The Cookin' Yogi – Cooking Classes, Nutrition, West Palm BeachWhy I became a Health Coach
I’d like to share with you the story of how I became a health counselor and how the Institute for Integrative Nutrition completely transformed my life. May this inspire you to take a leap towards your dreams.
Before becoming a health counselor, my life was drastically different. Although I was happy with my career teaching yoga I was struggling to find balance. I was offering nutrition advice here and there but, I was not being compensated very well for it. I wanted to direct my passion and energy towards a higher purpose, while I also had an income that would support me.
I knew I had so much to contribute to the world, but I just didn’t know how to put it all together.
Being well aware that the food choices I made would affect my health I still lacked energy in the middle of the day. What I thought was healthy was not actually working for me. I had inconsistent moods and energy levels.
It was at this point that I became interested in exploring a more holistic approach to food and lifestyle. The IIN school taught me to make food and lifestyle choices to nourish body and mind. It helped me get clear about my life purpose.
One of the major benefits this school provided was valuable tools to help launch my business-including marketing training, business cards and a website. Within a year, I was well on my way to a beautiful new path!
It has been nine years now and I couldn’t image doing anything else. My business has shifted over the years but the core value of helping people live healthier lives has remained the same.
If my story resonates with you, or if you are interested in pursuing your passion for health and nutrition, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition might be a good fit.
The school is a long distance Learning program which makes it super convenient for even the busiest people. Students can learn from anywhere across the country and world.
Even though I graduated in 2008 I loved the experience so much that I have continued on with them as a mentor to current students. This allows me to offer special discounts to my circle of connections.
If you are interested you can find out more here
Whether you know this or not I can assure you that your career affects your health. You spend most of your life at work, shouldn’t you love what you do? It may be time 🙂
Pasta Fagioli
Ingredients
1 small onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 teaspoons dried basil
Pinch of red pepper flakes
salt to taste
1 (14.5 ounce) can chicken broth or water with vegetable flavored bouillon
1 small can of tomato sauce or 1/2 a large can of crushed tomatoes (freeze the other half)
1 cup brown rice ditallini or elbow pasta
1 (15 ounce) can cannellini beans, with liquid
Directions
1. In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute onion, garlic, basil, red pepper
and salt until onion is translucent. Stir in chicken broth or water and bouillon, and tomato
sauce or crushed tomatoes, and simmer on low for 5 – 10 minutes.
2. Add pasta and drained/rinsed beans and cook on medium heat about 6 minutes then let
rest about 5 minutes.
3. Serve with grated Parmesan cheese and or minced fresh parsley
This is an adaptation to save time on a busy night. Usually you boil your pasta and saute your onion and garlic in a seperate pan, strain your pasta, reserving some of the pasta water and then adding the two together. However, when I discovered that I didn’t need to do that step and it could become a one pot meal, I was a happy camper.
Not sure if my amazing Italian cooking grandma would approve but it was pretty delicious and turned out to be a real time saver. She may not approve of the brown rice pasta either, but it is more of a complex carb than regular pasta and it is gluten free!
Eggplant Parmesan
Ingredients
2 firm eggplants
Olive oil
Himalayan or Sea salt
3-5 eggs
Flour (gluten free is best)
Marinara sauce (recipe below)
Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella
1. Peel and slice eggplant into 1/4 inch slices. I usually don’t cut the eggplant longways but I guess I was in a hurry when I cut this and went longways to rush it up.
Then place on top of paper towel on plate, sprinkle with salt and then place another paper towel on top, layer eggplant sprinkled with salt and topped with paper towel until both eggplants are cut. Place another plate on top with a heavy object on top.
This will press the moisture out of the eggplant and cut any bitterness. It will leak water so be careful where you place it, over a cutting board with an indent for drippings works well.
2. Scramble an egg with a tbsp of water in one bowl and place flour in another bowl.
3. Dip eggplant slices first in flour, then egg, fry in hot oil until golden. (do not let it burn)
4. Transfer eggplant to paper towels to drain.
5. In large casserole dish or baking dish, layer marinara sauce, eggplant, sprinkle with parmesan and a light sprinkle of shredded mozzarella cheese.
6. Continue to layer until all eggplant is in casserole, top with sauce, and both cheeses. Cover casserole dish.
7. Bake in oven at 350 degrees for approximately 30 minutes or until all cheese is melted and casserole is bubbly. Take cover off for last few minutes if you desire a golden top.
We eat this on toasted rolls with salad. It’s even better the next day cold on sandwiches.
Super Simple Marinara Sauce
Sauté 3-4 cloves garlic in extra virgin olive oil about 2 tbsp
Add dried parsley, dash of sea salt, dash red hot pepper flakes if you like
Add organic crushed tomatoes or diced if you want it chunky
Let bubble a minute then turn to low.
Flash Sale on Business Kits for Cooking classes and workshops
Here’s a little help for you that you will LOVE….
When I first started teaching classes I was so scattered. I had receipts and recipes all over the place and I would always forget something. Over the course of a couple years and many classes later, I learned what I needed to keep track off. Now my classes run like clock work. My struggle is your gain!
Never feel unorganized again. This kit is designed to keep track of your shopping costs, host information, recipes, packing lists, and payments. You will also be supplied forms to collect email addresses and even hold a workshop/class survey.
Regular price is $67
Flash sale price is $47, save $20
Sale ends Tuesday at midnight
The deluxe business kit is a bit more beefed up. It not only includes everything in the regular biz kit, but it is designed to keep you organized and help you land corporate gigs. There is a proposal letter, contract and invoice. The survey is a little more entailed than the consumer survey in the basic kit and fits corporate classes better.
Regular price is $97
Flash sale price is $67, save $30
Best snack for calcium and Omega 3’s
Seaweed Crunch
Ingredients
1/4 cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
½ cup maple syrup
1 cup of cracked almonds
1 cup sesame seeds
4 sheets of nori (torn into small pieces)
Directions
Heat oil and syrup—toss in almonds and sesame seeds—add nori and mix well over low heat.
Line cookie sheet with parchment paper
Spread mixture on lined cookie sheet into a thin layer. Bake @ 350 for 15 minutes or until looks golden brown on edges. When cool, break into pieces. Enjoy!
The best vegan source of calcium is sesame seeds and almonds. Some other great sources include broccoli, cabbage, collards, dandelion greens, dulse (a seaweed), kale and prunes. Your body will absorb them much easier if they are uncooked.
What you Focus on Becomes Bigger
 Every year I get so inpired by the holidays. We can either get overwhelmed or inspired, right? It’s all how we look at things.
For the past two years I have written a 12 days to Christmas countdown. I decided not to do that this year mainly because everyone is so busy they don’t need more to read or do.
This is probably the longest note I will send you for the week. I sometimes get overwhelmed with appreciation for you and get carried away sharing the love.
For the past 14 years I have been studying the Law of Attraction. According to Wikipedia, “The law of attraction is the name given to the belief that “like attracts like” and that by focusing on positive or negative thoughts, one can bring about positive or negative results.” What We Focus On Becomes Bigger I must admit that at first this was a tremendous challenge for me. I didn’t know, before I knew, lol, that all I had was garbage thoughts in my head. I had to clean up my thinking and learn how to get out of victim mentality and get into thinking about what I did want. I remember years ago when I had sat with a life coach and she asked me what I wanted. I felt shocked that I couldn’t really answer it right away. All I had been focusing on was what I didn’t want! That will never get you to the place you choose to be. I am living proof that you can change your life. I wasted thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours doing talk therapy only to stay stuck. I’m not saying it can’t ever work, and I know I learned some things, but it didn’t really work for me. What did work was aligning myself with spiritual healers. I studied Religious Science, “change your thinking, change your life” is there core belief, yoga, joined a prayer group, Bible study, studied Reiki and holistic nutrition. I’m not saying you need to take all of these trainings but you do need to get with the right people and get a plan. When trying to change your health you can try to eat better but without changing your thinking you will just fall back into bad patterns. You can pray about it but without the knowledge of what foods are good for your body type, it will be like trying to empty the ocean with a ladle. We are not meant to be solo. Each one of us is unique and has a different story and a different why. The number one reason to make changes has to always be for optimal health. You can not afford to be unhealthy. What could happen if you discover why you are not putting yourself first and then actually did it! Some things which may happen… Lose weight Reduce prescription medication Gain more energy Have less aches and pains Teach your children by example Have a better quality of life If you don’t care about those things, quit reading here. 🙁 Did you know that your health is also greatly influenced by your attitude? When I was studying at the Hippocrates Health Institute, a facility that helps people to heal from major illnesses. Dr. Clement, the director of the program said, “Two people can come in with identical illnesses I can pretty much tell who will make it and who may not. The reason being their attitude.” That is huge, can you really go another day stuck in your defeat-us attitude. I know you are busy, we are all busy. For all of our modern conveniences we have less time. How can we be so automated but be getting busier by the minute? It’s time to break the cycle and start to choose your path, your plan and co-create your life. With all due respect to the parties involved, my life has not been the easiest. I grew up in an environment of alcoholism, abuse, divorce, cheating and drugs only to later marry alcoholics, liars and or abusers. I had no idea that I was trapped in a story that I kept repeating. I had stress issues, asthma, alopecia, hypoglycemia and even a cancer scare. Knock on wood, I haven’t been to a doctor in eight years, except when I had the bug in my ear! You must do the work to change your life. It won’t come in a pill or a bottle. It won’t happen overnight or with a 30 day internet challenge. You must dig in, get to the root, make new choices and implement. I am not telling you this as a sad sack story or to scare you but you must realize that you are in control of your health. Your doctor can help you but he or she is not you. Health is a personal responsibility and only you know when something is wrong or right. The problem is that most of us have overridden our bodies messages for so long that we can’t hear it anymore. The body is like an amazing living computer. You are the programer. If you keep loading it up with junk it will not work anymore. Do you not know that you are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in you? If anyone destroys God’s temple, God will destroy him. For God’s temple is holy, and you are that temple. ~ 1 Corinthians 3:16-17 This is a good time to really take a look at the life you are currently living. Is it what you thought it would be? Could it be more? Would you like better health, more money or more energy? In the midst of the holidays it is really easy to put yourself last. Check out my tips for success.6 Tips To Make Your Holidays Count:Make the holidays this year count !! Here are simple action items to make you feel satisfied when the holidays get over: 1. Keep it simple:The simpler you make your lists and plans the more productive you will be. Keep lists to a reasonable size. Each day add no more than three things to it. Take pride in crossing off the old items. The 80/20 Rule:Enjoy your holidays. Practice the 80/20 rule. Eighty percent of the time you eat organic clean food, exercise and keep mindful. Twenty percent of the time you celebrate and allow yourself treats. The problem most people have is they do the exact opposite. They are mindful only twenty percent of the time and cheat the rest of the eighty percent. Holidays are celebrations, enjoy time with family and friends, enjoy the food that your body tolerates. I believe in celebrations but enjoying tastes means matching your mouth and your body. If you can’t eat gluten for example, why eat the cake if you will suffer later. Pick an indulgence your body tolerates. Keeping it simple and being mindful of your choices will make for a holiday that leads to a happy new year. Surround yourself with the people who care about you. See beauty in everything. Hold your head high. Always do your best and teach your children to do their best. And yes, your best is good enough.
God bless you for taking the time to read this and may you see every challenge you face as a lesson and a blessing. And be assured challenges will come, it’s how you handle them that matters. Get Ready for the New Year!
January 10th I will be starting up my Candida Cleanse, no you don’t have to have candida to do it, nearly everyone has an imbalance in their digestive tract and this takes care of it. You can save $70 until 12/31/15 Register here
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Do You Really Need Supplements?
Just published in Around Wellington Magazine
To see the rest of the magazine click here
Do You Really Need Supplements?
By Sherri Mraz
Did you know that Americans spend a whopping 21 billion on supplements? I find it ironic being that I often hear complaints about the cost of organic food. People end up buying inferior food only to then buy junk supplements to make up for the damage.
Americans buy fast food because it is convenient and cheap. They buy prepackaged and processed food for its long shelf life, which makes it easy to keep on hand. This reduces the purchase of fresh fruits and vegetables.
Even with the popularity of all the cooking classes on TV it seems that people are losing touch with their food. They really don’t have any idea where it comes from or what changes have occurred in the food supply.
Over the past eight years I have been teaching health based cooking classes and the benefits of eating whole fresh foods. It is not hard to eat fresh nutrient dense food, you just need to have the recipes and a plan. Once you master a few recipes and know where you will purchase your ingredients, it’s easy to rinse and repeat.
You should get most of your nutrition from food, period.
That being said, the key word here is unfortunately “most”. 50 years ago this statement could have been “all”, but with factory farming depleting our soils of important nutrients and the introduction of chemical fertilizers and pesticides we don’t get the same nutritional value we used to get from our food supply.
For this reason there are times that every one of us needs a boost. Maybe you have an unusual amount of stress, have been eating poorly, or just can’t seem to figure out why you are always bloated. This is a time to get a nutritional scan to see what is really going on in your body.
There are times you may need a digestive enzyme, probiotic, an anti-bacterial supplement, vitamin or mineral. This should also be combined with some lifestyle coaching to show how to put it all together.
I have recently merged my practice with a Natural Health Practitioner. We are excited to be able to offer custom nutritional programs and “Healthy Cooking ~ Healthy Living Workshops.” Learn how to make healthy cooking delicious and easy and get practical health tips. It also happens to be loads of fun!
Begin with your food, get tested and create a plan. In just a little over one hour, you can get customized expert information.
Maybe you have stood in front of a wall of supplements at the health food or grocery store wondering what you should choose? Your friend told you one supplement helped her and the Dr. on TV said everyone should take supplement “X”. Everybody’s body is different. What works for one person won’t necessarily work for everyone. This is where a personalized program and professional advice can help you save money and improve your health in the long run.
Don’t waste hundreds of dollars on unnecessary supplements, another weight loss plan or fad diet. Get information on how to preplan a healthy meal plan filled with the nutrition and support that your body craves.
http://aroundwellington.net/health-fitness/
Gratitude is the new Attitude
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I can’t believe that December is already here and we are already in the holiday hustle. This past weekend I was having a long conversation with my neighbor, we were reflecting on how easy it is to lose your mindfulness during busy times. Well, honestly we were saying how some people don’t practice mindfulness at all! But, I don’t want to be harsh!
I am always apauled at the wide spread use of factory farming, GMO’s, pesticides and chemicals that are in our food. I know this subject makes some people crazy. I often hear, “that means, I can’t eat at all.” This is NOT TRUE.
There are an abundance of foods that will keep you in good health and you won’t feel deprived or starving. Even if you have let it go too long and you are struggling with weight, diabetes, high cholesterol or the like, you can turn it around.
Those are conditions that are lifestyle related. As much as everyone would like to think that it is genetics, it’s not!
“Genetics load the gun, lifestyle pulls the trigger.”
Today I would like to gently remind you to take the time to slow down, chew your food, feel your breath and be grateful for all your many blessings. Think about what you are eating and where it came from. Was it an animal? Have reverence. Was it a plant that someone had to nourish? Have respect. Is your environment peaceful enough to eat? Slow down, calm down and try having a moment of THANKS.
These simple moments of thinking about what we eat, where it came from and that the earth had to provide for us can change everything for you.
Try to avoid drive thru’s, load restaurants, TV, arguing or negative conversations at the table. Try packing a lunch and maybe walking outside with it. There are so many ways we can get back to REVERENCE.
The world can’t continue on mass consumerism. Let’s do our part to use less, eat less and be grateful.
When I was a child my “Nana” would always tell me to chew each bite 50 times. You can’t chew 50 times without being mindful!
My brother and I would giggle as we watched her counting. All these many years later I am confronted with this information time and time again. It seems she wants to continue to remind me through other ways now. It’s apparent she was really right and I am always grateful for the reminders.
Thank you for taking the time to read this newsletter. I am always honored to share with you whether it is in a yoga class, private session, nutrition coaching, cooking class, or even right here. I have grown and learned from each of you as I hope you have grown from me. Reach out if you have a question or comment, I always love to hear from you.
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Chewing and Mindfulness
When it comes to increased health, it’s not just what we eat but how we eat. Digestion actually begins in the mouth, where contact with our teeth and digestive enzymes in our saliva break down food.
To many of us rush through the whole eating experience, barely acknowledging what we’re putting in our mouths. We eat while distracted-working, reading, talking and watching television-and swallow our food practically whole.
On average we chew each bite only eight times. It’s no wonder that many people have digestive problems.
There are many great reasons to slow down and chew… Saliva breaks down food into simple sugars, creating a sweet taste. The more we chew, the sweeter our food becomes, so we don’t crave those after-meal sweets.
Chewing reduces digestive distress and improves assimilation, allowing our bodies to absorb maximum nutrition from each bite of food.
More chewing produces more endorphins, the brain chemicals responsible for creating good feelings.
It’s also helpful for weight loss, because when we are chewing well, we are more apt to notice when we are full.
In fact, chewing can promote healing, circulation, enhance immunity, increase energy, endurance, improve skin health and stabilize weight.
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Cleanse Options
The 14 Day Committment is a more directed cleanse which targets the issue of yeast overgrowth. This is the ultimate cleanse which can be used by everyone although it targets candida. 14-Day Kicking Candida Cleanse (About 6 weeks in total duration)
For more info or to register click here
The not yet ready to commit choice is more of a starter cleanse with a 3 Day Bliss Detox (about 2 weeks in total duration), Chose this if you don’t want to use any products.
For more info or to register click here
As we approach the holiday’s it is important to not be hard on yourself.
There will be a Facebook support group and Homework suggestions. We look forward to sharing this journey towards better health with you.