Total Health Counseling

Save Big At Sustainable Bedner’s Farm

September 13, 2013/2 Comments/in Beneficial Foods, Local, Recipe, Review, Tips /by phiggins

I love a good bargain, but when it comes to my health and the health of my family, I can only bargain so low – that I why I skip on processed foods, they are so expensive! Good thing we have a local farm with fresh produce that is grown in a SUSTAINABLE way. I spoke with the owner at Bedner’s and he told me they have not used pesticides or herbicides for 4 generations!! How wonderful is that :). I was beaming with joy when he told me! He said to get certified organic, they would have to shut down operations and the cost of their produce would be much higher. I’m glad he chose to stick with being a SUSTAINABLE farm and not organic.

This week I went to Bedner’s and spent $35 on SUSTAINABLE and local produce!! This is what I got:

· 3 Baby bok choy, 3 large carrots for juicing,

· 2 macintosh apples, 5 organic gala apples ,

· 2 barlett pears, 2 bunches of beets,

· 2# bag onions, 1 bunch kale, watercress, cilantro,

· 4 lemons, 3 limes, 4 red bell peppers, 4 Georgia peaches,

· 2 bunches asparagus, 2 haas avocados, dried dates.

This much produce from the grocery store would have cost twice as much or more.

Bedner’s Farm located on 441 in Boynton Beach

10066 Lee Road, Boynton Beach, FL 33473

http://www.bedners.com/index.html

I was excited to whip up some good eats with my farm fresh produce. This colorful delight below is my Superfood Salad, made with: watercress, red bell peppers, avocado, pumpkin seeds, and goji berries. I topped it off with lavender vinegar from The Ancient Olive in Delray Beach for an antioxidant rich lunch!

Super Food Salad Recipe

2 cups Watercress (or dark leafy greens of choice), washed and chopped

1/2 cup Red bell peppers, washed and chopped

2 Tablespoons Pumpkin seeds

1/4 Avocado, diced

1 Tablespoon Goji berries

Method:

1. Wash and chop vegetables.

2. Arrange on plate watercress, bell peppers.

3. Sprinkle with pumpkin seeds, avocado, and goji berries.

4. Drizzle with high quality balsamic vinegar.

5. Enjoy!

Tips for Eating Well + Saving Money

· Shop at your local farmers market

· Buy fresh produce that’s in season – it tastes better and will be on sale!

· Create a fresh salad with your favorite market produce

· Skip the processed/packaged foods and make your own snacks with nuts, seeds, berries, yogurt. Homemade granola bars or pumpkin bars, Heman’s favorite are posted on my website. https://www.totalhealthcounseling.com/2012/pumpkin-chocolate-chip-squares/

· Cook up a whole chicken, use leftovers to make chicken salad, make homemade chicken soup with leftover chicken bones (much cheaper than broth at the store, freeze leftovers)

· Make large batches of soup or chili, freeze leftovers or bring for week day lunches

· Enjoy! Full and happy bellies for all :).

If you wanna learn the exact way I plan out healthy meals to save money. Schedule a Jump-Start session with me. You’ll get my new Yummy Good Eats Cookbook “30 days of inspiring recipes, transform your health in 30 simple days”, personalized notes, handouts, and a clear plan on how to jump-start your health with yummy good eats!

This plan is how I live my life. Thank goodness for having a plan when you have family and need to save money.

XOXO,

Pam

Why I Was Doing Shots in Delray Beach

August 21, 2013/2 Comments/in Local, Product, Recipe, Review /by phiggins

(Pictured: My Brother-in-Law Andrew, My Husband Heman, and Me)

New store The Ancient Olive opens up in Delray Beach! Taste several gourmet and organic flavors of olive oil and balsamic vinegar. We tried many kinds of wonderful olive oil and balsamic vinegar – now these are the kind of shots I can get excited about! Located on Atlantic Ave in Delray Beach, this is the third store of The Ancient Olive. We were warmly greeted and invited to taste as many flavors as we wanted. A few of my favorites: Cranberry-Pear Balsamic, Espresso Balsamic, Garlic Olive Oil, Persian Lime Olive Oil, Chocolate Balsamic, Blood Orange Olive Oil. So many great flavors!! We sampled a few suggested pairings as well and decided to purchase the Persian Lime Olive Oil and Lavender Balsamic Olive Oil. This flavor combo is particularly great for marinating fish as suggested by shop owners. The deeper flavors of vinegar such as chocolate and espresso are great for marinating steak.

(Pictured: Brother-in-Law Andrew and Future Sister-in-Law Katie)

Katie and Andrew enjoying shots of Cranberry-Pear Balsamic vinegar which they ended up purchasing. This was one of my favorite vinegars too, so good you could just drink it Smile

(Pictured: Andrew, Katie, and Heman)

Several containers filled with lovely olive oil and vinegar to check out!

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Tons of gift options for the cook! They also offer cooking demos and classes, sign up at the front counter for more info.

At home the next day, I was excited to try the new flavor combo we bought:

Organic Persian Lime Olive Oil + Lavender Balsamic Vinegar

We marinated fresh mahi filets in this amazing oil and vinegar combo.

I also sliced up onions from Bedners Farm on 441 to grill along with baby sweet bell peppers.

Heman grilled the fish 18-19 minutes on medium heat on the grill and the veggies for about 15 minutes.

Mahi salad with veggies for me.

Mahi fish tacos for Heman with Organic corn tortillas, cilantro, avocado, and salsa.

Stop in The Ancient Olive on Atlantic Ave in Delray Beach to do some shots of Organic Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar! We will return soon with our empty bottles; receive $1 off purchase when you bring back empty oil and vinegar bottles (way to recycle and reuse!). We’re looking forward to our next flavor combo to bring home and cook with soon!

The Ancient Olive

514 East Atlantic Ave (Across from The Colony Hotel)

Delray Beach, FL 33483

561.266.1099

http://www.theancientolive.com/

https://twitter.com/theancientolive

DU20 Holistic Oasis: Heal and Connect Within

August 14, 2013/in Local, Primary Foods, Review /by phiggins

DU20 in Delray Beach is truly a Holistic Oasis, they offer Eastern Medicine treatments including acupuncture, herbal medicine, massage, and float-meditation. I have been going there for a few months and decided to share my experience with you all because I truly feel amazing after every visit and I get more connected and a better understanding of how to best serve myself body-mind-spirit.

My personal acupuncture physician is Dr. Stephanie Pierre, she is loving, knowledgeable, and an amazing healer. Dr. Nick Kusturic is co-owner with his sister Natalie Kusturic and also an acupuncture physician. Dr. Nick is highly skilled and professional in his craft and equally as warm and kind. I can’t say enough goods things about each of them, they are wonderful!

Located at the corner of NE 2nd Avenue and NE 1st Street across from the Hyatt Place hotel in the heart of Pineapple Grove in Delray Beach. You will walk into a serene and welcoming environment and be greeted by a friendly face and offered tea or water prior to your treatment.

The tea bar is beautifully decorated, grab a seat and settle in, you can come anytime to enjoy some tea – hot or cold, no treatment required. This is a great place to enjoy happy hour any night of the week!

To the right of the tea bar is the studio where live classes are taught and seminars are held. Check the schedule for classes of Tai Chi or Qigong, both are taught by Dr. Nick Kusturic. I haven’t taken one of these classes, but I know Dr. Nick and he confident as he is gentle, so I‘m sure his classes are enjoyable and worthwhile.

For acupuncture and massage treatments you will be led to a comfortable room with soft lighting and a massage table to lay upon. Meditative music gently fills the room. I am led to the room to wait for Dr. Stephanie or she greets me at the tea bar to take me back for my session. I am instantly relaxed. We go over how I am feeling that day, any issues that came up that week, she checks my tongue, and checks my pulses. Looking at the tongue is a practice of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), you can tell a lot about a person’s state of health just by looking at their tongue. Next she checks my pulses on each wrist which are related to different organs in the body, this tells her the strength and condition of them. Based upon those points and what we discussed she chooses which points on my body to treat.

I began going to Dr. Stephanie for fertility enhancement, this is one of the specialties that both she and Dr. Nick treat. After a few visits with a reproductive endocrinologist to get diagnosed and tested, I decided to go to acupuncture to heal my body and balance it out to get ready for conception. I have read a great deal about this subject and learned through my research the power of acupuncture to increase fertility. Acupuncture can be used alone or alongside western medical fertility treatments by reproductive endocrinologists to increase chances of conception.

Acupuncture can be used to for treatment of several conditions or concerns, including:

Sports Medicine
Pain Management
Fertility Enhancement
Sexual Disorders
Pediatric Care
Anxiety, Depression
Skin Inflammation: acne, eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis
Allergies
Sleep Disorders
Chronic Fatigue

Post treatment time, the tea bar is a great place to enjoy tea, chat with the staff, and say good bye until next time.

Come to DU20 to heal and connect within with the love and support of professionals!

Amazing staff and healing treatments for your body-mind-spirit.

Dr. Stephanie Pierre hand-made chocolate with love. I enjoyed one after my treatment seated at the tea bar then had another at home with my favorite “Tea for Her” from DU20’s tea bar.

DU20 Holistic Oasis – Acupuncture in Delray Beach

103 Northeast 2nd Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444

Tel: 561-455-2147
Fax: 561-455-2762

Holiday Schedule: We will be closed Monday,
December 24th through Tuesday, January
1st in Observance of the Holidays.

Normal Hours of Operation:
Mon 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Tue 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Wed 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Thu 9:00 am – 7:00 pm
Fri 9:00 am – 6:00 pm
Sat 9:00 am – 3:00 pm
Closed on Sunday

Disclaimer:

This post is based upon my personal experience. The materials and content contained on this website are for general health information only and are not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment.

Mango Chicken Featuring Mom and Me Jams {Mango Jam}

August 8, 2013/in Local, Product, Recipe, Review /by phiggins

Ever since I heard about the new West Boca Raton Green Market, I’ve made it there almost every week to seek out delicious foodie finds. I spotted Katrina, the owner of Mom and Me Jams with her wide selection of colorful and homemade jams. Chatting with Katrina about the jams, I learned that everything is tripled sterilized and made fresh on a weekly basis – take that Welch’s grape! She had me at homemade, preservative free, family recipe. Now that’s made with love and doesn’t food made that way taste so much better!

I sampled a few flavors by the spoon and was thrilled by the idea of mango jam, who would have thought to make this? I’m so glad she did!

I could have put in on toast or oatmeal, but I craved something savory for this sweet delight. A sweet and savory dish was born.

Mango Chicken and Sweet Potatoes over Spinach

This one pan dish pleases a crowd. I made it for my mother-in-law and her mother when they came into town then I made it again tonight. It’s delicious and satisfying, I even took my mother-in-law to the green market last Sunday and she picked up a jar of her own. Now she can recreate this back home in her kitchen too.

All Mom and Me Jams come in this adorable jar sealed with pretty cloth and a ribbon!

Ingredients:

1-2 Tablespoons coconut oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 large sweet potato or garnet yam, chopped

1#-1.5# chicken breast, cut into cubes

3 Tablespoons Mom and Me Jams {Mango Jam}

sea salt and fresh ground pepper, to taste

2 cups fresh spinach per plate, optional to enjoy with cooked dish

Method:

1. Chop onion and sweet potatoes.

2. Heat pan to medium then add 1 Tablespoon coconut oil. Coat pan with coconut oil then add onion and potatoes.

3. Stir onion and sweet potatoes in pan to coat with oil, then turn down heat to medium-low and cover.

4. Cook veggies 10-12 minutes until fork goes through easily, you want the veggies al dente at this point.

5. Turn heat up to medium again. Push veggies to outside of pan then add cut up chicken breast to middle of pan and top with mango jam.

6. Turn chicken over and cook all sides, stir to distribute mango jam over chicken. Add 1 Tablespoon coconut oil to pan, if needed.

7. Turn heat down to medium-low and simmer 5 minutes with cover on pan.

8. Check to ensure chicken is cooked through and no longer pink, juices will run clear from chicken.

9. Turn heat back to medium for final sear and toss chicken, onions, sweet potatoes with mango jam. Add sea salt and fresh ground black pepper, to taste.

10. Serve hot over a bed of fresh spinach.

11. Enjoy!!

Find Mom and Me Jams locally at the West Boca Green Market Sundays year-round 8:30am – 2pm.

Katrina currently makes 12 varieties of jams and jellies. A few are made specifically for grilling as well.

http://www.momandmejams.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MomAndMeJams

Twitter: http://twitter.com/momandmejams

Phone: 561.287.6058

E-mail: momandmejams@gmail.com

West Boca Green Market: Fresh + Local At It’s Best

July 20, 2013/in Beneficial Foods, Local /by phiggins

Have you heard? There’s a new green market in West Boca! It’s open year round at the grounds of Olympia High School (just North of Glades on Lyons Road) every Sunday 8:30am – 2pm, rain or shine. I love green markets and this one is close by so I’ll be there a lot! If you are looking for farm fresh produce, a wide selection of foods, everything from breads, desserts, gluten free, paleo, vegan, coffee, tea, made to order juices, grilled foods. Eat there at the benches and tables for breakfast + lunch or take your food to go. They also sell a variety of crafts and jewelry.

Here is what I picked up on Sunday!

Farm Fresh Produce: non-GMO Corn Smile (YAY!), Georgia peaches, lemons/limes, organic blueberries.

Three Anns dried/unsweetened pineapple, raw goat’s milk feta, Dani’s Fun Food organic falafel (made fresh daily). Dani’s falafel are gluten free and taste great, he makes them fresh the day before. I also sampled the artichoke dip and wish I bought it, so that’s on my list for next time! Dani also makes a variety of hummus, all very fresh.

Raw Goat’s Milk Feta with Organic Blueberries

If you are into traditional ways of eating which includes raw dairy, you can find it at the West Boca Green Market. They also sell farm fresh eggs.

Raw dairy is popular to those who believe it’s best to consume dairy with all of it’s healthy bacteria and enzymes. Some people tolerate raw dairy very well and even thrive on it, while they cannot tolerate standard pasteurized dairy because all of the healthy bacteria and enzymes are killed during the pasteurization process. For more information, check out the Weston A. Price Foundation website and I also recommend reading Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon for more about traditional foods. She’s one of several expert teachers from my Health Coaching school, The Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

Three Anns dried fruit made without any added sugar. There were several varieties to choose from including apple, peach, pear, pineapple, banana, sweet potato. I chose pineapple and really enjoyed it! Chewy and sweet, but not overly sweet like most dried fruits. I’ll be back for more and will definitely check out the other varieties too!

Homemade dinner with non-GMO corn + organic blueberries from the green market along with spinach and wahoo filet I bought from Publix Greenwise.

Add puppies for adoption!! Kittens too Smile This close to taking one of those puppies home, hehe.

Come to the West Boca Green Market every Sunday!

8:30AM – 2PM; Rain or Shine

Find them on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestBocaGreenmarket

Located at Olympia High School, Boca Raton

North of Glades on Lyons Road

561.929.0237

Save Big At Sustainable Bedner’s Farm

Why I Was Doing Shots in Delray Beach

DU20 Holistic Oasis: Heal and Connect Within

Mango Chicken Featuring Mom and Me Jams {Mango Jam}

West Boca Green Market: Fresh + Local At It’s Best

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This Way To Wellness