Doesn’t Spring Cleaning Your Body and Mind sound good? It really is the best approach to eating and living healthy. And I’m talking about more than just the food you eat. It’s also about the mindset that you approach each day with.
 
It’s amazing how much you can heal yourself by changing to a simpler and cleaner way of eating. And the nutrient benefits for your body are tremendous. Of course, an even bigger component than the food is your mental commitment to it long term. If your mental approach to it is one of being frustrated and stressed and weighed down by doing it, it means you have to work even harder because of the type of negative energy you are bringing to it. Now if you just keep your mind as simple and clean as your diet, think of how much more positive energy you will bring to it.
 
What you eat and how you think about eating it, affect each other dramatically. You may already have all the healthy foods around you, but what happens when you let yourself think you need something else to eat because you’re tired or stressed. We all have those moments! And when we want that familiar and comforting thing, it begins to feel like we don’t even have a choice in the matter. We ignore those vegetables we have in the refrigerator or that we brought with us while on the run and instead reach for our kid’s favorite snack, grab something from the nearest vending machine or even make a late night dash to the grocery store just to satisfy our craving.
 
One evening I was in a rush to leave the house for an appointment and realized I didn’t have time to wait for the dinner my family was preparing. So I had two choices, right? I could grab something quick— but it wouldn’t help me feel the way I wanted to feel—or I could get all the greens in that I wanted to.  I thought, “I could really use some more greens today.” At that moment, I chose to take a couple of extra minutes and put together something that was simple and clean. I made a quick salad (which I always keep washed and in the fridge) and added in the roasted vegetables I already had prepped in the refrigerator (which I also always keep on hand), mixed the two together and took that with me. And it also allowed my mind to stay simple and clean because I then didn’t have to worry for the rest of the evening about things like, what am I going to find to eat here or “I shouldn’t have had that.”
 
The best approach to have is to remember to keep your perspective as simple and clean as the foods you are eating. Remember to tell yourself that if you eat more vegetables and green juices, you can feel even better. Also plan it all out, have all the food you need on hand and then simply just do it. When you see that broccoli in the fridge, don’t think, “This won’t satisfy me!” Believe me, broccoli is amazing when you approach it with the right energy. Simply change your mindset! Remind yourself that when you eat that piece of broccoli, you are not going to have to work as hard to be healthy and you won’t regret it afterwards. Each time you do that, there’s a compounding effect.  Now, see how amazing that broccoli feels to eat!
 
A simple and clean approach is the best way to make your food and life easier. And by making your life easier, you’re making your choices easier. As we all know, it’s much “harder” to be sick. There’s missed work, missed school, missed time with family and friends, the to-do list get’s backed up and it’s not fun to be unhealthy! Then you have to work so much harder just to be well again. So just take a look at the healthier food you are buying and say to yourself, “This is going to make my life easier!” This way when you buy the healthier item, you’re already in the mindset to eat it, even when you are struggling with a bad day and overwhelming cravings.
 
Now, what simple and clean choices are you going to make today?

Have you already made the switch to eating a healthier diet? Fantastic! Now, what about getting your kids on board as well? Not only can that be challenging, it can seem like an outright battle at times. It’s our gluten-free, no-dairy breakfast vs. their cherished bowl of sugar puffs! So what’s the best way to face that challenge?

There are plenty of ways to gently assimilate your kids into healthy eating habits. The main problem is getting it past their taste buds! That’s why a slow and easy approach might be better than just replacing everything they are used to—no matter how tempting that is for you! An all or nothing approach might work for you, but you can’t expect your kids to handle it in the same way.

One way to introduce your kids to healthier habits is by educating them. Let them know that you would like to enlist their support for eating healthier. Once they understand that you need to make this change in your life and that it’s important for you, they may be more supportive and try to help in whatever way they can. Of course, they can help you best by not having in the house any of those foods that would tempt you. Let them know how much it would mean to you to have healthier alternatives in the house. Obviously, it won’t be exactly the same foods they love but explain to them that you’ll find good replacements that they’ll like too.  It will take some getting used to, but the important thing is that you can face that challenge together.

You can also remind them that these changes will make them feel better. It’s important that they know what your body is going through and why you need to make these changes, whether it’s because of cancer or another illness or a health scare. You don’t need to overwhelm them with information or scare them about what the food they are eating is doing to them. Simply try educating them about what they are putting into their body and what changes they will be able to see. Have them make a list of anything at all that might be bothering them, whether it’s colds, headaches, congestion, fatigue, anxiety or acne.  They may start to notice that they feel better as well with some of the changes.  If they can start making the connection now between the foods they are eating and how it is making them feel, they’ll be more likely to want to stick with those changes.

Another gentle approach is to slowly start substituting their regular foods. A good place to start might be with milk. Try blending coconut or almond milk into their regular milk. Maybe at first you replace 15% of the milk, then 30% and then 60%. Before you know it, they’ve already become used to the new taste! Then there are all those breakfast foods they love so much. Most of those things— like cereals, bagels and waffles—can also be found gluten-free. And what kid doesn’t love pasta! Well, try giving them gluten free pasta or quinoa with their old favorite toppings, just to get them used to it.

The other big thing in our house is smoothies.  It’s a great way to get lots of nutrients into them and they taste great.  My girls drink smoothies for breakfast.  They love them.  Kelsey didn’t at first, now she asks for it if I wind up having to skip a day or two.  They feel better when they have them.  Their energy is more balanced, they’re calmer and think more clearly during the day. That’s especially huge for a teenager. I didn’t even tell them at first what was in them.  You can start with a more fruit based smoothie with coconut milk, cucumber, vegan protein powder and fruit.  After they are used to it, keep adding in more of the veggies and even a greens powder then start reducing the fruit. Fruit has a lot of sugar in it, which can raise their blood sugar and then they’ll crash later.  You can swap out beef meatballs with organic turkey meatballs, do a stir-fry with organic free-range chicken or even try a quinoa recipe.  There are many options to do it in a way that they can still enjoy.  These are just a couple of ways to have them start eating healthier.

The key is to make it fun for them, get them involved and let your kids know that they can still have their favorite foods. Most important is that they still have their familiar meals. Little by little, your kids will be getting healthier without feeling like they’ve been ambushed into it. And you can feel good that you and your family are being healthy together!

So you’re on vacation and eating out at restaurants every night. Or your family is in town for the holidays and you have to cook for them. Or maybe you were asked to a dinner party. These scenarios can seem like bigger obstacles than they really are. Do you resign yourself to giving up your healthy eating habits to eat “normal people’s” food or do you force those normal people to eat like you?

You want to be healthy, but you can’t stop living your life, right? It’s all about making the best choices for you in that situation.  So if it means saying “No” to certain foods when those are the only choices available, then say “No” and see what happens. See how good you feel about yourself the next day.  I’m all about making good choices and not beating yourself up.  If you do eat something that you know is not a good choice for you, then be in gratitude for that experience and forget about it.  DO NOT beat yourself up about it.

So what if you are the odd one out and choose to say “No”? If the majority is eating “normal food”, it can seem like a hard choice to decide what to eat.  Below are some tips to help you get past all that.

My first main tip for entertaining is to always make sure that you’re taken care of first and that you have everything that’s healthy and a good choice for you to eat.  Please do not make the mistake of eating something that’s going to harm you because you feel badly about telling someone.  You can explain that you have a health issue that you are working to resolve and you need to avoid it.  If you’re just beginning on this journey, you might want to opt-out of having the actual holiday at your home to take some of the pressure off.

Some examples of things you can try are appetizers like guacamole or hummus with vegetables, maybe even some gluten-free/grain-free crab cakes as a real treat.  Then for dinner make a huge beautiful salad and tons of veggies as the main part and center of the meal. You can add a piece of fish or quinoa to go with them.  You could even make gluten free pasta if you ‘re not in the health crisis phase.

Second, you can take care of what everybody else will eat. You can order their dishes from a restaurant or deli, someplace that’s not tempting for you.  Also don’t order things you love!  That will help to make your temptations less tempting.   Or you can make more of what you’ll be eating – maybe your company will be open to eating it.  I’ve discovered that our families are more and more open to our way of eating.  Some are even dealing with different diets as well, including gluten free.

In time, you can get back to creating dishes for others.  A perfect example of this was this past Easter when some of Kevin’s family and my family came and stayed for the weekend—16 people!  Kevin and I made a whole meal that was gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar free.  It included crab cakes, sweat potato burgers, fish, organic Turkey, quinoa, tons of veggies and salads. Once again I made sure to have things that we eat.  They all raved about the meal.  We announced at the end of the meal that it was gluten-free, dairy-free and sugar free.  They never missed it and were amazed.  Most people can’t tell the difference!

Third is to eat a lot before the company arrives or before you leave to visit someone else.  Having a huge veggie based, vegan, protein smoothie before the doorbell rings is a great way to fill yourself and squash those cravings before they happen.

Fourth, if you’re really tempted, ask yourself, “Is it really worth it?”  Is it something that you can have at another time?  Another tip is to ask someone else, who is fully supportive of you eating healthy to help you out.  Ask them if it’s so fantastic and amazing, a “once in a lifetime”, just can’t miss it treat that you absolutely have to try.  It’s very rare that I get a resounding yes.  This way you won’t feel like you’re missing out on something, you could always have it at another time. I think you’ll find quickly that there’s not much that you’ll miss.  It’s harder in the beginning but I assure you that it gets easier and easier over time.  Now, it doesn’t even phase me and I don’t feel the cravings to eat what others are eating!

Fifth, if I’m bringing food to someone else’s house, I still make what I can eat. For example, I’ll always ask if I can bring a salad.  Sometimes we make gluten free/grain-free crab cakes or a fish dish (see delicious recipe below).

Sixth, for a quick and even unexpected visitor, you can make gluten free/grain free pasta with homemade sauce that you keep in the freezer with a large salad.  Always have lots of salad staples on hand. If you are able to eat meat, you can keep organic, grass fed turkey meatballs in the freezer too. And you know what? Coconut flour and almond flour are great replacements for flour, just adjust quantities as necessary. Coconut sugar can be used sparingly instead of most sugars, providing you are not in a health crisis.

So you see, I no longer have any concerns about entertaining or eating differently from everyone else and I hope these tips help you to do the same.

Remember, we need to make our care the highest priority if we’re going to be healthy enough to take good care of everyone else!  Once we do, we can concentrate our energy on entertaining others or being a good guest without feeling lousy or deprived and instead feeling great and fulfilled in the process.  Then you can party on and enjoy, enjoy, enjoy!!

We’d love to hear from you and connect, so please leave your comments below 🙂

Have you ever said to yourself, “I’m grateful for…”? There’s so much about that phrase that can be so powerful. What’s interesting is that you can’t be in gratitude and have other emotions at the same time. So for example, if you’re in gratitude, then it pushes away fear.  Or if you’re grateful, you can’t be angry at the same time. Amazing how that works, isn’t it?

By being in that place of gratitude, it also raises your energetic vibration and improves your health. And by now, if you know me, I’m always talking about how it’s all about those ‘good vibrations’!  Now remember, the important thing to know about gratitude is that it’s not just about saying it, you want to feel the positive feelings of it.  So focus on the things you really are grateful for. You don’t want it to be something that brings you a negative feeling.

Often before going to sleep, I write down every ridiculous thing I’m grateful for. I’ve been grateful for toenails because it’s really painful to have someone step on your toe when you don’t have a toenail. Ouch! I’m grateful for emory boards, soap, towels, spoons — you get the picture.  It’s important to remember all those little things that we can be grateful for, no matter how silly they may seem at the time. At least it’s raising your vibrations and helping you stay away from negative emotions. Here’s an extra added benefit.  When you write down all you’re grateful for before you go to sleep, you’ll have better dreams and wake up feeling better! Worth a try, right?

Since we can all get too busy or tired at the end of a long day to write down all that we’re grateful for, it’s important to have other ways to bring gratefulness into your day. When you do, you’ll start to see really cool things coming into your life.  You can do it while driving, when you get frustrated, while grocery shopping, etc. Just paying attention to all the things that we are blessed enough to have at our convenience, things we’re able to experience and the people we have in our lives is a great place start.

In my house, we’ll go around the dinner table and ask each other five questions. First, “What was your favorite part of the day?” Next is, “What are you most grateful for today?” Sometimes just answering these two can go on for 10 minutes with each of us, especially with my girls, my chatterboxes, because they had interesting days. Then we ask, “What is something you love about yourself?” And also, “What is something that you love about someone else?”  We then move on to “What’s a good deed or something nice you did for someone else today?”  We even do it if my daughters’ friends are eating with us.  It always makes for interesting conversations and opens up communication about how we’re feeling.

It’s pretty awesome when you’re the recipient of hearing what someone else loves about you — a gift worth giving and receiving.  It will feel good both in your own heart and also make someone else feel good.

That’s just one aspect of gratitude that winds up having a big impact when you do it consistently. The more and more you focus on gratitude, the more wonderful things you attract into your life.  So now it’s your turn:

What are you grateful for today?

Are you eating to satisfy more than just your appetite? God knows it’s hard to resist those cravings! But what about when you start letting your emotions take charge over what and how you eat? Like when you grab for chocolate every time you are stressed at work. Or when you are feeling blue and turn to a pint of ice cream to feel better. It’s very easy to do. But is it really comfortable? Maybe it’s time to start rethinking your relationship with food. Here’s the funny thing about comforting yourself with food: It quickly becomes uncomfortable. And it’s not only physical discomforts like weight gain or low energy, but that emotion that triggered the craving will hardly be any more satisfied. 

Okay, so what do we do if most, if not all, of our days are so busy that we barely have time to eat, let alone think about how to eat better?! Then add on the emotions we are likely to encounter—anxiety, sadness, anger. It’s no wonder food becomes our escape and a way to feel better about ourselves! It’s easy to think that the real challenge is in changing those habits. But guess what? The real challenge is staying in that all too familiar comfortable relationship with food. Soon you realize what that sense of “comfort” is costing you. 

So how can we let go of that emotional need for food? It’s as simple as a choice. We choose to stay where we are. Do you really feel more comfortable once you’ve satisfied that craving? If you have ever done a cleanse, then you already know how incredible it feels to get out of your comfort zone with food. Your physical and emotional energy become completely different once you become unstuck from your food cravings. When we stay in a challenging relationship with food, like with other things, we make it so much bigger and harder than it needs to be. But by simply changing your eating habits, you could benefit from feeding yourself with the foods you really need and find that those emotions that triggered your cravings in the first place are not as demanding as you thought. 

It sounds simple, but, believe me, I know how hard it can really seem at times. So let’s take it one step at a time. What about finding a good healthy substitute, like a smoothie when all you want to do is eat a pint of ice cream or maybe kale chips when you’re craving something salty and crunchy instead of a whole bag of potato chips to unwind from work? Maybe find a physical activity to do in order to avoid the craving all together. Once you stop emotionally needing that food in that situation every time, you’ll be surprised how far you can go after that.  When you choose those healthy alternatives, you’re going to feel better about yourself and you’ve just taken one more step towards a healthier, more vibrant you.  The key is to make that change and see how comfortable it really can be!  Like Nike says…Just do it!

Today is the one year anniversary of Steve Jobs’ passing. His death effected me in so many ways. It brought up a lot of emotions about my own mortality, my survival, how I wish I could have helped him with his illness, about living each moment to the fullest and how much time I’ve spent in my life on so many things that, in reality, are not that important.  It also had me reflecting on the gifts Steve had to share, his blessing and the impact he’s had on this world.  I believe he may be looked upon as the equivalent to Einstein and Mozart because of his genius and the way his gifts impact each and every one of our lives on a daily basis, even after his passing.  Apple had a wonderful tribute to Steve on their site today which you can see here.

Because of his passion, Steve never quit even when he was stripped of his most precious creation, Apple. One of the things Steve Jobs exemplified the most is how important it is to focus on our blessings and our passion and in doing so we can change the world.

It reminds me of what I saw yesterday on TV.  The Crocodile Hunter, Steve Irwin’s, daughter, Bindi, was being interviewed. She is carrying on his legacy with such grace and beauty.   She said that her dad had such passion that he made a difference in the lives of millions.  She went on to say that if one man could do that, you can too.

When we discover our life’s purpose and use our passion to fulfill it, our lives are fulfilled and the unimaginable can be achieved.  Today, as I think of Steve Jobs, I see the impact that one person can have when they follow their passion and live their life’s purpose.  My wish for you today and every day is that you live your life to the fullest and fulfill your purpose and passion.  Imagine if we all did.

Top 10 Success Tips to Getting and Staying Healthy

Sometimes we just need a little nudge, the reminder that it’s all about taking that first step. Then it’s about consistency and forgiveness. Here are a few of the things that I’ve found to be so important in starting on any life-changing path. I’ll use the example here for getting healthy, but as you will see, it works for lots of different goals. I can write about each tip forever, but I’m going to keep it short and sweet for now!

1)     Decide.  First and foremost, you need to choose to do it and then commit rather than saying “someday” I’ll do it. Kind of like my book title Choose to Live. A couple of years ago, when I was challenged by coming up with the title for my book, my new friend, Jill Albani, asked me “What’s the first thing you tell someone when they want to work with you?” I answered, “I tell them they have to Choose to Live”! Simple as that! You have to choose to do it! It was two years ago this week that I pressed “send” and the final version of my book went off to the publisher. Then I jumped in the pool with my clothes on to celebrate!

2)     It’s all about taking that first step.  Here’s the thing…nothing can change if we don’t do something differently.  If something is keeping us from being healthy or happy and we don’t change the way we do things, nothing will change. So just take that first step!

3)     Make it manageable.  Don’t make it bigger than it is.  Set yourself up to win.  Break it down into little steps and little wins. If you’re not currently faced with a serious health challenge and you have the luxury of taking little steps, that’s a great way to start.  You can look at each aspect of your goal and break it into projects and then steps within the project.  Lay it out so that it’s not overwhelming and then choose one thing to start with.  The little victories are how you build momentum towards your goal.

4)     Set a date and get started – no excuses. I believe in adding new things in before taking things out whenever possible. Nature abhors a vacuum so you are so much more successful when you start adding things in which will ultimately push other things out. Whether it’s adding in a salad, a green juice, more veggies, a smoothie or meditation, it’s all about getting started. After that consistency is the key.

5)     Every little bit counts.  You may remember this quote from Choose to Live that sums it all up: If you start cleaning yourself out and building your immune system, each thing you do and every time you do it will add time to your life. The first instance will add one minute to your life. The second thing you do might add 5 minutes. Add a different way of helping yourself, and you might add an hour. Be consistent, and before you know it, you’ve added a day, a week, and then a year. Keep going, and you’ve added five years. Next thing you know, you could have a complete shift in your entire biological structure! Every little bit counts and that pretty much sums it up.

6)     Support Increases Success.  Ask for help and support: a mentor, coach or accountability buddy. You increase your success drastically when you have someone else to support you in being successful. For example, a mentor who can shortcut your learning curve, lessen your “mis”-takes, sidetracks or wrong turns and get you there so much faster. I’ve had mentors for years and I’m a mentor to others on their healing journeys, and I can tell you, the ability to reach goals drastically increases. Another great way to increase your success rate is to have an accountability buddy – you’ll check in on each other daily to make sure you have done what you said you would do to get you closer to your goals. That’s why people have exercise buddies. They have someone else who encourages them, which increases their success. I know I’m much more successful when I’m receiving encouragement and time saving shortcuts. How about you?

7)     Celebrate Your Success. It’s soooo important to celebrate your wins. A great way to do this is with a Success Journal. At the end of each day, write down all your successes for the day, and I mean all of them…big and small. A great time to do it is just before you go to sleep. That way, you’re going off to sleep feeling good about what you did get done, rather than thinking about what you didn’t get done. I also celebrate and say “nice job” to myself when I do something as simple as drinking my wheatgrass every morning. Oh, and keep celebrating — every win, every time, everyday!

8)     Trust your Intuition.  Intuition is way underestimated. We all have it, yes we do, some stronger than others, but nevertheless we all have it. It can be our best friend and strongest guide. If something feels really right, pay attention and keep doing it, if something doesn’t, change it. If you get that little feeling, that little voice in your head saying “this doesn’t feel right”, check in to see if it’s fear, resistance or something else saying, “this isn’t right”!

9)     Don’t get it perfect, just get going.  Perfectionism can be one of the biggest blocks to hold you back and keep you from reaching your goals.  It’s a lifelong lesson for me.  You don’t have to worry about getting it “perfect”, after all, there is no “perfect”, especially in the beginning.  Just get it going.

10)  Forgive.  Last but not least…and the second most important, (after Decide) is to forgive yourself.  If you mess up, forgive yourself and just pick up where you left off.  We can be our own worst enemy or our own best friend.  We get to choose!

If you would like to find out more about getting to the root causes of what may be keeping you from having a vibrant healthy life,  click below to receive our free download “7 ‘Must Knows’ To Create Your Vibrant Healthy Life” along with your complimentary chapter of Joyce’s #1 bestselling book Choose to Live click here

Hi Everyone!

OMG I’m so embarrassed…my Christmas Tree is still up!  Can you believe it?!?! Well, before we get to that, first I wanted to wish you a Happy 2012. Bringing in the New Year is a great time to refocus your energy on ways to heal your body.  One of the ways is by providing the body with key beneficial nutrients so that the healing process can occur.  Doing this can help add vibrant years to your life.  Check out what happened to my Christmas Tree when it received its key nutrients.  So check out my latest video with me and my 8 year old to see why I’m talking about a Christmas Tree a month past Christmas!

In love and friendship,

Joyce and Kevin

Nutrients for Healing the Body

Since we’re talking about how important nutrients are in healing the body, I thought I would lay out just a few great food sources for vitamins and minerals and a bunch of other benefits.  I ate tons of each of these items when I began my journey to heal myself from cancer as well as chronic fatigue, sinus issues, migraines, daily headaches, IBS and more.  I ate most of this raw, whenever possible, in juices and smoothies or lightly steamed to maintain the most nutrients and minerals.

• Asparagus is vegetable which is high in glutathione, one of the most potent anti-carcinogen and anti-oxidants found in the body.  It has more glutathione than any other fruit or vegetable.  It also contains rutin, which protects small blood vessels from rupturing and may protect against radiation.  It’s also a great source of vitamin A, C, E and B complex, potassium and zinc. These are great lightly steamed, seasoned and served with chopped tomatoes and avocado.  Soooo filling and soooo delicious.
• Another great vegetable is broccoli*, which contains twice the amount of vitamin C of an orange.  It also has almost as much calcium as whole milk.  Broccoli contains selenium, which is a mineral that has anti-cancer and anti-viral properties. Broccoli has such important anti-cancer properties that anti-cancer nutraceuticals are made from broccoli seeds.  If you don’t like them raw, just lightly steam and toss with garlic or onion powder and some olive oil, takes just a couple of minutes. You can keep the steamed broccoli in the fridge for a couple of days and throw them in your salad!
• Dandelion greens are one of the things I really recommend.  If you can get them into your juice, it’s a great way to tolerate them since they can be bitter and are more tolerable in the juice.  They are beneficial for digestion and are an anti-viral.  They are also used to treat and prevent breast and lung tumors and premenstrual bloating.  They’re high in vitamin A and Vitamin C and contain calcium and potassium as well.
• Another great leafy green to try to juice or build into your diet is kale*, which eases lung congestion and is beneficial to the stomach, liver and immune system.  It’s an excellent source of calcium, iron, vitamins A, C and chlorophyll.
• Then there are onions, which are an excellent antioxidant and contain anti-allergy, antiviral and antihistamine properties.  They actually aid in cellular repair.
• Avocados are also awesome in so many ways.  They contain 20 vitamins and minerals including fiber, potassium, Vitamin E, B-Vitamins and folic acid.  They can be used in place of other fats like mayonnaise and butter.  They are also great for making a smoothie creamy.  Just put the avocado in first with either a little unsweetened coconut milk or water and then add the avocado.  Blend that up first and then add the rest of the ingredients like cucumbers, spinach, a little berries.  I throw a half to a whole avocado in all the smoothies I make for my kids, even the fruit smoothies.  The kids don’t notice the avocado and it’s providing them with lots of added benefits and making the smoothie creamy.  Many people avoid avocados because they have the reputation of being fattening but they are high in mono-saturated fat, which is easily burned for energy, but even with that benefit, pay attention to how many you are eating because they can add on weight if you’re not careful.  One a day is usually good.

*A note about cruciferous veggies (like kale, bok choy, collards, broccoli etc): they can suppress your thyroid when eaten raw, so if you have a thyroid issue, you should eat them cooked instead.  You’ll lose some of the nutrients but you’ll still get a lot of benefit from them. If you do suspect a thyroid issue, it’s important to work with a holistic professional specializing in the thyroid.

So these are just a few key foods to get you started.  Of course, there’s so much more but I thought it would be helpful to see why some of these foods are so beneficial and how easily you can incorporate them into your diet.  Mangia!