Recently I had the distinct pleasure of meeting Heather Dominick, an energy~nutrition specialist, with over 10 years of teaching and coaching experience. Heather's primary focus is in helping others identify sources for increasing physical energy and making permanent lifestyle changes. Her strengths include helping clients to articulate their health and/or life visions and develop a strategic execution plan to achieve these goals.

When I met Heather, she explained the Energy Rich(TM) Program to me.  I'm delighted to welcome Heather as a guest writer this issue, I trust you will enjoy it:   

An EnergyRich™ Tip

3 Strategies that Have Shaped
My Winter Weight Loss

by Heather M. Dominick, "The Energy Expert"  

You can feel spring in the air (the actual first day is March 21st). It’s a little warmer; the sun is shining a little brighter. Our bodies, generally, are very sensitive to the change of the seasons no matter where we live. As we move from winter to spring we can begin to really feel the need to “shed the winter weight”—whether it is a few pounds or more—our bodies want to change. We want to feel lighter. Every body is different and, as I always say, there isn’t one way of eating that serves everyone, but here are three general steps that will help you “lighten up” for spring. 

1.       You are what you DRINK.

For energy sake—let’s focus on water : ) For those of you who find drinking water difficult (you don’t like it, it taste “blah”, you don’t like going to the bathroom all the time…) just keep this in mind: your body wants to let go of any excess weight and toxins that it’s been holding over the winter, but it needs help! Drinking water is the MOST effective way to do this. Once you get started, you might even begin to crave water. This is how much your body actually needs it.

Try this: first thing when you wake up, drink a glass of water – even before you eat. It’s probably the easiest glass you will drink all day. Put it next to your bed the night before if you need to and drink it first thing when you get up. Just like you wash your face – give your organs a good cleansing. They will thank you by raising your metabolism!

If you really get all “yuck!” about the taste of water, try adding a slice of lemon or lime to your water (or even experiment with other fruits/veggies such as oranges, cucumbers, but no sugar or sweetener!). **Note: You are not getting the same benefits from drinking anything else throughout the day—ahem, like, soda, tea, juice...  

2.      Your breakfast sets the stage for the day.

Eat breakfast. Do it. I know it is hard for some, but breakfast really is “the most important meal of the day”. It’s the fuel for your daily ride (would you drive cross-country on an empty tank?) AND a key ingredient to weight control. According to Dr. Barbara Rolls a professor of nutrition at Penn State University, "Your metabolism slows while you sleep, and it doesn't rev back up until you eat again." Enough said.

Think about easy, high quality choices for the start of your day. You can always keep a couple of hard-boiled eggs in the fridge, a non-sugar yogurt or some high-fiber, low starch fruit around. If you plan to eat fruit at all during the day, breakfast is the perfect time to do it. It’s a built in morning cleanse and spring is the best time of year to do this.  

3.      Make sure you RE-FUEL throughout the day.

We are all so busy.

If breakfast will increase your metabolism, so will eating EnergyRich™ food, more often. This will also help you curb those winter simple-carb cravings. (You know, those moments when you are ravenous at night and devour some chips or go for anything in the snack machine at about 3-4PM) Be creative. Think about small portions of lean-protein as a snack or small container of raw veggies, also great for a spring cleanse.

It does take a little planning to make some healthy food choices and prepare a few healthy snacks and meals, but maybe not as much as you think. Try one day this week of bringing some EnergyRich™ food with you, see if there’s a difference and perhaps you will even feel a little lighter. 

An EnergyRich™ Recipe

Spring Cleansing Soup

by www.vegeterranean.com 

Drink this soup as often as you can in the month of March. It’s a great way to detox your system and get ready for spring.

One table spoon olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 bunch Italian parsley
grated peel and juice of 1 large orange
2 cups vegetable stock
1 teaspoon finely grated ginger
½ cup thinly sliced celery
¼ pound carrots, thinly sliced

Heat a large saucepan, covered with olive oil, over medium heat.
Add onion and celery; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Add carrots; continue to cook another 5 minutes.
Add broth, ginger and parsley; bring to a boil.
Add orange zest and juice.
Reduce heat; cover and simmer until vegetables are very tender; about 20 minutes.
Transfer mixture to a blender or food processor; blend until smooth.
Reheat, if necessary, ladle into bowls.
Drizzle oil over soup.  

Heather M. Dominick, "The Energy Expert” and Creator of the “EnergyRich™ Lifestyle™ Program”