Happy New Year, Everyone!

Hard to believe it’s the 7^th of January already! I am writing because I want to share with you what I’ve been up to during the time between Christmas and New Years. I spent the time planning my 2012 – and I want to share the exciting news with you! 


The Health Harvest mission, this year, is to use the latest digital technology, web-based communications, group events and individual coaching to empower people, with a focus on entrepreneurs, to create optimal health through simple, effective and sustainable nutrition and lifestyle changes. By offering fun, informative and honest programming Health Harvest will enable more than 10,000 people to create measurable improvements in their overall health in 2012.

Yes, I am going to show 10,000++ people how to create their own Optimal Health!

Here’s how I’m going to reach my goal:

• Growing Your Health - a monthly 30-minute teleseminar on different aspects of holistic wellness. The first teleseminar is on Tuesday, January 17^th at 6:30 p.m. PST and the topic is Optimal Nutrition – nutrition that will keep you well through flu season and beyond

• A new website! I’m thrilled to say that my new website is in development.  There will be recipes, free information and lots of health-related goodness. So exciting! My fingers are crossed for a February 1^st launch. I can't wait to share this new site with you! 

• As a jumpstart for your health (and a way to kick food cravings and lose a few pounds) I will continue to offer the 7-Day Chinese Herbal Cleanse once each month beginning on the 1^st Friday and ending the following Thursday. I will announce a new pricing structure soon that will take effect in February. As you have heard, this detox is a no-suffering, eating-lots-of-food, health-enhancing miracle – and it only takes 7 days. I hope you’ll take advantage of it!

• Co-author a book entitled Entrepreneur Extraordinaire. I have submitted my chapter, which is on optimal health, and it’s been accepted! The book will be printed and available some time in March.

• An Optimal Health Group! This group is only for those who are serious about pushing their overall health and wellness through the roof. I will present an informative webinar and facilitate a digital open forum once a month.

• I will offer this group at no cost for a couple of months to get the bugs worked out and then charge a small monthly fee. Participants will be able to come and go as they please and pay only for the months when they wish to participate.

• There will be guest speakers, the latest holistic health information, a private Facebook page and lots of FUN!
  If you want to get in on the two free months, let me know and I’ll put you on the list. You’ll get all the details in February and this program will launch in March.

• I will continue to provide my Premium Six Month Personal Coaching Program. This year, in order to provide the best coaching possible, I’ll only be taking on a small number of private clients. If you are ready to meet or exceed your health and wellness goals and spend the rest of your life feeling great, and you know you will need support to make it happen, please consider me as your health coach. 

• In early summer I will be offering a webinar series especially for women – Loving your Libido. Yes, I have some fabulous libido-building secrets and I’m going to share them all with you! The info on this series will come your way in April and the six-part webinar series will start in June. You won’t want to miss this one

• I will continue to speak about health and wellness to groups and organizations. I love speaking and it’s a great way for me to reach a lot of people all at once. Please use me as a resource if you have a group that would benefit from learning simple ways to increase their health. I usually do these at no cost to the organization.

My favorite topics are:

• Lower Your Stress, Without Changing Your Life
• Eating for Optimal Immunity
• Optimal Health for Busy Entrepreneurs

Believe it or not, that’s not all! There are even more exciting happenings in the works and I’ll keep you informed as they jell.

We have an exciting year ahead of us! Let’s get started!

XO

PS - The pic is me this morning at the Ferry Plaza Farmer's Market picking up some Racho Gordo beans. They are the best! They have a bunch of different heirloom beans. I've tried quite a few and every batch has been fabulous. The beans are so fresh that you don't need to soak them. I usually soak them for 24 hours anyway so they sprout and lose their acidity. Beans are the unsung health food. They are full of micro-nutrients, protein and fiber! 

Optimal Winter Wellness

I have a confession. I have been sick. Recently. In fact, the whole thing just wrapped up on Thursday. I’m a health coach; I’m not supposed to get sick. How embarrassing.  I was so hoping to get through the winter without getting sick. Bummer. How did this happen? Here’s how. The way it happens to everybody!

Before I left for Oregon to visit family for the holiday I had some deadlines so I was stressed and worked extra hours, not getting enough rest. Then, while I was there, instead of eating the nutrient-dense food that I am used to, I ate more meat and carbs than I usually do. On Thanksgiving, because the hors de oeuvres were so good, I was already full by the time the dinner was served, so, even though I took tiny portions, I overate.

Add to that a long walk on the cold windy beach with no hat on Friday and – bang – I woke up on Saturday with a cold.

Criminy!

I do know how to stay well during flu season, and I got into action to make myself better the second I got home. I’m feeling great now and my cold only lasted FIVE DAYS!

Here are the three most important things I did – that you can easily do, also - that fixed my cold FAST. And, the best part is, done consistently, these things will keep you well ALL WINTER. . .

I got right back to eating nutrient-dense food.

Vegetables and fruit that are all the colors of the rainbow, with a focus on dark green, keep you well. There are now studies that prove it. I eat at least four or five servings of vegetables each day. I eat primarily onions, carrots, broccoli, spinach, mushrooms, lettuce and kale. Because of my level of busi-ness, I keep it simple, except on Sundays when I take time to cook, but that's a different blog post. 

Preparing food doesn’t have to be complicated. You, too, can keep it simple if you like.

Here’s an easy recipe:

1 or 2 carrots

1 onion

6 or 8 mushrooms

1 small head of broccoli

- all organic if possible –

1 container of no-chicken chicken broth

Put ¾ of the container of broth in a pan, cut up the veggies. Throw it all in the broth except the broccoli. Let it boil for 15 or 20 minutes. While it’s boiling, eat the broccoli as a snack.

Voila! 3 large portions of soup in less than 30 minutes! Eat as much as you like. Eat the rest the next day.

I took a natural remedy that WORKS.

When I got home I immediately took a tablespoon of elderberry syrup. Scientists are now studying the stuff and preliminary studies show that elderberry concentrate enhances the body’s defense against viral infections, particularly influenza. It also helps shorten the duration of symptoms once you are already ill. It does this by inhibiting the adhesion of the invading virus to cell receptors, which keeps it from replicating, which lessens both the length and intensity of the illness. Plus elderberry syrup is high in antioxidants. 

I rested and took good care of myself.

I also made sure that I got an extra hour of rest each night until I was better. Our bodies work hard all day to keep us well and when we have a virus, they have to work even harder. An hour or two of extra rest, and I do mean sleep, helps us recover from illness faster.

Each evening before bed I took a warm bath. I am a big fan of warm baths. They just make me feel better no matter what. I usually use some sort of calming or relaxing aromatherapy oil. Just laying back in the warm water, breathing the moist air and allowing my body to totally relax feel so good - a boost for both my body and sprit. 

So there you have it! The three things I did to get better fast. You can do them, too. Take good care of yourself this winter. I don’t have time to be super-sick and I’m sure you don’t either!

Happy Winter!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving. May the holiday leave you feeling healthy, loved and energized!
I love this time of year. Even though I like the long days of summer best, I do appreciate the seasonal shift, the way the light looks different and even the shorter days. Makes me want to curl up in a blanket on the coach and read a good mindless work of fiction. And, even though that's not going to happen this year, I still have a lot to be thankful for.

I'm so grateful to have my career as a health coach. The training I received from the
Institute for Integrative Nutrition has allowed me to improve my eating, see the connection between what I eat and how I feel, and to also examine the Primary Nutrition in my life: my relationships, exercise, spirituality and career and to see how improvements in those areas increase my overall health. What a fascinating journey. As I continue to peel away the "layers of the onion" of my health and wellness, I'll keep you informed.

I'm also thankful for my family and friends. My children, now grown, are a constant source of joy and my grandson (yes, I'm a Grandma) is just a blast! My significant other provides a continuous supply of encouragement, not to mention graphic design assistance and errand running. I am also blessed with a large group of supportive, fun and inspirational friends, both near and far. Support and inspiration is just a phone call or coffee date away. Life is good.
And, I am grateful for you. I appreciate that you take the time to read, or at least skim, the newsletters that I send, attend my teleclasses, cleanse with my cleanse groups and trust in me as your health and wellness advisor and coach. It means the world to me to serve others by helping them meet and exceed their health and wellness goals. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to fulfill my soul purpose each day.

I hope that you will take a few minutes, or maybe even an hour (!), to sit and reflect on the things and people in your life that you are grateful for this Thanksgiving.

Have a wonderful holiday!

Getting Your Vitamin L

This is a guest post by Integrative Nutrition. 

Happy Valentine's Day and a Big Hug!

Posted on February 2, 2011 by Integrative Nutrition

February, the “month of love,” is here.  It’s the time every year we are reminded to recognize and celebrate the love in our lives. We mark our calendar and give flowers, chocolates and cards. 

We’ve made Valentine’s Day the big day, however we need to give and receive love all the time, not just on that one particular day. At Integrative Nutrition, we feel passionately about the importance of healthy relationships. We like to call this Vitamin L (the ‘L’ stands for love!). Getting a daily dose of Vitamin L is essential to living happier, healthier lives.  Vitamin L comes in many forms and isn’t just about romantic love between two people. It can be love for ourselves, or a particular practice of self-care. Vitamin L can come in the shape of  our partners, our pets, our kids or parents.  Love is food for the soul and heart; it nourishes body, mind, and spirit for optimal wellbeing.

How do you get your Vitamin L? To celebrate the month of love and all of the different ways love can exist in our lives, we are having a fun contest.  It’s easy, just show us how you get your daily dose of Vitamin L by submitting a picture. You could win a gift certificate to SoLove Self-Care.  Help us inspire others to get a daily dose of Vitamin L!

Find our more about the Vitamin L Contest here.

The Oranges vs. the Hazelnuts

As you all know, I am taking a professional training course to become a heath councilor with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. The lessons are all on an ipod that came with my books and then there is a lot of support material on the website. I have been using my commute time on the train and bus to listen to the classes. On Thursday, I watched a video with Joshua Rosenthal demonstrating a "surprising time management secret".

He had three containers. one was about 3/4 full of hazelnuts, one was empty, and the other held 6 oranges. The hazelnuts represented all the tasks we have to do in our lives. The 6 oranges represented the really important things that we want to accomplish while we are here.

He demonstrated how we spend most of our time on the tasks by pouring the hazelnuts into the empty container, listing off menial tasks as he poured. He stopped occasionally to put in an orange, when he got done pouring the hazelnuts, the rest of the oranges wouldn't fit, and he said, "Sometimes people forget to do the important stuff, and one day they look around and say, 'Oh. I forgot to have kids.' or 'Oh. Where did my relationship go?'"

He then put the oranges back in their bowl and the hazelnuts back in their container. He said, "Do the important things first. Figure out what they are and do them. Don't worry about the other stuff. Concentrate on what is important to you." And he put all the oranges into the empty container. . . "All the tasks get done anyway." and he poured the hazelnuts over the oranges, they filtered into the empty spaces and it all fit.

It actually brought tears to my eyes.

Sometimes I get so freaked out by all the crap that needs done that I miss doing things that are important. For example, I forgot to call my aunt on her 80th birthday. What was I doing? Who knows, but I can tell you it wasn't important. Also, I just get distracted. I stare at the net. I go out to dinner. I work late. I watch a movie. And then I end up studying for long periods of time with long periods of time in-between. I know that doesn't work for information retention and I feel unorganized.

So, the first question to ask is, "What are the things that are important to me?"

My heath/exercise
Training to become a heath councilor
My relationship
My grandson/family
Looking for, finding and moving to, a place where we can grow food

And the second question is, "How can I concentrate on these things?"

Time reorganization feels like a possible answer. We have the time we have and we do with it what we will. I am a creature of habit just like everyone else. Routine is hard to shift. I've read that it takes 2 weeks to break a habit and a month to get a new one to stick. So, a new schedule focused on my priorities. I'm a professional planner. I'll create a new plan for myself. I'll keep you updated.

This isn't profound. It's a shift.

I'm lucky. I actually have the privilege of  working with a health councilor while I'm in school. She's got my back. I'll be sharing my new plan with her and she'll be holding me to account. For me, telling others what I'm up to helps make it a reality. It helps me remember what I want to do be doing. And, oddly, remembering what I want to be doing isn't always that easy.

I'll also be enrolling Mr. Green. I'm discovering, through time, Mr. Green's patience and stick-to-it-iveness that I can't be the lone ranger and be in a relationship at the same time. . . sharing what's going on is important. At 47 I'm still working on getting past "I can do it all myself and I don't need your help." Which really doesn't work that well if I want to actually have the "relationshipness" that I crave. An orange for sure.

And for you? What are the Oranges in your life?