Yay! I have a new way of using my slow cooker! (What, you don’t have a slow cooker? Goodness go get one! They are not expensive and worth every penny. Here’s the one I’ve got.)

Up until now I’ve only ever made soups and stews. Anything else felt way beyond my skills. But after many months of cooking from Everyday Gluten Free Slow Cooking, I finally gave it a shot.

Totally easy. I’m hooked. And wild salmon is a great way to pump up the omega-3 fats in your diet, improving everything from skin to brain health.

Moms – jump on it. Good slow cooker recipes are so awesome. I love having dinner ready and waiting. It means I don’t have a whining, hungry toddler hanging on my legs while I’m trying to cook.

Seriously, he’ll even get between me and the oven and push me away from it while I’m like, frying stuff and trying to keep hot oil from splattering. Super helpful.

So let me tell you a little bit more about this cookbook. I’ve used a bunch of great recipes from it, like:

Brazilian Black Bean Soup
Cashew Chicken
Classic Pot Roast
Chili and Lime Brisket
Beef Tacos
…and tonight’s fish recipe (see below)

I love this book for it’s amazing ideas and for breathing life into my previously-lonely slow cooker. And yes, these are all gluten free. Some of the recipes call for ingredients like sugar or canola oil (for which I make substitutions) but in general they are a LOT healthier than the pamphlet of recipes that came with my Crockpot.

In fact, I find these recipes sparking a lot of creativity. Now that I have a freaking clue about how to use my slow cooker, I like to jazz it up.

Tonight’s salmon went in a lime/mint direction instead of the recipe’s lemon/dill. Enjoy! And enter below to win your very own copy of the book.

Mojito Salmon
This is my variation on Everyday Gluten Free Slow Cooking’s Lemon Dill Salmon.
For marinade:
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tbl. olive oil
2 tsp. minced garlic
1 Tbl. minced fresh mint

For the fish:
1 lb. salmon fillets, cut into 4 portions
salt and pepper

Combine marinade ingredients in a large ziploc bag. Place salmon in the bag and make sure it’s coated well. Refrigerate 2-6 hours.

Remove salmon and place in slow cooker along with half of the marinade. Discard the rest. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 2.5 hours.

Ready to get slow cookin’?

Follow the directions below to enter to win. Cookbook will be sent directly from the publisher to winner’s address (US only).

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Yesterday I saw a commercial for Cheerios that you may be familiar with. It’s the one where the cereal company makes the attention-grabbing health claim that “Cheerios lowers cholesterol.”

Having worked in the ad industry, I’ve spent my fair share of time turning not-quite-true health claims into sales. Here’s how it goes:

1. There’s a product that needs to be sold. An ad agency is hired for millions of dollars.

2. There’s a minor health benefit or possible correlation to a health fad, and lots of legal issues about what can and can’t be said about the product. Lots of gray areas here, giving ad folks room to create a “health halo” around a not-so-healthy product.

3. The consumer mistakenly believes they are spending their hard-earned money on quality, healthy food.

In this case, Cheerios is trying to say that its 1 gram of soluble fiber helps the body get rid of cholesterol. 1 gram. Know how many grams per day are recommended by the ADA? More like 25-35. Know where you can get way more soluble fiber? Beans. Fresh fruit. Real food like that.

Hmmm. Thanks, Cheerios.

And…why are we worrying about cholesterol again? Oh, that’s right. Heart disease. Caused by damage and inflammation of artery walls. To which cholesterol responds and fixes.

So is cholesterol the problem? Or is it the processed food and sugar that causes the inflammation in the first place?

See how a very small, possible health benefit turns into a huge, misleading ad headline?

They aren’t lying. They aren’t allowed to. But they can emphasize 1 gram of fiber until they have millions of people relying on Cheerios for heart health. It’s confusing and, in my opinion, disrespectful.

Not to mention:

Cheerios don’t grow on trees. They don’t grow out of the ground. They are a processed food. The main ingredient of oats is promising. But that’s followed up on the ingredient label by modified corn starch (as with any corn product, very likely GMO), sugar (obviously not a first choice for breakfast), tripotassium phosphate (a food additive), wheat starch and vitamin E.

That is not food. And the process they use to form cute little O’s? That’s not cooking.

I’ve seen worse, oh yes. Honey Nut Cheerios, which is also celebrated as a healthy option, offers all of the above, plus 3 different forms of sugar in the ingredient list.

I’m not here to tell you that you’ve made a fatal error by consuming Cheerios.

This isn’t about judgement. You are a good person for making the best choices you can, given the information you have. But it stinks that our main source of nutrition information is often TV ads. The thing is, we can do better. We must do better, because our culture is sick and getting sicker.

Let’s do it for our kids, and for ourselves.

8 easy, quick ways to feed your kids (and yourself)

Fresh fruit

Grabbing a handful of blueberries is just as easy as a handful of Cheerios. Sliced bananas are pretty darn cheap.

Dried fruit

Same as above. Easy and fairly inexpensive. Make sure your dried fruit is just fruit though – no added sugar or sulfur.

Nuts and seeds

My 2 year old loves almonds, pistachios and sunflower seeds. And he’s not only getting a crunchy, satisfying bite of fiber, but also healthy fats and protein. That’s a quality snack, through and through.

Granola or muesli

Like the idea of oats for breakfast? Here you go – oats in their unprocessed state. The only catch is finding a granola (or making your own) that isn’t sweetened with 27 forms of sugar. Look for something that uses only quality honey.

Yogurt

Plain, organic yogurt can be topped with any of the things listed above. We also like adding unsweetened coconut flakes!

Smoked salmon

I was shocked when my little guy wanted a bite of my smoked salmon! But he loved it. I serve it with organic cream cheese on whole grain crackers, or on cucumber slices.

Beans

Talk about easy and cheap! Open a can, rinse and drain. My guy has been eating beans ever since I needed to fill that little snack cup with something – and I’ll be damned if it’s Cheerios. Just yesterday he went into my pantry and came out holding a can of garbanzos while chirping “Open it! Open it, Mommy!”

Plain beans may seem boring but he doesn’t seem to mind. For myself, I like garbanzo beans as a snack topped with my favorite salad dressing, or roasted like this.

Hardboiled eggs

Eggs are a nearly perfect, whole food. And if you can boil water, you can hardboil eggs. I make a big batch once a week and give my son 2 at a time, especially in the car on the way to preschool.

I think the most important thing is to change our attitude about food

If we expect meals to be grab-and-go all the time, we aren’t going to break out of marketing traps and reclaim our health. There are a million options other than boxed cereal so if you don’t like these, that’s ok. We can’t act defeated and say, “I don’t have the time” or “I don’t have the money” unless we want to maintain the status quo. Changing habits is hard, but entirely doable. I love that!

Have any other easy, quick, real food ways to feed your kids and yourself? Leave a comment and tell us!

Every so often I realize I haven’t been to yoga in weeks, I’m snapping at my husband and I just ate a leftover hotdog for lunch. Again. And please don’t look in my living room, it’s covered wall-to-wall with toys.

And the temptation can be to tighten up. To force myself to the grocery store and cook a perfect, healthy meal. To march into the living room and throw every toy back into the box while my husband watches TV. The louder, the better. Yes? Because at this point I’m mad.

But the real trick is to let the toys stay put and wait until the weekend to grocery shop as usual.

The trick is to look at my husband and ask, “Is it ok if I go to a yoga class tomorrow?”

And go. (Even though the house is a freaking disaster and yes, I had another hotdog for lunch.)

Somehow, everything gets easier after that. Instead of tightening up, forcing myself to do more, be more – it’s actually better to do less. Be a little irresponsible. Take some time off. Lie on that mat in Savasana and let my brain fall to the floor. When I get home, I find my eyes twinkling as I kiss my husband and pick up my son, stepping on Legos.

I realize – I missed him! I’m glad to be home! I can’t wait to make a grocery shopping list for this week! (Ok that last one might be an exaggeration but I do feel more inclined to get my life back on track.)

For moms in particular, it can be so hard to walk away. Let go. Take some time off. It can feel like we aren’t allowed. Like it would be selfish.

Listen up!

It’s not selfish. Actually, it’s the opposite. Taking care of yourself is a huge act of love towards your whole family.

We have three main currencies: money, time and energy. So we can pay lip service to self care all day long, but unless we use our currencies on ourselves, we haven’t really gotten the point.

Here are 6 totally doable ways to prioritize yourself.

These are doable because they don’t require picking up and walking out the door right this second to go get yourself a manicure. They aren’t about leaving your partner, winning the lottery or making your mom babysit for the next month straight. Just practical steps you can take. Yes, you can.

1. Schedule a regular time off

This makes a lot of moms gasp and shake their heads in disbelief. The goal is to give yourself much-needed time to recharge and do something just for YOU. You cannot grocery shop for the family during this time – doesn’t count. You must do something slightly indulgent just for yourself. Yoga class is my favorite.

AND…get this. You can’t just do it once. It must be a regular thing on the calendar. Why? Because we all know how it goes – you’ve been planning and planning to finally get that pedicure and the day comes and BAM your kid is puking all over the place and you have to cancel. Now your life feels like it just got poured down the drain and resentment builds in your belly.

Doesn’t it feel better to know that, hey, it’s ok. You always have next week. See, it’s right there on the calendar in black and white.

Resentment fades away.

2. Prepare lovely food for yourself

Moms eat the grossest stuff. No? Well, you tell me. What’s easier to do in a blink of an eye? Eat that raisin your kid just dropped on the waiting room floor or pick it up and go find a trash can?

It happens. And if it’s not food that was dropped on the floor, it’s scraps from lunch on the highchair tray.

This is no way to show respect to yourself. And it certainly doesn’t teach your kids anything about proper eating habits.

In an ideal world, the whole family would gather ’round the dinner table for quinoa patties. In reality, do whatever you have to do to feed the family. Before, during or after they eat – you sit down to a lovely plate of real, delicious food. Eat with a fork. Use a napkin. Chew each bite.

It feels good to maintain some standards around what is considered an acceptable meal! Try this once or twice a week and relish it.

3. Use products you love

Here’s an idea that takes no extra time at all. You already have to take a shower, wash your face and hair. Why not do it all with products that make you feel special?

It’s cliché, isn’t it? But there is something so demoralizing about using your husband’s bar of Dial when you could be using an aloe-herb all natural cleanser that smells like the spa.

4. Plan a weekend away

I’m going to Wanderlust in June! I’m going to Wanderlust in June! By myself! For 3 nights, holy crap!! Just me, yoga, some mountains and farm-to-table food, OMG.

Sure, it’s only a few days. But that feeling of excitement has been living with me for months. It’s so worth it, even though I am going to owe my husband bigtime for playing Mr. Mom for 4 days.

Plan something to look forward to. You’ll get to carry around the excitement like a little tube of self-care balm.

5. Get in the game

Sometimes we can’t get away. sometimes we have to just be here. And then that’s what you do. Be here.

My son wants to wrestle on the bed, he’s in a silly mood. I wanted to get to the store before they close but instead I jump on the bed and let this be silly time together. It feels good.

I wish I could hop on a plane and spend some time with my girl friends. Instead of tight-lipped smiles at the other moms at the park, I try striking up a conversation. I’ve actually made some great friends this way.

Be here. Meet your needs, right here.

6. Say no and be firm

Often, we are simply overextended. By trying to please everyone we are putting ourselves last in line. Yes, again.

Luckily, there’s a very simply remedy. Say no. This takes a little bitchiness and a lot of practice. Suddenly, amazingly, you will find yourself first in line for your own attention.

No, I can’t stay late tonight.
Sorry, we can’t make the birthday party for Little Timmy.
Not this month, I’ll be at book club next time.

Try it out. Blame it on me!

What are some ways you prioritize yourself and your health?

I believe in the food chain. I see birds eating worms, and cats eating birds, and I think, yeah, ok. This is how it works.

However, during my detox we eliminate animal products. Not under the premise that they are “bad”. Not at all! Meat is simply at the top of the food chain. So when you eat beef, you are eating all the toxins from everything that cow has ever eaten or experienced in its environment. By eating lower on the food chain, you automatically consume fewer toxins.

Makes sense for a detox. It’s good to get a break. And we’re doing it again this fall. (Click here to pre-register)

But guess what, kiddos. Detox is over for now! And I feel really good about the grass-fed ground beef I get from my local farm. I feel good about being part of the food chain, the Universe’s natural order and whatnot.

And I feel really good about cramming goodness into a beef burger in such a way that my husband asks for more and my toddler doesn’t even know he just ate vegetables.

These can be served on buns, but I prefer to skip that part.

Ratatouille Paleo Burgers
Because I don’t fill up on bread, I usually eat two burgers with liberal amount of veggies.
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
8 oz. mushrooms, minced
1 cup frozen, chopped spinach
2 lbs. ground beef
1/2 cup minced parsley
1/2 cup minced basil
1 egg
salt and pepper
8 loosely packed cups baby spinach

For topping
9 cups diced eggplant, zucchini and/or bell peppers
2 cups tomato sauce

Heat olive oil over medium-low heat. Add onion; cook until translucent. Add garlic; cook until lightly golden. Add mushrooms and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cook until mushrooms are very soft.

Transfer mushroom mixture to a large bowl. Add spinach, beef, parsley, basil and egg. Sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

Using your “Italian spoons” aka your hands, combine the mixture well. Form into 8 or 9 patties. Cook on the outdoor grill or in a hot, oiled pan on the stovetop, 5-7 minutes per side.

Meanwhile, combine topping ingredients in a pot over medium-high heat. Stir well, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until veggies are very soft.

Serve burgers over a bed of baby spinach, with topping.

What are your favorite healthy twists on a warm-weather burger?

Are you a health coach interested in making amazing recipes like this to share with your clients? You are going to be happy about something special I’m developing for you! Learn more and let me know you’re interested here.

I had ice cream for breakfast. Jealous, right? What can I say? When I detox, I do it with style (and flavor)!

And psssst the waitlist is open for my fall detox. You might want to jump on it.

Honestly, I can’t believe I didn’t think of this sooner. After all, we’ve been drinking green smoothies for years. Why not use the same principle for frozen treats? Adding green vegetables to any recipe lowers caloric density, adds mega nutrients and lessens the glycemic load. Not to mention, makes it easier to get greens into your picky kids.

So here’s what happened: We’re on Day 18 of my spring detox, and life is good. Some participants are losing weight, many are feeling more energized and calm. Everyone seems to be enjoying the food. And my good friend Lisa gave me a recipe to share, so before I did I gave it a whirl.

Well.

It knocked my socks off. She called it a green smoothie and indeed it could be, but the thick, frozen treat reminded me much more of sorbet.

So what did I do? I immediately ran upstairs where my 2 year old was whining at my husband in the shower. I said, “Want some ice cream?” and he rumbled over, mouth gaping open. Happily, Daddy finished his shower and the whining ceased.

I love good food.

Here’s Lisa’s no-guilt recipe with my very minor tweaks:

I Can’t Believe It’s Broccoli Sorbet
12 oz. water
1 cup frozen mango
1 cup frozen strawberries
2 cups frozen broccoli
2 Tbl. almond or cashew butter
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
2 tsp. raw honey or pure maple syrup

Place all ingredients in your high-powered blender or food processor and blend on high until it creates a creamy consistency. The greens and fruit should be completely blended. Serves 2.

But could I leave it at that? No way! You know when you get a great idea and feel inspired and suddenly your brain goes whirly-twirly with more ideas? That’s my favorite creation-mode place to be.

I thought about my favorite ice cream when I was a kid. My mom would buy these gallons of peanut butter swirl ice cream from Turkey Hill. It wasn’t a great move in terms of our chronic sinus infections or swinging blood sugar, but we didn’t know! We just ate it, gallon after gallon.

Turkey Hill, Ben & Jerry’s, Breyers – listen up! We can do better! Here’s my new favorite peanut butter ice cream. It kicks butt. And I had it for breakfast. You can, too.

Greened-Up Chocolate Peanut Butter Ice Cream
1 cup chopped frozen banana
1/2 cup frozen spinach
1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
2 Tbl. raw cacao nibs (plus more for topping)
1 tsp. cacao or cocoa powder

Place all ingredients in your high-powered blender or food processor and blend on high until it creates a creamy consistency. The greens and fruit should be completely blended. Serves 2.

Next step: I’m going to pour these concoctions into popsicle molds for some seriously healthy, yummy summer treats.

Got any good ideas for frozen greens/fruit combinations? Let me know in the comments – I plan to try a lot of variations!

Are you a health coach interested in making amazing recipes like this to share with your clients? You are going to be happy about something special I’m developing for you! Learn more and let me know you’re interested here.

This recipe is part of Ricki’s Wellness Weekend.

These cookies make me so flipping happy. Because, let’s face it, when you are putting all your effort into eating clean it’s really annoying when your husband breaks out a box of Joe Joe’s right in front of you. Ahem.

The word that comes to mind is Deprived.

We can feel deprived when we force ourselves to resist, or when we’re told we can’t eat something we want. We feel restricted. And that is a shittastic way to feel! No one wants that. Bad mojo, all around.

I never want any of my clients, or you, to feel deprived because you’re eating real, clean food.

How do we avoid it?

Let’s redefine Deprived.

By stepping out of the moment and taking a wider view I think we can shift our definition:

I know I am deprived when I wake up in the morning still feeling tired.

I am deprived when I want to play with my son but don’t have the energy or patience.

I am really deprived when my clothes don’t fit well and I walk around feeling self conscious.

Before I changed my diet, I often had fainting spells. That deprived me of a lot of good days because passing out on the subway is just not fun. Before I changed my diet, my blood sugar was always fluctuating wildly. That deprived me of being in a good mood. Not being in a good mood deprived me of having fun and connecting with people around me.

Deprived? Yes, I’ve been there.

Clean food makes me feel abundant.

So here’s the wider view:

Clean food is downright indulgent, because it helps me live better and enjoy every moment. I feel satisfied and even privileged when I have plenty of energy. I get sick less often. I have more pep in my step. I feel more confident in my skinny jeans.

There’s a smile on my face more often than not. It’s like magic!

Deprived? No way. This is way better than any Joe Joe.

And you know what really helps?

It helps to have options. Like a delicious, real, clean food cookie alternative! You want some right now, I know. Go ahead. No deprivation here, folks.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cookies
My friend Jessica gave her recipe for Joy Balls to share with my detox group and I modified it ever so slightly to appeal to my inner cookie monster. And yours. Upon tasting them, my husband told me they tasted more like cookie dough than cookies. He was right! The texture is like what you’d sneak off the spoon when your mom was making a batch.

16 oz. almond butter
1/2 tsp. salt (if almond butter doesn’t have salt)
1/2 cup unfiltered, raw honey
1 cup raw cacao nibs
3/4 cup nuts or seeds (I used walnuts and sunflower seeds)

1 cup raisins or chopped dates

Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix with hands or spoon.

Roll into golf ball sized spheres, then flatten into discs. (If the mixture is not firm enough, refrigerate for about 30 minutes.)

Store in the fridge or freezer.

Are you a health coach interested in making amazing recipes like this to share with your clients? You are going to be happy about something special I’m developing for you! Learn more and let me know you’re interested here.

Trust me, I thought these were going to suck.

But this is Week 2 of my 21 Day Detox and I have a group of nearly 60 people kicking butt with clean, plant-based food. When my friend Persephone gave me this recipe to share, I had my doubts but gave it a whirl. Hey, recipe testing is a tough job but someone’s got to do it!

Here are some reasons I know my detoxers (and YOU) are going to love this recipe as much as I did:

1. It’s simple and tasty and looks like something you just WANT to eat.

2. It’s Italian without being a calorie bomb.

3. Quality plant-based protein is cheaper than quality animal-based protein. I mean, why not switch it up now and then?

4. It’s gluten-free.

5. It’s just kinda weird! In an awesomely good way!

My 2 year old son laid eyes on these and immediately hollered “Meatballs!” He devoured them. And while, no, they don’t taste like meat – they are darn tasty.

Now let’s talk about the noodles. In colder weather, Persephone suggests serving over spaghetti squash. But since that’s out of season right now I made summer squash noodles which served the purpose beautifully. My 2 year old asked for a noodle but after tasting it declared it “salad.” He was essentially right. So set expectations – you’re serving a yummy vegetable, not a plate of pasta. K?

Meatless meatballs
When you take out the meat, you never want to replace with a soy-based, processed fake meat product. Always choose real, whole food! This recipe is adapted very slightly from Persephone’s original. She rocks!

3 cloves garlic

1 to 2 cups fresh herbs (basil, parsley, thyme, oregano, in any combination)
1/2 onion


1/4 cup kalamata olives

2 cups cooked quinoa or millet

3/4 cup ground flax seed

1/2 tsp. salt
2 Tbl. olive oil
1 jar of organic marinara sauce (Read the ingredients and make sure there are no sugar or preservatives. I used Eden brand.)

Note: I made meatballs about the size of golf balls and this recipe made 12. Smaller meatballs? You’ll get 16 or so.

Preheat oven to 350F. Put garlic, herbs, onion, and olives in food processor. Process to create a paste-like consistency. Add cooked grain, flax seed and salt. Process until mixed well.

Roll into balls. Dust with remaining ground flax.

Lightly oil baking sheet. Bake balls on sheet for 30 minutes. Serve with heated marinara sauce over summer squash noodles, recipe below.

Summer Squash Noodles
Summer squash look like yellow zucchini. You can use regular green zucchini for this recipe too, but it doesn’t look quite as much like pasta.

4 med-large summer squash
2 Tbl. olive oil
1/2 tsp. salt

Wash squash well. Using a vegetable peeler, peel thin strips of squash into a large bowl. Continue until you are left with only seeds (these don’t peel well, so you can discard or use for another purpose.)

Working in 2 batches, heat 1 Tbl. oil at a time in a large pan over medium-low heat. Add half the squash and salt. Sauté until softened.

Serves 4.

And to all my detoxes, keep kicking butt! I’m super proud of you guys. Changing food habits is not for the faint of heart, and it takes the body a little time to adjust. But it’s so worth it. So. Worth. It.

Are you a health coach interested in making amazing recipes like this to share with your clients? You are going to be happy about something special I’m developing for you! Learn more and let me know you’re interested here.

Hello, warm weather. We’re so pleased to see you.

And right on cue, grilling season begins. You know what that looks like, right? Piles of hotdogs and hamburgers, those soft squishy buns, and colorful bottles of ketchup, mustard, relish, beer.

Grilling is awesome. But I’m not a fan of those buns, or the cheap meats, or the lack of vegetables. It’s so American. As in, Standard American Diet (SAD).

So let’s step up our game this season, shall we? Because everyone likes to have fun, but it’s no fun waking up the next day with a hotdog bun hangover. Read on for a recipe for my Grilled Honey Lime Chicken, Black Bean and Jicama Salad, plus 6 tips for a healthy grill season.

1. Quality meat makes all the difference

All meat is not created equal. Whether you care about animal welfare, the environment or your own nutritional needs – meat sourced from healthy, pastured animals is always the way to go. I cringe when I go to Whole Foods and see their animal welfare rating system because they can’t even live up to their own standards. Most meat I see there is marked with a 1 or 2 (the lowest scores). Arguably, this stuff is better than the meat sold at conventional grocery stores…but still. Your best bet? Buy meat from local, trustworthy farms. You can also order online from places like US Wellness Meats.

2. Nix the buns

Grilling can actually be an amazing way to feed yourself without the extra calories and digestion-inhibiting properties of bread. Gluten-free? Grill season is your season! When I make things like chicken parts, steak or fish I don’t miss the bun at all.

And the key to great chicken? A great marinade. Here’s one of my new faves:

Grilled Honey Lime Chicken
2-3 lbs. chicken parts (I like using leg/thighs)
3 Tbl. raw honey
1/4 cup chicken stock
Juice of 3 limes
Zest of 3 limes
1/2 cup minced cilantro
1 1/2 tsp. ground coriander
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1/2 tsp. salt

Arrange chicken in a baking dish. Whisk all other ingredients in a bowl, then pour over chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 24 hours, turning occassionally.

Remove chicken from baking dish and pour marinade into a bowl. Set aside. Return chicken to dish and bring to room temperature. Bake at 325F for 30-40 minutes. Then transfer to a hot grill and cook for 5 minutes on each side, basting with reserved marinade.

3. Put thought into your condiments

I don’t like ketchup. It’s just one more way sugar and high fructose corn syrup sneaks into our diets. Seriously, we don’t need it.

Instead, how about pesto sauce over chicken? Salsa with fish? Tzatziki over steak? Get creative. Bonus points if you make your own condiments.

Island Fruit Topping
1 mango, chopped
1 kiwi, chopped
1/2 orange, chopped
1 avocado, chopped
2 Tbl. toasted sesame seeds
1 Tbl. tamari
1/4 cup toasted sesame oil

Gently combine all ingredients. Serve cold or at room temperature.

4. Grill your veggies

If you’ve always had a grill full of meat, you may be surprised at how easily you can grill your vegetables. Eggplant is beautiful on the grill. So is asparagus. The drill is usually the same: coat with oil, salt and pepper and grill until tender or slightly charred.

Another benefit: bringing a huge bunch of kale to a BBQ costs way less than bringing steak, and you’ll impress the heck out of your friends by showing them how to grill it:

Grilled Tuscan Kale
1 bunch Tuscan kale
2-3 Tbl. melted coconut oil
Salt and pepper

With your fingers, massage oil onto the front and back of each leaf. Place leaves on hot grill, cook just a few minutes, until tender. Flip to char a bit on both sides.

5. It doesn’t all have to be grilled

Duh, right? BBQs are a perfect time to break out a sparkly salad. Go for something with mad color and flavor. I swear I’ve had the junk-food lovers in my group of friends fall in love with simple veggie salads like this:

Black Bean Jicama Salad
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1 cup jicama matchsticks
1 pint cherry or grape tomatoes, halved
1 avocado, chopped
1/3 cup minced cilantro
1/3 cup minced Swiss chard
1 tsp. cumin
1 tsp. chili powder
1/2 tsp. salt
Juice of 1 lime

Toss all ingredients in a bowl. Adjust seasonings to taste.

6. Drink something special

Same old beer? First of all, beer does not agree with my stomach. I don’t know about you, but I feel a lot better without it. Instead of feeling deprived, make yourself something yummy and fizzy that celebrates the warm weather:

White Wine Strawberry Fizzy
1 bottle white wine of choice
2 liters soda water
1 cup ripe strawberries, cut in large pieces
1 handful fresh mint leaves

Combine everything in a pitcher. Smush strawberries with a wooden spoon to help turn the drink pink! Serve chilled.

Here’s to a happy, healthy grill season. Enjoy!

And yes, it involves a change in diet. But to be most effective it should also involve a shift in lifestyle – after all, toxins enter our body through much more than food – they come from our air, water, stress, chemicals on our clothes…even our personal care products.

My friend Kelley is doing this April’s detox (which starts 4/7) and recently blogged about the many thoughts and fears that come up when she thinks about taking on the challenge. She wrote:

What if I get hungry? Can I eat out? What if I break down and eat at McDonald’s one day?

Don’t worry Kelley. If you get hungry, you’ll eat. You’ll emphasize protein and healthy fats to help keep you full. If you eat out (and I’m sure we all will at some point) you’ll choose something on the menu that most resembles real, clean food. I usually get a salad and hummus, maybe a piece of fish with vegetables and potato. Sound ok? And if you make the decision to eat McDonald’s, you’ll also make a conscious decision to listen to your body and feel how that McDonald’s affects you. There are no mistakes, there are just learning experiences.

Do I have to be perfect? Can I do this? Do I have to exclusively shop at Whole Foods?

Well, I’m not perfect and no one is – but I have seen busy moms of 3 who work 70 hour weeks complete this detox successfully (and love it!). So I know that when it’s the right time, anyone can do it. You might find yourself at Whole Foods for a specialty item or two, but you should be able to get most things at a standard grocery store. I’ve had detoxers from all over the world and not everyone has a Whole Foods, so we are flexible.

But again, it’s not all about the food. Which leads me to today’s giveaway!

I’m so happy to announce this package from O&N Collective – designed specifically to help you reduce the toxins in your home and body by replacing two important products that many of us use daily:

1. Your deodorant
As I wrote about here, your deodorant/antiperspirant is filled with ingredients you’d be much better off without. You can make your own natural deodorant, but wouldn’t it be easier to win some?

According to O&N about their Blissoma Lavender Natural Deodorant:

It combines fresh organic cucumber juice, plant gums, organic jojoba oil, baking soda, licorice extract and pure essential oils to effectively deter odor and freshen underarms. It is free of harmful aluminum and other toxic ingredients and safe to use while pregnant. Keep in mind these are not antiperspirants. If you sweat through your morning application you can always touch up with a quick spritz- the next application absorbs the odor again.

I can assure you that I’ve been antiperspirant-free for about a year and love it!

2. Your air freshener
Every time you spray Febreeze, you’re inhaling a boatload of chemicals that the Environmental Working Group has determined to be likely or significantly hazardous to your health the the environment. How ’bout we ditch that stuff and try a simpler, much less toxic solution?

According to O&N about their Neom Organics Lemon & Fresh Basil Natural Room Mist:

Our Neom Organics Room Mists are made from a simple blend of pure essential oils, spring water and pure grain alcohol and are 95% organic – 5% natural and free from harsh preservatives, so they will not pollute your lungs, home or the environment.

Ahhh. That’s much better.

Ok, are you ready?

Listen, if you’ve been considering a detox, you won’t find a more comprehensive, practical program. We are almost sold out so I encourage you to head on over and reserve your spot today. The program starts in less than a week!

To enter to win today’s giveaway, follow the instructions below. Good luck!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

1 winner will be notified by April 30, 2013. Winner must provide a US shipping address.

Get a grip on your business finances

Cost: Free!
Date: May 10, 2013 at 1pm ET
If you can’t make that time, sign up anyway and you’ll receive the recording!

Doing the work you love, the work you are passionate about, is all well and good until you find yourself with checks to deposit, taxes to pay, invoices to keep track of and hey, can I write this green juice off as a business expense?

In fact, taking care of the “business” aspect of our businesses can be downright daunting. I’ll admit I am no expert in how to manage finances! In fact, when tax season comes around I get mighty jittery about figuring out how much I’ve earned, what my expenses are, and how to keep it all straight.

That’s why I’ve invited Jessica Mishra, health coach and certified public accountant, to join me for this extremely necessary class that’s going to give us the confidence we need to face those Uncle Sams!

Join us for this free call and you will:

- Create confidence to face your finances (eek!)
- Learn what systems can make life waaaaay easier
- Find out how to earn more by not paying unnecessary taxes
- Identify mistakes you’ve been making, and how to turn them around
- Gain peace of mind knowing your business is on the right track

Meet Jessica
Jessica used to lead a fast-paced career as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA), often stressed, not eating well or exercising much. By her late 20′s these bad habits started to catch up with her. Jessica is now a certified health coach, helping busy professionals rebuild their health while maintaining an active lifestyle. She also offers business support for other health coaches. Learn more at beamingwithhealthsf.com.

Being an entrepreneur isn’t always easy!

It’s important to surround ourselves with support, especially when it comes to finances. Use the button below to register for this free call and you’ll receive immediate confirmation along with the call-in information.

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