Body Check: Have You Been Naughty or Nice?

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I don't know about you but it's only Dec. 10th and I'm thinking of letting out all my pants (just as a preemptive measure). The holiday parties are in full force, the cookies are EVERYWHERE, and my calendar is full until the new year! Unfortunately, all this lovely socializing can wreak havoc on even the most health conscious eater (including me!). So today, I thought I'd share my top 5 tips for being nice to your body this holiday season (you don't want Santa thinking you're naughty, right?)...

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1. DRINK UP THE BEVVIES.

Non-alcoholic, that is. When everyone in the world is getting sick, the key to staying healthy is keeping the toxins flushed out of your lymphatic system. And how do you do that? Drink warm water throughout the day! Find a cute mug and keep it full! Locate the nearest bathroom and get used to commuting (j/k... well, not really). Hydration will help move those toxins through your system and an added side bonus is that the extra water will help prevent (and cure) those nasty holiday hangovers!

2. JUICE LIKE IT'S YOUR JOB.

During the holiday season, it's not likely you're at home every night whipping up healthy meals (hey, no judgement here!). So what are you to do? An easy solution for making sure you get your fruits and veggies in every day is to JUICE THEM! Juicing is like giving your body a shot of nutrients, and if you're lucky, you'll be able to find a juice bar on your morning commute so you don't have to deal with the clean-up!

3. EMBRACE THE SALAD BAR.
Literally, hug it and tell it how much you love it. It's your best friend this time of year when you're deprived of nutrients. WholeFoods has a great one OR you could do things the old-fashioned way and make a salad yourself. Either way, I highly suggest working in just 1 salad a day (as a side or better yet, a main course!). Greens help boost your immunity and give your body the building blocks it needs to power through the season!

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4. MOVE IT OR LOSE IT.
Just because it's cold doesn't mean you can hibernate!  I'll be the first to admit that it's easier to be active during the warmer months, but regardless, your body still craves movement. If you aren't able to make it outside for a run OR your schedule is too tight to make that regular class at the gym, wake up 15 minutes earlier and spend some time stretching OR practice a few yoga poses before winding down for bed. Trust me, every little bit counts!

5. GET RID OF THE GUILT.

You know what? Guilt causes stress and stress burdens your immune system (not to mention, causes the release of the fat-storing hormone cortisol). So stop stressing over your holiday indulding! Give yourself a break! Remember... you're only human and seasonal festivities are normal this time of year. Instead of bitching and moaning about what you shouldn't have eaten last night at the holiday party, move on! Make a plan before going into your next party so that you still enjoy yourself but do it in moderation. Balance is the name of the game this season!

Ok, team, ready to divide and conquer out there? Good luck!

The Experts Weigh In: The Best Money I Ever Spent!

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BY: CHRISTY RICHMOND, CONTRIBUTOR

In my long time career as a freelance film editor, I have grown accustomed to going from project to project, completely avoiding what my co-workers and I sometimes laughingly refer to as a "real job". When a project begins, we have to be ready to give up many aspects of our day-to-day lives, the kind of things other people take for granted, like knowing what time we'll get off work (minimum daily call = 9 hours; maximum daily call = whatever the producer is willing to pay in overtime!), when we get to take our lunch or dinner breaks (these can be at different times of the day and who knows what we will be eating!) or whether we can make plans for the coming weekend (if the producers make changes to the schedule, we could be working for 16+ hours on both Saturday and Sunday!). 

It all gives new meaning to the term 'self-care'.

Self-care is something that you learn to get very good at as time goes by because otherwise, you get burned out or sick. 

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During a work project that finished early last summer, many of my co-workers were saying that juicing every day gave them so much more energy and stamina. I had to admit that they certainly looked healthier than on previous projects, so I decided to look into purchasing a juicer. I gathered opinions, did a little online shopping and decided that once the project finished, I would purchase a Breville juicer for myself. But before pulling the trigger, I had the realization that I've never really been much of a juice drinker, always preferring to consume the whole fruit, rather than just the juice. And although I have always enjoyed eating vegetables, the thought of drinking a large glass of celery or beet juice sounded a bit disgusting to me! 

And so I changed my mind about becoming a "juicer" and became a "blender" instead.

This critical decision led me straight to the Vitamix. Once again, I did my online research and surveyed a handful of friends to see if anyone had one. To my surprise, many of them already owned one! The only thing holding me back now was the price, especially since my freelance project had just finished and I no longer had a regular paycheck coming in. While trying to justify the purchase, I found myself at a Whole Foods store Vitamix demonstration. I told myself that I was only looking, not buying.

Of course, both the demonstrator and the demonstration were amazing! I realized that I had only thought of the Vitamix as a way to blend juices, but it does SO MUCH MORE than that! In the space of a half hour, this woman made several juices, a hot soup, her version of spaghetti sauce and several frozen desserts (all of which we were allowed to sample!). In between each of these, she showed us how easy and simple it was to clean the Vitamix. Even the most devoted juicers among my friends complain about the time consuming task of cleaning their juicers, but the Vitamix made the cleaning process look like a piece of cake!

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To make a long story short, I bought one then and there, along with some organic fruits and vegetables. After watching the DVD that came with it, perusing the recipes and watching a few YouTube videos online (I do like my research!), I jumped right in! Now, about 9 months later, I am still fascinated by what the Vitamix can do, as well as what it's done for me!

Although I admit to having some fear that I would eventually tire of my new "toy" and possibly regret its hefty price tag, I can honestly say that it's rare that a day goes by when I don't use the Vitamix at least once, if not twice. And I don't just blend fruit and vegetable juices. I use it as a food processor, I cook hot soups and sauces in it (yes, you read that right, HOT), and I make delicious frozen desserts!

The benefits have been so great that I would have to do another blog post just to list them, but here are a few highlights: I have retrained my palate, reducing my intake of both sugar and sodium; I have lost 20+ lbs. without dieting; and I have increased my energy and boosted my immunity.

The journey of "blending" has been a step-by-step process and an incredible learning experience, but I will save all that for another time!

Start blending, my friends!

P.S. I am so overwhelmingly enthusiastic about my Vitamix that I have become an affiliate for them! If you go to my health coaching website and click on the 'Recipes' tab, you will see a link to the Vitamix website. If you order by using this link, you will get free standard shipping for your purchase!

Christy Richmond is a freelance film editor for TV and movies in Los Angeles, California, as well as an aspiring health and wellness coach. She was born and bred in Texas, and like a true Texan, loves her 'south of the border' cuisine - cheese enchiladas, rice and beans and of course, chips and salsa! But don't worry, she works it all off by hiking the beautiful trails of Griffith or Elysian Parks in LA with her enormous rescue dog, Mikey. In her free time, you can find her watching (and re-watching) her favorite old British comedy 'As Time Goes By' (she claims she will never tire of it!) or going on tours of old neighborhoods and buildings in her area, embracing her love for architecture.

Napa Cabbage: From Koreatown To Your Kitchen

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"Mommy? Where do babies come from?"

These words strike fear into the hearts of parents everywhere. That's why today's post will be extremely helpful in more ways than one because if you haven't heard already, babies come from today's vegetable, the cabbage. Cabbage patches, to be exact. I've seen a delivery live - up close and personal - at BabyLand General Hospital in Cleveland, Georgia.

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There's your answer. THAT, my friends, is how you answer the dreaded question when asked by your five year old. Problem solved. You can thank me later.

In addition to bringing forth life (I kid, I kid), cabbages are pretty stellar in the way of nutrition. In keeping with my Asian theme for the week, I'd like to focus on the Napa cabbage (or Chinese cabbage), which dates back to the fifth century A.D. Some suspect that this cabbage variety is a cross between bok choy and turnips. If that's true, no wonder I like it.

Napa cabbage is a slightly milder and sweeter version of your average green cabbage. It's oblong in shape and has large, tightly clustered light green and yellow leaves. It's the main ingredient in Korean kimchi (as mentioned in Sunday's post), but you can find Napa cabbage in many dishes because it's extremely versatile.


Here are a few of the reasons you should incorporate Napa cabbage into your diet...

FOLATE FRIENDLY - Napa cabbage is packed with folic acid, which your body needs to make and maintain cells. Folic acid also protects your DNA from cancer-causing mutations and helps support the proper growth of the fetus in pregnant women. Ladies, you might also like to know that oral contraceptives can inhibit your folic acid absorption, so Napa cabbage can help you pump your system with extra folic acid.

AN ANTIOXIDANT ALLIE - It goes without saying that this cruciferous vegetable is full of antioxidants. Antioxidants help fight cancer-causing free radicals in the body. You want lots of these in your diet!

FULL OF FIBER - Raw Napa cabbage contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, which contribute to healthy digestion and overall wellness.

BONE BUILDING - Just 1 cup of raw shredded Napa cabbage provides you with 38% of your daily requirement of vitamin K. This vitamin ensures bone health, delays osteoporosis and even helps delay the progression of Alzheimer's.

DISEASE DESTROYING - You'll also get 46% (almost half!) of your daily requirement of vitamin C, which protects your body from disease and infection.

WEIGHT LOSS WONDER - That same cup contains only 20 calories! Napa cabbage can help you feel full without consuming a lot of fat and calories.


I know what you're thinking... This is all great news, but what do I do with it? That parts easy! You can use it as a wrapper or tortilla. Just wash a leaf and fill it full of goodies! You can also slice it into tiny shreds and make an Asian slaw or add it to your regular salad green of choice to spice up your salad. I like to cut it into pieces and throw it into a soup or stirfry. The leaves absorb flavor very well and do great in either.

This past weekend, Adam and I made our version of a vegetable pho with Napa cabbage. The beauty of this recipe is that you can use it as a basic framework and make it with whatever vegetables you like! There's a lot of chopping involved (don't say you weren't warned), but it will feed an army when you're done.

Separate the cabbage leaves and slice into 1 inch squares.
Leave a few leaves whole for the spring rolls you're going to make later. 

Peel and slice 1 white onion. You're aiming for crescent moon shaped slivers.

Thinly slice 4-5 carrots... organic preferably! Save some whole carrots for spring rolls too.

Add a little olive oil to the bottom of your large soup pot and saute the cabbage, onions and carrots for about 5-10 minutes until they are cooked. Throw some salt and pepper in there while you're at it.

Once the veggies are cooked, you need to make some broth! You can either add water (as much water as you want soup) with 2-3 vegetable bouillon cubes or fill with half vegetable broth/half water. Whichever you prefer. Also add 1 Tbs. of soy sauce and 1 Tbs. of minced fresh ginger.
Bring the soup to a boil for 1-2 minutes, then turn the heat down to
low-medium. In a separate pot, cook your udon or soba noodles (they cook fast, 2-3 minutes tops).

While the soup is simmering, add whole snap peas (or snow peas) and shiitake mushrooms (wash them first please!).

When the mushrooms and peas have cooked through, you're done! Just add the noodles to a bowl
and pour the soup on top!

Now that you've chopped a lot of veggies (way more than will fit in the soup), you can use the leftovers to make a side of spring rolls. You can find spring roll wrappers in the dry food aisle of the supermarket. They look like rice paper. For mine, I used shredded Napa cabbage, mung bean sprouts, thinly sliced carrots, fresh basil leaves and fresh cilantro. To make them, dip the spring roll wrappers in water (one at a time) until they soften slightly (not too long, or they'll become mushy). Place the wet wrapper on a cutting board or plate and fill the center with a small pile of ingredients (not too much or it will be hard to wrap. Fold down the top edge over the ingredients, then fold up the bottom edge. Now you're ready to roll from left to right, tucking under the ingredients as you go. They're not always beautiful, but they're guaranteed to be yummy and packed with nutrients!

For the dipping sauce, here's a solid recipe to follow: Peanut Dipping Sauce. Or make your own, by combining natural peanut butter with a little water, a hint of sesame oil, as much chili paste as you can handle, minced garlic and minced ginger. The key is to thin out the peanut butter so that it has a better consistency for dipping. Keep adding until it tastes good to you!

Dinner is served! Drumroll please...