Holiday Hassles?

12:03 AM Jackie Mart 1 Comments

My family asks me what I want for Christmas every year like most do. I've honestly never really had a wish list the last 4 years. My list is just the essentials.. you know, like food, clothes, gas for my car.. LOL!  I like living a simple life. My laptop is 6 years old, (it still works!)  yet it's reliable. I live in a one room studio apartment I think is absolutely adorable and I have zero complaints besides the little noise from my neighbors! 


There is something to be said about waking up, being thankful for being alive, and just "living."   I've taken the time to be more in the moment, listen, and do what I can to help those around me and it feels GOOD! I think the holidays have gotten out of hand for the most part.  People are spending money on things they really don't need that distract them from spending quality time and "being" with their families and friends. Everyone I've talked to lately is depressed and stressed to the max! What happened to "happy holidays?" Take a step back and think for a few minutes about what you can do this year to get that happiness and joy back!


Start a new tradition!! Volunteer together, take a family trip, or adopt a local family in need to buy gifts for this year instead of spending hundreds of dollars on things you "want" and do not really "need."  If you look at the wish lists of the lower income families this is what you will see: 

 -snow pants
-boots
-socks
-winter coats
-winter gloves
-underwear


 It really puts things into perspective.  Maybe after reading this your wish list will change? 

Be grateful and thankful for the little things and your heart will always be full!!  <3

Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.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

1 comments:

Soul Food

7:29 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments




Thanksgiving Day: Green Bean Casserole Alternative



Green Beans and Chestnuts 

Ingredients: (all organic if possible)

1 ½ lbs. French green beans
1 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 ½ cups canned or jarred roasted chestnuts, sliced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup low sodium chicken broth
Juice from ½ lemon
¼ tsp. sea salt
¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 

Directions:
 
1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Fill a bowl with ice water. Add beans to pot and boil for 3 to 4 minutes. Drain and immediately transfer beans to ice water for 2 minutes. Drain and set beans aside. 

2. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add shallots and cook for 3 minutes, stirring frequently. Add chestnuts and garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add broth, bring to a simmer, and cook until reduced by half, stirring frequently. 

3. Add beans to shallot mixture and toss well until heated through, about 2 minutes. Add lemon juice, salt and pepper and remove from heat. Serve hot. 

Serves 10. 


CLICK HERE for more Clean Eating Recipes!! 



Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.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


0 comments:

Ten Gifts That Will Not Break the Bank

1:09 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

Gifts That Have a Deeper Impact and Meaning:

1.) Volunteer- (Check out this organization if you live in the Twin Cites: Hand on Twin Cities)

 2.) Scoop your Neighbor's Driveway or Sidewalk (Bonus if you do this all winter long after each snowfall!)

3.) Help a Friend with Their Holiday Cards

4.) Babysit for a Couple Free of Charge who could really use a date night (They will be forever grateful!)

5.) Send a Homemade Thank you Card to a Person Who Has Impacted Your Life (Only expense is a stamp)

6.) Re-gift one of your Favorite Books you have already read 3 times (Write a meaningful message inside the front cover)

7.) Clean out your Closet and Donate your clothes, jewelry, shoes, etc to local thrift store (OR deliver it personally to a less fortunate family in your area. Give Locally:  http://givelocally.net/ )

 8.) Create a Family Recipe Book (Use this website to create and customize your own Ebook and Ipad app for free: http://www.bakespace.com/cookbooks/submit/)

9.) Walk Someone's Dog for for Them Once a Week for a Year (Great exercise for you as well!)

10.)  Put Together a Care Package for a local shelter out of new things you already have in your closets or cupboards. 

Examples: 

Personal Hygiene Items 

Baby Powder (no talc)
Baby Wipes
Baby Oil
Diapers & Pull-ups (sizes 1-5)
Maxi Pads & Tampons
Toothpaste
Dental Floss
Razors
Shaving Cream
Lotion
Q-Tips
Facial Tissue
Combs & Brushes
Toilet paper
Bar soap

Food

Coffee, including decaf
Hot Cocoa Packets
Milk
Cereal
Tea Bags
Non-refrigerated Juice
Instant Breakfast Cereal
Infant Formula 

Cleaning Products 

Laundry Detergent
Multi-Purpose Cleaners
Dish Soap
Paper towels

 



Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.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



0 comments:

Self Love Sisters-Women's Activity Group

8:36 AM Jackie Mart 0 Comments




There are very few women who truly feel comfortable in their skin. The thoughts and feelings we have about ourselves and appearances can often make or break us IF we allow it. This group will meet regularly to discuss and share openly our experiences and trials with each of our own body images. We will also be scheduling fun activities/events/seminars to support self-love and growth. Think wellness classes, cooking, nutrition, art, self exploration, coffee shops, yoga, fitness, movement, music, movies, jewelry, nature walks, makeup lessons, meditations, and more! Anything to do with self love and personal growth!! My intention is to help others discover the root cause for each of the set backs we experience in order to heal and free ourselves of these limitations. A group that encourages acceptance, being 100% genuine and nothing but your true self! 

If you live in the Minneapolis please come and join us! Here is link to our Meet Up group where I will be posting all the events and activities:  

 http://www.meetup.com/Self-Love-Sisters/
Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.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

0 comments:

Super Charged Glowing Bee

2:22 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

Last week I discovered a gem in my neighborhood! Green Bee Juicery! I purchased my own juicer and have been juicing for a year and a half now and it's safe to say I'm an addict!  I joined Green Bee Juicery's monthly juice box membership and will be picking up 4 jars of juice each week! They are even accommodating my food allergies. I also love that they are local and the juice is incredibly fresh! Perfect for an on-the-go person like myself who does not have a lot of time to juice every day. 





Three Reasons Why Juicing Is a Phenomenal Health Habit


*Juicing helps you absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables. This is important because most of us have impaired digestion as a result of making less-than-optimal food choices over many years. This limits your body's ability to absorb all the nutrients from the vegetables. Juicing will help to "pre-digest" them for you, so you will receive most of the nutrition, rather than having it go down the toilet.

*Juicing allows you to consume a healthier amount of vegetables in an efficient manner. Virtually every health authority recommends that we get six to eight servings of vegetables and fruits per day and very few of us actually get that. Juicing is an easy way to virtually guarantee that you will reach your daily target for vegetables.

*You can add a wider variety of vegetables in your diet. Many people eat the same vegetable salads or side dishes every day. This violates the principle of regular food rotation and increases your chance of developing an allergy to a certain food.

    Plus, it limits the number of different phyto-chemicals in your diet, as each vegetable will offer unique benefits. With juicing, you can juice a wide variety of vegetables that you may not normally enjoy eating whole.

Additionally, juicing can help:
  • Promote weight loss. In one study, adults who drank at least eight ounces of vegetable juice as part of a diet lost four pounds over 12 weeks, while those who followed the same diet but did not drink the juice lost only one pound. The vegetable juice drinkers also significantly increased their intake of vitamin C and potassium, while decreasing their overall carbohydrate intake.
  • Boost your immune system by supercharging it with concentrated phyto-chemicals. Raw juice also contains bio-photonic light energy, which can help revitalize your body. 
  • Increase your energy. When your body has an abundance of the nutrients it needs, and your pH is optimally balanced, you feel energized. Since it can be utilized by your body immediately, those who juice report feeling the "kick" of energy almost instantly. 
  • Support your brain health. People who drank juices (fruit and vegetable) more than three times per week, compared to less than once a week, were 76 percent less likely to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to the Kame Project.
 
I offer juicing consultations if you would like to learn more! I can come into your home and show you the ropes and even teach you how to use your own juicer if you have one! Please CONTACT ME for more information or to schedule. 
www.mercola.com


Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.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


0 comments:

Be Free

9:51 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

 


I'm feeling relaxed and joyous tonight. I've had more free time to be a human "being" and not a human "doing." Taking one day at a time and truly living in the moment is so freeing! I'm focusing more on myself and my visions and listening to my angels who are leading me towards my soul's purpose. Sometimes all we need to do is take some time off, unwind, let go of our expectations of ourselves, and listen. We get so caught up in our "to-do" lists and routines that we forget what we are put here on Earth for. The time is now. Breathe. Be. 




Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.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


0 comments:

Brown Rice Syrup- Sounds Healthy Right?

6:35 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

Brown rice syrup (also known as rice malt syrup) is a sweetener that is mistakenly assumed to be healthy. 

This sweetener is made by exposing cooked rice to enzymes that break down the starch into simple sugars. Brown rice syrup contains no refined fructose, just glucose.
 

The absence of refined fructose is good… but rice syrup has a glycemic index of 98, which means that the glucose in it will spike blood sugar extremely fast.

Rice syrup is also highly refined and contains almost no essential nutrients. In other words, it is “empty” calories.

Some concerns have been raised about arsenic contamination in this syrup, another reason to be extra careful with this sweetener.

There are other better sweeteners out there… including low-calorie sweeteners like stevia, and xylitol, which actually have some health benefits.

Foods that may contain brown rice syrup: Crackers, cookies, granola bars, protein bars, nut bars, desserts, breads, muffins, candy, granola, etc. 

Be sure to check your labels!! 





 Source: 
www.authoritynutrition.com 



Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.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





0 comments:

Monday Motivation

7:14 AM Jackie Mart 0 Comments




New opportunities, a fresh new day to try something you have never attempted before! Wake up each day and ask God what he has in store for you. It's not about what you want, it's about what his plan is for you. He uses your hands to do HIS work. Listen closely for your daily assignment... Have a fabulous day!! :-) 



Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.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


0 comments:

The Big Leap

1:35 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

I finished another book this week! This one I recommend to EVERYONE. It's short and an easy read about personal growth and overcoming barriers to happiness and fulfillment and achieving your true potential.   



 A few points that stuck out: 
  • Upper Limit Problem- Each of us has an inner thermostat setting that determines how much love, success, and creativity we allow ourselves to enjoy. When we exceed our inner thermostat setting, we will often do something to sabotage ourselves, causing us to drop back into the old, familiar zone where we feel secure. Unfortunately, our thermostat setting usually gets programmed in early childhood, before we can think for ourselves. 

  • Often times when we feel "sick" our bodies are trying to tell us we are on the wrong path.  Listen to and acknowledge those feelings. If something doesn't feel right, it usually isn't.

  • Quit thinking time is "out there." Take ownership of time--acknowledge that you are where it comes from and it will stop owning you. Claim time as yours, and it will release its claim on you. You always have enough time to do the things that are most important. When you stop complaining about time, you cease perpetuating the destructive myth that time is the persecutor and you are its victim. Some complaints about time most people use daily: 
"I wish I had time to stop and chat, but I'm in a hurry."

"Where did all the time go?"

"There are simply not enough ours in the day." 

"If only I'd gotten another hour of sleep." 

"Love to talk, but I gotta run..."

"I have to get to the bank." 

"I don't have time to do that right now." 


  • Four Barriers of Success:
  1. The false belief we are fundamentally flawed in some way. If we carry this feeling within us, we sabotage our success because we think we are essentially bad. If something good happens, we must mess up to offset it, because good things cannot happen to bad people.
  2. The false belief that by succeeding we are being disloyal to and leaving behind people in our past.  If we harbor this feeling within us, we sabotage our success because we think it's disloyal to our roots to soar too far into the stratosphere. 
  3. The false belief we are a burden in the world. If we carry this feeling inside us, we sabotage our success so we will not be a bigger burden.  
  4. The false belief we must dim the bright lights of our brilliance so we will not outshine someone in our past. If we hold this feeling inside us, we tend to hold ourselves back from expressing the full potential of our innate genius.

Intrigued yet?  Check it out! :-)  The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks




Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.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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