The Bliss Chocovado Smoothie (and why I LOVE it!)

In 2012 I embarked on an amazing adventure with my awesome friend – a fellow Integrative Nutrition Health Coach, Lindsey Smith (a.k.a. the Food-Mood Girl).

Together we created a program that combined all the things we love most about our work – those very things that have helped us in our own lives.

While our separate journeys have been very different, we realized that we both found success by using the same approaches to overcoming our challenges with depression, anxiety, fatigue and self-doubt and that we are both super passionate about sharing those “behind-the-scenes” approaches with our clients.

We decided to join forces and create something I am so very proud of, The Bliss Cleanse: Your Two-Week Mind, Body, Spirit Guide to Greater Health and Happiness.

The Bliss Cleanse is a collection our very best strategies for turning struggle into ease, stress into joy, and moodiness to bliss.

At its very core, this two-week program helps you create a healthy lifestyle that goes way beyond food. Yes, there are recipes, meal plans and eating guides, but before you can find success with anything we give you in relation to food, you must make sure your mind is working with you. That is why this unique cleanse is a mind, body, spirit journey.

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Life is more blissful when you start from a place of love and gratitude. @Gratitude2Bliss

When we don’t align our thoughts with what our heart wants (love, kindness, ease and joy) and we tell ourselves we have to struggle, or that our body is too ugly, fat, lazy or old, we don’t stand a chance in making healthy choices.

But when we start from a place of love and gratitude for our body, for ourselves and for our life, it’s easy to change.

And that is what I want for you. For you to be able to make the changes you desire for yourself, with ease, joy and gratitude, and most importantly love.

All of the recipes in the Bliss Cleanse come from a place of LOVE. They are clean and easy to make and use natural, wholesome food that is nutritious and satisfying.

One of my favorite recipes is the Bliss Chocovado Smoothie.

Bliss Chocovado Smoothie

Ingredients:
1 avocado
1/2 or 1 banana (preferably frozen)
1/2 cup almond or rice milk
1 tbs raw cacao powder

Directions:
1. Blend well in blender.
2. Add ice for a thicker texture.
3. Serve immediately.

Why do I love this smoothie so much? Because it tastes like a chocolate milk shake yet is dairy-free, sugar-free, and chemical-free. It has loads of antioxidants, magnesium and healthy fat – all things your body needs to balance mood and satisfy cravings.

The Chocovado Smoothie is just one of the many seasonal recipes you’ll find in the Bliss Cleanse – an online program you can do on your own, any time, any where!

Once you become one of our cleansers, you are automatically added to our private Facebook group and can cleanse as a group with us up to four times a year – for life.

You get to “practice” healthy habits over and over until they become a way of life for you. You get to choose which habits you want to focus on each time. It can be as simple as drinking more water or saying a positive affirmation each morning, or you can try something more challenging like giving up coffee, sugar, wheat or dairy. It’s completely up to you what you want to focus on and we guide you every step of the way!

Take a break this summer to focus on you.

Our Summer 2015 Bliss Cleanse is happening 7/12-7/25 so plan ahead and register now – you’ll be amazed how much fun cleansing can be!

To learn more, please visit Bliss Cleanse.

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My Gratitude Walk

The other day I got up and went for a walk. A really big walk. Let me explain.

Two years ago I came home from the hospital after delivering my son, a child we had been wanting for eight years. I had a 36 hour labor resulting in an emergency c-section followed by major blood loss. While I was ecstatic to finally bring my son home and so grateful he was healthy, I felt as though I was going to die.

Each day I woke up to the fear that I would not be able to take care of him. I was so terrified I couldn’t sleep more than an hour at a time. My body became inflamed and I remained depleted for a very long time. Breast feeding was a struggle. Getting through the day felt impossible. I had postpartum depression and anxiety that lasted four months. I was so stressed I cracked a tooth. I had a weird problem where I couldn’t fully bend my left thumb and it freaked me out. On top of that, I had intermittent pain throughout my body and was constantly thirsty, tired and anxious. This experience rattled me to the bone and tested my physical, mental and emotional strength like nothing else ever has.

The only thing that kept me from completely falling apart was the deep inner knowing that everything would eventually be OK. While at times it seemed as if my world was unraveling and that my life was in danger, I held on to the idea that I would somehow make it through. It wasn’t easy but I told myself to focus on all the things I had to be grateful for, especially my beautiful, healthy son. Having an active gratitude practice in place was instrumental.

Fast forward to today. For the first time in two years I feel like I have my body back.

Up until a few days ago, I was still having painful hip and back issues that affected the way I walked and hindered my ability to exercise. But last week I turned a corner.

I had a few private yoga sessions with Gail Grossman, the beautiful yogi who created Om Sweet Om Yoga Studio.

I also had a session with Adam Hakim, a cranial sacral therapist with magic hands. I don’t know how he does what he does but let’s just say he put my muscles and bones back where they needed to be. But that is only part of it. He talked to me during my session and helped me release all the fear that got stuck in my body when I went through that trauma two years ago.

Which takes me today. Today I can walk without pain, tightness or feeling off balance.

When you get so used to living with something, you almost don’t even realize there’s a problem. But when you can release it, you feel brand new and whole again and it’s as if a miracle has taken place inside your body.

To celebrate, I went for a walk. I walked up a steep hill without getting out of breath. I played my Gratitude Playlist on my iPhone and felt grateful. Grateful for every person who played a role in my healing these past two years – family who came to visit, friends who brought food, neighbors who checked in, babysitters who were wonderful caregivers, healers who I called upon to help me, and my husband who was a rock through it all.

Next, I thanked my body. While it was challenging for me to accept the limitations it had placed on me, I never once lost faith that my body would heal.

I also thanked myself for doing what I could to stay positive and focus on what I had to be grateful for. I acknowledged myself for taking the time to make healing a priority.

This is something my gratitude practice has given me–permission to appreciate myself, my body and my own happiness.

I share this story with you in the hopes that it will inspire you to keep going. Whatever struggles you face, listen to the voice inside that can guide you to your own success.

If you have health issues, know that your body can heal.

If you have relationship challenges, know that you are loved.

If you have financial troubles, know that you are supported.

If you feel lost, know that you are guided.

When in doubt, practice gratitude.

Most of all, know that you are always right where you need to be. Know that every step of your journey matters. Every challenge is an opportunity for growth. And know that your gratitude practice can be your best friend when times are tough, moving you out of darkness and into the light.

I invite you to go on your own gratitude walk this week. Get out in nature and appreciate everything, even being able to walk and to be alive.  I promise you’ll feel good all week!

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When in doubt, practice gratitude. @Gratitude2Bliss

To get started with your own gratitude practice, download the free iTunes or Google Play Gratitude to Bliss App and start today!

Already have a gratitude practice? Please share in the comments below or on my Facebook page how it helps you stay grounded through difficult times.

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A Mother’s Day Meditation

Close your eyes and take a deep breath in.
As you exhale, imagine any stress or discomfort leaving your body.
Do this for 3 more breaths, allowing each one to get a little deeper.

Now focus your attention on your heart.
Think of someone who has been a mother to you – either your actual Mom or another person in your life who has cared for you, loved you, and guided you to the person you are now.

Feel the love this person has given you.
Allow that love to travel throughout your body, filling you up until you are overflowing with it.

Now take a moment to send this person silent blessings.
Thank this person for sharing her love with you.
Imagine this person overflowing with joy because of you.

Notice the circle of love created by this exchange of giving and receiving.

Extend this love to all the mothers and children of the world.

Know that this flow of love is a universal life force that exists within each of us and that you are never too old to need this love. From the day you were born you required this love to survive. Tapping into this nurturing energy can remind you that you are loved unconditionally, each and every day.

Take a few deep breaths and slowly open your eyes.

No matter how you plan to spend this mother’s day – with or without family – without or without your Mom – take a few minutes to practice this meditation and bring unconditional love into your life.

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A Mother’s Day Meditation http://tinyurl.com/lowprtg @Gratitude2Bliss

Did you know Paul McCartney wrote Let It Be about his Mom who died of cancer when he was fourteen? Years later she appeared to him in a dream and was the inspiration for this song.

When I find myself in times of trouble
Mother Mary comes to me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be
And in my hour of darkness
She is standing right in front of me
Speaking words of wisdom, let it be

Wishing you a mother’s day filled with unconditional love.

If you liked this meditation, please share your comments below or on my Facebook page!

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Photo by Saffu on Unsplash

Hold On To What is Good

Hold On To What is Good: Gratitude and Spirituality

(part four of a five part series on gratitude and nutrition)

Today we circle back to our conversation on Primary Foods, with our focus on spirituality. (For more on primary foods, check out The Four Areas of Your Life You Need to Be Feeding).

Research shows that having some form of spirituality is key to leading a healthy, happy life. But don’t worry, even if you’re not religious you can still bring spirituality into your life. Practicing gratitude is one of the easiest and most powerful ways to do this!

This past weekend I had the incredible pleasure of giving a reading at my cousin Tina’s Catholic wedding ceremony. The New Testament reading she and her now husband, Marc, chose was from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Romans (Romans 12:1-2, 9-18).

While I won’t include the entire passage here, I will highlight a few sections that stood out for me:

Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect.

Let love be sincere, hate what is evil, hold on to what is good; love one another with mutual affection; anticipate one another in showing honor.

There it is, right in the New Testament: “hold on to what is good.”

When we practice gratitude, we are doing just that: holding on to what is good. Focusing our mind on “what is good and pleasing and perfect.”

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My gratitude practice helps me hold on to what is good. @Gratitude2Bliss http://tinyurl.com/px7m4kx

While many, if not all religions emphasize gratitude as paramount to being ‘holy’ or “whole,” we do not need to be religious to be grateful. But being grateful keeps us connected to ourselves, to our spirit. It reminds us what we hold dear, what we consider holy and what makes us feel whole in body, mind and spirit.

Practicing gratitude on a daily or weekly basis helps us keep what is good on our radar so that we may stay in a positive light and shine our light onto others and to the world.

What I love about my gratitude practice is that it allows me to stay connected to what is important to me. What “good” means to me.

gratitude042215_blogLast week my son and I joined my husband at a business conference which was held at a five-star resort. While I enjoyed sitting by the pool and having a break from cooking, there were a few simple things I missed: organic food, green juice, cacao smoothies, and filtered water.

You see, these are things I hold dear. Things I write about in my gratitude journal. Things that contribute to my bliss.

If it was up to me, I would have much preferred to vacation at a yoga retreat than a 5-star resort. But this trip was important to my husband and to his business and I was happy to support him and to take pleasure in “what is good” — being together, new experiences, and building personal relationships with his colleagues.

So what is your “good”? What are the things you write about in your gratitude journal?

Please share your “good” in the comments below or on my Facebook page!

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The Four Areas of Your Life You Need to Be Feeding

The Four Areas of Your Life You Need to Be Feeding

(Part one of a five-part series on gratitude and nutrition)

This week marks the first ever Health Coach Week and I am so excited to celebrate! Becoming a health coach has been the most incredible journey and continues to bring me joy and fulfillment. (Learn more about my experience here.)

The most powerful thing I learned from my health coach training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition is the concept of primary foods.

Joshua Rosenthal, the school’s founder and director, developed the idea that nutrition comes from all areas of life, not just what we eat. In fact, food is secondary to our relationships, career, physical activity and spirituality. These four areas are what he calls “primary foods” and they have a greater power to nourish our health and happiness than what we eat.

Having an understanding of this concept is vital to creating the health and happiness we all seek. The idea of primary foods and secondary foods is a simple system that needs to be in balance. When one area of your life is out of balance, it most likely throws off something else. Having an awareness of this helps you pinpoint where you want to focus when things feel “off.”

For example, this past year I was struggling with sleep. As every parent knows, having an infant means giving up sleep. Since I am someone who thrives on 8-9 hours of solid sleep a night, getting by with less took its toll on me. As a result, I did not exercise, my excuse being that I was too tired. I also had a bad habit of prioritizing work over taking care of myself. I used my son’s nap times and his time with our babysitter to work on my business rather than exercising or sleeping. I found myself exhausted, cranky and frustrated, and craving comfort food. Little by little I gained weight. After a while my clothes didn’t fit the way they used to. Bottom line, I felt yucky.

Having an awareness that my primary foods were out of balance and that I needed to focus more on myself helped me regroup pretty quickly. Rather than going on a diet, which would have only made matters worse since I was already feeling deprived, I indulged myself in more naps and more “me” time, and began viewing exercise as a treat rather than a chore.

In no time at all I was back on track feeling great again. I attribute being able to make this major lifestyle shift almost effortlessly to my gratitude practice. As soon as I started feeling off, I cracked open a fresh copy of the Gratitude to Bliss journal where I listed my intentions and described how I envision my bliss to be.

“In my bliss, I am well rested and feel amazing in my body. My clothes fit well and feel luxurious. My energy is high and my mood is great.”

Every night before bed I write in my journal, appreciating myself, my time, my family and whatever else I am thankful for. This keeps me focused on the important things and filters into my day so that I am better able to make decisions – like prioritizing exercise – that benefit both me and my family, even when I’m tired.

I now make sure to get a workout in before anything else. This allows me to sleep better even though I sometimes only get 5-6 hours a night. Regular exercise also keeps my metabolism up, my weight in check, my cravings down and my mood positive. Overall, I have more energy and my day flows more smoothly. I feel great because every area of my life is being nourished.

As a health coach, I believe a daily gratitude practice provides the soil in which you can plant your deepest desires. It is the solid foundation you need for making lasting changes that bring you closer to living the life you dream for yourself.

When gratitude is at the forefront of your mind as a result of your daily practice, it’s easier to see that feeling rested is more important to you than crossing things off your to-do list, or that having lunch with a friend is more nourishing than eating an organic salad at your desk while you work.

Everyday life has gotten so focused on “doing” that so many of us, myself included, often lose sight of the simple joy in just “being.” This lack of joy can really throw things off and cause your whole life to get out of balance. It can leave you feeling undernourished and running for a hot fudge sundae when all you may really be needing is a hug, or a nap, or a bike ride.

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A daily gratitude practice provides the soil in which you can plant your deepest desires. @Gratitude2Bliss

In the follow-up to this five-part series on gratitude and nutrition, I plan to delve deeper into each primary food and how keeping an active gratitude practice can help you stay in balance!

For now, think about your own primary foods. Which of your relationships are nourishing you and which are draining you? Are you getting enough physical activity? Enough sleep? Are you feeling fulfilled in your work? Do you feel connected to something, a higher power perhaps, or simply to your true self? Please share in the comments below.

As always, thanks for reading!

Gratefully yours,

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