Kale Rolls

Our featured snack this month also comes from a current LoveLife client, Rebecca. We love when a snack hits all the right spots including ease, texture, taste and nutrition. Take a cue from Rebecca and make a Kale Roll next time you get the hankering. Simply roll a slice of turkey (Whole Food's Organic variety available at their deli is our fave) with shredded kale and avocado inside. She likes them dipped in mustard and we've been eating them with hummus - yum!

Live Your Resolutions

The great heralding of the season which booms "Change" is in full swing. Perhaps for some it was a fleeting affirmation to really do something different this time, while for others it is already materializing through efforts each and every day. No matter where we are, it’s not too late. The new year momentum is palpable, a force designed to spur us into action and there is no better time than right now, to create the change you desire.
How can we not only create these shifts but continue to live these transformations?
As many of us see time and again if we wish to have excuses to stay with our old patterns, we have abundant scapegoats. This article from the New York Times is one of those. To summarize, the article poses the question, why do we even bother trying to lose weight when there is evidence that it's only a matter of time before we pack it all back on?
However, what this article fails to highlight is that the study was done with a “weight loss expert” who helped his clients lose weight by fasting. This same expert was later surprised when his fasting clients became more hungry and had difficulty maintaining their weight loss! As many of us know from experience, these types of diets are destined to fail, setting off a host of starvation/craving responses with major long-term metabolic consequences.
So why then do so many of us bounce up and down on the yo-yo following the latest fads or diets? There is the No Carbs Diet. The High Carbs But the Right Carbs diet. The Vegetarian Diet. The Caveman Diet. Gluten, no Gluten. Juice Fasts. You name it, it’s out there.
START WITH THE BASICS:

This is not rocket science. Most everyone agrees on a few key basics that work for everyone:

• Eat Loads of Veggies: If you fill up with nutrient dense plants, you won’t have as much room or hankerings for the junk. Aim to have a minimum of 2-3 servings at lunch and dinner. Variety is key, use lots of colors and shop in season. Visit your local Farmers Market for local and organic produce that has an unparalleled taste and nutrient value from its poor kin which has been carted crosscountry and grown in factory farm conditions. Don’t have time to shop on your own? Greenling Organics is one of our favorites. Let them do the work for you. They visit local farms and bring you the best selection of organic, local produce.

• Cut Out the Junk: What is junk? Sadly over 50% of the average American’s diet is what we call “dead food”. These are foods that are processed and scarcely fit into the “food” category. Yeah yeah, we all know if we cut out the junk, we will feel better. But for many of us it just tastes so good. These “foods” often releases a cascade of hormones, creating a physiological cascade of addictive effects. How to break this cycle? Substitute with loads of veggies. And find your unique dietary sweet spots.

FIND YOUR PERSONAL PERFECT DIET: We are all unique and each of us thrive with different diets. We all have our own dietary sweet spots and perfect formula. When we try to fit into a one-size fits all approach, we often fail. I cannot tell you how many people have come to me and said - I tried a Vegetarian Diet, I tried Macrobiotics, I tried Caveman - and I might have felt a little better, but didn’t feel great. 

How do you know when you have found your sweet spot? Your cravings should disappear and you don’t just feel slightly better or feel good. You feel great. Learning to eat in harmony with our bodies signals sets us up for life long food empowerment and optimal health.

How do you create your dietary sweet spot?

• Use your cravings. Cravings are our bodies signals trying to get our attention to tell us what we are either missing or receiving in excess. Learn to pay attention to these cravings and let them inform you of your perfect Carbohydrate-to-Protein Ratios.

• Find Your Carb-to-Protein Ratios. Do you do better with more carbs? Less carbs? Are you sensitive to various types of carbs? How about when you eat these carbs? Ditto with proteins. 

• Find your ideal protein composition. As someone who was a 25-year vegetarian, I was amazed to see such profound differences in hundreds of clients. While everyone begins on a vegetarian diet in our programs, we introduce meat in the second or third weeks. Some people thrive with meat, while others thrived on a primarily plant-based diet. This is why there isn’t an either or, black or white approach and this is where so many people fail. They key is in finding which proteins, whether plant or animal help you feel your best. How much of these do you need at each meal? If animal protein helps you feel your best, which types? Surprisingly, chicken is one the of most common inflammatory foods our clients uncover.

• Find your snack sweet spots. What types of snacks sustain you throughout the day? How do these make a difference in your energy levels, cravings, weight and mood?

• Find the foods which create inflammation in your body. This one step alone can be life changing. Foods that we eat each and every day and think are good for us are often wreaking shocking havoc in our bodies. Most people have between 1 to 3 food intolerances. These intolerances can create the usual suspects such as weight gain or low energy. But they also can create allergies, digestive ills, pain, low mental clarity, depression, anxiety, skin issues and hormone imbalance. Discover which foods are holding you back to go from feeling good to feeling great.

IMPLEMENT CHANGES IN A LIFESTYLE PLAN THAT WORKS FOR YOU

Once you discover your personal food tools you are poised for lifelong success. You might have occasions when you fall off, but the fall is generally a conscious one and you certainly will know exactly what to do to get back on track. Perhaps you find that corn creates bloating and weight gain but you're heading to Mexico for Spring Break. You might choose to embrace corn for a week, but will know what to do to get back on track upon your return.
No longer mired in confusion and diet rubbernecking this new found clarity creates more of lifelong ease in the race for happiness and health. 

Meet Kristin, Mother, Author & Distance Runner

CLIENT: Kristin Armstrong
WEIGHT: 125 – 116 = 9 pounds lost

KRISTIN'S PERSONAL DISCOVERIES:

• TURKEY: Triggers bad headaches
• SOY: Impacts weight gain

NEW FAVORITE FOODS:

• The Love Cleanse Green Juice
• Dandy Tea
• Quinoa with Black Beans & Avocado for breakfast
• Superfood snack (totally overrides afternoon energy slup and evil munchies)

FROM KRISTIN:

“I met with Kim to talk about the Love Cleanse, not having ever paid close attention to my nutrition before. I wasn't even really sure what I wanted to get from the Love Cleanse, but I wanted to be better educated about my body and my responses to food. I wanted to be able to fuel for optimal energy (for a race, or simply chasing my kids around!) and learn if there were any potential reactions to foods that I may have unknowingly attributed to something else.

Kim is wise about nutrition, insightful about people, and in general a very curious person. When you work with her, her curiosity is contagious and makes you feel excited about learning. I learned so much! I now know how to get back on track when I have veered off course nutritionally. I know how to better fuel for endurance running.  I know that I don't need caffeine or red wine (okay, maybe I do need some wine occasionally...) to book-end my day.  My palette and my recipe box expanded with this new information.

The whole experience has blessed me with better health, better sleep, more energy, less allergies and colds, and a beneficial impact on my children. They see the good choices I make and it encourages them to take greater care of their nutrition.

If you are debating about trying the Love Cleanse, stop debating and start doing. Give yourself the gift that allows you to give even more to the people and purposes that matter to you. I used to think of food in terms of "helpings" now I think of it in terms of "helping." Food heals - but we have to know where we're broken, and what specifically meets our unique requirements. Go ahead - give yourself a little Love."

 - Kristin Armstrong

Mother of three amazing kids, Distance runner, Contributing Editor for Runner's World Magazine, Author of six books including Mile Markers: The 26.2 Most Important Reasons Why Women Run

*New* Client Recipe Swap

SAVORY VEGGIE & BEAN PURÉE by Soozie 

We are excited to introduce our new monthly feature, recipes created and loved by our clients! This month's recipe comes from bike-bandit, Soozie (see the pic below) who was looking for a replacement for sauteed mushrooms, which aren't allowed until later in Phase 2. The result? A smoky, veggie purée that works as a dip, spread or simply tossed with your favorite steamed vegetables.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup of cauliflower, chopped
• 1/2 red bell pepper *
• 1 cup of cherry tomatoes * 
• 1/2 cup diced onions
• 1-2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/4 cup Tahini
• 1 cup cooked Canary beans (also know as white kidney beans)
• Olive Oil
• Himalayan Salt to taste

INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 400°. Drizzle cauliflower and cherry tomatoes with olive oil and roast until golden brown.
Char the bell pepper over fire (a gas range works well for this) or roast in the hot oven along with the cauliflower+tomatoes until charred. Let the pepper cool and peel skin.
While veggies are roasting, sauté onions and garlic until caramelized. 
Combine all ingredients in blender along with the Tahini and beans. Blend until creamy and add salt to taste. 


"It is sooooooo good." - - Soozie, LoveLife client

* If you're sensitive to nightshades, this is probably a recipe best skipped. But if you're looking for a little something different that tastes great with cauliflower, check out our Golden Raisin Caper Sauce - delicious and nightshade free! 

Have a recipe you'd like to share with the LLM community?

Send it over to info@lovelifemethod.com and we'll feature it here! 

Moroccan Chicken Kebabs

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 teaspoon sweet paprika***
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
• 1/2 teaspoon ground fennel
• Himalayan Salt & Pepper to taste
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Juice of ½ lime***
• 2 organic chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch cubes
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped mint
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped cilantro
• 1 tablespoon fresh chopped Italian parsley

INSTRUCTIONS
Combine all of dried spices, salt & pepper in a small bowl. Place chicken cubes in a medium bowl & drizzle with olive oil & lime, toss to coat. Add spice mixture, toss to coat each piece evenly. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for at least 15-30 minutes. If you have an hour to spare, even better.

After marinating, thread chicken onto either wood or metal skewers. If you are using wooden skewers, soak them in water for 20-30 minutes to be sure they don't scorch (and if you really want to plan ahead soak the whole package and wrap in foil, freeze for future use!) Preheat grill pan over high heat, cook kabobs turning once until chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove from grill, sprinkle with chopped herbs and another dash of real salt.

Don't have a grill pan? Your broiler will work here, too. Crank up the broiler, line a baking sheet with foil and broil the skewers for 4-5 minutes on each side depending on how hot your broiler is and how large you cut the chicken. Check frequently to prevent over-cooking.

Serving suggestions:

• If you are testing and or have tested well with gluten, these kebabs are delicious in a pita wrap with fresh spinach and a smear of hummus. 
• Serve the chicken over our Quinoa Tabbouleh for a satisfying lunch.
• Use the same marinade for a selection of your favorite veggies (being sure to marinade separately) to make vegetable kebabs.
• Testing soy? Try this marinade with tofu. 

*** Omit paprika if you are sensitive to nightshades or haven't yet tested.
*** Omit lime juice if you are sensitive to citrus or haven't yet tested.

Recipe courtesy of Lisa Beck, created especially for LoveLife Method

Scott dropped 20 pounds and let cravings lead him to better health!

CLIENT: Scott Yarborough
Director, New Business Development at Aquasana

WEIGHT: 22 pounds lost! 

SCOTT'S PERSONAL DISCOVERIES:

• CITRUS, CHICKEN & CORN: All slightly impact energy levels

NEW FAVORITE FOODS:

• Basmati Rice with Salt + Oil
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Green Juice
• Superfood
• Big Salads
• Grilled Veggies
• Fresh Fish

FROM SCOTT:
“I love to reward myself with great food. I enjoy it after a great workout; I use it satiate me during an intense work period. However, my eating habits prior to the program led me to address my cravings - not what my body needed to be healthy – with inconsistent results.

The LoveLife Method taught me how my body truly wants to be rewarded with food. The payoff has come through higher energy levels, better sleep, and weight loss – I dropped 20 pounds over the course of the program. I learned the big difference between the cravings created by certain foods (read: sugar) and the nutrition needed by my body.

Today, I have a clear map on what foods my body requires to engage each day with a healthy, abundant energy. I couldn’t ask for a better reward than the LoveLife Method.”