You are here: Home / Archives for Lisa

Food Love Sundays: Real Spinach Dip

February 19, 2012 By Leave a Comment

Spinach dip should more be green than white.

  • 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
  • 1/2 c plain Greek yogurt
  • 1 10 oz pkg frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
  • 2 Tbs radishes, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbs red onion, finely chopped
  • 2 Tbs red bell pepper, finely chopped
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1/4 tsp dried tarragon
  • 1/4  tsp sea salt
  • 1/4 tsp ground mustard
  • 1/8 tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • 1/8 tsp crushed red pepper flakes

Combine cream cheese and yogurt in a medium bowl.  With a hand held electric mixer, mix on low speed until smooth. Add remaining ingredients and enjoy!

Stoopid Cupid Day, Bah Humbug!

February 13, 2012 By 4 Comments

I just read a whole bunch of totally ridiculous ideas for single people on Valentine’s day all over the internet.  Do my single lady (and gentlemen) friends out there need a reality check?  I’ve got one for you right here.

Valentine’s Day is silly.  It does not matter whether you are single, married, or in some other kind of relationship. I’ve been married for 16 years now and we discovered a while back that Valentine ’s Day is just a money making commercial racket, and it probably irritates us as much as it irritates the single folks.  Cheap nasty overpriced chocolate, wilted red roses that cost a king’s ransom, and the worst: dumb heart-themed diamond jewelry designed for fickle-minded, materialistic,vapid women.

Why is everybody wondering what to do on this fabricated holiday?  You don’t even get the day off so what’s going to be different than any other day?  On the lists of things to do for bitter, sad, pathetic singles on V-day they say go out to dinner with your single friends.  Why?  So you can watch all the sickeningly syrupy sweet, smoochie-smoochie newly together “couples” showing off with a whole lot of orchestrated pda and sucking face in the restaurant?  My husband and I deliberately stay away from restaurants on V-day just to avoid all that.  Besides, everything is overpriced, substandard, and super-crowded.  Not my idea of romantic by far! [Read more...]

Lose 2 Pounds in a Week. No B.S., no Tricky-Tricks, Do it with me!

February 3, 2012 By Leave a Comment

For those of you who are with me, just try this for a week to see what happens.  There is more complicated info for continued weight loss but just try this to boast your confidence and prove to yourself that it actually works.  You can do anything for a week, right?  It’s just a week for crying out loud!

I’m gonna give the the bottom line right now.  One pound of fat = 3500 calories. You’ll need to create a 7000 calorie deficit to lose 2 pounds.  This translates to a 1000 calorie deficit per day over a 7 day period.  Point blank. It’s best to create this deficit with a combination of physical activity and eating lower calorie, higher nutrition foods.

All the little diet tricks and lies don’t mean a thing if you are not creating this deficit.  If you lose weight without creating this deficit, then you are just losing water.  This is why fad diets don’t work permanently.

Take the weekend to do your preparation and begin on Monday.  Or cheat! Begin on Sunday to give yourself an extra day to burn off those calories.  Ready?  Let’s go! [Read more...]

Ask Lisa: Setting Boundaries

January 30, 2012 By Leave a Comment

(Ask Lisa is not formally a new series.  It started as an impromptu call for questions while I was bored on the sofa on Sunday afternoon.)

The question was, how do you set good boundaries after you’ve been hurt a time or two without coming off like you’re carrying a lot of baggage?

Your boundaries are actually not for other people, they are for you.  They are rules that you set for yourself that represent the way you would like to be treated.  Imagine how overwhelming it must be for a guy who has just met you to be bombarded with a laundry list of your boundaries.  Of course he’s going to feel like running in the opposite direction because he is under attack.  The purpose of your boundaries is to consciously establish what behaviors you will and will not accept from your partner in advance, so you would not be overwhelmed by the element of surprise if they are crossed, and it is your responsibility to act accordingly to ensure that your boundaries are respected.

Keep your boundaries to yourself, but honor them no matter what. Do not let the myths of too few eligible black men or lack [Read more...]

New Attitude! The Many Shades of Fabulous

January 25, 2012 By Leave a Comment

I’m gonna get real personal here.  Welcome inside my head. So I don’t look fabulous like Sofia Vergara:

I’m not talking about the makeup and the team of pros who fix her up or Photoshop.  I’m talking about her voluptuous curvy figure I’ve always wished for.  I will NEVER look like that.  It still stings a little that I can’t have everything exactly and precisely the way I want it, but working through that… [Read more...]

My New Year’s Quiet Revolution

December 25, 2011 By Leave a Comment

It’s the end of the year.  I love that the new year is the most defined abrupt change of the year.  You see, spring comes gradually.  But after the dark and noisy December holidays come a brighter, quieter, more peaceful January.  It’s natural to want to use this time to make a big dramatic change in our lives.

You already know I don’t do new year’s resolutions and I don’t do diets.  You’ve heard me say it before, we trade in the darned noisy toy and jewelry advertisements all in our faces just for them to be traded out for ridiculous diet plan and exercise gadget commercials.  But by spring how many people are actually more fit than they were on January 2?  I don’t have hard statistics but you and I both know the number is probably less than 20.  20 people in America.

So!  I’m saving you from my whole bah humbug new year’s resolutions are so stupid presentation.

And I’m not preparing any rah!-rah! come on everybody and do this thing with me project.  Been there, failed terribly.

This revolution is about body image.  It’s quiet because it’s intimate, personal, not done in a class, and introspective in nature.  Why share it with you?  Because perhaps you’ll find it useful in your own journey. If not, that’s fine too. [Read more...]

Dieting over the Holidays–A Survival Guide*

December 12, 2011 By Leave a Comment

*First of all, the word diet is not a verb so forgetaboutit, and you’re not gonna die from a smidge too much eggnog and fruit cake either.

Next, I’m not about to give you a list of dumbass cliche “holiday survival” tips that will make you feel like a mean ole’ winter troll at the party, but none of us wants to look like a fluffy town polar bear come springtime either. So check out my reasonable ideas to help you keep it together.

  1. If you come to my gathering with a store-bought platter of carrots, celery, and some jank “veggie dip” your’re getting tossed out into the snow, head first.  Instead, why not just bring a bouquet of flowers and eat a light meal before the party and only enjoy little decadent dessert when you get there. [Read more...]

Food Love Sundays: Spinach and Swiss Chard au Gratin

November 6, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I know you all need some food love right about now.  I found this recipe on the New York Times website and altered it slightly for my own taste and convenience.

1 pound Swiss chard, washed and stemmed

1/2 pound spinach, washed and stemmed

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

2 large garlic cloves, minced

House Tuscan Seafood Sprinkle to taste

3 large eggs

1/2 cup (2 ounces) grated gruyère cheese

1 cup cooked basmati brown rice [Read more...]

The Happy Healthy Spot between Diet and Exercise Neurosis and Not Giving a Damn

November 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Friend 1: “I have sugar-free, fat-free, gluten-free, salt-free wheat-free, nut-free, dairy-free, real food free, flavor and texture free, eco-friendly protein bars for every meal because I’m saving the animals and saving the plants because they have feelings too, but being this fabulously thin is just a lucky side effect.”

Friend 2: “Oh yeah? I’m on day 89 of the annual 100-day peanut butter and duct tape dress size 14 to zero cleanse and I’m in a great mood because I’m rid of all those deadly food toxins that had accumulated in my liver! Seriously, I’m not cranky.”

Friend 3:  “Umph, that’s nothing!  I’ve completely switched to the raw vegan organic sticks and igneous ancient European cave stones Hollywood celebrity lifestyle and I’m losing 46lbs every 8 days!”

Friend 4:  “Oh please.  I woke up at 2am and bench pressed my car, did 5,000 sit ups and 18,000 jumping jacks before dawn, all this before running a full marathon. I can eat whatever I want. Remember, muscle weighs more than fat!”

Friend 5 (me): “Whateva man, I guess that means you all won’t be interested in Sunday brunch at my house–spinach frittata, fresh broccoli salad, smoked salmon, berry and dark chocolate fondue, whole grain apple nut muffins and passionfruit mimosas—followed by some serious dance game shenanigans…” [Read more...]

Wanted: Apple Shaped Figure Fashion Tips, not an Emotional Beatdown!

October 26, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Last week was the first week of chilly weather of the season.  I was getting ready for work when I realized “I DON’T HAVE A THING TO WEAR!”  From time to time I go crazy and throw away or donate everything, and that must have happened sometime between spring and now.  Lucky for me, I know a professional stylist, Candace, and sent her a message. I’ve worked with her before and she is fantastic so I’ll be working with her again.  Now, it’s helpful to give a stylist all of the pertinent info about what help is needed so as preparation for our meeting I decided to look up fashion advice online regarding how to dress an apple shaped body.  Lawdamercy, I had no idea what I was in for! [Read more...]

6 Simple Steps to Gorgeous–No makeup, plastic surgery, or Photoshop necessary.

October 19, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Photo: Matthew Rolston

This photo is featured in O Magazine, of normal size supermodel, Katie Halchishick and founder of Healthy is the New Skinny, posing naked with surgeon’s markings indicating how much of her would need to be chopped off to give her the same proportions as the toy she’s holding. Whaaa?

The same way that greed is the root of evil, negative body image is the root of ugliness.  Have you ever witnessed the not-super-attractive woman walk into a room and light it up like a Xmas tree?  How does she do it?  She does it the same way that so many pretty women make themselves hideous by shlumping around being catty and self loathing.  It’s all in your mind’s image of yourself. [Read more...]

Up and Running Again!

October 17, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Hello there.  I’ve been away for a while.  I didn’t mean to kick you all to the curb but I was busy having my janky old kitchen converted from this:

(that’s my friend Lucy in the pic above–she does not cook but she’s always up in my kitchen, to my delight) to this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So, now that the work is almost finished, I can focus on creating fresh, decadently  nutrilicious meals for the fam.  And, I also have space to move about and updated equipment to work with, so I will be hosting my own cooking videos from time to time.  Hmm, wondering what I should name the show…suggestions are welcome.  Thanks for your patience and stay tuned.

Everyone Can Benefit from a Little Porn

September 2, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Mmmmmm, oh, look at this, in all its fantastical glory!  Trust me, you won’t be able to look away for even a brief moment.  You want this, yes you do, and you know it!  Don’t worry, I promise I will not let your secret out.  Get your mind out of the gutter!  It’s nutrilicious FOOD porn! Feast your eyes on this fresh colorful and juicy salad I had for dinner last night.  Just makes me want to go back for more.  Why am I teasing you with food porn?  Well, just like the (ahem) other kind of porn this can really get your juices flowing (salivary!).  If you want to train your palate to accept, enjoy and savor fresh nutritious plant based foods, you need to look at these items in a certain way.  Who would not want to experience this magnificent combination of firm fresh spinach (mostly not visible, on the bottom of the bowl), sweet mango, succulent strawberries, nuts and dried cranberries, topped with a warm and moist grilled salmon filet.  The low fat citrus dressing was so delish I asked them for a container to take home with me.  I guarantee the most avid nutrition hater would dabble in this beautiful dish.


“Wholesome” Fake Food Makes NO Sense.

September 1, 2011 By Leave a Comment

The thing speaks for itself:

Betty Crocker Hamburger Helper Wholesome Whole Grain Stroganoff

Ingredients:
Enriched Pasta (Whole Wheat Flour, Semolina Wheat, Durum Wheat, Vitamin D3, Niacin, Ferrous Sulfate, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Corn Starch, Enriched Flour (Wheat Flour, Niacin, Iron, Thiamin Mononitrate, Riboflavin, Folic Acid), Whey, Salt, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (Corn, Soy, Wheat), Tomato (Dried), Calcium Carbonate, Artificial Color, Sugar, Lactic Acid, Citric Add, Maltodextrin, Partially Hydrogenated Soybean and/or Cottonseed Oil, Mono and Diglycerides, Calcium Lactate, Natural Flavor, Nonfat Milk, Onion Powder, Parsley (Dried), Mushroom Powder, Yeast Extract, Spice, Beef Stock, Mushrooms, Corn Syrup (Dried), Disodium Guanylate, Disodium Inosinate, Whey Protein Concentrate, Lactose, Garlic Powder, Soy Sauce (Soybeans, Wheat, Salt) (Dried), Egg.
Now, the following recipe would take only about 10-15 minutes more than the box crap above if you can buy the meat already cut up or use ground turkey instead.  Are you REALLY in that much of a hurry?  Seriously?

Simple Beef Stroganoff with Fresh Herbs and Garlic [Read more...]

Exercise Alone will not Make you Pretty, 5 Ways to Shift the Balance

August 24, 2011 By Leave a Comment

I can feel the controversy brewing already, but I don’t care, this thing needs to be said.  I am not bashing exercise.  Exercise is good fantastic.  I am tired of seeing women who will run 50 miles a day and do yoga 25 times a week but because they don’t take care of their faces, hair, teeth, and posture look like absolute trolls.  Skinny trolls.  Why?  Our society’s obsession with thinness has overshadowed the need to take care of other pertinent things like, oh, faces, teeth, hair, and posture.  Our culture is extremely single-minded.  Now I am not suggesting that everyone abandon their workouts and be all high maintenance with wigs and weaves, fake lashes and nails, and a ton of makeup.  What I do say is that some basic needs must be met if you care at all how you look, and shifting a little of the unhealthy fixation away from being thin will do everyone a lot of good.  I promise, a little beauty maintenance will not take significant time away from,  or sabotage your excessive workouts to the point that you’ll instantly get fat. Here’s what you can do or pass on if you are one of the skinnyness-compulsed women with deteriorating looks or know someone else who is: [Read more...]

8 Ways to Cut Sugar without Pain and Suffering

August 22, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Sugar is toxic, you’re gonna diiiiiiie!  It causes cancer, diabetes, obesity, liver disease, tooth rot, ugliness, hair loss, etc.  I know, you don’t want to hear all that alarmist propaganda again.  I will say, however, that sugar is in just about every single processed food item sold in the U.S., and therefore, if you are eating anything more than a tiny amount of processed foods, chances are, your sugar intake is way too high.  The science has already been written on this topic and I am not interested in rehashing.  We all can agree though, that our sugar intake needs to be reduced.

By sugar I am talking about all sweeteners, even natural honey, molasses, agave, high fructose corn syrup, fructose, sucrose, etc.  According to the World Health Organization, based on a diet of 2,000 daily calories, no more than 50 grams of sugar should be consumed per day.

Start slow and gradually cut the sugar intake to an acceptable level. Here are a few ways to reduce sugar in the diet with minimal drama and discomfort: [Read more...]

Just Like with Money, You Gotta Spend Energy to Make Energy

August 10, 2011 By Leave a Comment

On my way to work I always see tired looking overweight people lumbering painfully through the Metro stations, up and down the stairs, and on the streets.  It made me think: what came first, their chronic fatigue or lack of exercise?  I know, I think way too much.  But I know for myself that when I was heavier, which was because I wasn’t being active, I had way less energy.  But now that I’m moving and dancing and exercising regularly, I have energy to burn (except at bedtime).  Well, it turns out that burning energy creates energy.  According to a study published in the journal Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics in 2008, University of Georgia researchers found that inactive folks who normally complained of fatigue could increase energy by 20% while decreasing fatigue by as much as 65% by simply participating in regular, low-intensity exercise. I read on WebMD that:

“Contrary to popular belief, exercising doesn’t make you tired — it literally creates energy in your body. [Read more...]

Fantastically Effective, No Frills, No Bull Crap Skin Care Products Available Now!

July 4, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Say Hello to your New Paula’s Choice Beauty Consultant.  This is some good stuff.  Now you can get it from me, with no shipping costs.

What is Paula’s Choice?

Paula’s Choice is a no-frills, no-bull crap skin care line that I’ve been using for several years.  Paula’s Choice products successfully treat everything from acne to wrinkles, rosacea, sensitive skin, sun damage, dry skin, oily skin, and blackheads.  All of Paula’s Choice products are fragrance-free, colorant-free, and don’t contain any unnecessary or irritating ingredients.

The line was developed by Paula Begoun, aka The Cosmetics Cop, author of Don’t Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me, Blue Eyeshadow Should Be Illegal, The Original Beauty Bible, and Don’t Go Shopping for Hair-Care Products Without Me. Paula’s books have sold more than 2.5 million copies worldwide.  Her work as a nationally-recognized consumer expert for the cosmetics industry has led to repeat appearances on CNN, as well as programs such as Oprah, The Today Show, 20/20, Dateline NBC, The View, and Dr. Oz. [Read more...]

FREE Bellydance Classes Continue Through July

July 3, 2011 By Leave a Comment

Join me for some fun!  I love dancing, I want to do more dancing, and I really want to share the joy of bellydance with you.  So for the entire month of July, all bellydance classes are free.  However, there is a catch: Since we are doing some construction that may effect the studio, the classes are subject to cancellation.  You must confirm by email me the day before or of the class.

Bring a friend or two! We will cover bellydance basics, strength and conditioning, and improvisation jams.  You also work on accepting your beauty, tapping into your femininity, and loving your body.  All levels are welcome. If you have been thinking of taking bellydance classes with me, NOW is the time give it a try.

Classes will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays (don’t forget to double check) starting Thursday July 7th.

I’m Giving FREE Bellydance Classes! But First…(Long Story)

June 7, 2011 By 2 Comments

Secret Confessions of a wellness consultant

I am a wellness consultant/coach. I help people how to lose weight and/or get healthy without strict diets or extreme or monotonous exercise. I have plenty of sound knowledge on the matter, and yet from time to time I forget to follow my own brilliant advice and when that happens, things go terribly awry, like this:

See, wha-haa-haapened-wuz…

Last winter (Around December 2009) I decided that I was a little too plump (photo on right is in January 2010) and that I should lose some weight.  I wanted to look good for an event in the summer. I ran outside in the snow. I was a maniac, not because I ran in the snow, but I just was.  I became obsessive.  Now of course by mid-June I was looking nice and slim and that was it.  I stopped everything.  I drank wine and ate cheez balls on the sofa.  I got addicted to cookies again.  Over the time when I was exercising I had been experiencing increasing knee pain.  I just thought it was the cold air giving me that rusty feeling and kept on going.  We had a blazin’ hot summer last year.  So the pain got worse and I didn’t run outside, didn’t join a gym, didn’t do yoga regularly, and all but stopped dancing.  So BAM! the weight all came back by October.  That’s insane because it was about 25 pounds! [Read more...]

« Older Posts
Sharing Buttons by Linksku