Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Cheesy Broccoli for dinner!!

Fabulous Memorial Day weekend!! i love the holidays and all the festivities. i will post pics as soon as i finally download them. i'm totally consumed with work, classes and workshops right now so when i'm over the hump i will post my fun family pics.

here is my totally satisfying quickie dinner for tonight. i had some leftover "garden blend" soup from last night so i sipped on that while i enjoyed lightly steamed broccoli with a cheesy tahini sauce.

my cheesy tahini sauce included tahini, dash of sea salt and nutritional yeast. totally simple but totally satisfying.
last night i had the same sauce on a baked sweet potato with my garden blend soup.

delish!!

Thursday, May 26, 2011

My Smoothie for Dinner

I had another crazy busy week and i was soooo craving a big smoothie tonight. yesterday was my once a month colonic day so i've been eating very light. i like to eat light the days coming up to colonic day and eat light and hydrate extra well the days after. So a big smoothie totally hit the spot tonight. here is what i nourished myself with tonight:

2 cups pau d'arco tea (you can substitute with water)
1 cup strawberries
1/2 cup blueberries
1 handful goji berries
2 bananas
1 handful chard
1 handful spinach
1 handful kale
1 heaping tbsp pure synergy powder
1 scoop acai
1 tbsp pomegranate powder
2 scoops sun warrior protein vanilla
dash vanilla powder
handful dulse
i blended it all up till totally smooth.
i love to sprinkle a little extra protein powder on top for some texture. yummy!! i feel nourished.

namaste, kelly

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Quick Kale Salad / Weekend

i returned from Williamsburg today and had to get to my post-detox potluck event. i whipped together a quick kale salad with loads of nourishing ingredients

2 heads curly or flat kale
1 red pepper
½ cup raisens
¼ cup hemp seeds
A few shake of Himalayan sea salt
Juice of ½ lemon
1 tbsp kelp sprinkles
1 tbsp dulse sprinkles

Dressing:
2 tbsp chickpea miso
1 tbsp coconut amines
Juice of 1/2 lemon
2 tbsp oil of choice- hemp, flax, olive or udo’s choice

Chop kale into very small pieces, sprinkle with dash of sea salt, add juice of 1/2 lemon and massage thoroughly for 3 minutes. Let sit while you prepare other ingredients. dice red pepper and add to salad. prepare dressing: in a small bowl combine miso, coconut amines, lemon juice and oil and whisk till creamy and smooth.
add dressing to kale salad. add hemp seeds, kelp, dulse and raisens.
sprinkle with more hemp seeds to serve.
optional: for creamier kale salad add mashed avocado and garish with sliced avocado and hemp seeds.

We traveled to williamsburg va for mason's cousen's fourth birthday. it was extremely rejuvenating. i've been working overtime lately and really needed a family weekend!! here are some pics. of course there are non with me because i'm always taking the pics.

the b-day party was a gymnastics party. i love parties with lots of activity.
mason jumping into the foam blocks-

i think owen had the best time in his life jumping into the blocks-

mason acting like a monkey swinging on the rope-

owen jumping high on the trampoline-

of course there was the typical cake and ice cream-

the boys were boys this weekend as usual:
flying airplanes-

playing "construction site"-

riding bike-

playing baseball-

and more.

the best part was i cuddled with owen all night and got to sleep in till 8am!!! WOW!! i'm refreshed. plus, i listened to my David Wolfe Longevity Now cds in the car when the boys were sleeping. so i'm extra motivated and enthusiastic about life. he is such an inspiration. i will be seeing him on june 8th at Elizabeth's Gone Raw and again in Baltimore for a 2 day conference June 10th and 11th. i'm psyched!!

so that was my weekend. plus i went to mason's baseball practice with him tonight which i love to do. he is growing and changing every day. its amazing.

thanks to all of you for being wonderful clients, patients and friends.

namaste, kelly

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Trigger Point Dry Needling

i have a network of healthcare practitioners and professionals that i collaborate and or co-treat with to provide clients with everything they need to attain optimal health and wellness. Tuesday i experienced Trigger Point Dry Needling for the first time and definitely see how beneficial it can be for specific issues. here is more information:

What is Trigger Point Dry Needling?
Trigger Point Dry Needling (TDN) is a treatment technique that utilizes thin, solid filament needles to deactivate and desensitize trigger points in muscles. Myofascial trigger points are knots in muscles that can contribute to pain, decreased flexibility and decreased muscle function. TDN is an effective and efficient method of releasing trigger points, especially when other manual soft tissue techniques are unable to directly release or release as many trigger points. TDN is also known as Intramuscular Manual Therapy (IMT).

Is TDN similar to Acupuncture?
The only similarity to acupuncture is the use of an acupuncture needle. Traditional Acupuncture aims to promote health and restore “energetic balance” by stimulating certain acupuncture points found along certain meridians throughout the body. It is one aspect off a Traditional Chinese Medicine approach which includes diagnosis and http://www.issapt.com/wordpress/wp-login.php?action=logout&_wpnonce=38aafff62cclinical reasoning using various Chinese medicine assessment methods. Western or Medical Acupuncture also aims to stimulate acupuncture points along meridians, but applies it to western medical reasoning utilizing anatomy and neurophysiology as its basis and not traditional Chinese medicine. TDN is based on anatomy and neurophysiology and its aim is to needle altered or dysfunctional tissues in order to improve or restore function, in most cases specifically myofascial trigger points.

How does TDN work?
The exact mechanisms of TDN are not known. Dr. Janet Travell first described trigger point injections in the early 1940s. Injections are performed by injecting trigger points primarily with analgesics. Over the years it has been shown that it is not the substance that is being injected that is providing the long-term therapeutic benefit, but rather the mechanical stimulus of the needle itself. When a needle tip hits a trigger point, a characteristic ‘local twitch’ in the muscle is noted by the clinician and the client. This local twitch is involuntary. It has been shown that the elicitation of local twitch responses is the most important aspect in obtaining a successful therapeutic outcome for trigger point deactivation. There are a number of hypotheses as to the reasons why dry needling works. Dry needling and the subsequent local twitch responses may mechanically disrupt the contracted nature of the trigger point. Dry needling stimulates certain neurological sensors in the body which modulate pain signals. Dry needling and the subsequent local twitch responses can cause positive local biochemical changes and result in an increase of blood flow.
What type of problems can be treated? – Muscle dysfunction can be the primary or secondary contributing factor to many neuromusculoskeletal conditions. Such conditions would include repetitive stress injuries, muscle tendonitis, neck pain, headaches, rotator cuff impingement, frozen shoulder, carpal tunnel syndrome, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, sciatica, muscle strains, iliotibial band syndrome, patellofemoral dysfunction, and plantar fasciitis. If active trigger points are found to be causing pain, muscle tightness and/or muscle weakness then they would benefit from being treated by TDN.

Is the procedure painful?
Most people do not feel the insertion of the needle. The local twitch response elicits avery brief cramping and/or deep aching sensation. TDN may reproduce symptoms directly in the muscle being treated or may refer to other areas of the body. This is a form of referred pain, which is one of the hallmarks of trigger points. Elicitation of local twitch responses and recognizable referred pain is a good and desirable reaction because it confirms a possible source of dysfunction.

Are the needles sterile?
Yes, we only use the highest quality sterile disposable needles.

How long does it take for the procedure to work?
In some cases, decreased pain and improved mobility is immediate. Typically, it may take a few treatment sessions for a lasting positive effect. Again we are trying to cause mechanical, biochemical and neurological changes without any pharmacological means. Therefore, we are looking for a cumulative response to deactivate trigger points, disrupt pain and to restore optimal muscle function.

What side effects can I expect after the treatment?
It is typical to experience soreness in the area treated for 1-2 days. The soreness is quite tolerable for most and is easily alleviated with cold/heat and stretching.
Why is my doctor not familiar with TDN? – In the United States, TDN is a relatively new method for treating myofascial trigger points and not everyone is already aware of this effective treatment modality. Needling therapies are very common practice for physiotherapists in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, and South Africa and is slowly making its way through the United States. More and more physical therapists are incorporating TDN into their practice. Incorporating the treatment technique with other manual and rehabilitative methods is showing to be very effective in treating various neuromusculoskeletal conditions. Feel free to inform your doctor about this treatment option. It is upon all of us to educate others about new and innovative ways to treat pain.

How do I know if I am a candidate? – Speak with a therapist to determine if TDN would be appropriate for your injury or condition. In the State of Maryland, you may see a physical therapist without obtaining a prescription, with the exception of Medicare insurance.

Information provided by ISSA PHYSICAL THERAPY

Monday, May 16, 2011

Private Raw Food Day / Today's Nutrition

Today i did a private all day raw food class for a client. She is a fabulous person and client with positive energy. She is very energized about learning about the raw living foods lifestyle and has gradually been implementing the concepts. the best part is that her teenage son is the one who is urging her to learn more because he has adopted this lifestyle and is thriving on it. it always helps if mom knows how to prepare nutritious and delicious raw vegan meals- today he had a feast waiting for him when he got home.

here are just some of the highlights:

how to grow wheatgrass and juice it daily

we made one of my favorite "crusts" or "bread". She can now use this to make raw vegan sandwiches, pizzas and more.



Sprout and Fermented Veggie Salad with Amazing Tahini Miso Dressing wrapped in Nori Sheets



went outside to her fresh herb and veggie garden to pick some greens:


Next we were on to a delicious Arame Kelp Salad with a Basil Pesto over a bed of Spinach:

One of my favorite Cream of Spinach soups

My famous Energy Balls and Bars


our final soup that included a little bit of everything- i never let anything go to waste.


For my nutrition today i did another very light day that included:
wake
yoga
warm water, lemon, cayenne
green juice plus supplements
green juice plus chlorella tablets

10ish kombucha tea
3ish watermelon
5:30 watermelon

8ish kombucha tea

Call or email if you are interested in private raw food / yoga events for you and your friends, mom's groups, birthday parties or just to celebrate living well.

i'm up way past my bed time. namaste, kelly

Sunday, May 15, 2011

Mindful Walking / Today's Nutrition

good evening. it was such a beautiful day today. today i had another yoga workshop all day and during the afternoon break i decided to take a long walk by myself. It was perfect. i took the time to be mindful of how i was walking and breathing. letting my thoughts just wonder and stop "thinking". the sun was shining down on me, people were rushing past me and i just kept walking focusing on what my body was feeling. i consciously let go of areas i found myself holding. over time my body was able to breathe deeper allowing my back and core to feel lengthened and spacious. i felt very energized after this walk.


today was a simple eating day for me. at least once per week, but often more than just once, i eat very simple. here is today's nutrition:

i slept in till 6:30 yehhhh!!
warm water, lemon, cayenne- drank this on the way to yoga workshop
drank blended cantaloupe at break during yoga workshop
10am short walk
kombucha tea
yoga practice
1:00ish long mindfulness walk
oranges
2:30 back to yoga workshop
kombucha tea
5:30 2 apples on way home from workshop
8:00 just got done munching on chlorella tablets- i wanted something crunchy and was craving a green

my energy is very high right now- but i know its time for bed.

namaste, kelly

Saturday, May 14, 2011

Today's Nutrition

This is a yoga immersion weekend. just returned from the studio and am waiting to pick up mason. he is out late at a movie night at sidwell- moon bounce, pizza, movie etc. he was sooo excited to be staying out late. anyway here was my day:
4am woke, home yoga practice
water, lemon, cayenne, probiotic
made my nutrient-dense green juice
today's green juice included celery, cucumber, sunflower sprouts, broccoli sprouts, alfalfa sprouts, kale, collards, apple, lemon and ginger. It was sweet and refreshing.


took supplements: multi womens, vit d3, omega zen, b-12, b-complex, vit c

Ate chlorella tablets while drinking green juice and playing with boys

Check out owen on his kazam bike. he now can balance for a few seconds without his feet touching the ground.

Here is owen drinking his green juice too.

Mason and i put together some puzzles (my yoga mat became the puzzle factory).

9:30-10:30 Went to Pre-detox workshop for a mom's group in Bethesda- GOOD LUCK TO ALL DETOXERS!!
12-2 Advanced yoga practice for yoga therapy program
2-3 fabulous lunch: i've been hooked on this lately but i love it- sunflower sprouts, fermented veggies, alfalfa sprouts, kelp, dulse and avocado all mashed up. i placed this mixture on top of lydia's green crackers with drizzle of tahini. i feel very nourished after this meal.


5ish- kombucha tea
7ish- sun warrior vanilla protein shake with just sun warrior and water. i'm going to be up a little later than usual and needed some more substance.


gotta go get mason from his movie night!!

namaste, kelly

Friday, May 13, 2011

Sun Warrior Chocolate Banana Cinnamon Smoothie

I have to share a smoothie i made for myself and my boys tonight. i rarely eat the chocolate sun warrior protein but i love it. it is a good change from my typical vanilla- which i love.
this is a pic of my vanilla sun warrior.

Here are two versions i did:
Version 1:

2 cups almond milk (homemade)
2 scoops sun warrior chocolate protein
1 dropper chocolate stevia
1 frozen banana
dash of cinnamon
dash of vanilla powder

Version 2:

2 cups hemp milk (homemade)
1 scoop sun warrior chocolate protein
1 scoop sun warrior vanilla protein
1 frozen banana
1 handful goji berries
dash of cinnamon
dash of vanilla powder

Both of these were fantastic. This was a little treat after mason and i played jenga.

enjoy!!

My day home with the boys

I love my days home with my boys. we often spend our time at the market, playing outside and making and eating yummy foods. Mason is at school from 9-4 so its just owen and i most of the day.
we started the day with blended cantaloupe. i love mine in my glass.

the boys love theirs in their "fun" cups:

for lunch owen and i had fermented kim chi, sunflower sprouts, sea veggies and avocado all mashed up with lydia's organic green and luna nori crackers and drizzles of tahini. i love this meal and so does owen.

here is owen shoveling it in with his hands- not proper etiquette but i'm glad he loves it.

here is the kim chi i used today:

owen also enjoyed a sun warrior chocolate protein and banana smoothie and zucchini hummus with green dehydrated crackers. did not get a pic of this one but he loved it. he's still drinking it now.
Tonight is pizza night for the kids. yes- its my healthy version of pizza.

have a great weekend. kelly

Wednesday, May 11, 2011

E-3 Live Green Smoothie

E3Live / blue green algae is one of the most nutrient-dense foods you can eat. i take a shot or two almost every day. i also include it in my kid's smoothies. here is one delicious and nutritious smoothie that includes E3 Live. Read below for more information regarding the benefits of E3 Live / blue green algae.

1 young coconut including meat and water
1 cup frozen mango
1 handful goji berries
3 stalks of kale
handful of chard
2 tbsp hemp seeds
1-2 ounces of E3Live

Blend everything in your high speed blender until smooth and creamy. Enjoy!!

Why should you eat E3Live???

This picture is of my shots of E3Live and wheatgrass.
It has been touted as a super food. It is organic, easily digested and full of antioxidants.

It is extremely rich in minerals and has a higher concentration of beta-carotene than broccoli.

Blue green algae also contain about 60 to 70% of vegetable protein, and provide all the essential amino acids. All these benefits without the risk of consuming meat, which is high in cholesterol and is difficult to digest.

A rich source of calcium, iron, vitamin B12, enzymes and antioxidants make the blue green algae an ideal food for both adults and children. Even pets can benefit greatly from this nutrient-packed food.

Being highly concentrated in so many nutrients, blue green algae offer numerous benefits to our well-being. We will take a look at the top ten health benefits of blue green algae:

1) Anti-Aging: Loaded with more essential nutrients and iron than most foods that we consume, blue green algae is perfect as an anti-aging food. Its high concentration of antioxidants means our bodies can combat more free radicals and toxics.

2) Relief from headaches aches and pain: our immune systems are strengthened.

3) Energy Booster - has rejuvenating effects

4) Better Digestion - it coats the stomach lining and is packed with enzymes that help to improve digestion.

5) Sleep better - it is detoxifying, resulting in better rest.

6) Lose weight - Less food cravings, a more balanced appetite.

7) Greater concentration and focus - increase in energy and clarity of mind

8) Strengthen the hair, skin and nails - high in protein which is the main building block for healthy hair, skin and nails

9) Less anxiety - it has beneficial effects on our brain development and can help us cope with stress better.

10) Improves memory - as it has effects on our brain development, regular consumption of blue green algae has also shown to have an impact on our memory.

namaste, kelly

Monday, May 9, 2011

Today's Sprout Green Smoothie


i loved the green smoothie i made for owen and i today- simple and fresh. measurements are approximate:

3 cups water
3/4 bag frozen organic mangos
2 bananas
3 big handfuls sunflower sprouts
2 big handfuls baby spinach
2 big scoops sun warrior vanilla protein
1 big scoop Raw Meal by Garden of Life
6 drops vanilla stevia

blend till smooth and creamy. enjoy!!

namaste, kelly

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Today's Nutrition / Pate Recipe

i had to share what my new bag i bought at whole foods had on it- i love it!!


The 7-Day Detox is going strong- some are on day 3 and some are on day 4. congratulations everyone!!!
my nourishment today:
wake
water, lemon j, cayenne / probiotic
7:00 small amount of green juice while working with clients at studio
yoga practice
massage
10:00am green juice plus supplements
drank rest of green juice till 1:00ish while working with clients
This was our juice for the day. i use the juice as a base for the kid's smoothies.

2:30 large sprout salad with fermented veggies, sea veggies and avocado. ate this with lydia's organic crackers and drizzle of tahini. YUMMY!! i've been loving this meal lately. very satisfying and makes me feel good.

These are the shakers of sea veggies that are soooo easy to shake on all your food:

drinking a kombucha tea now.

some of my detoxers were asking for other food options. not everyone has tried a Pate before. here is a recipe for a pate that is simple and delicious.
Not Tuna Pate
6 servings
1 ½ cups almonds, soaked for 24 hours, rinsed and drained
1 cup sunflower seeds, soaked for 4-6 hours, rinsed and drained
½ cup purified water, as needed
½ cup minced celery
½ cup minced red onion
½ cup minced parsley
1/3 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tbsp kelp powder
1 ½ tsp fresh dill weed or 1 tsp dried
½ tsp salt

Process the almonds and sunflower seeds in a food processor fitted with the S blade.
Transfer the mixture to a large bowl and stir in the remaining ingredients.
Stored in airtight container in the refrigerator, not tuna salad will keep for up to 1 week.

pates can be used in many ways:
wrapped up in a nori roll, collard or ezekiel bread wrap
make a sandwich with ezekiel bread, pate, sprouts and veggies
eat it alone or with a salad or soup
use it as a dip for your veggies during the day

my favorite way to eat a pate is to make a nori wrap.

take a piece of nori and place the pate on half of it. add sprouts, veggies, avocado etc and roll it up just like sushi. cut it in pieces, eat with chop sticks and dip it into my tahini miso dressing. the kids love it too.

here are my boys!!

enjoy!!