What Food Can Bring You Bliss and You Don't Even Have To Eat It

It's been awhile since you have heard from me, I know this, but I have been doing exciting things, and let me tell you if it weren't for health coaching I would never have been able to do any of it.

I tell all my clients that balance is VERY important, and I say it in terms of food. There is the food that we eat that is very necessary, this would be your fruit, veggies, meat, and whole grains. But, there is also a whole other type of food, this is the food that nourishes you in a different way. These "foods" are your career, spirituality, your relationships, and physical exercise. All these things can be nourishing or they can cause harm to your body.

As I was telling all my clients this, I thought to myself, I probably should take my own advice! Many of you know that I also paint. And not as a hobby but that is actually what my bachelor's degree is in. So I thought maybe I should be feeding myself my most powerful food, because painting makes me truly happy and I think I am a better person all around when I am practicing my art.

So that is what I have been up to. I have been painting my heart out and I truly love it. I am showing at a gallery locally in Jenkintown called The Art of It located on York Road. I am having great success there and I am to begin working on a large commission piece very soon. They have a very active calendar full of events and if you are in the area I encourage you to stop in. More information can be found at www.theartof.it

I also have launched a new website for my art that is currently offering a promotion for you to own a piece of my work at a price that is not going to last that long. I have been offering this deal for 1 week and already I only have 8 spots remaining. So, if you want in please hurry over, check it out, and sign up if it fits you. You can find this at: www.carapaints.com. Also if you know anyone else that might be interested send them on over too.

So I encourage you to feed yourself good food, whether it your favorite fruit or your favorite place to hike, both are equally important!

Don't forget to stop by my art site and see what I have been up to!!!
www.carapaints.com

Hungry?...Can't Put Your Finger On It?

This weekend I just let go... and the world did not collapse.  I did have stuff that I wanted to get done but nothing involved driving more than a few minutes.  That made this weekend relaxing, and that was nice.

It gave me a lot of time to just sit in my art studio and think.  I have been spending a lot of time trying to get back into painting.  I chatted with a friend and really realized I need to practice what I preach.  I talk a lot about the "food" that you do not eat that feeds us a well as nutritious food.  I know my food is painting and yet I have been depriving myself of it for a long time.

Why do we do this? Why don't we take care of ourselves, how do we miss our basic needs.

Creativity, spirituality, physical exercise are all forms of nourshiment for our bodies.  Without a healthy balance you might feel out of sorts, not your normal self, stressed, depressed, or really hungry for something you cant put your finger on.

What are you not "feeding" yourself?

- Make a list of reasons you give not to "feed" yourself.
- Next to each item make note of who is in control of each reason.
- Take some time and write a plan for taking back control... get creative and take the first step!

Ready...set...GO!

Body Hobby : Men's Day

The trend is changing and more men are starting to pay attention to natural health.  Before men who ate salad and tofu were thought to have lost some aspect of masculine strength, while men who ate hamburgers and pizza were some how superior in their rugged manliness.... Not true.  Mens bodies are just as sensitive to toxins as women's body when it comes to unhealthy ways.  Your prostate is just as vulnerable to toxins as our breasts!!!  Avoiding BPA plastics, sodium nitrate in lunch meats, and supplementing with green tea, zinc and lycopene (tomato sauce) can do you good too.

 Studies have shown that men who tend to lean toward a healthier diet have higher sperm counts, more mobility, a stronger libido and better performance than their chicken wing soda guzzling friends!

Few men who adopt a healthier diet ever turn to sex-enhancing medications like Viagra, because they don't need it.  It is the men who stand by their barbecued ribs, pizza, fried food and processed junk that end up at the fertility clinics or having prostate surgery down the line.  Processed food is a one way ticket to nutritional castration!

Thank goodness their are men out there that are opening their eyes to the gift of a healthy diet and learning about proper nutrition and how it can benefit them in their own lives.  These men, instead of taking cheap bodybuilding "man" supplements are opting for more quality, immune and brain boosting supplements.  They are also steering away from over-processed name brand foods and looking at more raw, organic and local produce options.   

So what are these men in the know taking, here is a few things:

Fish Oil - brain, heart, immune function and metabolism 

Hemp seed and quinoa - complete proteins from plants 

Super fruits: acai, blueberries, raspberries, noni, mangosteen, goji berries - brain, heart, skin, eyes and cellular DNA

Microalgae: blue green algae, chlorella and spirulina - cleansing, liver, protection of digestive cancers i.e. colon 

Trace Minerals: zinc, magnesium, calcium - heart, stress, repair and recover, immune

Controlled sunlight exposure: vitamin D - gums, diabetes, osteoporosis, depression, heart, obesity, cancer prevention 

So men, start paying attention to what you eat, but that is not all you can do there is more.  A healthy dose of exercise is essential to a healthy lifestyle, and getting enough sleep to recover from the stress at work and exercise is just as important.  If you can start to make positive changes in these areas you will be on your way to healthier, more peaceful life in no time.

 

Mommy, why did you cut your hair? The REAL reason.

For 30 years of my life I had long hair.  It wasn't always curly, when I was young it had a little less than a wave.  As I go older the curls got curlier and now as I get even older they are fading.

I hate to say it but my hair has shaped my existence in this world. NOT by my choice.  The "good hair / bad hair"  system was applied to me regularly, with people always judging me by my hair.  Many times I was judged because of the state of my hair, and as a young child there is nothing you can do about it.  Young children chose to bully me because they wanted my hair or were not satisfied by the way my mother chose to care for it.  What a pity story, right?  Well, yes and no.  It was many of those stories that shaped me into the person I am today, but is it what I am hearing now that still tugs at my heart.

One morning my daughter wakes up and tells me she has dreamed of long hair.  My heart sank.  This is not the type of hair she has.  Since she was able to first tell me, she has coveted my long hair, mostly when I straightened it but sometimes when it was curly.  She has repeated over and over again, how she loves other children's long straight hair.  I have impressed on her that her hair is awesome, beautiful, full of energy, but will never be like the hair that she points out.  I press that I love her hair, and others tell her the same.  Yet, she still has some obsession to the long straight hair of most of the disney characters and her Barbies, and her most of her other dolls, which have hair of yarn.  (Although, someone recently gave us a Barbie with and afro!)

So off to the salon I went.  My favorite hair dresser Chrissy chopped it all off for me.  This is how much I want my daughter to know that hair is not the only thing that makes you beautiful and awesome... which I think I am!

Leave me comments. Please. I love them. Give me some suggestions. Ask me questions. Tell me you were here. Tell me what you want to hear about.

Take the good with the bad and...

This weekend was such a whirlwind, I feel like I blinked and it was over.  It seems time speeds up as you grow-up/ get older, and that is exactly why I put up this picture.  I can guarantee that in your little  part of the world that just doing something everyday that makes you smile, will improve the quality of your life, and possibly the lives of others around you.  

Today:  It is getting very hot up here in Philly!  I had a lot of office work to do today, but I might cash it all in and take the kids to the pool and then off to MMA lessons.  No telling what this heat might make me do.

This is all...

I am thinking about this weekend.  This is an amazing talk that can explain a very specific place for many people. I love it. Watch it and tell me what you think below in the comments.  Please, please, please.

      

Today: We are celebrating the hubby.  Why? Because he is that special!

Body Hobby Update

I lost another half of an inch, which is plain miracle being that I went on a vacation for a week.

The vacay eating was  painful.  Anytime I leave my creature comforts, digestion becomes a problem.  This time around I relied heavily on digestive enzymes, probiotics, kombucha, and a rockin' whole food supplement to keep me on track.  Yet, and still I ran into trouble, and it goes by the name of Skyline Chili.

You see, I have a sensitivity to the nightshade vegetable family.  "What's that?" Well, it's basically any vegetable that grows at night, i.e. tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, potatoes....  Some bother me worse than others, but my worst offender is peppers, hence the problem with Cincinnati's most favorite chili spot.

The good news is I survived due to my vigilance with my supplements. The bad is that it still bothered me, but I got over it a lot faster than normal thanks to those supplements.  So, when traveling I definitely recommend: a digestive enzyme, a probiotic, Kombucha, and a good multi- supplement.

One more thing. Leave me comments. Please. I love them. Give me some suggestions. Ask me questions. Tell me you were here. Tell me what you want to hear about. Sign the guest book. Okay, okay - I don't have a guest book - but leave me a comment.

Hey Nice Nails!

"Nice nails.  Are those yours?"

"Yep, they're mine."

"Ugh, I'm so jealous."

Don't be jealous, I drink kale everyday.  Ever since I have started doing this I have had nails of steal (and my hair grows like a weed.)  I also take pretty good care of them.  Well, I have two kids so good is relative, but I try to keep them filed and painted.  I change the polish at least once a week and try to wear gloves when doing dishes.  I take a really good whole food supplement everyday and I eat really well. AND I EAT KALE EVERYDAY, and something else green at every meal.  Usually I have a kale and almond smoothie in the a.m.  At lunch I always have at least half and avocado and some sort of fish, and for dinner right now I love okra!!!

So don't be jealous drink Kale ;-)

I (heart) Cincinnati

So, I just got back a few days ago from a trip to my home town, Cincinnati.  It is amazing to watch a city change from afar.  I must say that it is changing for the better, not worse.  There are some amazing things taking place in our city, that I wish were more prominent when I was younger, but I am happy to see things on the up and up.  Every time I go home I am reminded why Cincinnati is not as bad as I though it was, when I fled and vowed never to move back in 2000.  

Now I have kids, and when we return to visit family I am amazed at the abundance of things there are to do, and the ease at which you can do them.  We live in Philadelphia now, nothing is easy here, traffic plagues this city and hinders a lot of fun.  Cincinnati may not be the pinnacle of city living but it is manageable with kids, and who doesn't want to make raising your children as easy and fun as possible.  

What to do in Cincinnati if you have young kids:

1. The Zoo 

2. Kings Island

3. The Beach

4. Downtown Cincinnati river festivities

5. Downtown Fountains

6. Check out the local food... Skyline, Big Boy, LaRosa's

7. The Museum Center

8. The Art Museum

9. Shopping... Downtown, Kenwood, Rookwood

10. If your are lucky enough to have a Grandpa like ours, you will spend as much time on the river and lakes as possible with the watercraft of your choice.

Adults, there are also casinos and riverboat cruises. 

There is a ton of more stuff to do, but those are just a few of my favorites.

When stuck in the car for 10 hrs... Stretch it out!

So, summer is here and that is the time for the epic road trips. I think it is safe to say that at some point it starts to hurt to sit that long. Whether your on an airplane or minivan there is a way to hang lose.

This is mini stretch-arm routine while stuck in the car to keep shoulders, arms, neck, and hips lose. It can be a life saver if there are no rest stops in site. 

...1- start by rolling your shoulders forwards and backwards. Shrugging them up and down in big circles. Then alternate each one, like they are riding a bicycle. 

...2- put your hands on your hips and roll around your waist. 

...3- put your arms in front of you with your elbows out to the side and roll your fists like a bad hip-hop dance, both directions. 

...4- put you hands out in front of you with your arms extended like you're getting ready to dive, put your palms together and then stack them on top of each other alternate this quickly like your are clapping, them turn your palms up and keep alternating quickly.  Roll your shoulders out. 

...5- chicken wing. Put the back of your palm in the small of your back. And with the other hand pull your elbow forward. This should feel really good. Repeat on other shoulder and finish with rolling them out. 

...6- put the palms of your hands together and your elbows. Raise your elbows to eye level and rest your hands on your head and gently pull your head down. 

... 7- while sitting lean forward and touch your toes. Extend one leg at a time, finish with a roll from the waist. 

...8- raise an arm above your head and reach to the other side stretching out your side. Repeat on the other side. 

...9- intertwine your hands and place them palms down on the back of your head and look up

...10- sit on your hands and stretch your neck/head from side to side. Roll out shoulders. 

...11- take one foot place it on top of your knee and crank your foot up like you are trying to look at the sole of your foot. With the same arm as leg that is up push down on your knee with your elbow, bend forward from the waist.  Repeat on the other side. 

During travel I always get really dehydrated mainly because I think it's annoying to stop and pee constantly. But I always pay for it later. Make an effort to drink half your body weight in ounces of water. 85% of headaches can be prevented with proper hydration. 

Have a safe trip!

Body Hobby... How Am I Doing?

I lost an inch!!!

I don't know how much an inch weighs and I'm not interested.  Notice I did not give you my weight last week and I don't think I ever will, to me that's not what is important I just wanna look the way I want!

So how did I lose that inch?  Well, I have been eating lots of healthy fats, exercising, and relaxing.  I don't eat gluten in the first place so that was not an issue, but the biggest difference is I have stopped my wine habit and resolved not to replace it with ice cream, which is a big challenge.  It has been a bit of an up hill battle to replace those calories, not all of them but some.

The exercise it beating me up a bit.   I forget how fast my body burns food and I have had to check out of a few workouts early because I have not been eating enough protein.  This upsets me a bit, but I just have to give myself some adjusting time and I know I will build my endurance and find my way.

So what can you do?  Get out there.  I do much better working out in a group, and if you miss your workout make sure you get it in at home.  It doesn't have to be fancy,  push-ups, sit- ups, and crunches can go a long way when you are starting out, and going for a long walk or a jog counts too.

Start slow,  I have to remind myself this all the time.  I do better when I go slow and I have more success.  So I encourage you too start if you haven't, and do a little every day until you can reach your goal!

May I Introduce the Queen of Budgeting

About a year ago I crossed paths with a cool chick by the name of Emily Levenson.  It was on of the best things that happened to my blog, but besides that I learned a few things.

She is a fellow health coach and one of her specialties happens to be budgeting. I, trying to incorporate more organic foods into my diet and discovering the fact that I was very sensitive to gluten, was definetly in need of a budget. Not only was I spending willy-nilly I was wasting a crap load of food and my kids were snacking all day long...all day everyday.

I was spiriling into food budget guilt and as soon as I decided I needed to find a solution Emily popped up with her Project:Food Budget. I have to admit, I was not that good; I was on and off, in and out. But I learned a lot about myself and my shopping habits and what my family actually likes to eat. I also learned how to work around a food sensitivjty without blowing my pocketbook to pieces.

Now available for you all, she has written a book packed full with information about how to achieve budgeting success.  Not only do you learn about budgeting, but also why meal planning is so important and how to do it. You also learn about the pros and cons of coupons which I have always suspected, but am very glad to actually hear someone say it.

I had a blast participating in Emily's project and I urge you if you are looking for ways to save money to download her book and let her give you the 411. She definetly knows her stuff.

You can find her here at emilylevenson.com

**Reflection**

Tears.

Joy and sadness.

Am I brave or stupid...?

Baby#1 + Baby#2 + Mom Passing + Fragile Marriage = 30 lbs. I dont want!

This is all my husbands fault and my big mouth. It all started like this...

"Hey, babe."

"Yeah."

"You should do a fitness competition."

"I should?"

"Yeah, I have a friend that just placed fourth.  I think you could do something like that."

"Yeah, I could."

A few hours later in a different location the conversation picks back up...

"I don't understand why you don't do stuff for yourself.  Like your body, you should make your body your hobby."

"Ha ha, body hobby, Hobby Lobby"

"Yeah ha ha,  lobby body... Body Hobby!"

And there it was birthed.

Then I opened my mouth and shared and somehow now I am posting this online for all to see.  And I'm letting you all watch as I tone up.   I may have lost my mind!

Welcome to Body Hobby... the physical side of Ignite Your Life.

Wednesday will be BodyHobby day a new pic of where I am, bits and pieces of how I got here, what I am doing to slim down, tone up and a whole lot more.  Stay tuned.

Gotta go.  This is all the exposure I can take for today!

Oh and...

Left thigh  24”

Waist  37.5”

Hips  40”

Bust  37.5”

Left upper arm 12”

Hot chocolate for your health

Raw food enthusiast David Wolfe has a great recipe for hot chocolate that is great for your bones and joints.  It is supportive of silica in your body and helps maintain the cartilage in your joints.  

Calcium from milk for your bones in a myth!  You know me if it has a commercial you shouldn’t eat it.  In this case milk has a multi million dollar marketing campaign behind it to make you think that, “Milk is does a body good.”

Well... not really.   Americans are one of the few culture groups that chooses to consume milk in our adult years. Why?

The campaign has convinced us that we need milk for the health of our bones.  That it is  the best and easiest way to obtain the amount of calcium that we need.  If this is true why are the rates of osteoporosis climbing, claiming it youngest sufferers to date.

These people should have the strongest bones of them all.  Drinking all that milk since the campaign launched in 1993  should have ensured them strong healthy bones.

So maybe milk is not the answer.  Did you know milk creates an acid condition in your body that leaches calcium and releases into your blood stream to float around aimlessly until it find a place to land, bone spurs anyone?

So where do those healthy doses of calcium come from.  Well, your Mom was right eat your veggies!  Popeye will never have a broken bone in his life.  Dark leafy greens are an excellent source of calcium.

So what’s this hot chocolate you ask?  Silica and cartilage are also very essential part of your skeleton.  As a yummy treat you can help support these by drinking hot chocolate made with nettle tea as the liquid and then find a mushroom extract that you can dump in there, along with oatstraw and horsetail.  To make it all yummy mix it with raw cacao and maca powder for an energy boost that will last for hours. Oh and don’t forget to sweeten it up with some stevia drops and dates.  Since summer is upon us add some ice cubes and make a choco-smoothie instead!

The Best Salad Ever

How to make this delicious salad:

-handful of kale ripped up without the stems
-handful of mixed greens
-small palmful of alfalfa spouts
-small handful of basil roughly chopped
-half an avocado cubed
-four small bite size tomatoes quartered
-a whole or half slice red onion chopped finely
-extra virgin olive oil
-celtic sea salt
-half a lemon more or less
-small handful of raw hemp seeds

GO!

Paleo vs. Vegan and Why They Are Both Great.

So we all know the trauma of trying to find a way to eat that suits us.  You cant go on eating like you are thirteen forever, well some can, but it can’t be good for you unless...  But anyway,  I have been bouncing back between what my body needs and what my heart feels is right.  I have a few clients that have been doing the same thing and it seems to be something that people think about.  

What am I talking about?  Sometimes I feel like eating meat is gross or mean, and sometimes my body tells me, “Eat meat...lots!”  

So lets enter the world that so many people live in, “What do I eat to make myself feel good?”

And what does this have to do with the Paleo and Vegan lifestyle.

So I know that my body needs a lot of protein.  So naturally the Paleo life sounds like it would be great!!!  Paleo lifestyle basically does not eat any starch.  They avoid processed foods, grains, legumes, soy, sugar, dairy, white potates, and vegatable oils.

Thats a lot of “no’s” but appearently people who follow it love it and says it makes them feel great.  

Vegans avoid all animal products.  They don’t eat honey or even wear leather!  Below that are all different kinds of vegetarians.  I know quite a few vegan and vegetarians and they love the way they look and feel and they love it also.

So you would think it would just all come down to what makes you feel good.  But there is another reason why these “diets” might make you feel so great.  Yes... these people probably feel good because they are paying more attention to what they eat than the average Joe.  But there may be another reason.

There is a theory out there about food combining, it has to deal with digesting your food enzymematically. 

In the book Body Ecology by Donna Gates states...

“This proven system of eating compatible foods at each meal aids digestion and enhances overall health.  When you eat foods that don’t combine correctly, the digestive system gets mixed signals about which digestive juices and enzymes to release.  Food remains in the digestive tract longer than it should, and it starts fermenting.  This produces sugars that feed yeast and parasites, and further weakens the digestive tract and immune system. 

The rotting food becomes poison, polluting he ecology of your inner world.  It’s a gruesome image, but it’s accurate.  As the stagnant food builds up on the walls of the digestive tract, it forms a landscape that only viruses, cancer cells, and parasites can tolerate, just as rats and other scavengers live off city landfills and industrial-waste sites.

Proper food combining greatly reduces gas, bloating, and excess weight.  It is essential for establishing a clean, internal environment.”

So the rules of food combining say not to mix starch and protein, as one of the major rules.  If you are following a vegan or a paleo lifestyle, these rules are built into their diets automatically, leading you to a happier digestive system.  

So whether you are leaning toward vegan or paleo, don’t worry your food will be digested properly, leading possibly to more energy and vitality.

To find out more about food combining, contact me here for a free initial session and I’ll tell you all about it!

Spring is Around the Corner

Spring is coming.  What should you be doing?

My perfect SPRING breakfast:
Quinoa with garlic seared asparagus and one poached egg.


Believe me your body and everyone else around you will thank you for doing the two things mentioned in the video. If you are a grumpy bird like me when there is no sun.  These thing help you not get so down.  Keep eating healthy meals and get your blood moving and so many other thing in your life will straighten themselves out.  Guess what... when you are nice to others they will be more likely to be nice in return.   Some days when I think everyone else is being a little mean, I have to turn around and look at myself.  You have to fix yourself first because you can't fix everyone else.

Please sign up for my newsletters above, and head over to my website to find out more about health coaching or click the button for a 1-hour consult and I can tell you all about it myself.

Hugs!

Do You Like Banana Pudding?

This is one of my hubby favorite treats.  It is not non-fat, nor is it on my healthy snacks list but it is SO yummy that when we both want something really sweet and delicious I make this!  AND it's gluten-free!!!

Ingredients:

3 Bananas

2 cups vanilla ice cream (sometimes I use the dairy-free kind...sometimes)

1 cup unsweetened vanilla almond milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup gluten-free animal cookies

Blend bananas, ice cream, milk, and extract together.  Then add cookies and blend just long enough to crush them... then enjoy and thank me! 

If you make this smoothie, please comment below and let me know how it came out.

For more info. visit my website at www.ignitethegift.com and sign up for a free 1-hour health consult with me, if you don't work with me yet.

Also fill out above to receive my fun and informative video newsletter, who has time to read when you can watch!

If you have any questions you'd like to ask or topics you would like to hear, please comment below and I will do my best to cover them.

My Fav. Blog

                                                                                         ©Kal Barteski 2013

Over the years I have been in and out of many websites, pages, blogs, and networks.  All of them have been useful and inspiring but they have had their time and come and gone, most in a matter of months or weeks.  BUT, there has been one that has stood the test of time.

When I was in the depths of my depression after my first son was born and just trying to keep my head above the water, I found this blog.  I literally googled "love life" in the seach box and this is what popped up.  Thank God because it got me through some bad days.

A gal named Kal Barteski is the author, and at the time our children were very close in age.  I have read this blog for years, since 2007!  Yes, years this amazing woman blogs just about everyday and is in a sense my favorite reality series.  She is an artist, a wife, a mom, a small business owner, and part- SUPERHERO!  I really love everything that she has so graciously shared and this is just a little thank you for all that she has done and does.

If you would like to check her out, and please do, she it at: www.lovelife.typepad.com.

Thanks Kal!