Happy Thanksgiving!!

Good morning everyone. i'm up bright and early preparing some fabulous raw dishes for our thanksgiving feast. i want everyone to experience what this "raw food" stuff is all about. even if my family eats some of the typical cooked thanksgiving food, they will still benefit from having more raw foods with their cooked foods. remember, any time you eat cooked food always try to eat raw food before or with it to increase the enzymes coming from the food and help digestion.

last saturday was a fabulous day filled with wonderful wellness events. i started my day with my favorite yoga class in town at try yoga taught by shannon. my yoga classes truly balance me . days i don't go to the yoga studio i do my own practice at home but it is just not the same. i love the energy from class. next, i conducted my "basics of holistic nutrition workshop" at balance studio in bethesda. i provided a variety of raw food treats for everyone to experience. i love doing this workshop because it really opens peoples eyes to how much food contributes to ones wellness- and in so many different ways. next, i was on to my raw catering event. i catered an open house for a gyrotonic studio in DC called elements. it was fabulous!!! many of the attendees had never tried "raw foods" and they were excited to learn that not only are they delicious but they are extremely nutritious. many of the moms were excited to learn that everything is wheat/gluten and dairy free too. here are some of the items i served:

Flax Crackers

Red peppers, zucchini, red onion, agave nectar, lemon juice, garlic,

celtic sea salt, whole flaxseeds, ground flaxseeds

Mineral Crisps

Pumpkin seeds, black sesame seeds, white sesame seeds,

golden flax seeds, garlic, onion, dulce flakes, sea salt

Kale Coleslaw

Dressing: orange juice, miso, flaxseed oil, agave nectar, lemon juice, onion powder,

ground flaxseeds, garlic, powdered mustard

Salad: kale, cabbage, tomato, red onion, cayenne, celtic sea salt

Zucchini Hummus

Zucchini, lemon juice, flaxseed oil, garlic, paprika,

celtic sea salt, cumin, cayenne, raw tahini, sesame seeds

Sundried Tomato Almond Cheese

Almonds, light miso, sundried tomato, italian herbs, garlic, celtic sea salt

Herbed Almond Cheese

Almonds, light miso, cilantro, garlic, scallions, celtic sea salt

Raw goji Bites

Date paste, sunflower seeds, raisens, apricots, cacao powder,

sesame seeds, coconut, goji powder, sunflower meal

have a wonderful thanksgiving and enjoy every bite!!

be well, kelly

DC Greenfestival

I love the greenfestival!!

it is that time of year again- time for the annual greenfestival which is so energizing. this year it was bigger than ever. what i love the most about greenfestival is that there are thousands of like-minded people, in one room, who are passionate about becoming more green, sustainable and living eco-friendly. you can find anything and everything you could possibly want green including: home remodeling, architecture, bags, clothing, jewelry, food, books, magazines and more. they have an amazing kid section too to get the kids learning about living green young. i took mason and he had sooo much fun. we colored, painted and even decorated a leaf to be placed on a "growing tree"- all using recycled paper. then we explored the discovery jungle truck which transported you to the rain forest. he also enjoyed all the truly healthy food they had to offer- both free and for cost.

If you are not a member of co-op america i suggest you go on-line and sign-up right now. i'm a member of co-op america which is one of the main sponsors of the event. if you sign up to be a member at greenfest it is free. Co-op america provides you with everything you need to live a sustainable life including local green businesses that follow green practices and green investing.

for anyone interested in green living just get started small:
-use reusable bags- keep them in your car so you don't forget them
-recycle
-compost
-eat green: buy local organic foods from local farmers, shop at local farmer's markets
-use reusable water bottles: for mason i use born free and klean kanteen
-klean kanteen bottles are great for adults too.
-use green light bulbs
-ride your bike or walk more and drive less
gradually you can step up and make larger changes
-remodeling your home in an eco-friendly, sustainable way
-buying an eco-friendly car

with the holidays coming a great idea is to buy eco-friendly green gifts for your family, friends and everyone you want to show appreciation to. Some examples include:
-jewelry
-clothing
-books
-lotions and beauty products
-donations to organizations you know they are passionate about
-an eco-trip or adventure

live green everyday and make greenfestival part of your yearly schedule.

Live Green and Thrive!!!


kelly

Tai Chi

good morning everyone,

I had a wonderful wellness weekend. friday and saturday i attended a workshop on the fundamentals of tai chi. Tai chi is practiced by millions for its health and longevity benefits. tai chi is a soft martial art and involves slowly moving from one form to another (there are faster styles too). the goal of the course i took was to make tai chi accessible to everyone. it is really something that everyone can do. Tai chi has applications for balance dysfunction, orthopedic and neurological rehabilitation, pain management, cardiovascular and respiratory disorders as well as individuals with chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia. it can be taught individually or in groups and used in a variety of settings.
One thing that i loved about it is that it forces you to slow down and breathe. your mind and your body need to participate in every aspect of the practice. some of the guidelines for tai chi include: mindfulness, postural alignment, breath awareness, active relaxation, slow movement, weight separation and integrated movement.
If you are interested in taking local classes, the citydance center at strathmore offers them every sunday. register at www.citydance.net or call 301-581-5204.

Move Well and Enjoy,

kelly