I absolutely LOVE grocery shopping!  In fact, one of my favorite things to do with clients is broaden their food selection horizons by taking them on a guided grocery tour.   Whether it’s Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Fairway a local grocery store or farmer’s market, I am in heaven.  Perusing the aisles, reading nutrition labels, checking out the latest and greatest new products or simply buying some wonderfully fresh and nutritious produce.

In my opinion there is nothing like keeping fresh produce on hand.  Selecting the highest quality items is extremely important as is at-home storage. There are some things to keep in mind when you are storing fresh produce which will help enhance flavor and also longevity.  The three areas of storage are the refrigerator, counters and pantry. Apples (after several days on the counter-top) artichokes, asparagus, beets, berries, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cherries, corn, cucumbers, dark leafy greens, figs, grapes (green or red), green onions (scallions), leeks, radishes, snap or sugar peas, squash and string beans should be stored in the refrigerator.  All fresh produce stored in the refrigerator should be kept in perforated plastic bags, preferably in the storage drawers.  Garlic, onions and potatoes, should be kept away from light in a pantry or cupboard. What’s left, the counter-top!  This can be anywhere in your kitchen that is away from direct sunlight, possibly in a bowl or other container which allows air to circulate, enabling produce to continue to ripen.  Apricots, avocado (store in refrigerator after ripening), bananas, citrus fruits (oranges, grapefruits), eggplant, kiwi (store in refrigerator after ripening), mango, nectarine (store in refrigerator after ripening), papaya, peaches (store in refrigerator after ripening), pears (store in refrigerator after ripening), peppers, pineapple (store in refrigerator after ripening), plums (store in refrigerator after ripening), tomatoes and watermelon.

A couple of guidelines to keep in mind when at the store selecting fresh produce:
1) See how the piece of produce feels in your hands.  Is it soft, form or just right?  Compare it to the other choices.
2) Avoid buying produce with any visible soft or bruised spots on it.
3) Many times the freshest produce are kept in the back row or bottom of the pile, so make sure you search around.

One of the similar traits or themes I have noticed in entrepreneurs is perfectionism.  Most of us see it as a gift, enabling us to work hard at ensuring we have covered all of our bases, made no mistakes (or at least in our minds) which results in everything we do as just that, perfect!  What does the word perfect mean anyway?  According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, perfect is an adjective and can be defined as: 1 having all the required or desirable elements, qualities, or characteristics; as good as it is possible to be : she strove to be the perfect wife | life certainly isn’t perfect at the moment.• free from any flaw or defect in condition or quality; faultless : the equipment was in perfect condition.• precisely accurate; exact : a perfect circle.• highly suitable for someone or something; exactly right.  Also see the noun perfectionism: refusal to accept any standard short of perfection.• Philosophy a doctrine holding that religious, moral, social, or political perfection is attainable, esp. the theory that human moral or spiritual perfection should be or has been attained.

Now you might be thinking what is so wrong with striving for perfectionism.  The truth is there is nothing wrong with it, in fact I am quite guilty myself.   The problem is sometimes when we strive for perfectionism it can be extremely time-consuming, exhausting and even counter productive.  A fellow entrepreneur friend of mine recently was commenting on how the design of her website was taking much longer than anticipated because she “really wanted it to be perfect”.  As a result of attempting to design the “perfect” website  she was having trouble making decisions about the content, layout and design, which delayed the web designer from moving forward.  Wanting a website, or any other reflection of ourselves and work to be desirable and professional is an absolute admirable quality, but when it hinders our productivity, maybe perfectionism is not all it is defined to be!  What is your definition of a perfectionist?

With Valentine’s Day right around the corner I thought it is be the perfect time to address the subject of libido, which most people do not openly discuss with others.  Being a holistic health counselor means I discuss many aspects of my clients lives, including….  yes, you guessed it, their personal lives.  Erectile dysfunction affects up to 30 million American men according to the Journal of the American Medical Association, and 43 percent of women have reported some sexual dissatisfaction, including low desire. There are many factors that can “turn off” our sexual appetite such as stress, lack of energy, fatigue, depression, anger and  worry.

Many times a low libido for both men and women can be helped by simply exercising.  Yes, exercise increases our circulation by pumping blood and oxygen through our bodies and releasing “endorphins” or feel food chemicals.  Certain yoga postures (shoulder stand for men and butterfly pose for women) done before sex are known to be fantastic enhancers.

Believe it or not there are several foods (besides oysters) which can also possibly increase your sexual appetite.
1. Almonds – loaded with omega-3’s which can help our brains function better.
2. Avocados – also contain omega-3 fatty acids, plus there texture can be quite sensual.
3. Celery – contains a small amount of androsterone (male hormone thought to arouse women).
4. Chocolate – It is true, the way to a lover’s heart is through chocolate.  It contains phenylethylalamine ( a chemical that is increased when we are in love).  Just make sure it is at least 65% cacao.
5. Figs – high in amino acids and thought to increase sexual stamina, maybe because they also can be seen as sensual.
6. Folic Acid – foods rich in it such as organ meats, asparagus, egg yolks and whole-grains have been considered aphrodisiacs.
7. Ginseng- stimulate the adrenal cortex which is where male sexual hormones are produced.
8. Nutmeg – according to Daniel Amen, MD, author of Sex on the Brain, nutmeg is used in Indian medicine for enhancing desire.
9. Oysters – high in zinc, which is associated with male sexual levels.  Maybe Casanova was onto something, eating 50 oysters a day for dinner.

I mentioned figs and avocados are sensual foods because of their texture.  Bananas, carrots and asparagus could also be considered sensual.   You might want to avoid heavy meals, such as pasta or fried foods) and lean more towards lean meats and vegetables. If you are looking for non-food ways to set the mood try some scented oils or candles.  If it’s food you crave, use a food scented candle such as vanilla or pumpkin pie. Sometimes all you need is a romantic gesture or special place to increase your sexual appetite. There are many ways to light your sexual fire: sensual, romantic, chemical or energetic.  Just remember to relax, exercise, have fun and incorporate some of these libido boosters into your life!

I recently read an article on laughter yoga, which apparently is a growing phenomenon worldwide.  The first laughter club was started in 1995 by Madan Kataria, M.D., of Mumbai, India. Katarina had read an article about Norman Cousins, who believed laughter cured his autoimmune disease, and decided to gather a group of people together in a public place and tell jokes to make them laugh.  When he ran out of jokes, he realized that maybe even “fake laughter” can be as good as the real thing.

Katarina’s idea was a success, and there are now more than 8,000 laughter yoga clubs in 60 countries.  Why is there an increased interest in laughter now? According to Clare Goodwin,  a certified laughter yoga leader, “We have discovered it is good for us.  It  is great for stress.  It is wonderful aerobic activity.  In fact, one minute of laughter is equal to six minutes on a rowing machine. No sweat, no pain.”

Reports show that laughter yoga can significantly lower blood pressure, improve mental alertness, strengthen the immune system and even stimulate creativity.   Laughter also has the ability to raise our good cholesterol and lower inflammation in diabetic patients, combat deadly diseases such as cancer, reduce the sensation of pain and maybe even help prevent heart attacks.  According to Michael Miller, M.D., Director of the Center for Preventative Cardiology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, “The old saying that laughter is the best medicine definitely appears to be true, at least when it comes to protecting your heart.”

When a group of people laugh together, they relax and become happy, allowing their previous tensions and stress to dissolve. Laughter can change the way we see the world by helping us release negative emotions.  When we laugh we are replacing our negative thoughts with positive ones and our mind becomes more open to absorb and retain things.  So go ahead and take your laughter medicine today!
To find a laughter club near you check out the following website: http://www.laughteryoga.org.

When it comes to taking care of ourselves we usually think of nourishing ourselves with the proper food, exercise and even stress management techniques.  We rarely add time management to the list.  Believe it or not, time management is an extremely useful and necessary tool in our lives.  When used correctly, time management enables us to live our lives with the utmost efficiency and satisfaction.  Think about it, when you try and “squeeze in a workout” rather than actually schedule it does it get done?  Or how about when you have 10 tasks to do in a limited amount of time, do you get them all done?  For most of us the answer is no.  Time management is a skill that can be learned very easily, it just takes patience, practice and an open-mind.

Now that you are on-board the time-management train I would like to provide you with some helpful tips you can implement into your daily routine immediately.  First, if you do not have an organizer or calendar already, go get one!  Once you have a place to write things in, go ahead and write.  Schedule your appointments, meetings, meals, workouts and projects/tasks.  I highly recommend you  make a “to do” list and organize it by order of importance.  Within your “to do” list you should establish your action steps which can also lead to setting goals. Please be realistic with your goal setting, otherwise you can wind up adding undue pressure upon yourself, which discounts the stress management component of your well-being.   Group like projects or tasks with like projects and tasks.   Cut back on as many unnecessary distractions or tasks as possible to enable you to use your time more efficiently and effective.   Remember to keep track of your improved time management by checking off the things you have completed on your “to do” list.

Good luck and remember, we always find a way to make time for things that are important to us!  If you need some additional support with time management checkout the Franklin Covey Institute’s Focus Course.

Have you ever caught yourself yawning at 3pm in your office and grabbing candy or coffee to give you that extra boost of energy? Here is some guidance to help you select healthier snacks to eat at the office.

The key to healthy eating is to make sure we eat several meals and snacks throughout the day.  This ensures our metabolism is going strong and our blood sugar and energy levels remain stable, preventing us from overeating.

We usually eat lunch around noon, which means by about 3 or 4pm we are ready for a SNACK.  If you are home, it is fairly easy to grab a healthy snack, but what about at the office? This is actually easier to do than you think. The most important things to keep in mind when selecting a snack is to make sure it contains protein, fiber, healthy fats and whole grains.

Below are some healthy ideas for office snacks, which can be stored in your desk drawer or mini-fridge.

Desk Drawer at Office
Fruit (apple, grapes, orange, banana)
Trail Mix (nuts, seeds, raisins or goji berries)
Nuts (almonds or cashews)
Roasted Edamame (soybeans)
Whole Grain Crackers
Instant Oatmeal
Granola Bars
Air-Popped Popcorn
Single Serving of Baked or Reduced-Fat Chips

Mini-Fridge at Office
Plain Yogurt
Cottage Cheese
Nut Butter (peanut or almond)
Hard-Boiled Eggs
Mini Light Cheeses
Cut-up vegetables (carrots, cucumbers, celery, peppers)
Hummus

Having these snacks readily available at your office will prevent you from seeking “unhealthy alternatives” to satisfy your hunger.  Here’s to healthy snacking!

This information was also posted on the workchic.com style blog section.

Happy New Year!  January 1st marks the day that many people resolve to make a change in their lives; whether it is losing weight, taking up a hobby, quitting smoking, spending more quality time with family, stress management, becoming more organized or finding more joy in life.  The intention setting of a resolution is very compelling.  We go into the New Year with wonderful intentions – wanting to make changes in our lives, but we usually end up falling back into the same patterns after a couple of weeks or months.  Change is an interesting word in our vocabulary which can have different meanings for people.  It is always better to focus on the positive part of a change and focus on the person you WANT and KNOW you can be. 

As you write your intentions for 2010, I encourage you to familiarize yourself with Tony Burroughs’ simple and effective methods for putting the laws of manifestation to work.  He does an excellent job explaining that intentions are considerably more powerful and more positive than New Year’s resolutions.  “As Intenders, we deeply comprehend that our thoughts and words are constantly creating our future.  Therefore, we state our intentions out loud every day, framing them in positive and powerful words that are most apt to produce the results we desire.”

Whatever your intentions or resolutions are for 2010 take baby steps on your journey to reach your goals, and you will be surprised at how quickly things change.  Here’s to a 2010 filled with abundance, contentment, good health, peace and joy!