A Cynfully Good 2012!

In just a few short days we will say good bye to 2011 and usher in a brand new year!  2012 brings the promise of change, hope, and opportunity. We can forget the old year and all the failures and mistakes of the past. A new year means a new beginning. We are getting closer to accomplishing our dreams and goals.  We can restructure our lives, get rid of the old baggage and completely start over again.

I have big goals and dreams for my life in 2012.  I also have high hopes for my consulting practice in the new year. I expect to grow in leaps and bounds and reach more people than ever before. This means, I can't keep doing the same old thing I did last year.

If you want change, you have to mix things up a little!

I receive emails and messages from folks all over the globe. Their major concerns are: the high cost of healthy eating, the threat and fear of cancer, permanent weight loss, reversing heart disease and diabetes, and pros and cons of a plant-based diet. 

 It makes sense to me that those are the areas on which I should focus in 2012, So in the coming year, you can look forward to:

A Return to Basics:

The cost of food is steadily rising!  I don't know how folks can afford to feed their families.  Eating healthy is so difficult for those on tight budgets. And these days, who isn't on a tight budget?  I will focusing on ways to stretch your dollar by getting back to the basics of eating REAL food made from scratch at home! I will also be sharing tips and techniques that grandma used back in the day: canning, freezing, stocking the pantry, meal planning, tranforming leftovers into magnificent dishes, shopping locally, seasonally, and more. This year it's all about a "waste-not-want-not" attitude!

Cancer Prevention: This has always been a concern of mine but now that cancer has touched my family personally, it's no longer a concern--it's my mission to help stamp it out before it happens!  I don't ever want to see anyone suffer from this disease or from the awful side-effects of chemotherapy. Prevention is key and what we taste, smell, see, hear, and touch has everything to do with it!

Veganism as a way of life: I firmly believe a plant-based diet is best, but this year I will be driving it home and promoting it as a way of life for everyone and not just those who wish to dabble in it!  It's time to get serious! A vegan diet can prevent and reverse obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure, and diabetes.  If you are serious about disease prevention, losing or maintaining your weight, or achieving true health and wellness, it's time to change the way you eat!

Of course, I will still be posting delicious recipes--all vegan, all natural, and all guilt-free! I will also continue to share and write about gadgets, food, books, beauty products, and anything else I stumble upon that promotes a healthy, balanced, cruelty-free life.

As always, I am available for individual consultations. I see clients in person and also work with them over the phone or via the Internet. I want 2012 to be your best year ever!

May peace, love, and good health be yours in the coming New Year.

Cynthia

Hearty Cauliflower Chowder

photo from http://www.yumuniverse.com/

Oh, for a thousand tongues to sing the praises of SOUP!

Soup is warming, healing, and so easy to prepare. Serve soup as a meal (with warm, crusty french bread or rolls) or as a prelude to a magnificent dinner.  Enjoy it between meals to help curb your appetite.  Bring homemade soup to a sick friend or give it away as a gift from the heart.

No matter how you serve it, soup is perfection. A simmering pot of homemade soup on the stove fills your home with the delicious aromas of comfort and love.

You just can't get that from soup in a can!

Here's a lovely soup I stumbled upon in my travels: Hearty Cauliflower Chowder. If you happen to have cauliflower in the house, you can make this soup today. I saw the recipe this morning and already made it- it's that quick and easy!  It's completely VEGAN, deliciously thick, and glorious. I kept some aside for later and the rest I placed in the freezer.  I had to do that to keep from sampling this soup all day long!

My digital camera is on the "fritz" so I borrowed the soup photo from the original site.

Here's the recipe: Hearty Cauliflower Chowder. 

While you're there checking out the recipe, take a few minutes to snoop around the YumUniverse website. You will really enjoy it. :)

Survive Holidays and Beyond......A Few Cynfully Good Tips!

This is the first time since I started my consulting practice that I haven't been sharing a continuous flow of the latest and greatest tips and recipes to help you survive the Holiday Season without compromising your weight loss or wellness efforts. Every recipe I post here, I attempt first in my own kitchen. Honestly, I just don't have the time to do all that right now.

At first, I felt like a failure and a bit of a let-down to my fans but punishing myself really profits no one- especially NOT ME! It doesn't diminish the fact that I am faithful and dedicated to providing a necessary service. It simply means I am being faithful and dedicated in other areas of my life and the lives of my loved ones.

This doesn't stop me from thinking of you nor does it mean I am not ready, willing and able to offer my opinions, advice or services. I still own and operate a thriving Nutritional Consulting Practice and meet with clients regularly. But my time is so limited these days and will become even more so when the New Year arrives. This means I will be posting here on this site less often. I do promise what I do post will be grand, tested, tried and true!

You already KNOW what to do! You already KNOW how to eat! It's simply a matter of transferring that knowledge from your head to your heart and soul.  Good health becomes a daily practice when it truly becomes a part of you- body, mind and spirit!  

I would like to take a moment now and offer a few healthy strategies to help you survive the holidays. These are nothing new but I can guarantee that if you apply these simple tips, you will sail through the season peacefully, lovingly, and without completely sabotaging your health or weight.

1. Your body is a temple. Treat it with tenderness, love and respect.

2.  Alcohol is toxic. Go easy on the booze and never, ever drink and drive! Don't let your friends drink and drive, either.

3. Give yourself a day or two of grace and EAT!  It's okay to indulge a little. Enjoy your favorite holiday treats and dishes. Have a cookie (or two), a piece of pie, or a second helping of mashed potatoes. Monday,  get right back to your healthy eating plan- no exceptions, no excuses!   And NO BEATING YOURSELF UP for what you did eat over Christmas. That's a sure-fire way to keep packing on the pounds right straight through 'til springtime. GRACE. Learn the word and practice it.

4. Don't stress over the things you didn't get done. Focus on the things you accomplished and give yourself a nice pat on the back. And don't forget to compliment and acknowledge others.

5. Simplicity is always best. Keep it simple. Simple decorations, simple gifts from the heart, simple gift wrapping, simple food.

6.  Give yourself permission to laugh, hug, cry, sing Christmas Carols at the top of your lungs, and to say "I love you". Give others permission to do the same.

7.  Sneak in some exercise. Dance, jog, do yoga, take the stairs, walk, play football. If you are lucky enough to have a White Christmas this year- get outside and play in the snow.

8. The greatest gifts you can give to others are  love, grace, generosity, and forgiveness.

9.  Be thankful. Shift the focus from what you don't have on to what you do have. 

10. Be true to yourself and let others see who you truly are. Be genuine, be real, be true to your own personal convictions, dreams and ideas. This is the greatest gift you can give to yourself.

May you be blessed beyond measure this holiday season with gifts that money cannot buy.

Merry Christmas!

Vegan Soul Kitchen- Down Home Recipes with a Twist

I know I've been MIA lately.  My schedule has been crazy between doctors' appointments with dad, work, the holidays, and preparing to go back to school this January. In my spare time--this is what I've been up to:

Reading this awesome cook book cover to cover and cooking!

In my house, we all seem to be craving comfort food and my dad, who is currently battling cancer, has pretty much lost his appetite from chemotherapy. On those occasional days when he is actually hungry, he asks for some of the good, old-fashioned Southern dishes he remembers from his childhood.

This cook book has it all but with a twist- it's good down-home cooking done healthy and vegan!

Vegan Soul Kitchen

Stay tuned. I will be posting recipes in the coming New Year!

Peace and Love,
Cynthia