Wellness
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere. I like to celebrate the fall season with PUMPKIN, (you may have figured that out by now). Each time I have brought a pumpkin treat to a women’s event this year, I am asked whether or not it is gluten free. So, I have experimented with a new recipe that I just received from a friend and adjusted a few things to make a delicious gluten free, high protein, low sugar alternative to the conventional Pumpkin Bread that I make this time of year. For quick access to a few of my other favorite pumpkin recipes click here for Pumpkin Cinnamon Rolls, Pumpkin Oatmeal Cookies(Gluten Free version available in the same post) and Pumpkin Pie Cake. I just made this Pumpkin Pie Cake for my women’s bible study group and substituted a box of Trader Joes Gingerbread cake mix in place of the yellow cake mix and it was absolutely 100% tastier. So here is my newest pumpkin creation. Hope you like it! Enjoy!
Gluten Free Pumpkin Bread
Ingredients
1 ½ cups almond meal flour (or your favorite gluten free flour blend)
1 ½ cups organic oats
3 Tablespoons flax meal
1 Tablespoon hemp seed
1 Tablespoon chia seed
¼ cup whey based protein powder (vanilla or pumpkin flavored)
¼ cup brown sugar or honey
1 Tablespoon baking powder
2 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice
2 eggs
3 Tablespoons almond milk
2 Tablespoons coconut oil
1 cup pumpkin puree
¾ cup unsweetened applesauce (I used homemade apple butter)
⅓ cup raisins
⅓ cup slivered almonds
Mix together all dry ingredients in a large bowl. Mix together all wet ingredients in a small bowl. Pour wet ingredients over dry ingredients and stir until moistened throughout. Add nuts and raisins and stir just a …
Read MorePumpkin Workout
Let’s put those pumpkins to good use before we throw them away OR, get yourself to the store and buy one to do this fun workout by yourself or with a friend!
You will need a bench, a pumpkin, a jump rope (optional. you can jump rope with an imaginary rope), 4 cones (or an object to hold a space), water, and a towel
Warm-up 5 min
Circuit 1
- 20 Walking lunges holding pumpkin
- 20 Side shuffles R holding pumpkin
- 20 Reverse walking lunges holding pumpkin
- 20 Side shuffles L
Circuit 2
- 20 Alternating Toe Taps on pumpkin
- 15 Split Lunges per leg
- 15 Squat and Press
- Jump Rope 1 minute
- 30 Side step up with abduction and pumpkin press (15 Right, 15 L)
- 30 Alternating Step Ups
- 30 Tricep Dips
- Jump Rope 1 minute
Circuit 3 – Line Drills
Set up your 4 cones a good distance to do some line drills. You will want 4 cones set up in a line.
- Fast Feet (Holding your pumpkin, sprint to the first cone. Keep your body low and facing FORWARD as you run in a circle with fast feet around the cone to the R. Sprint to the second cone. Repeat the fast run this time to the L. Continue for cones 3 and 4. Sprint back to start.)
- 10 pumpkin burpees
- Line Sprint (Holding your pumpkin sprint to the first line. Back to start. Sprint to the second line. Back to start. Sprint to the third line. Back to start. Sprint to the fourth line. Back to start.)
- 10 pumpkin burpees
- Skip lunges (Holding your pumpkin forward lunge with the R leg. Skip the left leg up, forward, and down in to a lunge. Repeat this motion to the end of the line and back to start.)
- 10 pumpkin
Fall in Love as you Serve-Gogo Grandmothers
Falling in love through service is an incredible experience. When your heart is moved by an unmet need and you know that you are being called to participate in fulfilling that need, an instantaneous thing happens in your heart-you fall in love with the people you are serving. TRUE greatness in this world comes through serving others. True love also comes when you give 100% to another person and that happens through serving one another.
Look at these faces and read the “Did you know” facts that accompany each photo….. These are the faces of the new people I love…I have never met them but my heart is drawn towards them all because I have taken the risk of joining in, making myself vulnerable and jumping into serving these beautiful women and children that live in Malawi, Africa.
Ten days ago, I attended a Gogo Grandmothers retreat held at Mariner’s Church in Orange County. This 10th annual Gogo Grandmothers retreat was a glorious day spent renewing our hearts and reaffirming our commitment for the continued work being accomplished in Malawi. I am privileged to be a board member for the SAFE /Gogo Grandmothers ministry and have loved every minute of my time serving with the other members of the board. (SAFE stands for Sub-Saharan Family Enrichment) We serve a mighty God who moves in mighty ways!
Gogo Grandmothers provides for the orphans of AIDS in Malawi, Africa by assisting the grandmothers who care for them. In America, and across the world, individuals and Gogo Grandmothers groups (often uniting women who are grandmothers themselves) gather monthly to pray and carry out fund-raising projects that provide what poor “gogos” in Malawi need to raise the orphans whose parents have died due to the ravages of AIDS in their country. In …
Read MoreFall Food, Friendship and Gathering
Fall reminds me of family, friendship, food and gathering. Gathering beautiful leaves that have changed colors and have fallen off the trees. Gathering around the table to celebrate all the things we are thankful for. Gathering back the friends you have not seen all summer because people’s schedules get uncharacteristically crazy during the summer months. Gathering back with life groups or volunteer organizations you belong to that take a break for summer. This weekend, I did a little bit of all of the above. On Saturday evening, after a wonderful day of nourishing my soul at a retreat (I will write about it next week), I was privileged to spend a few hours with my daughter and two friends. One friend was one of my most valued friends and the other was her friend (a new friend to both my daughter and me). We were blessed to share a few hours together. It was a time of enrichment for all. We talked about the fantastic day we had spent together learning about a great work that is going on in Malawi, Africa and we shared about our lives and how God had been encouraging us in our walks with Him. Friendship and gathering together is medicine for the soul. Sharing with women who are committed to serve in their community and abroad and are involved in amazingly interesting activities is one way to be encouraged and to contribute to your own healthy mind and body.
We shared a meal together and the food was spectacular…nutritious and delicious!!! Here is my rendition of the dish that we all ordered…..
Bombay Bowl
1 yellow onion
20 large or 30 medium brussel sprouts trimmed and cut in half
1 head of cauliflower
4-5 carrots
1-2 parsnips
4-5 small red, white or purple potatoes…
Are You Seeing Clearly?
VISION.
Where do you want to go? Who do you want to be?
We need to have a vision so that we know where we are going. We need to focus on that future state–be it health, wealth, family, fitness, fun, work, relationships–and let it guide our goals and actions.
“If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’d always got.” -Alan Scott
How can you keep your vision visable? Say daily affirmations. Write out your vision where you see it every day. Make a vision board with pictures of your goals. Look at them every day! Share your vision with others. Make it the background of your phone. Whatever you choose, look at it and see it every day. Let it fuel you!
“If you want to reach a goal, you must see the reaching in your own mind before you actually arrive at your goal.” -Zig Ziglar
If you want to be more fit, look in the mirror and see yourself fit. Tell your face in the mirror, “I am fit!” Then do the work.
If you want to be less stressed, start every day with prayer and meditation. Think of how you feel in that moment and carry it with you. Do the actions needed to reduce your stress, then be that less-stressed person!
Whatever you want, write out that vision, see that vision, and take daily actions to get there!
Do you need motivation and guidance to break old habits and patterns? To get a new focus? A clear vision?
Join us in our Fall Into Health Wellness Wisdom Campaign. Click here to learn more!
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Read MoreWorkouts Revamped!
Are you in a workout slump? Are you tired of doing the same thing over and over? Do you want to head to the gym or set aside fifteen minutes and not have to think? Well here’s an idea for you to try. The Nike Training App is ranked one of the best fitness apps by many users and critics. I mean let’s be honest, what isn’t amazing that Nike puts out! But it tells you what to do for your circuit training? Sounds pretty ideal to me!
Why it is so awesome:
It’s up to you. You can pick your drills. You can pick how hard you are pushed. You have audio to give you tips on form and step by step videos and images. You can do it alone, do it with friends, or share it with friends. And you even get to “train with the pros”. They have some of the best fitness people in the world on their pushing you and encouraging you! People like Carly Lloyd, Shawn Johnson, Serena Williams, celebrity trainers, and more.
How it works:
- Choose your goal: Get lean, Get toned, Get strong, or Get focused!
- Choose your level: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced
- View the workouts, choose which one works for you based on time and ability
- Get after it and get your sweat on!
It’s fun, it’s motivating, and it is an easy way to switch things up! And you can keep track of all your workouts to see your progress or your schedule. Try it out and let us know what you think!
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Does Your Closet Need a Fall Cleaning or an Upgrade on a Budget?
We have been talking a lot about how to have a healthy mind and body. I think most of us know that clutter can be a real negative influence on the health of our mind and body. We often get distracted during these next few months. During the fun activities of the holiday season it becomes so easy to put many important aspects of life on hold (especially cleaning and organizing) until the busyness calms down (or should I say IF the busyness calms down). This year, don’t let that happen! Let’s be more prepared for the fun of the holidays by freeing ourselves from the stress of clutter. Or, maybe you were very successful with your Spring Cleaning this year and you have been waiting to upgrade your closet. Finding a great deal can be good for your health, too! There are fun ways to clean and organize your home and I am going to share one of those ways with you today!
ThredUP is the name of my recommendation for de-cluttering your closet and/or improving it on a budget.
“thredUP is the easiest way to save money on great Women’s and Kids’ clothing brands and sell clothes for cash. We’re like a consignment store, but simpler. On thredUP you can refresh your entire wardrobe online without ever leaving your house.”
Browse thousands of like-new clothing items, which we’ve hand-selected and certified for quality. You’ll find all your favorite brands discounted up to 90% off, year-round.
And, when you’re done with clothing, simply fill up a thredUP bag and put it on your doorstep. thredUP covers the shipping, and pays you for every item we can sell to other families.
Our goal is to make your life just a little bit easier.
- We eliminate the stress of deal hunting
Smoked Paprika Chickpea and Chard Soup
October has ushered in the fall season and even though the weather has not cooled down during the day, in our hometown, the evenings are brisk and perfect for a bowl of hearty soup. This vegetarian selection of chickpeas and chard combined with nutty farro makes a delicious soup. I served it to our family this weekend and it was a 10 out of 10. As we continue our Healthy Mind and Body challenge we encourage you to join us, click here for more information.
Ingredients
2 Tablespoons olive oil
2 cups chopped carrots
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup chopped parsley
3 cloves garlic chopped
2 teaspoons fresh rosemary chopped fine
1 bay leaf
3 cups organic vegetable broth
4 cups water
1 ½ teaspoons Spanish smoked paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
½ teaspoon salt
1 can rinsed and drained chickpeas (garbanzo beans)
1 (14.5 ounce) can fire roasted diced tomatoes, undrained
4 cups chopped swiss chard
3 cups cooked farro (cook as directed on package)
½ cup green onions
½ cup grated parmesan cheese
Directions
Heat olive oil in a large soup pot. Add onions, carrots, celery, parsley, garlic and bay leaf. Cook for 8 minutes until vegetables are tender. Stir frequently. Stir in broth and water and spices, chickpeas and tomatoes. Bring to a boil. Stir in swiss chard and farro and cook until chard wilts. Stir in green onions and top with cheese. Keep well in refrigerator for 5-6 days.
Serves 8
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Believe in Yourself
“You can’t have a health body long-term without a healthy mind. The two are connected at every level. If you don’t believe at the deepest level that you are a healthy person, you will sabotage yourself every time. If you are a person who loses weight only to gain it back, your beliefs do not match your visions. You believe something other than what you are trying to accomplish and your mind brings your body back to the unhealthy state again and again.”
A healthy mind and body is all about belief. To have lifelong health you must believe in yourself. If your current beliefs don’t serve you–GET RID OF THEM!
The Healthy Mind and Body program is a 60 program designed to help to be your best self by cultivating lifelong healthy habits by recognizing that you need to have a healthy body AND mind! You will learn that success in any area is based on aligning your goals, actions, and attitudes.
I am learning so much about how my attitudes affect my health. I can make all the goals I want, but without healthy attitudes and healthy actions, I will fail every time.
No matter what life we are called for we can do great things when we believe in ourselves. Napoleon Hill states, “If you cannot do great things, do small things in a great way.” We were not designed for a mediocre life. God designed us will big plans. It’s time to get out of our own way and start believing that we can achieve our goals and be all that God wants us to be!
Join us in our Fall Into Health Wellness Wisdom Campaign. Click here to learn more!
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Read MoreFocus
Thought patterns can become habitual. They can also be changed with intentional effort Responding in joy, reacting in negativity, answering in content, or retorting with frustration… they can all come to mind so easily with the snap of a finger. It often seems like you can’t control what thoughts come into your mind. You can, with lots of focus and effort. But you can always control what you do with those thoughts. The mind is a powerful thing. We need to train our minds, our thoughts, our ideas to be more focused on who we want to be, on our goals, and on something bigger than ourselves.
Focus is “The ability to keep your attention where you consciously want it to be. It’s the art of disciplining your imagination to achieve your desired outcomes.”
By changing our thought patterns it is ultimately changing our mindset and perspective. We all have some sort of self talk whether it is positive, negative, helpful, harmful, encouraging… etc. What story are you telling yourself? Are you your own worst enemy? Do you believe in yourself? Do you give others the benefit of the doubt? Are you focused on yourself, others, God? Take some time this week to think about your own self talk. What are your initial reactions? What do you think when you go throughout your day? Who do you want to be? All your thoughts should be channelling towards the person you want to be. If you want to be a grateful person, you will be grateful about the every day things in your life. If you want to be filled with joy, your initial reaction needs to be filled with joy. If you want to be a happy person and your first reactions are angry, there is going to be some …
Read More