Thursday, June 21, 2012

BazaarVoice group creates life changing food discoveries together!



Bazaarvoice is Austin’s Darling in the software and services sector. They turn social media into social commerce for the world's best global brands by enabling authentic customer-powered marketing. 

This was one committed and motivated crew of employees and working with them as a team was an absolute pleasure!



STEPHEN TARLETON
STEPHEN'S FOOD BLOOM:
  • Weight: 21 pounds lost
  • AM Energy: "4" to "8"
  • Cravings: "7" to "0-3"
  • Cholesterol total: 182 to 142
  • HDL: 54 to 55
  • LDL: 124 to 76
  • Reduction in acid reflux/swallowing issues
“Coming into the program I had some unhealthy eating habits developed throughout my childhood in the south – lots of fried food, meat and bread, and a tendency to overeat and “clean my plate”. The LoveLife method helped me and my wife change our diets. We start our days with green juices and have eliminated processed foods, meats other than fish and caffeine.
Shifting to a better diet has led to many life improvements. My LDL (bad cholesterol) is the main one I had problems with. I have some coronary artery calcium build-up, so my doctor said I needed to keep my LDL under 100. The move from 124 to 76 is huge. I’m very excited!”
- Stephen

CANDICE 
CANDICE'S FOOD BLOOM:
  • Sleep Quality: "6" WITH valerian to
  • "6" without
  • Restlessness: "6" to "1-2"
  • 2-4 Energy: “5” to “7.5”
  • Cravings: "8" to"0"
  • Shakiness/Irritability between meals:
  • Frequent occurrence before, dropped down to "0"
  • Mental Clarity: "6" to an "8"
  • Neck Pain: "5" to "0-1"
  • Rosacea: "9" to "2"
Intolerant Foods Discovered:
  • Fish: Decreases Energy and inflames mood levels
  • Citrus: Decreases energy, disrupts sleep quality and inflames mood levels
I decided to participate in the LoveLife Method because I wanted to learn more about food in general and particularly how my diet was eating was impacting my health. And that’s exactly what I got! For me, the power of the program is in the structure. It is very organized, which I like. They tell you exactly what to do (from shopping to cooking to snacking) and you track yourself closely so that any changes are immediately noticeable. It’s a real program.

One of my most surprising discoveries was that my mind worked so much better. It was awesome! I didn’t even need to take notes in meetings because my memory was fantastic. I just felt CLEAR. I didn’t even realize that my mind had been cloudy before but after I saw the difference it was pretty dramatic. An unexpected and very pleasant side effect. I highly recommend this program to everyone."
- Candice

STEPHANIE LEWIS
STEPHANIE'S FOOD BLOOM:
  • Weight: 6 pounds lost
  • Cravings: “8” to “0”
  • Abdominal Pain: "6" to "0"
  • Mental Clarity: "5" to "7"
  • Puffy Eyes: "8.5" to "2"
  • Skin Glow: "3" to "6.5"

Intolerant Foods Discovered:
  • Citrus: Decreases Energy and causes puffy eyes
  • Corn & Fried Foods: Causes Abdominal Discomfort
  • Sugar: Increases Cravings
Happy Foods :)
  • Nightshades, fish, eggs, nuts, soy
  • Her Horum Slow Juicer Green Juice
"Growing up in a busy single-parent home, I was raised on Steakums, grilled-cheese sandwiches and fish sticks. Vegetables were french fries and onion rings. After a move to New York City, I stopped eating beef, poultry and pork 8 years ago and haven’t looked back. It was there I learned to embrace foods unfamiliar, and it is here I’m learning to search out the beneficial qualities of the right foods (for me).

Prior to the program my puffy eyes were becoming progressively worse, and a constant stomach rumble plagued me. And though I “thought” I ate pretty healthy, it wasn’t until challenged with Kim Love’s LoveLife Method that I truly unlocked some of my food mysteries. Citrus causes puffy eyes for me, puffy as if I’d cried myself to sleep. Fried foods and processed corn (I’ve yet to add anything other than corn chips) cause my stomach to turn. I’ve cut Mexican food (namely the chips) back from 4-5 times a week, to 3-4 times a month (avocado and black beans go a long way, baby). Using jicama instead of corn chips, when the restaurant can accommodate, has helped tremendously with my love of crunchy foods dipped in salsa. The calorie savings for dumping chips has been phenomenal.

Most of my meals are now made at home, from scratch or whole foods. When I do treat myself to a dinner out, it’s not without challenge. Not everyone can accommodate a needy gluten-free vegetarian—who won’t eat cheese and likes beer. We’re (Kim and I) still struggling a little bit with my energy levels, but her constant feedback has proven instrumental in my success thus far. Kim has referred me on to see a doctor for my energy levels, for which I'm still waiting the results. Perhaps my energy levels are not to be related to foods (thyroid or anemia). This whole process has allowed me to hone my skills at picking foods that enrich my life, rather than just fill my insides."
- Steph

AL WILKES
AL'S FOOD BLOOM:
  • Weight: 7 pounds lost
  • 2:00 – 4:00 PM Energy: "4" to "9"
  • Mental Clarity: “7” to “9”
  • Digestive Issues: "8" to "0"
  • Irritability: "5" to "1"
  • Stress: "5" to "1"
  • Back pain at shows: "6.5" to "0"
Intolerant Foods Discovered:
  • Fish: Lowers Energy
  • Chicken: Increases cravings and slightly lowers energy
  • Gluten: ‘Brings me down, especially when I’m eating really clean.”
For the last few years I'd been aware that my body responded differently to different foods. However, I had a really hard time figuring out exactly what was doing what when. This caused me a lot of stress and frustration. The LoveLife Method enabled me to figure out what to eat to make my body and mind happy.”
- Al

ERIN CUNNINGHAM
  • Weight: 17 pounds lost
  • 2-4PM Energy: "5.5" to "8"
  • Focus: "4" to "8"
  • Allergies: "8" to "1"
Intolerant Foods Discovered:
  • Citrus: Lowers Energy, Increases Runny Nose
Happy Foods :)
  • Avocado: Craving them now after convincing myself all my life that I didn't like them
  • Butternut squash: Same as avocado - went my whole life convinced that I didn't like it and now I eat it several times per week=
  • Salmon: LLM opened my eyes to the world of fish and Salmon has quickly become one of my favorites.
This program has been life altering for me. For most of my life, I've known I have food sensitivities. My father is a PA and has worked at a handful of alternative health clinics during my lifetime. One of the clinics that he worked at specialized in nutrition therapy. It was there that I was blood tested early on for food allergies. The tests there revealed that I was allergy to a small degree to wheat, yeast and milk (with a list of other much milder sensitivities). At the time, I was in high school and went on a strict diet to "lessen or eradicate" those allergies. After about a year, my food allergies were all but non-existent and I started eating like every other normal teenager. Over the next 15 years, I slowly forgot what it felt like to feel good and my allergies came back. My father continued to "preach" nutrition therapy to me but I didn't want to listen.

Enter Kim Love and the LoveLife Method. When I first heard Kim speak, it's like the light bulb went on. I'd been living a number of years feeling yuck most of the time. I felt like I lived on Tums and Pepcid AC. I was sluggish and unmotivated. I'd gained 50 pounds (over the 15 year period). Overall, I was sick and tired all the time. When Kim talked about her program and what it was all about, it completely resonated with me. We SHOULD be listening to our bodies. We SHOULD be fueling it with what's good for it (and what's good is different for everyone). It's like hearing it from a third party validated what my dad had been telling me for years.

So, thanks to my company (which helped sponsor the fee for the program), I decided to take the leap and make the commitment to myself to get healthy. What a ride it's been. The first week felt like torture. For several years prior to the program, I ate little to no vegetables. For the first week, I had to eat nothing but fruits, vegetables and beans/lentils for protein. I'm a major texture eater and have always hated the texture of beans so choking down the lentils that I ate each day for the first week was excruciating. But I persevered and made it through and by the end of the first week, I had a new appreciation for lentils and actually even started to enjoy them. The first week, I was a little spacy and not super energetic. My body was detoxing from all the crap that I'd been shoveling into it for years. About half way through that first week, I emailed Kim one morning and copied her on an audio log that I'd been keeping of my experience. The recording was of me having a breakdown. At the time, I wasn't sure if I was going to be able to do the program. I wasn't able to eat ANY of the foods that I loved. I was convinced that in order to feel good, I was going to have to eat nothing but fruits, vegetables and beans for the rest of my life. Kim was so great, we chatted and she reassured me that the program wasn't about restricting your lifestyle - that it was about using your body as a barometer to discover what foods I could and couldn't tolerate - that I wouldn't have to eat that way forever - that once I discovered the foods that my body was ok with, that I'd have so much more freedom to make educated choices. If, after my testing, I wanted to eat poorly one day, that was more than ok but because of the education I would receive, I would know how I would feel the next day and why. I recommitted to the program and gutted through and I couldn't be happier that I did.

This program introduced a whole host of life changes for me. At the beginning of week two, we were allowed to introduce fish as an animal protein. Adding the fish is what made all the difference for me and my bloom. All of a sudden, I had a TON of energy and it increased each day. I had gone most of my life not liking fish due to overexposure to very "fishy" fishes early in life. Since fish was the only animal protein I had reintegrated yet, I embraced it and tried a whole bunch of different options quickly discovering that I LOVE salmon (go figure). Another addition to my week two regimen was avocado. This was another food that I'd my whole life convinced that I didn't like it. Since my options felt so limited, I decided that I might as well give them another try. What I discovered is that I not only like avocados but now I crave them and have them almost any chance I get. These two things were only a couple of the foods that I tried and discovered a like during the program. I now have a new world of foods before me.

In addition to the food changes, the program helped me discover that I enjoy cooking dinner with my husband. I've never been a cook - never enjoyed spending time in the kitchen. I always went for the easy meal. This was a hard adjustment for me but one that I now embrace. I still go for my easy meals from time to time but am now not averse to spending the time it takes to prepare a healthy meal.

The list of benefits for me from this program feel like they go on and on. I'm sleeping better, I no longer need to pop Tums and Pepcid AC, my face has cleared up (chronic acne my whole adult life), I have more energy, I have more ambition, I lost 17 pounds in 6 weeks. I feel better than I have in years. I've done so well with the program that my husband, Matt, has decided to join me and is following my eating regimen as well. He's also sleeping better, chewing on less Tums and has lost almost 20 pounds.

The only food to date that I've tested that I've had a discernible reaction to is citrus. I immediately deal with a runny nose and am sluggish several hours later and then the next day. There are other foods that I know I'm going to react to but to date, I've not tested them in seclusion. I'll freely admit that I've had program loyalty bumps along the way. After week 4, I had a vacation planned in Las Vegas and while there I ate wiser choices but did not adhere strictly to where I was at in the program at the time. After returning, I "reset" myself and reintegrated another food but have had other days where I ate what I wanted and paid for it. It's nice though because I always know that I can reset and get back on track and feel empowered to do so.

Overall, this program was the perfect way for me to make the lifestyle change that I knew I needed to make but just wouldn't commit to. Thank you Kim for your tireless pursuit of health and the decision you made to bring your knowledge and discoveries to the masses!"

-Erin

Wrapper's Delight with Collards


These collard green wraps are like little supercharged veggie burritos. Lightly steamed and stuffed with vibrant, crunchy  veggies, garbanzos beans and hemp seeds the wraps are colorful, tasty and packed with protein -  thumbs up all around! 

The recipe listed here is for the veggie+bean combo but we've also had great success stuffing these babies with salmon + cucumbers + greek yogurt + dill as well as shredded chicken + hummus + carrots + cilantro. For a heartier version, try incorporating some grains. Quinoa would make for an excellent lunch wrap if carbs work well for you midday. Let your creativity and fridge contents lead the way and let us know what you come up with! 

INGREDIENTS:
  • 2 collard green leaves, washed and steamed for 1 minute 
  • 1/2 cup shredded red cabbage *
  • 1 tsp sesame, coconut or olive oil
  • 2 tsp rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar 
  • 1/3 cup garbanzo beans
  • 1/2 avocado, mushed as if making guacomole
  • 1/2 cucumber sliced lengthwise (3 inch pieces or so) 
  • Several strips of red bell pepper
  • 1-2 tsp hemp seeds
  • Himalayan salt to taste 

INSTRUCTIONS:

Toss the shredded cabbage, oil and vinegar of choice with hemp seeds and Himalayan salt to taste. Set aside as you prep the other veggies to allow to marinate and soften.

Lay out all of your ingredients in front of you for easy asselmbly. With the back of a spoon, gently press down the spine of each collard leaf. This will split the rib in half allowing you to roll the leaf. 

Once you have your leaves prepped, start layering your stuffing ingredients into the middle of the leaf (on top of the flattened spine). Smear a spoonful of avocado into each one, sprinkle half the beans, and all veggies, ending with the cabbage. Follow the how to wrap guide below and serve with your favorite hummus! 

*For some, raw cabbage can create digestive discomfort. You may find a light steam on the cabbage helps to minimize it's impact. You could also entirely omit the cabbage and opt for a crunchy lettuce like Romaine in it's place. 


Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Hemp Hearts


Tiny and chewy flecks of hemp seeds robust with protein, these little hearts are a far cry from the sugar laden ones that whisper sweet nothings (apt given the empty calories) at Valentines Day. Great for sprinkling on a salad, topping Greek yogurt or eating right out of your hand. An extra gold star for this snack - Manitoba only uses non-GMO sourced seeds. Be on the lookout for the green bag, they’re the organic variety. Carried at Whole Foods, Central Market and Sprouts locations. 

SWAP! Coconut Brussels Sprouts

This month's SWAP! recipe comes from former LoveLife client, Ashley Falvey and it's one of those finger-licking, can't get enough varieties. We never thought of combining coconut milk with Brussels but this recipe proves they are a match made in foodie heaven. 


INGREDIENTS (organic where possible):
  • Brussel sprouts (16 oz)
  • 5 medium-size garlic cloves (un-peeled) *
  • Extra virgin olive oil
  • Himalayan or sea salt
  • Cracked pepper
  • Coconut milk
TOOLS: 
  • 14 x 9 pyrex glass bakeware (or similar)
  • Basting brush
  • Small mixing bowl
  • Aluminum foil
  • Knife and cutting board
INSTRUCTIONS:
  1. Preheat oven to 450
  2. Place garlic cloves in aluminum foil, drizzle with olive oil and add a pinch of salt.  Seal up garlic in foil and place in the oven for ~20 min.
  3. Cut brussel sprouts in half (length-wise) and place in glass bakeware
  4. Drizzle Brussels sprouts with olive oil and sprinkle with salt.
  5. Place in oven for ~25 min (or until lightly browned on edges)
  6. Remove garlic from the oven and let cool for about 5 min.  Squeeze garlic out of cloves into the small mixing bowl (you might want to use something to shield your fingers from the garlic because it can be very hot). Add olive oil to garlic and mix throughly.
  7. Remove brussel sprouts from the oven and baste with the garlic and olive oil mix. Then drizzle with coconut milk and return the brussel sprouts to the oven for another 5-10 minutes.
  8. Remove brussel sprouts, drizzle a bit more coconut milk and olive oil (if necessary), then return to oven for another 5-10 minutes (or until browned).
*Omit if you are avoiding garlic. 

Thank you Ashley!