Sweet Potato Fries

sweet potato friesI hadn’t had fries for so long, I almost forgot how yummy they were. ….and these are EVEN better!

Sweet potatoes
Garlic powder
Onion powder
Chili powder
Cayenne
Sea salt

1- Scrub and slice sweet potatoes into desired sized strips or wedges.

2- Mist/Spray lightly with olive oil and sprinkle lightly (or heavily!)  with each of the spices to desired spicy-ness.

3- Bake at 450-  25-ish minutes or until tender, stirring or flipping the fries halfway through bake time.

Enjoy!

 


12 Secrets to Living Your Healthiest Year Yet – Week 1

Though we’re just days away from August, it’s not too late to still meet our health goals (resolutions) for the year. Yes, I know, most of them could be long forgotten, BUT there’s still hope! With 5 months left of 2016, there’s still plenty of time to make some real progress!!

16 years ago, facing my own health crisis, I finally had to come face to face with “what really is health?!”  With horrible cystic acne, miserable digestion and food sensitivities, fever and unable to work (and hardly even function!) for 3 months, extreme fatigue and a host of other symptoms, I knew health was waaay deeper than I understood or had been trained in college and professionally. Especially when doctors gave me an anti-depressant and told me to go live my life! Though I can’t share my full story here, I’ve been healed and my health restored. With it came a whole new understanding and appreciation of health, wellness and wholeness…as well as a tool chest full of gems I want to share with you to encourage and support you on your journey! …and hopefully make it just a little bit easier for you.

SO, whether it’s shed a few pounds, build some muscle, find the root issue(s) of symptoms that have bothered you for too long, “eat better,” lower your cholesterol, manage your blood sugars, or do a complete makeover… following these 12 steps can lead you into a whole new place of health! We’re so phenomenally put together that we just can’t separate out the physical, emotional and spiritual components of our lives. As we nurture our body, mind and spirit, and bring them into a place of balance, then we can experience full living and real health.

Now, let’s get back on track.  We’ll start with 2 biggies that make a HUGE impact. Be looking for what you can implement to help you towards your 2016 goals. Come on! You can do it!

1- Nourish – (Even I need a review on this now and again!)

Give your body the building blocks it needs for life and health. Explore nutrient-dense, delicious options that naturally eliminate lifeless, empty-calorie foods. Enjoy the beauty, benefits and endless possibilities of foods in their most natural form: lots of fresh, green leafy,  colorful veggies & fruit, nuts & seeds, good oils (omega 3s & coconut oil), beans, whole grains, and lean, quality (antibiotic & hormone free) protein. Add in flavor-packed herbs and spices, loaded with extra antioxidant and healing properties. Make the investment now and enjoy good health for a lifetime! It’s easier to “maintain” health than to “regain” it.

2- Detoxify your lifedetox cleaners environment emotions

Eliminate the “junk” from all areas of life.  This may be food, but think just a little deeper to household products and cleaners, synthetic bath and body products, pollution, clutter, unorganized stacks of “stuff,” a job you don’t enjoy, unhealthy relationships, etc. Going just a bit further, this even includes toxic emotions you’ve held on to—fear, guilt, bitterness, unforgiveness, shame, negativity and unthankfulness.  Let it go!  Work through the hurt. Let it heal. You won’t miss it and you’ll be healthier! This is a step you can’t rush…and it’s often on-going!

Two simple tips, yet very profound and FULL of healing potential, as you walk through the depth of what’s loaded in just these concepts. Much more to come on each of these in the weeks and months to come.

Now, it’s your turn:

  • What one thing will you do/add/change this week to nourish your body?
  • What one thing will you detox from your life this week?

Be looking for Week 2’s Secrets!

Want some personalized accountability and support for your goals? You don’t have to do it alone!


Sweet Secrets for Success #1: Eat Real, Clean Food

Instead of the “doing without” Resolutions for 2016 (which usually are short-lived!), make this the year where “die-ting” stops and living starts.  Make your focus about what your body needs to feel good physically, emotionally and spiritually. When these areas of life are in balance, you can truly enjoy and live your life to the fullest, experiencing radiant living. Get ready for 10 DO-ABLE whole-body health and nutrition tips to help you feel and look better in 2016 for your best year yet!

#1: Eat Real, Clean Food

Choose to give your body the building blocks it needs for life and health.  Focus on ADDING IN nutrient dense foods in their natural, (unprocessed) state, to help build, strengthen, energize and heal the body.  As you consistently ADD IN real food, it becomes a lifestyle, easily pushing out and eliminating the lifeless, empty-calorie foods that have little-to-no value (and even deplete the body’s immune and energy systems and add on ‘fluff”). This makes  “die-ting” a thing of the past! You’ll feel better (and probably younger!), drop extra weight even have more energy…in as early as 2-3 days.* You’ll get to enjoy freedom with these new, delicious and healthier options and the beauty and satisfaction that only comes from flavor-packed foods in their real state … lots of fresh, green leafy, colorful veggies & fruit, nuts & seeds, good oils (omega 3s,  coconut & olive oils, avocado), beans, whole grains, and even some lean, quality (antibiotic & hormone free) protein. ADD IN herbs and spices loaded with flavor and extra antioxidant and healing properties.  The possibilities are truly endless!  While the cost may be a little higher up front (in planning, prepping and $$ compared to packaged food), it’s easier to “maintain” health than to “regain” it.  Don’t worry…it gets easier as you find and set your new routine. Make the investment now and enjoy good health for a lifetime! Check out Innocent Indulgence on Pinterest for a few ideas.

Need some 1:1 or group coaching to get started on a plan?

Check out our Nutrition Coaching Options to help you transform your health! 

 

image- Copyright (c) 123RF Stock Photos

*individual results vary and are not guaranteed, but usually are noticeable in just a couple of days!

8 Reasons To Indulge in Pumpkin This Season

The little orange beauties are just bursting with possibilities to help you take care of your health!  They are more than décor and seasonal desserts. They have the potential to change every meal into something not only delicious, but festive and loaded wPumpkin nutrition benefitsith benefits:

  1. Eyesight Support: Pumpkins contain over 200% of the RDA for Vitamin A, and can help with sight even in low lighting situations
  2. Weight Loss:  The fiber (3-5grams/cup) in pumpkins keeps you from feeling hungry by slowing down the digestion of foods, controlling blood sugar levels, and making you feel full longer throughout the day
  3. Toxin  Flush: High potassium content makes pumpkin a natural diuretic, helping flush out toxins and unwanted waste from your body
  4. Prostate Cancer Fighter:  Pumpkin seeds contain phytosterols that can work by shrinking the prostate, preventing testosterone from transforming into the agent that causes it to enlarge
  5. Immune System Builder: Vitamins A, C, zinc and anti-oxidants work to fight cancers and boost the immune system
  6. Anti-Inflammatory: Beta Carotene in both the flesh and seeds can naturally protect against joint inflammation and arthritis
  7. Mood Boost: Pumpkin seeds also contain tryptophan, a natural mood booster
  8. Muscle Boost: Potassium and electrolytes aid in reducing soreness and refueling your muscles after a workout

Try some of these pumpkin meal ideas:

Breakfast:  Pumpkin Breakfast Hash,  Pumpkin Pancakes  Pumpkin Muffins

Lunch: Pumpkin Pasta Sauce, Roasted Pumpkin Chili or Salad

Dinner: Pumpkin Soup, Pumpkin Ravioli, Stuffed Pumpkins

Written with Lauren, Arizona State University Nutrition Intern