Happy Holidays!

I wanted to take a moment and wish each and every one of you a wonderful, happy, healthy holiday!

I hope you are enjoying your time with friends and family, coworkers and neighbors.

And I hope you are remembering to breathe! In the midst of the chaos of the holiday season, it can be easy to get swept up in the busyness and constant “doing” — shopping, socializing, cooking, etc. Take this email as a reminder to stop whatever you’re doing and take a couple of deep breaths. Close your eyes, let your shoulders relax, and simply breathe.

It can be all too easy to neglect our self care during this busy season. Remember to prioritize doing at least one thing for health for yourself each day: whether it’s cooking yourself a healthy breakfast, getting in a 30 min workout, taking a few minutes to meditate or breathe, eating some veggies, getting a massage, spending time with people you like, breathing in some fresh air, or getting a hug after a long, busy day, it all adds up to healthier, happier you!

With that being said, have fun and enjoy your holiday! Here are some delicious dessert recipes from Integrative Nutrition to help you celebrate the season in a healthy way. Cheers!

Baked Bananas
Coconut Date Cookies
Delicious and Easy Thumbprint Cookies
Nutty Chocolate Crispies

January Detox!

Even though many of my readers are “healthy eaters,” most of us could benefit from a detox by the end of the holiday season! I like to cleanse a couple of times of year to “reboot” my body and eliminate toxic build up that happens to to all of us, even those of us with the best intentions. If you’re new to cleansing, want to take your health to a deeper level, or want to learn more about cleansing for your clients, join us for our January group detox!

* Level 1 (led by Hadley) focuses on gently reducing inflammation in the body caused by hidden food allergies or sensitivities, as well as discovering what foods each person’s body does not tolerate well. By the end, participants will have more energy, feel lighter, and have a deeper understanding of how food affects their bodies. This cleanse is designed for people who have never done a detox before or who currently eat a diet high in meat, dairy, sugar, processed foods, and/or caffeine.

* Level 2 (led by yours truly) takes it one step further to help you reboot your metabolism by detoxing from common allergens and addictive foods, while adding several supplements along the way to help support your body for a deeper cleanse. Participants will boost energy levels and reduce toxic internal inflammation by taking a break from foods that are difficult for our systems to digest. This is a great cleanse for those who already eat moderately healthy and are ready to take their wellness, energy levels, and metabolism to the next level.

* Level 3 (led by Gena) focuses on restoring the body’s alkalinity, in enhancing elimination and digestive health, and on awakening stored toxins with raw, plant based foods and vegetable juice. It will be a user-friendly introduction to raw foods and how to implement them. Participants can opt for either a high-raw or a semi-raw, all vegan protocol. This is a perfect cleanse for those who have some familiarity with an all plant-based diet, but who are seeking to enhance digestive health and break lingering addictions to processed foods and animal products. It’s also a perfect option for those who have dabbled in raw foods and juicing, but need some guidance in maintaining consistency into 2010.

Each participant will receive instructions on how to begin slowly eliminating addictive foods, such as sugar and caffeine, from their diets before the cleanse.

Outcomes of the 10-day cleanse include:

* Resetting the body’s metabolism
* Getting rid of toxins
* Reducing inflammation
* Losing ‘fluff’ weight
* Feeling lighter & reducing bloating
* Learning about new and healthy foods you enjoy eating
* Improving digestion
* Clearer skin
* More energy
* Giving our bodies a chance to heal
* Getting the detox ‘glow’
* Revitalizing your diet and your life by breaking out of negative thinking and unhealthy patterns

Why participate in a group detox?

* Better success having on-going support from your peers than from doing it alone
* Share recipes and tips that work as you go along
* Meet new friends who share similar health goals
* Receive support from qualified health practitioners to ensure a safe, effective experience

Why a telephone group class?

* Easy and convenient, from the comfort of your own home or while on-the-go
* People from across the country can participate
* Provides anonymity for those who prefer it

THE DETAILS:
The cleanse will last from January 18-27. All three practitioners will jointly host a teleclass on the benefits of a cleanse, as well as details of the program, on January 6 at 8pm.

Investment in the cleanse is $60; Sign up with a friend each get $5 off. Bloggers who participate in the cleanse and promote on their blog receive $10 off. Health care practitioners get another $10 off.

SIGN UP TODAY!

Questions? Email andrea@sparkyourwellness.com

Weigh Less, Live More! January – March Group Program

ONLY 3 SPOTS LEFT!!!

Join me next month as I kick off my next Weigh Less, Live More! 3-month group program. This is not a program about change – it is about transformation. Each session builds on the last. As we work through the obstacles in your life and focus on the goals you’d like to achieve, we will motivate each other to a new level of vibrant health and confidence.

Some of the group topics we will cover during our sessions include:

-Learn to reach your ideal weight WITHOUT dieting, deprivation, or starvation. I learned how to do this for myself (while losing 45 lbs), have helped many clients do the same, and will show you how!

-Reduce your cholesterol, high blood pressure, and improve your digestive issues through natural, holistic measures.

-Discover which vitamins and supplements you should be taking each day, and which ones are just a waste of your money.

-Find out which foods are important to buy “organic,” and which ones don’t matter as much.

-Learn to reduce or eliminate your cravings.

-Find out about gentle cleanses that will help you detox and gain energy.

-Learn about natural energy-boosters that will keep you going throughout your day!

I believe that food is just one piece of the health & wellness puzzle. My goal is to empower you to be your own health expert! In order to do that, during this group program we will explore:

* Why you crave certain foods at certain times
* Building your intuition about optimal nutrition
* How to cook healthy food without sacrificing flavor
* How your relationship to food is connected to everything else
* Discovering what is keeping you stuck and getting unstuck

What your program includes:

*Six 1-hour group meetings which will include goal setting and an educational healthy living lecture, as well as group sharing
* Handouts after each meeting
* Recipes and cooking tips
* Access to private online group forum where you can communicate with Andrea and other members of the group in between sessions for continual support

Group program dates & details: (6 Sessions Total)

This is a 3-Month Program: Sessions meet twice at my Union Square office at 80 East 11th Street, corner of Broadway. Each session is 2 weeks apart and is 1-hour long. We will cover a new, exciting topic at each meeting. $225 program fee ($75/month) includes all sessions and handouts.

***SPECIAL ****  Book your spot by December 14 and receive $10 off total group price! Mention code”HOLIDAY” to get special pricing!

Starts Thursday, January 7 and runs every other Thursday through March 18. Group participants meet from 6:30pm – 7:30pm.

Space is extremely limited! ONLY 3 SPOTS STILL AVAILABLE!

Contact me today to reserve your spot: 917-450-4642 or email andrea@sparkyourwellness.com or visit www.sparkyourwellness.com

My favorite quick & easy cold-weather weeknight meal

Butternut Squash Soup with Gorgonzola crumbles, toasted nuts, and a drizzle of olive oil

Healthy (Yummy!) Thanksgiving Sides

Thanksgiving is, perhaps, my most favorite of the holidays. We host the meal at our house, and the guest list has grown over the years to about 16 adults and 4 children. That’s a lot of cookin’! But I love it. My mom comes down the night before, sleeps over, and then we head out to the local farmer’s market bright and early to get the best selection on Wednesday morning. It’s usually cold and blustery and my gloves don’t last long (you can’t pick up your parsnips and Brussels with gloved-hands!), leaving me with ice-cold fingers and a freezing nose. But it’s part of the fun of tradition! We take the produce back to my house, crank up the tunes, and cook from morning well into evening (with ample sampling and tasting along the way, of course. And usually my tastes of my port-filled cranberry sauce leaves me with a delightful buzz!).

As I became more nutritionally-conscious over the past few years, our menu shifted from buckets-of-butter mashed potatoes to more healthy – yet delicious! – sides like roasted Brussels sprouts, baked squash, roasted root veggies, and collard green “bundles.” While the meal is just as tasty as before, our guests leave with a little more pep in their step and less “brain fog” than in Thanksgivings-past.

I wanted to give everyone some healthier options for the big day. Whether you’re hosting or bringing a dish to your host’s home, these dishes help lighten up the meal but don’t skimp on flavor. Here are some of my favorite Thanksgiving recipes I’ve collected over the years. If you try one, let me know what you think! P.S.  You don’t just have to make them on Thanksgiving — they’re great all winter long!

-Wild mushroom bundles

-Quick & easy sauteed Brussels sprouts

-Roasted root vegetables

-Cranberry sauce with port and dried figs — best cranberry sauce EVER!!

-Roast butternut squash with shallots and sage

-Northwestern stuffing with wild mushrooms and hazelnuts. A lot of work, but to die for!!

 

Stay Healthy This Winter!

Over at Spark! Wellness’ blog, we’ve been focusing on what you can do to stay well and boost your immune system as cold and flu season approaches.

Check out some of our latest posts:

No flu for you! Here are my suggestions for Immune Boosting Foods

Feeling congested? Check out Veronica’s advice to stop that stuffiness.

Keep illness at bay with Hadley’s recommended supplements

Tatiana’s grandma used garlic to keep her family healthy, and you should, too!

End of Cleanse. Plus Kripalu!

Matt and I officially ended our raw food cleanse on Friday. In the end, we lost about 3.4 lbs each over the course of 5 days. But beyond the weight loss, we felt GREAT. We didn’t exactly feel like superstars while ON the cleanse (we were jonseing for warm, cooked foods and feeling hungry throughout most of the days), but when it was all said and done, we really felt like we gained energy, felt clearer, and it totally boosted our moods! I would absolutely do one of Organic Avenue’s cleanses again and can solidly recommend them to people interested in trying an alkalizing, raw food cleanse. Matt and I were thinking that a “soup cleanse” might be a fun thing to try in dead the winter: taking 5 days and eating nutritionally-packed, hot soups for lunch and dinner to keep our bodies warm, hydrated, and vitamin-filled during the harshest of seasons. I shall keep you posted…

In other news, I took a girlfriends’ trip to Kripalu Yoga Center this weekend, up in the Berkshires! It was the perfect transition to end my cleanse: I went from eating raw to munching on deliciously prepared, healthful, organic meals up at Kripalu. For those of you who haven’t heard of it, Kripalu is a great place to go for a weekend  (or week!) to recharge. You stay on “campus” and all meals are provided to you, and you can choose from various yoga classes (also included) throughout your stay. In addition, they offer fun, free classes on health, spirituality, and movement available throughout your stay. And you’re in the middle of the Berkshires, so hiking, kayaking, snowshoeing, biking, and all sorts of nature activities are right at your fingertips. We took 2-hour hikes each weekend morning and it was splendid! We simply went for an “R&R” package (relaxation and renewal), but Kripalu has guest speakers throughout the year (big shots from the health & wellness world) who offer week-long or weekend workshops for an additional fee. If you’re feeling burned out, want a little peace, quiet, and tranquility, or simply want to work on your yoga practice, I can’t recommend Kripalu enough.