3 Ways To Use Hummus (Dedicated)

I’m in love with hummus. Some people always have milk in their fridge, I have hummus. If we’re going to be a society fixated on convenience, immediate gratification and taste, I’m so glad that smashed and seasoned chickpeas are out there because they fit the bill better than anything else in all of those categories. When the American hummus craze first kicked in, we went pretty conventional with it. You’d find carrot and celery sticks or maybe a bowl of pretzels next to a dish of store-bought hummus. Nowadays, I’m finding out of the box hummus all over the place, so I thought I’d share my three favorite ways to get this nutrition superstar into your mouth.   Middle-Asian. I’m so in love with Avocado and Cucumber Nori Rolls that there is a photo of this amazing wrap on the wall of my office in the waiting area. The combo of Middle Eastern hummus, avocado and cucumber marries perfectly with Asia in this nori-wrapped, un-sandwich that works uh-mazingly for vegan and vegetarian clients, as well as gluten-free eaters and those looking to slim down. If you’re bored with your usual salad, or looking for a carb-less sandwich. Give this one a go! Transcending. If flavor is what you want, you’ve got to combine za’atar — which is a blend of sesame seeds, thyme, sumac, salt and pepper — with your hummus. I tried this one with a seasonal cucumber tzatziki hummus from Tribe and it was amazing. Make a bucket full and serve it up with endive leaves or on top of high quality crackers with thinly sliced radishes. I put it out alongside tapenades and bruschetta with a bottle of rose when I want to make a celebration get together. Per-fec-tion!   Portable-yum. I’ve been a cheerleader of individually portioned hummus from the minute I saw ‘em. I recommend all of my clients toss a hummus snacker in their lunch bag, gym bag, purse and office fridge because they are so easy to turn into a snack (with a handful of crudites) or meal (paired with soup, loaded onto a sandwich or piled on top of a salad) in seconds. They work as an after school snack for your picky eaters and hallelujah there’s no clean up for you!   Happy hummus eating, everyone. There are more ways to spread some garbanzo love than in a dish next to some veggies. Be creative and the deliciousness will follow!  

Stacia’s Inspirational Marathon Story

I’ve had a simple goal for the past 11 years: to give my children the best childhood I possibly can. I’m juggling work, marriage, parenting and my sanity all the time. For 11 years I have told myself “it’s not my time” to push my exercise. “It’s not my time” to sleep in on a Sunday. “It’s not my time” to take on a hobby. It is my time to freeze on the soccer field, cry at kindergarten graduations, volunteer on field trips and lay the foundation for my children so they can thrive and flourish. While the kids are at school, I kick into professional mode. At work as a nutritionist, it’s my time to laser focus on my clients, their goals, health and wellness. Both my kids and my clients inspire me. I’m grateful that they give me purpose and I feel rewards in my hard work all the time.  I’ve decided “it’s still not my time” for me to take center stage in my own life, but I really need to spend more time working on myself with purpose. A month before my 40th birthday, I decided to train and run the NYC marathon. Before June I had never run a mile. I’m doing this crazy 26.2 as a charity fundraiser for Dylan Hockley, a friend lost in the Sandy Hook tragedy in December 2012. My family lived in Newtown for 5 years and some of my closest friends still live there. It has been impossibly hard and painful not to see them and hug them daily. As I run, I’m pounding out my feelings of being haunted with sadness and grief. I’m thinking of Dylan, who loved purple and butterflies, and hopeful that my run will contribute to a legacy of goodness that came from him and his amazing family. I’m thinking of my children and hopeful that the hours away from them, training, focusing on my body and endurance will teach them that their bodies are full of potential. If I can do this, so can they. I’m thinking of my clients, who have run marathons with an extra 50 pounds on them, or after a fight with near deadly cancer, or after menopause, a life change or terrible loss. If they can do it, so can I. I’m thinking of how good it feels to be a road warrior. Fit. Strong. Tired. Hungry. Blistered. Injured. Emotional. I’m thinking how grateful I am to have a family I adore. A boss (I call Keri Boss-lady) who supports me like a sister. And an army of women, friends, fathers, children and loved ones who bring me to tears with their encouragement. I’m running for a giant bowl of orecchiette with broccoli rabe, garlic and spicy tomato sauce, a cold beer, a hot bath and my bed. It has been terrifying and brilliant to take this time for myself. So far in my training, I’ve run 18 miles (it isn’t pretty, but that’s ok). What I have learned is that we are not limited by our bodies. Our minds are the place we get stuck, discouraged, polluted. For any of you who feel like it isn’t your time, or that you aren’t a good enough runner to do a marathon, or that there’s always next year, I hope my journey inspires you. I know it has inspired my children and my clients, which in turn inspires me to get through one more mile. You don’t need tragic motivation to run a marathon. You just need to decide it is your time, and take it. There is always a finish line waiting for you.

The Biggest Mistake You are Making at the Coffee Shop this Month

Back in the day, there was the coffee pot. There was one at home and maybe one at the office. If you went out schmancy, you’d be offered a cup of coffee with dessert after dinner, but you certainly weren’t sporting a cup between meals or late afternoon. Well, these are modern times. On my one block walk from the train to my office this morning, I counted 5 spots where you could grab a cup of Joe and 17 people walking with a coffee cup in their hand. I know that at any given time of day, I’ll see busy people with a sacred cup going about their lives. If you are one of these people,  lemme help you caffeinate well with a few wise tips. The potential for nutritional derailment is everywhere, so it’s important you’re doin’ it right!   Avoid Seasonal Temptations. The biggest mistake you can make at the cafe is “trying” the seasonal items. There is a special every day it seems and it is as important to steer clear of the cup of calories as it is to avoid the pumpkin shaped, triple frosted donuts. You KNOW what works for you when it comes to your morning brew, so don’t mess with it! Every day your body needs some routine, and your coffee plays a big role in that. Coffee drinkers should go for a cup of their favorite brew with a splash of something real to flavor it how you like. Please avoid the salted caramel extra whip ginormous seasonal special. Ditto that for the frozen calorie-laden-chino summer $0.99 deal. Do have a 12 oz dark roast with a splash of cream, or a 16 oz hazlenut with almond milk. Be consistent every day. Your body will respond to steady caffeine intake and you won’t be sucked into sucking down unwanted calories and fat. Of course, your usual should be real coffee, from coffee beans (not an instant powder) and you can absolutely have a splash of milk or cream and maybe even a spoonful of sugar or agave, but nothing chemical or overly processed should be in there. Besides that, the cute barista kind of likes knowing your order by heart. Treat Your Drink. I’m good with a sprinkle of cinnamon or even a cinnamon stick in your usual morning mug of pleasure. Flavored beans are also thumbs up in my book. Can you add some pumpkin pie spice? Abso. A shot of vanilla extract? Go for it. Yes, your morning pick-me-up can have a little something seasonal to make it interesting, but be sure any additions or substitutions are healthful and don’t counteract your nutritious life efforts. Try the Alternative. Sometimes you go for a cup of coffee because you’re crashing hard and the angel intern is making a run. Rather than fixing the crash as the stimulus from your morning caffeine wears off with another round of coffee flavored stimulation, have an unsweetened tea, such as Honest Tea that is easy to grab and go, or put in an order for a freshly pressed green juice. I’m also a fan of seltzer and mineral water, which will refresh, rather than super-charge. Mistake no more at the cafe, friend. Your abs will thank you for it.

Stevia in Your Diet: Yay or Nay?

Do the green leaf and the word “natural” on the box of Stevia at the supermarket make you wonder if it should be on your shelf? Is it any better of a sugar substitute than aspartame or sucralose? Are you picking up a pack of gum, a bottle of tea or a container of soy sauce and wondering, “What’s the deal with stevia in the ingredient list?” If so, you’re not alone. Stevia is deemed GRAS (generally regarded as safe). It’s in the company of things like annatto, carrageenan and chlorine in our food supply. In other words, GRAS doesn’t necessarily mean much. Uber-reputable sources are giving it the nod. But, as someone skeptical of any kind of sweetener, I look at it very closely. Let’s break this down a bit. What is Stevia? Stevia is a natural sweetener and sugar substitute extracted from the leaves of a shrub called Stevia rebaudiana. Chemically speaking, the sweet components of the stevia leaf are called steviol glycosides, and the stevia leaf contains more than 40 of these glycosides. Stevia-based sweeteners you buy at the store (of which there are many) can contain one or several steviol glycosides. Depending on which ones are used, and what the stevia is mixed with (erythritol, inulin, maltodextrin, xylitol and monk fruit, to name a few), these sweeteners can be anywhere from 25 to 400 times sweeter than sugar! Despite this, stevia has zero calories and zero glycemic index. I know what you’re thinking: “Yippee! sweet deliciousness with no calories!” I hear you. We do know, however, that your taste buds taste the sweetness and even when no calories are linked to the bite in your mouth, hormones may still be stimulated. Your mouth tastes the sweetness in sweeteners and assumes that calories are supposed to follow. You’re supposed to get those calories in your belly and digestive hormones are then supposed to kick into place. When no calories come, your body sends signals to your brain, saying, “What’s the deal?!” It makes sense to me that there would be some confusion with what your brain thinks is going on and what actually happens in your stomach. This is where my relationship with stevia used to end. Keep reading. Pros and Cons of Stevia The Nutrition Action Healthletter, put out by CSPI (Center for Science in the Public Interest) is a resource I often check out. They take the most important nutrition issues of the day and attack them from scientific, political and environmental angles to get to a succinct bottom line. They reviewed artificial sweeteners and reminded me that in the ‘90s, the FDA rejected stevia because of the “potential impact on blood sugar, sperm count, kidney function and cardiovascular systems.” But they did give it a safe rating. Why? Even though a couple studies (using extremely high doses) have linked stevia to changes in DNA, studies didn’t show an increased risk of cancer, fertility problems or offspring with disabilities. On the flip side, studies have shown that one of the sweet compounds in stevia may lower blood pressure. (Note: Large doses were used during these studies.) Other studies have linked stevia to a reduction in blood sugar and potential glycemic control in people with diabetes, while still other studies have shown stevia’s possible anti-inflammatory benefits. So, in other words, there are probably many worse things in our pantries than stevia. Bottom Line on Stevia Refined sugar has absolutely no nutritional value and may cause inflammation, cancer, diabetes and obesity. Yet, it is not realistic for most people to take sweets completely out of their diet. If you are someone who can control and maintain a very small amount of refined sugar in your diet, you may be fine with keeping it in. For others, stevia is an alternative. The takeaway is that you shouldn’t add it in because, “Oh, hey, it’s healthy.” Rather, it may work for your lifestyle as a better alternative to refined sugar and other artificial sweeteners because of its zero calories and zero glycemic index. In either case, you don’t want to be pouring packets into your mouth. Of course, the best way to consume stevia is by growing it and harvesting it from your garden (yeah, people are doing this), or you can order the leaves online. More Reading Exactly How Much Sugar Can I Eat in a Day? (Image: Shutterstock)

3 Cleansing Foods You Can’t Live Without

Your eats can’t always be ideal. Lots of us do a pretty good job most of the time but there’s usually at least a few times a week when we’re snacking on what’s around, eating the Friday pizza or enjoying a menage a trois with Ben and Jerry on the couch. Call me crazy, but I think that’s normal. You can be “normal” but you also gotta clean up the mess that less-than-healthful-just-ate-it-cuz-it’s-delish foods wreak on your system. Calling the internal squeegee, I’m sharing 3 foods that are the Arm & Hammer, Clorox and Lysol of foods (I’m talking results here, without the toxic chemical part). Cleansing foods are foods that flush the GI tract, wake up your digestion, rid you of gunk in your pipes and release super powerful nutritional properties. 3 Cleansing Foods You Can’t Live Without: Artichokes If you know me at all, you know how strongly I believe in the choke. Between the antioxidants, fiber and sky-high vitamin C content, artichokes are famous for soothing your tummy’s reflux, stomach upset, nausea and constipation. Trust me, I know they are a pain to steam to perfection. That’s OK! Frozen and canned in water artichokes are super simple to keep on hand. Pop ‘em in a stirfry or load ‘em on your salad. Garlic That little bulb of garlic that sits on your countertop is a liver cleansing powerhouse of sulfur containing healthfulness. It boosts your immune system, fights cancer and prevents infection. We all need that! (Plus, it keeps vampires away). Smash a bulb and warm it up in a little olive oil over a low heat and grate it into your pesto. Get the smell out of your fingertips by rubbing a metal spoon under running water and cleanse your breath with a chop of parsley (also a cleansing food. Woot woot!). Dandelion root Yeah, the damn yellow weeds that ruin your dad’s perfect lawn actually have benefits! Dandelion root is an amazing digestive aid that promotes peeing (yeah, you want to pee a lot because urine gets rid of toxins). It also cleans the liver and kidneys, and has a role in diabetes, cancer and blood pressure management. You can find these greens at farmer’s markets, and sometimes at your local market, but they’re easiest to get in as a tea. You can even make your own (just make sure you get ‘em from your dad’s lawn for the extra brownie points). Go on and get your cleanse on with artichokes, garlic and dandelion root. You’ll feel healthier and feeling healthier will make you want to do healthy things, like strap on your sneaks and sip down the H2O. They will also have you feeling so good about yourself, that those less-than-healthful-just-ate-it-cuz-it’s-delish foods won’t be as tempting. Go you!

Are Your Healthy Habits Being Blocked By Digestion?

By Ashley Koff, RD You are what you eat, well, not quite… On your path to a nutritious life you’ve been learning about all the great foods you can and should eat. Keri and her team are amazing at coming up with fun and delicious ways to get these foods into you for a healthier, happier you (and family). Are you eating your kale and quinoa, drinking your water with lemon, and using coconut oil on your bod and in the pan? These things are amazing for you IF they get where they need to go in the body. And that, my friends, is where so many of us have problems these days.  Last week, as us RD gals caught up, I shared “I know they say ‘you are what you eat’ but I say ‘ you are what you digest and absorb’” to which Keri said “love it! Will you guest blog for me and explain why.” So here I go: Did you know our digestive lining is meant to be like mesh (think panty hose) but many of us have the start of a run or worse, have runs that aren’t just letting some skin show through – they are actually letting the nutrients we want in our digestive tract to “leak” out along with stuff we should be eliminating too – this is creating a hot mess of intolerances, skin irritation, bloating, and suboptimal nutrient absorption. But if I eat right and exercise, why would this be happening? Stress – even the good ‘I did a triathlon’ or ‘I birthed a baby’ stress – is often the culprit, along with medications we took when we needed (antibiotics, steroids, birth control) and those unfortunately coming in by way of our adulterated food and water (we know today to choose antibiotic-free meats and dairy but most of us have been consuming it for far longer than not). UGH! So what can I do and does it mean I have to buy a whole new digestive tract? LOL! No. But we do need to start today to add to all the smart Nutritious Life steps, the step called – repair work – as in ‘How to heal and promote a healthy digestive tract’.   This begins with an assessment – ideally monthly – to see how things are or are not moving, and how they are or are not smelling.   If there’s something going on all the time, you would do best to talk to an RD or MD who knows about digestive issues ASAP. But for all of us who just feel we need and want to optimize our digestion to get all the benefits that go along with it (better energy, healthy immune system, healthy skin, and better body composition results – think bye bye belly fat) when combined with optimal nutrition, fitness, and sleep, we can consider adding the nutrients that work together for optimal digestion.  Symbiotics combine nutrients such as Lactoferrin, Immunoglobulins, and Proline-Rich Polypeptides – which are big words for nutrients the body uses to promote a robust intestinal lining and healthy intestinal flora – net, net, think of it as beyond the nail polish you would use to stop a run, it’s the goods that deliver a whole new pair of pantyhose without you having to go to the trouble of getting a new pair! So consider that while we love an organic kale juice and water with lemon, part of a Nutritious Life is making sure your body gets the great nutrition you are bringing into it.

Why You Have Food Cravings

You’d be totes jeal if you heard some of the crazy interesting stories I hear in my line of work. Some people go to work and crunch numbers, but me, I go to work and hear about clients’ food cravings. Honestly, sex-talk isn’t as enthralling as the client who told me the story about leaving the house to calm her ice cream craving only to notice she didn’t have shoes, keys or her phone with her. The $20 spot she’d thrown into her pj’s pocket to run to the bodega didn’t buy her a pint, it got her super out of bed to let her back into her apartment! I had a client so desperate for french fries that she stood in front of Shake Shack (she got through some email at least) an hour before it opened because the salty, crisp fix couldn’t come fast enough. Ever wonder about the intensity of these food cravings? We’re chippin away at the research and there’s some closing in going on, thanks to Tufts U (my alma, woot woot). Before we get to the nitty gritty of what’s behind your craving, I want to remind you that with any and all research that comes out, you need to be a critical thinker. Ask yourself, ‘is this reasonable to me?’ It never felt reasonable to me that cholesterol in eggs was so closely linked to heart disease, because most animals in nature eat them, and you never find a raccoon with blocked arteries. I was always a skeptic, and lo and behold the findings on eggs were reversed. Back to those food cravings. Is it reasonable to crave ice cream and fries? Wouldn’t it be more reasonable to crave kale, salmon and tomatoes? That’s just what researchers explored. Here’s what they found: The part of the brain that is linked to cravings is the same part of the brain that is active in addiction. These parts of the brain are linked to memory-reward and emotion. Hmmmm. Similar to drugs and cigarettes, the more a craved food is eaten, the less it releases the happy hormones, so you need more food to get the happy the more you eat the food. Yeah, you’ve noticed the 2pm Hershey’s break isn’t as great as it was two months ago. If you’re on a “diet” you should expect food cravings early on, but they’ll go away after some time. The memories of those delicious treats fade and the promise of feeling lighter and healthier will prevail.  Phew. I mean, really. It does make sense that we get used to eating treats. If we stop eating them, we will want them, but if we can push through, the desire will lessen. As a person who thinks critically, I’m into these findings. They make sense to me. Here’s what they suggest you do to conquer your food cravings and get power back into your hands: Use visual imagery to get over your craving. Drawing a visual image (a house, your fave pair of shoes, an animal) will use the same brain centers and take your mind off the crave. Whiff away. Smells can bring you out of your cravealicious self by Jedi-mindtricking your desire. Sniff some essential oils, such as jasmine, mint or calendula to intercept the desire. Pick your weapons. Choose a couple of favorite sweet or indulgent treats and use them sparingly — even plan for them! Plugging a couple of them in every once in a while will make them more special and satisfying. And, you’ll feel empowered controlling what you consume and at the same time enjoying.  Sounds good to me! Bottom line is that most of us crave calories, not nutrients. Calories are linked to our biology, which hasn’t changed in hundreds and hundreds of years, in spite of our changed lifestyles. Just remember, you are stronger than your food cravings (and now know why they exist, so you can extinguish them like a flame).

Perfect Coleslaw and Potato Salad Without Mayo

Raise your hand if you equate a bbq with coleslaw, macaroni salad and potato salad. After all, they’re tradition, right?! But let’s be honest. More often than not, many a backyard feast winds down with containers missing only one spoonful of each salad and a thin brown coating atop of what’s left. In the end, they all wind up in the garbage. Since we have all come to expect these traditional dishes at traditional cookouts, I am often asked what to eat at a fete that has burgers, dogs, mayo based salads and little else (answer, eat the lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles with a grilled burger and no bun). If you’re looking forward summer bbqs this year, give your mayo salads a facelift and everyone will be eating them, loving you, and sticking to their healthy ways. Party on. Coleslaw Without The Mayo Coleslaw should be healthful! After, all, it’s mainly cabbage. Lots of more healthful versions use Greek yogurt to replace the mayo, but both ingredients expire quickly and you want to keep your guests safe. Try a vinegar based coleslaw that is delicious and safer than the traditional version. I’d make a double batch and hope for leftovers! Macaroni Salad Without The Mayo Macaroni salad is comfort on a fork, but the processed pasta, fat-laden mayo and nutrient poor ingredients aren’t going to set you up for fueling yourself well. Use a high fiber pasta and try a pasta salad full of veggies or a pesto pasta salad that uses good fats for amazing flavor. I’m not gonna lie, I’ve tossed in a spoonful or two of flax meal to boost the nutrition and nobody noticed. Potato Salad Without The Mayo Potato salad takes so much work to make — you gotta peel the potatoes, boil ‘em, wait for them to cool, dress them and then refrigerate them so the flavors can marry. Who needs all that work for something so unappreciated? Try a farmer’s market potato salad that you can throw in the oven and feel great about eating. Yes, I know coleslaw nad macaroni salad and potato salad without mayo is going to feel a little different. A little strange, maybe. Try these anyway! You can have the comfort and tradition without ditching your healthful ways. You’re welcome.

The Easiest Sunday Dinner Ideas Ever

It’s the weekend. You’ve been traveling or playing or parenting or partying. It’s a wild ride of friends and family and (hopefully) fun, but the routine of your “normal” life is a distant memory and more than once Sunday afternoon arrives with no time to get the laundry, food shopping, and prepping done before it is Monday and your work week charges forward. Sunday evening, you’re faced with grabbing a bite from wherever you can because there ‘isn’t a thing’ in your fridge that you can pull together that counts as a Sunday dinner idea. Sigh. The weekend whirlwind is worth it, but you do pay the price for relying on take-out too much with a little more sodium retention and bloating than you’d like. You’ve been eating out all weekend and you’d just like something simple and home cooked. I hear you, and I’m here for you on this one. Here are some quick, reliable, satisfying and easy Sunday dinner ideas (that you can also take to work for lunch on Monday) that you can make from the little bit that should be laying around in your pantry and resilient items from your fridge and freezer. The Easiest Sunday Dinner Ideas Ever: Spaghetti with Anchovy Sauce is a staple — the recipe here is as close as I could find to the ad hoc version I make at home. Don’t stress if you aren’t a ‘chovy lover — they melt into a salty sauce full of omega-3’s and iron. I just take a tin of anchovies and a little olive oil and melt them in a pan over low heat while the pasta water is boiling. The semi-offensive fish melt completely. If garlic, shallots, or onions are on hand, I toss them in the pan too. Drain whole wheat pasta and add them to the saute pan for a minute before serving. If you have olives, a can of diced tomatoes or a box of frozen spinach, they can really round out the dish (add them to the saute pan and heat them through before you add the pasta). If turning on the stove is too much for you, I respect that. Open the freezer. Frozen shrimp should be a staple, like always, in your freezer. When you walk in the door, toss ‘em in a bowl of water and in 20 minutes, they’re thawed and you’ve got a shrimp cocktail that you can eat with a pantry salad. Or you can cook those shrimp off in a stir fry with a bag of frozen veggies and a shake of herbs from the spice cabinet. Some other reliable go-to, got no time and haven’t hit the market in a while recs: A can of healthful lentil soup or chili with a handful of Mary’s Gone Crackers Scrambled eggs with frozen veggies sauteed in and a bowl of air popped popcorn on the side Soy free veggie or garden burger with frozen spinach, sriracha and edamame on the side Oatmeal with 2 teaspoons of nut butter and a big handful of frozen berries mixed in See that? You do have sumpthin’ to eat! You just have to think outside the take out box. But don’t forget you still have to remember to get groceries delivered on Monday morning, so you’ll be replenished for the rest of the week, so you can do it alllllll again!

Is the SUN making you fat?

I have a story for you, and it might sound familiar. Jane (no, not her real name), who is 5’6” and a comfortable 128 pound fit and successful 32 year old, was confused as to why her weight went up 7 pounds after a great weekend of eating well, hiking, beaching and amazing sleep while on vaca with her friends. Her food journal was “clean” as could be with no excessive added salt or sodium. She drank a ton of water and consumed no alcohol. Jane was stress free and slept like a babe. It seemed like a conundrum until she told me that she fell asleep on the beach and got a sunburn on her back. Aha! When questioned, she said she did feel a little puffy under her skin . . .not just on her back, but also in her wrists and ankles. Our bodies handle sunburns just as they handle any type of burn! Sunburns cause an inflammatory response, due to basically cooking your skin!  Your bod holds on to fluid to help you heal. Yep, add sunburn to causes of water retention. The prescription for all that water retention? Drink a ton of water and decaffeinated herbal tea (at least enough so that your pee is clear and odorless) Avoid salt, sodium and processed foods Avoid sugar Elevate your feet if your ankles are swollen Exercise Choose foods that are good sources of B6 (grass fed meat and brown rice) Calcium and vitamin D are helpful too (found in dairy and dairy alternatives, collard greens and kale) See a doc if you are not recovering in a couple of days, or if the burn blisters Don’t stress and abandon your health goals – feel empowered knowing what is going on! By the way, warm weather makes our bodies a little less efficient at getting rid of excess water, so even if you don’t get a burn, your weight loss may still be somewhat slower in the summer. Follow the same prescription as above to literally flush the extra water out of you.

How to Declutter in 10 Minutes

I don’t want you to get me wrong—I already think you are uh-maz-ing. I just think you might feel as fabtastic as you truly are if you cleared off some of the clutter that may be dragging you down. You don’t need a major spring cleaning or overhaul of your closet to reap the rewards of a little picking up your living space. You need ten minutes a day in pursuit of Zen living. For this version of decluttering, choose the spots where you spend the most time. This may be your car, office, bedroom, entry way or kitchen. In my case, I’m starting with my summer bag, which I drag around the city like a life-raft from appointments to meetings to lunch dates. Once you have established where you spend most of your time, you can choose where to best spend your ten minutes each day. Do not be ashamed of maximizing the time you are waiting for the dentist to de-clutter your wallet or backpack. When your mind is wandering at work and you need to kick back into productive-gear, pull the unnecessaries out of your desk drawers and re-organize your essentials. We can debate you keeping the scrap of a love letter in there later, but for now just leave the stuff you need to do your job. While you are waiting for the oven to preheat and your vegetables to go in to roast, put the misplaced papers, random spices, and hard-to-store items back where they belong and return your countertops to their shiny flat surface status. If ten minutes turns into 20, go with it. I’ll give you extra credit. Ten minutes should not be overwhelming! I’m not asking you to pull everything out of your dresser drawers and re-fold your wardrobe. I’m just challenging you to a slightly neater, more organized version of yourself. Here are some tips for quick and easy decluttering. How to Declutter 1. Choose five spots to clean up and decide which to tackle each day. Put ‘em on your calendar! 2. Decide when you will spend your ten minutes and set a timer on your phone to remind you of this appointment, and then set a stopwatch for the 10 minutes you’re in action. 3. If you choose to work on only one space (your closet, for example!), take it on in ten minute pieces. Spend your Monday ten minutes pulling things out for donation. Tuesday, pair your shoes and organize your bags. . . There is good evidence that physical clutter overloads your senses. It distracts you and creates emotional confusion. It also negatively affects performance. I love this challenge because it gives immediate results. You’ll love this challenge, because when your digs are neat and clean, you’ll be a happier, more productive version of you!

Is the Spiralizer the Healthy Gadget Your Kitchen Needs?

Nobody has ever accused me of being a tech genius, but I am a great appreciator of modern gizmos. When nouveau gadgets find their way into my kitchen, I am a happy cook, nutritionist, and mom. Which is why I’m still taking about the spiralizer. I put it to use the day I got it and the next night…and the following three nights. When something’s this good, I share. If you haven’t heard about it yet (not on Instagram much?), the spiralizer is an uber cool tool that turns your favorite veggies into pasta like julienned works of art. Even if you failed finger painting in kindergarten, you’ll be a master at food styling with a spiralizer in your hands. RELATED: 5 Expert Instagram Tips for Gorgeous Healthy Food Photos Why Use a Spiralizer? Regular pasta is flat out nutrient poor. There aren’t many health benefits lurking in the processed flour, eggs, and water that make it up. Still, it’s delicious and eliminating it seems extreme. Enter the un-pasta of your dreams. You can spiralize zucchini, carrots, sweet potatoes, cucumbers, and jicama (or even apples, beets, or whatever your heart desires) to make nutrient-dense, yummy pasta-ish creations. When you turn your veggies into spaghetti-shaped eats, you get to keep all of the amazing nutrients, like vitamins, minerals, fiber, and antioxidants. You can slurp ‘em down raw, pan sauteed, or steamed, and dress ‘em up with everything from pesto or marinara to Pad Thai or curry sauce. The recipes and ideas are only limited by your imagination (and we all have a little Jackson Pollock in us, right?). RELATED: 7 Easy, Creative Smoothie Recipes to Shake Up Your Routine How to Choose a Spiralizer I did the homework for you. If you are a New Yorker, like me, go for the spiralizer that fits neatly in your utensil drawer, stays sharp forever, and washes easily in the dishwasher. If you have counter space and are looking for more varied shapes, try the countertop version, which offers changeable blades that will unleash your inner food-artist. I love this gadget as an omnivore, but if you are looking for a gift for your gluten-free, Paleo, or raw foodie friend, it’s a perfect tool, because the un-noodle is a perfect ingredient for any type of eater. Happy spiralizing!