I'm Feelin' Green...but that's okay! It's All Good!



Green, leafy vegetables and fruits - Should be 60% of your daily diet

I just can't get enough green things these days. Yeah, money ranks right up there, but I'm talking about food! I actually crave every green, leafy veggie and fruit you can think of. From collard to kale, from apples to kiwi, every day I make sure to get these bad boys in my diet. In fact, I aim for making fruits and veggies 60% of my daily diet. And if I may offer a suggestion (cuz' that's what I do - LOL!), you should start feeling green too!

Green is not just for St. Patrick's Day, although I do enjoy the Chicago River when it's fashionably dyed a darker green that it already is this time of year (ha!). We should incorporate the color in our daily diet. Plant-based foods are essential for our health. And the most potent ones are...you guessed it, GREEN. They packed with a lot of flavor and are a nutrient powerhouse! The have tons of vitamins and minerals and even protein. They help keep you feeling alive, fresh and clean (literally). They're great for clearing up respiratory problems, digestive issues and boosting energy. My two favorite glorious green foods are Kale and Kiwi - not together necessarily, but as I'm typing this, the pair may combine efforts for a scrumptious salad.

Why Kale? Kale is so versatile. You can enjoy it cooked or raw, lightly stir-fried, baked, as a condiment on a sandwich or the centerpiece of a really, super-duper smoothie. This "new beef" of greens is low in calories (1 cup = 36 calories), high in fiber, has more calcium than milk, an excellent source of antioxidants and a great source of vitamins A and C.

And that little mean-green kiwi isn't short-stopping either! The kiwi packs more potassium than a banana. It's also a superb go-to item when your energy needs a boost. Just 2 kiwi will only cost you 100 calories so it's the perfect afternoon snack, salad topping or smoothie ingredient.

If you'd like to learn more about why it's so important to really feel green in your diet or if you energy level needs a boost, please contact me today to schedule your free initial consultation. You can log onto www.ritechoicenutrition.com for more information


I hope you enjoyed these healthy and wealthy nuggets. Tune in tomorrow for some great Kale and Kiwi recipes!

Have a great Friday!



Dream Big, Live Big and Enjoy the Journey



"I'd rather be a failure at something I enjoy than a success at something I hate."

                                                               

         -George Burns

 

 

I am sitting here at my desk on this beautiful Monday morning just thinking and thanking God for all He has blessed me with over my life - particularly this day.  I am healthy and alive - two of the biggest gifts anyone should be overjoyed to have.  And with this being the first Monday since March 2012 that I haven't had a school assignment, modules to listen to and study and a test to take, I began to feel a little bit out of sorts, like I didn't know what to do or what could be headed my way.  My graduation from nutrition school is this Friday and I'm starting to get those doubtful thoughts in my mind - you know the ones you get when you embark on something new.  "Is this really going to work?"  "Did I make the right decision by starting this journey?"  "Can this be successful?"  That's when it hit me.  The words of the man who played God for many years - Mr. George Burns.  I have his quote hanging over my desk.  "I'd rather be a failure at something I enjoy than a success at something I hate."  And just for a moment, those words of wisdom and encouragement escaped me.  So I began to think about the journey getting to this point in my life.  The ups, the downs, the wins, the loses.  I then examined how I feel today versus a year ago in my life - and you know what? 

 

I FEEL AWESOME!!!

 

 

 

 I won't go into all the particulars.  Wait for the book (LOL!).  But I will say this.  I didn't let anyone or anything limit my dreams.  I believed in myself and trusted God to see me through.  I continued to speak words of faith over my life and surrounded myself with positive people, events, books, media programs and music.  No Negative Nellies Allowed!!!  No matter what problems/challenges I may have face, I know they are only temporary and are shaping me to become a better and more brilliant specimen of my former self.

 

Remember this:  Life is short.  I don't care if it's 1 year, ten years or a hundred or more years.  It never seems like there's enough time for anything these days.  So stop procrastinating.  Get focused, take risks and do all the things you have been dreaming or wishing you could do.  And remember to bless people along the way and enjoy your journey.  God sees your hidden treasures and wants to bring them out of you.  You just have to trust He'll make your dreams a reality!  He wants you to live healthy and wealthy for an eternity!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Coconut and Almond Protein Pancakes

Happy Thursday!!! Today's entry is a A "Rite Choice Nutrition" Recipe Favorite.  Check this one out from one of my healthy and wealthy peeps!  Coconut and Almond Protein Pancakes.  So, so, yummy and you don't have to feel guilty about enjoying them because they pack a powerful protein punch!  Click on the link below for the full recipe.  This is yet another deposit to your health and wealth accounts.  Enjoy!

Female Health Motivation: Coconut and Almond Protein Pancakes: Prep time : 5mins Cook time: 2mins: per pancake Makes 3 pancakes    Ingredients:   Traditional Oats, 40 g Ground Almonds, 1...

Sweet, Sweet Sleep

Good afternoon my healthy and wealthy friends.  Wherever you are, I hope you are having a brilliantly and wonderfully blessed day.  I plan on keep today's post short and sweet - because there's a queen-size, pillow-top mattress and three fluffy down-feathered pillows awaiting me.  That's right, I am headed for a siesta as soon as I finish writing.  Yes, it's the middle of the afternoon - no I am not sick.  But when your body tells you to "lay it down" you need to listen.  Even if I don't fall asleep, I am taking time to stop and rest so I don't collapse and fallout.  I feel great.  I've been really busy getting my arms back in shape after 3 major surgeries in 9 months and I'm also prepping for my Eating For Energy Workshop this Thursday, February 9, 2013 at Accelerated Rehabilitation Center, 8658 S. Cottage Grove in Chicago - starting at 6:30pm (shameless plug - but join me if you can).  And I also have a half-dozen appointments between tomorrow and Saturday.  So you see, a girl needs her rest!  And you probably do too!  It's so important that we get at least 6 to 9 hours of sleep every single night - and take naps when the feeling hits you (20 to 30 minutes only! - You don't won't to ruin your bedtime).  Anything less than that is a huge problem.  You'll not only experience fatigue or lack of energy, but lack of sleep has been linked to depression, obesity, high blood pressure, headaches, blood sugar swings and many other unnecessary health problems.  The U.S. Centers for Disease Control estimates nearly 40 million American suffer from lack of sleep.  Are you a part of the statistic?  Find ways to "fit out" instead of "fitting in".  Simply put, do something out of the ordinary - kick the status quo in the can and walk in a zig-zag instead of the mundane straight line.  Stop depriving yourself of this essential element of living a healthy and wealthy life - SLEEP!  Enough said, I'm going to bed!  Ciao!

Burn Baby Burn - Heartburn Inferno!

OMG!  I have never, never, never, never, EVER had heartburn or acid reflux in my life.  That is until tonight! It was one of the worst things I have ever experienced.  I seriously thought I was going to choke, fall out and die.  No kidding.  It hit me out of nowhere.  I was walking through the grocery store after having dinner at a nearby restaurant just 10 minutes prior to the episode.  I got ready to say something to the clerk when all of a sudden the Great Chicago Fire erupted in my chest and throat.  I was paralyzed physically and verbally.  I couldn't move, I couldn't speak.  I began gasping and trying to swallow, but the burning sensation nearly caused me to blackout.  Tears welled up in my eyes and all I could think what the heck is happening to me?  Within about 90 seconds, what felt like a never-ending burning sensation subsided and I slowly was able to breathe and speak without gasping for air.  I began to swallow and dry the tears from my face.  It then hit me - you just had an episode of acid reflux!  Wow!  I had heard of people having this, I've seen commercials for over-the-counter treatments but never had to deal with it personally.  Even as a health coach, I haven't had any clients that report having acid reflux.  And tell you the truth, I hope I never do!  That's not to say I wouldn't welcome them to the Rite Choice Nutrition family - I just never want anyone to experience what I went through and I am going to make sure it does not happen to me again.

Time for a quick medical lesson:

What Is Acid Reflux Disease?

The fabulous staff at WebMD helped me to understand what acid reflux is.  Without getting too technical, it's basically when stomach acid moves up into your esophagus.  This happens when a ring of muscle called the lower esophageal sphincter or LES for short doesn't close all the way or opens too often when food passes through it.

 

What Causes Acid Reflux Disease?

Ok, now that I understood that, I had to figure out what causes it.  I was shocked to learn there are so many things that can lead to acid reflux.  Some of the common risk factors include:

• Eating large meals or lying down right after a meal
• Being overweight or obese
• Eating a heavy meal and lying on your back or bending over at the waist
• Snacking close to bedtime
• Eating certain foods, such as citrus, tomato, chocolate, mint, garlic, onions, or spicy or fatty foods
• Drinking certain beverages, such as alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, or tea
• Smoking
• Being pregnant
• Taking aspirin, ibuprofen, certain muscle relaxers, or blood pressure medications

 

 

As you can see, I highlighted a few of the risk factors. That's because these are the ones I believe sparked my episode. Starting backwards, I took ibuprofen a few hours before dinner and I am still taking a daily, low dose of blood pressure medicine - per doctor's orders for the next 3 months. I drank both coffee and tea earlier in the day. And I ate just about everything mentioned in the list of food except mint. Oh, but now that I think of it, I did have some mint flavored chewing gum too! Oy ve! The fatty food was my weekly splurge - which was fried onion strings with jalapeno peppers. Yummy, but I think I won't indulge in them for a while after what just happened.

 

What Are the Symptoms of Acid Reflux Disease?

In case you can't relate to the description of the symptoms I had, here are some other common one\:

• Heartburn: a burning pain or discomfort that may move from your stomach to your abdomen or chest, or even up into your throat
• Regurgitation: a sour or bitter-tasting acid backing up into your throat or mouth

Other symptoms of acid reflux disease include:

• Bloating
• Bloody or black stools or bloody vomiting
• Burping
• Dysphagia -- a narrowing of your esophagus, which creates the sensation of food being stuck in your throat
• Hiccups that don't let up
• Nausea
• Weight loss for no known reason
• Wheezing, dry cough, hoarseness, or chronic sore throat

These symptoms surprised me as well - because I dismissed them and related them to something else.  Good reminder to not to that.  There's a reason why something happens and it is not always what we think it is.

How Is Acid Reflux Disease Diagnosed?

Here's the deal friends:  If you have acid reflux symptom two or more times a week, it's probably a good idea to make an appointment to see a doctor.  That is a feeling I would want to have twice in a lifetime, let alone more than twice a week!  Of course there are several medication on the market to treat the problem, but being a holistic practitioner, I seek natural remedies first.  Avoiding the triggers is what I always do first.  Then I'll look for an alternative treatment and if all else fails, I turn to meds temporarily while still avoiding the triggers.  Lifestyle changes are key when fighting any sickness or disease.  If this doesn't work or if your symptoms become more severe, you physician may need to test and check for other problems.

The road to living healthy and wealthy can sometimes be a little bumpy.  And as the old saying goes, you play with fire, you'll eventually get burned.  In my case it was heartburn!  Well, I let my guard down and even though I was mostly enjoying healthy foods, I probably overdid it with spicy meals (I just love spice) and the citrus too (lime, orange, pineapple).  Those are some of my favorite fruits to squeeze over veggies, salads and whole-grains.  Guess I'll have to make some modifications along the way and pay more attention to food combinations.  I like things hot, but that was way too hot for me!

Take care everyone.  Until next time - keep investing in your health and wealth.  Leave me a message here on the blog and tell me about how you're depositing into your account.  You can also follow me on Facebook.  Peace!
 

Boost Your Energy, Get Your Spark Back

Hey, Hey, Hey everybody (in my best Fat Albert Voice) !  I absolutely loved that show growing up!  Any-"hew" it's just after 1pm CST and this is the time of day when most people start feeling like enough is enough, they need a nap and just can't seem to get their motor revving to finish the day.  Been there, done that and it is the worst feeling ever!  But since I started my journey to live healthy and wealthy, I have reclaimed one of my greatest commodities.  And that is MY ENERGY!!!  I'd like to share with you my top 3 quick fixes to boost your energy and get your spark back.

The first thing I do when I'm feeling sluggish is grab some water! Splashing it on your face can help, but I suggest drinking at least eight ounces right off the bat.  Give it about 10 minutes and you'll feel like a new person.  Still feel like your tank is running low, drink another four to six ounces and then remember to hydrate every 20 to 30 minutes.  Your improved amount of energy will surprise you and anyone who saw you fading away in your groggy state.

My next suggestion is take a walk.  A brisk 10 to 15 minute walk will get oxygen flowing to your brain, blood circulating all through your body and clear out toxins that could be building up or causing swelling in your legs, hands or feet because you have been sedentary.  It's always a good idea to get a good walk/stretch in every 20 minutes if you have to sit long periods of time.  It'll do wonders for your energy and your overall health too.

And if water and walking aren't doing the trick (but they likely will), grab a mini-energizer snack.  Oh yeah, I know you just had lunch and hour or two ago, but if you aren't eating wisely, then whatever you ate could be the culprit zapping your zest!  Some of my favorite snacks are a small handful of almonds (roughly 12), five ounces of Greek yogurt, a cup of white or green tea, a home-made, no-bake energy bar and any fruit I might have a hankering for (apples, kiwi, bananas, grapes).

These are just a few of my many tips to keep you energized throughout the day.

If you'd like to learn more about eating for energy, please contact me about my free workshop in the Chicago area on February 7, 2013 at 6:30pm.  I'd love to see you there!

Until next time, remember your health is your wealth.  How will you invest in it today?!?!?!

It's A New Season, It's A New Day

It's a new season, it's a new day.  Fresh Anointing is flowing our way!

Happy New Year to all of my healthy and wealthy friends, family and followers.  2013 will be our best year ever!  That's because the best of our lives is still ahead of us.  Forget about the past - you can't go back.  Shake off the hurt feelings and the pain - yes, time heals all wounds but you have to move forward.  Focus on the present - it's a gift and look to the future with great expectancy and abundance of joy, happiness, peace, deliverance and most importantly love!  Get ready my friends to get even healthier and wealthier in this new year.  It's our divine right.  It's our destiny.  WALK IN IT!!

 

 

New Year, New You

A lot of people begin the New Year by making resolutions. We’ve all been there. We take a vow to lose weight, exercise more or spend more time with our family. We start the year with great intentions, but then we quickly relapse into old habits. Why is it so hard to stick to those New Year’s resolutions?

Here are some ways you can make your intentions a reality this year:

1. Write down your intentions and keep them in a visible place, like taped to your bedroom mirror or the dashboard of your car.
2. Get to the source of whatever is keeping you in a rut. Are you in a stressful relationship that causes you to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry's every night? Are you stressed at your job and feel too tired to exercise after work? If you don't tackle the root of the behavior, it will be much harder to accomplish your goal.
3. Be clear about what your life would look like once you achieve your goal. If you resolve to go to the gym more, how will this benefit you? Get connected to the result of your action, and you will be more likely to stick with your plan.
4. Share your resolutions with friends and family. Hold each other accountable for achieving your goals. If you want to go to the gym more, have a friend call you two or three times a week to check on you or invite them to join you.
5. Reward yourself with every little accomplishment. If your intention is to lose weight and you lose 1 pound a week, pamper yourself with a massage.

Big changes do not require big leaps. Permanent change is more likely to happen gradually than through one big restrictive plan. Allow yourself to climb the ladder one rung at a time.

Happy New Year!


Upcoming Events

 

1/8/13 Zumba with Rite Choice Nutrition
7pm, Tuley Park, 501 E. 90th Place -Chicago

1/10/13
Zumba with Rite Choice Nutrition
7pm Tuley Park, 501 E. 90th Place - Chicago

THE COST IS ONLY $5 PER CLASS!!!




2/7/13
Eating For Energy Workshop
6:30pm-8pm, Accelerated Rehabilitation Centers
8658 S. Cottage Grove, Unit 400 - Chicago
RSVP by Monday, February 4, 2013 - Call 773-559-7384 or email alicia@ritechoicenutrition.com