Zesty Lemon Quinoa!!

12:00 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

I made this this today for our recipe night at work tomorrow night!! Here is the recipe! I added pumpkin seeds and left out the cayenne pepper because I am highly intolerant to cayenne-makes me sick! Quinoa is a great source of protein!! It is actually a seed, not a grain!





Zesty Lemon Quinoa



1 Cup Quinoa



1/2 Cup Toasted Pine Nuts or Pecans



1/4 Cup Olive Oil



1/4 Cup Lemon Juice



2 tsp Freshly Grated Lemon Zest



1 tsp Ground Cumin



1/4 tsp Cayenne



1/2 Cup Chopped Flat-Leaf Parsley



Sea Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper




Rinse quinoa in a fine strainer for a few seconds. Transfer to a medium saucepan, add 1 tsp sea salt and 1 1/4 cups water. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer. Cook until all water is completely absorbed-18 to 20 minutes. Transfer quinoa to medium bowl along with nuts, lemon zest, cumin, cayenne, parsley, drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil. Season with sea salt and pepper; toss until well combined. Serve warm or at room temperature.



Copyright, 2012, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness MN, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or jackieamart@hotmail.com.

As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is. www.optimumwellnessmn.com

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Timeline of your LIFE!

6:40 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

I had coffee the other day with a dear sweet friend of mine. She started talking about rewriting the "story of your life" instead of dwelling on the things you cannot change. When we are younger and graduate from high school and head off to college we typically have this set idea in our heads of how we think and want our life to look like for the next 50 or 60 years... The fact of the matter is that it rarely unravels the way we have planned. The plan usually is to graduate from college, get a job, get married, and start a family... We make all of these plans and goals in life and when things don't go the way we would like we get down and distraught. Alot of times we focus on what "didn't go right" and the bumps in the road take over our lives.




I recently changed my facebook profile page into my "Timeline." I thought alot about the meaning of Jackie Ann Mart's Timeline... What do I want my timeline to look like? I sure hope it's long!! What events do I want to appear within those years? I have alot of goals for my life and it is up to me to make sure they are prominent points on my timeline.

The image of a headstone at a cemetery also popped into my mind. The years on a headstone include your birth year and year of death with a "dash" in between. That "dash" is the timeline of your life!!



What do you want your dash to look like? Do you live each day as if you are going to die tomorrow? Do you tell your loved ones how much they mean to you daily? Maybe it's time you worked on writing the story of your life? Is it going to be a comedy? Tragedy? Romantic novel? Short story? I hope you make your "dash" as vibrant and meaningful as you can!! I know what I need to work on in 2012!! LIVING!!! :-D


Copyright, 2012, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness MN, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or jackieamart@hotmail.com.

As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is. www.optimumwellnessmn.com

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Coconut Oil- Use it for EVERYTHING!

4:51 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments



Coconut Oil is amazing!! I have been using it for almost 4 years now. Wonderful for your skin, hair, and health! I love to make popcorn on the stove with coconut oil too! Here is some useful information on how to use it-

http://www.hybridrastamama.com/2012/01/160-uses-for-coconut-oil.html



Copyright, 2012, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness MN, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or jackieamart@hotmail.com.

As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is. www.optimumwellnessmn.com

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Thoughts for the Day- Making Peace With Yourself

1:50 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

My weaknesses have become my enemy, and they often become the focus of my life. Often I overlook my strengths. I tend to dwell on my failures and disregard my accomplishments. I am constantly beating myself up for the wrong choices I make, and for the negative patterns of behavior that I continually fall into. I place many unattainable pressures on myself, and feel a sense of disappointment when I fail at attaining them.

Sometimes I wonder if it is a female thing. Often as women we are constantly trying to be better... look better, do better, act better. There is even a cultural strain on us, from media and society telling us that we need to fit a certain standard. (see previous post about beauty)This standard, as it is presented by the media, is near perfection. I am pretty sure that no one fits that media standard!! Yet, I notice and see, in my life and many others as well, that we are constantly putting pressure on ourselves to meet this ideological standard of life.

I am far from perfect! I fail everyday. I make bad decisions, (speeding.. looking at my ex-husband's profile on facebook.. spending money I do not have...texting while riding my bike.. haha) and I am in constant awareness of how imperfect I am. I know I am not alone in feelings of shame and failure, many people -even the ones who appear perfect- have the same feelings.

The cliche statement is true, 'The grass is greener on the other side.' So, just remember when you see the woman that looks like she has everything put together, chances are she doesn't. I am learning to be kinder to myself. I am trying harder to give myself the much needed break that I deserve. I am starting to remind myself that I have accomplished so much in both the small day-to-day things, and the things that affect my life as a whole. We can all use a little more encouragement, especially from ourselves, because often we are the hardest on ourselves. Dwelling on the negative is counterproductive - and actually a time waster in my mind. Naturally when we think positively things tend to work out better. Why waste time thinking negatively and dwelling on the bad, it is a waste of time. Spending your time focusing on negative thought interferes with your ability to be productive, and is wasteful, instead that energy can be used elsewhere.

Have a little faith in yourself! Be your own team! I will also be rooting for you!! :-D

Copyright, 2012, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness MN, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or jackieamart@hotmail.com.

As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is. www.optimumwellnessmn.com

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Nutritional Yeast- Yellow Flakes of Goodness!

5:36 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

With 18 amino acids, nutritional yeast is a complete protein. It is up to 55% high quality protein and contains 15 minerals!!

Nutritional yeast is a rich source of vitamin B complex that helps in managing stress levels, maintaining a good metabolic rate, preventing cancer of the pancreas and ensuring healthy skin. Vitamin B12 (deficient in most vegetarian foods), is added in certain varieties of nutritional yeast. This vitamin is produced separately from bacteria and then added to nutritional yeast to increase its health benefits.

Other health benefits of nutritional yeast include:

-It maintains ideal intestinal ecology.
-It improves blood production.
-It helps in maintaining optimum cholesterol levels.
-It improves liver health and function.

Nutritional yeast flakes or powder, has a nutty, cheese-like flavor which makes it very popular. It is favored by many as a cheese substitute and can be found at any natural health food store. I buy it in the bulk section at The Wedge.

Here are some ways in which nutritional yeast can be included in the diet:


*Use it as a topping for popcorn, instead of butter and salt.
*Put in on your scrambled eggs! (One of my favorites!)
*Use nutritional yeast for its cheesy flavor in pizzas, pastas and casseroles.
*Add to soup to give it a creamy taste without adding milk.
*Can be used with gravies and sauces.
*Mix it with vinegar and oil and use as salad dressing.



Copyright, 2012, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness MN, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or jackieamart@hotmail.com.

As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is. www.optimumwellnessmn.com

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Distorted Perception of Beauty

7:42 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

I came across this Dove Evolution video on YouTube and had to share it! I guess I didn't realize how much ads are photo shopped!! Take a look for yourself! It's no wonder young girls are striving so much for this impossible image!

Plastic surgery, liposuction, and breast implants are very common these days. According to the National Eating Disorder Association, approximately seven million women and one million men are suffering from an eating disorder in the United States.
And millions of women are not satisfied with their outward appearance.

It's time to celebrate our uniqueness! We are all perfect in God's eyes! Pretty is on the outside, beautiful is on the inside! :-)

Dove Evolution Video:

http://youtu.be/iYhCn0jf46U


Copyright, 2012, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness MN, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or jackieamart@hotmail.com.

As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is. www.optimumwellnessmn.com

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Diets = Bad and Ugly!

7:56 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

The new year always brings about weight loss resolutions and everyone seems to be going on a "diet." I cringe every time someone tells me they recently started Weight Watchers, Jenny Craig, The Adkins Diet, or those businesses who send meals directly to your house... This seemed like the perfect time to post a blog about dieting!!

DON’T DIET!!! There are many people reading this right now who have tried every fad diet under the sun. You may have lost some weight for a period of time and then gained it back when you got sick of the constant restrictions - only to go on to another diet later and repeat the cycle all over again. The problem with fad diets is that people often go through this cycle, and end up either giving up or reaching for the latest “diet” food.

Take a look in the aisles of the grocery store. We see “fat-free”, “sugar-free”, “carb- free” , and “calorie-free” everywhere. It takes more effort to find the “chemical-free,” doesn’t it? But that is what we truly need in America right now. Foods are becoming more and more chemically altered in an effort to help us lose weight, yet obesity rates continue to soar higher and higher. This is not a coincidence!!

Here’s the thing about hunger. Hunger isn’t influenced by willpower as much as it is influenced by hormones. Two major hormones, ghrelin and leptin, influence your cravings. Leptin is a hormone produced by your fat cells, which tells your body that you are full. Ghrelin is responsible for telling you that your body is hungry. These two hormones have to be in constant neurological balance for you to know when you are truly hungry and when its time to put down the fork.

When we eat overly processed foods, our bodies don’t recognize them as real food, which causes us to kick out more ghrelin and less leptin. Now, we’ve already eaten our diet food, yet the brain is still screaming for more. This is a recipe for disaster.

Chemicals in these “weight-loss foods” can even cause us to get fat. Many diet foods are laden with artificial sweeteners and high fructose corn syrup. Just recently the Corn Refiners Association petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to rename high fructose corn syrup to “corn sugar” in an effort to persuade the public into thinking it is a natural product. Don’t be fooled! These poisons will actually remain in the body and interfere with the sensors that react to leptin. The overall effect of this is constant hunger, even if your body’s needs have already been met. All those high fructose corn TV commercials drive me insane!!


So what do you do? Here is a great way to start:

1. Eat Natural Foods - as untouched by man as possible. When looking at ingredients labels-less is more! You should know what everything on the label is!! Shop the perimeters of the grocery store-produce, meat, fresh foods!!

2. Eat Healthy Fats - Remember, fat is a vital building block in our cells. Fat has gotten a bad rap, however good fats are important in many functions that go on in our bodies. It also will help you feel full longer. Examples of good fats: olive oil, coconut oil, fish oil, nuts and seeds, avocados, flaxseed oil, fatty fish.

3. Work Up a Sweat - This will never change. You have to move in order to lose weight. Toxins are released when you sweat! They are stored in your fat cells!! Drinking half your body weight in ounces of purified water each day will also help flush out toxins.





If you have any other questions please let me know!! I offer nutrition consultations and grocery store tours! Click on my website for all of the services I provide and my rates: http://www.optimumwellnessmn.com/






Copyright, 2012, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness MN, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or jackieamart@hotmail.com.

As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is. www.optimumwellnessmn.com

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HAPPY NEW YEAR!! 2012-Resolutions

7:52 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

Happy 2012 Everyone!!!



My New Years Eve didn't go quite as well as expected but at least I got to spend it with a few great friends! :)


Year end is a time to reflect on the previous year and what we would like to change or do different in the new year. New starts are always refreshing!! New goals will be set and everyone looks forward to the events that will take place. What is your resolution? I would suggest adding something to your life rather than taking it away. Picture what you want your life to look like and focus on it every day!!


This past year I have realized how truly wonderful my family and friends are!! They love me unconditionally even though I have gone through alot of difficult situations the past few years. I am stubborn and can be a pain in the behind, yet they stick by my side no matter what! I am very blessed to have such amazing people in my life!! I have pushed alot of my loved ones away over the years when life was tough. I never knew how much I have been hurting them by being distant until recently. So, this coming year I would like to work on improving and nurturing these relationships that have dwindled. I know I can do it!! :)


Wishing you a safe, happy, and healthy NEW YEAR!!


Copyright, 2012, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness MN, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or jackieamart@hotmail.com.

As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is. www.optimumwellnessmn.com

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