In the Client Spotlight!

“Working with you was the first time I have ever worked with a nutritionist and I wasn’t sure what to expect. Now having done so I can confidently say I’m very happy I did!

As a result of our work together I changed daily food choices in my lifestyle including but not limited to: ditching sugary creamer, consuming less coffee, drinking more water, adding in kale to my daily egg breakfast routine (which I love), lowering my overall weight average by 5 pounds (my husband lost about 10lbs), incorporating more veggies in my meals, and most importantly getting my digestion back on track. I’m proud to say I’m “regular.” 🙂 I also no longer weigh myself after ‘eating bad’ and punish myself by skipping meals. I give myself grace and let my body get back into balance.

Adrienne, you are a wealth of health knowledge! I loved listening to your ideas on how to achieve my overall best level of health—both body and mind, internal and external. I also really enjoyed the ways you help break down my calls to action after each meeting. Additionally, you are full of grace and never made me feel bad if I didn’t stick with something we agreed to. Another benefit is that I look at food and my body in a healthier way. I also think more about ways to improve my mental health on a daily basis by doing things that bring me joy and help my brain breathe.

I’m also happy I did this program as I recently found out I am pregnant with our second child! I feel like it will be easier to cut out coffee now as well as deal with the hormones and cravings for things like nachos and sweets. I know I’ll be eating healthier as a whole.

The most important thing I tell others that you will learn so much about food, your body, and yourself and you’ll be so thankful you did!”

– Christine Y., London, Ohio

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You know what ‘sparks joy’ for us? Well this client was not only a lovely, bubbly person to work with but her enthusiasm and gratitude for all she had accomplished reminded us of why we do this work. It is a great honor to guide her, and all clients, from a place where they feel stuck, hurt and in pain, or feeling like something is ‘off’ to where they feel light, whole, confident, and vibrant! Our long-standing mission in life is to help others heal and reach their potential. Thank you for allowing us to work our magic :).

Stay tuned, more client spotlights to come!

Love: CoreLife Eatery

Remember the beautiful stranger with whom you once crossed paths, only to never see again? This relationship began like a story of star-crossed lovers; luckily the ending here is quite different.

Years ago, while walking around NYC after dinner, we discovered a bright, clean restaurant which had a choose-your-own-adventure style of eating, similar to other ‘fast casual’ restaurants. What stood out to us was that this was all surprisingly healthy food and it was gluten-free (back in the days when being gluten-free was less cool and more of a curse). Having just eaten, we lamented that “NYC has all the cool restaurants” and sadly departed home.

Then last year, Mr. Chef’s family gathering took place at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill and we noticed this CoreLife Eatery sign a few doors down, making a note to return. Alas, being at Polaris, this meant that it was both a trek and easily forgotten with all of the options closer to our doorstep. But then, on what we’re sure was a new moon where the stars aligned perfectly….this email arrived:

“My name is DeeDee Hamric from CoreLife Eatery Polaris. I wanted to reach out to introduce myself and CoreLife! Here at CoreLife Eatery, we strive to bring clean, healthy and great tasting foods to everyone every day. We feature hearty green, grains and broth bowls and all of our ingredients are free of GMO’s, trans fats, artificial colors, sweeteners and other artificial additives. These bowls are packed with powerful proteins, complex carbs and filling fiber as we strive to make the food you eat a true energy source! Are you free anytime next week to meet me for lunch at CoreLife Eatery?”

DeeDee, you had us at “hearty green”…

During our lunches with DeeDee, we’ve explored the menu and the kitchen areas (surprisingly they don’t have a freezer as everything is freshly-made daily) and some of CoreLife Eatery’s food values. DeeDee mentioned that CoreLife Eatery’s meat is pasture-raised, antibiotic- and hormone-free, non-GMO (with some organic, depending on season and availability),….and all menu choices are gluten-free (except for the bread right near the check-out; some items have a potential for cross-contamination so alert the staff in case of a gluten allergy)! While the menu has suggestions of various green, grain, and broth bowls, you can ‘go rogue’ and easily have a customized meal every time you go!

For a visit that was years in the making, let’s just say we are making up for lost time. Being here so often these days, it’s become like the set of the TV show Cheers, a place where “everyone knows your name.” The staff is very friendly and will suggest food pairings or substitutions.

Hungry belly and time-starved? Well, CoreLIfe Eatery just launched a mobile app for easy online ordering; save $5 off your first order!

 

Recipe: Spicy Cowgirl Salsa

Hot and spicy foods can kick winter’s coldness to the curb as well as help with weight loss endeavors and provide health benefits. In this Spicy Cowgirl Salsa, you will feel the heat of the jalapeño and enjoy the freshness of the avocado, lime, cilantro and other ingredients. Olé!

For other hot & spicy food demos, check out our WBNS 10tv news segment!

Ingredients

1 red onion, diced
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeño, finely chopped
1 can of black beans, rinsed
1 jar or 16oz of salsa (unless you want to double the heat of the jalapeño, stick with mild)
1 tsp cumin
1 slice of lime, juiced
(Optional) Slices of avocado

Instructions

Combine all ingredients into a medium bowl and mix until combined. Feel free to top with slices of avocado and enjoy with some organic blue corn chips. For a tasty meal, consider topping brown rice with the salsa mix.

Recipe: Cherry Almond Pancakes

Waking up and enjoying a fresh stack of cherry almond pancakes is both a joyful and nutritious way to start the day. May it be the same for you!

Serves 4 (or two hungry people)
Prep time: 5 minutes
Total cook time: 15 minutes

Ingredients
2 cups almond flour
2.5 tbsp coconut oil (1/2 tbsp used in saute pan when cooking pancakes)
1/2 cup almond milk (try DIY almond milk)
4 eggs
1.5 tbsp honey
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp sea salt
6 oz Morello cherries
1/2 cup pecans or walnuts
1/4 cup maple syrup

Instructions
Melt coconut oil in small saucepan (you can use this same pan for the cherry topping) . In a medium bowl combine eggs, almond milk, raw honey, and melted coconut oil. Add almond flour, sea salt, and cinnamon; mix well. Heat saute pan with 1/2 tbsp coconut oil and ladle 1/4 cup pancake batter into pan. When pancake edge brown and/or bubbles form in batter, use spatula to flip over pancake. They are done when cooked thoroughly and browned to your liking.

Between the few minutes of waiting for pancakes to cook, you’ll likely want to start on cherry topping. Add the Morello cherries, pecans or walnuts, and maple syrup to high-speed blender. After blended, heat in saucepan to be ready to serve once pancakes are done.

Consider adding some fresh fruit and more pecans or walnuts as a topping. Bon appetit!

Recipe: Turkey Chili & Arugula

Winter = slow cooker; at least for us. There is nothing better than loading up up the ceramic bowl with a variety of greens, protein, and vegetables, and letting the ‘kitchen servant’ work its magic while we perform ours in the nutrition world. Coming home to a cooked dinner is a relief and a joy – even better when shared with loved ones!

We are huge fans of cooking once and eating twice. You’ll notice that the caramelized parsnips and turkey, made in advance, provide the benefit of 1. using leftovers wisely and 2. making preparation so much easier.

Prep time: 15 minutes (we made the caramelized parsnips and turkey sausage patties earlier; otherwise this recipe extends to about 40 minutes)
Cook time: 6-8 hours in the slow cooker

Ingredients:
1/2 lb ground turkey (or use 3 leftover turkey sausage patties from this recipe!)
1 lb parsnips, caramelized
1 green bell pepper, chopped
1 bunch dandelion greens, chopped
1 jar (25oz) tomato sauce
1 jar salsa
1/2 tbsp red pepper flakes
1 medium onion, chopped
1 cup arugula, rinsed

Instructions:
If you haven’t already caramelized the parsnips or made the turkey patties, start them. Once turkey is cooked, add to bottom of slow cooker, layer with chopped green bell pepper and red pepper flakes. Saute onion and set aside. Pour jar of tomato sauce and salsa on top of turkey mixture in slow cooker and greens. Then add caramelized parsnips and the sauteed onion. Set crockpot timer for 4-6 hours.
Serve turkey chili over fresh arugula. Enjoy!

Recipe: Celebrity Couple! Choco-cado Cookies

When celebrities get together, the press loves to dub them with a cute and catchy portmanteau; Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie’s ‘Brangelina’ being one of the most well-known. Well they need to move over because chocolate and avocado or ‘Choco-cado’ have once again proven themselves a yummy pairing, deserving of the spotlight. We’ve already seen them come together for a delectable pudding and we’re starting to think these two are suited for a long-term, possibly exclusive, relationship.

Do you know what this means? In less than 15 minutes, this recipe makes it possible to fully enjoy some dark, rich cacao along with some creamy, (healthy) fatty avocado in a fudgy cookie form. It doesn’t even have flour!

“Incroyable!” say the French readers. “Ausgezeichnet!” say the Germans. And you? Well, you may have your mouth too full of cookies to exclaim anything. That’s okay, we can all envision the look of bliss crossing your face.

Let’s dive in, shall we?

Prep time: < 5 minutes
Baking time: about 8-10 minutes
Ingredients

• 1/2 cup dark cacao or cocoa powder (we used Nativas Naturals cacao powder)
• 2/3 cup ripened avocado flesh, mashed
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup coconut sugar, depending on your desired sweetness
• 2/3 of bar dark chocolate, cut into small chunks (we used a chocolate bar with 88% cocoa content)
• 1 egg (or 1 tbsp ground flaxseed and 2.5 tbsp water mixed together as vegan egg-less option)
• ½ tsp. baking soda

Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°. With a hand mixer/food processor/vivacious Vitamix blend avocado and coconut sugar, then egg. Add cacao powder and baking soda to mix and then stir in dark chocolate chunks. Try not to salivate over the bowl. Use coconut oil to grease baking pan; dollop cookie dough mix on pan and flatten with spoon. Bake for 8-10 minutes and then cool them down; unlike most cookies, these taste better after 30 minutes or so in the fridge. Makes 10-12 cookies.

P.S. Not gonna lie, we made these babies into ice cream (dairy-free) sandwiches. More on that later 🙂