Fresh Fish!

This summer, we have a CSF share (Community Supported Fisheries) through Port Clyde Fresh Catch in Maine. I don't think it's too late to sign up for other weeks this season, so be sure to check our their website: http://www.portclydefreshcatch.com. Every week we get a different type of fish, including lobster! This week we got Gray Sole, a mild white fish.

I ended up cooking this fish on the grill, in our grill pan. I topped it with a mixture of tahini (sesame seed paste, very high in calcium), tamari soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and some water. I then topped it with a few chopped pieces of garlic scape. It was delicious! The rest of our meal was brown rice and a salad with lettuce, collards, arugula and scallions from our garden (square foot garden! Sign up for a free teleclass on SFG!) and carrots and sweet shell peas from Little Ridge Farm in Lisbon, Maine, where we have a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) share. Be sure to take a look at Little Ridge Farm too!

What is a Teleclass?

I'm offering more and more teleclasses - a great way to provide information on wellness and nutrition topics to people who can't attend "in person" classes and workshops. Is the Teleclass/Webcast/Webinar/Telesminar concept new to you? Maybe you've heard about it, but have never participated in one yourself. If so, read on to find out how it works.

What is a Teleclass?
A Teleclass is a class conducted over the phone and sometimes simultaneously over your Internet connection (webcast/webinar). Most Teleclasses I offer have either option. It's a great way to share information to people who can't attend "in person" workshops.


What do I have to do?
When you sign up for a Teleclass at KSW, you will be emailed call-in instructions. These instructions will tell you that you can either call the listed number from your phone at the time of the class or go to the listed link to click "play" and listen to the call on your computer.

Will I have to participate?
Just like an "in person" class, no one is forced to participate! On some calls, all callers will be muted and only the host(s) of the teleclass (that's me!) will speak, and you just listen. In other teleclasses, there may be Q&A opportunities where guests can un-mute their phone and ask a question to have it answered live. To speak, you must be on a telephone.


What if I can’t listen to the entire live call? Will anyone know if I hang up or stop listening to the webcast?

No one listening to the call will know or hear if you hang up, close the webcast or even call back again during the call. Only the host can see how many people are on the call via phone or web. You will also receive a link to the recording later in case you miss part of the call.

What happens when I dial the number to call in?
You will be asked to enter a passcode (which is in your sign-up email). Then it will connect you to the live call. You may hear guests or the host(s) talking or you may not hear anything until the call officially starts. Typically, I automatically mute every guest who calls in so we don’t hear background noises. You can simply sit quietly and wait until the call starts.


Can anyone hear me if I listen via webcast?
No, no one can hear you.


What if I can’t make the live teleclass?
All teleclasses are recorded and the recording is automatically emailed to everyone who registers for that call. You can download the recorded call (MP3 file) and listen anytime you’d like.


What’s the benefit to being on the live call?
When there are Q and A opportunities or participation is requested, you get to ask questions and receive support and help with any obstacles you might be facing. You have an opportunity to get a lot more out of the call! It’s also kind of fun to be on the live call – you can feel the energy! The recording is simply a recording.


How do I sign up for Teleclasses?
All teleclasses offer a sign-in form at http://kendallscottwellness.com/Healty_Teleclasses or a Paypal option if the call is not free. Registration is required for free and paying teleclasses to receive the live call-in information.


Does anything else come with a teleclass?
Yes! There is almost always bonus, supportive handouts – recipes, tips on the call topic, worksheets, etc. These handouts are either sent to you in your registration email or after the class in a separate email.

Do You Listen to Your Body?

When was the last time you asked yourself, "Why do I have this headache?" or "What's causing me to have all this heartburn or feel so bloated?" or "Why is my acne so bad lately?"

Too often, we suffer through discomfort and pain in our bodies, either masking and reducing symptoms by taking a pain reliever, antacid or scrubbing our skin with the newest "miracle" cleanser. But how often do we stop to think about what is actually causing the problem in the first place? How often do we get to the root of the problem?

I used to get headaches a lot, almost everyday. My solution was to drink more coffee and take lots of Advil. I had no problem popping a couple Advil a couple times a day on a regular basis, and if two didn't work, I just took another. Those headaches would sometimes temporarily subside, but usually came back later or the next day, when I just consumed more coffee and more pain relievers. Not once did I think that what I was EATING could be causing my headaches. I always said, "I'm just someone who gets headaches a lot." That statement and assumption couldn't be more inaccurate. And how my poor body suffered!

Now, since I've made changes in my diet and lifestyle, if I get a headache (which is rare!), I think about what I've eaten recently that may have caused it. Too much sugar? Too much meat/animal protein or not enough? Not enough water? I also consider how much sleep I've gotten and what might be causing some stress in my life. Usually I can figure out exactly what triggered the headache and fix the real problem by drinking more water, getting some whole foods in my body, adjusting the amount or type of animal protein or getting some rest. I also know how I can avoid a headache in the future.

The moral of this story is to listen to your body. When something feels out of whack, it probably is, and can often be resolved by making a few small adjustments in your diet and lifestyle. This is one of the things I work on with clients - how to pay attention to the signs your body is giving you and what steps you can take to fix the issue. Don't ignore what your body is telling you (or screaming at you!). Over time, if we ignore too many signs, it results in a more serious illness that is much harder to resolve. When we have aches and pains, it's our job to figure out what the problem is, and very often we don't need to pop a pill or head to the doctor to feel better. You only get one body, so don't ignore it!

Egg Salad Sandwich from Happy Chickens!

Today for lunch I hard boiled a couple of farm-fresh eggs from my mom's happy chickens in Maryland (I just went down for a visit). The difference between most store-bought eggs and fresh eggs from a local farm is amazing! They taste fresher and the yolk is a beautiful, bright orange rather than the dull yellow we are used to seeing in older eggs. Plus, I love that I was there to take these eggs right out of the nest. The blue/green eggs are from the aricona chickens.


The chickens to the right are Fiona and Maude, and the rooster is Ricardo. Fiona (in the middle) is an aricona.

For the egg salad mixture, I chopped the two hard boiled eggs and added fresh parsley from the herbs in my kitchen, some diced red onion, paprika and organic mayo. I don't typically measure out these quantities, but my guess would be 2 tablespoons chopped parsley, 2 tablespoons red onion, 1/4 teaspoon paprika, 1 teaspoon organic mayo. Salt and pepper to taste. This is such a simple but YUMMY combination!

I then spread about half the egg salad on a slice of organic spelt bread, topped with baby spinach leaves, slice of tomato and three slices of avocado, saving the rest for tomorrow. Et voila!!

Cashew Mylk from Ani Phyo

Have you ever tried making your own non-dairy milk? A great dairy-free alternative is to use nuts, such as almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans or hazelnuts. You can also buy these types of milks, but making it yourself is an even healthier way to go! It's so yummy and very easy to do! Plus, you can make it then store in your fridge for four or five days.  

Simply blend the nuts with water, add a few pitted dates to sweeten (or a minimally processed sweetener, if you prefer), a touch of salt and voila! You can also add cinnamon or vanilla beans for added flavor.

In this video, Raw Food author, Ani Phyo, demonstrates exactly how to make your own nut milk!

Cashew Mylk Video

Beating the Winter Blues and Finding Balance

I think I may have a case of the Winter Blues. This doesn't mean I'm sad and bored every single day, but I'm noticing more days here and there that I do feel blah - like I don't have much to look forward to, I'm a little cranky, lazy and uninspired. I do know that I'm not alone in this, and fortunately can say that this year seems better than last and those before, which I truly believe I can attribute to a couple things: 1) I'm not in the middle of chemotherapy, and 2) I am eating better than I ever have in my life. The chemo one is obvious. The food one, maybe not so much. I just know that eating more whole foods - especially the leafy greens - has had an amazing affect on my moods! I'm a happy person now, like 98% of the time! I didn't used to be that way. Now, in the middle of "Winter Blues" season I do feel the "can we just get on with spring already, or can I at least disappear to a hot, tropical island filled with adventure, alcohol and chocolate?" However, I feel like this year I am more balanced in general, hence this off-balance time is not as extreme.

I often have clients who are shocked when I tell them "Oh, yeah, when I get an uncontrollable craving for something sweet, I hit the store down the road for a homemade GIANT whoopie pie." (Although, I usually don't want the entire thing now, even if initially I think I do.) I also don't exercise like I would like to, but I try and it comes and goes in phases. My point is that, yes, I am human. Being a Holistic Health Coach, does not mean I eat perfectly, exercise perfectly, balance my life perfectly or do anything perfectly. Far from it. 

I am, however, more aware of when my life is getting off-kilter, and that's the first step to finding balance. Winter Blues season is just a majorly off-balanced time that is more difficult to control.

Sometimes the clues of Winter Blues or any unbalanced time are obvious - you're irritable, depressed, bored, lazy, unmotivated and tired. Sometimes other clues, especially the physical ones, like headaches, acne, aches and pains, stiffness, dark circles under the eyes and digestive discomfort are not so obvious. We often let these symptoms of unbalance go and try to treat them with Tums, Advil, coffee, sugar, alcohol, cigarettes or whatever your choice may be. The problem is, we are then "treating" the symptoms and not the cause. If you treat the symptoms while ignoring the problem long enough, that's when bigger problems occur. I often think back to how many of these signs or symptoms I had in the two to three years before my cancer diagnosis, and it's no wonder I got cancer. SOMETHING had to happen - I was so unbalanced, but I never took the time to pay attention to the clues so I could do something about it.This certainly doesn't mean that everyone who isn't in "perfect" balance is going to get cancer or any other disease, but it does mean you are more susceptible to illness and unhappiness. 

Rather than ignoring the signs that something in your body isn't quite right, instead try to find a way to bring yourself one step closer to balance, in whatever way you define the word. Give yourself a small, manageable goal. Perhaps it's adding in a 15-minute morning walk before you go to work. Another one might be to steam and eat some broccoli three nights a week, even if it's in addition to your Chinese take-out. It also may mean slowing down your hectic, exhausting exercise schedule that gets you up at 4:00am because it's draining you, and swapping a day or two for a walk with the family or an evening Yoga class. It could be spending 20 minutes each day with a cup of tea and a book. Or try something new - like a Veggie Sushi Class! (Sorry, a shameless plug.)

My goal is to walk my dog for 30 minutes first thing EVERY morning. I don't want to start my day on my computer checking email - I just want to get outside. He always gets a walk or serious play time outside, but doing it first thing in the morning is something I know gives ME energy for the day. Being outside in the fresh air is so rejuvenating for me. Plus, if his walk(s) get pushed toward the end of the day, they sometimes get shorter in length. Today I had to force myself to meet this goal, but once I got out in the woods with my dog happily running around, I felt so amazing! Then, the crazy thing is, it made me want to go make a healthy breakfast and get in a good workout. Once I broke my slump with that morning walk, the other things seemed to come easier - and that was just on the first day! Pretty cool! I still want to get away to a sunny beach on an island, but the point is, I feel much better.

So...give it a try. Beat the Winter Blues. What's one good thing you can do for yourself to bring more balance into your life?

Dinner Last Night

My sister and her husband are up from Maryland visiting, and last night I made dinner for us and my husband. Somehow it ended up looking (and, I think, tasting) like quite the gourmet meal! I wanted to share what I did - no recipes, no exact measurements, which is how I usually cook - just throw it all together and hope for the best! Those of you who are pros in the kitchen (I may know a fair amount, but I'm no professional chef), please feel free to offer some tips as you see fit. :)

Stuffed Butternut Squash
I cooked about 1.5 cups of spelt berries in my rice cooker and added that about the same amount of leftover brown rice from the previous night. In a pan with olive oil, I combined fresh sage and parsley (growing in my kitchen), 4 medium celery stalks, pumpkin seeds, dried cranberries, 2 scallions, 1 shallot, garlic and a little salt - all finely chopped (heavy on the sage). Let that cook for 6-7 minutes then added the rice/spelt combination and heated for another 5 minutes.

In the meantime, at 400 degrees, I quartered a large butternut squash, cleaned out the seeds and baked on a baking pan for 30 minutes. I then took the rice mixture and scooped it on/in the four pieces of squash.

Greens
Simple - sauteed swiss chard and beet greens in a little olive oil and ended up adding a bit of water too - tossed in the pot and cooked about 5 minutes.

Beets
I don't usually cook beets the "proper" way, but instead peeled 3 medium beets, sliced into coins and boiled in water for about 10 minutes. Let them cool, then sprinkled some goat cheese, candied pecans and olive oil on top.

Falafel
These were not homemade and probably not necessary, because the rest was plenty of food, but they are so tasty. Plus, I wanted my sister and brother-in-law to try them. You can buy falafel patties or mini patties in the freezer section. I get the Papou's Kitchen brand (from Portland). I simply sauteed two minis per person in a pan with olive oil, a few minutes on each side.

That was it! I will post some photos later on, because my camera is not with me at the moment. Happy Friday!