2 bunches of broccoli chopped (treat yourself to organic)

1 avocado

1 lemon

1 tablespoon of olive oil

1/4 teaspoon of sea salt

Steam broccoli using steamer basket, for about 5 minutes.  If using the stems, chop them and add them 2 minutes prior to the tops.

In mixing bowl, combine juice of lemon, olive oil and salt.

Chop avocado into chunks and add to bowl.

Add warm broccoli to bowl, mix and serve.

This recipe is perfect if you are trying to increase your intake of vegetables and is just one of the many delicious recipes found in Integrative Nutrition: Feed your Hunger for Health and Happiness which you can download to the eReader of your choice for free.  Enjoy!

Nutritionally speaking asparagus is highest in vitamin K, A, folate and iron to name just a few of the beneficial nutrients. It is also known to be a powerful anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant making is a risk reducer for certain cancers. Asparagus also supports digestion, heart health and support blood sugar.

Here is just one of my favorite ways to enjoy asparagus.

Roasted Asparagus Salad

Roast asparagus at 425 degrees for 15-30 minutes on a baking sheet.  Drizzle asparagus with olive oil, salt and pepper.

Apple (granny smith is recommended) any variety will work chopped

Gruyère cheese (I slice it thin in ribbons with a vegetable peeler) or as an alternative use swiss cheese

Mixed greens of any kind

Dressing:

1/3 cup olive oil

1/3 cup rice vinegar

1/3 cup honey

mix and toss with greens, chopped apple, gruyere cheese and top with roasted asparagus.

Seriously, this is delicious!  Enjoy.

Almost as cool as their mission to change the tide against obesity by helping people learn strategies and achieve sustainable weight-loss for life.

To get started now and for a chance to win a Retrofit program (valued at $2995) to support you and your goals take this quiz (50 quick questions that might take you 7 min to complete) to find out what your Lifestyle Pattern is and how it might impact your weight-loss efforts.  Don’t forget to come back and comment, stating you took the quiz for your chance to win.

Would a team of coaches, technology to help you keep track of your calories, activity, sleep and pounds (falling off), along with nutritional support including recipes and exercise support including portable resistant bands help you?  Are you connected to data, do you like to see results and have wi-fi access?

Did you know that those of us who are successful at maintaining weight-loss think differently, than those of us who re-gain our weight over and over?

There really is a sustainable formula for weight-loss and it’s backed by science.  Retrofit is a data driven solution to achieving and more importantly maintaining your weight-loss.  It is absolutely not a quick fix weight-loss approach built on deprivation and false promises.

Retrofit wants you to succeed; if you don’t they don’t.  It’s pretty simple.  So much so, they guarantee it; if you follow the plan and meet with your coaches and you don’t lose/maintain 10-15% (based on your individual goal) weight loss you will get a second year of support without an additional investment.  Of course you can lose more than 10% or 15% and you probably will if you have the extra weight to lose, however Retrofit is clear about why 10% is the initial goal.  It is enough to make a significant difference in your health and change your life forever.

I recommend entering if you are serious about losing the weight and committed to giving it your time and attention for an entire year.

Here is how to secure your chance to win:

1. Required: take the quiz to determine your Lifestyle Pattern –comment below that you did and if you want share one or more of your profiles -from the email you receive following the quiz.

optional and additional chances to win:

2. Like CincyHealthCoach on Facebook and comment below you did

3. Like Retrofit on Facebook and yep, comment below

4. Tweet or share with your network; and comment you did

and one last entry if you want

5. subscribe to CincyHealthCoach news or RSS feed and comment that you are a subscriber (sign up box on right of this page)

Basically each comment (verified by action) is your chance to win.

I have been asked to represent many different types of wellness companies since I started CincyHealthCoach; I have always quickly replied “no, thank you” primarily because I don’t want my clients, friends and family to rely on or put their hope in supplements or other quick fix offerings to achieve their health goals.  We all have exactly what we need, we just sometimes need to find it within or learn a few new skills which can be used over and over when we decide to “fall off the wagon” again.  All of us at some point will choose to make a choice that doesn’t serve us and it’s ok because when you have the tools you know what to do when you are ready.

Retrofit does that too and with far more technological resources and tools than I was offering my clients at nearly the same investment when it comes to weight loss specifically.  It was really a “no-brainer” for me to decide to join their team.  I get to continue helping people gain skills to do what they want to do and my clients get the results they are looking for with data to support their efforts.

Click here to see how it works.  Go here to take the quiz.

The giveaway ends on January 15, 2012 at 5pm EST.  We have to get started, after all.  A name will be chosen at random,  verified and winner celebrated when notified.

Good Luck!

I used random.org to pick the winner and the winner is….

Congratulations Emily from momminitup.com! We look forward to sharing in your journey to lose it.

This giveaway is closed.

1/3 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos (or soy sauce)
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/3 extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet onion sliced thin into half moons
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1 pound fresh kale

optional:
sprouts
avocado (highly recommended)
Shiiake mushrooms
red or yellow peppers sliced thin for color

Mix or blend 1/3 cup each soy, lemon juice and olive oil and pour into bowl

Slice the onion in half, then slice one half of the onion into thin slices place into dressing mixture to marinate

While onions are marinating, de-stem and chop kale into bite size piecee

chopped kale

Toast sunflower, pumpkin and sesame seeds

toasted seeds

Toss kale and marinating onions together and allow to marinate a couple of hours

Enjoy this fun video and song. If you want a family and friends promotion to your own team of healthy (nutrition, exercise, behavior) coaches in 2012, I can hook you up until Dec 30 (Friday)

This soup (shamelessly adapted from a recipe shared by Stephanie Danko) has become a Halloween Tradition and it is a Treat (just ask the neighbors). I love this soup because it feeds plenty and is more than satisfying as a meal. It’s also very flexible. Use leftover turkey (instead of chicken) after Thanksgiving or leave the meat out entirely for a vegetarian version. Switch up the liquids/broths if you have something else on hand. The one thing I wouldn’t change is the spice combo but go for it if you are creative like my friend Steph is!

1 med onion, chopped (for flavor, I leave them big so I can pick out)
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 Tbsp oil
4 lbs chicken, cooked and shredded (shortcut by using a roasted chicken, sub turkey or leave out all together)

2 cans chopped tomato (blend first if you don’t want the chunks)
10 ounce can of Rotel (or one can tomato and one can green chilies)
1 32 oz box organic beef broth
1 32 oz box organic chicken broth
2 cans tomato soup
3 cans water
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp lemon pepper
2 tsp salt
6 tsp Worcestershire sauce
Tabasco on side for those who like it Hot

optional: add a can of black beans drained and rinsed and or some frozen organic corn

Saute the first five ingredients in the oil. Add remaining. Simmer for a few hours. The longer it simmers, the better. Even better the second day.

Serve with tortillas (corn or flour –crispy or soft), shredded cheese, avocado, and/or sour cream

Yes, I know there are genetic components; I just happen to believe we have more control, by the choices we make, on how these genes express themselves.  We have powerful choices that will make a difference.  Recently I had the opportunity to hear Dr. Joel Fuhrman, author of “Eat to Live” give his thoughts on what he calls “the anti-cancer diet” and I was once again encouraged.  Some information I heard was not so surprising, like greens, onions and berries; but I was quite please to hear mushrooms were also gaining a powerful place in the fight against cancer.

I particularly appreciated how Dr. Fuhrman simplified his “anti-cancer diet” to five main foods and an acronym to help me remember: GOMBS

Greens: no surprise here, greens are a powerhouse of nutrients and Kale leads the pack in nutrient density.  Eat more greens and increase your energy and starve out cancer and a variety of other conditions.

Onions: Nature’s pharmacy, onions are the allium of choice for it’s high content of polyphenols.  Sautee them to carmelize and throw in  a handful of cranberries for a fun, delicious and healthful side dish

Mushrooms: A recent study published in the international Journal of Cancer showed women who regularly consumed mushrooms are 64% less likely to develop breast cancer. That was about 10 g of mushrooms daily. That same study showed that the women who ate 10 g of mushrooms and simultaneously consumed green tea had 89% less likely to develop breast cancer.    Now that’s something that caught my attention.

Berries: high in antioxidants.  We eat “ice cream” made from frozen berries and my Blendtec at least 4 times a week.

Seeds and nuts: toss some sesame seeds in your salad dressing and absorb more of the cancer fighting properties from the greens.

I already try to eat greens EVERY day, now I will be adding some more mushrooms and onions to my food life.

Turns out there are even pink mushrooms.  See one here.   And for those of you who are recovering from (or know someone who is) check out this amazing new resource: The After Cancer Diet by Suzanne Boothby and her father Richard Boothby, MD available at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.

Menu Plan Monday

It seems like this week is already getting away, so the meals have to be fast and easy using what we have.

Monday:  Teryaki Chicken using Soy Vay Very Very Teryaki which is a staple in our home, salad with Makoto ginger dressing and (leftover) brown rice

Tuesday: Chili -the girls have been asking for it;  I’ll use a simply organic seasoning mix and add kidney beans and serve it with sourdough since we got a local fresh loaf in our Green Bean Delivery box Saturday.

Wednesday: Pork Roast in the crockpot with green beans (if they are not all gone from the kids snacking on them raw at snacktime)  If you have any favorite recipes here send them my way.

Thursday: Miso-Sriracha glazed Salmon from my new favorite menu plan/grocery list app called FoodontheTable (if you have the iPhone grab it) with brown rice and whatever vegetable is left

Friday: Choice Night

What’s for dinner at your house?

After searching for hours and days, I finally found an amazing meal plan app.  So this will really only help you if you have a “smart-phone” but if you don’t you can also try there resources online (though it appears there is a monthly subscription fee.  The app is free and you can also use it on facebook, though I just use the iPhone app which has everything (recipes categorized several ways including by what’s on sale in your area, grocery list and a place to keep your meal plan for the week) all in one place.  You can also add other items to the list.

So here is what’s on the table at our house this week:

Monday: Maple Salmon

served with kale chips and quinoa topped with roasted vegetables

Tuesday: Pasta with red sauce

This week we will use a simple Barilla pasta and Classico Tomato Basil sauce since that is what we have on hand.  I throw in a salad or green veg and a piece of sourdough boule bread with some olive oil/sundried tomato dipping sauce.  This is one of R’s favorite meals.

Wednesday: Pot Roast or Italian Beef in the crock pot (Happy Birthday Greg!)

My husband is a meat and potatoes guy so I’ll throw in some fingerling or new potatoes and a fresh lettuce (he’s growing some amazing butter lettuce on the deck).  For the pot roast I sometimes cheat and use the lipton onion soup mix and recipe on the back of the box.  For Italian Beef I’ll look up my mom’s recipe or I saw one on my new favorite app; it’s onions, Worcestershire and has a spicy zing to it served on soft rolls.

Thursday:  Michael’s Chicken

Another recipe I found on the menu plan app and because I have all the ingredients on hand.  I’m going to use a prepared grain I have on hand (brown rice, quinoa blend) from Seeds of Change and add whatever vegetables I have left on hand, probably red/yellow peppers, carrots and maybe even another salad.

Friday: I’m off to NYC for a Nutrition Conference so the girls and Greg will be on there own.  I’ll leave them some ideas but experience has shown they don’t always follow “my” plan while I’m gone so I’ll save my energy and let them enjoy whatever the weekend brings them.  They call it “Daddy Fun Weekend.”

What’s on your table this week?

cube or use a melon ball scoop (a round measuring spoon works too) to cut watermelon

cube feta cheese

thin slice or cut (I use scissors) basil

ENJOY!