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January 2012

True life is lived when tiny changes occur.      - Leo Tolstoy

 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 or some healthy treat.

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.

Food Focus:  Winter Vegetables

Although we can find asparagus and strawberries in the local grocery store this time of year, these are foods that grow in the springtime. As the weather gets cold, our bodies crave foods that will keep us warm.  Winter is a time of soups and stews, and we may tend to eat more meat in the winter, as well.

 Consider building dinner around winter vegetables.

WINTER VEGETABLES (partial list): Brussels sprouts, Beets, Mushrooms, Onions, Parsnips, Radishes, Rutabaga, Turnips, Acorn Squash, Butternut Squash, Pumpkin, Sweet Potatoes, Swish chard, Belgian endive, Kale

 WINTER FRUITS: Apples, Cranberries, Figs, Grapefruit, Grapes, Lemons, Oranges, Tangerines, Pears

Recipes of the Month:     

Sweet Potato Side Dish

A creative, new way to serve a family favorite

Prep Time: 10 Min     Cook Time: 20 Min               6-8 Servings

 Ingredients

• 1 cup quinoa
• 3 cups water
• 3 large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons canola or olive oil
• 1 red onion, chopped
• 2 cups steamed, chopped broccoli (or frozen broccoli, thawed)
• 2 cloves garlic (or 1 tablespoon garlic powder)
• ½ teaspoon ginger (or more, to taste)
• salt/pepper, butter, spices (Mrs. Dash, curry, red pepper, perhaps even a dash of BBQ sauce), to taste
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce or Bragg’s Liquid Amino Acids
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds or walnuts
• 1 cup dried cherries, raisins or other dried fruit

 Sweet Potato Directions

1. Bring the 1 cup quinoa and 2 cups water to a boil in a saucepan over high heat (you can add chicken stock, vegetable stock or spices to the water).  Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until the quinoa is tender and the water has been absorbed, about 15 to 20 minutes.
2. Meanwhile, place the diced sweet potatoes into a saucepan, and pour in water to just over the potatoes. Cover, and bring to a simmer over medium-high heat. Steam until the sweet potatoes are just slightly tender, about 10 minutes.
3. While potatoes are steaming, heat the canola oil in a skillet over medium/high heat. Cook & stir the onion, garlic, ginger and broccoli until the onion is tender, about 5 minutes. Add soy sauce, BBQ sauce, spices
4. Once the potatoes have finished steaming, drain, return to pot, then add two tablespoons butter (if desired). Keep on a low burner.
5. Add the broccoli mixture to potatoes and maple syrup. Turn off heat. Stir in the cooked quinoa, dried, cherries, sliced almonds. Season to taste. May be served with chopped green onions sprinkled on top.

Healing Soup

Garlic is nature’s anti-biotic!

Prep Time: 10-15 min Cook Time: 1 hour 15 min Yield: 8 servings

Ingredients:

2-3 Whole Cloves of Garlic                              1 Large Whole Onion

2-3 quarts of water                           3 Tbs. Instant vegetable broth

1 cucumber                                                     3 stalks Celery

1 sm. head Cabbage and/or Broccoli                       1-2 carrots                 

Real Salt to taste                                       2 Tbs. Fresh Cilantro

2-3 Tbs. Ginger, freshly diced

 Directions:

1. Crush garlic cloves and lightly steam fry. Set aside
2. Put whole onion in water in a deep pan and simmer until onion is   transparent (about 1 hour).
3. Add garlic and vegetable broth
4. Slice cucumber and vegetables you are using. Add to soup.
5. Simmer 15 minutes. Add ginger, cilantro and salt. Season to taste.

  Forward to a Friend

It’s such a pleasure to help those closest to us become happier and healthier. Please forward this newsletter to friends, family members or colleagues who might be interested and inspired by it.