What is a Health Coach? And How is a Health Coach Different from a Nutritionist, a Therapist, or a Doctor?
You may have heard of the field of health coaching, but many people may not know what a health coach is and how they differ from other healthcare providers.
A nutritionist or dietitian gives you a list of foods to eat and a list of what not to eat. Then you’re on your own to make it happen. A doctor prescribes meds for your symptoms, but probably does not treat the root cause. A therapist has no timeline for your goals, so there is no end in sight. A therapist might ask about your childhood; a health coach will ask what you had for breakfast and how you nourish yourself.
Health coaching is a transformational process between coach and client. The health coach holds a safe space for you - almost meditative - so you can express, experience greater self-rawareness, share authentically and manifest your intentions. A health coach is a nutritionist, a spiritual advisor, and a life coach, all in one.
Health is not a goal; it’s a vehicle to get you where you want to be.
— Nicolle Kate
What’s the value of working with a health coach?
Health coaching is a proven program. A program with a timeline for achieving your specific individual goals. It's a 6 month program that works. Why six months? Because six months is a proven time frame for experiencing your health transformation. And just about anything that can happen, happens, in a six month period. You might get sick, your mother-in-law visits, the holidays happen, work is stressful, and relationships ebb and flow. A health coach will support you and keep you accountable through it all. Working with a coach twice a month helps you stick with it. When times get tough, your coach pulls you back up onto the health train. After the six month program you will have the confidence and the know-how to get back on the train -- yourself.
Investing in yourself is the most valuable investment you can make.
— Nicolle kate
A health coach helps you create the vision you have for your life. To get the best results from health coaching, you must be committed to show up for the transformational program. Just like showing up for your a therapist appointment, your physical therapy or doctor appointment. You have to be dedicated to yourself. You have to be open. You have to be present and you have to follow through. But there is nothing more worth investing in, than you!
So what do you have to gain by working with a health coach? And what do you have to lose?
You will gain:
Balanced Weight
Youthful Energy
Better Sleep
Fitting Your Clothes
Newfound Confidence
Feel Fed, Not Full.
Tools to Transform
Cooking Skills
Nutrition Knowledge
Happiness
You will lose, Buh-bye:
Extra Weight
Sugar Cravings
food addictions
Stress from Feeling Powerless
Brain Fog
Food Comas
Guilt about junk food
Burdening Anxiety
Uncomfortable Digestion
Irregular Elimination
I specialize in women's health, particularly women at midlife, who struggle with finding balance with weight, energy, sugar cravings, stress, anxiety, and hormones. We work together to move you out of your old stories, limiting beliefs, and unhealthy patterns.
I offer a complimentary 45 minute health history. The health history is a phone consultation to get acquainted and to review your health wishes, issues, and goals. It helps us to evaluate what’s been working for you and what’s not. The health history form is an opportunity for you to determine if working with me is a good fit for you, and it’s also a benchmark for later review.
For more information on my health coaching programs see my services page where you'll find an short version of the my health history form to fill out and submit to get started! I would be honored to be with you on your health journey.
Is Food Addiction Real? Or is it Lack of Willpower That Drives People to Overeat?
70% of people in this country are overweight or obese and 40% of those people are kids. So why are people struggling with weight gain? Is 70% of the population gluttonous, weak, and lacking moral fortitude? I think, not. Science clearly shows that obesity is not about psychology, but about biology.
One of the most significant findings in the last 30 years is that obesity is not driven by calories, or lack of exercise, but by the dietary composition of food we eat. It’s all about the type of calories, not the amount of calories. I used to think maintaining an optimal weight was a math equation; calories in, calories out. But that’s an antiquated theory and science proves otherwise. It’s the kind of food we choose that matters.
According to Dr. Mark Hyman, big food companies have “taste institutes” who hire “craving experts” to find the “bliss point” of foods to process and package to create more “stomach share” and get “heavy users”. These are actual internal terminologies. So much of packaged food, is addictive by design. Big food companies say they’re just giving customers what they want.
So if certain types of foods are biologically addictive and make us gain weight, then what do we do? Avoid processed foods, sugar, carbohydrates, and fast food. Sugar and carbohydrates are what is driving the fat accumulation. Sugar comes in many forms from processed food like and fast food to pasta, bread, pretzels, breakfast cereal, and desserts.
Think about how much time we spend talking about and agonizing over ways to lose weight and gain energy. Cutting down on bad carbs and processed food is one of the quickest way to achieve results. Now you’re freed up to think about other things!
— Nicolle Kate
Instead of eating those types of calories, go for healthy fats, (avocado, coconut oil, olive oil, salmon) lean proteins, (only high-quality, free-range meats) plant based proteins, ( lentils, beans) and healthy carbs (leafy green vegetables)
We shouldn’t have to work so hard for our health, we should work at getting rid of the things that are blocking it.
— Nicolle Kate
Here’s a healthy low carb, no sugar recipe that’s quick and delicious. I try to share easy recipes without a lot of ingredients and easy to substitute ingredients, because if healthy eating gets complicated, we won’t do it.
Chick Pea Salad Tacos
Ingredients
4 organic corn tortillas, or 4 collard green leaves
Salad
2 C mixed greens
1 avocado, 1/2 avocado sliced in long slices for garnish, and cube the remainder
1 can organic chickpeas, smash half the can with a fork
10 grape tomatoes, quartered
2 Tbs red onion, chopped
mushrooms, sliced; raw or sautéed
1 hard boiled egg, sliced or other high quality protein (optional)
Dressing
2 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tbsp lime juice
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp Italian dried spices
Pinch salt & pepper
1 tsp lime zest
Process
Add all salad ingredients in a bowl
Combine dressing ingredients and whisk (or if you’re lazy like me simply combine dressing directly into salad) and toss well.
Top with slices of avocado, squeeze of lime juice and a sprinkle of salt & pepper.
Fold and eat!
The Number One Longvity Nourishment Isn't Anything We Eat: It's Healthy Relationships
This is the fourth blog in my “Soul Food” series about how we nourish ourselves around things other than the food we eat.
Relationships are vital to our happiness and wellbeing. Studies show that people who enjoy longevity have one important commonality. It’s not income level, or access to health care or good nutrition. It’s having love in their life. Whether it’s a committed partner, living with two or three generations of family in one house, or living in very close proximity of family and friends; it increases lifespan.
Relationship at it’s best, is a path for two people to assist each other in their growth and evolution of their souls. To create a safe space for each person to express themselves in their most authentic way and to be encouraged to show up as their highest self. An ideal love relationship is two partners moving in the same direction at the same pace with the commitment to serve each other’s personal development and wellbeing.
It’s important to really know the essence of your partner and let them know that you truly love all of them. It can feel vulnerable to reveal our true self out of fear of rejection if they really know us. We unwittingly attract people that show us aspects of our own consciousness and we choose people who will be a mirror for us.
Are you in your current relationship because of fear? Do you shrink yourself to make the relationship work? I have played small to keep relationships going and I learned that it was no one’s fault but my own. Contracting myself was a betrayal of my spirit, my gifts, my expression, and core essence. It was actually an abandonment of myself. I abandoned some of the very traits that make me who I am. I would never deny my special traits, my passions and gifts again.
How can we trust our instincts to choose the right partner? Ask yourself if you can trust that person with your heart. Ask yourself if that person inspires you to be your very best and if they are willing to serve your health and wellbeing. Ask yourself if you can both be emotionally intimate and share dreams for the future that are compatible.
What is unconditional love? I think it’s the willingness to lovingly understand what is best for your partner’s life. What if your partner wants to do something that you don’t want, like move to Alaska, or have a threesome? This may mean lovingly wishing them the best, but choose to say no thank you, and do what is best for your spirit. That’s not to say, that we don’t make compromises and put our partner’s need before our own at times, of course we do. But there may be a crossroad where the purpose and lifespan of the relationship is over.
The lines blur when we choose a partner out of our past conditioning and programming. When our romantic ideas are not congruent with the reality of bonding with another human being.
Instead, we focus on making a list of what we're looking for in another person. We hold the other person accountable to what we want them to be. We would be better off making a list of the aspects of our own lives where we are prepared for love, and recognize places where we still need work.
I think there are no wrong choices for relationships as long as we are grateful for the blessings that came from the partnership and are conscious of the lessons learned as we move forward.
A wise friend once told me that there are two kinds of partners; spiritual teachers and spiritual partners. I’ve chosen several spiritual teachers in my life and I’ve learned a lot, but this time around I have found my spiritual partner. It took me 53 years and I look forward to growing and evolving together through a long, happy, and healthy life. I wish everyone on earth love, togetherness and longevity.
For more on love and relationships I recommend Marianne Williamson’s “A return to Love”, Anne Morrow Lindhberg’s “A Gift from the Sea” or any blog by Kute Blackson on relationships.
As a health coach, I integrate all aspects of nutrition and lifestyle to assist my clients achieve health and wellness, For more info on my health coaching programs check out my services page!
A Deliciously, Nutritious Cheesecake Recipe That Will Delight Even The Toughest Vegan Critics
Who doesn't like cheesecake? I've always loved it. But as usual I want a healthy version. I won't lie-this recipe isn't exactly a-zero-calorie treat. However, not all calories are created equal.
Science based evidence shows that a one hundred calories from an apple behaves very different in the body than one hundred calories of fast food fries. One turns on the good genes and the other turns on the bad. Take a guess at what does what.
You can enjoy this indulgence without any guilt because this healthy cheesecake is full of good fats and protein from coconut and nuts, low glycemic sweetness from dates and maple syrup and it's full of antioxidants from raw cacao. So go ahead. Eat cake!
Raw vegan white chocolate and chocolate cheesecake.
Ingredients for Base
1/4 C dried coconut flakes
1/4 C raw almonds
1/4 C raw cashews
1 Tbs. raw cacao powder
5 dates
Pinch sea salt
1 Tbs. coconut oil, added last
Ingredients for Filling
2 C cashews
3/4 C maple syrup
1 lemon, juiced
1 vanilla pod
3/4 C cacao powder
Pinch salt
1/2 C coconut oil, added last
1/4 C cacao butter, melted and added last
Ingredients for ganache topping
1/3 C cacao powder
1/3 C maple syrup
1/3 C coconut oil
1/3 C cacao butter, melted
Pinch sea salt
Process Base
In a food processor, mix raw almonds and cashews until it becomes a meal (but not butter).
Add nut meal to a large bowl and mix
In a food processor, mix dates until they become a ball, add to bowl
Add all other ingredients to bowl except for oil and mix well by hand
Then add coconut oil and mix well by hand
Cut parchment to fit the bottom of a spring form pan.
Press crust into parchment until its a uniform crust.
Place in fridge and begin filling
Process Filling
In a high speed blender, mix soaked cashews and all ingredients except coconut oil and cacao butter.
Melt cacao butter
Gradually add oil and melted butter last and blend until a think creamy consistency.
Pour over chilled crust
Place in freezer.
Begin the ganache layer
Process Ganache
In a high speed blender, mix all ingredients until smooth and think
After the filling has set enough, pour ganache over filling and place in the fridge until set.
Cut into 10 slices.
Like and comment if you like this recipe!
How to Shift Our Perspective About Having It All
Most of us live in a when/then world. When I land my dream job, then I’ll have it all. When I meet my soul mate, then I’ll be happy. But can we have it all? And what does having it all really mean?
Having things is external. That is, looking for happiness and success from the outside world. Needing acceptance and approval from outside of yourself and having material things that are judged by external standards.
What about changing the notion of having it all, to something else; being your all. I believe that if we can be our all, the form of having it all will follow organically. From my perspective, when you are your all, you have it all, already.
I can choose to show up as my healthiest, highest self and most authentic me. I can choose to be my most enlightened conscious self. I can choose love and expansiveness over fear and closed mindedness.
Being your all means, making self-care your number one priority. It means protecting yourself from anything unhealthy so you can better take care of the ones you love. Self-care is not selfish; it’s self-honoring and self loving. And it’s our responsibility.
We can all create our own definition of having it all, and we can all choose what having it all means.
We all have a life story. And we tell it over and over until we identify with that old story and believe that is who we are. But does that story still serve you? If it no longer serves you, you can rewrite your story. Instead of telling our stories from a “this happened to me” perspective, we can change our story to “this happen for me” and because of it, I learned something valuable and now I’m in a better place. Eventually, we can evolve the story to “this happened through me”, because the story has noting to do with who we are now.
There are no wrong choices in life. We need to stop over analyzing every life choice and make a decision. Moving forward is scary, but if we'll get good feedback from the universe and we’ll know if it was a wise choice, or not. If not, we can make another choice and repeat the steps until we get where we need to be, to have the things in life that we want.
We cannot always control what happens in our life but we can choose how we respond. When you look internally for happiness, confidence, and love and show up in the world as your best self, you will be on the path to being your all, and having it all will manifest itself.
Comment below and share your definition of "having it all"!
Here’s a delicious and easy recipe to be your healthiest self so you can be your all!
Raw Strawberry Coconut Yogurt with Granola
Raw Strawberry Coconut Yogurt with Granola.
Ingredients
1 C young Thai coconut meat
¼ to ½ C water or coconut water
2 Tbs. shredded dried coconut
2 acidophilus probiotic caplets, opened
_________
2 C strawberries, sliced.
_________
Raw granola (see granola recipe in the café page of www.rawception.com)
Process
In a high speed blender, place all ingredients.
Open acidophilus probiotic caplets and pour into blender.
Mix all ingredients until very smooth
Add more water if too think. Should be the consistency of yogurt.
Place in a ball jar and cover with a tea towel
Leave on counter at room temperature for 24 hours.
Place back in blender and add 1 C strawberries and mix.
Layer in a glass with sliced strawberries and granola.
Enjoy the yogurt and be your healthiest you! xx Nicolle
For more delicious and quick healing recipes check out my NEW Energy Food eBooks! @ www.rawception.com
A Cauliflower Crust Pizza Recipe That is Dairy and Egg Free. Oh, and So Delicious
Cauliflower is a nutritionally dense cruciferous vegetable. It makes a remarkably delicious, healthy, low calorie crust for pizza. Here are a few of the important health benefits of cauliflower and other veggies in the cruciferous family like broccoli, cabbage, arugula, kale, bok choy and watercress:
Cancer fighting
Boost heart health
Anti-inflammatory
Boosts brain health
Detoxifies
Antioxidant and phytonutrients galore
Rich in vitamins and minerals
One serving of cauliflower covers about 77 percent of our daily vitamin C needs.
It's also a good source of vitamin K, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, magnesium, phosphorus, fiber, vitamin B6, folate, pantothenic acid, potassium, and manganese.
Not to mention that cruciferous vegetables contain cancer fighting properties,
Whoever invented the cauliflower crust, bravo! Most cauliflower crust recipes have eggs and dairy, and I have found very few good vegan versions out there, so I created my own to share with you. Cauliflower crust isn't going to be chewy and bendy like bread crusts, but in many ways it's so much more flavorful. It's a crispy and delicious delivery vehicle for the yummy sauce or pesto and all the colorful toppings.
Cauliflower Crust Ingredients
1 head cauliflower
1/4 C nutritional yeast
1/4 C chia flour
2 Tbs. almond meal
1 Tbs. flax meal
1/4 C minced fresh herbs
1/4 C flax gel (see recipe below)
pinch sea salt
Flax Gel Ingredients / Process
Soak 1/4 C golden flax seeds for at least 3 hours in the fridge until a thick gel develops.
Pour seeds through a sieve over a small bowl, using a spoon to stir the seeds and gel through the sieve, until all the egg yolk like gel strains into the bowl.
(the remaining flax seeds can be saved for another recipe or tossed)
Topping Ingredients
1/4 C tomato sauce
1/2 tomato slices
5 shiitake mushrooms, sautéed and sliced
1/4 red pepper sliced and sautéed
Handful of raw enoki mushrooms
3 artichoke heats, sliced
1 Tsp. nutritional yeast
2 Tbs. fresh Italian herbs
Anything else you want to add!
Process
Rough chop cauliflower.
Using a food processor, process until cauliflower becomes a rice-like texture
Place in a large bowl and add all remaining ingredients.
Mix all ingredients thoroughly with a spoon.
Cut a large sheet of parchment paper and place over a baking sheet.
Spoon mixture onto parchment paper.
Create a round 1/4 inch crust.
Bake at 400 degrees for 30 minutes or until firm and browned.
Flip over onto baking sheet (carefully) using the parchment paper to flip.
Bake 10 more minutes or until browned and firmer.
Remove from oven and layer with tomato sauce and add toppings of your choice. (raw or sautéed veggies, vegan cheese, etc.)
*IMPORTANT: let the crust cool for at least 10-15 minutes to firm the crust before you slice it or remove it from the tray or it will fall apart.
ENJOY YOUR PIZZA PARTY! And be your healthiest you! xx Nicolle
Find Out How to Feel Strong, Alive, Energized and Ready for Anything
This is the third blog in my "Soul Food" series which highlights ways to nourish ourselves other than with food we eat. Can we use exercise as comfort, nourishment and medicine?
Humans are born to move. It is written in our DNA. The health of our bodies fundamentally changes based on how much we move or sit still. In our modern life we move less and our health suffers.
In America, we spend twice as much on health care as any other country per capita and we are ranked 28th in life expectancy compared to other countries per capita. Sadly, America has become one of the most sedentary cultures.
Without some activity every day your nervous system literally starts shutting down big muscle groups for lack of use. That kind of imbalance can lead to a lack of energy, soreness, stiffness, injury, and illness that gets worse with age.
We need to move 30 minutes every day. When you move, your whole system lights up, so why not do something that makes us look and feel so much better? You'll feel strong, alive, energized, and ready to take on anything. Your confidence is boosted and your outlook is so much more positive.
It’s easy to break the promises we make to ourselves to get some exercise. Over time, broken promises can easily become normalized, but just 10-20 minutes of movement is better than nothing, so no excuses.
Benefits of 30 minutes of daily exercise
Boosts energy
Lowers stress
Improves sleep
Elevates mood, depression
Disease prevention
Controls weight
Fun way to feel and look better
Combats health conditions
Improves sex life
Increase your feeling of power
Functional exercise is finding ways to burn calories and integrate movement into every day life.
Walk a dog
Take the stairs
Walk or bike to work and errands
Get a standing desk
Clean your own house
Mow the lawn
Garden
Walk with friends instead of sitting/eating with friends
Walk while you talk on the phone
According to Dr. Jordan Metzl, MD, a nationally recognized sports medicine physician at NYC’s Hospital for Special Surgery, It’s imperative to add in a minimum of 150 minutes of movement per week. 30 minutes, 5 days per week. He explains that there are three components of exercise, flexibility, strength and cardio. Interval training is considered the most efficient way to get results from a cardio workout. 10 minutes of warm up, 20 minutes of moderate exercise (walk, jog) and 10 minutes of real huffing and puffing exertion. Yoga, squats, lunges, pushups, and planks are great for improving flexibility, balance and strength. (push ups are my least favorite thing)
Exercise is very individual just like diet. Do what you authentically love or you won’t do it. I love functional exercise so I integrate as much walking into my every day life as possible. I walk long distances daily to all my regular errands, the dry cleaner, shoe repair, health food grocery and the farmers market etc. I also love yoga, jogging and hiking to mix it up. I do not belong to a gym and you don't have to either. What do you love to do? Dance, ski, roller blade, jog,, pilates, there are so many ways to move!
Just move and live your healthiest life, Xx Nicolle Kate
5 Reasons You Aren't Sleeping Well: And 11 Reason's Why You Need to Be
This is the second blog in my new Soul Food series. Soul Food is all the stuff that nourishes us that is not the food we eat, like career, exercise, personal relationships, spirituality etc.
Have you ever wondered if our sleeping habits impact our eating habits? And do our eating habits impact our sleeping habits? The answer is yes. Both sleep and hunger closely relate around the natural light and dark cycles of our circadian rhythm.
Adequate sleep is a key part of a healthy lifestyle benefitting your mind, heart, weight, and mood. Sleep science studies clearly show that short sleepers increase their risk of heart disease, cancer and depression and short sleep increases craving for both fat and carbs.
Short sleep leaves us searching for artificial or fake energy from caffeine and sugar, which spikes our energy briefly, and when we come crashing down, we continue the cycle. Short sleep makes us hungrier. Twice as many women as men eat excessive carbs and fat to combat daytime sleepiness, confusing the energy slump with hunger. Men tend to pride themselves on how little of the stuff they can get away with, but lack of sleep will eventually negatively impact their waistline and performance with focus, sports and sex.
According to Dr. Rubin Naiman PhD, a sleep and dream specialist, “sleep disorder is the number one health problem in the United Sates. 70 million Americans have insomnia and 23 million Americans have sleep apnea, and 64% of Americans have one clinical symptom of sleep disorders at least 3 times a week.”
As a culture we devalue sleep often pushing the boundaries of how little we can get away with and consider it mainly in terms of how it can add more value to, or serve our waking time. Learning to savor and value sleep just for how good it makes us look and feel, is a positive health goal.
Here are 11 Important Benefits of 7-9 Hours of Sleep
Detoxifies the brain
Balances weight
Decreases inflammation causing disease, heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and arthritis.
Sharpens attention
Reorganizes, restructures and strengthens memory
Improves appearance of skin and eyes
Improves mood
Heightens creativity
Reduces stress
Increases patience
Improves quality of life
Guess What Disrupts The Quality and Duration of Sleep
Poor quality daytime light: with our indoor society, we get little or no natural light exposure and often the majority of daytime light we are exposed to is poor quality florescent light absorbed through our skin.
Poor quality nighttime light: blue light from televisions, computers, and mobile devices reduce melatonin production and increase our body heat from the energy, which impairs sleep.
Artificial stimulants: caffeine and alcohol. Some people find marijuana helpful for sleep, some people don’t, there is no conclusive scientific evidence around pot and sleep.
Artificial sleep: sleeping pills.
Anxiety and Stress.
When we sleep our bodies naturally produce melatonin after dark typically between 9pm and midnight. Melatonin is an important natural sleep substance but if you can’t get to bed early enough supplement with 3 mg. of high quality melatonin.
Even if you’re doing everything else right, if you don’t get enough sleep, your health and wellness will suffer. We need to learn to cut power, let go of everything and drift off to sleep.
Good night and more soon, xx Nicolle
12 Keys To A Happy Life; And None of Them Has Anything to Do With Eating Kale
In my health coaching practice I distinguish between the food we eat and what I call Soul Food. Soul Food is the way we nourish ourselves in the areas of relationships. exercise, sleep, career, creativity and spirituality to name a few.
This is the first of several blogs I’m going to dedicate to these topics, because broccoli alone isn’t enough to bring us overall health, wellbeing, and happiness.
In this blog I want to touch on spirituality, and share the Rawception 12 keys to a conscious life. These are all bits of ancient wisdom that I’ve picked up along the way after 55 years on this earth. Here are my 12 Keys to happiness.
Don’t wait for something to happen to make you happy. Be happy now.
Focus your energy on the good things you already have and approach life from a place of gratitude and plentitude. That’s how more good things will come. Not by focusing on what you do not have.
Make macro goals and celebrate mini accomplishments.
Focus more on the meaning in life, rather than how we measure life.
Think about “who am I” rather than “what have I done”.
Consider "how compassionate, kind and generous was I today", rather than "how many Instagram followers did I get”.
Instead of telling the story of "what’s happened to you", change that to "what’s happening inside of you"
Convert “what can I get today", to “what can I give today".
Be aware of the present moment, and set aside time to make plans for the future.
Remember, fulfillment is success: achievements are not fulfillment.
We don’t see the world as it is, we see it as we are.
Accept what is, because it is.
More soon, xx Nicolle
Why I'm Doing a 14-Day Liver Detox and Digestive Cleanse, and Why You Might Want to Do One Too
Do you ever wake up between two and four in the morning feeling too warm, or even downright sweaty, and can’t get back to sleep? It might be a sign that your liver is loaded with too many toxins and needs some support.
Every night I wake up around 4 am. I’m warm and I have to kick off all the covers. Sometimes I’m awake for 2 minutes, sometimes 2 hours. I know this is largely due to my mid-life hormone shift. I know disrupted sleep is one of the most common symptoms of menopause. But I decided to do a liver and digestive cleanse to find out if cleaning up my liver and gut could help with my 4 a.m. issues.
I’m doing Dr. Frank Lipman’s elimination and digestive cleanse. I’m on day 6 and I’m feeling great about eliminating all the liver loaders from my body. My diet has been clean for years, but I do indulge in some of the worst liver loaders; ie: alcohol, skin lotions, hair color, cosmetics, gel nail polish, non organic food in restaurants and sometimes caffeine- but mainly green tea. Using all organic beauty products is in the works for me, but that’s for another blog!
Elimination and detoxification are the foundation of our health. And from time to time everyone's detoxification and digestion system needs a little TLC. Here are some signs that your liver may need some support, especially if you experience more than 3 of these.
Waking consistently between 2-4 a.m. and feeling too warm
Increased body fat, especially in tummy or thighs
Increased cellulite
Bloating (fluid retention)
Poor (low) energy
Short temper, with bursts of frustration or anger
Skin breakouts; itchy, red or inflamed skin
PMS
Constipation
Super hungry (starving) at different times during the day.
Craving starchy or salty food
What toxins are worst for our liver? Here’s a list of liver loaders to avoid:
Alcohol
Caffeine
Pesticides
Artificial flavors, colors and preservatives
All non organic skin creams and cosmetics
Grains that contain gluten
Trans fats
Refined sugars
Other liver loaders that are harder to avoid or can’t be avoided:
Cholesterol
Estrogen.
Viruses like mononucleosis or herpes
The air we breathe
The water we drink
The soil our food is grown in
Important facts to note!
The liver will always prioritize detoxing alcohol first (because it’s truly like poison in the body) over what the body makes. (like natural cholesterol and estrogen) The liver then releases the cholesterol and /or estrogen back into our blood supply and we recycle our cholesterol and estrogen. That's when our blood cholesterol goes up and the risk of reproductive cancers increase.
A healthy diet is critical for the liver to do it's work. When we warm up in the morning with caffeine and cool down in the evenings with alcohol, those substances prevent the liver from doing it’s very important job. If the liver isn’t working optimally, we will not be able to properly absorb nutrients from our food or balance our sex hormones. We will have increased body fat and suffer from poor sleep. So be honest with yourself about how much coffee and alcohol you drink. (bummer, right?)
Here are a list of foods the liver loves for natural cleansing:
Add in as many of these supportive liver lovers to your daily diet as you can!
Beats and carrots
Brussel sprouts
Cauliflower
kale
lemons
leafy greens
Avocados
Apples
Olive oil
Grapefruit
Organic cosmetics
Cabbage
Turmeric
Exercise
Other ways to help digestion and detoxification
Chew your food well. The digestion process begins in the mouth by breaking down the food, so when it arrives in the stomach, it's already partially digested. This is the best way to avoid belly bloat and gas.
Drink water between meals. Not during meals. Our hot stomach acid will not be able to properly cook (break down) the food in our belly before it moves into our small intestines, where the nutrients are absorbed, if we interfere with the stomach acid's natural PH balance with cool water.
Stay away from artificial flavors, colors and preservatives.
Life is precious, you are precious, so practice self-love and self care.
And I’ll let you know how I feel after I've completed the liver and digestive cleanse.
xx NK
For more info on Dr Frank Lipman's cleanse go to www.bewell.com (he does not know that I'm writing about his awesome 2 week cleanse)
If You Can Only Eat One Piece Of Fruit A Day, Which Kind Should It Be?
There's nothing as fresh tasting as citrus salad. Just a few ingredients like blood orange, grapefruit or mandarin sections topped with chia, hemp, sunflower and pumpkin seeds make a super quick and healthy, no excuses, kind of breakfast. The seeds add a nutty crunch but more importantly, provide omega 3's and protein too.
If you can only choose one fruit per day, make it citrus. Why? Citrus contains an impressive list of important vitamins, minerals, and fiber, but also non-nutrient compounds called phytochemicals which reduce the risk of chronic diseases. If eating these yummy fruits helps the body to function optimally and contributes to staving off heart disease, diabetes, alzheimers and cancer, it's a win-win.
Ingredients
2 blood oranges or mandarins
2 grapefruits
Sprinkle of chia, hemp, sunflower, pumpkin seeds
Process
Slice citrus in a bowl and sprinkle with seeds. Who can't do that?
Mango & Corn Salsa
I love recipes with the fewest ingredients possible. Particularly five ingredients or less. That way, I know it will be quick and easy. No intimidation or trepidation from a laundry list of vegetables to purchase, wash, and cut, not to mention a complex process to prepare.
Simplicity rules. But the only caveat is that each ingredient has to be fresh, organic and bursting with flavor. These five ingredients meet the criteria. I made this salsa to plunk on top of a bowl of my veggie chili, but it would be a perfect accompaniment for crudite', atop a salad or simply scooped up with tortilla chips. It's a fiesta in your mouth!
Ingredients
1 1/2 C. organic, sliced corn off the cob (or organic canned corn)
1 mango, diced
2 or 3 scallions, sliced on the bias
1/2 avocado, diced
1/2 C cilantro.
Process
Mix ingredients together in a bowl and serve.
Tropical Bowl
I see acai bowls all over social media and I've tried not to jump on the smoothie bowl bandwagon, but I made a smoothie bowl the other day, my super-food, super-herb kinda way, and I thought it was worth sharing. Why? Because this version is packed with Omega 3 fatty acids, protein, vitamins, minerals, fiber and iron.
There are 3 crucial Omega 3's that our body's need for optimum health. ALA, DHA & EPA.
ALA is only from plant sources like the hemp, chia, flax seeds and nuts in this bowl.
DHA and EPA are found Sea Algae and certain fish (salmon)
Omega 3's have so many vital health benefits such as reducing heart disease, depression, arthritis, inflammation, and much more.
This bowl contains 3 sea algae: Spirulina, Chlorella and Marine phytoplankton - high sources of DHA and EPA. And Spirulina is the highest protein food on the planet at 70% protein. Need I say more?
Base Ingredients
1 frozen banana
1 C frozen pineapple
1 C ice
2 tsp. marine phytoplankton powder
2 tsp. chlorella powder
Optional Super Foods
1 tsp. maca powder
1 tsp. lucuma powder
Optional Super Herbs
1 dropper ginseng
1 dropper astragalus
1 dropper schizandra
Process
Build blender in order of ingredients.
Start with a little less liquid to be sure the smoothie is thick.
Pour smoothie into a shallow bowl.
Decorate with chia, hemp, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, fresh fruit/berries, almonds, dried mulberries.
Tri-Color Crackers
I don’t like waste; never really have. I started recycling newspapers and plastic in college in 1980 because I wanted to do something good for the planet and it was my little contribution.
I realized that many things have nine lives. The challenge is to remember to get resourceful and try to repurpose an old thing into something new.
Every time I juice at home, I feel terrible throwing the fibrous vegetable pulp in the garbage. I can hear the voice in my head say “I should make something out of this pulp” but I either run out of time or get lazy and never do, Until now. And after how amazing these crackers taste and quick they are to make, I’ll recycle my juice pulp from now on!
Juice Pulp Crackers
I juice the same color veggies for uniform color pulp, but if all the veggie colors mix together that’s cool too!
Ingredients
3 C vegetable pulp from juicing
2 1/2 C spring water
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1 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. nutritional yeast
1 Tbs. psyllium husk
1 Tbs. flax meal, freshly ground
¼ C raw buckwheat flour (or any non gluten flour)
¼ C sprouted sunflower seeds
¼ C sprouted pumpkin seeds
¼ C chia seeds
¼ C flax seeds
¼ C sesame seeds
¼ C fennel seeds
Process
In a high speed blender mix the pulp and water until smooth.
Transfer to a mixing bowl.
Add in all remaining ingredients.
With a plastic spatula, stir by hand until the batter is thick enough to spread on a non stick sheet.
Scoop ½ the batter onto a non-stick dehydrator mat or a baking “silpat” mat.
With a pastry spatula, spread the batter until flat and 1/8 -1/4 inch thick. Perforate smooth batter into squares if you prefer square crackers or you can just break crackers into rustic shapes after cooking. You will need two mats.
Dehydrate for 4 hours, then flip crackers onto a mesh dehydrator tray and peel away nonstick mat and continue to dehydrate overnight at 115 degrees.
**Alternately, bake crackers in the over on a “silpat” mat at 300 degrees until crispy.
**Optonal: smash an avocado and sprinkle with sea salt and eat on crackers!
L’amour
It’s that time of year when love is celebrated. I'm so grateful for the unconditional love of my parents, siblings, loving my beautiful children beyond words, the love of dear friends, and of course, my romantic love relationship which is constant and unwavering. I feel such gratitude for the gifts of love I receive and to have the privilege to give so much of the wonderful stuff back.
There’s a lot of talk from the spiritual community these days about love. Unconditional Love, Love Now, The Daily Love, and A Return to Love. And I love all of it. It seems there’s not enough love in this world, which is sad because love is infinite and costs nothing. No market share to worry about; plenty for everyone.
The things I’m learning from these spiritual visionaries is to be aware of the present moment, to tap into the Love that’s within each of us, to commune with Love (or the higher Source) daily. To embody Love, to surrender to Love, and make our life’s purpose to serve Love, by living at our highest vibration in the form of our most authentic creative selves. And to treat all human beings lovingly. I must be a seeker on the Love path and it’s quite a journey.
I was also moved by what Marianne Williamson says about Love in this thoughtful Ted Talk. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KHRE10ZiYjM&feature=share
And I recently read her book “A return to Love” which enlightened me in many ways. Lots of highlighted sections and dog eared pages.
My love and I have independently begun daily meditation practices to find what we’re seeking. Self Love and Divine Love. I think we’re both looking in the right place.
Raw Chocolate Covered Strawberries
24 large strawberries
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1 C cacao paste
1 C cacao butter
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/4 C agave or other liquid sweeter
Pinch sea salt
Process
To temper the chocolate, finely chop the cacao paste and butter.
Place n a metal bowl.
Dehydrate at 115 degrees until its mostly melted.
Remove from dehydrator and stir to be sure all bits are melted.
Add remaining ingredients.
Place back in the dehydrator for 5 more minutes.
Remove from dehydrator and dip strawberries.
Place chocolate strawberries on parchment paper to dry for a few minutes before eating.
Share with someone you love.
Traveling Tips
I love to travel but the nutritional pitfalls are ever present. It takes a bit of planning before packing your bags to maintain a healthy diet regime on the road. I can concede organic produce but I don’t want to compromise my daily intake of living enzymes, vitamin and minerals for healthy digestion and energy flow on the road.
Here are a few tips for healthy travel!
Packing Your Bags
1. Probiotic supplements. (any shelf stable probiotic brand)
2. Powdered super-food and herbs to add to smoothies or juices.
3. Organic vita-mineral green powder to mix into tea or juice.
4. Matcha green tea powder for antioxidant tea on the go.
5. Vitamin / mineral supplements.
6. Chinese medicinal herb tinctures to add to tea, juice or smoothies.
7. Pack sprouted nuts, seeds and dried fruit for the plane.
Eating In Restaurants
Chef’s happily accommodate allergy and diet needs so don't hesitate to ask.
1. Ask chef to substitute butter for olive oil, creamy sauces for tomato based sauce, and heavy dressings for light vinaigrettes.
2. Delete meat and cheese and inquire about adding mushrooms, avocado, wild caught fish or other plant based options.
3. Request brown rice, quinoia, lentils, chickpeas, or lettuce wraps instead of white rice, potatoes, pasta, bread or flour tortillas.
4. Search online in advance to locate juice bars or organic cafe's near your destination.
5. Order organic raw vegetable salads and fruit salads whenever possible.
Happy Trails!
After getting my bearings at the largest hotel in Las Vegas, I surveyed the restaurant options and quickly understood the food-scape. Balance is hard to find in Sin City. High or Low. Sinner or Saint. Most food that happens in Vegas should stay in Vegas. Junk food abounds with only a few healthy offerings at a price from the most upscale restaurants where fresh herb gardens flank the entrance. I was lucky to stumble upon an odd little food-court-yogurt-candy shop that happened to make fresh green juices to order. An anomaly.
"Be Mine" Linzer Cookies
These cookies are super special to present to your love. It’s a very fun craft project creating these sweets for your sweet, not to mention they’re delicious and beautiful. I imagine this recipe could be baked in the oven as well, however I’ve never done it so if anyone does, I’d love to know the results! Remember to love yourself first, then pass it on, because there’s never enough love to go around.
Jam Ingredients
1 C strawberries or raspberries or a mix of both
1/4 C dates, chopped
2 tsp. lemon juice
½ tsp vanilla extract
Pinch sea salt, optional
Process
In a high speed blender, blend all ingredients until smooth
Place in the dehydrator for 2-3 hours to thicken or cook on the stovetop over low heat until reduced and thick
Refrigerate
Pastry Ingredients
1 ½ C almond flour
1 C coconut flour
½ C macadamia nuts, ground
¼ C Plus 2 Tbs. agave
2 Tbs. raw honey or maple syrup
½ Tbs. lemon zest
1 Tbs. lemon juice
2 Tbs. coconut oil, melted
Pinch of sea salt
Process
In a food processor, mix the almond flour and 1/3 C of the coconut flour until well combined
Add remaining ingredients and process until dough is formed
You may need to add a few tablespoons of water to make this soft enough to work with.
With a rolling pin, roll our dough to be approximately ¼ inch thick. You want the dough to be thin.
Using a cookie cutter, cut into shapes, making an even amount of cookies .
Cut half of the cookies with a cut out, the other half without.
Dehydrate 10-12 hours or until cookies are very crisp
Assembly
Spread about 1 teaspoon of jam on a solid cookie and top with the cut out cookie to make a sandwich. Dust lightly with coconut flour.
PS. I Love You
Palm Springs is a very special place. The desert sky, the late afternoon light, crisp air, UFO shaped cloud formations, picturesque hiking trails, and the moon hovering over the mountains in the morning, to name a few.
I've been to Palm Springs before but the natural beauty of this mid-century-mecca hits me like a brick every time. Another striking vision is the abundance of fruit trees lining the neighborhoods bearing copious amount of grapefruits, oranges and lemons so large and sweet.
The first thing I did was pick the rosiest grapefruits and brightest oranges and supreme' them for a citrus salad. (Supreme' is a knife skill which carefully slices the meat away from the pith) But as per my "Fast Food" blog post, just peel away the skin, any which way, and eat the sections - sweet, juicy and delicious!
Both grapefruit and oranges are high in Vitamin C and A, high in dietary fiber and one orange or grapefruit has only about 50 calories, depending on size! It's also a delicious way to replace processed sugar with natural sugar!
I had a wonderful visit with good friends, plenty of sunshine and the best citrus around!
I heart you, Palm Springs!
Butter Me Up
Rarely in life can just one thing; one single element change everything. Last year I was suddenly a single woman in a sea of other middle aged unmarried women in Los Angeles. Thinking; Oh no, just what the world needs; another fifty something single woman! I decided to take some time to myself and focus on my new career. And boom! when I wasn't looking, I met my match! It only takes one specific person, one important item, one perfect ingredient and life can change; just like that!
The magnitude of creating the perfect one ingredient nut butter is admittedly slightly less than finding that one perfect life partner, however it's always had a significant place in my heart. As a kid in the 60's, it was a peanut butter and grape jelly sandwich that I wanted every day.
Now with raw and vegan cuisine as my specialty, it's raw, unpasteurized almond butter, pecan butter or pumpkin seed butter that I want! One handful of nut or seeds can make the difference between having this luscious, creamy, dreamy spreadable loveliness, or not!
Raw Almond Butter with Raw Strawberry-Goji Berry Jam.
Recipe
Like most recipes, the best quality organic ingredients are imperative but equally critical is the process for blending nuts into butter. Hands down, the food processor creates the best consistency nut butters without having to add any oils, sweeteners, or salt.
Ingredients
To make nut or seed butter process 2 cups nuts for 8-9 minutes, pause to scrape down the sides of the processor bowl every 2-3 minutes and voila! The oils are released and you'll have velvety ribbons of buttery-ness!
Your nut butter will stay fresh in the fridge for about 10 days.
TIP 2 Cups of nuts yields one cup butter.
Terrific Turmeric
Turmeric is a beautiful golden orange root that has traditionally been used in Indian cuisine to give curry it's yellow color. Turmeric contains a compound called curcumin which gives turmeric it's color and is the most nutritious part of the root. Turmeric may be one of the most effective nutritional supplement in existence. Many high quality studies show that it has major benefits for your body and brain. I love to juice turmeric root for it's zing which instantly energizes my body!
Here are the top ten evidence based benefits of turmeric.
Curcumin may help delay aging and fight age-related chronic diseases.
Curcumin is a natural anti-Inflammatory compound.
Turmeric is an antioxidant.
Curcumin has been linked to improved brain function and a lower risk of brain diseases.
Curcumin leads to various improvements that can lower your risk of heart disease.
Turmeric can help prevent cancer.
Curcumin may be useful in preventing and treating alzheimer’s disease.
Arthritis patients respond very well to curcumin supplementation.
Studies show that curcumin has incredible benefits against depression.
Turmeric contains bioactive compounds with powerful medicinal properties.
Turmeric Juice Tonic
1 C turmeric root, 1 C ginger root, 2 carrots Remove from juicer and set aside. Then juice 2 C spinach, 1 C kale, 1 cucumber, 4 celery stalk, 1 green apple. Alternate pouring the yellow and green juice into the glass.