tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-13915909249205795312024-02-17T06:37:17.241-08:00eltGalya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-41936055713537775222012-11-09T21:22:00.002-08:002012-11-09T21:22:30.832-08:00Introducing the podcast Roland and I have been playing with recording a podcast - and it's been fun. I hope you enjoy it - to read all about it <a href="http://thefitink.com/2012/the-eat-well-move-well-podcast-1/">head over to the Fit Ink</a> - my new home on the Internet :) Have a great weekend!Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-6438766357965494862012-10-10T10:09:00.003-07:002012-10-10T10:11:43.302-07:00Sweet and Hot Brussels SproutsOriginally from <a href="http://thefitink.com/2012/hot-brussel-sprouts-and-mushroom-salad/">The Fit Ink </a>- my new home on the net<br />
<br />
The thought of cooking Brussels sprouts scares a lot of people. They
tend to grow bitter if you overcook them, soggy if you boil them. Some
swear by chopping them in tiny shreds and cooking them ever so slightly
for no longer than 3 minutes so they stay deliciously cabbage-y without
being too Brussels sprout-y.<br />
Contrary to popular belief, Roland
and I have found a few very tasty ways to enjoy them and today it's my
pleasure to share the latest - Sweet and Hot Brussels Sprouts - by
themselves or in a salad - your choice.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a data-mce-href="http://thefitink.com/2012/hot-brussel-sprouts-and-mushroom-salad/p1440388/" href="http://thefitink.com/2012/hot-brussel-sprouts-and-mushroom-salad/p1440388/" rel="attachment wp-att-1955" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sweet and hot brussel sprouts" class="wp-image-1955 aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://thefitink.com/content/uploads/P1440388-736x1024.jpg" height="614" src="http://thefitink.com/content/uploads/P1440388-736x1024.jpg" title="sweet and hot brussel sprouts" width="442" /></a></div>
<span data-mce-style="color: #ffffff;" style="color: white;">.</span><br />
To make 2 very generous servings of these<b> Sweet and Hot Roasted Brussels Sprouts</b> you need:<br />
<br />
<b>4 cups Brussels sprouts, cleaned and halved</b><br />
<b>1 tbsp olive oil or expeller pressed coconut oil (this is what we use)</b><br />
<b>sea salt to taste</b><br />
<b>1 tbsp honey or maple syrup</b><br />
<b>1 tsp cayenne or red hot pepper flakes</b><br />
<br />
To
prepare the sprouts simply preheat the oven to 350 F and toss the
sprouts in a cast iron pan, drizzling the oil and salt over them for
15-20 minutes. While they are cooking mix the honey with the hot pepper.
Take the pan out and pour the honey in - it will melt. Stir well to
make sure all sprouts are coated and return to the oven for 10 minutes.
Feel free to add bits of bacon at this time if you feel like an extra
indulgence. Once ready you can serve these as a side or use them in a
recipe like I did.<br />
<br />
To make 2 servings of the delicious <b>Hot Brussels sprouts and mushroom salad</b>, you need:<br />
<br />
<b>the cooked Brussels sprouts from the recipe above</b><br />
<b>1 cup mushrooms, sliced</b><br />
<b>1/2 tbsp butter</b><br />
<b>2 cups baby greens</b><br />
<b>2 oz Emental or other light cheese of your choice </b><br />
<b>olive oil and balsamic vinegar if you choose to dress the salad</b><br />
<b> </b><br />
<br />
<a data-mce-href="http://thefitink.com/2012/hot-brussel-sprouts-and-mushroom-salad/warm-brussel-sprout-and-mushroom-salad/" href="http://thefitink.com/2012/hot-brussel-sprouts-and-mushroom-salad/warm-brussel-sprout-and-mushroom-salad/" rel="attachment wp-att-1956"><img alt="warm brussel sprouts and mushroom salad" class="wp-image-1956 aligncenter" data-mce-src="http://thefitink.com/content/uploads/warm-brussel-sprout-and-mushroom-salad.jpg" height="415" src="http://thefitink.com/content/uploads/warm-brussel-sprout-and-mushroom-salad.jpg" title="warm brussel sprouts and mushroom salad" width="553" /></a><br />
<br />
Start
by cooking the mushrooms and butter over medium heat for about 3
minutes. In a bowl, combine the baby greens, Brussels sprouts, mushrooms
and cheese cut in small pieces. If you enjoy dressings, mix olive oil
and balsamic vinegar in a 3:1 ratio and dress as you like.<br />
Next time you are at the grocery store, grab some Brussels sprouts and let us know how your salad turned out!Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-26563803921320733802012-08-18T20:09:00.001-07:002012-08-18T20:09:16.291-07:00What's up at the Fit Ink?It's been a cool couple of weeks. I am adjusting to a new style of training, with a lot more movement and less weighted exercise (you will hear a lot about my Restorative Exercise paradigm shift in the next few months). Spent 4 cool days at Perform Better in Long Beach, where I got to catch up with the smartest and greatest in the fitness industry and met some very interesting new people (and ate some amazing Jamaican food, yum!). <br />
<br />
I am getting ready to leave for Bulgaria, where Diana and I will hold our annual art vacation, with tons of cool stuff to do - movement, cooking, art, lectures, and this time all is happening at the beach so I am thinking it will be better than ever.<br />
<br />
Roland and I are working hard on the FitInk, and over the last week released a <a href="http://thefitink.com/2012/free-fat-loss-workout-ebook/">free workout e-book for busy people</a>, cooked some new and delicious recipes and are constantly on the lookout for projects, like our <a href="http://thefitink.com/2012/gluten-free-beer-review/">Gluten free beer review</a>. <br />
<br />
Our long awaited book, <a href="http://thefitink.com/manontop/">Man on top</a>, is ready for publishing and we will be releasing it in early October, when I get back from Bulgaria. Our cover is so beautiful, I am seriously considering framing it and hanging it over the bed, taking the risk of being accused of bad taste for bedroom art. <br />
<br />
What else? I bough over 20 books in the last month. I don't know when I will be able to read them, but I am working my way through the pile. I have the bad habit of reading 5 books at a time - last month I finished Deep Nutrition and one of Egoscue's books and while it's not going fast, I have started the Diabetes Solution, Wheat Belly, The Shangri-La Diet and When the Body Says No. My wishlist on Amazon is filling rapidly and I hope the 6 weeks in Bulgaria allow some time for reading. <br />
<br />
Hm, what else? I taught an epic spine health workshop with my friend and super star cervical chiropractor Dr Liz Hoeffer, and I am looking forward to teaching it again, as it is life changing for so many people.<br />
<br />
Did I mention you can read my Restorative Exercise work in Bulgarian now? <a href="http://alignwithme.com/">Check this out! </a><br />
<br />
I am probably forgetting something, so just ask me what's up with X or Z and I will let you know :)<br />
<br />
<br />Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-1966395672261121362012-08-03T10:42:00.000-07:002012-08-03T10:42:47.312-07:00Tropical Traditions ships free - take action :)In our cooking classes, we show you how to use coconut oil to make delicious omelets, pancakes, desserts and even slow roasted sweet glazed veggies! We have been recommending Tropical Traditions as our favorite source of coconut oil and we are glad to share that they have a free shipping coupon starting today and going through August 16. Check your pantry and if you are running out this is a great time to stock up! You must enter the coupon number in your cart before checking out! Here it is: <span style="font-size: 18pt; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-size: small;">Coupon Code 682212 </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">To order, simply click on the link below and it will take you to the website. </span><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 18pt; font-weight: bold;"> </span><br />
<a href="http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/image/products/thumb-gold_32oz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img align="right" border="0" src="http://www.tropicaltraditions.com/image/products/thumb-gold_32oz.jpg" style="margin-top: 4px;" /></a><a href="http://secure.ttpurchase.com/ED87546F-1E0B-90B3-0E548DDD6F660BA4">Virgin Coconut Oil, Gold Label - 1 quart</a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i>note: If you have never bought from Tropical Traditions, know that a new customer purchase is going to give me a coupon, which is sweet, but not the reason why I recommend the product. We have been using Tropical Traditions for all our coconut needs: flakes, chips, flour, cream and oils, and we love them! It feels good to share the love!</i><br />
<i><br /></i><br />
<br />
<br />Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-47649679562785467032012-07-28T10:44:00.002-07:002012-07-28T10:46:20.110-07:00A guest post from Roland<div class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
Some of you may know that Roland and I have had a few projects under construction - ''Man on top'', a new joint website, so maybe you want to know what's going on and why the @!#%$%^ are you not holding the book in your hands right now and where is that new website? Shhhhh, the website won't be announced till Monday, but in the meantime, read this guest post by Roland, who's done a great job of bringing all the news together :) </div>
<h3 class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name">
<a href="http://littledoglost.blogspot.com/2012/07/so-whats-going-on.html">So, what's going on?</a>
</h3>
<div class="post-header">
</div>
"What are you waiting for?" you might ask.<br />
<br />
I've made all sorts of semi or pre-announcements, here and on <a href="http://forums.jpfitness.com/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=27180" target="_blank">JPFitness</a>, yet we continue to hold off on actually putting our stuff "out there." <strike>Here are the excuses.</strike> Here's the backstory!<br />
<br />
<h3>
<b>Man on Top</b></h3>
<br />
The book is as done as we (Galya and I) can make it without a little help.<br />
<br />
The cover design is beautiful, and we are awaiting some final touches to it before publishing. For a sneak peak, take a look <a href="http://thefitink.com/manontop/" target="_blank">here</a>. <br />
<br />
I
said we could only go so far without help, and suddenly we got a little
extra help. A pre-reader finished the book and had some questions,
which led to some suggestions, which convinced me to make a few small
changes. It's all good stuff, and in the blessing-in-disguise
department, it also gave our cover designer time to revamp a few things,
and Galya time to take a break from the book process and go on an
internship; learning some amazing stuff! More on that, later...<br />
<br />
The
book is coming soon, and I think you're going to love it. If you want
more info, sign up for the book announcements on the upper right of this
site, where it says <a href="http://littledoglost.blogspot.com/">"Sign up for upcoming news on the new book!"</a><br />
<br />
<h3>
The Fit Ink</h3>
The Fit Ink is a the name of our newest project.
TheFitInk isn't just a place on the internet, nor are Galya and I
merely, collectively, TheFitInk; I think it's going to be greater than
the sum of its parts, plus many more awesome clichés! Gal and I will be
writing there, together and individually, and we're really excited about
this thing.<br />
<br />
Galya and I have been looking forward to
writing together more and more; after talking about it for years. We
have another book in the works, along with many article and blog ideas.
This new site isn't just a consolidation of our two sites, but a
substantive change in voice (at least for me), which allows us to drop
some old blog habits, practices, and inhibitions, leaving behind some of
the past. For me, my diary-style blogging history tended to keep me
from writing more about nutrition and fitness. My old blog started as a
journal, before I knew much about nutrition and fitness, and was merely a
place to practice writing.<br />
<br />
Galya and I, along with our
good friend Sean, worked long and hard to come up with a website
that's nice to look at, easy to manage, and flexible for the future.
Sean did a great job meeting our requirements, and we are very happy
with it (and him). <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://thefitink.com/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHqt9XEBr7xmtWkfnc8frIxMJliO5Ta0xv3_8yyIgBVhiEIe-UcvhlXbksOSwzwL9SwYNodtPNBFKnaTf0pM8Gdm9ETf4u-XBxsqxxCHIP_VBsdoTb97WHyg2Cveys5bH5F1KJXfyq1Xc/s320/thefitink+screenshot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
So
why the delay? Well, you want everything to be perfect before you
spread the word, but
we're not perfect people... I'm something of an irregular guy. I'm
happy, for example, to shop in an outlet store, where they feature
clothes that are also "irregular." Galya, who's more normal, would have
likely been happy to "just start," back when the site was more or less
ready. Oh well, now we're both ready. <br />
<br />
The Fit Ink Team can be found at <a href="http://thefitink.com/" target="_blank">TheFitInk.com</a>, starting now, even before the <i>official </i>launch. To get updates, you can subscribe there now, or just watch this blog, Galya's blog, and <a href="https://facebook.com/rolanddenzel" target="_blank">Facebook </a>for updates. We have some fun things coming, including some giveaways, prizes, and contests.<br />
<br />
<h3>
The No-Time-To-Workout Workout</h3>
The number one reason I
hear for not working out, is lack of time. Workouts take too long, the
gym is too far away, home gym equipment is too expensive, ugly, or takes
up too much room! Hey, I'm no different; when I get busy, I not only
don't train, but I feel guilty about it, which spurs my desire to
emotionally eat! Not good. Not good.<br />
<br />
Well, finally, I
decided to do something about it and write myself a program that would
meet my current requirements. But, after a few chats with other busy
guys and gals, I decided to take it a step further and actually write it
down in a way that others could use, too. I've even tested this baby
myself, so I know it's working.<br />
<br />
<b>Here's the gist of the program: </b><br />
<ul>
<li>Free</li>
<li>Short and sweet</li>
<li>20-30 minutes per session, including warmups!</li>
<li>Home or gym friendly.</li>
<li>Photos and descriptions of all the exercises</li>
<li>Train as little as twice a week, using short full body workouts </li>
<li>Train in as little as 30 minutes, and get great results</li>
<li>Requires just one adjustable dumbbell, although if you have a set of dumbbells, that works great!</li>
<li>Fits your schedule, since you can do these short 20-30 minute workouts from 2 to 5 days per week</li>
<li>A lunch hour workout is now possible, even with a shower!</li>
</ul>
I could just paste the workout in and leave you to it, but
instead, you'll get the system, with pictures, explanations, and
tracking forms, plus tips and tricks to make the most of your valuable
training time.<br />
<br />
It's almost ready to go, so keep a
lookout for it! Comment, email me, or let me know on facebook if you
want the heads up when it's ready, okay?Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-17483189326767999882012-07-21T12:00:00.001-07:002012-07-21T12:08:44.212-07:00How many hours a day do YOU work?The Internet meets me with people that are probably not even remotely interested in movement and nutritious eating but what brings us together is the interest in health and quality of life. I was recently contacted by someone named Allison, who mentioned she read my blog post on<a href="http://eatloveandtrain.blogspot.com/2011/09/managing-your-diet-in-times-of-stress.html"> managing diet in times of stress.</a> Then she invited me to take a look at an <a href="http://www.onlinemba.com/blog/40-hour-work-week/">infographic </a>she has been working on, regarding the length of the work week in the US and inviting me to share it, which I will do in a couple of paragraphs. <br />
<br />
<b>Stress is an ugly monster, my dear friends, and we have the key to lock it in it's dungeon or let it loose and allow it to change the plot of the fairy tale that is our life. </b><br />
<br />
Do I think work can cause stress? Well, to begin with, stress is not something that happens TO you, as in '' this guy really stresses me out''. It's something that happens inside of you because you cannot appropriately react to a stimulus. There are countless of stimuli in your day, and it's individual what brings you to your tipping point. <br />
<br />
For the sake of simplicity, let's look at work as your only stimulus. If you had only a limited number of work hours that you could appropriately process that allowed you to be creative, happy, fulfilled, but alas you were in a circumstance where you needed to work ''more'' than those hours, that could cause you to react with stress. Not necessarily because you don't enjoy your job, like some people have shared, but just because of the sheer number of hours, appointments, conversations, problems to be solved. I won't even get into the topic of work-life balance, because then we will have to look at relationships, health, sleep, finances, career, education and everything else that seems to take 1% instead of 90% of your day. <br />
<br />
During my homecoming week at the <a href="http://www.restorativeexercise.com/">Restorative Exercise Institute </a>in Ventura, one of the business training topics we discussed was how to balance our health and personal priorities with the desire to work with others and help them on the road to physical health! We were all in agreement that more than 3 hours of work a day with clients/patients was all that was productive, and the rest of the day, like Katy Bowman advised us, would be dedicated to making sure people can find us and making sure we are the living example of the health people want to regain. Given that this means not more than 25 hours a week will be spent working, that would significantly reduce stress, and simplify your life, should you choose to go that way. <br />
<br />
Is the 40 hour infographic a good start? I think it's a great wake up call for those who haven't thought about it, so please read on :) The infographic is way cooler than anything I am able to create and I am very glad that Allison shared it with me.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.onlinemba.com/blog/40-hour-work-week"><img alt="Bring Back the 40 Hour Work Week Infographic" border="0" src="https://s3.amazonaws.com/infographics/1206222FortyHourWorkWeekFinal.gif" width="500" /></a><br />
<br />
How many hours a week, do YOU work? And how many of those hours are dedicated to getting 80% of your work done?Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-43902429870253122992012-06-26T22:19:00.000-07:002012-06-26T22:20:34.602-07:00Chickpea, arugula and pine nut salad<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/7437946086/" title="P1410623 by eatloveandtrain, on Flickr"><img alt="P1410623" height="346" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5322/7437946086_a2e304eb31.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
A week ago, I made some delicious almond butter hummus, arugula pesto, some bruschettes. The next day I was looking through the fridge and all the ingredients I had met beautifully in this 3 minute salad.<br />
<br />
<b>To make 1 serving you need:</b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>1 cup chickpeas, drained</b><br />
<b>1 cup arugula</b><br />
<b>2 tbsp parmesan cheese</b><br />
<b>2 tbsp pine nuts</b><br />
<b>1 tbsp pesto</b><br />
<br />
In a large bowl, toss the ingredients together till they are mixed well. Serve and enjoy! To make a family sized salad, double, triple, etc. the amounts. Enjoy on it's own or serve as a side to chicken, lamb or roasted eggplant.<br />
<br />
Hint: this salad transports easily to work, and makes a very satisfying lunch. <br />
<br />
<br />Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-17741466127210339892012-06-16T17:40:00.001-07:002012-06-16T17:40:33.723-07:00Swing choreography with Tracy ReifkindI tend to say ''yes'' to training seminars, workshops, talks and meetings, often underestimating how much physical work we will end up doing when we get there. Last Saturday, Roland and I participated in a workshop, that reignited the fire for swinging beyond what I had expected. It also kicked my butt. No, really.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYHZFin9VD4U5dj1rLJBhKMoWRBYTFUHEyM71Q_KGcWchQQK86J4tuFPTLVbF1SUj8BrI-tfKbKyR-UyrS9XloxHi1tP1ZJdoPRi6jIzJ6AQFZLiwhsSYaMb-f7H2-JRcRVH2QCkXRZg/s1600/IMG_0232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDYHZFin9VD4U5dj1rLJBhKMoWRBYTFUHEyM71Q_KGcWchQQK86J4tuFPTLVbF1SUj8BrI-tfKbKyR-UyrS9XloxHi1tP1ZJdoPRi6jIzJ6AQFZLiwhsSYaMb-f7H2-JRcRVH2QCkXRZg/s400/IMG_0232.jpg" width="252" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tracy is an inspiring speaker, and a role model that is rarely seen in the fitness world. Energized, vivid, exciting, and very down to earth. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
He brought Tracy Reifkind's book a few weeks ago, and I flipped through it, thinking, oh how cool, and then put it aside, intending to read it after I was done with my exams. Then I kept going back to it, curious how she teaches the swing, a movement that has so much ''dance and power'' built into it, that it can barely stick on a page. My impression was that the book was extremely well written, had a story that moved, would be a great inspiration for someone who needs to lose weight and believe that it's possible,and in my mind it got shelved under:'' great books I would recommend to clients''. <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Swing-Revolutionary-Kettlebell-Program/dp/0062104195/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339890456&sr=1-1&keywords=the+swing+tracy+reifkind" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51WHmh0IiCL._BO2,204,203,200_PIsitb-sticker-arrow-click,TopRight,35,-76_AA300_SH20_OU01_.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to get it on Amazon</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The book didn't make me swing though, after all, I swing a couple of times a week, for a warmup, or for a finisher. The swing is the seasoning of my workouts, not the meat of them. Why would it be any other way?...I have vague memories of the sheer boredom of swinging for 20, 30 or 40 minutes. Boredom that makes me subconsciously want to avoid it and just use it for seasoning ;)<br />
<br />
Want to snap out of boredom? Jump in a time machine, and come to last week's workshop, kindly hosted by <a href="http://www.nbkettlebell.com/">Northbeach Kettlebell in San Clemente, CA</a>. Our hosts allowed us to use their roof, which added a touch of vacation to our rest intervals, as short as they were. Tracy Reifkind took us through a workout, that she warned: '' we would dread the last 15 minutes of''. It took between 45 and 50 minutes for us to start and stop swinging, with tens of versions of combinations of two arm and one arm swings and power swings. It was practically impossible to remember all the combinations of numbers, ladders, rest intervals, and breaths, all I know is that those 50 minutes flew by and breathing hard, sweaty and happy, we realized we were done.<br />
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That afternoon we got home and slept for about 2 hours, recovering. The next couple of days were hard to move, but going from 100 to over 1200 swings in a day was anything but a smooth progression.<br />
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Tracy was very kind to sign our book, talk to us about her story, listen to our story and become a friend on Facebook.....and I....I spent the first part of my week sharing her story with my clients and friends, showing them her before and after pictures, and saying: "you can do it, too!'' a hundred times. I loved that she was a living success story, but also a tangible, real, and very very normal person, who also happened to kick our butt. <br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>told you, amazing view!</i></td></tr>
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As soon as I was able to move well again, and as soon as my hands felt like they were healing, I opened the book and was eager to find a workout that was at my supposed level, so that I could start swinging again. Unlike other times when I had been swinging to do the movement, to burn calories, to get more conditioned, this time I was excited about the choreography of swing. Something about the way Tracy taught that workshop woke up the ballerina in me, the one who appreciates combinations, rest, flow, push, pull, effort and the wholeness of it all when you are done.<br />
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Those of you who know me personally, know I don't get excited about winning or competing, but I get excited about the process, the creation, the beauty and the growth that are all in the training process. I feel like the swing choreographer inside of me is burning bright after this meeting and she will keep burning bright! <br />
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I have completed two workouts from ''The Swing!'' this week, both workout #3, once with 16kg/12kg and once with just 16 kg. It's an ''on the minute'' workout, where you swing as fast as you can at the beginning of a minute, and then rest until the minute ends.<br />
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Wanna try? It goes like this:<br />
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5 x 10<br />
1x each of 11, 12, 13, 14,15,16, 17, 18 and 19<br />
5 x 20<br />
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total time: 20 min<br />
total result: pleasant tiredness and an overall good feeling of energy system training<br />
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This week I will be working my way up to 20 kg and then probably try a 1 arm workout.<br />
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Like I said before, a time machine is the preferable way of igniting your own swinging fire, but here are some more realistic ways to swing more:<br />
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1. Swing with someone else. Play some music in the background. Use Workout Muse of the Gymboss to time yourself.<br />
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2. <a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Swing-Revolutionary-Kettlebell-Program/dp/0062104195/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339890456&sr=1-1&keywords=the+swing+tracy+reifkind">Buy Tracy's book</a>.<br />
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3. Go to one of her workshops. You can find her <a href="http://tracysfoodandthought.blogspot.com/">here</a> and <a href="http://littledoglost.blogspot.com/">here!</a><br />
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Now go swing ;) <br />
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<br />Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-24326101128038196292012-05-19T20:03:00.002-07:002012-05-19T20:07:50.406-07:00FOOD REVOLUTION DAY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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FOOD REVOLUTION is just a metaphor, but it expresses what a lot of us feel: an urgency to wake up the world to the importance, value and future of real food. What is real food? The short answer is anything that your great grand mother may have used in her cooking. The 10 000 ft answer is food that's just one thing: beets, lamb, potato, yogurt, as opposed to a list of ingredients like the ones you see with very fine print at the back of a box of cereal (heck, we believe that real food is THE answer to our health, longevity and quality of life so deeply, that Diana and I called our recipe books The Art of Real Food)!<br />
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<b>Today is FOOD REVOLUTION DAY - a day chosen by Jamie Oliver to unite the efforts of chefs, teachers, educators, nutritionists, trainers, moms, kids, neighborhoods and communities all over the world. In our own way, today everyone found a way to express the love for food and the desire to reach out and teach.</b><br />
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In charity events all over the world, the common effort is educate and collect funds to support the foundation, all for the love of food and for the great cause of returning food education to schools! <a href="http://foodrevolutionday.com/where-the-funds-go.html">Check out the FOOD REVOLUTION website and find where the funds go!</a><br />
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In Rancho Santa Margarita, Roland and I are holding two events, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150900602993536.437506.567398535&type=1">one today, May 19, where we got kids at a local park and did a super fun fruit and vegetable scavenger hunt, ingredient guessing game, obstacle course, planting seeds, and ladybug release. </a>It was so fulfilling to watch kids get excited about discovering watermelons, pomegranates, yucca, mango and all the other foods we had hidden. Kids will get excited about food, and ANY food, including REAL food, if you give them the right environment to play, discover, create and celebrate! It was a blast seeing the kids walk away with watermelons as a prize instead of a candy bar, it was the height of our day looking at them try a loquat or a jicama for the first time!<br />
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Our second event is coming up, so you can still join it if you are local- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/303302106422281/">Stone soup luncheon, is tomorrow, May 20</a>. We are having friends come over for lunch, each bringing a real food ingredient that we will prepare on the spot! We will unleash the creative energy in on the spot recipe creations - Roland, myself and Rupina or <a href="http://zen-trition.com/">zen-trition.com</a> - one of the coolest health coaches in our area who also happens to be a good friend of ours! <br />
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Excited about making change happen yourself! Our hope is that all we do is going to spark you to cook, teach and create a shift in the way you, your family, your workplace and community think about food! <br />
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Watch Jamie Oliver address the world on May 19 and see how sincere and simple change can be! What will you do to bring real food to the people around you?<br />
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<br />Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-32615186010142412912012-04-25T19:04:00.003-07:002012-04-25T19:15:17.536-07:00Yes, you can eat just one<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>we each ate 1 raisin, 1 chocolate egg and one tbsp of peanut butter</i></td></tr>
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This last weekend I taught a really cool workshop for our friend Lisa Wolfe's clients at Miracle Fitness in Pasadena. The topic was ''Emotional eating'' and we covered physiological reasons for cravings, spiritual reasons for cravings and of course, emotional eating proper - those times when you use food to satisfy needs other than hunger.<br />
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If you get hit by an emotional eating episode and you find yourself in front of the fridge at 1 pm reaching for a jar of peanut butter or a bar of chocolate, close the door and take a seat. There is so much you can do:<br />
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<b>1. Reconnect with your body</b> - there is a reason you are feeling uncomfortable - using food to cover it up may work for a while, but it will only make you feeling worse later. Sit down, take a few deep breaths through your nose deep into the bottom and the side of your ribcage. Connect with your breathing, your feet, legs, belly, chest, shoulders, arms. Once you have felt your body you can move on to step 2.<br />
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<b>2. Rate the hunger in your body. </b>You can use a scale from 1 to 10. If it's under 7 as in most cases when you have already eaten, yet keep looking for food, you can be sure any amount of food won't fix that hunger.A rating less than 7 is a pretty sure sign you are trying to use food to find a feeling that you need at the moment. Just know, there is always a good reason you are looking for food when your body isn't hungry.<br />
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<b>3. Find the feeling. </b>Ask yourself if chocolate or other food you are craving will give you peace, comfort, love, joy? Once you find the feeling, visualize a moment or a time when you were completely enveloped in that feeling? Were you at a beach? Did you just get a promotion? Hug your child? Paint a vivid picture in your mind and let the feeling flow throughout your body.<br />
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<b>4. Eat with enjoyment.</b> Once you have reconnected with your body and found the feeling, you can go ahead and have a bit of the food you were craving. If it's chocolate, have a couple of pieces, but be present and enjoy them. Unsure that you can eat just one? <a href="http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Geneen-Roths-Raisin-Chip-and-Chocolate-Exercise-Video">Learn how to do that from Geneen Roth</a>, I have mentioned her before, she is absolutely amazing and will lead you through a practical exercise of learning that one is enough. <br />
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How did you like that exercise? The raisin part was my favorite one! <br />
<br />Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-34968085663103875902012-04-11T19:07:00.002-07:002012-04-11T19:08:25.024-07:00Honey glazed chevre pecans<div style="text-align: center;">
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/7069417995/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="caramel walnuts cheese by eatloveandtrain, on Flickr"><img alt="caramel walnuts cheese" height="333" src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5198/7069417995_32e5a088b5.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">photography: Pm Sloan </td></tr>
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Our friend Steve is exceptional - a wine connoisseur, an artist (who paints with wine), and the most friendly of all Trader Joe's people we've ever met. He helped us choose wine a year ago for our wedding and we've been friends ever since. This week he has an event at a winery where he's going to present some of his amazing art and I will be catering the event.<br />
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On Saturday we got together to sample some options for the event - endive appetizer boats, skewers, bruschettas, strawberries with cream. We had a whole bunch of honey glazed pecan halves left alongside soft rolled up goat cheese and we just put them together - let me say for an accidental recipe this was an all round winner.<br />
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All you need to prepare this appetizer is pecan or walnut halves, some honey and a log of fresh goat cheese.<br />
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To candy the pecans, heat up the oven to 375F. Coat them gently with honey and spread on a cookie sheet - cook only for 7-8 minutes and let them cool off. In the meantime take small pieces of cheese in your hand and roll them into a marble sized ball. Assemble each bite by sticking the halves together with the cheese in the middle and enjoy.<br />
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It's hard to think of anything that goes so well with some excellent red wine, but if you are not in the mood for it, just toss them on top of a fresh green salad.<br />
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Looking forward to Steve's event this week, this recipe won't be on the list, but now you know how to make it!<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/events/273570132727733/">If you are in OC, check Steve's event in Costa Mesa this weekend</a>. <br />
In the mood to browse or purchase some of his work? <a href="http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/steven-nakamura.html">Visit his profile on FineArtAmerica</a>Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-30402154570318556542012-03-23T22:35:00.001-07:002012-03-23T22:36:10.338-07:00Kiwi, cucumber and avocado tabbouleh<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/7010222405/" title="green salad by eatloveandtrain, on Flickr"><img alt="green salad" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/7010222405_cac685b0f4.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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Parsley has officially moved into our fridge. From the look of it, it has kicked out lettuce, and it has almost replaced arugula, which I thought I would never see missing from the crisper. Ask my why - other than the clear craving that we have developed for it, it comes with some awesome health benefits.<br />
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A sprig of parsley may be a good decoration, but once it takes the center part of your plate, it now brings significant amounts of vitamin K, vitamin C, iron and folate - all of which we need to usually supplement with. So think of this salad as your supplement on a plate :) Of course, we need calories - and here avocado comes to save the day, with fiber, great fats and smooth texture. Then we need a crunch - boom - cucumbers provide crunch and cool. Something was missing though - so I added kiwi for the flavor and sweet and sour tang, but it ended up proving to be a great addition of vitamin C. As winter ends and we enter into spring this is one very green way to celebrate it!<br />
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<b><i>To make 2 servings you need:</i></b><br />
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<b><i>2 cups chopped parsley</i></b></div>
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<b><i>1 medium avocado</i></b></div>
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<b><i>2 small kiwis</i></b></div>
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<b><i>4 persian cucumbers</i></b></div>
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<b><i>juice of 1/2 lime/lemon</i></b></div>
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Clean parsley well. I like to soak it in a deep bowl of water with some salt and let the cleaning happen on its own. After I remove the rough stems, I chop it finely. Once done with the parsley, cut the avocado and kiwi in small cubes, followed by the cucumbers. Mix everything well, season with the olive oil, lemon juice and salt and let the salad sit for 20 minutes before enjoying ( I dare you!)<b></b></div>
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Hope this brings you satisfaction and joy, it certainly made us very happy :) <b><br /></b></div>
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</div>Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-10760380044001752892012-03-15T16:58:00.005-07:002012-03-17T16:08:16.727-07:00Impressions from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition Conference<div class="MsoNormal">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>lunch break at the IIN conference - I was happy to see so many people sitting on the ground - my restorative exercise eye at work </i></td></tr>
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Roland and I were guests at the IIN conference in Long Beach a couple of weeks ago. The school is definitely one of the fast growing holistic health schools in the country, with a mission to literally change the way the world eats by 2020. I love their mission and most of the graduates I have met seem to really love the field of nutrition and really care about helping their clients - it's not just about food, but also about improving relationships, work environment, rest and recovery, finances - they pay all round attention to someone's life, in their founder's own words: ''there is no need to prescribe a green smoothie if your client's marriage is falling apart''. </div>
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I have been looking into their program and trying to decide whether to enroll so we visited the conference to find out more about it, and to hear a few speakers whose lectures were open to the guests. </div>
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I thought I would briefly share with you some very interesting highlights, as the lecturers all spoke on subjects we often discuss here, on the JP boards or in person when we meet - why we gain weight, why we crave sweets, what can we do to become better at listening to our bodies, and how can we enhance our nutrition. </div>
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The afternoon opened with Joshua Rosenthal - founder of the IIN, who just made a brief introduction, but some of his message really stuck with me. He spoke about traveling all over the world and seeing how the world copies America everywhere he went. </div>
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''We ate McDonald, they ate McDonald's, we smoked Marlboro's and they did, we drank Coke and they drank Coke! What if we changed what Americans do, maybe the rest of the world would follow a good example?'' </div>
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I found that to be an extremely empowering platform for anything you do as an individual or an organization. What if you knew your example could affect the world? What if? Joshua then went on to explain about the influence each health coach had on people, how each person could affect hundreds and they would in turn affect others, creating a true ripple effect. I have seen this happen with clients' families, seen it happen with whole corporations, especially back when I worked with the managers at Coke. You can choose to behave in a way that affects others and making your lifestyle a healthy one can empower your whole environment.</div>
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The next speaker was Julia Ross - the most highly acclaimed nutritional psychotherapy specialist in the country, author of ''The Mood Cure'' - an approach to balancing emotions, cravings and eating behavior. She was a powerful speaker and really really wanted to drill home the sugar addiction message - she referred to the eating problem we are facing today as ''the greatest
nutritional crisis of our time''. It was intriguing to listen to her speak about sugar addiction being on par with cocaine addiction and cover the physiology of addiction. If one was not sure that craving were as much a mental as they were a physiological problem - they definitely left the room with a new sense of conviction. Julia Ross presented in length about the process of sugar addiction withdrawal - the difficult 8-10 weeks one must endure to be cured of addiction, followed by a period of easier adaptation. She joked that ''mindful eating'' would not work with a sugar addict, stating that intuitive approaches seem all well and good, but asking an addicted person to eat their favorite foods mindfully was equivalent to asking a crack addict to just ''be mindful while using crack''.<br />
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What I loved most about her lecture is that she referred back to traditional diets and traditional modes of limiting sugar: our moms and grandmothers knew we were not supposed to eat sugar. I remember my own mom drilling home not having anything sweet before dinner - a concept I now get paid to teach to my clients. I probably have to repeat '' no sugar on an empty stomach'' during every consultation (because I love you, guys!). So our parents knew that sugar was highly addictive and unhealthy, but we somehow lost that knowledge along the way. </div>
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Julia Ross went through the symptoms of addiction and asked us to think whether we or our loved ones exhibit any of those behaviors around sugar:</div>
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<i>Loss of control - do you eat without measure?</i></div>
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<i>Continued use despite
awareness of damage (kidney, heart, liver, diabetes) - do you keep eating sugar despite detrimental effects to your health?</i></div>
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<i>Withdrawal symptoms - do you feel worse when you don't eat it?</i></div>
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<i>Relapse- do you go back after you stopped eating it for a while?</i></div>
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<i>Progressive nature- is your condition getting worse?</i></div>
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I can definitely see some of my clients who have battled those very symptoms blaming their own willpower, yet having to understand that those symptoms are physiological. Please know that you can change this. Don't use willpower until you have none left and then follow control by loss of control, guilt, shame and eating more to feel better. The cycle can be interrupted, but you need to ask for help.</div>
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While covering addiction she talked about sugar, but also included a much wider range or addictive substances: starches, gluten, casein, high fructose corn syrup. Even if you don't want to believe that those foods are addictive, you can refer to how rewarding they are. <a href="http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.com/2011/10/case-for-food-reward-hypothesis-of.html">You can go to read more about the Food Reward Theory on Stephan Guyenet's website. </a> I personally believe that some individuals are more sensitive to certain substances and more likely to get addicted to certain foods or behaviors and once those are identified, certain behavior changes need to be put in place, in order for those people's health to be placed under control. </div>
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In my experience, eating real food and enough of it when the individual is otherwise healthy, will usually resolve an addiction, should they choose to develop healthy self care patterns and thought processes. Talking about self care and attitudes, Julia Ross was followed by Geneen Roth, the author of ''Women, Food and God''. She is an expert on compulsive and emotional eating and saying that is barely scratching the surface. </div>
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<br /></div>
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What I liked about Geneen Roth the most is that she used her own story as a vehicle to show us that <i>‘’your issues are a
doorway to the best things about you’’</i>. She addressed the reasons we eat to disconnect ourselves from who we are, instead of embracing who we really are and only seeing food as food. She had so many quotable statements, such as <i>''don't try to fix yourself, welcome yourself''</i> and <i>''you are not broken, beyond the brokenness that you feel there is a part that has never been broken''</i>'.<br />
<br />
Again, using your relationship with food as a doorway to discovering your true feelings, hopes, dreams and potential, really rang very strongly with me. We often view our challenges with food as a curse, yet they are a true blessing. I have found that those of my clients who are really able to embrace the vulnerable moments and stand strong in them, looking at pain, fear or discomfort straight in the face, instead of grabbing a piece of cake, are the ones that have transformed beyond belief. I also know not everyone is ready to face who they are, embrace who they are and then nourish themselves with the food that the creator intended for them - it's just easier to feed yourself with something delicious - it always provides, never disappoints, always comforts. <b>Learning to be self feeding on an emotional level takes time - it took me 13 years of making mistakes and 3 years of embracing who I really am to reinvent my relationship with food - but it's possible, it's liberating and it's satisfying beyond any delicious piece of anything you ever even laid your eyes on.</b></div>
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Geneen Roth confirmed what I have always wanted to tell my wonderful female clients and friends: <i>'' You will not change with judgement, what you have in you will not get uncovered through being mean to
yourself. The only door to yourself is loving, accepting, caring and being kind.''</i></div>
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She shared the food guidelines she passes on to her students and underlined that those guidelines are coming from a source of love and compassion, something she calls love speaking to you. So here is what love would say:</div>
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''Sweetheart, only eat when hungry. Dear, please eat without distractions. Only eat what your body wants. Honey, please stop when your BODY has had enough. And please eat as if other people are watching. Sweetie, eat with love and pleasure''</div>
</blockquote>
<br />
<br />
On parting she reminded us it takes effort to have a joyful life- and don't we know it! Joy is a choice - one that starts with you!<br />
<br />
After these two amazing ladies, we got to hear Gary Taubes, and on a topic that we are very very familiar with, as it's laid out in his book ''Why we get fat''. In short, if you've never heard of Gary Taubes, he is making researchers really question the mechanism of obesity. He asks: what if it's not over consumption of calories that makes us fat? What if there is something wrong in the body of the obese individual that makes him produce extra fat and just makes him eat more because he's really hungry. So, Taubes says, calorie restriction won't work and exercise won't work, there is something in the body and the endocrine system that drives fat accumulation and it literally hijacks the person's body who has no choice but to become obese. I believe this theory really has a sound base and is probably very valid within the metabolically deranged population, but in the general population we see both exercise and behavior modification to give amazing results - in short, exercise works and calorie restriction works if you are healthy. I personally think a theory that explains obesity with behaviors as a major cause , better serves what we know about energy balance and body weight management. Of course health complications pertaining to a percentage of obese individuals, and then we would have an additional theory to add to the behavior theory, but we can't isolate one theory from the other. Taubes is always interesting to hear though, and you can youtube some of his talks to get a better idea of his theory if this is all new to you. <br />
<br />
The afternoon ended with David Wolfe, the super foods guru, who transcends boundaries, space and time to get us what different populations in the world consider to be super foods. He had a stage full of cacao beans, blueberries, grapes, maca, goji berries, medicinal mushrooms, wheat grass, aloe, noni....you name it - if it was not on his table it was on his presentation screen! I personally consider super foods to be an addition to an already nutrient dense diet and I am more likely to recommend something that already grows in your region of the world, rather than something that is brought from 10000000 miles away, but again, if you love your gojis - enjoy! I like them too. He did make us laugh though, claiming that the universe wants choices, because at a recent TV show appearance, it seemed like organic raw bars and bacon were both the craze now!<br />
<br />
You know what I am going to tell you - have your bacon and then have your raw bars. In honor of his cool presentation, that night we had extra olive oil and a glass of red wine, both considered to be fountains of youth.<br />
<br />
That's all I remember from the IIN conference and I am always overwhelmed after events like this - I am actually glad my thoughts made it to the page ;) Hope you enjoyed!<br />
<br />
Special thanks to my friend and <a href="http://zen-trition.com/">holistic coach, Rupina Meer,</a> for her kind invitation to the conference. <br />
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<br /></div>Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-14395778418628043572012-03-10T22:39:00.000-08:002012-03-10T22:44:47.521-08:00Primal banana protein bars<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/6971647271/" title="P1380841 by eatloveandtrain, on Flickr"><img alt="P1380841" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7059/6971647271_28259a5a5f.jpg" width="500" /> </a></div>
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<div style="text-align: left;">
The quest for a minimum ingredient homemade protein bar is over. So is the one for a non bake bar. That's right - this thing is raw, and only has 4 ingredients. It also has 25 grams of protein. Let's dig in.</div>
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To make 4 bars you need:</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1 medium banana, ripe</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
3 scoops whey protein ( I used vanilla)</div>
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1 cup almond meal </div>
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1 tablespoon coconut oil (feel free to use butter)</div>
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<br /></div>
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Use a blender/chopper to mix everything very well. You will get a sticky raw cookie dough consistency. Form a large bar shape, roll in almond meal and roll and press in baking paper. Place in the fridge for 3 hours and your bars are ready. Take out, cut in 4 and roll the edges in almond meal one more time. It's very tempting to eat the bars before they have thickened up in the fridge - try to control yourself- I dare you.</div>
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The great news is that these bars are actual protein bars, not just delicious bars - they can be a whole meal. Enjoy!</div>
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<b><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>per bar: calories 300, fat 18 g, carbs 12 g, protein 25g, fiber 4 g </b></div>
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<br /></div>Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-27299060412081540682012-03-05T23:04:00.001-08:002012-03-05T23:04:57.430-08:00Roasted cauliflower with cranberries<div style="text-align: center;">
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/6812137312/" title="P1380637 by eatloveandtrain, on Flickr"><img alt="P1380637" height="339" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6812137312_eae49688de.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
<br />
It's nearing the end of cauliflower season and it seems like we've been buying it even more. Sometimes we just have it raw or gently steamed with some lemon juice and nuts and sometimes we go crazy and make roasted cauliflower steaks or rich and creamy soups. <br />
<br />
This time I went for roasted cauliflower - really simple to make and like all oven recipes - you barely have to watch it. This gives me plenty of time to focus on other tasks around the house while dinner is cooking.<br />
<br />
<i>To make 2 generous servings you need:</i><br />
<br />
<i>1/2 head cauliflower (or 1 small head)</i><br />
<i>1/4 cup dried cranberries</i><br />
<i>1/8 cup sundried tomatoes</i><br />
<i>1 tbsp light olive oil or coconut oil</i><br />
<i>1 tbsp sea salt</i><br />
<br />
Heat the oven to 325 F (160 C). In the meantime, soak the cauliflower in water with a bit of salt and then rinse thoroughly. This will help clean it well. Separate the florets and place them in a bowl. Sprinkle olive oil and sea salt and mix. Place in a pan, cover with the cranberries and sindried tomatoes and cook for 30 minutes.<br />
<br />
The aroma is deep and comforting and I suggest you enjoy this great cauliflower whether in place of a salad or as a side to chicken or turkey!Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-71791411032167595312012-03-02T16:03:00.003-08:002012-03-02T16:04:26.337-08:00Happy birthday, dad!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjJ0y_IVtQP4ERHW57mhOfneBKw3JbqB8T64gnc0-Ps9bivq23m2i0Q8dZEFZ1452oXkJq257Z7eAxIrqrQn1oyGOvOO3_utJs8rRLFCGE1tKnHsIbcLhZ7ZZ0WyuFP4c-0T7FyRgmkU/s1600/dad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzjJ0y_IVtQP4ERHW57mhOfneBKw3JbqB8T64gnc0-Ps9bivq23m2i0Q8dZEFZ1452oXkJq257Z7eAxIrqrQn1oyGOvOO3_utJs8rRLFCGE1tKnHsIbcLhZ7ZZ0WyuFP4c-0T7FyRgmkU/s320/dad.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<br />
I have only heard of people like my dad - they get older in age, but they don't age - they seem to get healthier and happier as time goes by! He's 60 today and I am full of joy! May God give him many more years of active lifestyle, an eager mind and a healthy body!<br />
<br />
Some really cool things my dad does at 60:<br />
<br />
Eats like a caveman<br />
Hikes every day<br />
Has his own personal training studio business<br />
Grows his own vegetables and mushrooms<br />
Does one arm pull ups<br />
Brings my mom flowers from the woods<br />
Joins us for fitness retreats<br />
Never talks about age<br />
Tries new exercises and techniques all the time<br />
Keeps getting stronger and gaining muscle<br />
<br />
I can say I am extremely lucky to have him as an example of a healthy lifestyle, and I can say both my parents have been a huge influence in my life, each in their own way, but I also think he's a great role model for all of us living an active lifestyle and eating a healthy diet. One day we get to be that guy!Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-79476891598787344972012-02-22T11:26:00.000-08:002012-02-24T18:20:31.359-08:00The bad guys in your shower and make up bagHere is a gentle reminder to take a close look at your beauty products.<br />
Thanks go out to my lovely client Leah, who forwarded this to me.<br />
<br />
If you want to place this on your website or blog and spread the message, <a href="http://www.cosmetologyschool.org/fatal-attraction/">you can do it here</a> :)<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.cosmetologyschool.org/fatal-attraction/"><img ="" alt="Fatal Attraction" border="0" src="http://images.cosmetologyschool.org.s3.amazonaws.com/fatal-attraction.gif" width="500" /></a><br />
Created by: <a href="http://www.cosmetologyschool.org/">CosmetologySchool.org</a><br />
<br />
The 'get rid of beauty products you love' talk is a hard one to have with my clients, since most of them have a favorite product featuring one or more bad guy ingredient. <br />
<br />
This is what I usually tell them:<br />
<br />
<b>1. Look at products that go on a large surface area, such as body lotion.</b> Coconut, cacao and almond oil are great natural alternatives.<br />
<br />
<b>2. Check your antiperspirant and switch to a natural alternative. </b><a href="http://secure.ttpurchase.com/welcome.cfm?ptuid=B24CD2DD-1E0B-90B3-0EA8C5A042082140">Here is a great one you can get from Tropical Traditions</a>, but if you check your local health food store, they will be able to offer you something acceptable.<br />
<br />
<b>3. Check if you really need to apply makeup. </b>If you are staying at home, exercising or frankly, not going anywhere, you may want to go natural. It will reduce the frequency of exposure to the bad buys.<br />
<br />
<b>4. Try one new organic, paraben free, chemical free product every time you run out of something. </b>Health food stores carry a huge variety and they may also be able to give you samples. <b></b><br />
<b><br /></b><br />
For those of you living in Bulgaria, I cannot recommend the Aqua Source line of cosmetics enough! The manuca honey products are just amazing. For those readers living in the US, you have so many choices I want to ask you for recommendations, I am so new here :) Let me know if you've found a product you love and we'll spread the word!<br />
<br />
Stay healthy and pretty, just pretty doesn't cut it ;)<br />
<br />
Note: <span style="color: black;"><i>If you order by clicking on any of
my links and have never ordered from Tropical Traditions in the past, you will
receive a free book on Virgin Coconut Oil, and I will receive a discount coupon
for referring you.</i></span>Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-32606655244312541412012-02-20T00:09:00.000-08:002012-02-20T00:12:06.471-08:00Blood orange and Meyer lemon curd<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/6908283631/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="blood orange meyer lemon curd"><img alt="blood orange meyer lemon curd" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7058/6908283631_e23dcdb12a.jpg" width="375" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">with both blood oranges and Meyer lemons in season, this recipe was in order</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
I sometimes stand in the jams and preserves isle at Trader Joes and look at those colorful rows of millions of calories of sugar, all lined up nicely with their pretty lids, crafted labels and sticky, delicious insides. One label that always sits there beckoning, is lemon curd. How do you get it so thick and creamy, sweet and sour, sour and sweet...<br />
<br />
As with most things I want, I just try to make my own. First, you can control the amounts and ingredients and you can make just a little (no jar of anything sweet is safe in our home, trust me).<br />
<br />
I made lemon curd a few days ago and it disappeared so quickly that I could barely write the recipe down, let alone take a picture.<br />
<br />
Today, I decided to mix Meyer lemon and blood orange and see how it turns out. The good news? It was amazing - smooth, creamy, flavorful, citrusy...mmm. The bad news: I only made one batch which was barely enough for two small servings, but we had to remind ourselves this is a side custard, not a central dish. Yet, I had to resist whipping a second bowl.<br />
<br />
Now, the great thing about this is that it's dairy free, gluten free and for those of you that this information matters, this means a lot. For the rest of us, this just means you have another dessert in your arsenal that is low calorie (about 350 cals for two servings), has high quality fats and protein, and that's relatively low in sugar.<br />
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/6908279075/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="blood orange meyer lemon curd"><img alt="blood orange meyer lemon curd" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7207/6908279075_6593e0735c.jpg" width="347" /></a></div>
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<b>To make 2 servings, you need:</b><br />
<b>2 eggs</b><b> </b><br />
<b>20 gr butter</b><br />
<b>2 tbsp honey</b><br />
<b>1 large blood orange (or regular orange)</b><br />
<b>1 meyer lemon (or regular lemon)</b><br />
<b>1 tbsp lemon and orange zest (mixed)</b><br />
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To start<b>, </b>take out the butter and soften it a bit on the stove. Whisk the two eggs, butter and honey together. In the meantime, place a double boiler on the stove. Let it heat and use the time to squeeze the lemon and orange juice. Grate some zest. Set the juice and zest aside. Place the egg mixture in the double boiler and start whisking energetically. In about 1 minute, as you see the mixture start to thicken, add the juice and zest and keep whisking. Whisk until you see a nice thick consistency. Serve cold with cut up fruit for dipping or just eat with a spoon. Enjoy responsibly!<b><br />
</b><br />
<br />Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-62454598035246334522012-02-17T22:39:00.000-08:002012-02-17T22:45:53.837-08:00This week's FAQI've gotten some interesting questions this week, and I decided to share the answers, just so they don't stay forever buried in my ''sent'' box :)<br />
<br />
<b>Q: Can I stop taking fish oil? It's making me very hungry!</b><br />
A: I think you should keep taking it. What's going on is that you are finally awake to how undernourished your body is. Most people who experience heightened hunger after starting with fish oil in my experience are mildly depressed. As soon as the clouds clear up they no longer suffer from the appetite loss connected with depression or very high stress levels. <br />
<br />
<b>Q: Can I eat fruit with other foods? The combination diet says that fruit rots in your stomach if you eat it after other foods.</b><br />
A:
Yes you can eat fruit with other foods, in fact this is how most people
I work with, enjoy their fruit. An apple and some almonds, or a banana
with some peanut butter...I personally really enjoy pineapple with my
meals, as it helps with digestion. In general, if you feel good eating
your fruit with other foods, go for it. The body is smarter than letting
something ''rot'' in there. While we are at it, food combining is a myth.<br />
<br />
<b>Q: What food can I eat in unlimited amounts while on a weight loss plan?</b><br />
A: If you structure your meals well, they should leave you satisfied. Satisfied does not mean overstuffed. I don't consider it healthy to try to find some mystery zero calorie food to fool our stomachs and brains with. Make sure each meal contains quality protein, fats, veggies (or fruit), and you will do just fine eating normal portions. If you feel like you are used to a higher volume of food, you can try to add blended soups at the beginning of each meal.<br />
<br />
<b>Q: Can I start fasting for one day out of the week.</b><br />
A: One day without food may be beneficial to some people. There is a growing body of research on the positive effects of short fasts for fat loss and health. My warning to most females going this road is to make sure the rest of the week includes plenty of nutritious food and that fasting is not just a tool to excuse days of random eating. I have seen some people do very well on 24 hour fasts and others go directly to overeating and unhealthy relationship with food. Be sure to examine your motives before you start!<br />
<br />Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-19550485165953081002012-02-10T12:56:00.000-08:002012-02-10T14:10:56.746-08:00А note on recognizing achievements<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtdQKIocFb9-mXZcXaMKvfsdJHMO8nIu8rMZXquUu-db9aMIyk6D1LUMzB4412Mqem1zQKRL5TQn1z0DmFGYPE1bNPXhz-QJVQxdGb4JR0rr-mscCICil1d4Ric0sX1zFpwRwsoubAlk/s1600/ICAM0010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZtdQKIocFb9-mXZcXaMKvfsdJHMO8nIu8rMZXquUu-db9aMIyk6D1LUMzB4412Mqem1zQKRL5TQn1z0DmFGYPE1bNPXhz-QJVQxdGb4JR0rr-mscCICil1d4Ric0sX1zFpwRwsoubAlk/s1600/ICAM0010.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am looking forward to eyes closed stand up paddling</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I've spent the whole morning studying on my PC. I was watching a lecture on proprioception, learning how to balance on one foot, eyes open, eyes closed, on a yoga brick, on the floor, then on a half dome...my right hip is the smart one, it gets it, brain says: ''be stable'' and it responds like a soldier. Left one, not so hot, so it takes some warming up, stretching, practice, eyes open, eyes closed, then thinking about relaxing the hamstring, letting the deep hip muscles work, concentration, faith, perseverance....and then it clicks.<br />
<br />
I was not surprised that I can cognitively retrain my hip to stabilize me. I was surprised at something else.<br />
As soon as it happened I smiled and I was overjoyed with the achievement. Then went on to practice.<br />
<br />
Is standing on one foot a big deal? Maybe not in the grand scheme of wanting to run uphill with no pain, but it's the keystone to it. Should I only celebrate the uphill run when I eventually do it or should I celebrate the steps that will get me there, like knowing how to balance properly?<br />
<br />
We often forget to celebrate the small things and achievements, thinking we should win a medal or see 12 abs before we give ourselves credit for hard work. This is just a reminder to make that effort - it takes time to learn to celebrate small step success and when it becomes a habit you will see that anything is possible.<br />
<br />
What did you celebrate today?<br />
<br />Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-80602672229109464502012-02-07T18:58:00.000-08:002012-02-07T19:05:12.001-08:00Carrot ginger salad<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/6839012439/" title="P1370946 by eatloveandtrain, on Flickr"><img alt="P1370946" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7167/6839012439_ab0f35135f.jpg" width="372" /></a></div>
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One thing I like about taking pictures at night is that orange colors look even more orange - in this case we got to use 3 different colors of carrots - yellow, light and intense orange and they all shine like a traffic light. Hope that brightened your day! Now to the salad.<br />
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This recipe is inspired by a late night dinner we had with our friends Stella and Rick, in one of LA's most famous sushi restaurants. While I remember the sushi which was perfect, the memory of the iceberg with carrot ginger sauce has stuck with me ever since. The carrot sauce was a lot sweeter than this salad, but I like to be able to taste the carrot's own sweetness and I find that adding honey or sugar would overshadow it. Let me know what you think after you try it! <br />
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<i><b>What you need for 2 generous servings:</b></i><br />
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<i><b>400-500 gr (1 lb) carrots</b></i><br />
<i><b>5-6 cm (2.5 inches) thick ginger root</b></i><br />
<i><b>Himalayan salt to taste</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 tbsp olive oil</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 tbsp apple cider or rice vinegar</b></i><br />
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Wash and prepare the carrots. Grate them and place in a large bowl. Peel and grate the ginger using the fine grater or a ginger grater (<a href="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4106/5063031230_84100cb4fe.jpg">look at this really cool one on Wandering Chopsticks</a>)<br />
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Mix the carrots and ginger, season with the olive oil and vinegar, salt and let it sit for 30 minutes.<br />
This salad is great by itself, but if you want to enhance it, you can mix in fresh spinach leaves and a handful of raisins.<br />
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Enjoy as a side to fish or chicken, and don't hesitate to serve stir fry right on top of it!Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-11800298611833309012012-02-03T12:56:00.000-08:002012-02-04T10:10:49.414-08:00Shaping the path for fat loss is just the beginning<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/6813010189/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="path by eatloveandtrain, on Flickr"><img alt="path" height="337" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7149/6813010189_12992b9107.jpg" width="500" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oops, someone didn't shape that path!</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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You've probably heard the term '' shaping the path'' before. It refers to changing your environment and building new habits as parts of making a significant change in your life.When fat loss is the goal shaping the path means cleaning the cookies out of the cupboard, getting a personal trainer, and keeping a gym bag in your car. We can all do that, right?<br />
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But let me take you a step further from just shaping the path, because it's just a part of the puzzle. I want you to imagine that path as a part of a larger picture - sort of like a path in the woods, after all that path should be taking you somewhere.<br />
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In order to go from where you are now to where you want to be, you don't need change,<b> you need transformation</b>. You don't throw out the cookies thinking, wow, I really want to get transformed, you think you are throwing them out so you don't eat them tomorrow night.<br />
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It's easy to say: ''I want to change this'', but the word change is used for everything, from changing in and out of your gym clothes to changing your diet. There is simple and easy change, like going from coffee mate to half and half and then there is paradigm shifting change that I like to call transformation. In order to view your fat loss with the importance it deserves, especially when it also relates to health, you need to start thinking of deep down transformation. You need to view fat loss as something that will enhance who you are, and that will improve all areas of your life. You need to see it as something that will dramatically change the big picture and how you view the process of living and the gift of health.<br />
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I read this story once and it really stuck with me! A man was on the train getting home from work and he was very tired. There was a father with two kids in the row in front of him and the father seemed like he was not paying attention to the kids at all. The kids were screaming, misbehaving and being disruptive. People would look at him in reproach and he would not do anything. The man grew increasingly irritated and was starting to really dislike the father, to the extent where he was just ready to blow up that such a bad parent could exist. Then he decided to talk to the father and said: '<i>'Hm, excuse me, but do you realize that your kids are being really loud and they are bothering everybody. You have to do something!'</i>'. The father looked up and said: '' <i>I am really sorry, but we are just coming back from the hospital. Their mom died and they don't know what's going on and I don't know what to do.'' </i><br />
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Do you think the man stopped being irritated, judgmental, and upset! You bet! This is the difference between change and transformation. This is the difference between seeing the small detail and becoming aware of the big picture.<br />
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So many people start a diet in January and by the beginning of February they are looking down at the scale going: <i>"Well, this is not enough. 3 lbs!!! 3 freaking lbs!!!!! Why meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!''</i> I urge you to take a step back, because this is a sign. It's a sign you made changes - like added more protein to your breakfast or more veggies for lunch or a green tea in the afternoon. You are getting leaner and healthier BUT you did not get transformed and this is why that change may never stick. Change only makes sense as a part of transformation. You did not look at yourself in the mirror and go: you know, in a month I will be closer to my goal. I will be stronger or I will be eating better and I will be working to improve who I am. While you are just making changes and keeping checks and balances you will get some results, but they may never last. If you are transforming, every result is a building block for a better life, no matter how big or small. <br />
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If you think this is a head scratching concept, it's ok. If you are thinking, how the hell am I supposed to get transformed now? It's ok. Just knowing that there is more that switching from one type of breakfast to another will make all the difference. Give yourself time and you will get there. Transformation starts with a change in perception, and to change your perception you only need a second, like that guy on the train.Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-89470100032757122762012-01-26T20:24:00.000-08:002012-01-28T13:03:53.925-08:00BLT salad<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/6769076603/" title="blt salad by eatloveandtrain, on Flickr"><img alt="blt salad" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7171/6769076603_db7a0043b2.jpg" width="375" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/6769076603/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="blt salad by eatloveandtrain, on Flickr"><br />
</a> </div>
I will admit it's not just bacon, lettuce and tomato, so it's more like BLTEA adding the egg and avocado, but this salad is a super satisfying lunch, especially if you are on a diet. As part of the JP Fitness 2012 fat loss challenge, I have slightly decreased my intake and I am constantly coming up with high volume, nutrient dense and satisfying meals. This has been one of my go-to meals, especially since leftover bacon is something we often have in the fridge. I hope you do too!<br />
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<i><b>For 2 servings, you need:</b></i><br />
<i><b>1 medium head lettuce (we had iceberg, but anything works, including spinach and arugula)</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 tomatoes</b></i><br />
<i><b>1/2 avocado</b></i><br />
<i><b>2 hard boiled eggs</b></i><br />
<i><b>4 slices cooked crispy bacon (ideally left over from breakfast)</b></i><br />
<i><b>black pepper to taste </b></i><br />
<i><b>1 tbsp sour cream and 1 tbsp mustard for dressing (optional)</b></i><br />
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Cut up the lettuce, toss with the tomatoes, cut in large pieces, and the cubed avocado. Arrange in a deep bowl and cover with the cut up eggs and bacon strips. Add a dash of black pepper and if you wish, finish with a dressing made by combining sour cream and mustard. Enjoy this salad as lunch or a late day snack, it's barely 270 calories per serving including the dressing.<br />
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<br />Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-28891104587357934222012-01-18T11:53:00.000-08:002012-01-18T11:55:01.728-08:00Curry cauliflower soup<div style="text-align: left;">
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/6721617543/" title="curry cauliflower soup"><img alt="curry cauliflower soup" height="500" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7008/6721617543_0b45b0c998.jpg" width="345" /> </a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
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I love the simplicity and flavor of this soup. It's a delicate creamy texture, with a slight curry bite and a warm and comforting aftertaste. One of my wonderful clients, who has a thing for cauliflower, saw this soup in my food log and asked for the recipe. Since my husband cooked it and blogged about it, I am going to afford myself the luxury of pasting this from <a href="http://littledoglost.blogspot.com/#uds-search-results">his blog</a> :) Thank you, darling!<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Curried cauliflower soup</span></b><br />
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This soup is even better the next day, so feel free to make it yesterday, so you can eat it today.<br />
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4 servings<br />
<b><br /></b><br />
<b>Ingredients</b><br />
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1 large head cauliflower<br />
1 large tart apple (like a Granny Smith)<br />
1 clove garlic (optional, but highly recommended)<br />
1 tbsp garam masala (aka curry powder)<br />
1 tsp turmeric (optional, but makes for a nice color)<br />
1 tsp apple cider vinegar<br />
1 tbsp ghee or unsalted butter<br />
salt to taste<br />
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<b>Directions</b><br />
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Discard the greens and leaves of the cauliflower. Roughly chop the
entire cauliflower, including the core. Peel, core, and chop the apple.
Peel the clove of garlic, if using.<br />
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Place the apple, garlic, and cauliflower in a soup pot, with enough
water to cover. Bring to a simmer and cook for about twenty minutes,
until the cauliflower is tender. Blend with an immersion blender.
Alternately, you can use a regular blender, just make sure to allow it
to cool for a few minutes first, then blend it in batches.<br />
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Bring the soup to a slow simmer, and stir in the garam masala, turmeric,
vinegar, salt, and ghee. Allow the soup to simmer for a few minutes. If
necessary, add enough water to bring the pot to eight cups of soup.<br />
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Makes four, 2 cup servings, assuming you added enough water.<br />
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<b>Nutrition</b><br />
Per 2 cup serving – 120 calories, 3.5g fat, 21g carbohydrate, 7g fiber, 5g protein</blockquote>
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<br /></div>Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1391590924920579531.post-36570338860785709782012-01-11T20:57:00.000-08:002012-01-11T20:58:36.677-08:00Spiced quinoa tabboulehIt's strange living in a place where parsley is considered a garnish. I am fighting back by making tabbouleh a couple of times per week, serving it to friends and pretending everything is normal. I've had great feedback so far, so I decided to share today's version of tabbouleh, prepared with quinoa.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/6682700525/" title="tabbuleh by eatloveandtrain, on Flickr"><img alt="tabbuleh" height="375" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7010/6682700525_dbc68978bb.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Serves 2:</i></b><br />
<b><i>1/4 cup quinoa measured dry, cooked, drained, washed</i></b><br />
<b><i>2 cups parsley, chopped coarsely </i></b><br />
<b><i>1 cup dill weed, chopped</i></b><br />
<b><i>1 large tomato</i></b><br />
<b><i>3 small sweet peppers</i></b><br />
<b><i>1 tsp cumin</i></b><br />
<b><i>1/2 tsp cinnamon</i></b><br />
<b><i>salt to taste</i></b><br />
<b><i>juice of 1 lemon</i></b><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/59403385@N07/6682699101/" title="tabulleh_raw by eatloveandtrain, on Flickr"><img alt="tabulleh_raw" height="346" src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7032/6682699101_d5d559218d.jpg" width="500" /></a></div>
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To make, wash and drain the quinoa, and bring it to boil in some salted water. Cook for 10 minutes and then cover to let soak it up some more moisture for 5 minutes. Once ready, drain, wash and cool. In the meantime, chop the parsley and dill weed, cut peppers and tomato in small cubes. Mix quinoa with the vegetables and herbs, season with all the spices and lemon juice, let it sit for 10 minutes and it's ready to eat.<br />
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I had my salad with some sardines on the side, and they made a really good match.<br />
Enjoy and let me know how you do your tabbouleh!<br />
<br />Galya Denzelhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04843495391231873276noreply@blogger.com0