I am roasting a pasture raised chicken today!

 

This week, I bought meat from a local farm, Snoep Winkle Farm. They are located in Branchville, NJ. I first learned about Snoep Winkle because they sell their eggs at Whole Foods.

They sell grass fed chickens, pork, beef, and lamb as well.

From Snoep Winkle Farm:

“The more we learned about the conventional methods by which most livestock are raised, the more convinced we became that we wanted our animals to be raised as God intended – eating grass as the basis of their diet.

We do not give our animals steroids, growth hormones, nor sub-therapeutic levels of antibiotics. Raising the animals on pasture is not only good for their diet, but is also the way they were intended to be raised. Their manure is directly applied to the fields by the animals themselves, thus fertilizing the pastures.”

I think it is so important to support our local farmers. It is critical for our health, our family’s well being and  the survival of the earth. Does that seem extreme? Maybe.

I know it is more expensive. If you pay attention to portion control and eat less. It all works out in the end.

Tom and I have been going to the farmer’s market every Sunday. I love to buy sheep yogurt and sheep cheese from Valley Shepherd Creamery in Long Valley, NJ.  It is so delicious! I buy 1/4 pound and that is our cheese for the week.

I love my little back yard garden this year. It is so nice to go out every morning to pick lettuce for a salad. Pretty soon, I will have tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, zucchini and cute little red potatoes! I have connected with other people who know more about it than I do. It is a wonderful community and we all learn from each other.

Do you have a garden? What do you like to grow?

Happy Gardening!

Love,

Mary

 

a month of minimalism

May was a month of minimalism with Andreea Fagan of Little Bites of Joy.

Follow her. She is always coming up with interesting challenges.

There certainly was a shift this month.

  • I  have an easy cleaning schedule.
  • A clean house
  • A clean car
  • A clean tool shed!
  • A clean desk.
  • An organized Junk drawer
  • I have embraced a lighter simple diet with lots of fruit and vegetables.
  • I feel calmer.
  • I feel good about my closet and my minimalist wardrobe. Fitness is my Fashion Statement!
  • I love open spaces.
  • I have a heightened awareness around gift giving. I love functional simple gifts.
  • Less is more…buy what you need.
  • Bonus Round! I have released 4 pounds this month that have been hanging on!!!

 Are you interested in making a small healthy change in your day? Join my shake a day Fit and Fabulous Nutrition Program!. This is the perfect program for June. Summer fruit time! Blueberry, Strawberry, Raspberry! Small changes can change your life. Feel amazing, lighter, happier and Full of anti-oxidants! Today is the last day to sign up to join our June 12th group. More Fun with Friends! Click here for more info and to sign up.  

 

What to wear?

 

Clothes, shoes…what to wear???

I have two weddings and a shower to attend to in the next few months. I am struggling with what to wear. I like to buy pieces that I love and can wear over and over again. I really want to be comfortable and feel like myself.

I pride myself on being Fit and Fabulous. I struggle with the fabulous piece and posting about it. My sister and my friends will tell me to wear form fitting clothes because I am fit and fabulous. There is a part of me that thinks who am I to say that! I am a few pounds heavier than I would like to be. I am a bit thicker around the middle than I was. ALL of that. I also tend to wear loose fitting clothes.

I decided I am going to embrace who I am and not worry about it.

Minimalism Day 6. 

Clothes! Day 6 is about enjoying your clothes about paring down your wardrobe. My wardrobe is very streamlined. I am trying my best to buy what I love and to be able to wear the pieces to different occasions. A pair of Black Oxfords are coming tomorrow. Thanks Zappos! Details to follow!

Here is my Sunday church outfit.

I am proud of myself to feel confident enough to wear Tretorns to church!

I felt snappy!

Love,

Mary

Fit and Fabulous Lovely Elaine!

Elaine Milner, 79 came to my outdoor workouts about 3 months ago. She felt she was beginning to lose her balance and flexibility. Her daughter Jennifer encouraged Elaine to try my program. The first day I was concerned because her balance was off. Elaine kept at it and within 2 weeks she was so much better!

You don’t want to move like an old person. WORK ON YOUR BALANCE!

Here is LOVELY ELAINE…

She also joined my 7 Days…Feel Fabulous Program. I designed the program to help get your hormones in balance so you feel your best. You lose your sugar cravings, sleep through the night and you might just lose the nagging aches and pains.  “I felt so much better within a couple of days. The gas and bloat were gone. ”

It is time to Lighten up in so many ways. It is springtime. Fit and Fabulous Lovely Elaine shows that it is possible and FUN at any age! I am so grateful that she is part of my Program.

Love,

Mary

Wine, Ice Cream, Hot Flash!

It is in your control.

I have been doing well since I started the No gluten, No sugar, No alcohol in January. Full Disclosure…I now have small amounts of grain during the week and it doesn’t effect me. I have a small glass of wine with my dinner.  I am off the sugar most of the time.

Sunday was our Pastor’s 60 the birthday. My Fit and Fabulous friend Ivone and I organized coffee hour. We kept it mainly grain free. Ivone made her delicious grain free rosemary raisin crackers topped with goat cheese and fig butter. She also topped them with goat cheese and smoked salmon. The crackers are from AGAINST ALL GRAINS, Danielle Walker’s cookbook.

I made Andouille Chicken Sausage and sweet potato hash from Dr. Nicole Rivera’s EAT FOR YOUR GUT COOKBOOK.

Grain free Coffee Hour

Rosanne the minister’s wife made an amazing cheesecake with low sugar and a delicious crust which wasn’t gluten free. A very impressive healthy coffee birthday celebration for a bunch of Presbyterians that like their goodies!

On to the wine, ice cream and hot flash…

Before I did my program in January every Sunday was a cheat day and always an ice cream sundae for dessert. I have found healthy alternatives for ice cream . I have been blending canned coconut milk with frozen fruit with a little stevia. It hits the spot! This Sunday, I had a little extra wine, a bowl of organic chocolate chip ice cream topped with caramel sauce. I am sitting on the sofa and I had a HOT FLASH.

My hot flashes had gone away. I am sleeping really soundly. All signs that my hormones are in balance.

It is possible and I am back on track!

Do you need help getting off the sugar, grains and alcohol? Are you tired of sleepless nights? Night Sweats? Tired all of the time?

Let me help jump start you with my 7 Days…Feel Fabulous Program.

Love,

Mary

HAPPY CLIENTS…

“So true Mary!!! Helped me in so many ways!! Bloating, hot flashes and very disturbed sleep…. Gone! Thank you so much!”

“I feel really good. I haven’t eaten so many vegetables in a long time. Your jump start is exactly what I needed. I feel so much better!”

” I feel great. I lost two pounds and the bloat!”

“The Program has been amazing. My aches and pains are gone!”

“I have so much energy!”

Day 21 of No gluten, sugar, alcohol!

Here is a quick video with Chef Ivone talking about her experience with our 30 Day Program.

A 7 day program of No grains, sugar and alcohol with my friend Chef Ivone of Healthy Sage.

You will be amazed at how much better you can feel in a short period of time. Are you ready to look and feel your best?

Do you struggle with hot flashes, not sleeping, weight gain, cravings, and extra belly fat? Are you tired in the afternoon and searching for a treat?

Are you tired of it? Do you feel like you can’t do anything about it? I am here to tell you that you can start to feel a difference your first week.

It is so much easier to do it in a group and with a friend.

We are getting together at my house to kick off the 7 days on February 25th.

We will give you recipes and tips to support you during the week. Delicious coffee will be served and maybe even a no grains, no sugar yet scrumptious treat!

We will have a secret facebook group. We will be providing daily support, guidance, recipes and tips. You will have lifetime access to the group.

I hope you will join us.  More fun with friends! Your hormones will thank you. Happy Healthy Hormones!!

This is an online program so you can join without coming in person.

The Investment in You is $35.00!

buy now

Happy Healthy Hormones Day 18

Day 18! I am feeling so much better about all of this. Thank God!

The past 8 months, I have increased the healthy fat in my diet. FYI, I had a physical last week and blood work. My numbers are better than they were last year! My total cholesterol  is about the same. My HDL and LDL ratio is below average risk! I am proud to say my Vitamin D level is 60!

What I am doing works for me and I think it will work for you as well. More about that later on. Launching an exciting new program.

I wanted to write about portion control and my new love of wide mouth BALL jars! Increasing the fat in your diet also increases the calories if you are not careful. Yes, calories do count! I have started to divide my food into the jars. It is perfect when you want to grab a quick snack or a meal for that matter.

This morning, I made coconut banana pumpkin puree and sent it with Thomas for a healthy snack. I divided the rest into perfect portion control jars. It just makes me happy to open up my refrigerator to see all of those jars filled with nutritious delicious food!

Love the Ball Jars!

Love the Ball Jars!

Exciting news !

I know facing 30 days of no gluten, sugar and alcohol can be overwhelming and seems impossible. I have created a 7 day program with my friend Chef Ivone Ventura of Healthy Sage. She is a graduate of Natural Gourmet Institute in NYC. We are having a kick off at my house on February 25th at 10:30 AM. The cost of the program is $35. Reply to this post if you would like more info. Tons of support, guidance, tips, and recipes included. Call a friend and do it together!

Not Local?  It will be an online program so you can still join in!  #morefunwithfriends

Love,

Mary

I almost quit!

I almost quit a few times! 30 Days of NO gluten, sugar, alcohol!  I like my life to be easy. I like having a glass of wine every night. I have been feeling very agitated!  I am doing this because I wanted to balance my hormones, I wanted to sleep better and I wanted to get rid of my burning mouth. Guess what? I am sleeping so much better and my mouth stopped burning!

Why am I so agitated???

There is a part of me that wants to have a glass of wine. It is amazing the power it has over me. I am sure I am not the only one out there. The sugar and gluten is not such a big deal.

I have to thank my accountability partner Ivone. I sent her a text yesterday that I was done! The plan was to have a daily glass of wine and stay away from sugar and gluten. I was driving to the store to buy a nice bottle of Chardonnay  when my phone rings and Ivone talks me out of it. AAAAHHH!

SO Super Bowl Sunday and I am back on track. I laid down on the floor for 30 minutes this afternoon and that really helps.

Tonight, I am making Curry Girls Kitchen Chicken Chili and Sweet Potato Nachos! I am excited that I found the Curry Girls on Instagram. It looks like they have lots of good easy recipes! More to come!

Delicious!

Delicious!

Have a fun evening!

Love,

Mary

Balance Your Hormones Day 11

Happy Health Hormones Day 11!

The NO sugar, gluten , alcohol 30 day program reduces the inflammation in your body. I have noticed  that I don’t have aches and pains that come and go for me in the past. Do you have issues with aches and pains?

Many people think this program is too hard.

What is the price of waking up achy every morning? Or not sleeping well?

I am eating really clean but I know I can’t possible get everything I need from my diet. It is so important to take a high quality pharmaceutical grade supplement to fill in any of the gaps in your diet. I am also including a liver support during the 30 days. Everything goes through the liver. I want mine to be supported, happy and working well!

Here are the  links to the supplements.

Multi vitamin

Liver Support

It is an investment in your health! You are worth it!

Love,

Mary

Balance Your Hormones Day 9!

Day 8 was a bit rough. Sunday is usually a day off where I enjoy a treat at coffee hour at church and have ice cream for dessert. Yesterday, Ivone saved the day! She invited me over with her friend Susie who was a pastry chef to try out some of Danielle Walker’s grain free baked goods.

against-all-grain

Full disclosure there is some sweetener in the baked goods. We had a good time and I went home with Paleo sandwich cashew butter bread and rosemary bread sticks! It was a fun way to spend a Sunday afternoon.

Thanks Ivone!