Underground Wellness

Tuesday, January 31, 2012

What a Difference a Year Makes

Last year at this time a was packing a bag and getting ready to head to the Mayo Clinic. It was freezing and we were just a few days a way from the biggest snow storm to hit the area in years. This year I have made great strides in my health and it is 57 degrees out. What a difference a year makes. In a few weeks I will be graduating from a one year distance learning program as a health coach. At my worst, when all else had failed, I turned to this school in hopes of answers to my rapidly declining health. I got those answers and so much more. I will forever be greatful for what this school has given me. For the next few days this school is giving me the opportunity to give one person a $1000.00 scholarship. If you are interested in learning more, please leave a comment below. This will only be available through Friday.

Friday, January 27, 2012

Chocolate Walnut Butter

Okay, I girl has got to have chocolate. My go to recipe for a chocolate fix? Chocolate Walnut Butter. It satisfies all the elements of comfort food for me in a healthy, guilt free way. It also is a great snack for the kids. Combine 1/2 cup of walnuts with 1 Tablespoon of raw cacao powder and 2 tsp. of honey or maple syrup. Process in a food processor for a few minutes, scraping down the sides as needed until you get a smooth nut butter consistency. Oh, Yum!! Great eaten with sliced fruit or anywhere you would use peanut butter. I image it could be refrigerated and rolled into balls coated in cinnamon or more cacao, but it goes way to fast for that in this house. A powerhouse of nutrients and good fats and protien to keep you going. So the next time you are looking for something to satisfy your chocolate craving, give it a try.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Is Life Getting in the Way of Living?

I love those rare moments when everything just seems to come together. It all started with a new arrival at the library that I just had to check out. In the flurry of activity around my house, the book sat in the corner. I would reminded myself to pick it up before it needed to be returned, but there it sat. Then along comes the new issue of Where Women Cook and there it is, front and center. So I finally opened the book and what an amazing book it is. With in the first few pages I realized what had been niggling in the back of my mind lately. Sometimes we get so caught up in the details of life that we forget to live. There are those days that I zero in so much on WHAT I am feeding my family that I forget that it is more about HOW I feed my family. I would like to encourage you to take a moment and so what areas in your life may just be getting in the way of truly living. What we serve is important, but don't forget to include how we serve it. The winter season of Where Women Cook also featured an article by Clean Food author Terry Walters and raw chef Sarma Melngailis, among others. I am feeling inspired.

Saturday, January 21, 2012

You as an Individual

Have you ever felt so overwhelmed by the amount of information out there that you dread eating, let alone shopping for the food you are going to feed your family. Well take a deep breath and relax. You don't need to listen to what every diet and health expert out there is saying. Just listen to you. Your body knows what it needs and when it needs it. Take the time to learn what your body is telling you and you will feel so much better. You will no longer need to dread dinner time.

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Setting the Stage with a Morning Routine

I have to admit, I have not always been a morning person, but like so many generations of mothers before us, I have found my way to the mourning routine. As mothers, we wear many hats, and our days are filled with a flurry of activity. I have found that it is those few minutes in the morning that set the stage for how our day will run. It can run smoothly or leave us feeling frazzled and tired. Each of us will have our own way of centering ourselves for the day. Journaling, meditation, yoga, coffee and a sunrise, I few quick paragraphs from our favorite book. I have tried them all at some point. I have found for myself that I feel best when I use this time to do the house cleaning run through.
 In about an hour's time I can do a top to bottom clean up that leaves me feeling centered and organized before we all head out for the day. With this done, I know that whatever the day brings that our home will be a welcome place to reconnect. It's those few moments of quiet each morning, however we use them, that allows us to face the day as the wonderful mother's we are meant to be. I encourage you today to start a morning routine that will set the stage for a wonderful day, no matter what life may bring your way.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

The Sourdough Pot

In my house when we make baked goods it usually starts with a good sourdough starter. There are many benefits to sourdough. The fermenting process breaks down the phytic acid in the flour making it more digestible and it also adds many good bacteria. I have several different types of sourdough starters around my house. The one pictured above is of a friendship sourdough. This one seems to be my most active and most used pot. If you have not delved into sourdough, I would encourage you to give it a try.


Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Taking Stock

As the new year gets into full swing, I've been taking some down time. I do not make new year's resolutions, but every few months I do take a step back and take stock of what is serving me. Life is every changing and with so many things always going on around us I find it helpful to really look at what is working and what is not. Like an inventory of sorts. This needs to be taken off the menu, this needs to stay, and this needs to be added. By doing this several times a year, I can stay on top of things as they come instead of feeling overwhelmed by trying to take on several new ideas that I am not prepared for once a year. With that said, I have spent the past week doing a reevaluation on the homefront. Picking up some routines that have fallen by the wayside in the flurry of activity surrounding the holidays. Tossing out old items and ideas to make room for new items and ideas. This works wonderfully for me. I have taken this opportunity to add some new and exciting avenues to both my personal and professional agendas. Over the next few weeks I'll give you a more detailed look at how taking stock can really be beneficial to keeping things running smoothly.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

What to do When your Daughter goes Vegan?

What do you do when your soon to be twelve year old daughter decides to go vegan? Well considering that most children this age are surviving processed food, I think that this can not be any more harmful. I cannot say that I fully agree with her decision at her age, but I also know that this is a time in her life when she needs to start making up her own mind. So I will support her choices and help her to make healthy and safe choices, and make sure that she mantains a balanced diet. With this is mind, the Marquardt Health Coaching blog will be joining Meatless Monday. Stay tuned for Monday posts on our journey into adding vegetarian choices to our meals.

Yoga

As the new year begins, I have decided to venture in to the study of yoga. When I found out that my body was designed to do best with yoga as my exercise source, I did a little research. Most yoga videos out there just were not doing it for me and my time was limited so a yoga studio was out of the question for now. Then I found Aura Wellness Center . It is a self paced yoga teacher training course. I will be able to learn all the basics of yoga in a way that will work for me, and create a custom yoga workout that fits my lifestyle. Hmm, private yoga lessons, in my personal yoga studio may be in the future? What exercise program best suites you?