Health and Wellness with Allison

GOAL SETTING A useful exercise for setting goals and realizing dreams   Until recently, one of my biggest fears was setting goals. This was a very harmful fear to say the least. It stopped me from believing in myself and following my heart. It dampened my ability to act on what I wanted in my life. This fear caused anxiety, stress, and depression. I am happy to say that this fear no longer exists for me! Meditation has transformed my life. It is a tool I use to find clarity, to calm down, and to increase my self confidence. And it has been a major reason for why I can set goals and realize them!  I was taught to meditate at Madre Grande Monastery in Dulzura, California (see photo). This magical place is in the high desert on the border between San Diego, California and Tecate, Mexico. On my most recent visit there, the abbot of the monastery, John, taught me a writing exercise on goal setting. I have benefited so much from this writing exercise that I wish to sha...

CRUNCHY and SAVORY PROTEIN SNACK A Healthy and Easy to make Snack! I am a big fan of snacks. I am even a bigger fan of crunchy snacks! Lately, I've been toasting a lot of nuts and seeds, and discovering new ways to improve the quality of this snack. I believe I have found a new level of yumminess! What You'l Need: Honestly, I did not go out to buy anything for this recipe, but used what I had in the cabinet. I encourage you to do the same! I found: 1/2 cup of raw Cashews 1/2 cup of raw Pumpkin Seeds 2 cups of raw Sunflower Seeds a small handful of raw Pecans 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar 1 tablespoon of Sunflower seed Oil Spices (I used Cardamon, Turmeric, Cumin, Coriander, Majoram and Red Pepper Flakes). How To: 1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees. 2. Combine nuts and seeds into a bowl. 3. Add in spices. Measure out a small palm full for each of them but use a pinch (or two) of the red pepper flakes. 4. Add in oil and vinegar. 5. Stir. ...

Green Juice for Health Simple veggie juices packed with the nutrients you need to live well. Lately, I have been drinking a lot of Green Juices. They are easy to make and VERY delicious. Drinking vegetables is a great way for the body to absorb nutrients. Making your own green juices is much more cost effective than buying them at Whole Foods for $6 or more. Instead, you can spend your hard earned money on a bunch of Chard, a coconut water, an apple, and a lemon  - and wa-lah! you've got yourself some homemade juice.  When I first began my juicing journey, I tried to put too many fruits and vegetables together. Even though EACH ingredient was tasty, when I combined ALL off them the taste was ... well, bad.  The key to creating a delicious health drink is to keep it simple! I use 5 ingredients or less in mine. Here are two of my favorite green juices. And remember, I encourage you to try different variations to make these drinks your own! Clean Green ...

Roasted Veggies and Toasted Nuts and Seeds Many delicious and easy dishes can be cooked in the oven. Two of my favorite are roasted vegetables and toasted nuts and seeds. I've found the key to their deliciousness is in minimizing the seasoning. Doing so allows the boldness of the flavors to come through. I absolutely love the hardiness of yams, the sweetness of carrots, and the boldness of garlic! And I can't get enough of the salty and creamy taste of the nuts and seeds.  These dishes are simple to make and very handy to have ready to eat with meals, as leftovers, and for snacks! Roasted Veggies What You'll Need: 2 Sweet Potato Yams 3 Japanese Yams (a smaller, dark skin and white meat yam that is less sweet than its cousin). 1 Yellow Beet ( For a sweeter option choose a Red Beet). 5 small whole Carrots 2 leaves of Chard 1 glove of Garlic How To: 1. Set the oven to 410 degrees. 2. Chop half of the vegetables into cubes and the other half into longer cu...

Raw Energy Bliss Balls  With Spring approaching, I anticipate that I will need more energy for the longer days.  My schedule is hectic and my days long and I don't see an end in sight! And I am grateful for this! Between teaching private and public yoga classes, giving Reiki treatments, coaching softball, working at a gym, working at a yoga studio, and working at a bakery and completing nutrition school - I need to Eat for Energy! I try to always find time in the day to be in the kitchen, but with some 12+ hour days, I need to have something healthy already prepared to eat! These Raw Energy Bliss Balls are just the thing that give me a boost! They are easy to make and delicious. My friend gave me a recipe and I have modified it to fit my taste. I encourage you to try this recipe and then create your own! What you'll need: 2 cups raw cashew pieces 3 tablespoons sunflower seed oil (or vegetable oil) 1/2 cup raw pumpkin seeds 1/2 cup gluten free oats 1/...

Simple, Easy and Delicious Comfort Food                Many different things factor in to wanting comfort food. For example, I tend to crave comfort food when I wake up to an overcast sky or when I feel sleepy in the morning. I've also realized that I gravitate towards comfort food when I need a hug from a friend or to feel loved. In these states, I want food that is warmer, heartier, and sweeter.                       For lunch today, I made a simple and easy comfort meal.  Grated Beet, Carrot, and Radish Salad grate 1 carrot grate 1/2 small beet grate 1 red radish Brown Rice and Tempeh combine 2 cups water with 1 cup brown rice. boil on medium high, uncovered, until water has evaporated. (you can have the leftover bown rice for later!) marinate tempeh overnight in Braggs Amino Acid (Soysauce). bake at 325 for 8-10 minutes. Pum...