I Like This Doctor's Prescription!

Patient: Doctor, I don’t feel well and I’m not sure why.

Doctor:

I want you to meditate for 20 minutes, twice a day, exercise for at least 30 minutes a day, avoid processed foods, eat plenty of organic fruit and veg, spend more time in nature and less indoors, stop worrying about things you can’t control and ditch your T.V. Come back in 3 weeks.

Feeling Sassy?

One of my clients made a confession to me....… drinking water only is kind of boring and no fun at all!  Quite frankly she is right!  A lot of my clients are TERRIBLE water drinkers. So, here is a beautiful and brilliant alternative to plain ole water that offers a refreshing way to stay hydrated.........Sassy Water!    This drink is from The Fat Belly Diet, but even if you are not following the diet, Sassy Water adds some zing and good health to those boring 8 daily glasses.  Plus, you will enjoy the following powerful health benefits:

*It balances pH *It keeps skin clear and glowing *It kick starts the digestive system *It helps with weight loss

Recipe

To a large water pitcher add:

• 8 1/2 cups water
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 medium cucumber, sliced thin
• 1 medium lemon, sliced thin
• 12 leaves spearmint

Mix all the ingredients together and steep overnight in fridge and drink every day.

Avocado.....The Beauty Food

Doesn't this look beautiful? I found this beautiful website today while looking for new ways to serve avocados.  I am IN LOVE with avocados right now!  They are what I like to call "A BEAUTY FOOD"...... rich in essential fats, vitamins and antioxidants that improve overall skin health and promote a soft look and radiant glow.

I wanted to make this today for lunch but the avocados at my local market were all hard as rocks.  I bought some anyway and put them in a paper bag on the counter to ripen.  They will be perfect in a couple of days!

From The Canal House Cooks Lunch http://lunch.thecanalhouse.com/?s=avocado Corn tortillas toasted over an open flame with mashed avocado on top, a good squeeze of fresh lime juice, and a sprinkling of Maldon sea salt.

Check out another of my favorite websites......Oh She Glows!  for an easy and delicious a recipe for 15 Minute Creamy Avocado Pasta.  Your family will LOVE it!

Quinoa Taboulleh

This gorgeous dish is so healthy and refreshing and easy to make, that I had to share it with you right away!

Quinoa Taboulleh

Read more to see the recipe!

• 2 cups water

• 1 cup quinoa

• 1 pinch salt

• 1/4 cup olive oil

• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt

• 1/4 cup lemon juice

• 3 tomatoes, diced

• 1 cucumber, diced

• green onion, diced to taste

• 2 carrots, grated

• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions

1. In a saucepan bring water to a boil. Add quinoa and a pinch of salt. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Allow to cool to room temperature; fluff with a fork.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine olive oil, sea salt, lemon juice, tomatoes, cucumber, green onions, carrots and parsley. Stir in cooled quinoa.

Core Workout for Home

Everybody keeps asking me for a good core workout that they can do at home so I thought I would share my 5 favorite core strengthening exercises with you.

• The Basic Abdominal Crunch
• Opposite Arm Leg  Raise
• Plank Pose
• Superman
• 4 stretch
• Low Back Extension

This routine is simple and effective for strengthening the core and improving low back health.   AND.....It can be accomplished in less than 15 minutes per day!

Start with 1 set of 10-20 reps of each exercise.  You may be able to do the entire routine 2-3 times.  You can click on the individual photos more details about that exercise.

Thank you lovely Joules for being my model and one of my strongest clients.

Food for Thought......

I just came across an interesting book while surfing the internet.  The Swing by Tracy Reifkind.  I was looking for a kettlebell book to learn some new moves for my women's weight training group, but I found some real pearls of wellness wisdom in this book.   Tracy Reifkind weighed 250 pounds the first time she picked up a kettlebell at age 41. She had been overweight her entire life. Through a change in mindset, healthy nutrition, and a consistent workout with kettle bells, she lost over 100 pounds! Here is a quote from the book that I love.  It is right on the money.

"I came to the conclusion that truly healthy and fit people don't have to think about how to become healthy and fit, it's who they are--it's not a chore, a punishment, or even a choice. Forget second nature; for them, it is first nature. The question for me then became: how do you make something first nature?"

Raw Ball

Oh Yummy Goodness!

IMG_0440

Pure, sweet rolled up bliss in a ball!

I know the name Raw Balls does NOT sound appetizing, but these raw treats BLEW MY MIND!  I could not stop eating this stuff. It was pure heavenly bliss with some great health benefits to boot!

Ingredients:  Makes about 12 balls or more

• 1/2 cup walnuts

• 1/2 cup pitted dates

• 1/2 cup cocoa powder, unsweetened

• 1/2 cup pure maple syrup

• 1/2 cup almond butter

• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

• 1/2 cup whole almonds

• 1 - 2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut

Place walnuts in a food processor and process until coarsely ground.  Add the dates and pulse until well combined with the nuts.  Add the cocoa powder, syrup, almond butter, vanilla and salt.   Process until the mixture is thick and smooth.   Add the almonds and pulse a few times until combined.   There should be some almond chunks remaining.

Form the mixture into balls and roll in coconut.   Store in freezer.

I LOVE a green drink!

Last week I got a photo text from one of my clients that made me very happy!

Move over Starbucks!

Before backing out of the driveway on her way to work, Julia snapped this picture of her lemon water and green drink to send to me.......Totally making my day!  This was a  healthy and delicious morning commute!

Julia's Green Drink:

• 1 Cup unsweetened Almond Milk
• 2 Handfuls of Fresh Spinach
• A few Sprigs of Parsley and Celery (optional)
• 1 Frozen Banana (use frozen fruit or add ice.  Otherwise your drink is kind of mushy)
• 1 Tbls Chia Seeds
• 1 Tbls Hemp Seeds

Place all ingredients in the Vita- Mix or blender.   Delish!

Check out my very adorable and funny "soon to be" sister-in-law's blog on how to make the healthiest green drink for your family!  You can also order a Vita Mix from her website.

Leslie's Yummy Green Drink

Come visit me in my new office!

In celebration of moving into my new office in downtown Basalt I am offering a special $45 rate for my "Spring Breakthrough" Consultation (a $150 value).

In this session I will partner with you to create a "whole person" approach towards health, wellness, beauty and balance.

Nutrition Presentation!

Hello Friends! I am doing MY FAVORITE nutrition presentation at Le Cercle in Basalt....THURSDAY, March 8 at 10 am.

I will be talking about all of the WONDERFUL AND POWERFUL qualities of MY FAVORITE FOODS and how to easily incorporate these foods into your diet.

This presentation is part of a Health and Fitness Bootcamp that I am teaching with Jayne Gottlieb, but you do not have to join the group to come to the presentation.  The cost is $10.

Please come, or forward this email to anyone you think might be interested in this great information!

Yours in Health, Lisa Chapman

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Avocado Soup

I got this recipe from my 11 year old daughter.  She and her classmates at Ross Montessori School prepared a Thanksgiving Feast this year as part of a classroom project.  The kids planned the menu, and did all the shopping and cooking by themselves.

This soup is raw and vegan and really easy to make!  Enjoy!

Avocado Soup

• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil

• 2 avocado

• 1 cup fresh carrot juice (we used a store bought juice, found in the produce section at the grocery store.

• juice of 1 orange

• 1 cucumber

• 1 teaspoon ground cumin toasted

• 1 teaspoon ground coriander toasted

• 1 tablespoon soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons fennel leaves ( we used fennel seeds)

• 2 cups water

• 1 teaspoon maple syrup

• 1/2 cup shredded zucchini

Put all ingredients in a blender except the zucchini.  Blend until smooth.  Gently stir in the grated zucchini.  Season with salt and pepper before serving.

Posture, Core Strength and Balance

This one is harder than it looks!  The stability ball adds an extra balance element to the traditional 1 arm row which really challenges the core muscles. Start with the right hand on the ball, the right foot on the floor, and the left leg extended straight back.   If you do yoga, you will recognize the warrior 3 pose

Using a 10-20 lb dumbbell, pull the left elbow straight up engaging the muscles of the upper middle back.  Keep your abdominal muscles tight, squeeze the left thigh and glute muscles,  toes pointed.  Resist the urge to drop the leg.....keep it straight and elevated.  Repeat 10-20 times per side.

Demonstrated by my client Andrea.......Her form is perfect!

Moroccan Chickpea Stew

Inspired by  Oh She Glows

Ingredients

• 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 1 medium yellow onion, diced
• 4 medium garlic cloves, diced
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• Freshly ground black pepper (to taste)
• 1 butternut squash, cut into cubes
• 1 large red potato, cut into cubes
• 2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
• 2 cups cooked chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes, with juices
• 2 cups fresh spinach leaves or diced zucchini
• Steamed whole wheat couscous, for serving
• Toasted slivered almonds, for garnish
• 1 tbls plain greek yogurt, for garnish

1. Heat olive oil in a 3-4 quart dutch oven with a tight fitting lid over medium heat. When oil simmers, add onion, garlic, and cinnamon, and season with freshly ground pepper to taste. Cook on medium low heat, until onions are soft and translucent.  Be careful not to use too high of heat or the garlic will burn.

2. Add squash and potatoes, season with ground pepper,  and cook until just tender, about 10 mins.  Add broth, chickpeas, tomatoes, and their juices, spinach leaves or zucchini.  Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer until squash is tender, about 20 mins.

3. Serve the stew over whole wheat couscous and don't forget to garnish with toasted almond and  yogurt.

YogaGlo

I LOVE THIS! My dear friend and yoga teacher, Julie G introduced me to this great site!

It’s called YogaGlo … online yoga classes! I have to admit, I was more than a little skeptical about the quality of classes that would be available on line, but I am really impressed with this website.  You can stream the classes on your computer or tv.  YogaGlo offers the perfect solution for busy moms that want to get a quick workout in, or practice meditation,  but don’t have the luxury of going out to a class.

I love that there are varied levels, styles, and teachers.  There is also an extensive library of guided meditations.  You can choose a 5 minute class or a 60 minute class.  It IS subscription-based … they charge $18/month, but they also offer a 15-day trial period to check the website out.

If  you are trying to figure out how to fit a yoga practice into your busy schedule, check YogaGlo out.

Is Popcorn A Healthy Snack?

I think popcorn is one of those few perfect snacks.  It is high in fiber and protein, it counts as a whole grain serving.  It is easy to make, kids love it, and you can eat a lot of it without blowing too many calories. Unfortunately microwave popcorn is not the healthy snack that it should be!

You may have heard about the controversial use of diacetyl, a chemical ingredient used for the artificial butter flavor in microwave popcorn.  Diacetyl has been connected to a rare lung disease found in popcorn factory workers.  Many of the popcorn manufacturers removed the diacetyl from their microwave popcorn about 2 years ago, but there is still concern about the safety of the new butter flavors used in these products.

Recently there has been even more concern raised about the chemicals used to line the bag, specifically a substance called perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA). PFOA builds up in the body over time, and has been linked to infertility, birth defects, and increased liver, testicular, and pancreatic cancer. Manufacturer's have agreed to phase out the use of PFOA, but not until 2015.  Thanks.

Personally, I have fond memories of my mother making  popcorn on the stove top when I was growing up!

Check out this website for tips on making this delicious treat on the stove!

http://www.cookography.com/2007/stovetop-popcorn

Of course if you are like me and have burned a few pans making stove top popcorn you can try this recipe that I love for Homemade Microwave Popcorn from Chaos In The Kitchen. http://chaosinthekitchen.com/whats-for-dinner/

Air-Popped Popcorn in the Microwave (makes about 5 cups for bag)

3 Tbsp popcorn kernels 1 paper bag stapler or scotch tape, or just fold it over

1- add popcorn kernels to paper bag or glass bowl 2-fold, staple or tape bag closed; or cover glass bowl 3 - microwave the popcorn for up to 2 minutes (test this, microwaves vary) 4 - open bag, season popcorn and eat!

Killer Squat

I love combining strength , balance and core work all in one exercise!  Here is a killer squat exercise that works the legs and the core.  The trick with this exercise is to keep the arms very straight throughout the movement.  When the ball is lifted above the head, pull the biceps back firmly to your ears.  This will engage the important postural muscles of the upper middle back.  Use a 10-20 pound medicine ball.  This ball has handles that allows for an easy grip.

Filmed by Jillian Livingston   aspenreallife.com

Filmed at Phoenix Fitness, my favorite gym in Basalt.

Yours in Health, Lisa

Fruit Salad Pops!

A Beautiful and Healthy Treat!

Is there anything better than an ice-cold popsicle on a sweltering summer day? No need to wait for the icecream man to make a pass through your neighborhood. It is easy to make your own popsicles.

My dear friend Avery is making her own popsicles with a marvelous gadget THAT I LOVE from Williams-Sonoma that makes frozen treats in as little as seven minutes.  Zoku Quick Pop Maker

Here is how Anika made these beautiful treats pictured above.  Add the fruits and juice to the popsicle mold, or use any combination of fruits that your kids enjoy! I bought the molds for these popsicles years ago at City Market.  Similar molds are available through Amazon.com by Tovolo.  Add the juice.  It only takes a little bit of juice to fill in the mold.  Freeze for 6 hours or overnight.

Ingredients:

• Sliced Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Sliced Peaches
• Sliced Kiwi
• White Grape Juice

YUMMY!

Healthy Summer Soup

I got this recipe from my friend Erin Becker.  She is an AMAZING chef, and cooks the most beautiful, interesting and healthful meals for her family and guests.  Erin got this recipe from a RAW COOKING CLASS that she took while living in Hong Kong. Ingredients:

• 4 fresh tomatoes peeled (not necessary to peel if you use grape tomatoes)
• 3 celery sticks
• 2 bunches basil
• 1 small jalapeno
• 3 Tbs olive oil
• 1 red bell pepper
• 3 spring onions
• 1 avocado
• Salt and Pepper to taste
• 300 ml TOMATO JUICE

Mix all ingredients in a blender.  I used my Vitamix blender and the soup turned out creamy and delicious.  Chill overnight in the frig.  Serve cold, topped with fresh avocado.  Erin suggests adding a drop of agave if you do not peel your tomatoes.

Erin Becker giving me a cooking lesson after our workout!

Blend it and serve cold.  Healthy and Delicious!

Side Plank with Band

Filmed by Jillian Livingston   aspenreallife.com

Yours in Health, Lisa