Birthday Butter

My youngest son turned 8 on June 21st. We like to really celebrate birthdays around here. From the moment you wake up until the moment you go to bed, it's all about you. You get to pick where you want to go, what you want to do, and what you want to eat. You can't get yelled at and everyone else has to treat you like royalty. Let me tell you, my little guy ate that up.

For his dinner of choice he picked macaroni and cheese. I wasn't about to break open a box of the nasty stuff so I hit the Internet and found a scrumptious recipe of the real, honest to goodness macaroni and cheese. It was loaded with five different kinds of cheese and heavy cream. It was made with regular pasta and I even buttered the dish although I left out the pancetta at my son's request.

You might be surprised to hear that I made such a thing for my son on his birthday but I am not an extremist. I believe in the 90/10 rule which means we eat healthy 90% of the time and we splurge the rest of the time. Now to be honest I eat more like that but the kids are probably more like 80/20 and I think that is OK too.

I have to tell you that the smell that was coming out of the oven while this monstrosity baked was overwhelming. It was crazy good. Even though I am allergic to every single thing in it, I had to take a bite just to see what I had created and wow, was it delicious! The whole family loved it and thanked Aidan for his birthday request.

The next day we had a bit of heavy cream left over and we decided to make some butter with it. It is a simple thing to do but I wouldn't say it was easy. You simply put the cream in a jar with a tight fitting lid. Add a marble and start shaking. You shake and you shake and then you shake some more. You are supposed to get butter in about 20 minutes but it took us longer. It didn't help that for a long time the kids were shaking and I don't think they were really doing the best job at it. The important thing was that we were all having fun.

The key is to listen for the marble. In the beginning, you will hear it clanking around in the jar. Then when the butter starts to solidify you will stop hearing. You are not quite done yet. Keep shaking until you start to hear the marble clanking again. Strain off the buttermilk and enjoy.

It was THE BEST butter I have ever tasted. You can see my little guys eating it up on some bread. They couldn't get enough! Let me know if you give it a try.

Seaweed for Dessert?

I know it sounds CRAZY but I am telling you, this is good stuff. It's like jello without the connective tissue (if you didn't know that's what they make jello out of...sorry). Honest engine, every single person in my family loved this and the best part is that is good for you!

So what is it you ask? It's called Kanten in Japan where it originated or agar agar here in the US. It is basically a flake or powdered seaweed. It is tasteless, has zero calories, zero carbs, zero fat and over 80% fiber. Because if its high fiber content and its ability to absorb water it keeps our tummies feeling fuller for longer. In fact, it is being touted as the weight loss secret of the Japanese.

You can buy it your local natural health food store. I got mine at Whole Foods. It is also available online at Amazon.com if you like to click and buy. Be sure to ask for it by its American name agar agar. You will find it in the Asian aisle by the seaweed.

This recipe is adapted from one I got from Andrea Beaman. You can change out the fruit and the juice but this combination seems especially good for Thanksgiving. Don't be scared! I promise it doesn't taste like fish or even seaweed for that matter. It just tastes like fruit jello. Yum!

Frantic Holiday Eating

The countdown to holiday eating has begun. We are only days away from eating out big Thanksgiving feasts which leads right into holiday baking, holiday parties and an endless supply of food.

What's a girl to do? You want to be healthy. You don't want to gain weight but you wait all year for those special cookies and your grandma's famous dessert. What would the holidays be without all those special foods you ask yourself.

Trust me, I've been there more times than I would like to admit. I've gone through the holidays gorging on every bit of food on the table until I was so full I felt sick. I've also gone through the holidays on a strict diet, refusing to eat anything that might make me gain weight. Neither of these plans has worked for me and I'm guessing that I am not alone.

As much as we would like to think of food as pure fuel for our bodies there is no denying that food holds a special place in our hearts. Just the smell of something baking in the oven can bring us back to a happier place let alone that first delicious bite. Do we really want to deprive ourselves of that warm fuzzy feeling? Well there must be a way to have our cake and eat it too.

Here are my top tips for getting through the holidays without depriving yourself or gorging yourself.

1. Don't be perfect- Look, I know we all want to be perfect but trust me, there is no such thing so I am giving you permission to let perfectionism go this holiday. Aim for 90-10, 80-20, or even 75-25. Make the majority of your meals healthy so when you are at your holiday party you can enjoy your favorite dessert without the guilt.

2. Hydrate yourself- When the weather turns cold and we stoke up our furnaces the air becomes dry and we naturally become a bit dehydrated. The irony is that when it is cold we don't really feel like drinking big glasses of cold water. Often we confuse hunger for thirst so by making sure you are getting enough fluids you will automatically cut down on the amount of food you eat.

Try drinking your water room temperature. It is better for you anyway and won't give you that chill. Try warm water with some lemon or a new herbal tea. Add lemon, lime, orange or cucumber to your water for an interesting twist. Just remember to stay away from soft drinks and caffeinated beverages. These don't hydrate and in fact can deplete the body of hydration.

3. Do a Swap- I used to make this sweet potato side dish that was to die for! I mean...yum. Well, it was loaded with sugar and fat and I just don't want to go there anymore. I would rather save my splurge for a decadent dessert so now I make a lighter dish with agave for a sweetener and a bit of olive oil. It tastes delicious and I can feel good about eating it. Look at your menu and see where you can make small changes to make it a bit healthier.

4. Plan, Plan, Plan- We've all heard the saying, "fail to plan, plan to fail." Take a moment to look at your calendar and figure out some easy meals you can make that will nourish you without stressing you out. Don't be caught staring into the refrigerator wondering what to eat, only to grab something junky that won't even give you any satisfaction.

5. Slow Down and Enjoy Your Food- So many of us tend to wolf down our food barely even tasting it. If you are going to wait all year for your favorite food, don't you think you should take the time to truly savor it? By slowing down and experiencing all of the flavors the dish has to offer you will not only bring yourself some much needed joy but chances are you will be satisfied with a lot less of it too.

5. Take Care of Yourself- Last but certainly not least, in fact, this is probably the most important thing you can do. One of the most powerful things I have learned since becoming a holistic coach is that when we take impeccable care of ourselves we are less interested in filling up with food. When we are constantly on the go, stretched thin, stressed and tired, we turn to food to make us feel better, to calm us, to give us a little bit of joy. But when we learn to fill our lives with gratitude, joy, passion and excitement, we realize that there isn't a food out there that can measure up to that.

I know the holidays can be stressful. This year I invite you to carve out little bits of "me time." Go for a walk in nature and collect pine cones to put in a bowl on your table. Put on your favorite holiday music and take a candle-lit bath, sneak off to the movies all by yourself and enjoy every minute of it. Find something that makes you smile and makes you happy and just do it! You will be surprised how much more you will enjoy this holiday season and how much less you will be inclined to eat.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this. What's one thing you will do differently this year to make your holiday season even better?

Kiss Your Diet Goodbye!

I was walking around the store today browsing in the book aisle. I couldn't help noticing the plethora of diet books that lined the shelves. I myself own some of them. I have tried several diets in my life. Not as many as some people I know but still enough to know that diets don't work.

Think back to your last "diet." I imagine it went something like this...

1. You realize that you put on a few pounds. Your clothes are getting tight or bathing suit season is quickly approaching and you are scared stiff!

2. You hear about the newest diet craze. Low fat, low carbs, cabbage soup, lemonade, whatever catches your eye. You decide that the time has come...BUT you will wait until Monday to start.

3. You research the diet du jour, plan your menu, make your shopping list, and when Monday comes you start with the plan. You are motivated. You are excited. You are going to look good in no time.

4. A few days go by, you have dropped a few pounds and you are loving it! OK, so the diet is a bit difficult. You're hungry or feeling deprived but who cares, you are losing weight! It is totally worth it.

5. After about a week, 2 weeks, or a month your enthusiasm is starting to wane. You get invited to a party and you are faced with a table full of delicious looking food that you have been avoiding like the plague. One little bite won't hurt. You deserve it after all. You've been so good. You've lost some weight so why not reward yourself with a little "treat."

6. You can't help but wonder what the heck happened. It's been about a week since your little reward and you've been eating out of control. Your diet plan has been trashed and you don't even care about it anymore. Life is too short. Food is enjoyable and why shouldn't you live life to the fullest and eat whatever you want right?

This scenario or ones similar are played out every day in this country. We have been brainwashed to believe that the next diet will be "the one" that will save us from ourselves. These authors know more about this then we do after all. And didn't our best friend Suzie have amazing results on diet xyz? It has to work for us.

I say ENOUGH! Enough of the deprivation! Enough with the crazy plans that inevitably throw our bodies out of balance! Enough with feeling like a failure because we can't live without bread! It's not working! Our obesity rates are at an all time high. It was Albert Einstein who said, "Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" and this couldn't be more true when it comes to the world of dieting.

Join me in kissing our diet days goodbye. Embrace food and enjoy it in its whole and natural form. Eat what feeds your body and also feeds your soul. You will be amazed at the difference this simple change can make.

Can't imagine how to do this? It's best to start where you are and make a change. Decide on one healthy food you can add to your repertoire and head off to the store to pick it up. Experiment with different ways to cook it and when you are feeling comfortable, try something new.

If the whole thing seems overwhelming, contact me today for a free health consultation. Spend an hour doing something good for yourself. You will have the opportunity to zero in on the changes that make sense for you and you will get really clear about your health and wellness goals. How often do you actually get an entire hour to focus on your health?