Smoothies for Optimal Health

I never had a session of exercise, either biking, a long walk, hiking, yoga, weight lifting, or running — that I regretted.

Even though I might not have felt like doing it when I started, I never thought to myself, “I shouldn’t have gone for that bike ride” or “It was such a bad idea to take that yoga class!”

On the contrary, I felt much better after getting my body moving.  In fact, on the days that I had the faced the most challenges in getting started with my exercise, those were the days I felt the best post-exercise high.

It is a basic human need to exercise every day.  What you’ll discover once you make a commitment to exercise is that you’ll be more hungry for natural, whole foods.  That plate of pasta won’t be quite so appealing and the slice of pie will turn you off.  But that bowl of billowing fruit will call you with it’s siren song.  So earn your meals and your rewards with exercise.

Is it any wonder that hunger is widely recognized as a sign of health?  Lack of appetite is widely recognized as a sign of ill health.  And the best way to cultivate true hunger is to engage in vigorous exercise.

So make a commitment to get your body moving for 20-30 minutes every day.  Do it today!  Your body will thank you for it!

Work has been extremely busy for me lately.  In fact - I’ve been swamped.  For those of you who don’t know, I run my own home-based business called My Virtual Partner.  I specialize in social media marketing, consulting & virtual assistance.

This week has been full of endless deadlines as clients prepare for summer holidays… and I’m anxious to snag a weekend away with my honey - or at least some quiet time together after dinner.

In hindsight, probably not the best week to have attempted a commitment to a 30 day cleanse.

Today - I didn’t even attempt to make any of the smoothies I had hoped to enjoy.  Well, that’s not entirely true.  I did attempt to start the day off right and make a pink smoothie but sadly realized that my strawberries (which has just been purchased the day before) and gone bad.  So I just grabbed a banana and went back to work.

At lunch, a few unexpected phone calls threw me off track and I found I just couldn’t be bothered to make the mango smoothie I was planning to enjoy.  Mainly cuz I have no clue on how to cut into one without making a mess and I knew my time was limited and didn’t want to have to be caught with clean up afterwards so I grabbed a few peanut butter cookies and went back to my desk.

All afternoon, I was hungry and ignored my grumbling tummy.  Even water didn’t manage to stave off the inner beast.  Around 2 PM, I spied the olives hiding at the back of my fridge - and proceeded to pop one after another in my mouth until they were all gone and I felt 10 lbs heavier due!  To make things worse, peanut butter cookies with an olive chaser are really neither tempting or satisfying.

So here’s what I’ve realized:

1. You need to eat - and eat well - in order to avoid cravings.
2. You need to have things on hand to nibble on - baby carrots, celery, bananas, apples - so that you’re not tempted to starve yourself.
3. Always have a Plan A & Plan B - so that if your strawberries rot overnight, you’re not stuck in the morning with nothing to eat!

The most important thing to remember though is that tomorrow is a new day and another chance to start again.  Don’t let one day derail you from your health, fitness or nutritional goals.

And if you need extra help managing your cravings, be sure to check out this fabulous program from Tera Warner and the Raw Divas: The Divas Complete Cravings and Emotional Eating Program.

It’s finally here - summer 2009!  The long winter is finally over.  Yesterday marked the first day of summer and here in Canada, it was a beautiful one: clear blue skies, nice warm temperatures.  I decided yesterday that today I would get back on track with my health.

I’m extremely lucky in that I have no major health problems and am relatively fit and healthy.  But I have been feeling off track a bit lately - not sticking to my daily exercise routine, eating a little more junk than I normally do and drinking a lot less water.  So no better time to get back on track than the first day of summer.  Will be doing a 30-day cleanse (want to join me, just leave a comment and I’ll get in touch) and committing to daily exercise.  I’ll even head back to the gym for a few sessions with my personal trainer.

As luck would have it, my inbox received this little gem of inspiration today:

The 3 Most Effective Tricks To Getting Back on Track With Your Food
by Tera Warner

Ooooh, I know you’ve been there, too. The on-again-off-again bingeing blues. The late night snacks and the  “I can’t believe I did that” episodes the morning after. We, the frequently food-obsessed health pioneers of the world, sometimes need a boost, a lift, a bump on the rump that gets us back on track with our food when we feel we’ve gone off the rails. So, here it is, my lovelies! My 5 Best Tricks for Getting Back on Track With Healthy Eating!

1. Drink water in the morning until you’re really, genuinely, honestly, truthfully hungry!

It is an unfortunate fact that most people do not know what “hunger” feels like. Hunger is as natural as sex. It makes sense that the feelings we associate with it be positive. Due to heavily intoxicated bodies, a lot of people have learned to associate headaches, dizziness and general irritation with the need for food and call it “hunger.” These symptoms are more commonly associated with signs of detox. When the body isn’t burdened by the demand of the digestive system, it can afford to start directing some of its resources to processing and eliminating toxins. That’s when headaches and irratibility start to show up. Hunger feels good! It pulls, it salivates and persists even after you drink a tall glass of water and wait a little while.

Being fussy about your food is another sign you’re not quite hungry enough. When you’re hungry, enough that decorative plants stimulate your salivary glands and you feel like you could “anything,” then you’re hungry. If you’re indecisive, don’t know what to eat or only want to eat specific  things, then chances are you’re still westling with toxins, processing food or simply not hungry yet.

2. Keep it simple.

If there’s one thing that throws me off the wagon, it’s over-seasoned, gourmet raw foods. “Raw Pizza” is a nice idea, but heavily salted or seasoned foods have a way of opening the flood gates to cravings and overeating. If overcomplicated, heavily seasoned foods create a problem, then guess what I recomend as the solution?…

Monomeals. That’s about as simple as it gets!

Just eat one food at a time until you’re no longer hungry. Eat apples for a day! As part of our support for participants of the program on How to Get Rid of Cravings and Emotional Eating, we do a seasonal monomeal cleanse. For 14 days starting on the equinox or solstice, we support each other through 14 days of simplifying our foods to the point that most of our meals contain only ONE ingredient. Melon milk, tomato soup, and other creative inventions come about along with an extraordinary sense of caaaaaalm that moves in. Reducing the sensory stimulation in the digestive tract helps restore a sense of balance and serenity you’ve probably not felt for a while.

You can also keep it simple by eating Green Smoothies for 3 days. That’s what our Green Smoothie Challenge participants do and it has an amazing effect on their energy and well-being. Even just THREE days is enough to feel a huge difference and get you back on track!

3. Declutter Your Space

They say that people manage their objects like they manage their thoughts. Looking around my office right now, I believe it! YIKES! Few things settle a restless spirit as well as clean dishes and a counter that’s been wiped clean. If your physical environment is “weighing” you down, then it won’t be hard to predict what your eating habits will be like. If you’re stuffing papers in all the wrong places, what are you shoving in your face that you’d rather not tell us about?

What if you took all the time you normally spend overeating and worrying about food into organizing a cluttered cupboard? What about sorting out a stack of unsorted mail instead of digging around in the pantry for another snack? Roll up your sleeves, put on the rubber gloves and bring order to your environment, so you can clear your thoughts and get your food back on track, too!

I’ve done or developed just about every cleanse you can think of. I know for a fact that it isn’t the sporadic bursts of good choices that count as much as the persistent, regular, healthy commitments you make over time. Drink water to stay hydrated, learn to recognize true hunger, keep your menu simple and organize your space to be a harmonious refelection of your life, dreams and values.

Then sit back and enjoy the adventure!!

Confession: I’m a musician.  When ever I think of myself, I don’t think in terms of being an internet marketing consultant or a coach.  I define myself as a musician.  My life is full of music - I work to the eccentric rhythms of my CD collection, I cook and dance to the tunes cranking on the iPod (FYI: it takes about 25 songs to make the perfect onion soup), I have a nightly jam session and I’m almost positive that I sing in my sleep (at least that’s what I’ve been told).  Music is a big part of me.

That’s why I’m on a mission: to have people use music to powerfully transform their lives.  I want people to use music as a tool for manifesting their every wish and desire.  If you’re reading this blog, chances are you’re already familiar with some of the basic concepts of manifestation and the things that you can do to manifest your own reality.  I’m sure you’ve been taught to define what you want and then write it down; put it in writing, define it, have clarity.

You’ve probably also been taught to send positive energy out to the universe because when we’re filled with positive energy we are like a magnet for attracting good things to ourselves.

Consider this: music has the innate ability to create this kind of positive energy.  Now granted, not everyone may be as passionate about music as I am, but I’m sure that almost everyone has had the experience of catching a song on the radio that reminds you of your first day of college (mine is We’re Here For A Good Time), that makes you crank the volume and sing along (Crocodile Rock) or make you stop what you’re doing and dance (just about anything with a disco or latin feel!). 

So why not use music as a powerful way to create emotions and positive energy in yourself?

This week, I want every one of you to create your own play list of ten songs that are very inspirational to you.  No rules for what type of songs to include.  This is your personal playlist.  Whatever resonates with you this week should go on that list.  I want you to listen to them daily, once, twice, thrice… as many times as your soul craves the rhythms of your life.  I just found an iPod alarm clock so instead of waking up to traffic reports and someone else’s playlist, I wake to the songs that inspire me and make me want to jump out of bed to meet the day.

So create your playlist and watch your mood soar!  If you want to share your playlist with me, just click on the comment button below.  My iPod needs some fresh inspiration.

Happy listening!

Frederic Patenaude is the publisher of the Green for Life Program.  He is currently giving away free subscription to his online mini-course on the benefits of greens. Visit this website while charter subscriptions last.  Just click here

According to many survey results, less than 5% of people on a “healthy diet” eat sufficient quantities of green leafy vegetables (greens).

I have a confession: I belonged to that category for a very long time!  Even though I knew greens were good for me, I just didn’t eat enough of them (and didn’t realize it!).

We know greens are good.  We’ve heard we need to eat more of them.  But we don’t do it.  And here’s what’s even more amazing: those who *think* they eat enough greens, rarely do!

So today, I’m going to give you my:  Top-5 Ways to Eat More Greens

1- *Make Green Smoothies*

I’ve talked about it a lot before.  Green smoothies are great!  Blend fruit and greens for a surprising result.

Here are some recipes from my book Instant Raw Sensations.  (To order the book and get more green smoothie recipes, click here)

Basic Winter Green Smoothie

1 apple
1 pear
2 bananas
1 and 1/2 cups kale
1 stalk celery
Water

Dice the fruit or cut in big chunks.  Blend all ingredients together with about half a cup (up to 1 full cup) of water.

Romans Gone Mad

4 bananas
1 to 1 and 1/2 cups water
2 cups romaine lettuce

Blend bananas with water.  Add romaine lettuce progressively.  Blend until smooth.

2- *Make Blended Salad - Tasty!*

Once you’ve experimented with green smoothies on a daily basis, you can “graduate” to making blended salads.

Brand new blended salad recipes will be found in my book, “Green Power Recipe Guide” which comes with the “Green for Life Program” (for more information, click here).

Here is one recipe from my book, “Raw Soups, Salads & Smoothies.”

Keep in mind that blended salads are NOT for raw-food beginners.  If you want to get started eating more greens, start with Green Smoothies.

*Blended Salad*

2-3 medium tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 ribs of celery
4 leaves lettuce (big)
1 big handful spinach
1 green onion
1/2 avocado
1/4 cup parsley
2 Tbs. dulse flakes
1 Tbs. nori flakes (optional)
Water if needed

Blend the tomatoes together, and add the rest of the ingredients progressively.  Use water only if you need to.  A blended salad should be quite thick.

3- *Find One Good Healthy Salad Dressing*

At some point, you might enjoy a plain salad without dressing.  But I know the first question people ask me when they find out olive oil isn’t as healthy as they thought, is “how do you make a good salad dressing?”

Here’s one recipe to get you started.

2 tomatoes or cucumbers
2 Tbs. apple cider vinegar or lemon juice
1 cup fresh dill
4 Tbs. tahini (or 1 small avocado)

Blend tomatoes and add other ingredients progressively.  Blend until smoothie.  Add other seasonings if desired.  Use more water if necessary.

4- *Don’t Force Yourself*

Don’t force yourself to eat more greens if you don’t like them!  You’ll get sick easily.  Instead, let your innate hunger for greens come back naturally, by slowly incorporating more greens in your diet in the form of green smoothies, blended salads, etc.

5- *Know the Reasons Why*

Unless you know *why* you need more greens, understand their benefits, and have a clearer idea of things like; what greens to eat, which greens are the best, in what quantities should I eat greens, etc., all this talk about greens may not convince you to modify your diet.

Learning more about the “green side” of the raw food diet will inspire you to include more greens in your diet!  Reaping the benefits of having done so, will reinforce your enthusiasm to take your health to the next level.

Well we made it!  It’s 2009.  The action and activity of 2008 are already starting to become memories.  I’m excited to be sitting here in the early days of 2009 and dreaming of what I want the year to bring: more time with my honey man and my family.  More time at the gym and a leaner and more toned body.  More balance in all aspects of my life.  Better work, eating and sleep habits.  The list goes on and on. 

I know that many people make resolutions for the New Year - I am one of them.  I don’t call them resolutions - preferring to name them goals which I find is a word that frees me from the pressure of a resolution and reminds me that every goal I identify needs to be followed by some serious action steps or I will never reach them.  If this is an area that you have trouble with, then I recommend that you get some coaching in this area.  The best free tools are available through Mark Joyner’s Simpleology website.  The Simpleology 101 course is free and I highly recommend it if you’re stuck in a particular aspect of your life - whether it’s personal relationships, your health or your business. 

If you’re not the techie type and prefer non-computer based tools, I highly recommend the book Getting Things Done by David Allen.  One of my clients uses his method and has gone on to double his productivity since he first started following the techniques in the book.  Personally, I prefer Mark Joyner’s method as it allows me to track things online.  I tend to be a bit of an internet junkie so computer based methods work best for me (since I spend 90% of my life in front of the computer LOL).  But I know many people who have had great success with David Allen’s method too.  If you have goals to achieve in 2009, you won’t go wrong with either of these methods.

As for me, I’m already hard at work on one of my health goals for the year - and believe me, it’s hard work!  Last summer, I was diagnosed with a cold allergy - I break out in hives when my body temperature drops too quickly.  It’s not an allergy I’ve had my entire life but it has developed over the past three or four years.  The allergist and my doctor both recommended staying warm as the cure.  I live in Canada - we have winter here and I like to walk every where so that really isn’t the best strategy for me. 

Being an internet junkie, I turned to the world wide web for a solution and have discovered a link between gluten intolerance and cold urticaria.  As luck would have it, I have a friend who was diagnosed as a celiac a few years ago.  I phoned him up and asked if he ever had any problems with skin allergies before his diagnosis and it turns out that he would also break out into hives when he got cold.  Now that he’s been living gluten free for a few years, he hasn’t had any problem so I’m hoping that a gluten free diet will help bring my body back into balance. 

I recently listened to an interesting interview that my client conducted with an expert on gluten and she suggests that living gluten-free for six months may resolve any issues that your body is having with gluten intolerance. 

January 1st was Day 1 of my gluten-free life.  It’s been a bit challenging to make the adjustment.  There are a lot of hidden sources of gluten in our diets so it’s going to take a little bit of legwork to figure out what foods I can and cannot eat for the next few months as well as finding gluten-free products to replace some of the staples in my household (pasta, bread, pizza dough to name a few).

I’m not sure what to expect by removing gluten from my diet but my hope is that it will resolve my cold allergy.  We’ll see how it goes.  I’m really looking forward to giving it a try.  You can follow my progress here on this blog.

Happy New Year!