18 Ways to Thrive and have Healthy Happy Holiday Season

    Happy Holiday's 

1.    Keep up you renewal routines.

Take the time to nourish yourself with exercise, whether it is walking, running, yoga, meditation, biking etc?  It is as important if not more important during the busy holiday season.  Exercise provides fresh oxygen, blood and nutrients to all the joints, organs and the brain.  It also stabilizes blood sugar and is a big stress reliever.  Time strapped do the 7 minute workout.

2.   Make breakfast high energy

Make a high Protein shake or smoothie. It must have clean high quality protein powder, good fat, (flax seed oil, nuts and seeds) leafy greens and a small amount of fruit.

3.  Cut the Carbs on Turkey Day.

Stuff your turkey with celery, onions, herbs and spices instead of the high fat high carb loaded version.  Switch high carb pumpkin pie for pumpkin soup with a dollop of yogurt and skip the bread roll.

4.   Make new Traditions

Most holiday dinners are upwards of 2500/3000 calories and that does not include alcohol or eggnog.  Old Traditions have made us fat and put a huge load on the digestive system and the heart.  It is time for new healthier traditions.

5.   Give the Gift of Love

One of the best gifts one can give a loved one is the gift of positive and loving behavior and words.  If you see all the wonderful things in your spouse, kids family members, friends etc. just imagine how great that would be and it is guaranteed to improve your relationships. The photo is my best friend Graeme and his family in 2012.

   6.    Use a minimalistic approach to Decorations and the Table.

We do not need more stuff and we all have tons of Holiday décor and the thing is that most of your guests don’t notice as much as we think they do.  What they notice is the energy and feeling of your home.  So skip the extra running around and stress and light candles.

 7.  Do a Digital Detox

Make a pact with your friends and family to put phones and iPads etc. away during dinners and outings. Spend some quality time together really listening and engaging with each other.

     8.  Connect with Community and Give Back

Giving to others during the holidays helps us help others and in turn helps us. We like to do a turkey trot and move our feet before we eat. It is something that whole family can do that is fun and good for you.  The proceeds go to charities.  We also collect bears for the local children’s hospital. Pick a couple of community events that match you giving philosophy.

      9.   Go Grain Free, Gluten Free and Zero Refined Sugar

If you need tasty ideas go to www.hemsleyandhemsley.com. These two sisters also have a great cookbook called The Art of Eating Well. Perhaps a good holiday gift for someone you know.

   10. Listen to your Body

Are you aware of your stress levels?  How often do you pretend to be fine? Pay attention to the clues your body gives and nurture yourself.

   11. Keep your Immune system strong

Sugar and stress depresses you immune system leading to colds, flu, coughs, allergies and stuffy nose. Load up on antioxidants and decrease your sugar intake.

   12. Preserve Sleep

The body rests and repairs during quality sleep.  It makes no rational sense to pull an all-nighter just to get a couple of dollars off on Black Friday. A better idea is to go to bed at 10pm and get up at 5am if you have to have those door busters.  Aim for at least 7 hours

   13. Choose a different response

How you respond to stress is what matters. Step out of the situation and view it from the outside.  Take a few breaths before you respond or don’t react at all.

   14.  Eat your Veggies

This is a great time to enjoy all those fabulous root vegetables.  They are high in fiber and loaded with nutrients.  Chew them well.

   15. Drink your Veggies

If you don’t get your adequate servings of veggies per day, drink them.  Enjoy a green drink.

   16. Hydrate

Aim to drink a minimum of 64 ounces of water a day.  Not only will your digestive system thank you but your skin will too.  If you are flying during the holiday season drink more… I know it is a hassle to go to the bathroom when you fly, however the benefits outweigh the discomfort of dehydration.

   17. Take it Easy on the High Calorie Beverages

Alcohol, Eggnog and a Pumpkin Spice Latte count as non-nutrient dense calories.  We have a mind set that what we drink does not count as part of our consumption however it has a huge impact on weight gain, sleep quality and depresses the immune system.

   18. Beware of the Buffett

Be consciously selective when it comes to the buffet table. If you know that the choices available will not be healthy then try to eat good for you food before go to your event.

Bonus Tips

   19. Stress can be good for us

Our bodies are designed to handle stress in appropriate amounts.  Some stress can kick us into gear to get things done, provide focus, clear thinking and take action.

It is when stress is too much for too long that problems arise.

   20. Don’t sweat the small stuff.

Put on bright red lipstick and a sparkly top and you are good to go…. When you look good you feel good. When you feel good you look good!

"Step into your own personal power" How To: Listen To Your Body

A wonderful Article from Louise Androliahttp://livetheprocess.com
We are in a glorious, openhearted world for wellness. Around every corner, there is a juice bar and a yoga center. There are endless classes, podcasts and therapies to experience; bookshelves and blogs are filled with recipes and plans to follow.

The time really is now, but it’s also, for a lot of people, totally overwhelming. My clients often arrive in a state of total disconnect from their mind, body and spirit, especially when it comes to their own physical health. In regards to eating habits, they are either in a state of confusion about what the “correct” way to eat is or they perceive themselves as failing if they have trouble sticking to a diet that was chosen, for example, because it’s on trend.

In order to make the most of the incredible time in which we live, we all need to take a few steps back and reconnect to ourselves.

It doesn’t matter what everyone else is doing; it doesn’t matter how great the latest health trend may be. If it doesn’t align with you, then it’s not for you. So, before you get confused by the holistic banquet, here’s how to reel yourself back in. After all, feeling good is more important than fitting in.

1. Be Positively Selfish

This is a term I use often to teach clients to put their own wellness at the top of their list. When you value your health, everything else can function a lot better underneath that one golden rule. To be selfish about your wellbeing means to remember that your experience is unique. Yes, our body systems are alike, but it makes no sense to try to copy and paste someone else’s individual body code onto your different make-up. For instance, I look after myself with my autoimmune condition in mind. That’s of course going to be different for someone who has a different set of symptoms.

Step into your own personal power and choose to conduct your life with one goal: that you feel good. With this in mind, you can start to work with your body.

2. Tune into your body

A great first step is to acknowledge all your physical, mental and emotional conditions and symptoms, both longterm and those that are new. When you choose to tune into your physical body, it’s amazing how powerfully it speaks to you. You can ask yourself all sorts of questions, such as:

1. How do I feel right now?

2. What aches and pains have become regular to me?

3. How do I sleep and how do I feel when I wake up?

4. How do my energy levels and mood change throughout the day?

5. Am I aware of my own stress levels?

6. How often do I pretend to be fine?

You can also practice a moving meditation with eating. When you have breakfast, sit without electrics or distractions and only the meal in front of you. As you take each mouthful, feel the food, its temperature, its texture and how it feels going into your body. This connects you not only to your body, but also to the present moment.

3. Listen to your body

You may now be more present and aware of the ways in which you feel off-balance. To combine these steps together, start a wellness diary for a few weeks. Write down everything you eat, the exercise you do and a brief description of your day. Alongside, note down your stressors and your physical, mental and emotional symptoms, including hormonal cycles.

4. Take Action and Nurture Your Journey

Now you can make the most of this bright time we are in! Armed with the knowledge of what it feels like to be you, it’s much easier to see which books, therapists and blogs you relate to and also to know whether they work for you or not. You also have a diary that you can take to a doctor or nutritionist. Instead of just feeling “unwell” or “tired,” you might be able to pinpoint what lead to that specific feeling.

Finally, be compassionate to yourself and your journey. A common block I see is when we devalue what we are feeling or experiencing. It’s so easy to say that we are “fine” or tell ourselves that we are probably just being silly. If you are having a feeling in your mind, body or spirit, then it is valid and it is yours to nurture.

Learn about your own body, then embrace the empowerment that comes from utilizing the wealth of tools and information that surrounds you.

Is Chocolate a Health Food??

Happy Halloween!

I know that most of you are going to overdo it in the candy department this next week and perhaps some of you all the way to Valentine's Day?? 

Chocolate candy is going to be everywhere, at home, the office, events,  parties etc etc.. Before you or your kids indulge in way too much of the yummy stuff know that consumption comes with a price.  It is loaded with extra calories, it is hard to stop at just one and worst of all it a depresses the  immune system.  It is no wonder kids come home from school with the sniffles right after Halloween. 

  

Here is the skinny so you can make good for you choices for yourself and your kids: 

The cocoa bean, actually a seed, grows in pods on trees. It contains compounds called flavanols, which have been shown to lower blood pressure, improve blood flow and reduce overall risk of heart disease. Three scientific analyses published in the past six months pooled results of smaller studies to conclude that cocoa is good for the heart. Scientists believe flavanols work, at least in part, by stimulating production of nitric oxide, which relaxes vessels and improves blood flow.

Most chocolate isn't labeled with milligrams of flavanols and there's no industry or scientific standard yet for measuring flavanols in chocolate. One objective measure is the cocoa percentage on the label. Milk chocolate can be as little as 10% cocoa paste by weight, with the rest in sugar, milk and other ingredients.

Dark-chocolate bars typically contain 50% to 85% cocoa by weight, scientists say. "The higher the percentage of cocoa, the higher the flavanol content, the higher the antioxidant content and thus we believe the greater positive health benefit," says Washington, D.C., nutritionist Joy Dubost, a spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.

My take on the above information is that a little goes a long way. If you have a chocolate craving and are trying to lose weight one or two squares of the 70-80% Dark Chocolate  after dinner or as a healthy snack should  satisfy. If you crave Chocolate all the time you might be deficient in Magnesium! 

Take it easy on yourself this holiday season.... and make good for you choices.  You are in charge of your health and wellness... Now that is Scary!!

Happy Halloween

Paleo Protein Bars

Makes 10

1 large egg white                                    I Cup of chopped raw nuts
I Tablespoon of Honey or Agave         ½ Cup of raw seeds
¼ Teaspoon. Cinnamon                        ¼ Cup chopped apricots or prunes
Pinch of sea salt

Preheat Oven to 325 Degrees

Line a muffin tin with 10 cupcake liners. 
In a bowl whisk egg white, honey, cinnamon and salt. Add Nuts Seeds and Fruit. Combine all ingredients and stir well.

Divide mixture evenly into the muffin cups.  Bake 16-20 minutes until golden brown. Remove and transfer to a wire rack.

Cool completely then wrap each Bar tightly in plastic wrap. Keeps for 5 days a room temp and 2 weeks in fridge

Variations: 

Replace Dried Fruit with Coconut
Replace Cinnamon with 2 teaspoons of unsweetened dark choc powder. 
Replace Cinnamon with Ground Ginger

THE ULTIMATE HEALTH FOOD

VEGGING OUT

One of the questions on my patient intake forms asks the question  " How many servings of Vegetables do you eat per day?" Often the answer is 1-2.  When pressed the 1-2 includes a lettuce leave on a burger or a slice of tomato.

 Some folks do however include a small salad at lunch or dinner, however it is often iceberg lettuce with croutons and cheese (Caesar Salad) with no other vegetables in the salad. 

I know that a diet filled with mostly plants is medicine for the body and that incorporating more veggies in your daily diet can have a big effect on how you look and feel.  Life is so much better when you FEEL GOOD. 

To encourage and inspire you to add more veggies to your daily meals I have included a list of Vegetable Cookbooks, that have mouth watering recipes, beautiful photos and the main focus is plants.

1. Plenty - Vibrant Vegetable Recipes from London's Ottolenghi. The photos in this book are beautiful and the recipes are simple. This get's a A plus!

2. Vegetables Every Day by Jack Bishop.  This book is arranged in an A-Z guide

3. River Cottage Vegetables.  There are 200 recipes in this book

4. Tender: A cook and his Vegetable Patch by Nigel Slater

This book was an instant hit in the UK

5. 50 Best Plants on the Planet: By Cathy Thomas

Last but not least :  Experiment with roasting, grilling, steaming and raw.  It is amazing how a little olive oil, lemon juice  and sea salt can bring out the best in so many veggies.

Enjoy and do this for yourself, your family and have fun with it.

Dr Pia 

OUR NEW CORPORATE WELLNESS PROGRAM

We are so excited to be Introducing our New Corporate Wellness Program! 

This is what our first client had to say: 

"I was referred to Dr. Pia Martin almost a year ago after I sustained a back injury and was unsuccessfully treated by other chiropractors who seemed to make my injury worse. Initially I was a little skeptical because of my previous experience however that was quickly changed on my first consult. Dr. Pia purposely took the time to fully understand what was going on and took a ‘whole person’ approach to treating me. She addressed my symptoms but also got to the root of the problem. We discovered that not only was the chiropractic treatment working but more importantly her diet and nutrition recommendations eliminated many underlying problems I was having. More than two years ago my medical Dr. diagnosed me with high blood pressure which was causing heart palpitations, he put me on a regiment of blood pressure medication which I quickly discarded because I was not willing to take medication like that at the age of 29. Through Dr. Pia we discovered I was gluten intolerant which was causing my heart palpitations, since cutting gluten from my diet I have no symptoms and blood pressure has dropped. 

Thanks to my personal experience and success with Dr. Pia, we are now very excited to have implemented a wellness program in our company, offering our employees the opportunity work with Dr Pia, promoting a happy, healthy work environment. 

I highly recommend not only working with Dr. Pia personally but, if you are a business owner or executive, seriously considering working with Dr. Pia to implement a similar wellness program in your company." 

To learn how you can offer this program to your employees: Call us 214 8696404 or Email drpiamartin@gmail.com

A Little Chemicals with your Sandwich?

Is a Subway Sandwich a Healthy Choice? 

Just the other day someone said to me... well a Subway sandwich is a not so bad choice for lunch?  Think again! 

An portion of an article By Melaine Warner

"Consider the popular Subway sandwich, an icon of wholesome weight loss ever since Jared Fogle shed copious pounds on what became known as the "Subway diet." Ms. Warner reveals the 105 ingredients of Subway's Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki Sandwich. The chicken alone contains such chemicals as potassium chloride (salt), maltodextrin (a starchy thickener), autolyzed yeast extract (a cheap substitute for MSG), gum arabic (tree sap used as a stabilizer), soy protein concentrate (cheap protein additive), and sodium phosphates (more salt!). The Italian white bread, meanwhile, comes equipped with ammonium sulfate (inorganic salt often used in fertilizer), azodicarbonamide (a flour bleaching agent), potassium iodate (a maturing agent for increasing the speed of baking dough), sodium stearoyl lactylate (a fat and sugar replacement for dough conditioning) and natural flavor (natural!). Some of these ingredients provide flavor (autolyzed yeast extract); some extend shelf life (ammonium sulfate); others are simply cheaper than alternatives (soy protein concentrate).

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If you were to make this sandwich at home, Ms. Warner admits, you might be able to avoid these substances, but then again, where did you get the chicken and the bread?

Top 10 sources of calories in the U.S. diet

THIS TELLS THE STORY ... 

According to the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (a panel of 13 nutrition experts charged with developing federal nutrition standards), Americans are eating far more calories than they used to.

Very few people follow the federal dietary guidelines, which recommend dark green vegetables, orange vegetables, legumes, fruits, whole grains, and low-fat milk and milk products. Instead, we eat foods full of refined grains, sugar, fat, and calories — just check out the list of “What Americans Eat” below.

This is one Top 10 list you don’t want to make. Take a look and see what you can do to get closer to the recommended dietary guidelines.

What Americans Eat: Top 10 sources of calories in the U.S. diet

1.	Grain-based desserts (cakes, cookies, donuts, pies, crisps, cobblers, and granola bars)
2.	Yeast breads
3.	Chicken and chicken-mixed dishes
4.	Soda, energy drinks, and sports drinks
5.	Pizza
6.	Alcoholic beverages
7.	Pasta and pasta dishes
8.	Mexican mixed dishes
9.	Beef and beef-mixed dishes
10.	Dairy desserts

Source: Report of the DGAC on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010.

GLUTEN-FREE, EARTHY AND VERSITILE

 Buckwheat is NOT what it seems. 

 Though it looks like a grain and tastes like a grain it is not part of the cereal family.  Buckwheat is a nutritionally dense and gluten-free relative of the rhubarb and sorrel family.

The kernels, called groats are hulled, roasted and serves as a side dish, stuffing or ground into a blue-gray flour which can be used in a variety of dishes.  Buckwheat has become the darling of pastry chefs everywhere and therefore that is good news for all who are gluten sensitive or intolerant.  Give it a try!

A REASONABLE RESOLUTION

How to add more Antioxidants, Fiber, Calcium, Iron & Potassium  to your diet. 

A great recipe from Michael Anthony of Gramercy Tavern 

in NYC.  

 

Kale, Cabbage & Carrot Salad With Creamy Caper Dressing

Total Time: 20 minutes Serves:4-6

Enlarge Image

Ingredients
What To Do

1 egg yolk

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

¼ cup grapeseed oil

¼ cup olive oil

2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and chopped

1 tablespoon caper pickling liquid

1 large clove garlic, smashed to a paste

½ tablespoon fresh lemon juice

Salt, to taste

2 tablespoons snipped chives (optional)

¼ head of cabbage, cored and thinly sliced

1½ large carrots, peeled and thinly sliced into bite-size pieces

1 bunch kale, stems removed, leaves thinly sliced or torn into bite-size pieces

½ yellow onion, peeled and thinly sliced

2 tablespoons chopped mixed herbs, such as parsley, basil, chives or dill (optional)

1. In medium bowl, whisk egg yolk with mustard. While whisking constantly, slowly dribble in oils. Continue whisking until oil is fully incorporated and mixture is thick and pale in color.

2. Whisk in capers, pickling liquid, garlic and lemon juice. Season with salt to taste and snipped chives, if using.

3. In a large bowl, combine all vegetables and herbs, if using. Add dressing and toss, using both hands to mix until dressing coats all ingredients. Allow salad to marinate until vegetables soften, at least 10 minutes.

DIGGING YOUR ROOTS

Root Veggie Recipe

Rutabaga, parsnips, taro—their names are familiar, but how do you prepare them? Renowned cooking teacher Joanne Weir demystifies the lesser-known, plucked-from-the-soil veggies

 Curried Root Vegetables

Prep time: 26 minutes
Cooking time: 28 minutes
Serves 4 to 6
Serve with steamed basmati rice.

• ½ pound taro
• ½ pound carrots
• ½ pound parsnips
• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• 1 1-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced
• 2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 2 teaspoons ground coriander
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt
• 4 cardamom pods, crushed
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ teaspoon red chili powder
• ½ teaspoon paprika
• ¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• ¼ teaspoon turmeric
• 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and finely chopped, fresh or canned
• ½ jalapeño pepper, halved lengthwise
• ¾ cup coconut milk
• Cilantro sprigs
1. Peel taro, and cut into large chunks. Simmer in boiling salted water until almost tender, 10 to 12 minutes. Drain, cool, and cut into 1-inch cubes. Peel the carrots and parsnips; cut into 1-inch cubes.
2. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over low heat. Add the ginger and garlic. Cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute. Add the taro, coriander, cumin, salt, cardamom, cinnamon, red chili powder, paprika, pepper, turmeric, tomatoes, jalapeño, coconut milk and 1 cup water. Cover, and simmer until the taro is tender, about 4 minutes. Add the parsnips and carrots; simmer until cooked, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove cover, and continue to simmer until the sauce has thickened slightly, 2 to 3 minutes. Place in a bowl, and garnish with the cilantro sprigs.