup basil, Chiffonade

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Cut spaghetti squash in half and scrape out seeds and discard. Fill a roasting pan with 1 inch of water, and place squash flesh-side down. Roast 45 minutes to an hour, or until tender.  Sauté garlic until translucent. Add tomatoes and sauté until tender and flavors are blended together. Remove from heat. Stir in salt and pepper. Using a fork, scrape out the spaghetti squash and put in bowl, combine all ingredients, stir and serve.

Buono Appetito! 

What is Organic Food and Why Should YOU Care?

The Top 6 Reasons Why You Want To Buy And Eat Organic: 

I remember when I first started to buy organic, it was a slow and steady process. Initially I was taken aback by the difference in prices between conventional and organic produce. A red pepper was and is $5.99 per pound. I just couldn’t make sense of it at the beginning, so I downloaded a handy app onto my smartphone, a guide offered by the Environmental Working Group called “The Dirty Dozen,” and bought produce according to their recommendations (you can download the app for FREE). This list offers a really great place to start, but as I found, over time I was developing a consciousness for the heartbeat of our planet, while I was caring for my own personal health and wellbeing by, so my considerations to buy organic began to expand. With my consciousness growing about the planet now, I began to notice the ways I spent my money on decadent evenings out, a beautiful home, with beautiful home furnishings, and “the latest” fashion-conscious clothing… but resisted spending on high-quality food for me sustenance.

At that point I made the executive decision to go rogue and buy straight up organic, 100%, non-negotiable, unless there is an item I need that is only available as conventional.

As a holistic health coach who is committed to SO much more than what I eat, SO much more than what you eat, I do begin with food, because I believe that the more we collectively heal ourselves, the more aligned we become with who we are and all that we are capable of,  the more we will collectively heal our planet—as our consciousness moves beyond us individually, to “we” collectively. This makes sense to me, this is smart, for our children, and for our children’s children.

Treat the earth well: it was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children. We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children.” Native American proverb

OK, organic refers to the way a food was grown, raised, or produced and is certified based on government-defined standards. Originally, all foods were “organic.” They were grown and prepared without pesticides, herbicides, chemical fertilizers, or irradiation. Foods were unrefined, whole, or minimally processed. Since World War II and the advent of chemical farming and food processing, the soils and foods of much of the world have been depleted of many important minerals and nutrients. Our food these days is not only deficient in nutrients, but also full of pollutants and farming chemicals. The modern process of denaturing foods via heavy refining and chemical treatment deeply affects the “life force” of our food supply, making it difficult for us to cultivate health and inner balance.

Research shows that pesticides create extra work for the immune system, causing cancer and disease in the liver, kidneys, and blood. Pesticides accumulate in the organs, resulting in a weakened immune system, allowing carcinogens and pathogens to filter into the body.1  Organic certification is our assurance that products have been grown and handled according to strict natural procedures.

THE TOP SIX REASONS TO BUY AND EAT ORGANIC PRODUCE:

• CHEMICALS: Pesticides are poison designed to kill living organisms. Many pesticides were approved long before extensive research linked them to cancer and other diseases. Organic agriculture is a way to prevent any more of these chemicals from getting into the air, water, and food supply.
• FUTURE GENERATIONS: Children are four times more sensitive to cancer-causing pesticides in foods than adults.
• WATER: Pesticides pollute over half of the United States’ primary source of drinking water.
• ORGANIC FARMERS: Three billion tons of topsoil erodes from croplands in the U.S. each year, and much of it is due to conventional farming practices, which often ignore the health of the soil.  Organic agriculture respects the balance necessary for a healthy ecosystem.
• SAVE ENERGY: More energy is now used to produce synthetic fertilizers than to till, cultivate, and harvest all the crops in the United States.
• HELP SMALL FARMERS: Although more and more large-scale farms are making the conversion to organic practices, most organic farms are small and independently owned and operated. Organic agriculture can be a lifeline for small farms because it offers an alternative market where sellers can demand fair prices for crops.

We actually tell farmers with every purchase we make, what we value. If we collectively begin to buy organic, the farmers will heed our response. I mean, why would a farmer who grows “conventional” produce continue to farm that way when feeling the pain of no one buying his product. He will want to go with the tide of organic that is growing…

Even if you don’t eat at a fast food restaurant, you’re now eating food that’s produced by this system. ~Joel Salatin, American farmer

You have to understand that we farmers… we’re going to deliver to the market place what the market demands. If you want to buy $2 milk, your going to get a feed block in your back yard, it’s that simple. People have got to start DEMANDING good wholesome food of us and WE’LL DELIVER. I promise you we’re very ingenious people. WE’LL DELIVER, that’s all I have to say. ~Troy Roush, 5th generation American farmer

 

Cranberry Bliss Detox Smoothie

• 1 cup coconut milk, almond or hemp milk
• 1 cup strawberries ( or mixed berries)
• 1/4 cup unsweetened Cranberry juice concentrate
• ¼ avocado, peeled and pitted
• 1 Tablespoon chia seeds
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• Ice (optional)

Add all ingredients to you high-speed blender and blend until thick, creamy and delicious!

Cheers! 

Stop Cravings

8 Causes of Cravings that you should know. 

The human body is amazing. It knows when to go to sleep, when to wake up, and when to go to the bathroom. It maintains a temperature of 98.6 degrees, repairs itself when wounded, and knows the miracle of pregnancy and childbirth. Your heart never misses a beat. Your lungs are always breathing. The body is a super computer, and it never makes mistakes.

When it comes to cravings, it is smart to look at the foods, deficits, and behaviors in your life for underlying causes and triggers. Many people view cravings as weakness, but really they are important messages meant to assist you in maintaining balance. When you experience a craving, deconstruct it. Ask yourself, what does my body want and why?

That you are committed to making healthier eating and healthier lifestyle choices, here are 8 causes of cravings to consider.

1. LACK OF FULFILLMENT IN LIFE. Being dissatisfied with a relationship or having an inappropriate exercise routine (too much, too little, or the wrong kind), being bored, stressed, uninspired by a job, or lacking a spiritual practice may all cause emotional eating. Eating can be used as a substitute for entertainment or to fill the void of dissatisfaction in another area of your life.

2. WATER. Lack of water can send the message that you are thirsty and on the verge of dehydration. Dehydration can manifest as a mild hunger, so the first thing to do when you get a craving is drink a full glass of water. Excess water can also cause cravings, so be sure that your water intake is well balanced.

3. YIN-YANG IMBALANCE. Certain foods have more yin qualities (expansive), while other foods have more yang qualities (contractive). Eating foods that are either extremely yin or extremely yang causes cravings in order to maintain balance. For example, eating a diet too rich in sugar (yin) may cause a craving for meat (yang). Eating too many raw foods (yin) may cause cravings for extremely cooked (dehydrated) foods or vise versa.

4. INSIDE COMING OUT. Often times, cravings come from foods that we have recently eaten, foods eaten by our ancestors, or foods from our childhood. A clever way to satisfy these cravings is to eat a healthier version of one’s ancestral or childhood foods.

5. SEASONAL. Often the body craves foods that balance the elements of the season. In the spring, people crave detoxifying foods like leafy greens or citrus foods. In the summer, people crave cooling foods like fruit, raw foods, and ice cream, and in the fall people crave grounding foods like squash, onions, and nuts. During winter, many crave hot and heat-producing foods like meat, oil, and fat. Cravings can also be associated with the holidays, for foods like turkey, eggnog, or sweets.

6. LACK OF NUTRIENTS. If the body has inadequate nutrients, it will produce odd cravings. For example, inadequate mineral levels produce salt cravings, and overall inadequate nutrition produces cravings for non-nutritional forms of energy, like caffeine.

7. HORMONAL. When women experience menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause, fluctuating testosterone and estrogen levels may cause unique cravings.

8. DE-EVOLUTION. When things are going extremely well, sometimes a self-sabotage syndrome happens. We crave foods that throw us off, thus creating more cravings to balance ourselves. This often happens from low blood sugar and may result in strong mood swings.

 

When we FULLY own our power to choose healthy eating and healthy lifestyle habits, when we finally kick-cravings to the curb, the magic of life begins to rise on our horizon in very new and very unexpected ways! Make NO mistake, what I assert here and what I am up to as Health Coach is NOT about food, it is about creating a level of personal power that defies limitation, to access a quality of life that exceeds what you may presently think is possible for you. Oh yes, our plate is a powerful mirror.

What qualifies a book to make my “Favorite Books List?”

Books that caused a shift in my perception. Books that offered me a whole new level of understanding. Books that literally offered me access to transformation.

For me, every book I recommend will either 1) impact the quality of your life for the better, 2) stretch your thoughts, ideas and perceptions 3) ask you to grow, and/or 4), challenge you in some way.

I LOVE books, because I LOVE new learning and every book I share with you has impacted the quality of my life for the better, on some level. And because I believe that we are our very best, and that our lives are greatly enriched from all sorts of new learning, I will offer you books mostly from my 3 favorite genres, nutrition and healthy living, success development and spiritual.

My nutrition and healthy living book recommendations will spin off the plant-based nutrition diet. I wholly believe that plant-food is the key to healing for all of us, and the biggest missing link for many who suffer from all sorts of health matters.

My success development selections will spin entirely on recommendations that will challenge you and ask you to grow, as well as give you SOLID and tangible ideas to elevate your game of life.

My spiritual selections will spin thematically on all world-religions. Though I was raised Catholic, and identify myself as Catholic, I do not practice one faith tradition any longer. I’ve found my heart, my deepest breaths and Spirit within a broader, more inclusive, one-love philosophy, from the sweet reveries of my Catholic background, to deep inquiry into Buddhism and my now higher level commitment to A Course in Miracles, with a touch of everything in between.

 

My first recommendation is quite fitting, since I’ve read and listened to it more times than I can count, Marianne Williamson’s now classic, “A Return to Love.” In this mega-bestselling spiritual guide, Williamson shares her reflections on A Course in Miracles and her insights on love and the search for inner peace.

For me, Williamson brought Faith to my life in very real, tangible and new ways in “A Return to Love,” by explaining how thoughts & perceptions literally alter our life, especially our thoughts and perceptions on forgiveness.

Simply put, I return over and over to this book, because of it’s larger themes on being of service, as a miracle worker, by accepting God and the expression of love and force of forgiveness in our daily lives. This book is a total game-changer.

 

I’ve read and listened to the “Success Principles,” by Jack Canfield, like “A Return to Love,” over and over, because it is a pure and utter game-changer! Read and reread this book every day and you WILL change your life. Begin with taking on 100% responsibility, and move through 64 time-tested success strategies and watch your life change. The Success Prinicples is a must read for everyone out to elevate their game of life!

 

Heal your gut, and eliminate the root cause of all disease. And because poor digestive health WAS the root of all my health problems earlier in life, I just love to share Dr. Alejandro Junger’s brilliant book, “Clean Gut.” In Clean Gut, Junger offers compelling evidence tracing poor gut health to the preponderance of ailments today, with a complete toolkit to reverse disease and sustain life-long health. Think complete and utter game changer when you purchase “Clean Gut.”

Follow your heart.

Do you believe that anything is possible?

Do you believe that if you wanted to walk on the moon, you could?

Neil Armstrong and Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin did?

Do you believe that you could single-handedly liberate our country, if occupied by another?

Gandhi did.

See, that is the kind of living life fully I am talking about.

Follow your heart.

Do not settle for anything less than the BIG zest of life!

Why would we?

Seriously?

For all we know it’s a one shot deal here.

Idealistic? Ha!

You know me, I’m all for hard work, self-discipline and doing what we need to do to get the job done — but why would I do anything less than what Lights me UP?

Ask and it shall be given.

Allow me to set the scene. Living in Boston. Resigned from teaching. Confused on my next professional steps. 200 job-applications sent out. And plagued by the charge, oh yes, to “go where no one else has gone, do what no one else has done, by the foundress, Mary Lyon, of my alma mater, Mount Holyoke College.

Professionally, I did not know what to do next.

I decided to go and visit my sweetest Aunt Bobby at Mount St. Mary’s Abbey in Wrentham, MA. A cloistered nun for 60 years before she passed last fall, she took my hand in hers and said, “Carol, what do you want to do? Just ask for it. Most of us never ask for enough. We never ask for what we want.”

From that day forward I began my journey of asking for exactly what I want.

You don’t pray you say? (of course that is what Aunt Bobby meant.)

It’s OK. The Universe has your back, cause’ this is STRAIGHT-UP pure, Law of Attraction in action.

And in the world of Law of Attraction EVERYTHING is possible.

What I discovered about this directive of “go where no one else has gone, do what no one else has done,” was actually Mary Lyon’s appeal to me to go for the BIG ZEST of life … and, the ZEST of life was actually in my heart all along!

I didn’t need to do anything, EXCEPT what brought me joy, what made me feel good … what I wanted to do!

Follow my heart.

Thanks Aunt Bobby!

Hello Law of Attraction!

What I discovered in Mary Lyon’s “lofty” charge is, no matter what I do, no matter what you do, we bring to the conversation a Spirit of experience and heart that no one else can. That the only thing that really matters, is that we stay true to our heart and to our lofty ideas of living a life that matters, by OUR definition … and have FUN!

When we are having fun, when we are in our zone, we bring our own unique and very special zest to our life, to others, and to all that we do.

Follow your heart.

Find what Lights you up! Give us the best you’ve got to give! Find your Moon to walk on … and have GRAND FUN!!

Neil Armstrong and “Buzz” Aldrin, did. Why shouldn’t we?

As poet Mary Oliver wrote, “What will you do with your one wild and precious life?”