Quick meal for busy people

Being busy means we need to be more creative about what can be a quick easy AND healthy meal! Here is my standby, especially in summer when it might be too hot to cook!
Chopped salad w smoked herring
* chopped frisee and butter lettuce
* chopped mint and olive oil and fresh pepper for flavor
* 3 tbl of precooked red wine sauteed mushroom from my fridge
* half a persian cucumber sliced and chopped thin to match the chopped leafy veggies
* two or more fillets of smoked herring
I bought the frisee and butter lettuce at the farmers market for $1 each, and they are yielding 3 separate meals. The can of smoked herring was $2.29. So this salad for a meal costs less than $5!
Smoked herring provides healthy Omega 3 to support your healthy heart, brain, and joints. It's less environmental impact and less exposure to heavy metal than salmon. Don't get me wrong, I love my wild salmon, but if I'm going to eat fish multiple times a week, I choose small fish-- easier to detox on my body and easier on my budget.

PS If you want to get your Omega 3 nutrients regularly like I do (I don't eat fish every day!), I take this high-potency small-fish based supplement (try to avoid cod liver oil or salmon oil--the big fish have had more exposure to ocean pollutants of heavy metal). And if you hate pills, here's the liquid children's version that is just great for adults too and you can put it in a smoothie! If you're vegetarian, I love chia seeds in my smoothies--just know that the dosage and absorption is not as powerful as fish oils.

Staying healthy on vacation

Do you know someone who tend to get sick or feel tired from vacation? Staying healthy on vacation is not the easiest thing. Getting back from a short beach vacation that also had some beautiful waterfalls (see photo), I'm so happy I used my optimal health strategies to help me stay healthy!

First, the plane ride can be stressful with the altitude changes, crammed seating, and the nerves of flying. And if you have time zone changes, that's more stress on trying to manage your sleep! (If you need help with sleep strategies, do a search on my blog for sleep). In addition to my normal optimal health nutrition, I brought my bottle of astaxanthin, one of the newer and super-powerful antioxidants. Have you thought about how much closer you are to the sun when you're flying? That's a greater amount of radiation exposure which can cause cellular damage known as free radical damage (and I feel it as tiredness and lower energy). Astaxanthin really helps me stay closer to optimal energy as I get through flights and time zones, with NO JET LAG! It also has great anti-aging properties and encourages healthy blood flow. Well, my feet tend to swell uncomfortably on flights and I had hardly any swelling on this trip, as I've been regularly taking my astaxanthin almost every day for the past 8 months. I'm pleased to report my skin recovered faster from my mosquito bites than my old self and my traveling companion who had not been taking astaxanthin regularly. Read more about the reasons to take this super antioxidant here.

I was careful to bring a wide-brimmed sun-shading hat and put on my special sunscreen lotion. As Environmental Working Group has done some studies on safe sunscreen products, I prefer a zinc-based sunscreen, rather than the more conventional drugstore versions that have oxobenzone and other petrol products. I like Green Babie's Zinc sunscreen but you can choose any of the zinc-based sunscreens I found in the link. I think anything that's good for babies will be made with a higher safety standard and more gentle on my skin.

Even though I put on my sunscreen, I might have missed the window to leave the beach before noon when the sun is super strong, so I had a slightly pink and itch sunburn spot to my collarbone area. To combat sunburns or simply dry skin, I love my ultimate aloe gel! Not just any aloe gel, this one has emu oil which is usually expensive, squalene, and super-concentrated aloe. Immediate itch relief and the pinkness in my sunburn went away in just one day! (My results are unique to me and my body's responsiveness, but there is plenty of evidence in the science tabs of the links I've included.)

I also brought aloe powder and probiotics to keep away any grumpyness of traveler's tummy and a stronger immune system. No tummy problems at all on this trip! Success!

Never be bored with chicken!

Mary's Free-Range Chicken (never frozen!) is served at many of my favorite foodie restaurants, including French bistro Chic in Mid-City LA. It's extra juicy and my home-cooked chicken wow'd my brother who is a foodie from San Francisco (you know they are tough critics in SF!). You can get it vacuum-packed in a family pak (to save money!) from Whole Foods.  When the chicken is free-range and local, it is just a great tasty base for whatever you decide to do to cook with it.

Here are some flavor profiles that I've found that keep me never bored with chicken---you can bake/roast, steam, or cook in your pan for different texture or cooking-time preferences:
* ginger and lemongrass
* garlic and rosemary
* onions and citrus (lemon or orange)
* shallots and oregano (or any green herbs like thyme or basil or ALL of them in combo!)
* ginger, soy sauce, rice wine, and shitake mushroom

As usual, I'll pair up my chicken with some seasonal veggies and greens. What are your favorite flavors for chicken?

Intro to Weight Loss

I've been getting inquiries to start a new weight loss group, so here is some introductory information:

1) A conference call recording that tells you the components of the nationally-successful program that provides great education, and as your coach, I customize it to help you meet your health goals!

2) An educational video that helps you understand LEPTIN and GREHLIN -- a great example of how much you'll learn about the FACTS of healthy weight loss instead of the wildfire myths of crash diets.

RESULTS guaranteed to lose belly inches in the first month if you follow the program guidelines. Other SIDE BENEFITS: better sleep, better immune system, happier digestive system, learn to breathe better and manage stress, discover healthier foods AND never be hungry! Drop me an email so we can help you find the BEST YOU!

There are weight loss student testimonials on my website if you want to know more.

Don't Let Allergies Get You Down

When I first moved to LA, I had the worst allergies. But even local-born Angelenos fall victim to allergies when the weather changes, when the heat cooks up the pollution, or when the Santa Ana winds pick up.  I used to have a variety of allergy symptoms, from scratchy throat to stuffy nose to watery eyes, and massive sneezing --- worst of all was the low energy! Now, with my anti-allergy optimal health regimen, I'm a happy camper during allergy season and wish my friends who are suffering from allergy pains would give this superantioxidant a try. I hate to see people suffer, when I know breathing could be so much easier! Especially for singers, musicians, teachers--basically anyone who uses their voice for their work, we can't be without our voice due to difficult breathing. And difficulty breathing adds to chronic stress which is no good if you're trying to lose weight, maintain a healthy weight, or just have good energy. Allergies also make you more susceptible to getting colds and sinus infections since your immune system is already overworked!

Check out this science blog so you can find out the science behind what vitamins and supplements can help you out for allergy season!

Gut and brain health food

Beans have great fiber to support good gut health to detox and beets are great for the brain!

Shown here is a new recipe in development: Red beans with golden yellow beets, artichoke hearts, fresh thyme and mint, carmelized shallots.

If you don't eat enough fiber, email me to receive a fiber worksheet to help you out. And if you don't eat enough veggies or beans due your taste or lifestyle, perhaps you want to check out a fiber supplement to help you get a good baseline. And if you have IBS, you might need to stay away from beets, unless you've been regular with your probiotics and digestive enzymes to reset your gut health.

Can't do dairy?

Some of us can't do dairy (or shouldn't do dairy) and we need to find alternatives. It's possible that you might not be able to digest cow products well, but do ok with goat cheese. Shown here are amazing apples from the Tehachapi mountains of Johna's Orchards with a smidge of lavendar goat cheese, pistachio butter(no dairy at all!), and peach/raspberry goat cheese. The yummy goat cheese comes from Soledad Goats and the pistachio butter comes from Santa Barbara Pistachio Co, where a smidge gives a big wow of flavor.

However, some of us have been stressed by different food allergies (or even extra stressed by the pollen/airborne allergies) that our stomachs need a boost of help. Taking care of your stomach will improve your immune system. This immune booster can come from easy powder-to-liquid digestive enzymes. The best food and supplements can only make an impact for our bodies when it has an effective delivery system and we absorb it in our bodies. When my stomach has already been irritated by fried foods or cow-dairy, it doesn't want any pills and has trouble. The liquid digestive enzymes are the best for quick damage control and bringing my stomach back to happy. Since I'm dairy-sensitive, I keep one of the travel packs with me to put in my water at a restaurant before I do any damage to my stomach--saves me from a lot of stomach grumbles!