Aug 2010
OBSESSION WITH THE HOLISTIC NUTRITIONISTA
Except for cake frosting, frozen yogurt, and gummy candy, I am a very healthy eater. I have grown to love the taste of Kale (no lie) and get excited for a bowl of Quinoa. My glass of Cabernet seems to accompany steak as well as it does tofu! I recently had the pleasure of meeting a lifestyle nutrition/ wellness guru named Marlyn Diaz aka THE HOLISTIC NUTRITIONISTA. I was blown away by her knowledge and personal journey. She is a certified Holistic Nutritionist and Lifestyle Educator with many years of training behind her as well as various degrees and certificates in health and nutrition. More importantly, Marlyn practices what she preaches and can speak and demonstrate from experience. ”Back in the 1970’s, while in high school I was young, struggling with my weight and unhappy. Physicians, fad diets and conventional medicine couldn’t “fix” me. Through my own searches I discovered books on health and wellness that approached, from a unique perspective, how one’s body actually works. I learned the truth about how different foods, vitamins & minerals, and lifestyle choices affect your health. Attending medical conferences, studying holistic nutrition, and learning about functional medicine and alternative health therapies has helped me to form more than a base level of knowledge. I’ve learned from some amazing and highly educated people – Physicians, Acupuncturists, Chiropractors, Energy Healers and other Holistic Nutritionists, like myself. I’ve put into practice the knowledge that I have absorbed from so many studies – learning how to enhance health, balance nutrition and affect the aging process with the right foods, supplements and lifestyle choices.
This journey brought realization that natural and permanent change is within reach for all us, and that it can be done without chemical-laden diet drugs, weight loss surgery, and fad diets. I’ve learned that our bodies were designed to help us help ourselves. I’m so grateful that I have gained the knowledge and tools to help not only myself, but also others.”
How authentic and sincere is that?
Whether it is an interview with an exercise professional (i.e the man behind the beloved Cardio Barre) to the benefits of cinnamon beyond a yummy taste, to creative yet delicious recipes (some peppered in chia seeds) to healthy cleanse tips, Marlyn provides her followers with a clear cut and proven healthy lifestyle journey. As she promises, her team is “there to support you on your road to looking, feeling and being your best! Their mission is to educate, inspire, elevate and make nutrition FUN. All while sharing our passion for good food, good friends and a healthy lifestyle. Let us help empower you to reach your wellness goals and create balance from the inside out!” I swear, Marlyn is no joke and I have become such a fan. My kids are eating Chia seeds and do not even realize it. holisticnutritionista.com
Aug 2010
HUSBAND IS THE NEW BACHELOR
NOT! This vision about killed me! Last night as I sat on the edge of my bed, anticipating who Ali was going to choose, Husband was teasing incessantly. ”you are dumbing yourself down, look at you- acting like you are about to be kissed for the first time…get a life!” I must say, I have always loved Roberto but Chris was beginning to make headway with me. I could see how torn Ali was and I felt her pain. Ultimately, her instinct won and she chose Roberto- may their love last a long time. As the show re-ran clips of their journey, I found myself salivating out loud about Roberto’s body. OMG! what a hottie- tall, dark, handsome, sick abs! I was hooked! Suddenly, I sensed movement to the left side of my peripheral vision. Mind you it was 11:00 pm at night! The lights were off and I was prepared to go to sleep once the show finished. I felt a whoosh of air and could not believe my eyes. Husband was standing upright, shirtless, and doing bicep curls. At this point, I was hysterical. ”honey, you are a babe, tire and all…. you are better than Roberto. In fact, forget Chris as the next Bachelor (spotted Chris and Bachelor producers and Chris Harrison at the Dodger game last week.) I think you should throw your hat in the ring.
Jul 2010
GURU IN THE KITCHEN
As I have boasted about in the past, I am lucky to have a plethora of talented friends. This bodes well for me AS you are who you surround yourself with. As I type this post, I am feeling inspired watching my friend and uber-chef whipping up a three course kid friendly meal. The kids are playing basketball, the moms are chillaxing with a glass of Cab, and MRS. NOW YOU ARE COOKING is effortlessly and quickly preparing dinner (a far cry from my standard Turkey Tacos!) Pam Reims is Cordon Bleu trained, a former caterer, and now a sought after cooking instructor. With the remarkable ability to make mini chef’s out of the mom set, Pam’s cooking seminars are booked months in advance. From a crash course in how to stock your pantry, the various methods of chopping, to the grande finale similar to what is digesting in my tummy, Pam inspires people to “be confident and happy cooks.” More importantly, Pam makes cooking easy, approachable and fun. For someone like me, this combination is exactly what will seduce me into cooking. I want to be able to whip up a unique dinner for my husband or for the playdate that turns into early dinner and bath. I want to alter the boring repertoire of our daily meals. How about I NEED to change it up for my husband. Happy tummy, happy husband, healthy growing kids! Pam’s cooking classes are fairly priced and each participant departs with a recipe binder summarizing the prepared meals. The only problem one will stumble upon is a wait list for the cooking class. These classes book up once she announces the new schedule. Pamreims@gmail.com
May 2010
BELUGA WHALE
Sick with the stomach flu back in sixth grade, I never made it on the whale watching fieldtrip. Missing this school outing was devastating for me. I always imagined whales as being mammothly large animals mostly blue and grey in color. As you know from reading this blog, I put lots of energy into exercise, nutrition and self-tan experimentation. Nobody knows this better than Husband because he pays the infamous Amex bill. Last December, husband and I flew to Palm Beach for a wedding. Excited to spend time alone (vacation husband is the BEST of husband), I put extra special care into packing outfits that would appeal to husband instead of dressing for the girls. After a long red eye flight, we arrived at the W South Beach (AMAZING and drum roll please… it’s a Starwood Hotel!) and went straight to the room. Serene like a spa, the room was all white, with big glass windows, breathtaking ocean views, and a soft cloud like white bed. Deciding to take a nap and rejuvenate before venturing out Kardashian style, I whipped my clothes off and pulled on my Target nightie. It is important to note here that husband is always complaining about my repulsive sleepwear at the same time that he tortures me about my spending. This argument is an enigma to me in that a whopping charge of 1000 dollars at La Perla would surely lead to separate bedrooms forever. Settling for Gilligan O’Malley at Target, I opt for soft texture and sexy bright colors. That being said, husband managed to catch me in the middle of taking my clothes off before putting on my nightie. Suddenly, I heard him suck his breath in… I smiled demurely, thinking that I must be looking hot and that the hard work at Pilates and Power Plate must be paying off… Not! He started shouting at me that I was so white and flabby that I resembled a beluga whale. WOW! what a compliment! Thank god we brought Astro Glide because the thought of being turned on by him just flew out the giant glass hotel window.
Apr 2010
HULA WHO, HULA WHAT, HULA SKINNY
Atta girl Care Bear looking out for the Lemonaid drinkers. Hula hoop yourself to a 6 pack! Your Canyon Hula Hoop is custom sized and weighted to your own specification. The color choice (hot pink and black for me) is just the icing on the cake. Maintain a hooping rotation for ten minutes on each side (or more) and watch what happens. You lose weight by getting your heart rate up and burning calories. Your hip and mid section rotation, and the tightening of your stomach while hooping, will take inches off your waist. Never the best hula hooper in elementary school, I was surprised by my new found talent. Fun and Fitness with a sexy loop di loop at an affordable price of $25.00. www.canyonhoops.com
The venue! Last week at my son’s first grade talent show! The boy band of Big Time Rush wanna-be’s was cool but the competition was fierce with 7 year old adorable blonde hula hooper…. watch out next year’s talent show, there is a new sheriff in town in the form of a hula hooping mommy!
Mar 2010
WOULD HAVE BEEN NICE TO KNOW….
We have been told over the years to befriend OLIVE OIL, that our skin would benefit, our tummies would flatten, our hair and nails would grow, our brain health would increase, and our bodies would be grateful. My family welcomed the “good fat” as a staple in our diet. Extra time would be spent in the condiment aisle as I would peruse the various types and grades of olive oil. However, nobody in the oil industry or nutritionists or dieticians or the Surgeon General for that matter ever discussed the CARCINOGENIC effects of Olive Oil when it is cooked above medium low. Do you hear the “C” word? I can assure you that while I am juggling dinner, getting the homework done and the kids bathed, I attempt to speed the process of cooking dinner by jacking the flame up to “high.” I am horrified as I think about the fumes that I have released into my home and touched the food that we all eat. Sorry JK for this Norman Rockwell excerpt but I thought it urgent to share this frightening information with the Lemonaid drinkers.
Feb 2010
BEYOND VODKA
Nobody loves a glass of syprupy Cabernet (think Mi Sueno) more than me. It is so relaxing and enjoyable to sip on a glass of wine at the end of a stressful day. And how about those health benefits? It seems like doctors practically prescribe a glass of wine a night. So what’s the downfall? THE EXTRA POUNDS ON THE SCALE IN THE MORNING! There have been many occasions where I have performed experiments proving the direct relationship between wine intake and weight gained. Last week, two different friends of mine suggested drinking vodka at night promising the same alcohol induced calm without the extra poundage. I remembered to order vodka straight up with a few olives last Friday night while out to dinner. My dinner companions from that night and my husband could not stop laughing as I suffered through my vodka. And I will admit, I did weigh less that Saturday morning. However, Saturday night, when the waiter came around to take the drink order, I buckled and went back to my red wine syrup. The sunday morning scale results supported the wine= weight gain theory. Whatever, I thought! Monday at pilates, the peanut gallery and I dissected the issue. And then the healthiest of the bunch spilled the secret of her “success.” Newly coined “BEYOND VODKA” the drink consists of vodka, a dose of pellegrino or soda water, freshly squeezed lemons, and a packet of Splenda. Delicious right? I will let you know on Friday.
Jan 2010
BATTER BLASTER
Morning breakfast for the kids stumps me. One kid limits his breakfast repertoire to Lucky Charms and blueberries while the other refuses to eat at all. One kid likes eggs, the others would rather starve. I am pressed for time and always feel like I am sending them off for the day HUNGRY. Weekends are good for pancakes because we are all relaxed. In conversation with a friend the other day, she brought up her amazing breakfast discovery. I literally woke up the next day and ran to Whole Foods. Remember the spray whip cream pancake maker from our childhood days? Today’s version is called ORGANIC BATTER BLASTER. Besides being organic, it requires no cleanup. You simple prep the skillet with Pam or any other non-stick pan spray, shake the can with the nozzle pointed down, push the nozzle with your index finger and BLAST the batter into whatever size pancake you desire. Voila- seconds later fluffy pancakes or waffles are ready to serve. The pressurized process for preparing pancakes makes Breakfast fun, quick and easy. Amazing that it is me handing out cooking advice but I urge you to run to the market today and whip up organic pancakes tomorrow.
Jan 2010
NIK NAK PADDY MAC
These last few days of rain have been epic! Weather reports show that tomorrow alone the sky will cry 3 to 5 inches of rain. Schools are shut down (how east coast of us!) and moms, dads, or nannies and kids will be indoors. What to do? What to eat? How pedestrian to order in the standard chicken noodle soup when you could enjoy piping hot homemade macaroni and cheese made from scratch in LA’s only all mac and cheese kitchen. With home delivery or catering options available– the mac and cheese arrives either hot and ready to serve or cold (fridge, freezer, and oven) ready. With 6 creamy, delectable, and comforting mac and cheese flavors to choose from, the only potential roadblock in the way of your immediate gratification (TOMORROW) would be the “grounding” of the delivery truck due to the torrential pending storm. But I would bet my last dollar on Mr. Paddy Mac and his superhuman ability to deliver his mouth-watering mac and cheese to anyone at ANY time. I particularly enjoyed the Truffled Mac and Cheese (my tush did NOT) and my kids devoured the Big Paddy Mac with the cheeseburger in the middle of the pasta shells. ORDER@PADDYMAC.COM or 323/ 646-4000. Eat well and stay dry.
Nov 2009
A DESSERT SUGGESTION
If anyone is looking for a last minute yet unbelievably delicious dessert to serve on Thanksgiving, read on. My mother in law was once a caterer in Philadelphia. She is one of the greatest cooks I know. If anyone was ever going to inspire me to learn to cook it would be her. She gifted me a book of her all-time best recipes when I married her son. To this day, I have tried only one recipe and it remains the one receipe I have perfected and continue to make over and over. It is easy, quick, and truly one of the most addicting chocolate desserts ever. Trust me you will be invited back to every dinner if you promise to make this dessert. Introducing “Ma Joel’s fudge pie!”
INGREDIENTS
1 UNBAKED GRAHAM CRACKER SHELL
2 CUPS WHITE SUGAR
½ CUP FLOUR
3 WHOLE EGGS
½ CUP DUTCH COCOA
1 CUP BUTTER
1 ½ TSP OF VANILLA
PUT ALL INGREDIENTS IN A LARGE, HEAVY BOTTOMED SAUCEPAN AND BEAT WELL WITH A LARGE SPOON. BRING TO A BOIL AND POUR INTO A PIE SHELL. BAKE FOR 30 MINUTES AT 300 DEGREES. TURN OVEN TO 350 AND BAKE FOR 10 MORE MINUTES. COOL. SLICE AND REFRIGERATE OR SLICE AND FREEZE. EAT IT PLAIN OR SERVE WITH ICE CREAM OR WHIPPED CREAM FLAVORED WITH VANILLA AND SLICED STRAWBERRIES OR HOT FUDGE SAUCE.
