Monday Makeover: Early Morning Affirmations

Image via legit-faith.com

Monday, we meet again. 

Do you ever find yourself facing Monday with a less-than-stellar attitude? On a Monday morning, it's not uncommon to overhear just about every customer grumbling to the barrista about their horrible fate... "Can you BELIEVE the weekend is over? I mean, wasn't it just Friday? My to-do list this week is killer. God help me". And if we're being honest here, many times that person is ME.

Bitching and moaning just seems like the American thing to do on a Monday, right?

But you know what? I'm tired of spreading the negativity around. I've done quite enough of that in my lifetime of Mondays. Instead, this week I'm going to make a conscious effort to wake up every morning and take a moment to thank God for giving me another day - another day to feel the cool fall breeze, taste a warm pumpkin latte (thank you, Starbucks!), smile at a stranger, learn something new, help someone who needs it and spread love to every person I encounter.

I've never been one for meditation. If you know me, you know that my mind is always working and it's hard for me to quiet that chaos down. But a month ago, my client and I did a 30-Day Meditation Challenge with Deepak Chopra and Oprah. It was 15 minutes of guided meditation each morning, focusing on building abundance in your relationship with yourself and others. 

Image via jianiteo.com

We meditated on affirmations. If you're not familiar with an affirmation, it's basically a positive declaration or belief. For example, if you are ill, your affirmation could be "I am a vibrant, healthy person who will live a long and happy life" OR if you are feeling unworthy of love, your affirmation could be "I am a beautiful and caring person, deserving of a healthy, uplifting relationship."

You may not believe the affirmation that you're meditating on, but that's beside the point. By meditating on an affirmation and constantly speaking that affirmation to yourself, you will begin to see how the affirmation slowly morphs into a belief. And when you believe something to be true, it will manifest itself in your life and influence your actions and your future.

So today, join me in a Monday Makeover. Speak an affirmation to yourself, then affirm others, knowing that you have been given another Monday for a reason.

Wishing you all a very blessed week!

Sweet and Spicy Chickpeas: Part 1

I have a confession to make: I don't own a microwave.

Nope, no easy re-heating going on in this household. For starters, microwaves kind of freak me out. They zap most of the nutrition right out of what you're eating, and let's be honest, my blog is named Strictly Nutritious... I can't purposely sabotage my food like that!

Image via zoesays.com

But alas, without a microwave I can't indulge in one of my former favorites - kettle corn! (Well, I guess I could, but popping it myself on the stove top seems a bit retro). It's a shame really because kettle corn and I were besties back in college. It was the "bad boy" of my co-ed diet - a charming combination of sweet AND salty!

I love a good flavor combo!

I've been forced to get a little crafty in the absence of my darling kettle corn, and it seems chickpeas are taking center stage in my life these days (if only for their amazing nutritional benefits!). Chickpeas make a great jumping off point for lots of different snacks. This week, in tribute to the former bad boy snack of my college days, we're going to make another tantalizing combo - Spicy Wasabi Chickpeas AND Sweet Chickpea Cookie Dough.

Today, we'll start with the spicy...

You only need a few ingredients - coconut oil, canned chickpeas, sea salt and wasabi powder.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Thoroughly wash 2 cans of chickpeas and pat dry with a clean dish towel (as dry as possible).

In a gallon Ziploc bag, combine chickpeas with 2 Tbs. coconut oil and 2-3 Tbs. of wasabi powder (the more, the spicier).

Now add 1-2 tsp. of sea salt.

Seal the Ziploc bag and shake to coat.

Spread the chickpeas out on an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 40 minutes, flipping 1-2 times in between, as they tend to crisp up fast!

Allow to cool fully, then put your snack face on!

Stay tuned next week as I show you how to make the sweet part of this yummy combo!

And now a few pics from the weekend starring my friend Sarah Kagan over at Beyond The Batter! We decided to CitiBike home on Friday evening and were met with rain the second we left work (boo!). But being the determined ladies that we are, we waited it out and the second the clouds parted, we pedaled our little hearts out. But turns out CitiBike and Mother Nature were against us from the start... leaving us stranded with technical issues and soaking wet when the bottom dropped out halfway home.

All in the name of adventure though!

Have a blessed week!

Understanding GMOs: Part 4

Image via prevention.com

BY: SHANNA WAHLQUIST, CONTRIBUTOR

Welcome to Part 4 of our "Understanding GMOs" Series. So far we've discussed what GMOs are, how they are created, why they were created in the first place, where they are in our food supply, and how they are related to disease (so nothing all that much, really... wink, wink). The next few weeks are going to blow your mind so buckle up, baby! You are in for a ride!

Ok, these past few weeks have been a bit unsettling, and now I'm getting a little disturbed by this whole GMO story. Tell me about Insect Resistant (IR) GMOs.

Crops that are engineered to be insect resistant have sections of DNA from a bacteria called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) inserted into the DNA of plant cells. This line of bacteria (which has thousands of strains) produces proteins that are toxic to insect pests; therefore, different strains of Bt can be selected depending on the insect pest being targeted. Each cell in the GM plant produces Bt toxins, meaning quite literally that your crop is now an “insecticide plant” too! Get it? If it’s a tomato plant producing Bt toxin then it’s now an industrial plant at the same time! 

Ok….maybe it’s not that funny...

Anyway, back to the point…. When the plant is eaten by the target insect pest, the toxins bind to receptors in its gut, causing the gut wall to break down and allowing spores and bacteria to infiltrate the blood stream. As the spores and bacteria multiply in the body, the insect dies. Voila! Don’t come back now, you hear!?!

Image via permaculturenews.org

But wait….if we eat the plants that are now making the toxin (either directly or indirectly from the foods we eat), AND we have a variety of receptors in our gut too, then what? Oh wait – there are no long term studies from the biotech companies telling us what happens! Oh boy! You can see what that might lead to, right?



Hmmmm, I’m confused. How safe is Bt toxin for humans?

Bt proteins contain a segment which tests positive when undergoing the type of allergen testing recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO). Studies show the Bt toxins (aka. Bt proteins) survive digestion in humans, which allows them to destroy the lining of our stomachs. 

Hmmm…don’t we need the lining of our stomach to, oh, I don’t know... function properly??

In animal studies of mice eating Bt corn, there was an increase in infertility, a decrease in birthweight, and prevalent/evident liver and kidney toxicity. Also present were indicators for blood pressure problems, anemia, and infection based on circulating components within the immune system! Oh, and these were all findings of a Monsanto study that only became public after a lawsuit! WHAT?! You’ve got to be kidding me, right!!??!?!??!?

Image via npr.org

It gets worse, my friends…

In farmworkers, it is critical to note the significance of itchy wounds experienced by Bt corn field workers! Not only that, but farmworkers started expressing an immune response to the Bt toxin. Having an allergic reaction to bacteria is very rare - it’s only seen in a few lines. Bt is apparently one of them. Not only are itchy rashes prevalent, but so are respiratory, eye and skin reactions. Skin prick tests done even 4 months after exposure showed elevated IgG and IgE levels.

In fact, in 2001 The EPA’s own Scientific Advisory Panel suggested that Bt-toxins may be allergenic:

Mouse and farm worker studies…“Suggest that Bt proteins could act as 

antigenic and allergenic sources. … Only surveillance and clinical assessment of 

exposed individuals will confirm the allergenicity of Bt products.”

But the EPA has not yet changed their regulations or assumptions on how they regulate pesticide-producing crops.

Several other animal studies (sheep, cow, goat, buffalo, etc.) show a litany of horrible symptoms and conditions before “sudden death” after consuming Bt corn and Bt cotton, specifically. It’s shameful! There are even indicators that the Bt toxin kills rumen bacteria (uh oh... we are back to gut health issues with this one!).

One last important study to note for today: In a study of rats fed GMO-potatoes vs. non-GMO potatoes laced with insecticide (the same insecticide the GMO-potatoes were engineered to produce), it was found that the rats fed the non-GMO potatoes had no symptoms. However, rats fed the GMO-potatoes were discovered to have developed potentially precancerous cell growth in the digestive tract, smaller brains, livers and testicles, partial atrophy of the liver and damaged immune systems. This demonstrates that if the insecticide itself didn't damage the rats, then the damage was most likely linked to the process of genetically engineering the insecticide to be produced in the plants.

Image from facebook.com via Pangea Organics

What are some of the environmental concerns of the Bt toxin GMOs? Are there impacts on the soil?

Here's a quick peek at the environmentally-relevant insecticide issue from a 2010 European Study:

“Although the use of Bt crops reduced the amount of chemical insecticide sprayed 

by 124 million pounds over the first 16 years, the Bt plants themselves produce far more insecticides 

per acre than they have displaced. For treatment of the European corn borer, the GM crops produce up to 5 times the amount of toxin in each field. For treatment of root worm, the GM varieties 

produce up to 13 times the amount of toxin per field.“

IF we designed insect resistant crops to eliminate the need to use environment-damaging insecticides on our crops, BUT THEN the crops themselves produce MORE insecticides than we previously used, WELL THEN that kind of defeats the purpose, right?

Here's a quick summary of the pro's and con's of Insect Resistant GMOs:

Pro’s:  I’ll need to get back to you on this one…

Con’s: There's a plethora of evidence linking insect resistant GMOs to a variety of illnesses, infections, allergies, disease states, deaths and significant environmental pollution.

So, who wants to eat Insect Resistant GMOs? Not me!! You?

Next week we will dive into the mind-boggling world of herbicide resistant GMOs! If today didn’t phase you, Part 5 will surely do the job!

References for this series:

1     http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/glyphosate/glyphosate.html 

2   "Genetically Modified Organisms and the deterioration of health in the United States” N.L. Swanson, 4/24/2013, Seattle Examiner.com

3   A Samsel and S. Senef Glyphosate’s Suppression of Cytochrome P450 Enzymes and Amino Acid Biosynthesis by the Gut Microbiome: Pathways to Modern Diseases.  http://www.mdpi.com/1099-4300/15/4/1416

4     http://people.csail.mit.edu/seneff/

5    http://vimeo.com/65914121

6    http://www.responsibletechnology.org/resources/powerpoint-presentation-on-gmos

7   V. E. Prescott, et al, “Transgenic Expression of Bean r-Amylase Inhibitor in Peas Results in Altered Structure and Immunogenicity,” Journal of Agricultural Food Chemistry (2005): 53

Shanna Wahlquist is a Certified Holistic Health Coach specializing in empowering women to adopt a sustainable and healthy lifestyle without “dieting” or feeling deprived, and supporting them in balancing their gut-mind-body relationship, which she believes is the foundation of every chronic disease and ailment.  She is the mother of two toddlers, ages 4 and 2.5 years old; her happy place is in the ocean surf, and her guilty pleasure is red wine – especially if it involves a limo with a group of friends! Shanna found her path to holistic healing after discovering the benefits of vegetable juicing in February 2012, a journey inspired by her desperation to discover the cause of the sudden onset of recurrent chronic respiratory illnesses suffered by her children. She used that experience as a launchpad for a career change and ended up discovering her true authentic self and life’s purpose. She’s always had a passion for science, food, healing and stewardship, and has created a business where she can enjoy them all simultaneously while making a difference in the lives of her family, friends, clients and community. You can find her on facebook at “NourishingMySoul”,  her blog at www.shannawahlquist.wordpress.com or her website, www.shannawahlquist.com.

Summer Eats: Grilled Mahi-Mahi with Cherry Salsa

I recently joined my neighborhood CSA, meaning I bought a "share" of a local farm and in return, get fresh fruits and veggies! It makes me feel very earthy and very grown up. 

When I returned from Indiana last week, Walter's cat-sitter Katie left me a gift in the refrigerator - a carton of fresh bing cherries. Then, when I picked up my CSA share on Tuesday, I was faced with yet another carton of fresh cherries. With all these cherries on my hands, I was forced to get creative (and by "get creative", I mean "google" cherry recipes).

The blog Iowa Girl Eats turned up a winner. But instead of chicken, I decided to adapt the recipe a bit and use fish, as I was craving some of those good-for-you omega-3's!

But enough about fish, let's talk bing cherries. 

Rumor has it that this cherry variety was named after the Chinese foreman Ah Bing who lived and worked on the Lewelling family fruit orchards in Oregon for 35 years in the late 1800's. Besides being sinfully sweet, bing cherries have amazing health benefits...

SUPER SNOOZIN' - Cherries are one of the few foods to contain melatonin, which helps regulate your sleep cycle.

BRAIN FEEDIN' - Eating cherries helps prevent memory loss and aids in overall brain health.

INFLAMMATION REDUCIN' - The antioxidants in cherries are famous for reducing inflammation, especially the inflammation linked to arthritis and gout.

CANCER FIGHTIN' - Cherries are packed with the flavonoid queritrin, which is considered one of the most potent anticancer agents. Queritrin helps your body fight off cancerous cells.

MIGRAINE ELIMINATIN' - The bioflavonoid compounds in cherries are known to eliminate migraine headaches by working in a way similar to aspirin or ibuprofen (which is ironic because I had a migraine the night I made this dish and woke up completely cured!).

Now let's get to the good part, the fresh cherry salsa...

Just look at those juicy little buggers!

Score a handful of cherries into fourths. I used enough to top 2 fish filets...

...then remove the pits.

They should look like this when you're done.

The original recipe calls for a red onion, but I say use what you have. For 2 servings, dice half of a small onion and add to the cherries in a mixing bowl.

Add the juice of half a lemon.

Now add a handful of chopped fresh basil...

... along with 1 tsp. of honey and a dash of sea salt.

Pour in 1 tsp. of balsamic vinegar.

Mix well and chill in the fridge so the flavors can combine while you cook the fish!!

Now for the fish...

Drizzle a light coat of coconut oil (or oil of your choice) on the top side of the filets. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper to taste.

Heat 2-3 Tbs. of coconut oil (or other oil) on a grill pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the mahi-mahi, skin side down. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes until cooked through. When you flip, the skin should peel off fairly easily. Add the juice of half a lemon for extra flavor. Allow the fish to cool for 5 minutes before topping with the salsa.

Look at that colorful, nutrition-packed dinner!

I know we're done here, but what's one more picture? It was just so beautiful!!

This dish is perfect for a light summer dinner, and it's guaranteed to impress!

Friday Song O' The Day: Treasure (Bruno Mars)

It's been decades since I posted a Friday Song O' The Day... for shame!  So in an effort to redeem myself, I present to you "Treasure" by Bruno Mars. This song is a guaranteed pick-me-up. It's a little Jackson 5... a little Al Green... a little Marvin Gaye... all thrown together!



Have a fantastic weekend!

Weekend Wrap-Up: Are We There Yet?

Driving to Indiana from New York is always an adventure. Over the course of 12 hours, you cruise through New Jersey (where you can't pump your own gas), Pennsylvania (where the scenery doesn't change a lick for the 5 hours it takes to get across it AND there's absolutely no food in sight), Ohio (a much needed sign of civilization after PA) and finally Indiana (where cornfields suddenly spot the horizon, along with front porches and tractors). Usually, the drive is a breeze. Well, mainly a breeze for me since I have no trouble falling asleep in the car, snoozing the hours away while Adam drives.

But this trip... this trip was cursed from the start. Our rental car stunk of dead squirrel, though there were no dead squirrels (or dead bodies in the trunk, we checked!), and unfortunately, due to circumstances beyond our control, we weren't able to swap it out. Thank God for Febreeze! Next up was the "purse incident". We stopped at a gas station in Pennsylvania and somehow my purse managed to end up in the toilet... face down and open. Oh...and the bathroom sink wasn't working so I was unable to lather up after diving in for my valuables. Thank God for hand sanitizer! Then there was the torrential downpour in the middle of the night while driving through miles of construction and concrete barriers that IF they had been any closer, would have been inside the car. Oh, and let's not forget the 16-hour drive on the way back due to construction, with 2 hours spent basically parked on the interstate and running out of gas.

But though the black cloud traveled with us this time, it was worth every minute! I got to spend lots of time with Adam's family and his beautiful nieces outside under the big, blue skies. I went on a booze cruise with a band who shared my appreciation for Stevie Wonder, ZZ Top and Southern Rock. I found my wedding dress! And I ate like a queen! These people know how to cook!

And now, the long weekend in pictures...

The lovely Zuri (who now calls me Aunt Lauren, I melt)...

...and her equally beautiful older sister Arianna...

...and one of the two twins (is it bad I had no idea which one I was holding?).

The "big kids" rigging our fireworks display in a beer bottle.

Zuri took it upon herself to kiss the pain away after Uncle Adam got hurt (by the way, I called that one).

But he lived to see another day...

 

...and another sunset.

And then mustered up the determination to grill some corn on the cob (along with a snapping turtle... after all, we were in Indiana, y'all).

Dinner was delish - grilled shrimp, sauteed kale, corn on the cob and grilled turtle (guess which one I didn't try?).

And then there were sparklers!

The next day, the "fun girls" hit the streets.

And I was having so much fun that Nurse Zuri felt it necessary to take my blood pressure, just to be sure I wasn't overexerting myself.

Then we practiced a little soccer with the soon-to-be all-world pro, Ari...

...and tried to wear out Adam's dog, Tucker (to which we failed miserably). He never tires.

Saturday night, we booze-cruised down Lake Freeman on the Madam Carroll with the band Swim Skinny. Those hot pants say it all.

And can I just say that this is the most awesome 92-year old woman ever? She was the singer's grandmother and quite possibly his biggest groupie.

You know you've had too much fun when somebody's face ends up Sharpie'd.

Hope you all had a wonderful holiday! This week, we continue our series on GMOs, so get ready for another mind-blowing post from Shanna!