Kim’s Butternut Squash Soup

by, Kimberly Davidson, CNP 

Winter is a difficult time for me. Yes, I may be from Montreal but I am a wuss when it comes to

cold weather! With Blue Monday just behind us (and maybe still lingering for many) this can be a hard time of year. As the credit card bills from your over-spending during the holidays begin to trickle in, new year’s resolutions completely forgotten and no cash to do much this weekend, cooking is a great way to conquer those any day blues.

 My Butternut Squash soup is the prefect meal to keep you warm and cozy without hurting your already injured wallet.

Kim’s Butternut Squash Soup

1 medium butternut squash (approx. 2.5lbs)

1 medium onion, diced

1 Tbsp ginger, freshly grated

3 Tbsp unsalted butter or coconut oil

3 cups vegetable broth

1 can coconut milk

Dash of cinnamon

Salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Cut squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the seeds (can save seeds and roast just like pumpkin seeds – yum!). Brush squash halves with some melted butter or coconut oil and arrange cut side up in a roasting pan. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until tender. Set aside and cool.

When squash is cool, scoop flesh from the skin and set aside. In a large cooking pot, cook onion in butter or coconut oil until tender. Add ginger and cook for a few more minutes. Add broth and simmer for 5 minutes. Add squash, cover and let simmer for 5 more minutes. Turn off heat and either transfer to food processor or using a hand blender, puree until smooth. Add coconut milk, stir and return to low heat. Add cinnamon, salt & pepper. Serve and enjoy!

My Experience with Meditation

By Maria E. Roldan, RNCP, ROHP, NNCP

This is not an article to explain to you how to meditate. I just want to share my experience and hopefully capture your interest so that one day you give meditation a try. It made a big difference in my life once I started practicing it and I truly believe that we can all benefit from this simple yet profound practice.

When I first started meditating, I just wanted to relax. I had the idea that my mind needed to get to a state of perfect quietness. I thought that my mind would go “blank”, my body would relax completely, and then I would finally be able to say that I experienced that wonderful feeling a lot of my yoga teachers where talking about.

I know that a lot of people have the same expectations when they decide to give meditation a try. We think that we have to be like the yoga sages or Buddhist monks that stay in lotus position meditating for hours . Well, let me tell you that this is not necessarily true. Anybody can meditate. Anytime is good to meditate. And no, your mind does not have to go blank, nor does your body need to be perfectly relaxed to meditate. You can achieve relaxation while in meditation but being relaxed does not mean that you are meditating.

I learned all this when I was introduced to “Mindfulness Meditation”. A concept introduced to the West by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn but that has been in the core of the Buddhist tradition for centuries.

In 2009, in an effort to fight the battle of stress, I took a program that was suggested to me by my psychotherapist. It is called the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction Program (MBSR) and was also designed by Dr. Kabat-Zinn. It was life-changing. Two exhausting months where I would have to meditate every day for at least 45 minutes, do some homework, read a book the size of a brick and go to a weekly 3-hour group session. Lots of work but it totally paid off.

The definition of meditation that I was given at the orientation session of the program was: to pay attention, on purpose, focusing in the moment, and using the breath as the anchor. Yes, the present moment is the only true and powerful reality we own. It is a simple concept but we make it difficult because our minds don’t like the present moment. Our thoughts constantly wander between the past and the future. Those “what ifs…” that love to hunt us.  

I learned that it is in the nature of the mind to wander. We cannot stop our thoughts from happening but it is what we do with those thoughts that matters and that is exactly what you learn when you practice mindfulness meditation. By paying attention to those thoughts, you take away their power. You come back to your core, to your essence.

In one of his books Dr. Kabat-Zinn says:

"The habit of ignoring our present moments in favor of others yet to come leads directly to a pervasive lack of awareness of the web of life in which we are embedded. This includes a lack of awareness and understanding of our mind and how it influences our perceptions and our actions. It severely limits our perspective on what it means to be a person: how we are connected to each other and the world around us."  

Try to sit still for 10 minutes and focus only on your breath. Very soon you will discover that your mind is constantly bringing to you either memories, or things you need to do, people you have to call, groceries you need to buy, etc. Once again, think of meditation as the training that will teach you what to do with your thoughts. Actually, I can tell you right now what to do with them: nothing. Yes, you read it right – you don’t do anything, you just acknowledge them as thoughts and then move on to focus on your breath again, on your present. You do this one hundred times if needed….two, three hundred times. It does not matter. Trust me, with time you will see how this practice of mindfulness helps you live to the fullest without worrying too much about everything.

I could go on and on about this subject but I don’t want this post to be too long. I invite you to do some research (there is a lot of information online), find a class, a book (that’s how I started) or go back to it if you’re one of those that like me in past, had failed to meditate by having the wrong expectations. Let me say it again: it was life-changing for me. I hope one day it makes a difference for you as well.

Resources:

My favourite mindfulness meditation books by Dr. Jon Kabat-Zinn:

“Wherever You Go There You Are”

“Full Catastrophe Living – Using the Wisdom of your Body and Mind to Face, Stress, Pain and Illness”

Link to the MBSR Program I took in Toronto: http://sites.google.com/site/mindscapesmbsr2/beyondwellness2

For meditation classes, check with a yoga studio as most of them offer them on regular basis.

Maria E. Roldan, RNCP, ROHP, NNCP
www.rediscoveryourhealth.com

GABA – One girl’s cure for stress cases everywhere!

It seems as though stress levels just keep on climbing year after year in our fact-paced world. Technology has made us accessible 24/7, and the world is getting faster and more intense every day. So, how is it possible that we, being only human, can keep up with the demands? Well, as we all know, it is a constant challenge. Rates of existing and new chronic illnesses are on the rise with every passing year, and sometimes it feels that there aren’t tons of things we can control. But luckily for us, our health is one of the most important things we have control over. And even luckier for us, there are some natural treasures that can help us deal with the world when stresses are high and we just can’t keep up.

My #1 go-to supplement when the world is kicking my butt and I just can’t keep up with the physical and mental demands is my best friend GABA! Its full name is Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid, and although it is chemically an amino acid produced in the body, its chief function is acting like an inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain. In simple speak, this means that GABA regulates the excitability of our nervous system response, acting to basically disconnect our mind from mental stress and anxiety. In my own experience of particularly stressful and overwhelming times, I find that GABA really helps to take the edge off when you feel like your nerves just can’t take a minute more.

Now, you may be wondering if it’s alright to take GABA on a regular basis during a stressful period - and it is! As GABA is naturally produced in our bodies, we are well acquainted with its actions, and taking it in excess of what our body makes is perfectly acceptable. Daily dosages for GABA range from 200-1000mg per day depending on the need. I would highly recommend spending a few extra bucks on a good brand, as it can – literally – make all the difference.

So, when your life seems a bit out of control and you need a little mental vacation, pop a GABA before bed or whenever you need to take a breath throughout the day. Although some of us are more sensitive than others, I feel GABA’s smooth effect within minutes.

So, make room in your bathroom cupboard, GABA’s coming to stay! 

Lisa Batson, CNP

Holistic Nutritionist &

Wellness Consultant

Live Dynamic

647.278.8703

www.livedynamic.ca

Spaghetti Squash Medley

Ingredients:

1 Medium Organic Spaghetti Squash (feeds 4-6)

2 Cups Organic Kale (avoid center stalk)

1 Bunch Organic Asparagus

1 Large Organic Hot Pepper

4 Organic Brussels Sprout

1 can organic diced tomatoes

2 Cups Organic Black Beans

1 Organic Sweet Onion

2 Cloves Organic Garlic

½ Cup Mushroom Stock

3 tbs Organic Cold Pressed Olive Oil

1 Strip of Kombu (seaweed)

1 tsp Himalayan Sea Salt

Pepper to taste

Fresh parmesan if desired

Directions:

*Prick spaghetti squash all over with a skewer, place in shallow baking dish, bake at 350 for 1 hour.

*Rinse black beans, cover with pure water (2 inches above beans), add Kombu, cover with tight lid, bring to boil over high heat.  Once boiled, add ½ tsp Himalayan sea salt and transfer to oven at 325 for 75 minutes – check at 40 minutes to be sure there is enough water – add water if needed.

*Chop onion into small pieces, press garlic and sauté on medium light with 1 ½ tbs olive oil until onions are translucent.

*Add 1 ½ tbs olive oil to onion mix along with thinly sliced Brussels, chopped asparagus, thinly sliced kale, tomatoes, and whole hot pepper with wider end chopped off and sauté for 10 minutes

*turn heat down to simmer – add ½ cup mushroom stock, ½ tsp sea salt, pepper – 20 minutes

*once spaghetti squash is baked cool and cut in half – scoop out seeds and place on cookie sheet – scoop out spaghetti like strands and add to simmering vegetables

*once black beans are done, add to mixture, simmer for another 10 minutes

*mix and serve

*really nice to make on a Sunday afternoon

*add parmesan

*clean seeds, dry, sprinkle with Himalayan sea salt, little olive oil and bake on lower shelf at 375 for 5-10 minutes

Yvette Rochelle Nutrition

Yvette Rochelle Pritchard, CNP, NNCP

416.822.4600

Have you started your resolutions yet?

By Kimberly Ignas

It is January 2011!!!  After spending the past month or so saying…” I’ll start in the new year”… it is time to face the music, it is the new year and you cannot put it off any longer.  Have you started your resolutions yet?  I have I’m doing squats right now as I type.

New Years resolutions are always being made and then always being broken, eventually being morphed into goals that will start next Monday or start in the spring.  If you really want to do something you must make it a habit and habits can take 21 days or more. 

I thought it would be fun to google what was the top resolution for this year and a few links came up with the same thing…. “Weight Loss: Top New Year's Resolution for 2011 is Weight Loss”.  I am sure if I looked further this has most likely been the top resolution for many years now. 

Each year we gorge on everything we can get our hands on, either at the office Christmas party, family get together or even just because there is so much food around us. People can gain a lot weight over the holidays with the intention of losing it in the New Year, but have you noticed that each year you gain a little more or it is harder to get it off?  The truth is once you make a fat cell you have that bad boy for life.  You can shrink the cells so they are smaller but they are there waiting in the wings to get large again.  YIKES!!!  BUT no matter what stage you are at it is never to late to start fresh and make a positive change, the body is one smart cookie and responds well to positive change.  So lets stop being so hard on our bodies and give them a little loving as well. 

With weight lost what you eat and how you eat is about 60% of the equation if not more, exercise, sleep and mood are the rest.  Sure you need to eat more when you are working out but quality out weights the quantity.

Start off easy, go to the gym and only do the classes you love, as you gain strength and energy you will want to move onto something more challenging.  Go for a walk when you can, then start planning more days when you can go and keep adding time and distance.  You should not start off doing a triathlon; you may fail (maybe) and never go back to it.  Start slowly and work your way up.  As your bum looks better in jeans you will be motivated, but as you lose weight or tone up you want to burn off the fat not the muscle, no one wants to be a skinny fat person.  So keep the resistance training up.  Even if its push-ups while watching TV or you could borrow my 20lb cat and do some bicep curls.    As you lose weight, toxins that are stored in the fat are going to start being released so make sure you are flushing them out.  This means good fiber choices, a good working liver, kidneys and gallbladder and frequent bowel movements.

With food it is tricky because we love what we love but as you change over to a healthier nutrition plan (not a diet but a lifestyle change) your tastes change.  One step at a time and remember we ALL trip, or run into screen doors…or is that just me?   When you start a nutrition lifestyle change start slow, start by adding in something like extra fiber, more water and some warm lemon water in the morning and go down to one coffee a day, then try a day without coffee. 

They say (whoever “they” are) that you cannot train an old dog new tricks but I call bull on that.  Also remember it is not always how you appear on the outside but what is going on inside.  Take care of yourself from a cellular level and everything will fall into place.

For more information on help with a nutrition plan or a lifestyle change email Kimberly at appreciatinghealth@gmail.com.  Kimberly uses many tools to help you with your weight loss goals including the proven system from Metagenics FirstLine Therapy®.

Immune Boost Soup

Recipe from Ilona Napravnik CNP

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1 clove of garlic, coarsely chopped

½ small onion, diced (about ¼ cup)

1 small carrot, cut into rounds

½ teaspoon paprika

¼ teaspoon ground coriander

1 small head broccoli, trimmed and coarsely chopped (about 5-6 cups)

4 cups water **

Pinch of salt

Fresh ground pepper to taste

Directions

1. In a medium pot, heat oil on medium.  Saute garlic, onion, carrot, and spices for 3-5 minutes, until soft.
2. Trim and coarsely chop broccoli.  Add broccoli and water to pot and simmer, covered, on low for 15 minutes (until broccoli is soft).
3. Uncover and cool for 5-10 minutes.  Place in blender and puree until creamy.
4. Season with salt and pepper.

 **for an extra immune boost, instead of water use alkalizing broth, as follows:

Ingredients

One cup of the following, cut in small pieces – organic celery, green beans, zucchini and potatoes (all organic). 

Directions

1) Bring to a boil for 3 minutes in 1 litre of water. 

2) Simmer for 20 – 30 minutes. 

3) Strain & throw away vegetables

“The Source: Beat Fatigue, Power Up your Health and Feel Ten Years Younger”

Woodson Merrell,  M.D. with Kathleen Merrell Random House Canada 2008 p. 303

Nutrition to Help You Butt Out

It’s the beginning of January and already there are cracks appearing in your New Year’s resolution. Even though you grasp a little tighter, as each day goes by your will power seems to be slipping further through your fingers. You knew quitting smoking would be hard but had no idea it would be this hard. As challenging as quitting is though, it is a piece of cake compared to some of the possible health complications you most likely will face down the road if you continue smoking.

You know it and I know it. There is no such thing as a healthy smoker. So you made your choice: You want to be healthy. You want to be a non-smoker.

I am not writing today to inform you of how bad cigarettes are for you. Unless you have been living in a bomb shelter, you are well aware of the risks. I am here to help you through one of the most challenging transitions of your life. I am here because I know you can do this! No, I have not created a magic pill. If I did, I would probably be lying on the beach of my own privately owned island somewhere in the south, reaping the fortunes of my invention. Unfortunately, that’s not the case. Fortunately however, I do know a few diet changes that can make your transition to healthiness a bit easier.

Among the many side effects related to smoking, smoking causes the body to become more acidic. An acidic state is not ideal because it is only in an acidic body that disease can manifest. Ideally, we want to be more alkaline. Evidence has shown that consuming a diet high in alkaline foods while reducing acidic foods can not only restore damaging effects caused by smoking, but also reduce cravings.

Alkaline Foods	Acidic Foods
·      Fresh fruits ·      Vegetables ·      Greens ·      Some dried fruit (figs, raisins) ·      Almonds ·      Millet ·      Beans	·      Meats ·      Wheat ·      Sugar ·      Bread & baked goods ·      Eggs ·      Dairy products

Ideally, a detox would be most beneficial when quitting smoking. Some of you may already feel overwhelmed with the changes you are making and think it will be too much to do a detox as well. However, I found when quitting smoking I needed distraction and a change of routine. A detox is a great place to re set your focus while reclaiming your health. A detox diet consists primarily of vegetables, fruits and whole grains (preferably gluten-free), low-fat, high fiber foods, while increasing water consumption. 2 to 3 liters of water should be consumed per day to reduce the dehydrating effects caused by smoking. Reducing caffeine is also a good idea due to its acidity. Green and herbal teas are a great replacement. Lightly steaming your vegetables is recommended as they become easier to digest.

Weight gain is a big concern for many when quitting smoking. We often look for something to replace that hand-to-mouth action and often turn to compulsive snacking. This action is hard to avoid but does not always have to result in higher numbers on the bathroom scale if our snack choices are healthy ones. Following a detox will prevent weight gain. When craving, choose something that has multiples to fulfill that repetitive motion. Carrot sticks, celery sticks, grapes, sunflower or pumpkin seeds are great options. Really, any fruit or vegetable chopped or diced into small pieces should help deal with those munchies.

Supplementation of certain nutrients is beneficial when quitting smoking as smoking diminishes many nutrients in the body. Antioxidants are especially important as smokers are constantly exposed to toxins. The ACE’s (vitamins A,C,E) along with Beta-carotene, Zinc & Selenium make up a nutrient plan for quitting smoking (please contact me for proper dosages). Sodium or potassium bicarbonate tablets have also proved to be helpful with cravings because of their alkalizing effect on the body. The herb Lobelia has also shown to help let go of the cancer stick as it has shown to actually reduce the effects of nicotine on the brain. Because there is not enough research done on Lobelia used for quitting smoking, please consult your physician and or a professional herbalist before using.

Some other helpful tips to butting out would be to start an exercise regime. Regaining focus on positive health changes while changing up your routine helps one forget about their addiction while restoring health. Deep breathing exercises have also proven to help deal with those nasty cravings while detoxifying the body. Hot tubs, saunas or simply taking a hot shower help to detoxify the body, therefore can be beneficial when quitting.

Whatever method you choose when quitting smoking remember, you must believe in yourself. These tips will be helpful but will power will still be greatly required. You must remember why you chose to quit in the first place. If doing it for yourself is not motivation enough, carry a picture of your loved ones (your kids, spouse, parents) and look at that picture whenever you crave a cigarette. Realize that every time you light up, you are choosing cigarettes over your loved ones. And most importantly, when you light up you are choosing cigarettes over yourself. You know you deserve more than that. It’s 2011. It’s the year of YOU!

For further inquiries, please feel free to contact me: greenblossomsnutrition@gmail.com or by phone at 416-803-7327

By Kimberly Davidson CNP

References:

http://www.quit-smoking-advisor.com/03-Natural-Methods/herbs-to-quit-smoking.html

http://www.quitsmoking.com/info/articles/20tips.htm