May 29, 2012 · 8:53 am

Address The Mess

Wow, I feel like it’s been ages since we’ve had a blogpost here. I’ve missed you!

I hope you all had a wonderful long weekend. And I hope your Memorial Day was chock full of memorable events that left you feeling happy, recharged, relaxed, and reconnected to the people and things that you love most.

I happened to do quite a bit of cleaning this past weekend. In fact, every kind of cleaning up. From laundry, to house, to diet, to dog grooming, to relationships…suffice it to say, it was a weekend for tending to some messes.

While it feels good to get some things in order, there is always more work to be done. So with that, I want to share with you my favorite ways to address the mess.

1. For the Spirit
Meditation is my answer to tidying up the internal stuff. Take some time to get centered. We’ll revisit meditation again in another post. But for now, I recommend starting by downloading the Relax and Rest app for $.99.

2. For the Body
My favorite soap hands down is Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint Castile Soap. Smells amazing. Feels tingly. Fair trade. Organic. Only $9.99 at Trader Joe’s for a big ol’ bottle. Awesome.

3. For the Face
I love, love, love Be Natural Organics Rose Hip Seed Facial Cleanser. It works so well. It gets makeup off. It gets the face clean. And it only has a few ingredients, none of which are harmful to you. Yay.

4. For the House
The husband, while wonderful in so many, many ways, hates the smell of vinegar. I have to be very careful about how I use it. But when I do get away with it, it is a wonderful cleaning product. Click here to get recipes for all different surfaces and needs. Works great to clean and disinfect while being safe.

5. For the Diet
Get back on track. For me, that meant getting more protein this weekend. If it means eating less sugar or drinking more water, do it. If it means getting more fiber or less protein, do it. Listen to your body. It tells you what it needs.

6. For Relationships
Communicate. Listen. Love. Respect.
Be patient. Be grateful. Be understanding.
Be able to admit when you are wrong.

7. For Your Heart
Take a moment to get out of your routine. It only has to be a minute or two of your time, but it should be a minute that makes you happy.
Kiss your dog (she did just get groomed, after all!)
Pump up the jams and bust a move
Make someone laugh
Do a quick flip through that magazine you haven’t gotten to read yet

So there you have it. Keep your house tidy. And by house, I mean your life.

Here’s what I heard over the weekend:
“To solve any problem, you must always begin with yourself. Be open to changing and learning. Be grateful for your life – for your illness, for your conflicts and your resolutions, for everything. Be grateful for the light days and the dark days. They teach you who you are.”

Question of the Day:
What was memorable for you this past weekend?

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Filed under Meditation, Products, Sugar, Tips and Tricks, Water

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May 24, 2012 · 10:04 am

What I’m Loving Right Now

Quite a bit! That’s the short answer. But I can’t write a blogpost with a short answer because that would just be silly.

Now, I should tell you that I am very happy these days. Very busy. But very happy. I recognize that I have so much to be grateful for. So I’m loving quite a bit at the moment.

In addition to having lots of wonderful people in my life and lots of wonderful things going on, I have some foods that are really hitting the spot. Yes, that’s right. I’m giving a shout out to the foods I’m loving right now.

Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Goji berries

These little fruits are really getting to the point of being addictive for me. And that is, of course, when I know I need to scale back. They’re like little chewy candies and it’s the chew, more than anything, that keeps me coming back for more. Admittedly, they’re not for everyone, but I recommend them for more than just their chew. This Himalayan superfood is loaded with vitamins A and C, a good dose of protein, fiber, iron, and amino acids.

I will confess, our relationship started off pretty rocky. I didn’t see the love affair coming. It was about 7 years ago when I first tried a goji at work, and then the phone rang, and the goji lodged itself in my throat, and I choked my way through the entire call. Horrified, I vowed never to eat goji berries again. Until a couple weeks ago. Someone recommended them to me and I decided to give them one more go. Now, my second bag of them is nearly gone. Buy online, at Whole Foods, or your local health foods store. And eat carefully. 😉

2. Organic Peanut Butter

You probably saw this rec making an appearance in yesterday’s post. It’s such an integral part of my day that it’s starring in it’s second post…in two days! This is good stuff, people. Nut cravings are a sign that you’re in need of fun and with all the work I’ve been doing lately, I believe it. But if this satisfies my need for fun and then I can get back to work, that sounds pretty good to me!

3. Yogi DeTox Tea 


On the front of the box, it says this tea supports liver and kidney function. Okay…so? Well, the liver and kidneys help get the junk out of our bodies. And this tea helps them do that better…all the while tasting amazing. It’s spicy, it’s sweet, it’s complex. Gonna go make a cup now!

4. Baby carrots

This is just the easiest snack in the world. I buy the organic peeled baby carrots, leave them on a shelf in my fridge, and grab a couple every time I get a little hunger. So refreshing. So sweet. A perfect little snack for warm days.

So there you have it. My favorite foods right now. That being said, it’s important to remember that health isn’t just about food. It’s also about the people and the things that make your life incredible.

Give some thought to who and what those are. Take a moment to be grateful. And feel free to share below!

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May 23, 2012 · 12:30 pm

Got the Munchies?

Seems some of you liked the looks of that superfood oatmeal from yesterday’s post. Thanks for the great feedback – I hope you got to give it a go today!

So now that I’ve established that I’ve got some hungry readers, I wanted to give you some snack ideas. I should tell you that back in the day, I was known for my “afterschool munchies.” I know this sounds like I was into some recreational drugs, but it was actually just the name for a bag full of snacks that I would dive into at the end of the school day. Seems I’ve been a lifelong snacker!

Okay, folks, here we go. My top 5 quick, easy, super healthy snacks:

1. An apple with peanut butter

A perfect pairing. Make sure to buy organic apples, as conventional apples are on the list for highest pesticide residue. I’m loving Honeycrisp these days. Also make sure to choose organic peanut butter without added sugar or preservatives. You can even sprinkle some cinnamon on for extra flavor. (Cinnamon is great for you – I promise that post is coming soon!)

2. Avocado on bread

Get a good dose of fiber, heart healthy fats, and protein here. Sprinkle on spices like cayenne pepper, turmeric, and coriander for an extra boost of flavor and health benefits. Add some romaine or cucumber slices on top for  crunch. Choose a bread that is low in sugar and doesn’t have too many ingredients.

3. Seaweed with avocado, cucumber, and cheese

Fill a sheet of nori with avocado, cucumber, and your choice of cheese – preferably organic cheese! For those who don’t eat dairy, it tastes just as good without the cheese. Or sub in dairy-free cheese. Either way you’re getting the heart healthy fats from the avocado and lots of vitamins and nutrients from the seaweed. And a good, refreshing crunch from the cucumbers.

4. Steamed asparagus

Ready in 5 minutes, steamed asparagus is a delicious snack all on it’s own or with a squeeze of lemon and/or olive oil drizzled on top. As far as veggies go, asparagus has a good amount of protein – 1 cup has only 30 calories but 4 grams of protein! Additionally, it is not a vegetable you have to buy organic, although you can if you want. Cook it al dente and you get a nice little crunch. Easy to make and easy to eat.

5. Bell pepper

It seems people either love ’em or hate ’em, but this time of year a red or orange bell pepper couldn’t be sweeter, crunchier, or more delicious. Cut one up  or just bite right in. Great when you’re on the go. Make sure to buy these organic, though, as they are on the list of dirtiest produce, which means they have the highest pesticide residue.

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May 22, 2012 · 11:01 am

Get In My Belly!

Ah, breakfast. Most important meal of the day. Ever feel like a monster in the morning? So hungry you could devour everything in your kitchen? In a matter of seconds? Get in my belly, you grumble!

I know I have those days. But even when it’s just a normal day and hunger isn’t off the charts, I like my breakfast to be easy because it’s best to eat within the first hour of waking.

Why is that, you ask?

Pretty simple. Because you haven’t eaten for about 10 hours, give or take. And your body needs fuel to take on the day.

While there are several components to this, there is no cooking required, so it’s just a matter of how quickly you can get it all into the bowl (but take your time getting it into your belly)!

Banana Raspberry Oatmeal

1/2 cup of organic quick oats
1 cup of organic almond milk
1/2 banana
25 frozen organic raspberries
1/2 tbsp of chia seeds
1.5 tbsp of hemp seeds
1 tbsp of chopped walnuts
1 tsp of raw cacao nibs
liberal shakes of cinnamon*

1. Get a bowl.

2. Put everything in the bowl.

3. Mix it all up and mash up the bananas and the raspberries.

4. Eat slowly and chew.

5. Be grateful for every bite.

*There’s a post on the benefits of cinnamon coming your way soon!

Now, you can absolutely play with the proportions. Use 1/4 cup of oats, increase chia to 1 tbsp, increase walnuts, leave out the banana, etc. Make it tasty for you. But here are the nutrition facts as is. With a good dose of healthy fats, omegas, protein, carbs and calories, this puppy will take you right through the morning.

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May 21, 2012 · 9:38 am

More Victories!

Happy Monday! I hope you all had a fantastic weekend. I want to start the week off with some more victories. I also want to encourage you wonderful readers to look for victories in your life. Be proud! You’re amazing!

___

The hubby got in the car with his dinner and said, “Don’t put this in your blog.”

“What?” I said.

“What I’m about to say.”

“Which is?”

“Which is that in the past I would have gotten two slices of pizza but tonight I got one slice and a salad. I know you’re definitely going to put that in your blog.”

“Yes.”

___

A friend saw my blog and sent me a very excited email. This was my favorite part:

“I just learned a few things — I am throwing out my agave nectar right now!!”

I love when I can spread the word on agave.

___

And this gem came from a classmate of mine:

“Thanks to Jillian’s blog the other day I bought hemp seed. I mixed it into my yogurt this morning and I am really enjoying it! Thanks for expanding my world a little Jillian!!”

You’re welcome, Mo! Hemp seeds are such an easy, healthy, and yummy addition to cereal, oatmeal, smoothies, salads, and more. Be like Mo and Jillian. Get some hemp seeds.

____

Thank you all for your support. There’s so much to learn from one another.

Now that I’ve celebrated the sharing of knowledge, here’s…

The Question of the Day:
When was the last time you tried something new?

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