EAT THIS: THANKSGIVING MENU

In your first few years of healthy living you may want to do some experimenting at the holiday table.  If your family relies on a lot of ‘family recipes’ then go sloooow with the changes – doing small things like cutting fat, reducing sugar, cutting back on the baked goods.  Before you snatch the ‘important dishes’ away, start ADDING some interesting ones.  Go slow, go easy, and be nice about it.  Do it because you WANT to and it’s fun – not because you have to.  Here’s some tasty options from our kitchens:

START WITH A NICE BIG ORGANIC FREE RANGE TURKEY.  THEN STUFF IT WITH:

CHESTNUT STUFFING
INGREDIENTS:
2 cup – APPLES, FRESH, CHOPPED, CUP
2 cup – CARROTS, RAW, GRATED
4 cup – CELERY, CHOPPED
2 cup – CHESTNUTS, SLICED WATER, GEISHA
1 tbsp – COCONUT OIL
0.25 – CURRANTS, ZANTE, DRIED
5 EACH – GARLIC, CLOVE
3 cup – ONIONS, RAW, CHOPPED
3 CUP – PARSLEY
1.5 cup – RUTABAGA, RAW, CUBED
1.5 cup – TURNIPS, RAW, CUBES
DESCRIPTION:
a Garlic, vegetable, and herb stuffing that is rich in savory flavors! will need: 2 TBSP Poultry Seasoning or: 1 tbsp thyme, 2 tsp sage, 1 tsp rosemary
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a large pot, melt 1 tbsp coconut oil. Add minced garlic and onions and saute until transluscent. Add celery, carrots, turnip, rutabaga and apple and saute until everything starts to soften. Remove from heat. Add chopped parsley and water chestnuts, currants, 2 TBSP poultry seasoning (or herbs) and black pepper to taste. Mix well. Stuff turkey. 1 serving is one cup.

-OR-

QUINOA STUFFING
INGREDIENTS:
1 cup – APPLES, FRESH, CHOPPED, CUP
12 ounce – CELERY, CHOPPED
1.5 ounce – COCONUT OIL
1 cup – ONIONS, RAW, CHOPPED
4 ounce – QUINOA, DRY
0.5 cup – RAISINS, BLACK
4 ounce – WALNUTS, RAW
DESCRIPTION:
This is best after it’s roasted in the bird – recipe makes enough for a 17-20 lb turkey, or a couple larger chickens!
INSTRUCTIONS:
Cover quinoa with water in pan, bring to boil and simmer 15 minutes, covered, until soft and drain. (water ratio is 1:2 quinoa to water, and cook like rice.) Season with freshly ground black pepper, to taste. Saute everything else in the butter or oil, mix with the quinoa, and stuff the bird. Makes about 4 cups.

RAW CRANBERRY RELISH
INGREDIENTS:
4 each – APPLE, FRESH, MEDIUM
1.5 – CINNAMON, GROUND
1 pound – CRANBERRY, RAW
4 each – ORANGES, FRESH
DESCRIPTION:
This is really easy and an incredible addition to turkey, anytime of year. Leave it in the fridge at least over night before serving. Will keep about 10 days. Makes 5 cups (dependent on apple/orange sizing!)
INSTRUCTIONS:
Wash and sort the cranberries. Throw them in a food processor. Core and chunk cut the apples, throw them in there. Peel 3 of the oranges, cut up and add to the processor. Leave one orange unpeeled, cut it up and add it as well. Sprinkle cinnamon over the top. Process, leaving slightly chunky (you don’t want a creamy puree!) Refrigerate.

CHOPPED SALAD WITH APPLE VINIAGRETTE
INGREDIENTS:
2 tbsp – APPLE CIDER VINEGAR, SOLANA GOLD
0.5 CUP – APPLE JUICE, UNSWTND, CND/BTLD
3 each – CARROTS, RAW, MEDIUM
1 cup – CELERY, CHOPPED
1 each – CINNAMON, STICK
2 cup – CUCUMBER, ENGLISH
2 1 CUP – GRAPES, RED OR GREEN, RAW
3 cup – LETTUCE,ROMAINE,RAW,SHREDDED
0.5 cup – OIL, GRAPESEED
0.25 cup – ONION, GREEN
5 cup – SALAD GREENS, MIXED, ORGANIC
DESCRIPTION:
Use romaine lettuce hearts for the romaine in this recipe, you need the crunchiness. This salad is crunchy and you’ll need to dice everything up well enough that you can eat it with a spoon!
INSTRUCTIONS:
In a small saucepan, bring the apple juice to a boil with the cinnamon stick and 3 1-inch strips of lemon zest. Simmer over moderate heat until the liquid is reduced to 2 TBS. Discard the cinnamon stick and lemon zest. Pour the liquid in a small bowl and cool slightly, then add the cider vinegar, green onion, and season with black pepper. Whisk in the grapeseed oil until emulsified. In a large bowl, toss the diced celery, diced cucumber (peeled), finely diced carrots, halved grapes, and coarsely chopped greens (mixed greens and romaine hearts). Whisk the vinaigrette again and add to the salad, seasoning with black pepper and toss to coat. serve right away!!

MASHED FOTATOES
INGREDIENTS:
0.25 cup – ALMOND MILK, PACIFIC LOWFAT ORIGINAL
2 tbsp – BUTTER, UNSALTED
1.5 pound – CAULIFLOWER, RAW
DESCRIPTION:
Tastes JUST LIKE the ones made from potatoes – a marvellous way to eat cauliflower. Adding the fat (butter or substitute) is completely optional. Use any type of non – sweetened milk.
INSTRUCTIONS:
Steam cauliflower until tender in steamer basket or a small amount of water in a saucepan. In a food processor, blend cauliflower, optional Earth Balance or Butter, milk, and a bit of black pepper until smooth. Serve immediately.

TRY BAKING YAMS OR SWEET POTATOES, CUT UP IN LARGE 2 INCH CHUNKS WITH CHUNKS OF GRANNY SMITH APPLES.  SPRINKLE WITH CINNAMON AND DRIZZLE WITH A SMALL AMOUNT OF AGAVE SYRUP.  BAKE AT ABOUT 375 FOR AROUND 40 MINUTES.  Yum!

And this pie is my favorite – it’s amazing:

PUMPKIN TART
INGREDIENTS:
0.5 cup – AGAVE NECTAR
3 cup – ALMOND FLOUR
2 cup – CARROT JUICE, HOMEMADE
1 cup – CASHEWS, RAW
1 – CINNAMON, GROUND
1 cup – COCONUT MEAT, RAW, shredded – not dried
1.25 cup – COCONUT OIL
1 5-6 dates – DATES, PITTED
2 tsp – GINGER, GROUND
0.5 tsp – NUTMEG
1 tbsp – VANILLA EXTRACT
DESCRIPTION:
Tastes like pumpkin, actually has none in it at all! Instead of the almond flours, you can just grind up almonds in the food processor to equal 3 cups. It turns out just as good! Note that the coconut meat is from a raw, young, thai coconut – not the dried shredded kind. If you have no experience with young thai coconuts, you’ll need to do a search on them and learn how to open them – save the milk inside – it’s a powerful tonic.
INSTRUCTIONS:
special: use 1.5 cups coarse almond flour, 1.5 cups fine almond flour. To make date paste, just soak about 8 dates for an hour or so, then puree them in a food processor, only using the water they soaked in to thin the paste a bit if needed, otherwise toss out the water. Don’t make the filling until the crust is set. crust: mix the almond flours, 3 tablespoons of date paste, 1/2 cup of coconut butter together in a bowl. Press the dough into plastic wrap lined springform pan. Refrigerate for at least an hour before filling, and keep refrigerated until you fill it. Filling: Soak raw cashews for 4 hours or more. In a Vita-Mix or high speed blender, blend the rest of the ingredients, including the cashews, until completely smooth. There will be 3/4 cup coconut butter and 1/3 cup date paste. Pour the filling into the springform pan on top of the crust, keeping the filling inside the plastic wrap on the sides. The filling will be really runny, astonishingly runny. Refrigerate until set, which is only an hour or two. Any leftover filling can be chilled and eaten like pudding. It’s amazing.

All of these recipes can be found in the Genesis recipe section!  Cruise the recipes for more ideas!

Genesis Transformation Retreat 2009 – COD Ranch, Oracle, AZ

hiking in the desert - the Arizona Trail

We met in Oracle, Arizona at the COD Ranch for 5 days and 4 nights of exploring, hiking, eating, yoga, yakking,  javelinas, games, dancing, bonding, coyotes, tea by the fire and oh yes – fat loss!  Some of us wanted to get back on track, some of us were newbies, some of us looking for a chance to fully immerse ourselves in healthy living with like-minded people.  No matter what we were looking for, we all found what we needed and more!

My personal highlight came on the 4th day.  Samantha and I led the group on a meditation hike:  70 minutes of silent walking in the desert.  We all had much to think about; things to let go of, ideas to embrace, concepts to consider.  My three faithful therapy dogs were along for the mediation and stayed right along side us.

At one point near the halfway mark, the dogs took off in a streak.  I knew they’d heard a pack of javelina off in the brush.  I saw them go and knew there was nothing to be done but wait.  And walk.  I heard the scuffle and the voices of my dogs – trouble.  I pulled slightly ahead of the group to meet the dogs when they returned.  I stepped off the trail and met the dogs and let the group pass me.  I’d already noticed BabyDoll’s hindquarters were chewed up and bloody.  I bent to examine her.  Samantha and I waved on the group and I cleaned up BabyDoll best I could.  Javelinas are sort of like a cross between large rodents and wild boar – they have tusks and curved long teeth that do quite a bit of damage.  They travel in packs, can’t see very well and so tend to just charge, goring anything in their path.  BabyDoll had been bitten and gored.

Samantha went back to tend to the group.   I pulled up in the rear with BabyDoll, Mangas and Seb.  We had about 2-3 miles to go.  Once we got through the green gate, the meditation was over and it was obvious there had been some deep letting go on the trail.  I shared what had happened with BabyDoll – and while there was general concern no one got into the drama. We loaded her up and got her back to the Ranch – and on to the vet – and into surgery – and here she is later that day:

BabyDoll with Sheri and Lisa

The piece I loved about this adventure is that this group was so focused – so deeply attentive to the task at hand of inward contemplation – that we were able to move through a javelina attack with NO DRAMA.  No excitement.  The group did not even know what had happened.  I loved that a group of women could be taking care of themselves in the desert and allow Life to flow around them without messing with their tranquility.  That’s focus.  I’m also pleased that Samantha and I were able to hold that meditation space for everyone else.  It was a beautiful thing.   There was a little bit of noise when I asked if anyone else had seen the hairy tarantula crossing the trail, but hey, that was later.        –Sheri Lynn

The Holy Fuckaroonie Club

The retreat at COD was a life changing event for me.  I’m still trying to really sort everything out, but I definitely had several

Lisa, Kelly, Donna

epiphanies that will serve me well.  My ‘growing up’ in this process really started about 6 weeks ago after I climbed the mountain to Upper Rumble lake.  The following week I had the best workout with Jamie EVER.  Instead of ‘boo-hooing’ I pushed really hard in my head with my power and with my breath and just ‘went for it’.  Ever since then, I have really been enjoying the workouts and the cardios — just a mind switch, really.

So, I believe I was already on a better path mentally and then I got to go to the retreat. . .

HOLY F’AROONIE!

My Attitude
If I had to sum up the retreat, I would say it was a full out cleaning process from my head to my toes.  As I swept away some of the false beliefs that were continuing to limit my success, I realized that I do have the power to change, I want to change, and nothing is going to stop me.  More importantly, I have a better set of tools to deal with faulty thinking.  I am human, and I know there will be both mental and physical obstacles along the way.  Patience, persistence, integrity, and joy will get me where I want to go.

My Eating Habits
I’m on the next step in regard to my eating habits.  I am weaning myself off of American Whey and whey powder in general, and I am focusing more on vegetables and healthy fats.  I got some great new food ideas at the retreat and I’m going to expand my cuisine a bit — I was getting kind of bored with my food.

My Exercise Habits
Why is it that I HAVE to move now?  There must be reason for it, but it feels a bit freaky sometimes.  I LOVED LOVED LOVED the desert hikes, the Yoga and the workouts, each and every one of them.  Can I continue to love them in the midst of work and responsibilities.  Yes, I believe I can.

Mangas

My Choices
The retreat made me realize I have real choices.  It made me realize that I like living with sunshine, I like dogs more than I thought (that spicy little Mangas did it for me), and I want more out of life than what I have now.  My biggest challenge is finding out how many of my relationship problems are my fault and how many of them are not my fault.  My hope is that they have all my fault because then I can solve them.  My fear is that they are not all mine and that my hb will not want to fight for me .  My commitment is that I am going to look at my issues through clear eyes and not through the haze of denial.  Either way, I am happy with the place in my journey right now.

THANKS FOR LISTENING!!

Donna

OTHER COMMENTS:

“It was a welcoming safe environment to learn and talk about a sensitive issue for many of us…”  J.

“This was much more than I expected.  The sessions with Sheri Lynn were both informative and thought provoking.  They were appropriate for people at any stage of transformation…”  L.

“…This has been the REAL beginning of my transformation.  It has been educational, emotional, and spec-fucking-tacular!” M.

“…hands on full immersion of the GT system – clean food, info, exercise and no interruptions from ‘real’ life!  Almost one on one with staff – support, bonding, fun, hard work mentally and physically…plus the benefit of starting right where you yourself are.”

“…great food, lots of group activities, hiking and making new friends really helped me solidify my dedication to healthy living.”

“It’s not just weight loss and I don’t think some people get that.  This was a real eye-opener, and I loved the yoga.”  K.

“Interspersing the conversations with Sheri Lynn with yoga and hiking gave me time to incorporate the content.  The opportunity to have the Team eat with us and share candid conversation expanded the information for me… I would unconditionally recommend this retreat to people…”

Sheri’s Rants # 28: What Caused the Fat Gain?

I want to break something down to you really fast, here:  What caused the fat gain in the first place?

Until that reason is determined — different in each of us — no fat loss system can possibly succeed over the long term. Even if a short-term loss is achieved, the weight will be regained, that and more.  Especially if you are dieting.

Through my experience in the Trenches of Fat Loss, I came up with a base of six causes of fat gain.  Each of the reasons I’ve found require different solutions, yet for many the solution is the same answer: diet some more, only try a different diet this time.  Or, alternatively “add more supplements”.

Let’s see if you can relate to any of these fattening problems:

1) Lack of exercise & lack of muscle tissue due to dieting  (high cholesterol and a history of dieting?  this may be you.)

2) Bad food choices; ignorance of healthy food choices

3) Insatiable Appetite; always hungry (usually blood sugar issue)

4) Poor Habits, and physical addictions to sugar and white flour (baked goods!)

5) Emotions; eating to relieve stress, eating at boredom, and eating for reward

6) Unbalanced chemistry; estrogen, testosterone, seratonin and more (frequently worsened by poor eating)

When we look at the list and think about each element, it’s clear that simply dieting or eating this herb or that expensive weight-loss supplement won’t address the real issue, meaning IF the supplementation works, the weight will come back with a vengeance in the not-too-distance future.  There are many diets that will strip weight off you quickly (read: water, muscle, some fat) but if the root cause of how you got there isn’t addressed, all the weight will come back – and more.

In other words,  say you take Pill X and you get skinny quick (water & muscle loss, maybe some fat).  Once you are done with the diet, what have you learned? If you go back to what you WERE doing, you’ll end up with the same body you had – only now metabolically worse and perhaps even fatter.  Did you learn anything new?  Whatchoogonnado now?

Many of us want the quick diet: fast weight loss where we don’t have to think about or address our personal behavior.  We want a different body with our same thinking and behavior that got us here to begin with.  We want what we eat packaged and handed to us, we want pills, injections, schedules, clear directions.  We don’t want to THINK about it. Which leads me to the primary Fat Gain Problem that I see in my business:

YOU DON’T WANT TO THINK ABOUT YOU. You’re too busy.  I get that.  You get to choose busyness over self care; it is your right as a human to make that choice.  What I want you to understand is that your body is reflecting your lack of self care.   And if you want to turn your body around, you’re going to have to do some changing internally.  If you want change, then you gotta change.  Saddle up. Contact a GT Coach and follow directions.  Just follow directions.   Keep it that simple.  Eventually, you’ll have a series of ‘aha’ moments and be able to reason things out on your own, and you’ll ‘get it’.  You’ll never diet again.

Jamie’s 30-minute total body workout

This workout can be done at home with little or no equipment.  It is designed for all fitness levels.  Do each exercise 12 – 15 times, 3 sets.  Have fun with it and let me know what you think!!

Front Lunges: Stand with feet hip distance apart. Start on right side.

INHALE: step forward into lunge

EXHALE: return to standing with feet hip distance apart

Repeat 15 times on this side, switch sides

Front Side Raises: sit on stability ball if you have one, otherwise do this standing.

Bring feet hip distance apart, arms are at the sides.  Use dumbbells if you have them, 3-5 pounds are fine.

INHALE: prepare to lift arms to your sides

EXHALE: raise arms to shoulder height

INHALE: return to starting position

EXHALE: raise arms out in front of your chest, shoulder height

Repeat 15 times in each direction.

Reverse Lunges: Stand with feet hip distance apart. Start on right side.

INHALE: step back about 2 feet with right foot into rear lunge

EXHALE: return to standing with feet hip distance apart

Repeat 15 times on right side, switch sides

Push-ups: these can be done against the wall, on the floor on toes or knees.  Keep elbows at the sides.

INHALE: move toward the floor or the wall

EXHALE: return to starting position

Repeat 15 times.

Bicep Curls: sit on stability ball or stand, bring feet hip distance, arms at the sides, use dumbbells, 3-5 pounds is fine.  Full soup or bean cans work for dumbbells at home!

INHALE: prepare to lift lower arm

EXHALE: lift lower arm to contract bicep

INHALE: return to starting position

EXHALE: repeat

Repeat 15 times.

Sheri’s Rants # 27: Stopping the Pain

This video footage starts with me telling a story and going into a short spiel on GT.  Then we were done filming and I was having a smoothie.  The camera guy asked me a question and I went off on an impromptu rant – and didn’t know he was filming.  As a result, it was probably our best footage that day!

You can find the rest of the videos (there are six) here.

Sheri’s Rants # 26: Diet Head in Debt

When planning purchases, especially major ones, life is much easier if you’ve saved up for them, isn’t it?  If you haven’t, then you end up in debt – and once you’re in debt you’re accruing interest rates, and now you owe even MORE money, right?  And the pain of payment is stretched out over time; in other words what was a simple transaction becomes much longer, expensive and more involved.  We are all familiar with this simple math.

So many of us are so used to the above math – that simple transactions become more complicated and expensive over time – that we apply it to our physical process of health.  How?  Like this:

“I can’t exercise like this the rest of my life.  It’s boring.  Why do this now when I know I can’t keep it up?”

“It’s ridiculous to think I can spend the rest of my life not eating bread.  This is way too rigid for me.  I can’t do it.”

“There is no way I am going to journal my food forever.  So why get good at it now?”

On and on; ad nauseum.  You get me, here, I know you do.

Here’s the Diet Head in this transaction:  you’re assuming that because you’re working hard today to get to where you want to be, that maintaining and taking care of your body in the future is always going to be ‘this hard’, so why even put all your effort into it now, because DUH – you’re not going to keep up this pace.  Who in their right mind would?

Here’s the sanity piece: In REALITY – you’re dealing with a body that you have not taken care of or have simply trashed over the years through dieting and starving and fasting and cleansing and over or under exercising and perhaps you’ve even began accruing the natural results of self abuse which include the diseases we see as a result of stuffing our pieholes with crap and expecting our engines to run, anyway, and usually at breakneck speeds and fueled by sugar and caffeine:  high blood pressure, high cholesterol, thyroid issues (yes, I’m saying it – it’s your FOOD not your DNA), blood sugar disturbances, on and on.  So that’s where you are.

Now, when you have a broke down vehicle, and your mechanic keeps it in the shop for 3 weeks and does a major engine overhaul and then hands it back to you all running sweetly and freshly washed & waxed, do you expect to keep that vehicle in the shop with all that work going on all the time?  (If so, I’ve got the number of a mechanic for you…)  You don’t, do you?  No.  You expect to be able to get back to your regular maintenance schedule (here’s a thought – with a good maintenance schedule would your vehicle have broken down?  Probably not.),  add good fuel and go.  Right?

YOUR BODY WORKS THE SAME WAY.  This Transformation work is the BEGINNING.  You are repairing, restoring, fueling and healing your body so that you can get it back to where it was SUPPOSED to be to begin with, before you started trying to drive long distances with water in your gas tank.  Before you started dumping crap into your pie hole.  Before you decided that a donut cured stress.  Before your alcohol consumption made your liver throw up it’s little hands and start relying on fat storage because it can’t process all the crap you’re handing it.  Before your body started burning muscle tissue for fuel and jacking your cholesterol around.  Before your blood sugar rides ruled your moods and relationships.  Before your entire system began relying on burning carbohydrates to try to function.  Before the diets, fasts, cleanses, starving, and disease.  You with me?

Get it in your head.  The initial Transformation takes work because you are doing WORK on your body – you are restoring it.  Once that is done, the ride gets MUCH easier.  So easy, in fact, that you can back down on exercise and have a bit more freedom in your eating.  But you have to get all that inflammation off your body, you have to get your body to TRUST you, you have to turn off that famine response solidly, and more importantly you have to develop a strong level of SELF RESPECT.  You have to treat yourself nice, forever.  That doesn’t mean tons of cardio and living on chicken breast and lettuce, friends.  It means when your vehicle is repaired you only have to learn how to maintain it with regular care.  Now if you want to add some extras – some symmetry to your muscles, some increased endurance and strength – I mean, you can do ANYTHING from that healed state.  New chrome pipes, paint job, shiny rims, whatever.  Your fitness level (because now you’ll have one) can continually improve – and there’s all sorts of new things you can do that you may or may not consider ‘hard’.   But those are options.

Okay.  So I recently posted a youtube video on epigenetics that clearly states that our current understanding of biology is that we are not, in fact, machines – but energy.  I buy into this, due to what I have seen with humans and the miracles I’ve seen humans do with their bodies.  Energy.  If I come at this from that standpoint, I’d say the same thing:  You have to put more attention into your self care NOW because of all the neglect you need to catch up on.  Once you’re ‘there’ – it requires less attention to keep your body functioning highly.   The truth is that in Diet Head you are having VERY high expectations of how fast your body should change given the small amount of time you’ve spent giving it attention.  I mean, please.  Be realistic.  How long did you keep your body in the negative for?  Do THAT math.

YOU WILL YOUTH.  You can literally turn it ALL around.  Think about your body as a vehicle if that makes sense to you, or think about it in terms of energy – either way, understand that the repair work has to be done at a higher level of attention for a while.  Then it gets easier.  You’ll have more self respect and won’t look at simple self maintenance as a pain in the ass.

From Victim to Master of your Health: The New Biology

This is a must-watch and explains to you in very clear terms the changes in biology science in the last 10 years, and how that affects how YOU can work with your body. Amazing. Worth it. Watch it.

The difference between epigenetic control and dna-genetic control is astounding and will change how you think about your self.

EAT THIS! – Fall Harvest Recipes

These recipes all take advantage of the bountiful fall harvest!  These are all simple recipes and very satisfying.

Carribean Chicken Stew

1 tsp – curry powder

.5 tsp cayenne

bay leaf

15.5 ounce – black beans, canned w/o salt

0.75 cup -chopped green bell pepper

2 cup – low sodium chicken broth

1.5 CUP – raw butternut squash

1.5 pound – cooked chicken breast, no skin or bone

2 – tsp cinnamon, ground

2 tbsp – coconut oil, extra virgin

4 EACH – garlic cloves

3 fruit – raw limes

1 tsp – nutmeg

1 cup – chopped onions

16 ounce – tomatoes, diced, w/o salt, canned

Directions:

In a large pot, heat oil. Add onion, green pepper, garlic (minced); saute 3 minutes. Add spices, saute 3 minutes.  Add tomatoes, broth, COOKED chicken (torn into strips), cubed raw squash, and undrained canned beans. Simmer, covered, 25-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove bay leaf. Serve with squeezed lime juice.

Poppy Seed-Crusted Cauliflower

Add a little kick to your cauliflower with poppy seeds and peppers.
Serves 6
5 tablespoons black or white poppy seeds
6 or 7 small dried hot red chilies (3 stemmed, seeded, broken into pieces,
and 3 or 4 whole chilies)
1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
1 teaspoon agave nectar
1 medium-size cauliflower (about 2 pounds), cut into 1/2-inch floret
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon nigella seeds or white onion seeds
2 bay leaves
Grind poppy seeds and chili pieces in a spice or coffee grinder until they
form a fine powder; transfer to a small bowl and mix with 6 tablespoons
water to form a paste. Set aside.
In a medium bowl, combine turmeric and 1/2 teaspoon agave; add cauliflower
and toss until evenly coated. Set aside.
In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoons oil over medium-high heat.
When oil is hot, add cauliflower and stir-fry 4 to 6 minutes, until it
begins to brown in spots; remove with slotted spoon to baking sheet lined
with paper towels.
Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to skillet over medium heat. When oil is hot,
add nigella seeds, bay leaves, and remaining whole chilies. Stir-fry 15
seconds, then add poppy seed paste. Stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes, until fragrant;
stir in cauliflower.
Add 2/3 cup water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer 6
minutes, stirring once or twice, until cauliflower is just tender and sauce
is absorbed.

Creamy Pumpkin Soup

2 cup – unsweetened almond milk

4 each – apples

4 – low sodium chicken broth

2 tbsp – extra virgin coconut oil

1.5 each – medium onion

5 cup – pumpkin, raw, 1 inch cube

1/2 tsp tarragon

black pepper to taste

Directions:  Peel and dice the pumpkin into 1 inch cubes. Dice the apples into 1 inch cubes. Coarsely chop the onion. Saute the onion, pumpkin, and apples until the onion is soft, about 5-10 minutes, in 2 TBS coconut oil (can use other oil). Add the chicken broth, 1/2 tsp tarragon and black pepper. Simmer about 30 minutes, covered, until pumpkin is soft. allow to cool slightly and puree in food processor or blender, pouring back into pot. Add almond milk and reheat on low. Garnish with minced parsley.  Serves 8.

Baked Apples

4 medium apples, washed and cored

4 thin strips lemon rind

½ cup dried currants

1 whole vanilla bean, cut into 4 pieces

4 cinnamon sticks

¼ cup lemon juice

Place apples in large glass ovenproof bowl (with lid).  Place a strip of lemon rind, some currants, a piece of vanilla bean, and a cinnamon stick inside each apple.  Drizzle apples with lemon juice and scatter remainder of currants around them.  Bake covered at 350° for 60 to 75 minutes – Serves 4

Genesis Coach Training 2009 – Level 3 (Kalispell, MT)

The 2009 Coach Candidates completed their GT training series with Level 3 at Alternate Root in Kalispell, MT (Sept 24-26).  It was a fantastic experience for all of us – filled with education, motivation, and excitement for the future of Genesis Transformation!  We celebrated the completion of the 2009 training series with a delicious catered dinner at Bonelli’s Bistro on Saturday night.

Here’s some pictures from the Level 3 training, enjoy!

(The 2010 Genesis Coach Training begins in January – email david@genesistransformation.com for more information)

the group at Bonelli's Bistro

Marilyn, Nance, Tami, MaryAnn, Christy, Jill

Jill, Tracey, Vicki, Dawn, Erin, Kelly

Studying on break: Vicki, Erin, Kelly, Dawn, Tracey

discussing a group coaching exercise

Sheri Lynn

Jamie Lynn

Communication & Trust exercise

Vicki coaches Tracey through an obstacle course

the group at Bonelli's Bistro

Team Genesis - Jamie, Sheri, Samantha

One Bite At a Time… – Jamie Lynn

As we move into fall and get ready to settle in for the long, cold winter, suddenly many of my clients are ready to get serious about their transformations again.  I am often asked, “How do I get back on track?” One bite at a time is where to start, and I am not just talking about food.  This includes your food choices, your daily habits, your workout habits and most importantly your mental choices and the words you choose to use about yourself and your present journey.

Start with being accountable on all levels. It is important to record every morsel that you put into your body.  If you walk

Jamie Lynn

by your kid’s plate and grab a bite of toast, record it.  It may not make a big change in the overall daily journal, but if you let that go, you will let the other stuff go too.   If you put an extra tablespoon of cream in your coffee, that will have an impact on your macronutrients.  Be accountable for your day.  It is only a perfect day in Genesis when you actually eat everything that is on your menu, and only what is on your menu.

Get on the scale. If you have decided that now is the time to be accountable to yourself, weighing yourself everyday is a must.  If you do not weigh, how are you going to know if the chocolate cookie you ate had any impact on your weight. If you wake up the next morning and feel fine, you may give yourself permission to do it again. The scale is a tool for you and for your coach.  We need to know and you need to know what impact your choices are having on your body.

Begin to increase the intensity of your workouts, no matter what your fitness level is.  I find the easiest way to do this is to join a small group or find a workout partner.  We will often find a thousand reasons why we can’t make it to the gym, but if someone is meeting you there, those reasons suddenly are not that important. If you are bored with your current workout routine, get online and find some new exercises, pick up a fitness magazine, or get a strength training video from Netflix.  Change is good!!

Change your mind.  Genesis Transformation is easy.  However, we sometimes make it hard.  Change your mind and your choice of words when talking about your journey.  When someone asks you if you want a glass of wine and a cocktail party, try answering with, “No thank you,” not “I can’t.”  You absolutely can, however you are CHOOSING not to.  Genesis Transformation is not about depriving yourself; it is about making better choices to help improve your overall health and wellness.