Ask someone how to eat healthfully, and you will get a lot of different answers. Some will say “high protein”, some will say “low carb”. Some folks swear by vegetarianism, some claim you need to eat animal protein. There’s no doubt a glut of conflicting information out there about what to eat, in fact, there are whole books devoted to the subject. As a nation, we have turned a once pleasurable event into a guilt-laden, stress-producing necessity. Yes, we all need to eat. But eat what?

 As a health coach and nurse, I am acutely aware of the problem people face when trying to do the right thing regarding their diets. I, myself, have changed the way I eat several times. I have been vegan for almost a year, added local eggs and wild fish, even dabbled with gluten-free for a while. I added some free-range meats and a bit of raw dairy. Is there a right way to eat? Yes and no.

The key to eating what’s right for your body is to pay attention to how you feel when you eat it. Does the meal energize you or leave you full and sleepy? Are you eating to utter fullness, or eating to satisfy the hunger? Another key question to ask yourself is, are you eating under stress, because you think you’re eating the wrong things?

Here is when I say that we must change the way we think about food. No one food or one meal ever killed anyone. Realize this, and relax. Our needs change with the season, and they change with our age and position in life. Vegetarian diets may be beautiful and satisfying for a time, but then the body may crave animal products. Raw foods may draw you in during the hot months, only to be replaced by cravings for grains and meats in the fall. Listen to your body. Relax. Experiment. Make eating pleasurable and nourishing again, for your body and your soul. Part of our overeating stems from not being present with our food. We must eat and pay attention to our food. We must allow food to fill us emotionally and nutritionally. When we change the way we think about food, we will stop feeling threatened by it, and start feeling in partnership with it. Promise. Save & CloseWe will recognize true hunger and not boredom, and eat accordingly. We will innately know to choose healthful foods.

We start by limiting or eliminating the foods we know to be detrimental to our wellbeing: the processed foods, the junk, the foods we are sensitive to. We replace them with healthy choices like vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans and fruits. We notice how we feel. Daily. We become more conscious about not only food, but of life. This is how other cultures treat food and eating. This is how our grandparents approached meals. This is how we take back our health through the love and nourishment of whole, real foods.

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The arrival of spring is a joyous event. The days are getting longer, the weather is warming nicely, and colors are breaking through the monochromatic palette of winter. Yet many women experience an inner anxiety as spring unfolds, as they pack away their heavy sweaters and fleece pants in favor of the short sleeves and capri’s to come. Spring calls us to bear our arms and our souls as we acknowledge the fact that we haven’t cared for our bodies the way we should. We can hide it in winter, but, alas, warming weather is our reality check.

Here is my tried and true spring clean up check list to get you into warm weather shape in no time. 

After winter skin care

So your skin is dry, flaky and itchy? Your feet are calloused and rough?

• Nourish from the inside out: start today by adding a high-quality fish oil supplement to your diet such as Nordic Naturals. I distribute for this brand because they are simply the BEST.
• Start drinking green smoothies if you don’t already. Replace one meal a day with a nutritious combination of greens, bananas, berries and protein powder. Add to these 2 tablespoons of flax seed to move your bowels and 1-2 tablespoons of flax oil to sooth and clear your skin. Start drinking green smoothies if you don’t already. Replace one meal aday with a nutritious combination of greens, bananas, berries and protein powder. Add to these 2 tablespoons of flax seed to move your bowels and 1-2tablespoons of flax oil to soothe and clear your skin.
• Get in the habit of dry skin brushing. CLICK HERE for instructions.
• Drink more water and green tea. Water hydrates and moves toxins, while green tea invigorates and raises metabolism.
• Try organic fruit acids and other gentle exfoliants for your face, and follow up with a rich, organic moisturizer and mineral sunscreen to nourish and prevent wrinkles. Companies I like are Mychelle, Lavera, and Avalon Organics.     

Eat more fat to get rid of fat

Got fat? Lose it now…

• Move your body daily! There’s no way of getting around it: we were meant to move. Don’t tell me you don’t have time: make time for yourself and your health!
• Cut the carbohydrates. Nix the white stuff: white rice, pasta, bread. Say no to all junk food. Reduce your reliance on breads, crackers and other processed foods. Your body stores excess carbohydrates as FAT. Period. If you aren’t going to burn them off, don’t eat them!
• Eat good fats. They give you long-term energy and keep you full longer. Try organic coconut oil, avocadoes, organic butter. Make nut and seed butters. Healthy fats make healthy cell membranes and keep you feeling and looking healthy. So get off the “fat fear” wagon and nourish your body.

There’s so much that we can do to help our bodies bloom like the spring flowers! I’m here to help you. 

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Ready for some one-on-one support? Book a private health coaching session with Diane! CLICK HERE to get started.

Broccoli & Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients:

1 head of broccoli, chopped (or frozen bag for express version)
2 sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped 
1 garlic clove, chopped 
6 cups of vegetable broth or water
1 tsp. sea salt (may need to add more if using water) 
pepper to taste 

Bonus add-ons: handful of fresh parsley while pureeing & the juice of half a lemon at the very end.

Directions:

1. In a large pot over medium-high heat, saute onions and garlic in some oil for about 5 minutes.

2. Add vegetable broth, sweet potato & broccoli and bring to a boil. 

3. Reduce to simmer and cook for another 20 minutes or until veggies are completely tender. 

4. Transfer small batches of soup at a time in a blender or food processor. Puree until smooth.

5. Return all the pureed soup into the pot and add the rest of the ingredients. Add more broth or water if it's too thick.

Enjoy!

As always, I have pics to share from my pie-making experience just the other day.  If you prefer the more traditional doughy crust (or really don't feel like making your own), many health food stores sell good quality, frozen crusts.

All the ingredients ready to become one.

The homemade crust is ready to get filled!

 The final product. First time trying this recipe, and I'd say it was a success!

Crust:

1.5 cups pecans
1/4 cup chickpea flour
2 tbsp. coconut oil (or healthy oil of your choice)
2 tbsp. maple syrup

Filling:

3 - 4 medium sweet potatoes
1/4 cup brown rice syrup (this is a great low glycemic sweetener, but you're free to use any natural sweetener of your choice)
1/4 almond milk
1 tbsp. vanilla extract
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. nutmeg
1 tbsp. arrowroot powder
1 tsp. agar flakes (a sea vegetable that acts like a gelatin)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Wash sweet potatoes, place on cookie sheet and bake until soft (times vary depending on size of potatoes.  Remove from oven and set aside.

Crust Preparation:

Chop pecans in food processor until they resemble fine meal.  Add chickpea flour and process together to combine. Add oil, syrup, salt and process to form dough.  Lightly grease a 9-inch pie plate with coconut oil. Press the dough to form even crust. Pierce several times with a fork and bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven and set on wire rack to cool.

Filling Preparation:

When sweet potatoes are cool enough to handle, remove skins and cut into large pieces.  Place in cleaned food processor bowl and add syrup, almond milk, vanilla, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg, arrowroot and agar flakes.  Process until smooth.

Finishing:

Pour filling into cooled pie crust, cover pie edges with foil and bake 50 minutes to 1 hour until lightly browned.  Remove from oven and cool completely on wire rack.  Chill and serve.

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I highly recommend Terry Walter's Clean Food cookbook. Terry also attended my alma mater, Integrative Nutrition. 

You can make this into a sandwich, but I prefer to lay it on top of organic polenta from Trader Joe's. Just slice the polenta log into 1/2 inch thick circles & heat each side on a pan for a few minutes.

I placed some arugula & baby kale salad on polenta before topping it off with the tuna & bean mix.

How cute do these look? Makes a great party appetizer too.

Ingredients:

-1 can cannellini beans, rinsed & drained
-2 cans of tuna in olive oil, drained & flaked
-1/2 cup of kalamata or black olives, chopped
-2 - 3 tbsp. of chopped red onion
-2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
-3 - 4 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
-3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice
-3 tbsp. basil and/or flat leaf parsley
-1/2 tsp. sea salt
-1/4 tsp. black pepper

Directions:

Coarsely mash beans with a fork, then stir in flaked tuna. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix.  Allow the salad to sit for 20 minutes before making into a sandwich or placing on polenta.

Enjoy!

Here are some pics from the collards batch I made last week, which I steamed for a few minutes. I didn't have much time, so I ended up pulling out two cans of Eden beans from my pantry. Sidenote: I only buy Eden's canned beans, since the lining of their cans are BPA-free & they also cook the beans with kombu (a mineral-rich sea veggie that helps reduce gassy effect!). I seasoned the beans with some fresh lemon juice, extra virgin olive oil, apple cider vinegar, dash of cayenne, sea salt & pepper. I had a ripe avocado handy, so I sliced that up, and within minutes I had created a quick, cheap & balanced meal. I normally throw alfalfa sprouts in there too, but I ran out.

You can stuff anything you want in these collards. A fave combo of mine is sauteed portabello mushrooms mixed with quinoa in the wrap. Don't be afraid to experiment & use different seasonings! If you've never had collards before, I suggest to blanch/steam it for your first time.

Fold the edges and roll it tightly. You can use a toothpick to hold it together.

Beautiful!

I didn't realize that this was my most deeply rooted fear until several years ago when I decided to start my own business. As I spent all those years working on facing & diffusing this fear, I began to feel more liberated and grounded in who I truly am. As a side benefit, my business has grown exponentially during a time that many have projected is a "bad" time to be in business. If I had bought into other people's fears and judgments & closed shop, you'd probably find me curled up in some corner all depressed about giving up on my dream. :)

So in this video, I share with you two life-changing tips that came to me earlier this year. The coping skills I used in the past were helpful, but these two tips have finally allowed me to kick this fear to the curb for good. It's going, going, going...and gone! (Been watching way too much Phillies baseball w/ the hubs lately.)

Would love to hear what you think & your own challenges with regards to this topic. Also, If you liked this video, please also share with others. Enjoy!