Snow Storm Comfort Food!

I love southern New England....once or twice a year we get a sweet snow storm that forces us to slow down, build that fire in the fireplace and whip up some good old fashion comfort food.

Many people believe that you can't eat healthy comfort food. Not so!

I wanted to create something yesterday that would warm my husband before he went off to work, plowing in the city.  I knew he would have a long night and need something that would stick to his ribs.

I created a healthy rendition of scallop potatoes and ham - Yum!

Quick Potato and Ham Casserole

2 T EVOO
1 medium onion diced
2 cloves of garlic

Saute these ingredients in a saute pan until soft and translucent

Add 4 T of organic salted butter.

Stir until bubbly and beginning to brown.

Add 1/4 cup of flour  (I use brown rice, almond or coconut)

Whisk until fully incorporated and bubbly.

Add 1 1/2 cups of milk. (I use almond or coconut)

Whisk until thickened and bubbly.

Add 2 T stone ground mustard, 2 t of crushed rosemary, salt and pepper to taste.

Place 16 oz of organic hash browns (cubed or shredded) and 8oz of organic ham cut in chunks in a casserole dish.

Cover with sauce and toss.

Sprinkle with a small amount of organic cheddar blend (I do this on one half - I am dairy-free)

Bake uncovered in a 350 oven for about 50 minutes or until brown and bubbly.

Add a green salad or steamed broccoli and go sit in front of the fire and enjoy!

Serves 6!

Stay Warm!

I Have Always Eaten My Food but I Like The Idea Of Smearing It On!

So doing research for my upcoming newsletter about sugar and aging.
Wow those yummy dessert treats and put a beating on your dewy skin.
In my newsletter I recommend dramatically cutting back on sugar consumption.
So I found this really cool book in my library and have now been reading it for about an hour.
A little 9 1/2 weeksish and something I do not want to share with the hubby (his enthusiasm for food and that movie makes it way to dangerous to share with him) I have come across The Beauty Cookbook by Kym Douglas and Cindy Pearlman.
They have some delicious recipes for facials, hair, manis, pedis, lifestyle and spa treatments.
Everything is made with stuff in your kitchen.
I must admit - the peach facial may not make it to my forehead - you know teeth also can show signs of aging and need a good treatment......in a blender with some almond milk.....ooops sorry.
I really like the sound of the tomato facial as well as the almond oil.  Hmm before the shower to preserve your skin's moisture.....like it!
There are tons of great ideas in this book....
There is a red skin smoothie made of rose hip tea, chamomile tea and aloe.  Just mist it on your face after you wash...I really need to try that one.
So if you want to improve your natural beauty check out this book.....it is awesome....and while it may seem that you just shmear your lunch on you face and all is well - there is science behind these recipes....have fun and look gorgeous. http://ow.ly/a6jiI

I Got Those Post-Vacation, Pre-Retirement Blues!

Anyone know a good blues guitarist?

I could use a little musical background here.

I don't tend to be a whiner but here goes.....

I want my vacation back...
My husband and I set off on a spectacular 11 day eastern seaboard cruise - auto that is!
We set off on a Thursday morning in 30 degree weather and headed on down to Roanoke VA, 
where we found an awesome restaurant that overlooked the action-packed street below.
It was warm and we were excited to be free!

We then headed to Atlanta Georgia to visit good friends that we haven't seen in over 10 years.
We fell in love with their two pugs, two kids, smokin' hot tub and gorgeous weather!

Yeah they had to pry us out of the hot tub with an incredible meal.
We have a theme going here in case you didn't notice.  Food,beverages and warm weather!
Next we headed off to sunny Cocoa Beach to visit my little brother (hahahaha at 6'2" not so little but I remember towering over him so he is still little to me) 8-)

We had a great time with he and his girlfriend, their dog and the neighbor's Minpin!  A wild crowd.
We hung on the beach, ate great food (yeah there it is again) and soaked up the sun!

We also slept like bricks - wow that was a welcome change and soooooooo sweet!

Oh and I got a new doo!  

Next we headed off to our friends Bob and Sarah's house in Bradenton.
Wow their place is gorgeous.
Sarah made a wonderful meal the first night that we polished off with great gusto.  We do that a lot.

We checked out the farmer's market that went on for blocks.  The prices were incredible and the selection was awesome.

We went on a day long boat ride with their friend's which we thoroughly enjoyed.

So as you can see we had a great time. 
So if you see me on the streets or maybe in Whole Foods, Mrs Greens or Fairway and I am looking a little less than enthusiastic - sorry. 
 I'll be okay soon..... all I need is a good farmer's market to cheer me up!

When Pigs Fly or The Cows Come Home!

Procrastination - What is that doing for you?

I speak to ladies all over Fairfield and Westchester counties.

They all have goals and dreams.

They have issues that they want to work on, problems to solve and changes that need to be made.

They don't like what is going on with their bodies but they are: to afraid, to busy, to confused to take a stand and go for it.

This fascinates me.

I am a student of human nature.

With a degree in social and behavioral sciences I love to watch people: alone and in a group.

I want to learn what motivates them, excites them and keeps them awake at night.

It is part of the reason I started doing what I am doing.

I wanted to help women change their lives and what is more important than their health.

So why are you stuck?

According to Psychology today

There are three types of procrastinators:

• Arousal types, or thrill-seekers, who wait to the last minute for the euphoric rush.
• Avoiders, who may be avoiding fear of failure or even fear of success, but in either case are very concerned with what others think of them; they would rather have others think they lack effort than ability.
• Decisional procrastinators, who cannot make a decision. Not making a decision absolves procrastinators of responsibility for the outcome of events.

Which type are you?

To Read more of this article, click the link below!
http://www.psychologytoday.com/articles/200507/why-we-procrastinate 

So what are the 5 things that you can do to get moving:

1.  Make a comitment.  Make it 100% percent.  Once you do this you are ready to go.  Just do it!

2. Clarify why this is important, if you feel strongly about why you need to do something you are less likely to put it off.  If you need to, write it down and post it in a public place so you see it over and over again.

3.  Tell someone what you want to get done.  Once it is public you will feel more compelled to get the ball rolling.

4.  Be clear about the pain that you are experiencing and the pleasure you will feel at the resolution of the issue.  The more viseral you make an issue the more likely you will do something about it - thus moving towards pleasure and away from pain.  A foggy conclusion makes the ride so much more unlikely.

5. Put it on your calendar and throw away the eraser.  Plan out your attack in realistic chunks and go do it.  Without a plan you have only a dream. Make it real!

6.  Okay, I said 5 but I added one....8-)  Get support.  Decide who you need to make this happen and get them in on the plan.  Tell them your goals and have them make you accountable.  Yep I love this one - I am a coach - this is what I do!

Take these five/six steps and you should be on your way to moving past being a procrastinator.  You can do it!

I would love to support you in any of your health and wellness goals.

Remember it is your health and……
   

You Deserve to be Healthy!

Go to: MindyKannon for more info.

I Am A Plain ol' Jane!

They say that it only takes 3 seconds for someone to judge you by your looks.
Ouch!
I have never been one to care much about my looks.
I was cute enough.  
My mom tells me that I was down-right adorable as a baby.

I was never unhappy with how I looked and lucky enough to be okay looking.
But as I do more speaking engagements I am finding that I need to think about what to wear and the image I am trying to create!
Wow, that is a real big pain.
So recently I hired Scarlett DeBease. http://www.scarlettnewyork.com/
I was a little nervous I will admit.
She was coming into my house, my bedroom, my closet - oh boy!
I did do a little organizing so she could see what I owned.
When the day arrived, I was psyched at all she showed me.
First we took a picture of me before:

She showed me what colors looked good on me: brown vs back, gold vs silver jewelry and what neckline is best.
She then went through my closet and created outfits from the clothes that fit the criteria.

I got rid of a ton of clothes and happy to do so - really happy.
I had a lot of stuff and it was always a little depressing that I had nothing to wear even though my closet was full.
She took a lot of pictures so I would remember the outfits.

We then went shopping.
Okay here is one of the big revelations - I had a bra fitting - first time ever!
Wow! Was that an eye opener.  I now have a bust-line in the correct place...hahahaha
I am small but it was definitely misaligned if you know what I mean.
We found lots of clothes that looked great and had fun doing it.
I can now walk into my closet and see outfits that I can grab and go with and feel confident that I look pretty good.
Confidence! My clothes now give me confidence!
Thanks Scarlett,
Mindy

NYC Vegetarian Food Festival

Veggies Unite! The NYC Vegetarian Food Festival!

You don't have to be a vegetarian or a vegan to enjoy this event.

I'm not, 

I love a good steak, roasted chicken or piece of ginger marinated salmon. 

 I always know where my meat comes from and I also know the absolute necessity of eating a plant based diet and it's connection to long-term good health.

So if you didn't go...here is what you need to know from "veggie world".....

First there were tons of people..tons.

We waited in line for like 45 minutes.

There were some pretty cool people in line..

They were a healthy looking bunch.


Once inside, we were excited by the number of vendors and the wide array of products and services.

Brendan Brazier who is an Ironman Triathlete and developer of a vegan food line and author of The Thrive Diet and Thrive Fitness was on stage in front of a huge crowd.

We tasted some great vegan chocolate as well as dairy free cheese, coconut ice cream, rice chips, kale chips, papaya 

curcumin juice.

One of my favs was sunflower milk - it was so good but I still am an almond milk fan!

Check out some of the other vendors we visited with

Daiya Lactose-Free Cheese

Coconut Bliss Lactose-Free Ice Cream - I love this stuff!

Sheffa

A variety of pickled cabbage and other yummy stuff!

Chocholistic

If you get a chance check it out next year.

For $5 you get tons of samples and some great information.

 Remember it is your health and……

   

You Deserve to be Healthy!

This Girl Just Wants To Have Fun!

I love to have fun!

I love to laugh and I try not to take too many things, seriously!

“Melinda, life isn’t all about fun and games” my dad used to say.

He was a child in the depression and so was a very serious guy.

Everyone has a different idea of what is enjoyable.

For me, I enjoy things like:
Creating a business that is fun and helps busy women look, feel and function better,
Spending time with friends and colleagues doing things that challenge my brain and make me laugh,
Taking long walks with my husband and dog, Maya,
Cooking,
Reading and
Roaming around NYC in search of awesome healthy food.

The list goes on from there.

Laughter, fun and finding your passion is an incredibly important part of creating good health.

By living a life we enjoy we reduce stress, lower our risk for heart disease and cancer, attract happier people into our lives, sleep better, feel less pain and age much more slowly.

Who doesn’t want that?

Being bored, miserable and unhappy drains your energy, changes your outlook on things and affects your long-term health.
  It is also a great way to end up alone!

Who of us is not attracted to the smiling, laughing, happy person in the room?
 They are usually surrounded by people that want to get in on the action.
  They are attractive and glow with good health.

So how does happiness affect your health?

Laughter relaxes the whole body. A good, hearty laugh relieves physical tension and stress, leaving your muscles relaxed for up to 45 minutes after.

Laughter boosts the immune system. Laughter decreases stress hormones and increases immune cells and infection-fighting antibodies, thus improving your resistance to disease.

Laughter triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Endorphins promote an overall sense of well-being and can even temporarily relieve pain.

Laughter protects the heart. Laughter improves the function of blood vessels and increases blood flow, which can help protect you against a heart attack and other cardiovascular problems.
To Read more:http://helpguide.org/life/humor_laughter_health.htm

So stop feeling sorry for yourself, decide what you want and go after it, dump those people that don’t love and support you and get smiling.

I am working on having as may laugh lines as possible.

Life should be filled fun and games, so out and play!

How will you have fun today?

 Remember it is your health and……
   

You Deserve to be Healthy!

To learn more about how to improve your health go to: Mindy Kannon