October 2010 Newsletter: Women's Health October is officially known as breast cancer awareness month, but I like to look as it as women's health month! Calling it that may seem a little general, but I truly feel that if we expand the topic to cover women's total health, meaning mind, body and spirit we'd get better results. Think about it (and this applies to the men to), when "life gets in the way", meaning you get busy taking care of everything and everyone else, what falls to the bottom of the "do to" list?.... Your own self care! And I know what you are thinking, "sure, self care is great, but there are kids to take care of, houses to clean, a job to get to and shopping to be done, so that truly leaves little time for ME"...... And I can totally relate, I give out advice everyday to my clients to take care of themselves and to put themselves first, yet sometimes I still find myself overbooking, doing to much and getting exhausted. And just when I'm about to push myself to the limit and do one more thing for someone else before taking care of myself I remind myself what they say on airplanes: "In the event of an emergency, please put your air mask FIRST BEFORE helping anyone else"! That phrase pulls me back every time and I ask myself to stop and take stock of what NEEDS to be done (feed the kids, or in my case, feed the dog) and what can WAIT (cleaning the bathroom, unless of course company is coming over). This month I wanted to offer a wide range of classes for women (and men to), so that you would have many opportunities to slow and down do something for yourself! So, take a look at the upcoming events that are listed below, take a minute to read through the short article on women's health and enjoy the easy "recipe of the month"! Oh, one more thing, I wanted to also recommend you take a few minutes and ask yourself: "what is one thing that you could do for yourself TODAY that would make you feel AMAZING?" To your health and happiness, ~Renee Newsletter Content: 1. Upcoming Events 2. Article: "The #1 Food Group Missing From Most Women's Diets" 3. Recipe of the Month 4. Contact Me UPCOMING EVENTS Here's what's happening in October! Click Here For Details On All Upcoming Classes Saturday October 2, 2010 Workshop: Nutrition for Mom's and Babies Time: 12:30 pm- 2 pm Location: Heartsong Yoga 264 North Main St East Longmeadow Ma 01028 Cost: $20 This class is suitable for women who are thinking of becoming pregnant, currently pregnant or post pregnancy (husbands and partners are welcome). Pregnancy can be an amazing and life changing part of life. And while the main goal is a healthy baby sometimes we forget about the nutritional toll pregnancy can take on a woman's body. There are specific foods that build and strengthen our bodies so we can have the energy for pregnancy and beyond! Click here to REGISTER ___________________________________________________________________ Tuesday October 5, 2010-Tuesday November 16, 2010 40 Day Life Makeover Every Tuesday evening from Oct 5- Nov 16 (7 weeks) Time: 6 pm- 8 pm Location: Heartsong Yoga Center 264 North Main St East Longmeadow Ma 01028 Cost: $350 This is the ultimate self care are program! The Fall is the perfect time to slow down and take care of yourself (especially before the holidays kick into full gear)! I can promise you will be given all the tools you need to take your physical and emotional well being to a another level! The thing is, many of us are at the point where we are ready to commit to better self-care, personal awakening, empowerment and peace of mind. Our goal might be to have a stronger, pain-free body, improved nutritional practices, or a spiritually deeper experience of life. We have the resources within us to attain these goals, but it's tough to do by ourselves, without knowledgeable support and guidance. Click here to REGISTER ___________________________________________________________________ Wednesday October 13, 2010 Workshop: Blood Type and Body Health Time: 7:30 pm Location: The Springfield Jewish Community Center 1160 Dickinson St Springfield Ma 01108 Cost: Free of charge There are so many diet theories to choose from and it can be really confusing at times. By attending this workshop you will learn how to eat according to your blood type so that you won't feel lethargic, bloated or sluggish after you eat. Learn about the connection between the food you eat and how your body and mind feel as well as why eating foods that are not right for your blood type could prevent you from losing weight. This is another method of eating that you can apply easily to your everyday life. Click here to REGISTER ___________________________________________________________________ Thursday October 14, 2010 Natural Products Expo East Time: 8:30 am Location: Boston Convention Center, Boston Ma The Expo East is a national conference which focuses on individuals and companies who work in the natural food/products and holistic industry. I am honored to be speaking with 3 other women who have created a career in this industry! ___________________________________________________________________ Thursday October 21, 2010 Workshop: Seasonal Eating Made Easy Time: 7:30 pm- 9:30 pm Location: Heartsong Yoga 264 North Main St East Longmeadow Ma 01028 Cost: $20 You've heard it on tv and seen it on restaurant menus, "eat locally grown food" or "locally grown food served here"! But eating locally grown seasonal food all year long while living in the Northeast can seem almost impossible! During this workshop you'll learn the "ins and outs" of seasonal eating and why this concept is imperative to your health. Click here to REGISTER ___________________________________________________________________ Wednesday October 27 , 2010 Cooking Class: Cooking with the Fall Harvest Time: 6:30 pm- 9 pm Location: What's Cooking Kids 41 North Maple St East Longmeadow Ma 01028 Cost: $50/person There is an abundance of fruits and vegetables in the fall and wouldn't it be fun to learn new and different ways to cook with some of these ingredients!!!! (Class size limited to 20 people) MENU:Maple Glazed Pumpkin Salad, Roasted Fall Vegetable Medley, Chicken and Apple Saute, Apple Cranberry Cake Down Cake You'll receive a generous tasting and copies of the recipes to share with family and friends! Click here to REGISTER Article: "The #1 Food Group Missing Most Women's Diets" We all know that we are supposed to 'eat our vegetables', but the most common food group that most women 'skimp' on are HEALTHY FATS! I used to be a 'fat phobic', years ago I thought fat free, sugar free food was the secret to a healthy and slim body! Boy was I wrong, eating a low or no fat diet over a long period of time can actually do harm to your body! Fat lubricates the body, it protects your organs and 'keeps things moving'...... (if you know what I mean). Fats and good quality oils are a great source of energy and are essential to helping the body absorb vitamins A, D, E, K and certain minerals. Fat also can keep your metabolism moving, keeps the body warm and your food tasting good! And here's something else to 'chew on', if you have struggled to loose weight in the past and you have restricted healthy fats you may have had it all wrong. When we restrict certain foods from our body, our body sees it as an emergency, a 'fight or flight' situation. So your body responds to the so called emergency by holding onto every piece of calorie you consume! But before we talk more about healthy fats, let's review which fats to avoid: hydrogenated oils, partially hydrogenated oils and trans-fats. You can avoid these fats by saying no to processed and packaged foods, as well as food from fast food restaurants. Someone once said that 'if you want to live a long and healthy life, you should avoid food that has to be handed to you through your car window'. That sounds like good advice to me! So what fats ARE good for you? Polyunsaturated fat- sunflower, safflower, sesame, flax, walnut and pumpkin oils Monounsaturated fats- olive oil, almond oil and walnut oil Essential Fatty Acids (omega 3's)- flax, borage and primrose oil (NEVER heat these oils). EFA's are also found in flax seed meal, tuna, salmon, nuts and seeds and grass-fed meat (EFA's are only found in grass fed meat because the animals are fed a diet they are designed to eat and are able to roam in the sunshine). EFA's are also extremely important to women's health in terms of healthy reproduction, fertility and the immune system. Saturated fat- although it may be a good idea to eat these fats moderation, we need these fats to help keep us warm and healthy in the winter. These fats are found in meat, dairy, eggs, peanuts and coconuts. As you can see healthy fats are a crucial part of a healthy diet, you can get more healthy fats in your diet today by trying the 'recipe of the month' that is in this newsletter. You'll feel satisfied, energized and you may even notice your sugar cravings decreasing as you add these fats to your diet in moderation. Enjoy! Recipe of the Month: Basil Pesto This recipe is delicious, fast, simple and contains heart healthy fats that are crucial to keeping your energy up! 3 cloves of garlic 1/2 cup pine nuts 1/4 cup olive oil juice of 1 lemon 3 cups loosely packed fresh basil 1/2 cup parmesan cheese salt and pepper In a food processor or blender, combine garlic, pine nuts, oil, lemon juice. Puree until smooth. Add in basil and pulse until smooth. Add in cheese and salt and pepper to taste. Option 1: As a meal Toss with whole grain pasta and top with tomatoes. Option 2: As a snack Spread with your favorite goat cheese on whole grain crackers. Contact Me Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter! I hope you enjoyed it! The time is here to make a positive change in your health, I am available for health history consultations, just click here for more information about health counseling or to schedule an appointment. To your health and happiness, Renee Hastings, HCC