Matthew Kenney’s HOLIDAY ‘NOG RECIPE

Let me say this has to be one of the very best Holiday “Eggnog” recipes I’ve ever had! It is so delicious, and created by one of the very best “raw food chefs,” Matthew Kenney, who trained in Paris at the French Culinary Institute and twice nominated as a Rising Star Chef in America by the James Beard Foundation. I highly recommend Kenney’s Everyday Raw, or his most recent, Plant Food and Wine, and you can find both in my new Cook Book collection.

The Holiday ‘Nog Recipe:

½ cup soaked almonds
½ cup soaked cashews
1 ½ cups water
1 date
2 tablespoons maple syrup, coconut nectar or agave
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
¼ teaspoon nutmeg
1 inch vanilla bean, including pod
1 teaspoon nutritional yeast
1 teaspoon chia seeds or chia flour
pinch of salt

Blend well. Strain or sieve and serve.

Enjoy!

Raw Chocolate Bark Recipe

Everyone I know LOVES chocolate! And I LOVE to recommend everything healthy, so…. here is a raw chocolate bark recipe that I created to make you happy, and keep you healthy during this holiday season!

NOTE: It’s so good that you may want to double it up so you can share some too!

Basic Recipe
1 cup raw cacao butter (or coconut butter)
3/4 – 1 cup raw cacao
1/8 cup raw honey or maple syrup
1-2 vanilla beans, or 1-2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Soften raw cacao butter, but do not liquify.

Combine all ingredients by hand or in a food processor and adjust the chocolate, vanilla and sweetener to taste.

Pour chocolate into a parchment lined baking sheet and put in the refrigerator or freezer to set.

Favorite “bark” combinations:

• Hand-stir in crushed almonds, pecans or walnuts and sprinkle with coarse pink Himalayan salt, or:
• Pistachios and Fruit-sweetened Dry Cherries, or:
• Pumpkin Seeds & Goji berries. or:
• Hazelnuts & Currants, or:
• Chili Pepper, or:
• Lavender

Enjoy! 

Top 2 Very Sexy Positive Psychology Exercises for Emotional Mastery

These are both probably worth implementing several times over before your holiday festivities begin, but are both versions of exercises I recommend my clients implement every day. Why? Because emotional mastery is sexy and magnetic and powerful and the force that makes everything else possible.

Three Blessings

Use Your Signature Strengths in New Ways

Three Blessings are when you recount the force of gratefulness in your life. The “hello” you are blessed wake-up call that many of us forget to remember.

• Before you go to bed, write down three good things that happened during the day.
• Then, write down why each of them happened.
• Think about the impact these positive events had on your day. How would your day have gone if they didn’t happen?
• Identify three strategies for continuing to live in a state of thankfulness, manifesting more positivity and improvement.
• Write down each time something good happens, or actions you take to make a bad situation good.

Use Your Signature Strengths in New Ways is the vehicle you use to create who you say you are, no matter what is going on around you.

• Review the list of 24 signature strengths listed below in 6 categories.
• Think of ways you already use your signature strengths.
• Brainstorm ways you can use them even more, writing down specific actions you can take.
• Commit to using your strengths in new ways this week.
• Carry a small notebook with you and write down each time you complete an action that utilizes your signature strengths. Share with a friend.

24 Positive Psychology Exercises for Emotional Mastery 

Wisdom and Knowledge
Curiosity, Love of Learning, Open-Mindedness, Creativity and Perspective

Courage
Bravery, Persistence, Authenticity and Vitality

Humanity
Love, Kindness/Generosity and Social Intelligence

Justice
Citizenship, Fairness/Equity and Leadership

Temperance
Self-regulation, Prudence, Humility/Modesty and Forgiveness

Transcendence
Appreciation of Beauty and Excellence, Gratitude, Hope, Spirituality and Playfulness/Humor

Believe me, believe you.

Can you change your eating habits?

And more importantly, does it really matter?

I mean, you know the usual rational — your family and friends, your colleagues and neighbors don’t eat the way you’ve aspired to eat, and they all seem to be doing good and having fun. Does it really matter, this healthy eating thing?

You spend such an exorbitant amount of time and money in your endeavor to be “healthier,” it is important to ask, seriously ask, does it really matter?

Especially that we usually revert to our habituated ways of doing things — You know, that back-slide thing, when we try, and we fail.

Of course there are the oh-so-many reasons to justify why we “just don’t do it” too.

And then there are people like the gorgeous Kris Carr, NYT Best-Selling author of Crazy Sexy Cancer (and more), who stopped inoperable Stage IV cancer in her liver and lungs from advancing over 10 years ago, or the vibrant Jay Kordich, the renowned “Juice Daddy,” who was drafted by the Green Bay Packers in his prime, who overcame the diagnosis of bladder cancer over 60 years ago, and even the beautiful Jess Ainscough who was diagnosed with cancer in her entire left arm & shoulder (a rare one called epithelioid sarcoma) — and that the only option (if she wanted to survive) was a full amputation.

Carr, Kordich and Ainscough and scores more chose whole, healing, plant-based diets, heavily laden with fresh pressed juices to heal their bodies, and in the process literally altered the whole course and quality of their lives beyond “the better” they ever imagined. They just wanted to save themselves.

Eating healthy was very important for them.

Change IS hard and often feels impossible. But even if just one person “made it,” made it in the way we want to make it, has dug down deep and created success in the ways we want to create success, well then, we know it IS possible.

Anthony Robbins says that success is 80% mindset, 20% mechanics.

Can you change your eating habits?

Depends.

Do you believe you can change your eating habits?

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!