How Do I Become Heart-Healthy?

Exercise is one of the most important things you can do to aid your heart health, says Cardiologist Nieca Goldberg, MD, Medical Director of the Women’s Heart Center at New York University Medical Center in New York City. “It helps to lower blood pressure, blood sugar and weight and it raises levels of good or HDl cholesterol,” she said.

Remember, your heart’s a muscle too and, therefore, needs to be worked out on a regular basis.

“However,” says Goldberg, “If the woman smokes, the priority is to quit.”

Other things you can do to protect your heart:

• Pay attention to your symptoms–all of them. Signs of heart attack in women often present differently than in men, so you might not get that  “elephant sitting on top of the chest” feeling.

As much as a month before the heart attack you might feel unusual fatigue or experience sleep disturbance, shortness of breath, indigestion or anxiety. During the heart attack, you can experience shortness of breath, unusual fatigue, cold sweat, dizziness and weakness.

How do you know when it’s not indigestion? “If you’re taking any kind of treatment or medication, you should see some improvement within two days,” says Naturopathic Physician Dr. Donielle (Doni) Wilson. Wilson, who is also president and executive director of the New York Association of Naturopathic Physicians, continued: “If you’re not seeing any improvement at all, or if symptoms get worse, it needs to be investigated right away.”

And don’t worry about “pestering” your doctor–remember Rosie O’Donnell and the much-ignored aching arm and chest this summer? When she finally had an EKG, it revealed a 99 percent blockage in an artery known as the widow maker.

Other things you should do:

• Know your risk factors. There is a reason high blood pressure is called the silent killer. Blood pressure, and your cholesterol levels, should be checked regularly.
• Watch your sugar consumption!. Americans eat far too much– over 156 pounds a year. It contributes to heart disease by significantly increasing triglycerides. While you’re at it, factor in some additional vegetables, fruit and fiber.
• Maintain  a healthy weight. According to the Harvard School of Public Health, obesity is one of the top four (4) preventable risk factors for pre-mature mortality.

About Irene:

Irene Ross is a certified health and nutrition coach who helps people alter unhealthy habits so they can balance their lives.  She is author of the e-book, Sugar’s Sour Story, and of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day: Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life.  Her website is:  www.irenefross.com

How to Have Fresh, Pink and Healthy Skin

One day I was speaking to a 35-year-old woman; she confided to me that her skin was fresh, pink and acne-free during the teenage years, but now, as she is getting older, she constantly fights acne and skin rashes.  I explained that the environment is full of toxins.  “You don’t even need to do anything, ” I said, “because they can be easily absorbed through the skin.  Then it was perfect timing–a nearby construction site started to blast.  As for my own skin, it just seems to get more and more sensitive every year.   I can easily end up with red, botchy, itchy skin–and it’s not only cosmetics, but hair products.  My hair is chin-length and, when I’m particularly sensitive to a hair product, I start to itch where the hair grazes the face.

Toxins are everywhere, and we can’t avoid them.  But there are a few things we can do to help us “fight” them.

• Try to eat organic as much as possible. Most foods contain harmful pesticides and genetically modified organisms. If that’s not always possible, try to stay away from some of the dirtiest, such as apples and green peppers; for a complete list of the “dirty dozen,” click here.
•  Engage in periodic cleanses or detox programs:  There are many ways to do this, but my personal favorite is the Isagenix product.  Please contact  me if you’d like to know more–I’ll also give you a complimentary 30-minute wellness discovery session!
• Eliminate toxins through the skin in sweat, through sauna, yoga or other exercise.  In fact, some people say yoga is the ultimate toxic release–many sweat like crazy in yoga, so toxins are released through the pores.
• Stretch daily: The yoga pose, the triangle, is often referred to as the happy pose because it stretches and opens so many muscles.
• Use natural cleaning agents, such as baking soda, vinegar or orange oil to replace almost any chemical cleaner.
• Read labels on food products and avoid those that you are unfamiliar with. The fewer ingredients, the better–and if you can’t pronounce them, well….
• Drink wheatgrass. Wheatgrass juice is nutritionally equivalent to many vegetables. (Hint:  If you’re not crazy about the taste, ask them to blend in some fresh ginger.  It won’t change the chemical make-up of the wheat grass juice–and you get an additional detox benefit from the ginger.
•  Eat at least three of the best detoxifying foods daily–  broccoli, garlic, spinach, cabbage, sprouts, blueberries, ginger and turmeric.
• Get a massage: It improves circulation and helps stimulate the lymph nodes. (The lymph picks up toxins throughout the body so it can be eliminated.)

***’

Irene Ross is certified nutrition and health coach who helps people alter unhealthy habits so they can live healthy, happy and well-balanced lives.

She is a speaker and teacher who conducts workshops for both individuals and corporations who also conducted tele-seminars and has also been a guest on tele-summits and radio shows.

Speeches can be a customized, one-of-a-kind program targeted for your audience, or it can be one of her sought-after talks, such as:

• KICKING  YOUR SUGAR CRAVINGS TO THE CURB
• FIRING  UP YOUR DAY
• ARE   YOU SICK AND TIRED OF BEING SICK AND TIRED?
• WHAT  TO DO WHEN YOU JUST CAN’T SEEM TO LOSE THAT WEIGHT
• THE   WELLNESS-CENTERED FAMILY
• HOW  TO GET YOUR KIDS INTERESTED IN HEALTHY EATING
• HOW   CORPORATE WELLNESS PROGRAMS HELP PRODUCTIVITY, MOTIVATION AND THE  BOTTOM-LINE

Author of the e-book, Sugar’s Sour Story and of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day: Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance your Life, she is also a wellness pro for the 4-legged, writes frequently on pet nutrition and wellness and is developer of the blog:  www.furryfriendshavefun.wordpress.com

If you or your company would like her to present a workshop, or if you would like her to be a guest on your tele-seminar, tele-summit or radio show, please contact her at: irener@eating4achieving.com.

For more information, please visit:  www.irenefross.com

Irene spoke last Thursday about the importance of the “attitude of gratitude” and how it affects health.  To listen: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/timetoplay/2013/01/02/timetoplaycoms-empower-half-hour

Recipe: Roasted Root Vegetables

THE POWER OF ROOT VEGETABLES

Carrots, turnips, parsnips, sweet potatoes, yams, radishes-root vegetables– are a great way to get nutrients without all the fat and calories, and they increase our stability, stamina and endurance. Since they are grown in the ground, root vegetables can absorb those minerals, and then pass that on to us.

Sometimes referred to as “miracle vegetables,” roots aid digestion, act as blood purifiers, help improve circulation and increase mental clarity.

Roots are a rich source of nutritious complex carbohydrates, providing a steady source of necessary sugars to the body. Instead of upsetting blood sugar levels like refined sweet foods, they regulate them. They’re often sweet, so they can help kick those sugar cravings to the curb, once and for all.

RECIPE: ROASTED ROOT VEGETABLES

(Courtesy of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition:  www.integrativenutrition.com)

Prep time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 25-35 minutes

Yield: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:

1 sweet potato

2 parsnips

2 carrots

2 turnips or 1 large rutabaga

1 daikon radish (or substitute/add in your favorites, like squash)

olive oil

salt and pepper

herbs: rosemary, thyme or sage (fresh if possible)

Directions:

1.   Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.   Wash and chop all vegetables into large bite-sized pieces.

3.   Place in a large baking dish with sides.

4.   Drizzle with olive oil; mix well to coat each vegetable lightly with oil.

5.   Sprinkle with salt, pepper and herbs.

6.   Bake uncovered for 25-35 minutes until vegetables are tender and golden brown, checking every 10 minutes to stir and make sure veggies are not sticking.

Note: Any combination of vegetables will work. Roasting only one kind of vegetable also makes a nice side dish.

About Irene:

Irene Ross is a certified nutrition and health coach who helps people get off the diet roller coaster–to lose the weight, keep it off and let your

“fabulousness” shine.

“Healthy weight is a lot more about simply walking away with a list of so-called good foods and bad foods. It’s about a lot of things. Like learning how to balance blood sugar and knowing about the connection between hormones and processed foods and the adrenals and thyroid; and like learning how chronic stress and sleep deprivation affect our weight–among other things. And people need to know that everything feeds us; for instance, career, relationships, self-care, because if just one thing is out of balance they’ll always be, well, hungry.

“In short, I don’t just focus on the action (i.e., list of foods), but on the proper ecology (root problem) so that real and lasting transformation happens.”

Irene sees people individually or in groups and presents workshops and lectures and creates employee wellness programs.

There’s something for every budget, from tele-seminars to a  platinum “Six Step System”  to VIP Days for those who want fast, concentrated results.  There’s even a “3-Step System for Kicking those Sugar Cravings to the Curb in 30 Days” program.

Author of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day: Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life, Irene is also a nutrition and wellness pro for our 4-legged furry friends and writes frequently on the topic of pet wellness.

To learn more, please visit Irene’s website:  www.irenefross.com.  Her free, twice-monthly newsletter, “Power Wellness,” is full of information, tips and recipes for healthy eating and lifestyle. Subscribe to her awesome newsletter here.

The Power of Gratitude

Thanksgiving is a time when most of us think about gratitude, but practicing consistent gratitude could be the key to raising your happiness threshold.

Dr. Robert A. Emmons, a University of California, Davis professor, backs up his claim with eight years of intensive research on gratitude in his best selling book, Thanks! How The New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier. He found that people who view life as a gift and consciously acquire an “attitude of gratitude” will experience multiple advantages.
One of his specific findings: People who were in the gratitude condition felt fully 25% happier, more optimistic and confident. They even did almost 1.5 hours more exercise a week!

Here are some things you might consider doing:

• Keep a gratitude journal. At the end of each day, write down three to five things from the day for which you feel  grateful.  I got an interesting challenge last New Year’s; someone told me to come up with 100 things for which I was grateful.  Now, 2011 wasn’t exactly a great year, so I thought it would be tough.  You know what, though?  I breezed through the first 75, the next 15 were a little tougher but certainly doable.  The last ten were really difficult, but I still managed.
• Express your gratitude. When someone does something nice, say  “thank you”–and mean it. Even if it doesn’t seem important to you, a “thank you” can really touch someone.
• Look for what is right about a situation, not what’s wrong. We tend  to see negatives as stressful, harmful, sad, difficult, unfortunate–but  almost every negative has a positive, somewhere. Negative situations can be opportunities for growth and creativity.
• Practice gratitude with your family and friends. Encourage each  family member to report one thing that happened that day that they feel  grateful for. When you hear a friend moaning and complaining, challenge  him or her to find the hidden opportunity or silver lining to the  situation.

*****

About Irene:

Irene Ross is a certified nutrition and health coach who helps people get off the diet roller coaster–to lose the weight, keep it off, love their healthy, happy bodies,  and let the “fabulousness” shine.

“Healthy weight is a lot more about simply walking away with a list of so-called good foods and bad foods. It’s about a lot of things. Like learning how to balance blood sugar and knowing about the connection between hormones and processed foods and the adrenals and thyroid–among other things. And they need to know that everything feeds us; for instance, career, relationships, self-care, because if just one thing is out of balance they’ll always be, well, hungry.

In short, I help individuals investigate new roads and new areas of development, then provide them with the resources to take action.”

There’s something for every budget, from teleseminars to platinum “Six Step Systems” to VIP Days for those who just want very fast, concentrated results.

Author of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day: Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life,  Irene is also a nutrition and wellness pro for our 4-legged furry friends and writes frequently on those topics.

Her twice-monthly, free newsletter, “Power Wellness,” is full of tips, recipes and information on healthy eating and living.  To subscribe to her awesome, free, twice-monthly newsletter, “Power Wellness,” click here.

 

Five Ways to Avoid Winter Weight Gain…OR “How Not to Panic on Memorial Day”

Happens to all of us–those extra winter pounds can really creep up on us, in some hidden and very sneaky ways and then we panic on Memorial Day when we realize we’ll soon be in those skimpy summer clothes.

Winter weight gain isn’t inevitable, though! Here are five ways you can thwart that weight gain:

• Stress and More Stress: One trip to the mailbox can send the heart racing, what with heating, electric and holiday-purchases-come-due bills–and that floods bodies with those waist-thickening “fight or flight” hormones, like Cortisol.

Solution:  Get plenty of Vitamin D, because it has a positive effect on the hormones and immune system, says Naturopathic Physician Dr. Laurie Brodsky, ND. You can also try other stress-busters, such as meditation or yoga.

• Holiday Indulgence:  Halloween’s just around the corner and soon we go into the Thanksgiving-New Year season with parties, treats and groaning buffet tables.

Solution: Remember it’s a 45-day stretch with three holidays, not a 45 day holiday. Practice the “Rule of One.”  Dr. Brodsky explains that this means you fill your plate with one of everything, such as a protein and a green and then have one drink. “That way, you get to taste everything and don’t feel deprived, but you’re still practicing portion control,” she says.

Try to squeeze in an extra workout or two if you know a big party is imminent.

•   Exercise Derailment:  It’s tempting to go right home after work when the days are short and cold.

Solution: Establish a set routine and then mark it in your calendar so it becomes a habit. Habits usually form in 25 to 30 days, says Psychology Today.  Other ideas include partnering with a buddy, or creating exercise routines at home.

“A few rounds of jumping jacks, push ups, and crunches will get your blood flowing and work most of your major muscles,” said Shay DeSilva, founder, Fast Fitness To Go.

• Seasonal Depression:  It can make you irritable, moody and sad, says WebMD.  The shorter, colder days can negatively impact you–and let’s face it, we don’t exactly make the best food choices when we feel that way.

Solution: We tend to crave warm, comfort foods, so keep healthy ones, like a vegetable-laden soup, in easy reach. Protein-rich foods and snacks will balance blood sugar, alleviate mood swings. Brodsky has a great recipe for a pumpkin granola (see recipe in sidebar on the right of this page).  “Pumpkin seeds also contain tryptophan so they’ll help you sleep if you have a handful before bed,” she said. A small piece of chocolate IS okay as long as it contains at least 75 percent cacao.

• Sleep Disruptions. Our sleep can actually be disturbed by too-warm rooms, and sleep has a direct effect on three hormones that regulate stress, energy balance and appetite. When you don’t get enough sleep, cortisol, the stress hormone, elevates glucose and appetites. Ghrelin, which increases appetite, becomes elevated; Leptin, which suppresses appetite and moderates energy balance, is decreased. Lack of sleep also affects your exercise routine.”It’s a negative cycle,” explains Dr. Kathia Roberts, Ph.D., ND, D.PHYT, “Some of my patients tell me they can’t sleep without exercising but then, again, they’re too tired to exercise.”

Solution: Keep your room at 68 to 70 degrees.

***

ABOUT IRENE

Irene Ross is a certified health and nutrition coach who helps people get off the diet roller coaster to make a lifetime of healthy weight maintenance and lifestyle. “Healthy weight is a lot more about simply walking away with a list of so-called good foods and bad foods. It’s about a lot of things. Like learning how to balance blood sugar and knowing about the connection between hormones and processed foods and the adrenals and thyroid–among other things. And they need to know that everything feeds us; for instance, career, relationships, self-care, because if just one thing is out of balance they’ll always be, well, hungry. “In short, I help individuals investigate new roads and new areas of development, then provide them with the resources to take action.” Irene sees people individually or in groups, presents workshops and lectures and creates employee wellness programs. There’s something for every budget, from teleseminars to my platinum “Six Step System to Lose the Weight, Keep it Off and Let Your Fabulousness Shine” to VIP Days for those who just want very fast, concentrated results. Author of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day: Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life, Irene is also a nutrition and wellness expert for our 4-legged furry friends, writing frequently on those topics. Her website is:  www.eating4achieving.com.  She also writes a free, twice-monthly newsletter, “Power Wellness,” full of information and suggestions for healthy eating and lifestyle–for BOTH humans and pets.  Subscribers get a free download of her report, “Sugar’s Sour Story.”  To subscribe, click here.

Exercise May Protect Against Emotional Stress, According to Study

Here’s just more proof of the importance of exercise:  On the heels of a news report stating that people who experience intense workplace stress are at greater risk for heart attack, came another report of a study conducted by the University of Maryland School of Public Health suggesting that even moderate exercise can help people cope with the day-to-day anxieties of today’s world.

First, every participant’s stress levels were measured. Then all participants were split up into two groups:  Those who experienced quiet rest for 30 minutes and those who exercised at a moderately intensive pace, like cycling.

They were all shown a series of photographs, ranging from pictures of families, babies and puppies to pictures of appetizing foods and then escalating to violent and gruesome images.

All participants were reassessed, and the researchers compared the effects of 30-minute periods of quiet rest and with those who exercised at moderate-intensity.

Those who exercised showed a lower level of anxiety.

The following statement appeared on the school’s website:

“While it is well-known that exercise improves mood, among other benefits, not as much is known about whether these positive effects endure when we’re faced with everyday stressors once we leave the gym,” explains Dr. J. Carson Smith, the study author and an assistant professor in the Department of Kinesiology. “We found that exercise helps to buffer the effects of emotional exposure. If you exercise, you’ll not only reduce your anxiety, but you’ll be better able to maintain that reduced anxiety when confronted with emotional events.”

Want to know more benefits of exercise?  Please read my previous post here.

 ***

Weight isn’t the only indicator of overall health and fitness. Irene Ross, CHHC, AADP is a certified health and nutrition coach who helps people get off the diet roller coaster and live a lifetime of health, vitality, passion and overall physical and emotional wellbeing.  Author of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day:  Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life, her website is:  www.irenefross.com.  While there, be sure to sign up for her free, twice monthly newsletter, Power Wellness,” full of information on healthy eating and lifestyle.

Also the wellness expert for the 4-legged, she writes a popular pet health blog:  http://www.furryfriendshavefun.wordpress.com.

Cook Once, Eat Twice–and Other Ways to Deal with that Time-Guzzling Monster

You can still eat healthfully and mindfully, maintain your weight and increase your energy, even when you’re short on time.

• Cook Once, Eat Twice: No, I’m not talking about leftovers. The idea is to plan meals based around key foods that can be one recipe for  one meal–and an entirely different recipe for another.
  

  You can do all kinds of things with apples, from making dipping sauces to rolling in peanut butter and freezing as truffles–to creating more traditional soups and pies.

For example, one of my clients told me she hated making brown rice because it took too long; she worked long hours and often came home late, ravenous, and to an equally hungry family. She learned about “cook once, eat twice and, before long, the rice also became a salad and breakfast porridge, in addition to its role as a supporting player as a side dish at dinner. By the way, she added some almond milk and created cereal out of those little loose grains that fall to the bottom of rice cake packets.

• Boost Nutrient Values! Sometimes our schedules just leave us no choice but to use a prepared food. If that happens, first, select the best version you can–I like Vitalicious, which tastes great and is low in calories, fat, salt and sugar–and packed with vitamins and minerals. Add fresh veggies and fruit; for instance, a VitaTop can become a healthy, convenient and fast breakfast, a VitaBun, a yummy and low-cal  pizza. Amy’s has an assortment of soups and frozen foods, and I personally love the Mayan bake from Kashi.

If you have to eat from the salad bar, choose lots of vegetables and some lean, grilled chicken or fish. Don’t add those fatty or fried items, because they’ll just increase the fat content. Skip dressings entirely, or use some fresh lemon wedges.

• Slow Down Eating: I can just hear the protests: “I’m too busy to slow down!”  That old cliche, “penny-wise, pound-foolish” pertains also to eating.

When we gobble our food our parasympathetic nervous system ceases to function efficiently and digestion is inhibited, resulting in decreased energy to our heart, lungs and muscles. By slowing down your eating, you’ll actually end up getting more nutrients, fewer calories (and who doesn’t want that?) and less stress. You’ll be much more productive and will have more energy to get more done in less time to balance your life–and who doesn’t want that?

• Eat Mindfully: Everyone can spare 5 minutes so, when it’s lunchtime at the office, shut your door, turn off  the computer and let your phone go into voicemail. At the end of five minutes, one of two things will happen: You’ll either decide that you DO  have time for a bigger lunch break or you’ll return to business refreshed and much more productive.
• Be prepared for Snack Attacks! Forget those energy-zapping and money-draining runs for donuts, cookies and other junk. Instead, keep little bags of veggies, fruits,      nuts, seeds. Some people even bring a small bag containing a couple of turkey slices or a cooked chicken breast.
• Drink Water: Why? Because it is probably one of the fastest way to get some nutrients; water transports nutrients and oxygen to your cells and it’s responsible for every  function, from immune to digestion. Water also decreases signs of aging  and will keep your energy increased. An added benefit is that drinking a glass of water often puts an end to a craving!

 

Is Your Nutrition Prepared for a Storm?

I was just watching the news and, on the weather report, there was a discussion of the build-up of Hurricane Ernesto.

Now, I live in the New York City area where hurricanes rarely happen, but we did experience Hurricane Irene last year–and was that ever an eye opener.  When the supermarket was finally re-opened, I noticed that sugary, highly processed foods–like certain peanut butters, canned spaghetti and salty soups–were completely sold out.  The freshly-baked breads weren’t touched, and got stale from sitting around–but those packaged breads, with a list of ingredients we can’t even pronounce, were gone.

I really smile everytime I think of this:  My friend, Pete, probably won the prize for the unhealthiest weekend fare–he told me he lived on those $2 convenience-store burritos all that weekend.

Then, of course, we had that infamous Halloween Weekend snow storm.

So let’s try to be a little better prepared this time.  Your cabinets and freezer should have:

• Beans. Can be either dried or canned but, if canned, please rinse thoroughly.
• Brown rice, Quinoa, Buckwheat or some other grain.
• Frozen veggies. Of course, fresh is best, but that may not be possible–if you’re confined or stranded for days, they’ll only wilt and spoil. Case in point:  When I was able to visit the store last year after Hurricane Irene, all the produce was brown and wilted.  Yuk!  And where is the nutrition in that?  Just check the label to be sure you’re only getting vegetables and water, and you should be okay.  If possible, try to get “flash frozen” because that means it’s frozen the minute it’s picked.
• Frozen fruit. You can find good organic varieties at Trader Joes and in Whole Foods and even some supermarkets.
• Nut butters.  The healthy varieties, please!  You can always have it with some sliced apples or celery for a nutritious snack.
• Dark chocolate.  Yes, you read correctly.  Dark chocolate, as long as it has 60%-80% cocoa, is a Super Food; if it contains another Super Food, the gogi berry, well, you’ll probably never taste anything so good.  It should be a very small piece, like the size of a candy kiss–but it will probably also satisfy your need for some comfort food.
• Yogurt:  All yogurt is considered a Super Food, but I like Greek, because the thick and creamy texture makes me think I’m eating ice cream. Mix it with another Super Food, pumpkin, and you have a powerful, nutrient-dense snack.  You can find 100% pure pumpkin (not the pie filling!) in most supermarkets.
• Olive oil.
• Pasta (In a pinch, you can make a pasta topping of broccoli, sauteed in olive oil and garlic.

****

Irene Ross, CHHC, AADP, is a certified nutrition and health coach who helps people instantly double their energy so they avoid that mid-morning or afternoon slump, get more done in less time and balance their lives.  She is author of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day:  Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life.

For more information on Irene, and to sign up for her newsletter (and get her free e-book, Sugar’s Sour Story), please visit:   www.irenefross.com

How One School Changed My Life

I was in the business world for several years (public relations executive) but, for many of them, I was the “go to” person in the office for advice on wellness and nutrition.  I always, mistakenly, thought that if something was a passion it was, well, a passion and a hobby.

Was I ever wrong!

In 2009, I enrolled at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.  It’s headquartered in New York City, but students come from all over the world; I remember in one of my classes I sat next to a woman who traveled from Korea.  Once I heard two students from Brazil and one from India, speak.  Another time I met a student from Mexico.  Well, you get the picture!

While there, I received a world-class education.  My instructors included people like Dr. Andrew Weil; Dr. Mark Hyman; Geneen Roth; Deepak Chopra; Dr. David Katz and a lot of others.

It was a world different from anything I had experienced; I was now part of a movement, living my passion and mission–and having fun while I was at it.

Probably the biggest change came from my own transformation.  You see, months before I enrolled, I was stressed to the max and experienced many, many problems–personal and professional.  As a result, I gained 65 pounds, my blood pressure shot up and my knees hurt so badly that I actually remembering standing on the first floor of an apartment building–because I wasn’t sure I wanted to make the climb to the 4th floor apartment to visit someone.

So, as I learned, I also experimented on myself.  I actually consider myself my first client.  I tried all different dietary theories to learn what worked for me and what didn’t.  I experimented with different lifestyle techniques.  In short, I coached myself.

Today, I’m happy, successful, strong and passionate–and minus the 65 pounds that I had gained.

I’m also proud to be a school ambassador, so if you’d like to know more, please contact me through my website:  www.irenefross.com.  It’ll be one of the best decisions you ever made!

***

Irene Ross, CHHC, AADP is a certified nutrition and wellness coach who helps people instantly double their energy so they avoid that mid-morning or afternoon slump, get more done in less time and balance their lives.  Author of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways to Fire Up Your Day:  Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life, she also writes a twice-monthly newsletter called “Power Wellness.”  To subscribe (and automatically receive a free download of her mini e-book, Sugar’s Sour Story), click here: Power Wellness

How Do You Fire Up Your Day??

No mid-morning or afternoon slump for you!  A green drink is a healthy and great-tasting way to start your day off right–and then keep the energy going all day!

You can make yours with any combination of veggies and fruits, including spinach, kale, cucumbers, kiwi, bananas, lemons, limes and more.

Need more ideas?  Make the breakfast drink that Dr. Oz swears by! This “green drink” is high in fiber, low-calorie and rich in vitamins.

Ingredients:  2 cups spinach 2 cups cucumber 1 head of celery 1/2 inch or teaspoon ginger root 1 bunch parsley 2 apples Juice of 1 lime Juice of 1/2 lemon

Directions: Combine all ingredients in a blender. This makes approximately 28-30 ounces, or 3-4 servings.

***

Irene Ross, CHHC, AADP is a NYC-based, certified nutrition and wellness coach. She is a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition where she studied over 100 dietary theories, lifestyle management techniques and cutting-edge coaching methods–with instructors such as Dr. Joel Fuhrman; Deepak Chopra; Dr. David Katz; Dr. Mark Hyman and others. She is board certified by the American Association of Drugless Practitioners.

She received her BA from Marist College, attended New York University, has two fitness certifications and is author of the forthcoming book, 25 Ways To Fire Up Your Day: Increase Energy, Get More Done in Less Time, Balance Your Life. Her mini e-book, Sugar’s Sour Story is available for a free download–all you need to do is LIKE her Facebook page: eating4achieving.com (no “www” before it. Her website is: www.irenefross.com.

Irene also writes a twice-monthly free newsletter that’s full of tips and suggestions for healthy eating and lifestyle. You can subscribe to the newsletter called “Power Wellness” here.