The "&" of Worship

I have been thinking...which is often a dangerous thing. A post by Lysa Terkeurst last night really triggered some emotions and insight that I have been keeping on the inside.

"Here's an encouraging word for someone tonight - don’t think you’re not doing what God called you to do just because things don’t seem as glamorous as you thought they would be. 

If you are a woman who honors God right where you are, you are in ministry. Keep being obedient, keep looking for the next open door of opportunity, and above all else hold closely to our Lord." - Lysa Terkeurst

A lot of people assume that leading worship is glamorous. That getting up on a stage and singing and leading people in worship must be exhilarating. That the people on stage are in some way hyper-spiritual - always living on some kind of "God-high."I can't speak for everyone, but for me the very opposite is often true. Yes, there are definitely moments where I feel completely overcome by the Spirit, where I feel like I am soaring...but not because of my own talent, spiritual fervor, or awesomeness. 

If I have learned one thing more consistently over that last year (ish) it is that true, authentic worship - worship that inspires and moves and soars is worship that comes from a place of struggle, brokenness, lacking, sometimes sadness and frustration. That is what makes it so beautiful. Just because a person may be a gifted singer or speaker or musician doesn't mean that stepping on the stage week after week is an easy and always exciting process.

For me the process has been humbling and terrifying. But God. But always God. God continues to meet me through the fears and tears and doubts. He continues to ask me to have those emotions but do it anyway. Lay aside my insecurities about my body. Set down my perfectionism. Strip away pride. Refine motives. It. Is. Hard. Nothing about the process is easy - at least for me. Yes, I am gifted. God has placed in me an ability to sing. But that doesn't make USING that gift easy - putting myself out there, exposing my heart - my most intimate moments with God for all to see.

I spent many years singing. Singing is a little easier - less risky. When I sing I can still be guarded. I can "put on a show, " entertain, but still protect the deepest cries of my heart and soul. I never dreamed that stepping out of the mindset of a singer into a worship leader would be such a risk. As a singer your greatest risk is hitting bad notes or getting off tempo, but with leading the stakes are so much higher. 

I know each time I walk out on to the stage that if God does not show up and work through me that what I deliver will be empty, meaningless "noise." It may sound good (or not - ha!) but that is where it stops. It doesn't MOVE. And for some people that may be OK. In fact, it used to be OK with me. I used to gauge how good a song I sang was by the amount of or lack of mistakes. That was before I experienced leading through the Holy Spirit. Once I had experienced that - there was nothing that I could possibly do to measure up.

Leading in any capacity is messy business. I rarely feel the need to celebrate my "successes" but instead find myself consistently surrendering, setting aside ego, stripping off walls that have been built up to present myself completely and fully to God to be used in the way that He sees fit...even when I don't want to. Especially when I don't want to. Especially when I don't feel like it. Especially after a fight with my husband and especially after a rough day with my kids or unpaid bills or unmet expectations. Especially when I have to get down on my knees and beg God to use this measly gift one more time for His greater purpose...when I know good and well that He doesn't need me. But He does choose me. And He does love me. And He loves you.

Don't get me wrong. I have enjoyed this journey and I so look forward to where God will take me next. I am having so much fun learning and experiencing new things. My creative side is completely bursting with thoughts and ideas and vision. I just know that for every "high" moment I get to experience with God there is another side to it. There is a spiritual battle raging. There is a whole person (a very imperfect person). There is life to be lived. A couple I really love and respect recently put it so well - there is joy & sorrow. God is deserving of our undivided, fully engaged worship ALL OF THE TIME. There is no hiding from the trials of life just because you decide to step into ministry. Life doesn't just all of the sudden get easy or make sense.

I have so much more respect for those of you who have served or are serving as church staff and leaders. I understand now just a tiny piece of what it must be like to continually give of yourself to the cause of Christ - the ultimate call on all of our lives. Thank you. We often take what you do for granted. I now can see your brokenness but I also see you lay that aside in humble surrender and "do it anyway"...because...God. Because always God. And the stakes are far more higher if we don't.

My Hiding Place

Have you ever been called out?  I sure have.  It's kind of embarrassing isn't it - being caught in a lie or an act of hypocrisy or for being fake or making a mistake? Heck it's embarrassing even when the reason you are being called out is funny - crop-dusting at Tar-get, Freudian slips, mispronouncing the word, "tidy," in first grade - someday I will let that one go...maybe.

Have you ever been called out by God?  It's a little more serious than being laughed at by your peers.  And He sure has a way of not letting it go. ;-) I don't remember what I was doing at the time that I felt these words burn into my heart, but they were very clear and persistent: "You are hiding." And cue the first reaction to any instance of being called out - denial.

"I'm not hiding!  I'm putting myself out there!  And anyway, I am just being a good mom and supportive wife by laying low and sacrificing MY dreams. That's what I'm supposed to be doing!"

I don't REALLY remember what my inner dialogue reaction was - but it was something similar.  And I continued to reassure myself that I was doing just fine for the next few days.  But the thought prevailed.    And it is still echoing in my mind as I type.  The truth is, I HAVE been hiding.  Every time I grab the (way) oversized gray hoodie and black comfy pants (that have a hole in the knee) and I throw on my hat and I move throughout my day...I'm hiding.  Every time I doubt a leading.  Every time I choose to stuff emotions way back down inside to avoid a confrontation.  Every time I avoid a phone call.  Every time I say no to something my heart longs to do.  Every time I waste hours in front of the TV.  Every time I roll over and go to sleep without kissing my husband goodnight.  I AM HIDING...I am shrinking...I am giving up on the very reason this journey started.  Living. Fully.

A person who is truly connected to their purpose and is living the life God has called them to is inspiring.  Their excitement and passion is intoxicating.  People can't help but watch to see what they are going to do next.  And people can't help but want, "whatever it is they are smoking."  I have been that person at times.  Have you?

It is flat scary if you ask me.  I'm not sure I want to be there again.  When I was there I felt so naked - so opened up to criticism and judgement.  Who likes that anyway?  Living "out there" means more hurt, more failure, more unmet expectations.  But not living there now after I have been called out...is disobedience.

It's so funny how God can get your attention sometimes.  You know the song that has been playing in my head on loop for the past several weeks (other than the ones I am prepping for on Sunday)? Click below for a listen.  Hilarious, right?

Yes, I am aware that this song has become a sort-of anthem for another kind of "coming out" of hiding, however, I cannot HIDE the fact that it truly has been playing in my head non-stop!  Thank you mom and dad for your old disco records.

So a couple of weeks after the thought (you are hiding) entered my heart, I was awakened at 3 AM with another thought.  Brace yourselves. This one is a doozy.  Write to the Rachael Ray show.  At 3 AM!!!  C'mon!  You have got to be kidding!  The backstory is this: I had seen a tweet from the show a couple of weeks prior that said this:

The day it hit I had a leading to respond, but I very vehemently said, "NO!"  You see...I have lost 100 pounds BUT I have also gained some back.  And I am embarrassed by that and I do not want to publicly broadcast those feelings.  I moved on with my day, kinda forgot about it, and that was that...or so I thought.  I later got an email about it (I'm on the show's email list) and was once again lead to respond..."NO!"  And that brings you up to speed.  3 AM wake-up call.

I continued to argue in a sleepy stupor for close to 2 hours.  All of the worst things that could come from a simple email to the Rachael Ray show played in my mind.  I squirmed at the idea of a lot of people scrutinizing my blog, the thought of what I would look or sound like on TV, and mostly the thought of how it would feel to admit that I lost 100 pounds and gained 30 of it back...when I still had a lot more that I wanted to lose.  But those thoughts were combatted by many positive things mostly summed up by this: My story is real.  People need to hear real stories.  I am still eating as healthy as I can.  Health is not about size.  Health is a daily journey - FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE.  I know a lot of stuff...and people could benefit from that knowledge.  So ultimately I said yes and I fell back asleep.  I said yes again the next day when all I wanted to do was hide.  Instead I sat in front of my computer screen and attempted to fit 3 plus years of my journey into a very small space.

And now what?  I don't know.  I did what I was told and have been trying to do what I am told to do each day since then.  I started an amazing 28-day challenge with an amazing group of women and an amazing leader.  I have learned a lot about myself...and remembered a lot of things about myself lately. More than likely...Rachael Ray won't be calling me up...often obedience is just about saying yes when your whole being wants to say no.  I think that obedience is a gut-check to see if we are truly "all-in." More than likely He just wanted to see if I was listening.  But you never know!  Over the years I have learned that God often does the "less than likely."

We shall see!

If You Fail to Plan...

I am a horrible planner.  I mean, I have all of these great ideas rolling around in my head, but to actually put my thoughts into practice is a whole other animal.  That being said, I have become quite the Iron Chef.  You know what I mean, right? Iron Chef, the show?  The show where they hand a box full of seemingly unrelated, unappetizing foods to a chef and in under an hour or so they create beautiful, gourmet platters of food?

Ok, well, it may feel like that in my mind, but in all reality I am not cooking octopus or puréeing dragon fruit...OR using dry ice...but I might as well be on the show.  How impressive is it to have four children screaming, "what's for dinner?" in a continuous, whiney chorus while you attempt to mold a pantry full of random grains, legumes, flours, and spices and a refrigerator full of moldy left-overs, condiments, and produce into a beautiful, symphony of flavors that everyone will love?  I say it is pretty impressive - nay a miracle!  I have had a handful of really great dishes come out of desperation (and a few that LEFT me desperate for a PB&J).

One of my favorite things to make in a pinch that is always a big hit (and is very budget and user friendly) is my Creamy Vegan Potato Soup.  I researched a lot of recipes online to get inspiration and then customized it to fit our dietary needs as well as what I actually had on hand...which at times tends to be not a whole heck of a lot.  ;-)  (Grocery shopping with four kiddos in tow tends to be less than pleasant.)  The beauty of this recipe is that I can pretty much use this basic "skeleton" - which is perfectly awesome as-is - and fancy it up to add more depth of flavor when I have fun extras around the house.

Creamy Vegan Potato Soup

1 large onion, chopped

4 ribs of celery (including leafy tops), chopped

3 tsp. minced garlic (about 4-6 cloves)

EVOO

Salt & pepper

1/2 tsp. dried rosemary

3 bay leaves (optional but yummy)

1/2 tsp. herbes de provence

1 c. dry sherry

4-6 cups of diced yukon gold potatoes

water to cover

2 T Earth Balance

3 cups Silk organic, unsweetened soy milk

Easy peasy. Sauté onion and celery in EVOO over medium-high heat. Add salt and pepper. Allow veggies to sweat out and soften and get slightly brown.  Rub dried herbs in the palm of your hand before adding to the veg mixture to "wake up" their natural flavors and oils. Cook for another minute and then add dry sherry to pan to deglaze. Cook for about 3 minutes while scraping of any browned bits off of the bottom of your pan with a wooden spoon.  Hooray for flavor!

Add diced potatoes and just enough water to cover. Add more salt and pepper.  (Here is where you can swap in a more flavorful product - vegetable broth - when you have it in your pantry). Put a lid on the pan and turn the heat down to medium.  Cook the potatoes until tender. Add Earth Balance and soy milk, stir to combine, and taste for seasoning.  Add more salt and pepper as needed.  Using an immersion/stick blender, purée soup until it reaches your desired consistency.  We like it mostly smooth with a few potato "chunks" here and there.  Serve with your favorite toppings!  We like Veggie Sour Cream and green onions or chives.  We have also added Veggie cheese in the past as well as Bacony Bits made by WayFare foods (a GREAT Vegan alternative - but they are not gluten-free).

Enjoy!

Fill 'Er Up!

I don't know exactly when it started, but I have entered a new phase of my journey.  As you know the last two years have been super-focused on the physical affects of "healthy living" - the things you can touch, taste, feel, see.  My journey up to this point has been tangible. It has been easy to see progress.  For a while my mood revolved around seeing the number on the scale decrease each week.  In fact, I almost got to the point of (dare I say) idolizing weight loss itself.  


Don't get me wrong.  I don't think weight loss is bad...at all.  It is a VERY good thing!  BUT when you get to the point where you can't be happy if you aren't losing? That's a problem.  I'm finding it so much harder now to figure out who I am and where I fit into the world now that I am no longer a losing machine.  It's hard, but God is continuing to work on me everyday...just in ways that I am not always so happy about.  It's so much more fun to get praised by your friends, family, and peers about how "good" you look or how "thin" you are getting.


I have been brought to a place in my journey now where things are so focused on inward battles, hurts, and scars.  Sometimes I am not sure I can unpack everything while being all the things I need to be for others in my life.  I find myself bubbling over with anger because I can no longer "hold it together."  I learned to be an expert at "holding it together" at a young age.  I learned how to set my needs and desires aside and be available...which is a good thing.  In fact, I think it is what has allowed me to be the mom I need to be for my four kids.  However, now I am seeing how too much of a good thing causes disfunction.


The disfunction for me is that while I am so absorbed in caring for others' needs, my tank gets more and more empty.  I also feel extreme guilt whenever I am not fulfilling my responsibilities - when I am away.  It is hard to enjoy social outings.  It is hard to really feel nourished by anything...but food.  And I think that has always been the case.  I have always used food to "fill" me.  The times in my life where I was the heaviest were the times when I was least connected to the things I love to do.  Now don't get me wrong...I LOVE my kids, my husband, my parents, siblings, inlaws, and friends.  I am talking about things that fill my life with joy BEYOND people.  You know, the things that bring the twinkle to my eye when I talk about them.


One of those "fillers" for me is art - creating.  I have always loved art - all kinds of art.  My nickname growing up was, "Doodle," because I would just sit and draw for hours.  I also love to paint.  I painted a replica of VanGogh's, "Starry, Starry Night," in High School.  It is one of my most treasured possessions.  I was so proud of it when it was finished.  I love to write.  I used to write a lot of poetry and songs and short stories.  There is just something cleansing about writing.  I suppose my love for cooking and creating recipes also falls in this category.  For some reason I left most of my artsy side behind when I became an "adult."  I am trying to find ways to bring it back.


Another filler for me is music which is probably most obvious to people who know me, but what you don't know about singing for me is that it only fills me when I allow the Holy Spirit to take the guilt and fear away and replace it with joy.  Otherwise it is just another "job" to do, a task to check off of my to-do list.  If you watch me when I sing, there are some times that I smile from ear to ear and then there are other times that I don't.  The times I smile are genuine.  The smile is a result of freedom - reckless abandonment - joy.  When I don't smile it isn't because I am mad and it isn't because I hate the song I am singing, it is merely because something is in the way of God.  It could be stress, anger, fear, sin, or a number of other things.  When I am in that place I feel so empty.

I have always been moved by nature.  Engaging in nature fills me.  I find God in nature.  I love animals and plants and the smells of fresh air and rain.  I love the feel of grass on bare feet and the warmth of sun on my face.  I feel so connected and peaceful when I am  outside.  Being a stay-at-home mom of 4 little ones a lot of times keeps me tied to the house, and that is hard for me.  But it is getting better and easier to take them out the older they get, and thankfully Kokomo has some of the best parks around!


There are other things that fill me too, but those are the main ones.  I am seeing just how deeply connected my overeating is with being under-filled.  When I am not feeling nourished on a spiritual or emotional level I tend to eat to fill that void.  Unfortunately the void only gets filled temporarily when you fill it with food.  Even though I eat very healthy (as far as WHAT I eat) I still find myself eating too much at times.  Now that I recognize why I do what I do I am learning how to change it.  Sometimes I just have to stop and figure out what I am lacking.  Maybe I just need a hug.  Maybe I need someone to tell my I am important - that I am valued and special.  And maybe sometimes I just need permission to do something for myself, by myself.  The permission part is important for me.  It sounds silly, but when my husband or friend says, "I want you to: go get your hair done/take a walk/take a bath/have fun at practice," it releases me from the feelings of guilt and allows me to enjoy what I am doing fully.  Baby steps.


Does this resonate with you?


If so, I'd love to hear from you!  I'd love to walk through this with you!  Until next time!

Oh, Oh, O-r-e-o!

So I have officially crossed the line.  Oh no I didn't!  Oh yes, I did.  I spent 5 hours the other night creating (to the best of my ability) a "healthy" Oreo cookie.  No I didn't make them for a special client or my best friend.  I made them for 50, 4 and 5 year old Pre-K kids.  I made them 1. because I can - darn it, and 2. because I want my kids to see that special treats don't have to come out of a package.  Yes, it would have been a million times easier and cheaper to just pick up the Oreos, but I couldn't.  Sure those kids could have cared less what I did or didn't put into the cookies, but I don't care.  I am THAT weird now, folks (and proud of it)!  The inspiration?  Icing that could send you into your happy place!


A few weeks ago I made a cake for my birthday - gingerbread cake - and found an icing recipe in a new cookbook I got, Chloe's Kitchen, which has everything from breakfast to dog treats.  The author won Cupcake Wars on Food Network, so I knew the cupcake and icing recipes would not disappoint.  The upside?  The icing was mind-blowing.  The downside?  The recipe calls for powdered sugar and I don't like to use powdered sugar - or any sugar for the matter, but I figured if it topped a healthy cake or cookie it would be OK.  And it's amazing...did I mention that yet?


Here's the icing recipe:


Vanilla Bean Buttercream
1 cup non-hydrogenated vegetable shortening (I bought mine at Sunspot)

3 cups powdered sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
Seeds of 1 vanilla bean (or 1 tsp vanilla bean paste)
2 to 5 T almond, soy, hemp, rice or coconut milk to thin


Using a hand mixer, beat the shortening until smooth.  With the mixer running on low, add powdered sugar, vanilla, vanilla bean seeds or paste, and 1 tablespoon of the non-dairy milk at a time as needed to reach desired consistency. I used about 3 tablespoons both times I made mine.  Beat for two more minutes until the buttercream is light and fluffy.


For the cookie part of the "Oreo" I turned to one of my favorite baking books, Babycakes!  It not only has some super fun treats in it, but mostly all of them are gluten-free which is an added bonus because both my sister and brother (and some friends' kids) are gluten-intolerant or have mild Celiac.  You can make it with regular flour or whole wheat pastry flour if you desire, but I tried the cookies both ways and my verdict?  The gluten-free version was actually better!  Of course I also swapped the evaporated cane juice (just a fancy word for sugar) for agave (in my first two batches) and then raw local honey in my final batch.  The honey won!  Better flavor, better texture.  So I will post my favorite version of the recipe.  If you have any questions about swapping flours or natural sweeteners, please ask!  I have become quite the expert!


Double Chocolate Chip Cookies


1 cup coconut oil (look for unrefined, virgin oil) - melt before you measure

1 cup local, raw honey
1/3 cup homemade applesauce (see below) or store-bought, unsweetened applesauce
2 T vanilla extract
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 tsp xanthan gum (look in the organic section of most stores)
1/4 cup flax meal/powder (I love this one.)
1 1/2 cups Bob's Red Mill Gluten-Free All-Purpose Baking Flour
1 cup dairy-free semi-sweet chocolate chips


Preheat the oven to 325°F. Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper or a silicone sheet.  In a medium bowl, mix together the melted oil, honey, applesauce, and vanilla.  In another bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa, salt, baking soda, flax, and xanthan gum.  Carefully add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients until a dough is formed.  It may look runny at first, but give it a few minutes and the xanthan gum will do it's work and thicken it up.  Fold in the chocolate chips.  Using a small ice cream scoop, scoop the dough onto the prepared baking sheets.  Bake the cookies in the center rack for 14 minutes.  After 9 minutes, rotate the pans 180°and then continue to bake for the remaining 5 minutes.  Let the cookies cool for 10 minutes on the baking sheets, then cool completely on a wire rack.


Once cooled completely add a small (or large) amount of icing to the bottom side of one cookie, then top with a second cookie.  Eat. Ahhh...


If you are interested in making a super-stellar roasted applesauce that is super quick and easy and can be used in this recipe, here ya go (you can thank me later).  This recipe will fill a 24 oz Mason jar.


Roasted Applesauce


1 pound (about 3 medium) Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 pound (about 3 medium) Pink Lady apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1-inch cubes
1 T ground cinnamon
1/3 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice


1 cup hot water
agave as needed


Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment or a silicone mat.  Toss apples with agave, cinnamon, and lemon juice until completely coated.  Bake the apples on the center rack for 35 minutes rotating the pan 180° after 20 minutes.  Place the baked, cooled apples into a high-powered blender or food processor.  Add 1 cup of hot water and process until smooth.  Add agave as needed to desired sweetness (mine didn't need any more to make it sweet).  MMMMMM!


When all is said and done...here is the finished product:

They are decadent and with the flax, applesauce, honey, and coconut oil, so much better for you than their Nabisco counterpart.  Enjoy!

The Proof is in the Pudding

Ahhh...THIS is the life!  For all you caffeine junkies, sugar babies, high-fructose-corn-syrup, salt lickin', hydrogenated oil slick'n, doughnut, french fry, big mac-a-saurus - chicken patty - join in my chorus...THIS is the life!  You don't know what you're missing!  Join the healthy movement and my feet you'll be kissin'.  I swear I wouldn't lie the grass IS greener on this side...and so are my smoothies...and they're recharging my insides.  (not really sure why I had to open this post with a "rap," but that's how it sounded in my head...so that's what you get!)

I'm not kidding folks!  We have been fooled for so long - SO long!  We've been believing the lies that we are dependent on prescription drugs and chemical "fixes" to thrive.  I am telling you RIGHT NOW it's not true!  Many people think that lowering their cholesterol or blood sugar lies in the hands of their doctor...their fate in a little white slip of paper...it doesn't have to be that way!

Change is hard.  I know.  We are all stubborn, stuck in our ways.  We can't see the light at the end of that Pepsi or the silver lining in our Ben and Jerry's!  I've been there!  I've tasted the stuff!  I know what it's like to eat an entire chocolate cake and be at the end of my rope and put all of my trust and my health in the hands of the Creator - not knowing where He would lead me.  Not easy.  But there is hope.  I promise you that!

We were meant to have more and be more than we ever dreamed.  But it all starts with taking good care of our insides - one good choice at a time.  It's not about finding that next diet or another quick fix - miracle potions or cleanses or energy shots with vitamins.  It's not about gym memberships or treadmills or special running clothes.  It's about getting back to the basics - what we all know but we don't want to face.

It's about real food.  It's about time!

The other day I had to have some labs done for our insurance.  I have to admit I was pretty anxious - not about the needles, but about the results.  It is easy for me to see my progress on the scale.  Numbers are concrete.  We get numbers...we can see them.  Our internal health on the other hand is harder to gauge.  I FEEL better than I have in years, but does that translate into health?  It has been almost 2 years since I started my healthy journey.  Can you believe it?  I can't.  I have lost over 100 pounds but I was scared that it still wasn't enough to make a real difference.  The proof is in the pudding...or in this case...my blood. ;-)

Before I started on my journey I was looking diabetes in the face, my gall bladder was full of stones, I was depressed, and I filled my diet with highly processed, packaged foods, sodas, fast food, and sweets.  My life revolved around my next "fix."  Now I eat a plant-based diet full of colorful fruits and veggies, beans, nuts and seeds, whole grains, and I use natural sweeteners in lieu of white sugar, corn syrup, and artificial sweeteners.  Do I ever "cheat?" Yes but I don't consider it cheating.  I just make poor choices from time to time.  Sometimes it's sugar, sometimes it's dairy or even one too many cocktails, but every time I do I am reminded of why I made the changes in the first place.  My energy tanks, depression sets in, I get headaches and joint pain, my faces breaks out, I get jittery, scattered, and anxious.  It is like the ghost of Christmas past - a look back at a life I no longer want.

So you're probably wondering...how did my labs go?  :-) These numbers may mean nothing to most of you, but to me it is a gold star, an A+.  (I've always loved good grades!)  Here are the results (I apologize for the cheese factor but I am pretty jazzed):

Cholesterol:

HDL (the GOOD guys): with a normal range of 0-60 I scored a 48! SUPER!!!

LDL (the BAD guys): with a normal range of 65-185 I scored a 91! AWESOME!

Total cholesterol: with a normal range of 110-200 I scored a 157!!!! SUPERB!

Triglycerides: with a normal range of 0-149 I scored an 88!! YAY!

And lastly...the big one for me...

Hemoglobin A1c (a measure for diabetes): with a normal range 3-6% for non-diabetics...I scored 4.7!!!!

I did a happy dance all the way to the van!  It is just more solid proof for me that FOOD really does MATTER!  Healthy food can change your life!

Most of you probably know I started a Holistic Health Counseling practice.  I feel very passionate about teaching people about what healthy food is and how to prepare it.  I am getting ready to launch a 4-week intensive program called, "Get Fresh!" to help people learn the basics of good nutrition.  It will be 4, 1-hour sessions and the last session will include a grocery store tour to help people navigate which aisles to shop and which aisles to pass by.  Beyond that I also teach private (think girls night out with a private chef) and public healthy cooking classes which are super fun!  If you are looking for something more intense, I also have a six-month program that includes 12 one-on-one counseling sessions with me to help you reach your healthy living goals!

In the future I am hoping to start some mommy and me cooking classes (can't wait), pantry makeovers, and many other things.  But for now, and with 4 little ones, I will take what I can get! :-)

If you are interested in the "Get Fresh!" program, please contact me for more information.  I am planning on starting that toward the end of January and only have 9 slots left!

Gearin' Up!

This post is (mostly) for the ladies...the ladies who like to get down...and sweaty.  Um, ahem, I'm talking exercise. I used to think people were nuts when they talked about their workout "gear." Gear...schmear...or so I thought...until I became one of them.

Don't get me wrong. I started out with nothing but a pair of stretchy capri pants, an awesome pair of shoes, and my lungs.  You don't HAVE to have "gear" but it sure helps make your exercising much more enjoyable.  It takes your mind off of your underoos falling down, the blisters developing on your heels, the bra strap that inevitably falls down every time you start to get your focus, your hair that's in your face and mouth, and the possibility of two black eyes.  My chosen activity right now is running but I think most of this gear that I am about to discuss is pretty universal.  Here are my top picks for workout "gear:"

1. A great pair of shoes. First and foremost and oh so important - shoes...good shoes.  Don't go grabbing some old jalopy, stinky pair in the back of your closet.  Your barking dogs will give you an earful the next morning.  I used to think that buying shoes specific for an activity was dumb - just a way for shoe manufacturers to jack up the price.  But alas, I might be slightly mistaken.  I still think a good pair of shoes costs way too much but in the end they are well worth the investment.  Last Christmas I went to a place in Carmel called Blue Mile. They specialize in fitting you for the right kind of shoe - specific to the kind of exercise you're in to.  They even video tape you running or walking on a treadmill and then slow down the recording to see how you naturally step (it has a fancy name - "video gait analysis").  It gives them an idea of how much and what kind of support your shoe will need.  It's pretty interesting really.  I got a fabulous pair of kicks that fit better than any other shoes I've had.  No achey feet in the morning anymore.  I think I will go back this year and get some shoes specifically for running since the pair I have are mostly for walking.  The whole shebang cost me about $90.  My feet thank me everyday.  Essential.

2. Nice socks.  Going along with the whole foot thing...get a good pair of socks.  Again something I used to roll my eyes at...but if you are blister-prone...this is a good upgrade.  I got some socks at the same store that are like Heaven on my feet.  They don't slip and they really add cushion in all the right places.  Very nice.  Plus they keep your feet dry.  I need to get some more.  The ones I bought have a band that wraps both sides of the heel and are made by a company called Balega.  They're seriously great - like a foot hug.  You can check out their site here: www.balega.com  

3. A good sports bra.  This is something I resisted for a long time - mostly because I didn't really think there was anything out there that would lock and load like I needed it to.  Next to going to a blacksmith and having some kind of metal suit forged I thought I was S.O.L.  Once again...wrong.  I researched and looked and researched some more and finally settled on trying a bra by Under Armor.  I will post the link and you will see that this puppy just looks bad to the bone.  No movement is coming outta that straight jacket!  I got it early last week and to be completely honest it took me a good 15 minutes to figure out how to put it on (thank goodness I've been doing yoga - phew!), but I love it!  It fits great and the straps stay up and now I can save money on under eye make-up.  Thank you Under Armor!  If you want any specifics about sizing...let me know.  I wasn't sure it would fit at first but it fits great!  Here is the link: Under Armor workout gear

4. A headband. I got this one down.  I may look like a biker mama running down the street but no wispy hair is getting in MY eyes!  I bought a semi-stylish cloth head wrap at Tar-get (said with a French accent) that I decided could also double as a keep-my-stinkin-hair-outta-my-face device when I am working out.  It is completely functional - and in my opinion necessary...unless you are a man...or bald (which in that case - sorry).

5. Pants with underwear built in.  I am not sure what the correct name is for such a thing, but last winter I bought a pair of adidas workout pants that had underwear built into them.  I thought it was strange at the time, but now I know why there is such a beast.  Nothing is more annoying and workout sabotaging than underwear creep.  It can creep both ways...it can fall down and tick you off and it can creep up and irritate you (in more than one kind of way).  Anyhoo...it is really nice to have that freedom to just slap on some workout pants and not worry about slippage.

Those are my current top 5 picks.  I am sure the more I run the more I will long for other items.  Right now I am happy with just using my cell phone as a stopwatch and I don't run long enough to need one of those water backpack thingees...but maybe someday.  Until then...race you to the stop sign! Ready, set, GO!

*I am not being paid to endorse any of these products although I sure wish I was! ;-)