iheartwellness.com

Hi Everyone!  Happy Sunday!

I hope you all had a great day?  Today was errand running day.  I usually like to have Sunday’s to relax and do some fun activities, but yesterday was jam packed and we had no time for groceries and Costco.

Yesterday my mom and I had a Mix & Mingle party which was a lot of fun! We had a bunch of friends and family come out and have some treats and coffee and we spoke a bit about the products we are now selling.  The weather was perfect and the company was great! All in all, a fab day

Today at Costco, I found Organic dried Figs……..ooooooohhhhh, how I love dried figs! These are so dangerous to have in the fridge as I could eat half the bag and consume my calories for the day!  Since writing this post I have already had 5….

Tomorrow is my birthday and I figured I should make some treats for me to enjoy on my day!  I can have a little birthday break in the day and enjoy some chocolate covered goodness.  These would also be wonderful for Valentines day which is just around the corner

Chocolate Covered Nature Treats:

1 cup vegan chocolate (melted)
3 dried figs
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup pecans

Melt chocolate in microwave or use a double broiler

Cut figs in half

Add figs to the melted chocolate and coat.  Remove figs from chocolate and place on a plate lined with parchment paper.

Do the same for the raisins and pecans

Place plate in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

YUMMMMM – Healthy Chocolate Goodness!

These are perfect little treats to aid me through the birthday tomorrow  29 my friends…..I am pulling off “24″ for another few years, you are the only ones that know this  I will be enjoying a wonderful Indian feast with my family tomorrow night at our favourite Indian Restaurant.  They owner there knows us quite well and “veganize’s” my dishes for me  I love restaurants that do that.  It is so important for me that places accomodate to allergies and requests! Dairy and Butter free Chana Masala here I come!!

Dinner tonight was not Indian, it was Mexican.  I made these Wheat-Free wraps, with Guacomole, pan fried veg and black beans. Delicious!

Time to Relax now after a busy weekend!

I am just pulling some homemade crackers out of the oven, making some tea, and going to watch some Couples Retreat.

Enjoy your evening everyone!

Do you love birthdays?  Do you have a special tradition on your birthday?

XXOO
Kris

Happy Saturday Everyone!

Wow, what an amazing day I had yesterday. I started my morning with a trip to see Krista (Ryan’s sister) at her new location. Her and Ryan’s mom and other sister started a cosmetic teeth whitening business. If anyone is in the Vancouver area, you must check this site out!

The two of us then attended a woman’s networking group! It was a blast! I met a lot of new wonderful people and enjoyed a cup of joe

After my meet up I went on a date with my sister! Girls night out where we cried our eyes out at “Dear John”! Ahhh Channing you are a beautiful man

I decided I will set up a plan to go all raw here in the next little bit as a test to myself to see if it makes a difference in my energy, sleep, and overall health. I am always up to experimenting with myself like this and I am ALWAYS up for a good challenge. I am however debating if I should wait until closer to the spring when more local veggies and fruit are grown here. Right now a lot of the produce I eat is from far away! Anyone else have this issue?

From the other times I have tried a Raw diet I realized that the diet actually takes a lot of work and time to prepare. So I figured I will set a plan to make this an easy adventure for me. How will I do that? Simple:

1. Cut up veggies for 2 days and keep them in glass containers in the fridge.
2. Make bigger batches of salad dressings and dips to last few days.
3. Soak all my nuts 1 – 2 times a week so they are always on hand ready to eat.
4. Do 1 “dehydrate” day. I will use my oven for now and you can find out how to do that here!
5. Drink a lot of smoothies! I really love my smoothies and I know they are so beneficial and are a super easy meal.
6. Make a bunch of desserts and keep them in the fridge.
7. Buy bulk when I can. This will save me a lot of time and money. I will save time from having to run to the store every day
8. Make a large batch of almond milk and keep it in a mason jar in the fridge. It lasts 3 days nice and fresh.

I am sure I will come up with more tricks that will make this diet easier for me, and I will let you know what they are

I started the Raw theme off early and made this dessert when I got home from the movies.

Raw Apple Pie:

1 cup pecans
1/2 dates
1 medium apple
1/4 cup agave
2 tsp cinnamon

1. Place the pecans and dates in a food processor and process until fine and sticky.
2. Place nut mixture into a 6′ dish and press into a crust.
3. Slice apple thinly and mix in a bowl with agave and cinnamon
4. Arrange coated apple slices on the crust and place in the fridge for crust to get hard.

I am off to a Mix & Mingle Party my mom and I are hosting!! It is going to be a fun day!

Have you ever gone all Raw? Would you suggest starting when the fruit and veg is more in season here?

XXOO
Kris

Hey Everyone!

Is everyone happy that tomorrow is Friday?  I am as I already have a busy day planned!

All of you know, I love following an Alkaline diet and usually consume 80% Alkaline forming foods and 20% Acid forming foods a day.  This is the general rule for really keeping your body at the correct PH level.

I started eating this way when I first read The Thrive Diet by Brendan Brazier and really understood how food is meant to benefit and fill you with nutrients.  Plus I find it very interesting that you can keep you body alkaline and cancer free by eating this way.  It has been proven cancer and other disease can not thrive in an alkaline state.

Now, I am huge into water, but be careful when going to purchase an Alkaline water machine.  There are some studies showing that if you only drink high alkaline water (water with a ph of 9 or higher) you body really needs to work hard at that water to bring it back to a normal ph level for you.  You see, your body needs to be at a ph level of around 7.2 – 7.4 and if you are drinking a really high alkaline level water, your body will have to work (stress) it very hard to bring it back to the 7.3 level.  The water I drink is always at a ph of 7.0 – 7.4.

This goes for the food you eat as well!  Your body needs to work mucho hard to bring the processed/ acid food to somewhat of an alkaline level. This stresses your bod out!

My food throughout the day is always all natural and I know every ingredient that is in it.  This is of course what works best for me and I know what my body likes and dislikes.  Now, I do know sometimes my body will love a mars bar, but I know that it won’t love me a little later

This wonderful, quick article with Brendan Brazier in Gliving.com will really help you understand the importance of an Alkaline diet!

Love you Bendan!

(source)

Here are some wonderfully easy Alkaline forming snacks and meals for you to enjoy!

Morning Pudding:

3 tbsp flax seeds
1 banana
1 small apple
1 cup spinach
1/4 cup shredded cocout

Blend all together and eat!  It is healthy, sweet and natural

It looks funky, right?  But it is really tasty!!

Alkaline Salad w/ Simple Dressing

Ghetto Greens

Banana Ice Cream

2 frozen bananas
1/2 scoop vanilla chia vega powder
2 tbsp shredded coconut

Place all in a blender and enjoy!

Vegan Stir Fry

2 zucchinis
1 large red pepper
1 cauliflower
1 head broccoli
1/2 onion
3 carrots
2 vegan bouillon’s
2 cups quinoa
5 cups water
1 tbsp evoo

Cook quinoa with 4 cups of water and 1 bouillon

Heat  evoo in frying pan over medium heat – add the onion and cook until clear

Boil 1 cup water and 1 bouillon in a separate sauce pan

Add veggies to the evoo and onions – cook until done (few minutes – you want the veggies still crispy)

Add bouillon water to the veggies and simmer for  another minute

Add the quinoa to your plate and place the veggies on top.  Sprinkle with spices as desired.  I used Mrs. Dash tonight

There are so many other wonderful recipes around the blog world that are alkaline, if you find some more or if you have some, please share!

Do you follow an Alkaline diet?  Do you feel better when you do?

XXOO
Kris

My Friends!

What’s new with y’all today??

I am still fighting this throat irritant and it is beginning to cramp my style.  It is just hovering at the same soreness for days now.  Normally you get a sore throat, it goes away in 2 days and you are stuck with a bit of sniffles, not yet!  I am actually getting sick of my throat lozenges.

I had such a wonderful day today – My lovely nana took my sister and I out for coffee (not too sick for coffee dates ) It was so nice to see them both and we had a very relax, good time.  Nana’s rock, don’t they?

My body seems to be craving sweets like nobodies business….It can’t be candida because I am taking my daily detox drops so it is my sore throat that keeps asking for the treats.  I caved and made these:

Inspired from the wonderful Elana at Elanaspantry.com

But I “Rawified” them

Raw Vanilla Nut Butter Cups

* Makes 3 large cups

Vanilla Nut Butter Filling:

3 tbsp raw almond butter
1/2 tsp agave nectar
1/4 tsp vanilla
dash of sea salt

Chocolate:

5 tbsp raw cocoa powder
3 tbsp coconut oil
2 tbsp agave nectar

Mix the chocolate ingredients together.

Add a thin layer of chocolate to 3 medium – large paper muffin liners

Place in the freezer for 10 minutes

Mix up the vanilla almond butter filling

Remove the chocolate out of the freezer and add a ball of nut butter to each chocolate bottom

Cover the cups with chocolate and place back in the freezer for at least 30 min

Ok, so these are as good as the picture looks! Just the right sweetness

On another note, I had another Life Coach appointment today which was fabulous!  Her and I discussed my upcoming women’s groups I will be attending.  I am excited to get out and meet some new people with the same interests in my neighborhood  Networking / Connecting is something I am good at, I love interacting with people and sharing different tips, ideas and all that fun stuff.

We also worked a bit more on “romancing” myself.  Sounds funny, but makes sense. I should absolutely be taking the time to take myself out on a date and connect with myself again.  It has been hard lately as I have been so busy, so I think I have a date with ME on Thursday night.  Now, what should I do?!

Do you ever treat yourself to a “date”?  How do you reward yourself?

XXOO
Kris

Hello Everyone!

Thank you ALL for the wonderful comments on yesterday’s post on How to Deal with Negative People in your life.  It was topic I figured we all could use a little “refresher” on  You all had so many wonderful tips for as well, thank you!

Well Monday has now gone and we are moving further along in this beautiful week!

Today was full of a ton of water, tea, and protein bars!  I don’t know why, but when my throat is sore, I need something sweet.

Now, I don’t want you to think that is ALL I had for eats today.  I did have 2 ghetto greens, a large salad for lunch, a grapefruit, lots of protein bars and beautiful Italian Quinoa dish for dinner.

Sun dried Tomatoes are a fave food of mine.  I always purchase them organic, and without sodium. Some brands out there try to kill you with sodium, read your label next time, its insane.

I find sun dried tomatoes add such a wonderful flavor to pasta, quinoa dishes, pesto, and even crackers.  I added some to these bad boys over the weekend – WHOLY wowza were they amazing!!

Ryan and I ate the whole cookie sheet of crackers I baked in one sitting……while watching the movie “This is it”.

Italian Quinoa

*Please note this dish makes a lot with the measurements I am providing.

2 cups quinoa
5 cups water
2 vegan bouillon’s
2 medium zucchini’s
1 large red pepper
1 – 2 cups mushrooms
2 cups spinach
1/2 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup sun dried tomatoes, chopped
1/2 onion
2 tbsp evoo

Cook quinoa with 4 cups water and 1 bouillon

Heat olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat.  Add the onions and sun dried tomatoes.  Cook for about 3-4 minutes.

In a small sauce pan bring 1 cup of water with the bouillon to a boil.  Turn heat down and let simmer.

Add the rest of the vegetables (except basil) to the frying pan and cook for 2 – 3 minutes while stirring.  Add the small boiling vegetable broth to the vegetables and let cook until veg are done.

Add the vegetable sauce to the quinoa and toss.  Add the chopped basil to the dish and serve.

I am looking forward to leftovers from this dish tomorrow for lunch!!

What do you crave when your throat is sore?  How do you prepare quinoa?  Is it a breakfast food for you, or dinner?

XXOO
Kris

Happy Sunday Everyone!

Thank you for all the wonderful comments on my Cold Blaster Bevy Post!  My cold has not seemed to have gotten any worse, it is just hovering around a “hot” throat and a bit of tiredness, that’s about it!  I think I nipped it with the bevy and an natural throat spray I used yesterday

Onto my topic today – Psychic Vampires that might be lurking in your life!

I have received many notes in my personal email account regarding this topic.  My wonderful friends asking for advise on how I deal with negative people or the “nay sayers” in my life.

Everyone seems to have certain people in their lives that must say something to bring them down and don’t seem supportive of you.  They are constantly cutting you down and when allowed they will creep into that pretty head of yours and start to sabotage your success.  Do you have people like this in your life?

I can remember when I was in the corporate world I was surrounded by people just like this.  Everyday they tried to bring me to their “unhappy” level and it was there I needed to learn how to deal with them for my own sanity!  Going to work everyday was making me anxious and I was grateful to have figured out why and what I could do about it to change it!

How to deal with Negative people in your life?

Always remember whoever you are with – they will constantly be trying to either raise you up or pull you down to their vibration. Why?  Well this is the funny thing, the person doing this to you, has no idea they are doing it! Vibrations need to be matching when with people to be “comfortable”.

If you are with someone who is trying to bring you down to their vibration try this:

Example: You just told your friend that you are on a new Business venture that you LOVE and are quitting your day job tomorrow.  But your friend is miserable at their day to day, 9-5 job everyday and they says to you “Really, are you sure you want to do that?  You might not do well at your business, your crazy for leaving your job and giving up that money coming in.”

Be strong and always believe YOU CAN DO ANYTHING you set your mind too!  Say calmly to your friend “Thank you for your concerns, but I know this is my passion and I know this is going to work beautifully for me.”

Also remember that the negative behaviour is a reflection of them.  You will quickly find out kind of person they are and what issues they may be dealing with in their lives.  This is by no means a reflection of who you are.

People that are the nay sayers usually are either unhappy or unclear with where their lives are and lack passion and purpose.   They tend to take a lot out of you when you are around them, and you will come to realize you will naturally not want to spend a lot of your precious time with them any more.

When you hear a negative comment, stay completely detached from this comment.  This might be difficult if it is a close family member that is your “vampire” but remember it is always YOU who determines if they are going to “get you” or not.  Keep your mind always strong and on your purpose all the time. This will pull you through when you remember why you are hear on this earth for

It is really important to tell people how you feel. You don’t want to get upset at them for having their own opinion, but you can control the topics you guys speak about.  If you find your negative friend always seems to talk about the same thing that causes their “vampire” to come out, try changing the subject back to them.  Ask them more questions to keep their mind off the topic that is causing the grief for you.

You CAN NEVER change a person, all you can do is set an example.  Show these people you are strong, happy and nothing is holding you back from your life. They will realize quickly to not mess with you And start to see you in a new light.

They will most likely want to change into a happy, positive person that you are showing them you are!

How to deal with the Vampire if He/She is your spouse!

• Remember that the negativity is your spouse’s problem, not yours.
• Spend time with positive folks. You will need some time off from your spouse’s negativity.
• Invite your spouse to take a walk with you at least once a week.
• Acknowledge your mate’s positive accomplishments.
• Encourage your partner to try new things.
• Don’t be afraid to say “Enough!” and change the subject to something more positive.

Get a new circle of positive friends you and your partner can be around!  This will show your partner there is a life outside of being negative that is really fun!

I wish everyone understood the law of attraction – what you think about you bring about.

Keep a Gratitude journal everyday and start to share it with your spouse! Keep a list of the accomplishments you believe your spouse had today, when they hear you have acknowledged this about them they will feel very inspired and happy

Ryan is constantly telling me how great I am doing and I love this!

If you find it difficult to speak to your partner about how their negativity is holding you back, write them a letter. Sometimes true feelings come out better when on paper. Let them read it and then invite them to talk about it.

For myself I had always found it difficult to be around negative people as I tended to allow there stresses become my stresses. I have learned to (non selfishly of course) put myself first and remember my mental health needs to stay strong for me to live my life the way I know it is meant to be lived.

Do you find you deal with some negative people in your life? Do you know when these people are trying to hold you back? How do you deal with it?

XXOO
Kris

Hello Everyone!  Happy Saturday!

I woke up this morning with a little soreness in my throat!?  Not me!!  I never get sick….ugh.  I must have laid in bed in shock, because I have not had a single little cold in years.

When I woke up I made myself a cold fighter bevy, one that was full of nutrients and antioxidants to get health back into my body!

Isn’t she pretty!?

Kris’ Cold Blaster Bevy:

3 black kale leaves
handful of fresh parsley
1 small beet
handful of spinach
2 small carrots
3 cups pure, clean water

Place all in a blender  and buzz it up!

It tasted very fresh and “garden like”.  Parsley always adds that homegrown garden taste to my vegetable smoothies

Here is a breakdown of the veggies used in this Cold Busting Bevy and why they are good to consume when daily or when you feel a tickle in that throat.

———————————————————————-

Parsley

Parsley has so many wonderful healing properties!

It is a relative to celery, did you know that?  Cute!

Just 2 Tbsp of parsley daily is a great way to get your full amounts of Vitamin K, Vitamin  C and Vitamin A.

This leafy green is a rich source of Anti-oxidant nutrients.  Parsley is full of flavonoids that haven been shown to function as antioxidant that help prevent oxygen-based damage to cells.  In addition, extract from parsley have been used in different studies with animals to help increase the antioxidant capacity of their blood.

This beautiful green was added to my cold fighting bevy to add antioxidants back into my blood!

Parsley has a volatile oil and flavonoids, which allows it to be an excellent source of two vital nutrients that are super powerful for our daily living – Vitamin C and Vitamin A. These are cold buster vits!

Kale

Kale is a very healthy dose of Vitamin C and it boosts the antioxidant protection and supports the immune system!

Just one cup of this cooked vegetable supplies 88.8% of the daily value for vitamin C.  Vitamin C is very important for preventions of colds (ie. why I have not had one is years!) but is also great to take when fighting the sniffles.

Carrots

Carrots are an beautiful source of antioxidant compounds, and the richest vegetable source of the pro-vitamin A carotenes.

They say that high Vitamin A will aid in lung issues.  I figured better start beefing these lungs up before any part of the cold tries to makes it way there!

Plus carrots add a nice sweetness to this boosting juice!

Beets

I just did a wonderful post on my love for beets!  Beets are so wonderful for the blood and for adding antioxidants.  These rich colored veggies and to help with inflammation in the body and we all know that when the body is more acid, or slightly inflammed this is when sickness can set in.

So I threw some good ol beets in

Spinach

Again this leafy green is high in Vitamin C and A, and has very good anti-inflammatory properties.  Not to mention the greatness of iron it adds to my diet today

Boosting iron in the body with spinach is a good idea, especially because, in comparison to red meat, a well-known source of iron, spinach provides iron for a lot less calories and is totally fat-free.

Pure, Clean Water

Water is so important for our bodies.  Our bodies consist of 75 % water and getting at least 2 liters of water a day is major important for a healthy body.

Did you know our body could live a week without food, but only 2 days without water?  If you are drinking improper water you could actually be doing your body more harm than good.  The toxins, chlorine, drugs, and whatever else is in our city water actually stays in our bodies if we can not properly flush it out and it will cause many issues within us.  Weight gain, sandy feeling in our joints, migraines, you name it! Make sure your water is clean and good!

I drink at least 2 liters of water per day and notice a lot more energy now

Well there you have it my friends, this will be aiding me back to health very quickly!  What better way to cure a cold than the healthy way  The earth is filled with all the remedies we need.

Oh, I did buy these when I was out today!  They are sugar free and all natural!! Haha, I am not going to lie, purchasing throat lozenges is the best part of being sick

What do you make yourself when you feel a tickle in the throat?  Or the sniffles coming on?

Have a wonderful evening everyone!

XXOO
Kris

Happy Friday Everyone!

What a great Friday it has been.  S’Bucks this morning where I relaxed and worked online and had the privilege to watch Tommy Europe (the guy from the Last 10 Pounds Bootcamp) unload a truck full of boxes, went to the gym after watching Tommy who inspired me, baked some crackers, and cleaned the house!  Phew…..

I can’t believe the Olympic Games are starting soon and I am so happy that I will be here during the time the games are on!  You go out anywhere downtown Vancouver now you see so many athletes, in their Countries colors, its awesome!

I thought I would share this beautiful video I received yesterday and show all of you who have not been to Vancity, what it looks like!

Such an Amazing Video!

Last night I was out with my friends Sandi and Melissa and they reminded me how good Cinnamon is, and suggested it in the morning Joe!  I was also given the tip to add the cinnamon to the coffee filter as the joe is brewing!  Brilliant!  No grities!

Thanks gals for the wonderful suggestion

I will be back with a longer post on the weekend!

Has anyone been to Vancouver before?  Is anyone coming to watch the games?

XXOO
Kris

Happy Thursday Everyone!

I had Pancakes again this morning!  I couldn’t help myself.  I figured I would wait till the weekend to whip some more up, but the banana was begging me to be used in some batter early this a.m.

It was bliss all over again!

Ok, onto our topic for today!

Meditation is a very amazing and important when practiced it correctly.

What is Meditation?

Meditation means awareness. If you are in the present moment (free from all other distractions in the mind) right now, focusing on your breath, or a leaf on a tree, you are meditating.

Meditation is taught to really be a way of life.  Meditation means ‘a cessation of the thought process’. It describes a state of consciousness, when the mind is free of rambling thoughts, various patterns and images.

A common issue with people that meditate or are beginning to meditate is they believe they are trying to get something or to achieve something in every session.

This is not the case. You should not meditate for the reason of needing a good business idea today, but to really understand this is a way to bring the mind back to a present “free” state and understand the importance of that.

Yes, great ideas will always come to you when you are “open” and connected  and really tapped into yourself. The universe is housing so many wonderful, beautiful ideas that will be transferred to you when you are ready.

I know many people (including myself) who will get amazing thoughts and ideas when they are still.  I know I am in-tune with myself and that ideas always flow through me.

When you have a problem or issue, that is always the Effect and the solution is to always just “let it go”. Meditation allows you to “let it go” when you are deep in it.  Think of Meditation as your “daily vacation” a way for you to escape from daily issues…….

Meditation tip:

People think that they are doing something wrong because their mind wanders when they meditate, or they feel they can’t sit still.

You might notice this the first few times you meditate. All you need to do is ACCEPT that the mind will wander the first few times and just let the body get used to being still. The sessions will get easier and better as they go on.

Practice makes perfect

Meditation is a great way to alleviate suffering as now a days our lives are pretty stressful and stress causes many issues in the body.

It also allows us to dream better Dreaming is a favorite thing of mine and when you have a calm mind, you can get some pretty real dreams! It also allows you to Dream for the future better by clearing a lot of the negative self talk that might be rollin around in that head of yours.

I watched a video on a meditation book today called “True Meditation” and it got really great reviews if anyone is interested!

Do you meditate? Have you ever meditated?

XXOO
Kris

Happy Wednesday Everyone!

Wow, the week is sure flying by, isn’t it?

I have been a busy lady today and I am excited to sit down and relax a bit before the webinar starts tonight at 7:00 pm PST.

I am so excited that so many of you have registered to listen!! Thank you all!

We are accepting 1000 listeners, so this is great that we are packing the “seats”!

For those of you who were asking – Yes, the webinar is Free  It is something that Ryan was putting on and I thought it would be great to extend the invite to you all!

You still have a chance to register here – https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/192628609 if interested.

I woke up SOOO excited to wake up today as I found a Gluten Free, Vegan Pancake recipe on Averie’s blog right before I went to bed!  I ran to the kitchen to make sure I had all the ingredients and set my alarm clock 20 minutes earlier. I figured “pancakes aren’t only for Sunday morning breakfast” I am going to rock these bad boys mid week!

So I surprised Ryan with the golden gems.

You can find the full, easy to make recipe here on loveveggiesandyoga.com

Ok, we all know how gluten free pancakes usually taste – like cardboard, but not these!  They were full of flavor and tasted just like mom’s pancakes we used to get on Sundays…..ahhh…today was a great day!

Averie, you never have a bad recipe in my eyes  Keep ‘em coming girl!

Do you make gluten free or vegan pancakes or waffles at all?  What is your favorite breakfast food?

XXOO
Kris

ps.  If you loved this recipe, re-tweet it!!