If you find prepping your meals challenging, are in a continuous time crunch when it comes to making nutrient-dense, whole, home-cooked meals for your family, or you simply don’t like crying over sliced onions, then this post should get you very excited!
One of my favorite things about health coaching is the ripple effect it creates. After all, that is one of the reasons I returned to school in the first place. Like most health coaches, my deepest desire is to make a difference in this world by helping others and when I realized how crucial nutrient-dense foods are for our bodies, I knew that I needed to share what I have experienced, learned, and applied to my own health and the health of my family with others. Helping others live their best, healthiest, and happiest lives as an integrative nutrition health coach lights me up and provides me with the purpose-driven life I desire. I learned (and continue to learn) the importance of nutrient-dense foods and behavioral changes from some of the best health and wellness experts in the world via IIN founder, Joshua Rosenthal, and many of the incredible lecturers at the Institute of Integrative Nutrition such as Dr. Andrew Weil, Dr. Mark Hyman, Ben Greenfield, Dr. Libby Weaver (one of my favorite lecturers). Blue Zones founder, Dan Buettner, Geneen Roth, positive psychologist, Dr. Robert Mac, and Dr. Cynthia James to name just a few. These amazing individuals know firsthand just how important this ripple effect is. As health coaches, we have the power (privilege) through our own actions and choices, to help others improve their health by helping them take small sustainable actions which little by little become like tiny ripples of water across the vast ocean. The ability to share this knowledge and have a client pass onto someone else what they learn and experience creates hope and wellness. A little ripple of information can spread hope and wellness across vast communities all over the world.
As an integrative nutrition health coach, I listen carefully to what my clients share with me, and more often than not, they also contribute to the “ripple effect“ of health by sharing their own experiences and knowledge with me as well. The relationship between coach and client is a beautiful one.
This week, one of my clients shared with me something I was unaware of. I live for moments like this because I love learning new things especially pertaining to health and wellness and it allows me to pass along valuable information to others. This client, after only one session, has begun to create a ripple effect for herself and others by taking the first step and signing up for my 6-Month Program as well as sharing with me something valuable to pass along.
I was elated to learn from my client that Lowe’s Foods, a chain of grocery stores that many frequent in the south, are up to something really great. If you are fortunate enough to live by one of these grocery stores, be sure to check out their Pick ‘n Prep service especially if you feel it would help you incorporate more vegetables and fruits into your daily diet.
Lowe’s Foods Pick ‘n Prep Sous Chefs will cut, slice, dice and mince all of your fruits and vegetables while you shop at no additional charge! Now I think that is terrific news! How wonderful is that? And if you are in a hurry, they offer an array of already-cut fruits and veggies to choose from.
If you do not live near a Lowe’s Foods, then I encourage you to become part of the ripple effect by asking, or perhaps encouraging, your favorite grocery store to consider offering a service such as this. You can be a part of the ripple effect in your own community by sharing this information with your local grocery store if this service is not already offered.
Here’s one of our favorite smoothie recipes which takes just a minute to make and requires no chopping or dicing, so it makes getting at least fruits into your diet super easy. Everything gets placed in a blender and before you know it, you will be enjoying this amazing smoothie, too! I’d love to hear what you and your family think! I suspect you and yours will be as happy with this recipe as we are!
Cherry Cacao Smoothie
I first found this recipe in Beat Cancer Kitchen cookbook written by Chris Wark, cancer survivor and advocate for whole, nutrient-dense foods. I have yet to find a recipe in this cookbook that we do not love. I have not only recommended this cookbook to family, friends, and clients, but have actually gifted it to others as well. Chris' first book Chris Beat Cancer is a must-read for everyone!
3 cups fresh or frozen pitted cherries
1 frozen or fresh banana
1 tsp cacao powder
3 Medjool dates, pitted
1/4 cup unsalted almonds
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1 to 1-1/2 cups water
Optional: 1 tsp MCT oil (medium-chain triglycerides)
Blend and enjoy immediately as a smoothie.
This smoothie also makes a delicious sorbet when frozen. You can add a few mini dark chocolate chips for a treat before or after freezing if making sorbet.
Be well!
Elise xo