Lemons and that sexy inner glow.

 

It’s spring and a great time to detox, change your eating habits. Thankfully mother nature gives all we need if you just look around. This is the first in a series of spring eating topics I am going to be sharing with you. These are the topics I would be covering in my cooking class that I had planned to do. But it works out for everyone as you can enjoy this from the comfort of your own home!  Want to know more about what I do as a health coach or want to work together? Follow the link below for more information.

Now lets get talking about why you should be including lemons into your life. First an amazing recipe for you that has our featured lemons and salmon. Between the antioxidents in the lemons and the omega 3’s in the salmon you have a great mix for that inner glow.

Below the recipe is a short video from me talking about lemons and a helpful hint that helped me melt away 30 lbs a few years ago without going on a crazy diet or excersise routine. I love to use this tip now when I need to get more enery, clean up my skin and in the spring I just have a natural calling for it to detox from the heavy winter foods that were eaten.

 

 

Baked Salmon with lemon, asparagus and barley

Serves 4

1 cup of quick cooking barely

1 1/2 cups  chicken broth

1 lb of asparagus, trimmed

1 lemon sliced thinly

1 1/4 pounds skinless salmon fillet, cut into 4 pieces

2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill

 

• Heat oven to 375 . In a large baking pan place the barley, broth and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and mix together.
• Arrange the asparagus in a single layer on top of the barley.
• Season the salmon with salt and pepper, place on to of asparagus.
• Arrange lemons  on top of the salmon.
• Cover the pam with foil and bake in the oven for 25-30 mins or untill the barley and asparagus are soft and salmon is cooked through.
• Sprinkle salmon with dill before serving.

 

Ok as promised here my video about lemons. Excuse the low quality and angle , I had one heck of a time getting this recorded as my camera decided to not play nice and so I had to record this with my phone. I felt like I was trying not to laugh at the silliness of what had happened while trying to record this.

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Untill next time have fun, eat well and laugh a lot!

Shelly

 

What is a health coach? A health coach is a guide, a coach, someone on your team cheering and helping you to succed. A health coach is someone who will call you on your BS and push you with firm love to get you to your goals.

Are you looking to loose weight? Take better care of yourself? Maybe your motivated but just can’t keep up the momentum or need help figuring out what should be in your healthy lifestyle?  Think it’s all to hard and you can’t do it? It’s easier than you think and I’d love to talk to you to see if we could work together to help you reach your health goals.  Just click here and fill out the form and I will get in touch with you. I do appt in person but also via phone or skype. So we can work together even if you live a thousand miles away or find it easier to meet from the comfort of your home.

Sleep, sleep where are you??

Well I had an article recently published at FitTv and I wanted to share with my readers. I just recently left my retial job and I would have never though what the crazy hours would do to my sleep. Now I do have a health issue that contributes to it but when I was in the throws of my insominia I would have done anything for a good nights sleep. I actually was sleep deprived at one point I felt like I was loosing my mind.  At first teas helped. But as I kept working closing shifts followed by opening shifts my sleep pattern that I had got thrown off.   I’ve read it can take months to recover. I was put on early shifts and had to get some sleep which just added to the stress.  I am now sleeping but it took a fair amount of sleep hygeine to be able to even get 6 hours of sleep at night instead of 3 maybe 4 that was always inturrupted. Having added stress didn’t help any of this either.

I tried a number of things from teas to when I got desperate perscription drugs that ended up making me feeling worse. Want to know what finally worked? Check out my story here.

Later this week I will return with a healthy easy recipe for you to cook up in your kitchen that is sure to be a hit.

Blessings

Shelly

Dandelions & Boobs

October is breast cancer awareness month. I’ve had family who had breast cancer, friends and coworkers.  I personally wish we could find a cure and end all cancers.

Back in 2011 I had my first mammogram scare. My midwife at the time suggested I start getting mammograms early because of family history.  In 2011, during what I expected nothing on my exam,  they found a lump in my right breast. I had been having pain there but really hadn’t thought much of it.  I’ve shared the nightmare I went though with my midwife and the diagnostic center. I am happy that I now use a nicer diagnostic center and have a new doctor.

This year I went for my yearly mamo and ultrasound. I now get them together since it’s easier and I have dense breast tissue. I assumed, nothing would be different.  A few weeks passed and my mammogram paper work came back saying I needed an ultrasound. I laughed as I had it done the same day as the mamo and they knew that.  I wrote it off in my mind that the ultrasound paperwork would be in the mail in the next day or two telling me I was clear and would see them next year. It never came. I finally called my doctor’s office and was told they were just about to call me. It seems something different was going on in my breasts and I needed to have more testing done.  This all ended up leading me to the Smilow Cancer Center at Yale. Which , I confess scared me.

I am grateful for the way they doing things. First they uploaded my images and had their diagnostic tech look them over. This step saved me from having unneccessary testing my doctor thought I should have. I got a phone call that the testing planned didn’t need to be done. I was relieved, and exhaled on the phone. Then I was told I needed to come in and see one of the surgeons.  The anxiety came flooding back.

I have to say the Breast Center at the Smilow center is beautiful. The whole cancer center is beautiful. I had become familiar with the healing garden that was just across from the children’s hospital when my grandson was at Yale.  The staff at the breast center was even more amazing.  The only thing upsetting was the fact that they gave me a hospital bracelet when I checked in. I guess in my mind I assumed it was just a doctor visit. No need to have a hospital bracelet. This somehow made it all to real. My anxiety came back again. Breath in….breath out.

The surgeon I saw was extremely nice and was willing to explain everything after he found out I wasn’t even sure what was going on and why I was there.  It seems my doctor and the diagnostic center  were worried about some cysts. All of which the surgeon explained were simply the result in hormone changes in my body that are normal. What he was concerned about was the lump that was found in 2011. It’s not a cyst. My mind then began focusing on the Black Cohosh study that was posted on the wall behind him. I kept thinking I should have stayed on it longer darn it.  My brain began thinking of a bunch of other things I should have done. I was “should-ing” all over myself.

He went on to say that he isn’t into doing anything invasive and so since he had all my records and images since 2011 he felt that there was nothing we should do. The lump had not changed at all in the years it had been there.  He explained why he would not remove it and why he would not biopsy it. He assured me it is not cancer but we would continue to watch it. If it changes we will discuss what to do then. For now there is nothing to do. Here’s where the big exhale came in.

I left feeling happy and confident. The only problem now is how to get this sucker to stop hurting. The pain I get now and then is what I imagine it would be like to have a steak knife put into my breast and then have it twisted. I am told this pain is the result of the breast tissue swelling due to hormones. Lovely.

I’ve read things of what to do for healthy breasts. I’m very fond of Susan Weed’s teachings.  So when my naturopath suggested dandelion oil to use for a breast massage I said , yep, that is what Susan Weed suggests.

Thing is there is not one health food store or herbal store around me that sells dandelion oil.  I thought ok, I’ll make my own. Reading up on it it’s the flowers that are best but you can use the root or leaves. I call around again. Nobody seems to have dried dandelion flowers. I had no luck. It’s fall so going out to my lawn isn’t going to do it either. So I bought some dandelion root tea to sip and a bag of dandelion leaves and some almond oil and made my way home.

Making your own oil is really simple. I’ve made a few over the years and they always turn out really nice. Once you have your oil you can add a little beesewax and you have a salve.

What you need is a glass jar with a good lid. What ever herb you are going to make oil from. Fresh is best but I found sometimes dried is better as there is less water in the plant. Each plant is different so experiment with it. Then you will need an oil. You can use almond or olive oil.  Play with that as well Just don’t use coconut oil as it tends to go solid in cool temps and never use canola or vegetable oil. Neither are healthy to eat so don’t use on your skin.

I am not giving amounts because the size of the jar and how much you want to make is the thing to play with.  Make sure your jar is clean, then pack it full of the herb your making oil with.  Don’t be afraid to really pack it full. Pour your oil in and with a chopstick or something like it,  push around to make sure to get any air bubbles out. This helps to use all of the herbs and prevent mold.  Fill with more oil if need. Your jar should be filled totally with oil and herbs. No air bubbles. Put the lid on and it put it in on a shelf away from direct heat or sunlight. I write on the lid the date I made the oil. Six weeks later,  strain off the herbs and collect the oil in another clean jar and you are all set to use  for massage. You can add your favorite essential oils to give it a nice scent.

I am eagerly awaiting for my dandelion leaf oil to be ready. In the mean time the pain in my breast acted up and I went online and found a little shop on Etsy and bought some dandelion flower oil from a woman in NC who does all organic oils. I am pretty excited to get that oil and I was told it has shipped. I’ll use that till my oil is ready.

It really is that easy.  Dandelion oil is not only good for breast tissue  and helping with the cysts and lumps some of us ladies get , it is also good for sore muscles, achy joints and I read some folks  find relief with gout.   A massage with dandelion oil is said to help release stored emotions and ease the body when stressed.

Ready to make your own oil?  What kind are you making?

 

Until next time!

Shelly