Detoxing & renewing the body! Q & A

This posting is for those who listened to my Detoxing the body & renewing the body! teleseminar last night. If you are interested in this F.R.E.E. call then click this link to register.

Bountiful Berries

Asking yourself what kind of fruit to snack on? 

The answer during the spring and summer season - local berries. Do It Up! Mulberries, cherries, strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, wolfberries, boysenberries, currents, gooseberries, chokecherries, etc...There are so many awesome berries to choose from.


Why berries you ask?

• Berries are packed with Antioxidants which combat against free radicals. 
• Berries are also great daily detoxifiers for the body & after the heavy foods during winter everyone can benefit from something light
• Berries are tasty & rich in color
• Berries are fun to eat
• Berries are sweet
• There are SO many varieties

Where to get 'em?

• Pick up seasonal berries at a local farmers market
• Grow your own berries or enjoy a berry picking day with family
• Buy frozen berries

Why now?

• Berries are in season and they grow around here
• The soil & environment is perfect for growing berries outside
• Eating local foods means that the berries will be super fresh

What to do with them besides eating them fresh?

• Add them to mixed green salads
• Mix them in a smoothie
• Make berry sorbet
• Toss them in oatmeal
• Have them with a bit of keifer or greek yogurt
• Make a berry compote
• Make berry flavored lemonade
• Mix up some sprouted nuts with a bit of coconut milk & berries
• Dip berries in 80% dark chocolate

You get the idea. Load up on berries during this abundant berry season!

Carbs VS. Protein what to choose for a Pre-Workout Snack

Do you ever ask yourself what should you snack on before a workout? I have - all the time actually. Depending on what time of day I workout - AM or PM. Maybe I have always asked myself this question because I love to go to the gym asap in the morning. And at 5 am I don't usually feel like eating anything. Of course, I don't want to black out during a tough workout and I also want the energy to make it through a workout so I usually have a little something.

So when this article came through my inbox I thought I better take a peek. After I read through it I knew I had to share!

Basically, the guys as ME say that if you are looking for fat loss then you want to fuel up with protein beforehand - twenty minutes before to be exact. Woo Hoo. This is great news for me. The first reason is that I have a hard time with too many carbs. My body metabolizes them so quickly that I am left wanting more food, more sweets, and I end up on a sugar roller-coaster. The second reason is that I have been loading up on protein shakes for the last few months and I really like the simple, quick and easy snack or meal I can create in my vitamix.

So what are some quick protein snacks? Here is my list thus far. If you have other ideas please share.

- Protein shake (Love my NutriVeda!)

- Raw Nuts

- Deli meat

- Cottage Cheese

- Beef Jerky

- Lentils

- Almond Butter or Peanut Butter

Zip, nothing, nada

Zip, nothing, nada really about sums it up with respect to food provisions in my house. In order to help you truly appreciate this statement I would have to take a picture of my cupboards and refrigerator/freezer to help you really understand how I tend to live. (I thought about it, but...)

I was planning on going to my local co-op for lunch and groceries today. Instead, I changed my mind and decided to see how much longer I could wait it out. This example reminds me of a lovely friend of mine. She waits until the last possible second to refill her gas tank. I wait until I (we) cannot handle it any longer and need more food. The strange games we play to make our lives more interesting.

The last few years I have been on a mission to buy only what I need when I need it. This does not include handy bulk items like nuts, whole grains, frozen veggies & berries, virgin olive & coconut oil or other condiments. I LOVE having condiments around. Precisely for moments like these when there isn't much of anything in the house. I sort of pride myself on being able to craft "something out of nothing" with ease. I do like the idea of recipes, but as I have said before I tend to follow them loosely anyway so just pulling something together seems more fluid to me. Lately, I haven't been all that keen on cooking, going to the grocery store**, or crafting at all. Therefore, today is especially exciting considering I just bit the bullet and whipped something up. I think the inspiration is from all the April showers.

**Let me explain. I love the grocery store, however I tend to spend way too much time shopping and not enough time getting back to work! 

"Something like a soup..."

Ingredients -

• 1 piece of wakame (sea veggie)
• 1 piece of Kombu (sea veggie)
• 1 cup frozen Edamame (Soy bean - GMO free!)
• Pinch of Hiziki
• Handful of Bonito flakes
• 1 Bag of frozen Sweet Potatoes
• 2 Garlic Cloves - minced
• 1/2 cup chopped Leeks
• Umboshi Plum Vinager - A few shakes
• Nickel size of buckwheat noodles.
• 4 cups of water

1. Heat a quart pan with 4 cups water on high add a handful of bonito flakes.
2. Break up the wakame into tiny pieces and cut up the kombu into small pieces add to pot
3. Add the bag of sweet potatoes
4. Add the edamame
5. Sprinkle in some hiziki (quarter amount)
6. Put another pot on for the buckwheat noodles (you could add the buckwheat noodles to the soup, but it will loose its form). Follow the instructions on the label.
7. When the noodles have been simmering for 4 minutes toss the garlic & onion into the pot with all the goodness.
8. Once the noodles are done - rinse them in cold water. Turn of the heat on the soup.
9. Put a few shakes of Umboshi Vinager into the pot - stir and serve!
10. Makes about 6 servings (well the noodles about 2 as I was only serving me).

I cook with seaweeds a lot. Seaweeds are so nutrient & mineral dense that it is a great idea to add them to your diet! Try adding them to soups, stews, grains, beans or salads.

Grab a Bell & Head to the Park

If you are located in Minneapolis or Saint Paul and you are interested in shaking up your workout routine try kettlebells! Not only is this workout fun, efficient, its mobile!

Read the interview with Dawn HERE as to why you might want to try kettlebells. Many of you know I am head of heels loving my kettlebell workouts. I just thought I'd clue you in on a great deal:

It's time to swing into spring! Outdoor kettlebell classes in Powderhorn Park begin four weeks from April 6th.
Beginning level classes will be held Tuesday evenings at 5:00 PM. Beginning classes run in 6-week sessions. The cost is $75 for 6-weeks. Please register in advance for the beginning level classes. To register, simply send me an email letting me know that you would like to be added to the roster. 

Experienced level classes will be held Tuesday evenings at 6:15 PM. Experienced level classes run on a weekly basis. No need to commit to sessions and no need to register. The cost is $15/class or purchase a 6-class punch card for $75.

Bring a Kettlebell! I ask that everyone bring at least one kettlebell to work with. For information on where to purchase a KB and what size(s) to get check out my website:http://www.bodyworkimpressions.com/Kettlebells.html

While on my website, please read the blurb on proper kettlebell footwear. The site also has directions to the swinging grounds in the park.

Remember, fitness is more fun with a friend. If you know someone who might be interested in joining you, forward this on to them. They will thank you.

If you have any further questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Strength and power to you,

Dawn Wittenberg
Bodywork Impressions
(612)770-4604
www.bodyworkimpressions.com

Whose Standing in your Way?

How many of us have had big dreams that have fallen on the wayside? How many of us hope to change our lives - weight, career, relationships, spirituality, fitness level, etc?

The main thing that stands in our way to having what we want is OURSELVES. Don't believe me? Probably because it is too painful to admit. I will be the first to admit I have let many opportunities pass me by because I was scared. I was scared of what other people might think, I was scared of "what if", I was scared to fail, I was scared that it might change me, I was scared for the sake of being scared. Why? So that I wouldn't have to put myself out there...to be challenged and possibly reach success? Maybe because of the limiting self-talk that I would let run freely through my mind "who the hell am I to have what I want?" "How could little 'ole me be able to be such a rock star?" Or whatever other crazy garbage I let play on a loop in my mind.

Silly as it may be we keep ourselves from a lot of what we want because it might mean that something would change, and change is scary. We have created very specific "safe" environments for ourselves and living this way is something we understand, even if it is the absolute opposite of what we want.

Want to know a secret? Ready? This behavior is VERY real and it affects all of us. Yes, even the "perfect" models, celebrities, next door neighbors, that guy at the gym with chiseled abs, your boss, your parents... Each and everyone of us wants to have a better life in some way - more money, better health, fulfilling careers, loving relationships. I know for me, part of the challenge is believing I am deserving of these gifts. I believe deeply that every else is deserving, but me, w-e-l-l I am working on it (and I am making loads of progress everyday!). I think YOU are pretty cool and I am coming to terms with the fact that I am really special and it is okay to honor that specialness instead of hiding my bright, fun-loving, glorious light. See I am on my way. You can be too!

Take a moment to ask yourself what are you letting stand in the way of what you want? I encourage you to dream big about what kind of life you want. Write it all down - think about it often - believe that you are worthy of this destiny, because you are! Don't worry about how you get there.

Much love and light!

Check out the Kathleen Show - grabbing life by the ovaries for great interviews, podcasts, posts...

Mix it up - its SALAD season!

This is the time of year for bountiful salad feasting. Yummy. Salads should be full of flavor, filling, and fun to eat!

Salads should not be dull, boring, or repetitive. If that is the case it will be less likely for you to get your greens on! Instead grab a few handy ingredients that sound delicious to you and create magnificent signature salad's you will be proud to share with family & friends.

Ingredients to have on hand to make a salad sensational in a few short minutes:

• Dried Fruit: Cranberries, Cherries, Currents, Raisins, etc
• Nuts: Almonds, Walnuts, Sunflower Seeds, Pine Nuts, etc
• Beans: Cooked Lentils, Garbanzo Beans, etc
• Meat: Whatever you've got!
• Greens: Mixed Greens, Spinach, Swiss Chard
• Whole Grains: Millet, Polenta, Quinoa, Brown Rice, Kasha
• Roasted Veggies: Squash, Sweet Potatoes, Parsnips, Rutabaga 
• Onions: Ramps, Leeks, Shallots
• Avocados, Cheeses, Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Mushrooms, Artichokes, Olives, etc
• Extra-Virgin Olive Oil

Seriously, making a salad should be a creative process! Make it a time to celebrate and enjoy. I know many people who do not believe a salad should be sweet - instead it should be savory. What does it matter as long as you enjoy it?

What are your favorite salad fixings?