Fast And Easy Chili

This is such a classic cool weather stand-by I almost hesitate to put up a recipe for it. But my version is very fast, very easy, and ultra healthy, so why not! It is also a Perfect Pantry recipe, so chances are you already have everything you need on hand right now (or would if you had my Perfect Pantry shopping list. Download at: http://lindaliving.com/).

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground beef/chicken/turkey/lamb/pork/venison – please buy organic, and even better, grass fed/pasture raised.
• 2 15oz cans organic kidney beans (other varieties are fine too), rinsed and drained
• 2 15oz cans organic fire roasted tomato with green chillies (available at Trader Joe’s) – you can also use leftover salsa and diced fresh tomatoes if you have some that need to be used up.
• 1 4oz can of diced green chillies
• Seasoning to taste – I like the flavors of the main ingredients to shine through in my chili, so I go very light here and use only a dash of Mexican meat seasoning. Ground cumin, garlic powder, and chili powder are the traditional spices used in chili. If desired, use 1 tsp. cumin, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder, and 1 TBS. chili powder. Add salt only if absolutely necessary. The tomatoes and beans will have plenty in them already.

Directions:

1. Brown the meat in a large frying pan deep enough to hold all of the ingredients. Have the lid or a frying screen handy.
2. Drain off any fat created by cooking the meat.
3. Add the tomatoes, salsa, and green chillies to the pan while it is still very hot. Allow to cook at a high heat for 5-7 minutes (covered to reduce splatter). Stir frequently and add seasonings all except for salt.
4. Reduce heat to medium-low and add beans. Cook for another 10 minutes covered. Add salt only if required.
5. Serve over rice, quinoa, or with corn chips, with slices of avocado. (skip the cheese and sour cream; you will never miss it!)

Enjoy!

Spicy Pork Tenderloin

This is a ridiculously easy recipe. Done right pork tenderloin is tender and juicy. It is also easy-to-find, very low in fat, and quick to cook. If you have one frozen it will thaw quickly, so you can definitely consider this a Pantry Perfect Recipe! You can cook it on the grill or in the oven, it is perfect either way. It goes well with just about anything and makes great leftovers. Sauteed greens and mashed potatoes sound good to me right now….yum!

Ingredients:

• 2 T. Thai hot sauce
• 1 T. Honey
• 1 t. Garlic powder
• Salt and pepper
• 1 Pork tenderloin

For glaze

• 2 teaspoons arrow root powder OR ½ teaspoon glucomannan powder as a thickener
• 1 c boiling water

Directions:

1. Make a glaze with Thai hot sauce, honey, garlic powder, s&p. Rub all over pork.
2. Roast at 350° until done (20 -40 minutes depending on size) or cook on the grill. Do not over cook.
3. Deglaze pan (or use juices from grilled meat) and add thickener cook a minute then add water slowly whisking until sauce is smooth.

Enjoy!

Chickpea Salad; A Perfect Pantry Recipe

The term “salad” does not do justice to this delicious, warm dish. It is tasty, tangy and full of the flavors of the Mediterranean. You could improvise and add a few olives, capers, or even Feta, but you may not want to; it is perfect just the way it is.

The real beauty of this recipe is that all of the items are “pantry” items; things you would likely have with no special shopping required. It is a great way to use up the last of head of celery, limp or not, carrots, fresh or not. And BTW, it is good for you!

Ingredients:

• 2 carrots, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ onion, diced
• ½ cup white wine (optional)
• 1-3 tomatoes, chopped or pureed (canned tomatoes can be used)
• 3- 8 leaves chard, chopped, stalk included
• 2 cans chickpeas, drained  – any other kind of beans can be used in addition or substituted
• Juice of 2-4 lemons
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
• Sea salt to taste
• Chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish

Directions:

1. Sweat carrot, celery, chard stalk, onion, and garlic until they are slightly soft.
2. Add wine, and sauté for 2-3 minutes.
3. Add tomato, and cook for an additional 5-7 minutes.
4. Add chard leaves, beans, and cook for a few more minutes, until chard is cooked.
5. Turn off the heat, and add lemon juice, olive oil, and salt.
6. Put in a serving bowl, and garnish with fresh cilantro or parsley.

 

ENJOY!

Fast Track to Healthy Weight Loss – Results guaranteed!

Have you ever set a health or fitness goal for yourself and failed to reach it? Even though your commitment level may have been at a “10” on the day you started, the flow of your daily life may have distracted you from your focus.

This is something I hear a lot as a health coach. Despite peoples’ best intentions, life gets in the way of, well, health.

This, combined with a “flying by the seat of the pants” approach to diet and exercise, leaves people not too far from where they would be without ever having set a goal in the first place –only with a lot more guilt.

This is a conundrum I have pondered long and hard: how to help people achieve the goals they set for them selves with a degree of certainty, and finally, I have come up with a solution!!

I am SO excited to announce the brand new Linda Living —Fast-Track program.

This revolutionary one-of-a-kind program is designed to speed up the time it takes to lose weight –in a HEALTHY way!

It is completely compatible with other all weight loss programs and designed to support you by ensuring you get the results you are seeking.

Here is how it works:

• Laser Targeted Nutrition – Testing enables us to know exactly what foods make weight loss more difficult for each person. Targeted Supplementation supports the body’s ability to metabolize fat to turn it into fuel.

• Commitment – —Fast Track keeps participants committed on a level that will ensure success –despite the ebb and flow of a busy life.

• Overcoming Stumbling Blocks – These can be physical, habitual or emotional. The intensive nature of this program allows for an unparalleled insight into what is working and what is not. Once we know, solutions are possible.

• Tools for Success – Changing the way we think is every bit as important as changing the way we eat and exercise. Fast Track uses NLP and EFT to “reprogram” our patterns creating great change in a short amount of time.

Where diets, gym memberships and grand plans have failed before, this program will work. (find out more)

The Fast-Track program puts it all together for you! This program will work –I GUARANTEE it!

I invite you to have a conversation with me to see if this program is right for you. Email me at Linda@lindaliving.com.

***I am currently looking for Beta Testers to participate in this brand new program. Please spread the word and have anyone interested contact me ASAP. Thanks!

Overcoming Food Allergies –My Personal Experience

I recently had the ALCAT Food Intolerance test done and the result was mind blowing. I discovered that perfectly healthy foods, that I thought of as “safe”, were responsible for many of the symptoms I had been experiencing like chronic fatigue, weight gain, skin problems, and trouble concentrating.

Over the last 2 years I had become more tired than usual. It happened gradually so there was no one day that I felt like everything changed or even particularly took notice. Looking back to 2 years ago I see that a lot had changed. I used to workout regularly and enjoy it. Since then I have had to make myself go and it was always a drag. As a result of all of this I rarely did it and gained weight. I used to wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, not sleep for 8 hours or more and wake up feeling tired and hung-over –even though I don’t drink. Even the healthiest of meals left me feeling lethargic, unfocused and sometimes even dizzy. I don’t l know why it took me so long to notice, or to think of getting retested for Food Intolerance (a.k.a. food allergies), but it did.

The foods I have eliminated over the past month since getting the results of the test read like most peoples’ “healthy foods” list. They include: apples, onions, garlic, ginger, eggs, lamb, pepper, lemon, and turkey, and more –I won’t list them all.

I had this test done 25 years ago and it dramatically changed my life. I had been dragging around, feeling totally exhausted for more than 2 years before I was tested. It followed a bout of Mononucleosis, which had lasted for an entire year before being diagnosed. I had gone to doctor after doctor looking for answers as to why at the age of 20 all I wanted to do was sleep. The best any of them could do was to tell me I had Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. All that meant was that I was tired all the time and they couldn’t figure out why. My mom finally took me to a Holistic doctor in the city, who my uncle, a doctor, called a quack.

Among the many tests he did, was the ALCAT Food Intolerance test. This is a blood test that looks at the immune response of live blood cells to different antigens. The result was that I was “allergic” to things I was eating every day. They included: corn, tomato, potato, bakers yeast, and shrimp. I stopped eating them immediately, and within 1 week was feeling dramatically better. After 6 months I had lost 20 lbs and was back to my energetic old self. I was also able to start putting those foods back into my diet on a rotational basis (not more than once every 4^th day). Keeping to that rotation I was able to enjoy all of those foods and feel fine.

So, this “quack” cured me in 1 week where all the different doctors had failed. The cure was giving me the vital piece of information I was lacking; that there were a few foods I was better off not eating. It was that simple.

And now, one month after my re-test, since removing the newly discovered offenders from my diet, I feel significantly better. My energy is coming back and I have lost 5lbs already. I don’t have the new regimen completely down to a science yet, but it gets easier every day. I have been here before and I know the benefits of abstinence strongly outweigh the inconvenience of avoiding foods I enjoy.

I should note too that the foods that were troublesome for me 25 years ago no longer showed up as being problematic. I am sure if I had been retested earlier they would have come up as “safe”. This is because our bodies change throughout our lifetimes. We can become over sensitized to things with which we are in constant contact. Frequently it is a bout of illness or extreme stress that precipitates food intolerance.  Additionally certain cosmetics, sucralose (Splenda), and amalgam filling have an effect on the mechanism behind it. Continual exposure to problematic foods does not give the body a chance to break the inflammatory cycle and heal.

Food Allergies and Intolerance

In order to help you kick off your best year ever, I have decided to spotlight food Sensitivities, and Intolerance.  Did you know over 80% of the population experiences food sensitivities at some level and they don’t even know it! True allergies are very different than sensitivities and intolerance –only 5-7% of the population suffers from true allergies. Still, food intolerance can wreck havoc on your health, energy and block fitness goals. Symptoms can include: Chronic fatigue/low energy Migraines Obesity Difficulty losing weight Persistent cravings Aching joints Skin disorders Digestive disorders Fibromyalgia Mood disorders And many more… Food sensitivities have been in the media headlines a lot lately and many folks have even tried elimination of the usual suspects like wheat/gluten and dairy… But what happens when the culprit is something you would never suspect –like lettuce, almonds, carrots and celery… What happens when the foods you think of as “safe” are really the root cause of your most troubling symptoms? I had this test done 25 years ago and it changed my life! I went from being constantly exhausted (for 2 solid years) back to being my old energetic self with in a week of eliminating the 4 offending foods I was eating every day. Because I am so excited and proud to now offer this vital screening I want as many people as possible to benefit from it. So for the remainder of January ONLY I am offering the tests AT MY COST!!!!!! (40% below list price.) You may even qualify for more savings since many insurance carriers will cover the bulk of the cost. Contact me and I will help you pick the best test and follow up protocol for you.

The Pros and Cons of Dieting

I always cringe when I hear someone say they are planning to go on a “diet”.

It usually means that they are planning to adopt some radical and restrictive eating strategy for some period of time that will most likely not give them the results they desire, and most likely lead to even more weight gain.

Statistically 95% of people who diet to lose weight put it back on within two to three years. A series of researchers at the UCLA looked at a number of dietary interventions – they discovered that most dieters gained back almost all their weight. While they could not put an exact figure on it (e.g. 95%) – they concluded that most efforts at calorie restriction result in only very short-term weight loss, and, could even ultimately lead to weight gain. I have seen this repeatedly and experienced it myself.

I went on my first “diet” as a young teenager. I realize now that it was a somewhat arbitrary idea that I “needed to go on a diet”. But dieting was in, my friends were doing it, and I wanted to look like the models of the day; wearing Jordache jeans –which were all the rage in 1980. In hindsight it was stupid. No diet would have changed my basic body shape, which was curvy even back then. Dieting created more problems than it solved. After that I did have a weight problem!

In reality, we are all on diets every day of our lives. What we eat, even if it is without forethought, IS our “DIET”. We don’t usually give it much thought though until our pants get too tight, we experience negative health consequences…or we have a budding romance.

Now, much older and wiser, and as a professional Health Coach, I strongly advocate making small, sustainable HEALTHY changes over time rather than “dieting”. Habits and preferences that took a lifetime to establish rarely change overnight. Diets that promise miraculous results, especially quick ones, are usually not very healthy, are often ludicrous, and always unsustainable.

Still, there is a healthy place for “Dieting”.

Cleansing is a “Diet”, of sorts, since it does include a defined eating protocol (thoughtfully designed for the purpose facilitating detoxification). Any weight loss program that is going to be successful must include some element of detoxification. Fat is not just functionless flab only there to make your life miserable; it’s an organ with more than one job. One of its jobs is to keep toxins; environmental, chemical, and biological, away from vital internal organs. “Cleansing” gets rid of toxins and is a great way to loose weight quickly and safely. It also results in feeling better faster, becoming more energetic, and the weight staying off longer.

There are other benefits sensible “Dieting. The exercising of discipline and willpower is one. Like a muscle, it gets stronger with use and weaker with disuse. It is a wonderful thing to occasionally give it a workout. There are many cultural and religious traditions around temporarily limiting food consumption including Lent, Yom Kippur, and Ramadan to name a few.

Another advantage of putting some temporary restrictions on consumption, and of course it does depend on the specific restrictions, is that it refreshes the palate. Eliminating sugar, salt, refined, processed, and over seasoned foods, and overeating in favor of lighter and more austere fare makes all food taste so much better afterward. It also makes a little seem like a lot and makes it rapturously more satisfying.

Last but not least, limiting food can really make you check in with yourself on how you are ‘using’ food. Sometimes without even knowing it we can begin to “use” food/eating as a coping mechanism, as entertainment, and as the filler for anything and everything that is missing from our lives. Removing the excesses of food from the equation can really put us back in touch with ourselves in a way that is very difficult to do with the distraction and crutch of food.

A well-conceived “diet”, one that emphasizes cleansing, can be a good thing. It is not a solution for poor eating habits, but it can be very helpful in putting food, and [mis]use of it, back in prospective.

For real and lasting change basic daily eating habits have to change. The behaviors that lead to wanting to diet in the first place will lead right back to the same place again, and as research shows, the weight will come back –with friends. So while a diet can be good, it is not a solution. Solutions only come with altering the day-in day-out diet. That takes an appropriate and sustainable plan, new strategies, and real commitment, not shortcuts.

Clear & Clean Sinuses Forever!

Did you know that the symptoms of chronic sinus issues go far beyond congestion and pressure? In the U.S., sinus problems are the #1 reason people see a doctor. Symptoms you might not necessarily trace back to your sinus’s include; bad breath, sore throat, and excessive fatigue and more.

I talk to more people who tell me they have not only allergies, but chronic sinus problems as well. I used to be one of those people. There was a period in my life, that for two months out of the year I could not go more than 10 feet from a box of tissues without having to use my sleeve.

That was when I discovered how effective acupuncture is for allergy relief (read more). I had one treatment and never had another sniffle or itch again. Even though I’m much better since then, I do get occasional symptoms.

I keep dairy and other mucus forming foods to a minimum, use my neti pot regularly, and have had subsequent acupuncture treatments…I still I feel like I have not figured out how to manage the issue 100%. So, a couple of weeks ago I caught a little bug and within 12 hours I had sinus pressure to the point I could not sleep. To me this was clear evidence that I had already had a sinus issue brewing.

I know the anatomy of a human head and the laws of physics well enough to know that there is no way the saline solution from my neti pot is getting everywhere it has to wash away pollen, viruses, bacteria, mold, and fungi that floats in the air.

I went on a hunt for a deeper solution, literally! After a bit of research I came across a sinus rinse technique different and better than anything I had read before. It is called the “FRIGGY FLIP TURN”. It describes a safe and effective method to irrigate all 8 of the sinuses instead of only the 2 or 4 that the neti pot effectively reaches.

In addition to the detailed explanation of how to do it, there are over 200 comments from people who have used the technique, often after a lifetime of chronic problems, and had miraculous results.

Symptoms of Chronic sinusitis include:
• Drainage of a thick, yellow or greenish discharge from the nose or down the back of the throat
• Nasal obstruction or congestion, causing difficulty breathing through your nose
• Pain, tenderness and swelling around your eyes, cheeks, nose or forehead
• Aching in your upper jaw and teeth
• Reduced sense of smell and taste
• Cough, which may be worse at night

Other signs and symptoms can include:
• Ear pain
• Sore throat
• Bad breath (halitosis)
• Fatigue or irritability
• Nausea

Taking control of sinus health is easier that might sound. I did the “flip” for a couple of weeks after my little episode and it worked like a charm. By the end of the 2nd day I was completely out of pain. Since then the persistent post-nasal drip I had is gone too. Whether you have occasional or chronic problems, this could very well be the solution you have been looking for.

Since the Friggy Flip-Turn guide is lacking in pictures I had to do some trial and error to get it just right. If you have questions or want some extra guidance I would be happy to help. It would be my pleasure to further the crusade against sinus pain and post nail drip (not to mention the halitosis. LOL!).

Some Interesting Sugar Statistics…

Did you know….

• The average American drinks more than 60 gallons of soft drinks each year.
• One soda per day increases your risk of diabetes by 85 percent.
• The average American consumes anywhere between 150 to 170 pounds of simple sugars, also known as refined sugars, per year.
• Soda drinkers have higher cancer risk. The federal limit for benzene in drinking water is 5 parts per billion (ppb), researchers have found benzene levels as high as 79 ppb in some soft drinks, and of the 100 brands tested, most had at least some detectable level of benzene present.
• Soda has been shown to cause DNA damage.
• Sodium benzoate, a common preservative found in many soft drinks, has the ability to switch off vital parts of your DNA. This could eventually lead to diseases such as cirrhosis of the liver and Parkinson’s.
• Phosphoric Acid: Which can interfere with the body’s ability to use calcium, may lead to osteoporosis or softening of the teeth and bones.
• Aspartame: This chemical is used as a sugar substitute in diet soda. There are over 92 different health side effects associated with aspartame consumption including brain tumors, birth defects, diabetes, emotional disorders and epilepsy/seizures

Bottom line: There is absolutely NO REASON kids should ever drink soda…. Knowing this, I don’t know why ANYONE would want to consume soda!!!

Burrito in a Bowl

Ok, this is not really a burrito although it does have all of the best components– minus the ones that you would not think you would never miss. It has no tortilla, no cheese, no sour cream, and does not require rice. I LOVE burritos, and this recipe TOTALLY satisfies my desires for the more authentic version. As an added bonus, I feel good after I have this one.

To start, cook up some of your favorite burrito filling (chicken, pork, carne asada (steak), beans, or even grilled vegetables). I usually make a combination of seasoned ground beef (or buffalo) and kidney beans and I always make enough so that I can have a quick lunch or simple dinner without having to cook again.

Burrito in a Bowl – serves 4

Ingredients:

“Filling”:
* 1 lb ground beef (substitute buffalo, elk, ostrich, or even turkey for a lower fat alternative)
* 1 15oz can organic kidney or black beans, rinsed and drained
* 1 medium onion, diced
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 1 1/2 teaspoon cumin
* 1 1/2 teaspoon chili powder or other Mexican meat seasoning
* 1 tablespoon olive oil

Other components:
* 2 cups cooked brown rice
* non-fat Greek style yogurt
* salsa (make your own or use pre-made)
* 1-2 avocados
* cilantro and minced onion for garnish – optional

Directions:
-Saute onion and garlic in a skillet over a medium heat until it is translucent and aromatic.
-Add the meat and break it up into pieces. When it is about 1/2 cooked, add the cumin and chili powder.
-Continue cooking until the meat is completely cooked. Add the beans and mix thoroughly to incorporate.
-Taste for seasoning, add salt if desired.

To assemble the burrito heat the rice and put 1/2 cup (or desired amount) in a bowl. Top with 3/4 cup of “filling”. Add a dollop of yogurt, salsa to taste and diced avocado. Sprinkle finely minced onion and cilantro on top.

Enjoy!