Month: December 2014

Every morning we have 24 brand new hours to live. What a precious gift!”
~ Thich Nhat Hanh
This was a difficult holiday season for many people I know. I had two coworkers lose their spouses in accidents the day before and the day after Thanksgiving. As I write this column, I still am stunned and heartsick for their families. But I feel selfish as I mourn for them, I am sad for the people who passed away, for their families, especially the pain the people that I know and like are going through, but I feel selfish because I feel sad for me too, or maybe it’s not for me, but I feel deep sadness. I think it is very human to attach yourself to other people’s pain and emotions. That’s why Hallmark commercials and ads for saving the starving children and abused animals are so effective.
In a way, our compassion, albeit painful, is something that we should feel very grateful for. It connects us as human beings and it reminds us of what we need to feel thankful and grateful for in our lives. When we hear of a tragedy, especially involving someone we know, it makes most of us start mentally going through our minds of everyone that we care about, and our concern for their well-being. What I’ve been trying to do is to attach gratefulness to those thoughts, rather than panic and anxiety. I haven’t been entirely successful, but in some ways it has helped.
It also makes us realize that we have a lot of work to do in the world. Life is short, sometimes too short, and by procrastinating we aren’t doing ourselves any favors. Live the life that you want people to remember you by. Now… If being healthier is something you keep meaning to work on, start now. Start right now. Make your next meal a clean one. Go to the gym as soon as possible. Get closer to your family. Finish the project you keep putting off. I know it’s easier said than done sometimes because most of the things that we procrastinate about are things that we have some fear attached to. Fear of failure, sometimes fear of success. Fear of not having support that we need. Fear that we won’t be able to do it, or if we lose weight, we will have to give up something else like a social life, enjoyment, bonding time with our family. I often analyze what’s keeping me from my goals and some are harder to figure out than others. The pile of laundry and unpacked boxes that seem to follow me around for years don’t seem to have a clear fear attached to them but maybe it is a fear of commitment and settling down. Maybe it is a fear of being too domesticated by doing all the housework and somehow losing my toughness. There are other things I keep putting off that I need to take a look at to find the barrier that I need to get around or a new path to take toward my goal.
What have you been putting off? Seize the day today. Carpe Diem.

Liz Jones is the Wellness Coordinator for the City of Mesquite and a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected].

• Prickly pear juice (may have to find at health food store)
• Cook with coconut oil
• Fish oil supplement
• Salmon
• Tuna (water canned)
• Green vegetables: broccoli, brussel sprouts, green beans, spinach, kale
• Tomatoes if they digest well for you
• Carrots
• Cooked mushrooms
• Sweet potatoes
• Quinoa
• Brown rice
• Avocados
• Raw almonds
• Beans
• Soy- in moderation (if there is no medical reason you should not eat soy)
• Squash
• Coconut milk
• Almond milk
• Eat fruit in the morning, but see how it affects your body, eat berries if they digest well
• apples
• Drink 8-10 glasses of water
• Green tea
• ginger, turmeric, oregano, rosemary, cayenne, nutmeg and clove

Cut:
• Alcohol (red wine or vodka soda in moderation if you are going to drink, but if you have not been feeling well, I highly recommend cutting it altogether)
• wheat/gluten
• dairy (if you like dairy, you can still eat Greek yogurt)
• Don’t smoke or be around 2nd hand smoke
• Cut all processed foods (flour, sugar, high fructose corn syrup, anything that is a chemical compound)
• You can eat a little dark chocolate if you like sweets

Take a calcium supplement and eat plenty of greens (broccoli, spinach, kale) so that you are getting enough calcium and fiber. Walk daily, at least 5-6 days per week. Rest 7-9 hours. Take melatonin if you have trouble sleeping restfully.

Liz Jones is the Wellness Coordinator for the City of Mesquite and a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected].

To continue with my theme of National Nutrition month, this week I wanted to share some recipes and “Try This” foods that I often recommend people add to their meals. Kale, avocados, and oatmeal are all foods that are packed with great nutrition. Also adding more vegetables to your meals helps to add a nutritional punch to your day. Kale is known for being one of the nutrient dense foods that are available. It’s high in calcium, iron and many vitamins, helps the body to detox. Unfortunately, most people don’t know how to prepare kale, so they don’t like it when they first try it. I make a kale pesto (below) that tastes great and can be added to top salads, meats, or on a turkey sandwich. You can also add kale to your morning smoothies to get your day started right. Below are some of my favorite recipes that you can try to help your family eat better.

Also, I recommend trying things like replacing white flour with ground oats, ground coconut or ground almonds. Replace white sugar with alternatives like real maple syrup, raw, local honey, or agave nectar, however you still need to use these sweeteners in moderation.

Healthy chocolate mousse:
one ripe avocado
3T coconut milk
2T pure cocoa
2T agave nectar
1 slice of orange with the peel on (optional)
Blend in a bullet blender (add more coconut milk for creamier consistency, more cocoa for darker chocolate). Adjust agave nectar to taste (in moderation).

Kale pesto:
1/3 cup almonds or walnuts
1/3 cup virgin olive oil
1/6 cup lemon juice or apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup coconut water (optional- you can use regular water)
as much kale as you can fit in a bullet blender. Blend. Add more kale, blend again.

Mashed cauliflower-
Try it in place of mashed potatoes (or add to boiled red potatoes if you want to gradually change your current meals) to add vegetables with your diet:
Steam a bag of cauliflower until it is soft (but not mushy).
While it is still hot, put it in a bullet or blender.
Add 1/3 cup of almond milk and 1 T coconut oil.
Blend until smooth.
Serve as you would mashed potatoes.

Healthy pancakes
1 cup old fashioned oats. Blend in a “bullet” food processor or a blender.
1 scoop quality protein powder (optional). I use Arbonne Essentials vanilla for this- which is a vegan, good tasting protein).
1 egg + 2 egg whites.
Mix ingredients together. You can also add things like oat bran and ground flax seed to bump up the fiber content and nutritional value.
Add fresh blueberries or sliced bananas.
Put coconut oil in a non-stick frying pan and add the batter. When one side starts to bubble, flip to the other side. Serve with raw, natural (preferably local) honey or REAL maple syrup (NOT the processed, stuff- the stuff that comes straight out of a maple tree is the only syrup you should use). Top with fresh fruit. You can add 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter on top if you like.

Liz Jones is the Wellness Coordinator for the City of Mesquite and a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected].

I love my job… all of my jobs… from being a wellness coordinator for city employees where I get to coordinate and present wellness programming and individual wellness plans, to being a writer, to personal training clients through my business. In all that I do, I find a lot of fulfillment and inspiration to help others. I feel very blessed to do the work I get to do. But I too have days that I wish I could say some things that I wish people would consider.
1. I cannot make you healthy. Only YOU can make you healthy, I can offer you education, support, coaching, nagging if you need it, but if you are not committed to taking the necessary steps to be fit, I am not magic and being with you one or two days a week will not get you to your goals if the rubber doesn’t hit the road when you are not in front of me.
2. I get stood-up more than most people. If you are truly sick, stuck on the side of the road, or have a family emergency, I understand. Things happen to all of us. But if you consistently cancel, especially 20 minutes before your appointment, yes, I am already on my way and yes, I scheduled my day around when I was supposed to meet with you and the several other people I have meetings with most days.
3. I am not awake 24 hours a day. Don’t text me at midnight to read your food log.
4. You called me… don’t be angry when I make you do the things that you asked me to make you do.
5. If you aren’t going to change poor eating habits, you are not going to be fit and healthy. 80% of your results that you see in the gym are brought to the surface in the kitchen. Eat clean. If you don’t eat clean, you aren’t fooling anyone. If you are eating clean (really) and still are not seeing any results, you may need to kick up your cardio training. If that doesn’t do the trick, you may need to talk to your doctor.
6. If you drink beer, you will have a beer belly. That’s fine, that’s your choice, but then don’t complain about it.
7. Yes, you CAN do it… whether it is eating clean, eating a few vegan meals per week, getting out to walk. You can do it… you choose not to. I recently did a wellness challenge with city employees that entailed eating a plant-based diet. I had many people tell me that they HAD to have meat to get their protein. My response outwardly is,” OK, that’s your choice.” My response inwardly is, “Oh yeah? How much protein are you eating now? How much do you train? How many grams of protein have you calculated you need to reach your goals? Oh, you have no idea…..”
8. I really do care about your progress and your results. I have never met with a person that I didn’t feel was brought into my life for a reason. I want you to be successful, I want you to feel great and live a long happy life. I hope that our time together will get you to where you need to be and that you will continue with even when I am not around.

Liz Jones is a wellness professional in Rockwall, Mesquite, Wylie and surrounding areas. She is a writer, certified yoga instructor, personal trainer and wellness coach. She holds a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership and Strategic Management, with a graduate certificate in Ethics and Leadership. Her undergraduate studies included communication, business, writing, art, fitness, and dance. Liz Jones can be reached at: [email protected].