Finally Friday!

Why yes, it HAS been THAT kind of a week.  And it's time for Coach Linda to practice what she preaches.  I'm about to walk the talk and do a little down time for rest, restoration and renewal.  Sleep, reading, writing, reflection... time to go back to BEING.  So I'm signing off for a few days and I'll be back on Monday July 1st. Prayers of blessings to you all, wild women!

Love,

Coach Linda

Tasty Thursday

Time for a little yum factor!  I'm sorry I don't remember where I found this recipe (maybe MsSkinny, but not sure) so my apologies for not giving credit where credit is due!  However, this salad looks amazing as well as packed with nutrients, and it's vegetarian as well, so it hits a LOT of sweet spots on my culinary counter!  Think about serving it at your upcoming picnic!  It's simple, scrumptious and summery!

Blessings,
Coach Linda

BARLEY SALAD WITH CHICK PEAS, FAVA BEANS & PEAS

Ingredients
• 200 g. pearl barley
• 200 g. chickpeas (I used canned ones.), rinsed and drained
• 200 g. peas, shelled (weighed after shelling from about 800 g. of pods)
• 200 g. fava beans, shelled (weighed after shelling from about 800 g. of pods)
• 1/2 - 1 lime or lemon
• handful of cherry or grape tomatoes, seeded & quartered
• handful of fresh mint leaves, chopped finely + whole for garnishing
• handful of fresh basil leaves + whole for garnishing
• 1/2 Tropea onion (or any mild & sweet red onion), sliced round, very thinly
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• salt & pepper
Directions
Prepare 3 saucepans with water.

In one saucepan with water, add pearl barley. Add some salt and bring to a boil. Once it boils, simmer on low fire for 20 minutes or until they are tender. When they are cooked, rinse under tap, drain and set aside.

Bring the remaining two saucepans with water to a boil. Add salt when they boil. In one saucepan, put the green peas. In the other saucepan, put the fava beans. Cook the peas for 10 minutes and the fava beans for 5 minutes.

When the fava beans are cooked, let them cool a bit until you can handle them then slide the skin away from the inner seed. Set aside the inner seeds.

When the peas are cooked, rinse with cold water and drain.

In a big bowl, mix fava beans, peas, barley, tomatoes, chickpeas, onion, mint & basil leaves.

Mix extra virgin olive oil with the juice of 1/2 a lime. Season with salt & pepper. If you want it more sour, squeeze the other half.



Pour dressing on the salad. Mix well.

Wild Woman Wedneday

I love this picture!!!

Wild women are hungry.  I’m not talkin’ today about belly hungry, I’m talking about spirit/soul hungry.  All too often we neglect that little voice inside.  It’s drowned out by the clamor of daily living – phones ring, children cry, people need you for a million different things (all at once), the office, the running around, doing chores… you know, the “dailies” that bleed you until you have nothing left to give yourself. 

Today I want you to sit… quietly… for 15 minutes.  Try to get outside – I always find early morning outside is a magical time of peace and reflection.  There’s just something about the first strains of sunlight rising against navy/lavender/pink swirling clouds… the chorus of songbirds… the smell of the earth still kissed by dew.  Nothing like it. 

Think about one dream you have, or one area in your life that you’d like to improve.  Maybe you’re wanting more down time with the hubs.  Maybe you are thinking of switching careers.  Maybe more education.  Maybe less stress and calendar crowding.  Maybe a trip.  Whatever it is, just think about it – not in a critical way, or self-condemning way, or blaming others way.  Just allow yourself to see it, and open yourself to how you could begin the journey of achieving it.  Bring a cup of coffee/tea or ice cold water, bring a notebook.  Then begin to write down everything you can think of in a stream-of-conscious writing method – no analyzing, no worrying about neat handwriting or spelling… just keep writing and writing for 5-10 minutes straight. 

Then put your pen down.

Close your eyes, breath and live in your moment by feeling the air around you, and become crystal clear aware of how your body feels and try to quiet your mind for a few moments.  This is a good time to pray.  Always think of three things for which you are currently, right now, thankful and count those blessings.

Now… look back on what you’ve written – if you can’t do it right away, do it that night before you go to sleep.  You may have the beginnings of answers. 

This week, make a date with yourself to do something that will feed your spirit – take the notebook with you.  Perhaps it’s a long bath.  Perhaps a walk.  Perhaps it’s during a long-needed lunch break and you can only manage to go sit out in the car.  That’s okay.  Find your quiet spot.  Read over your notes, and begin to allow the feeling stirring deep inside of the beginnings of excitement, anticipation and joy, because you are about to take the next step to your dream goal(s).  

Write again. 

Listen silently to the whispering voice within.

Feed your spirit.

Listen…

Blessings,

Coach Linda

Tushy Toning Tuesday

Summer is almost here – it officially arrives this Friday, June 21^st.  

Are all your winter and spring troubles behind you?  And what I mean by that is, when you are facing away from the mirror and turn around and look back, are you discovering that the assets you grew weren’t the financial ones?  

Well don’t fret – we all have trouble spots, and I have a great site that will help you get your rear in gear in more ways than one as you go into your summer with a better bum!  www.fitsugar.com has a terrific tushy workout called “Booty and the Beach: 17 Glute Exercises for Toning Your Backside” (click HERE).  I love the Booty and the Beach phrase, makes me smile!  

Anyway,  what’s great is that the majority of the exercises require no equipment at all – but of course that means you have ZERO (that’s a big fat 0 my dears) excuses not to begin working on that darling derrière!  There’s a great variety of exercises as well.

Start incorporating 5-10 minutes of booty-bustin’ moves each day, and before you know it you’ll have a smooth, round gravity-defying backside so good-lookin’ you may never sit down again! 

So get up off that dupa, dearie, and get those glam glutes going!!!

Blessings,

Coach Linda

Minty Medicinal Monday

Nothing like starting off the week with two things I enjoy:  gardening and natural medicines! 

Today I’d like to point you to www.medicinalplants-pharmacognosy.com, where they offer information on a variety of medicinal plants.  Click HERE.  

Today I was looking at mint, specifically spearmint.  I grow spearmint in my herb garden and I’ve found that when I have a headache, I pinch off several leaves and just rub them into my forehead temples and at the base of my neck and it really helps alleviate the pain.  Chew a few leaves (after washing, of course) for fresh breath and as an aid in digestive problems, or make a cup of mint tea by just putting a few leaves in your cup and pouring boiling water over them, letting them steep for a few minutes.  And who wouldn’t love fresh mint from your own herb garden when making a mojito?  

Mint is very easy to grow… in fact, you generally need to plant it within a container or before you know it, it will take over!

I encourage you to exercise your green thumb and check the site out today!  Enjoy your week!

Blessings,

Coach Linda

Tasty Thursday

Photograph from www.wikihow.com

When it comes to food, I relish (yes, pun intended) cooking for family and friends.  I love the whole process from soup to nuts (yes, again pun intended) from purchasing the ingredients to the creation time in the kitchen, and all the fuss and preparation of making the table beautiful.  It's kind of funny, because my man is a real plain ol' meat and potatoes kinda fella, and it endlessly cracks him up that I (as he calls it) "flits" around the kitchen gleefully plating as if I were on my own Food Network cooking show.  Yes, I hum and talk out loud to myself and the food... it's a wee bit bizarre.  I want my meals, however simple the ingredients, to be a feast for the eyes as well as for the tummy.  Yes, I want my guests to have the whole dining experience, the whole enchilada (again with the puns... okay, I'll stop now).

In fact, we recently went to a Memorial Day get-together where I made a huge (and beautiful if I say so myself) green salad, complete with red/yellow pepper slices, halved cherry tomatoes and a few fresh purple chive blossoms in the middle garnished with a few spearmint leaves, all fresh from the herb garden.  Well, we're sitting there eating our meal and the woman  across from me picks the chive up from the plate (she didn't know I'd made the salad) and asks with a bewildered look on her face, "What is THIS?  Did someone put a flower in my salad?"  My man nearly fell off his chair laughing, and I have to admit I was right there joining him in the humor of it all!  Ah well, I have fun!!!!

When I came across this great little tid-bit from www.wikihow.com, I knew I'd have to make it and share it here.  Talk about a unique way in which to serve the endless fruit salads that are sure to come out at every picnic this summer!  It's so simply and quick, but what a presentation that is certain to WOW!!!  I can't wait to make it.  Here's the link:

http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Fruit-Salad-Cube

So... exercise your "cube that fruit" muscle (and of course be careful when you're wielding that cutting knife), and make a deelish, low-cal, FABulously presented fruit salad - maybe even for your upcoming Father's Day feast!

Blessings,

Coach Linda

P.S.  And don't forget to toss some spearmint leaves, berries, lemon/lime/orange peels or edible flowers into ice cube holders to make absolutely bee-oooo-ti-ful ice cubes for your drinks!  Simple little things that make such a difference!

Wild Woman Wednesday

Wild women are knee-dy!

Because we run around like, well, wild women most of the time, we log a LOT of wear time on our knees.  And if you run, walk, play volleyball or tennis or any type of exercise where your feet are striking the ground you are working those knees.  And if you garden, clean (or pray) you’re probably on those knees even more!  

Bit of trivia – did you know that for every extra pound of weight you carry you are adding an additional four pounds of pressure to those knees?  Yup! 

Prevention Magazine’s fitness expert Chris Freytag has a really good little video showing several knee-saving exercises that I’d like to share with you today.  You can check it out HERE

Gotta love Betty Grable!

So exercise those quads, hamstrings and glutes today so they can support those cutie-patootie patellas!  Because the ONLY time you should be weak in the knees is when you have been thoroughly KISSED!!!!  (sigh... I'm a hopeless romantic!)

Blessings,

Coach Linda

Tasty Tuesday Tummy Threats!

In an age when we generally know more about health and wellness than ever before, some things still amaze me.  Deep fried Twinkies.  Fried pickles.  And now this:  a sloppy joe sandwich made with Krispy Kreme donuts.  I’m not kidding, I can’t make this stuff up.  Seriously – are you TRYING to commit suicide slowly?  Death by sloppy joes?  Check it out here:

http://shine.yahoo.com/shine-food/krispy-kreme-sloppy-joe-sandwich--yes--it-s-real-175223934.html

Then, “Eat This, Not That!” tell us about seven simple ways to save 700 calories by showing us some amazingly BAD choices that are being offered by restaurants.  Frankly, some of these should be evidence enough to take the restaurant to court for manslaughter!!!  Just to put things in perspective here – one pound is equal to 3,500 calories.  Knowing that, if you ate an additional 700 calories for five days in a row, just five little days, you would gain one pound.  Conversely, if you eliminated 700 calories a day from your intake (through a combination of exercise and some healthy calorie-elimination), you could actually LOSE one pound in five th.  Here’s the link:

http://eatthis.womenshealthmag.com/slideshow/7-simple-ways-save-700-calories?cm_mmc=ETNTNL-_-1323188-_-06112013-_-7SimpleWays-hed

Oh yes, let’s not forget the Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger, the heart attack hat trick of these culinary calorie culprits!  It’s a glazed donut with a hamburger patty, processed cheese, bacon and a fried egg.   Read it and feel your cholestoral rise…

http://voices.yahoo.com/krispy-kreme-cheeseburger-many-calories-grams-6627006.html

Instead of wondering what’s in your wallet, perhaps a better question today would be what’s in your food?  Now… howzabout a nice juicy fresh greens salad with nothing-on-earth-better-than Jersey tomatoes and a big ol' glass of super-cold water with lemon?  After reading this, all I really want is something clean and green on my plate, and in my body!!!

Blessings,

Coach Linda

Mull-It-Over Monday

Girl Before a Mirror by Pablo Picasso

A few years ago, Steve Jobs’ message to Stanford’s graduating class included statement:

“I have looked in the mirror every morning and asked myself, ‘If today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?’ And whenever the answer has been ‘No’ for too many days in a row, I know I need to change something.”

Sit with this question today… take a few quiet minutes and really mull it over in your mind, heart and soul.  What do you need to change?  It’s that simple… and that hard.  As you face your week, let this permeate every breath you take – would you want to do what you are about to do today?

Blessings,

Coach Linda

609-331-9833

linda@coachlindabush.com

Ready to change?  Life coaching is a great way to start the journey to the life you want.  Call today!

Wild Woman Wednesday

Wild Women Work Out! 

Here’s a real challenging workout move today, ladies.  It’s called a Spiderman Pushup, a challenging variation to your basic push-up.    It works your upper body, core and mixes in hip flexion, you need no equipment whatsoever and don't need a gym -- you can do it anywhere!  I love exercises that pack this kind of whallop into one single move!!  As always check with your doctor before starting any exercise program!  You can see a video for this exercise at: http://www.livestrong.com/video/5245-spiderman-pushups-/ .

Additionally, here is another good article from Livestrong that, as a personal trainer, I think should be read by anyone considering investing their time and finances into any type of personal training:  http://www.livestrong.com/blog/10-ways-to-spot-a-bad-trainer/

www.livestrong.com is worth a surf over to check out all they offer – I enjoy their articles and usually learn a lot!  That’s another thing, ladies – wild women are lifelong students!!!!

So go exercise your bod by going for a few “Spidy” pushups, and your brain by reading some articles.  Drop and give yourself 20!

Blessings,

Coach Linda 

Mama Mia Munch-Monster Monday

It’s summer.  You’re trying to make lighter, more healthful meal choices.  So what’s better than a good salad, right?  WRONG!  That is, if you pay attention to what the “Eat This, Not That” section of www.menshealth.com tells us!  In their most recent article they list “7 Salads You Should Never Eat!” and two nearly knocked me off my chair.

The first was one that I’ve actually ordered way long ago at my last visit to Applebee’s.  It’s their Pecan-Crusted Chicken Salad, and it’s a whopping 1,360 calories with 80 grams of fat!  Wait a minute… isn’t this a SALAD?  Honestly, for that amount of calories I want something with fudge, brownies, wet walnuts and dripping with chocolate marshmallow ice cream and whipped cream!  Okay, now you know my secret – if I’m gonna indulge, it must satisfy my never-ending Grand Canyon-sized sweet tooth.  But seriously, 1,360 calories for a salad???  Here’s what the wrote:

Nuts can be a great salad topping, but because they’re calorie-dense, they should be applied judiciously. Applebee’s does not adhere to this advice. With this salad, the chain adds both crushed nuts and sugar-coated pecans. In addition, it adds deep-fried chicken and fat-heavy bleu cheese dressing. The total damage is more than a full day’s recommended fat intake and 117 grams of carbohydrates. You’d have to be nuts to eat that.

The recommend the Seasonal Berry and Spinach Salad (with chicken) instead, coming in at 620 calories.  Still a bit high for one meal, but much lower than the damage from the aforementioned calorie monster.

But the mother of all bad salads is from (no big surprise here) comes from the Cheesecake Factory.  It’s their Santa Fe Chicken Salad, and it is more than most folks daily calorie allotment – sitting down?  Got your seat belt on?  1,720 calories – holy guacamole, Batman!  If you’re bound and determined to eat there (and honestly, I can’t imagine any reason on earth why anyone would step foot inside the Cheesecake Factory to begin with), go with the Skinnylicious spicy chicken salad instead at 440 calories.  Here’s what they say about this reDUNKulous calorie-laden meal:

Tex-Mex salad iterations are rarely light, what with all the sour cream, guacamole, and creamy dressings. But wait—this salad can’t claim any of those usual culprits! The only two potentially troublesome toppings are cheese and tortilla strips, but how much damage could they possibly do? Well, based on these numbers—and the fact that their inclusion appears to be the main difference between the Santa Fe and the Skinnylicious salad below—a lot. Order accordingly.

Better on your budget and your body to make and eat your summer salads at home!  Exercise your “make it skinny” salad muscles and whip up some delicious and low-cal salads in your own kitchen this week!  And if you do venture out to your favorite eatery, be sure to Google up their menu and nutritional information beforehand - know your options so you can make the best choices.  You'll feel much better when you slip into that bathing suit or shorts and sleeveless top -- remember, a moment on the lips, forever on the hips!

Don't just dream it - BEGIN IT!!!

HEY! Instead of wasting away the summer down time just lying around at the beach reading some mind-melting novel, why not invest the time in yourself and your future?  Make this summer YOUR summer improvement plan and let me help you -- coaching can be done by telephone anywhere at all!  Imagine what you could accomplish this summer - start TODAY by calling or email me! Choose to make your future could be so bright that you'll need new shades!!!

You can find this article online at: http://eatthis.menshealth.com/slideshow/7-salads-you-should-never-eat

Blessings,

Coach Linda

609-331-9833

linda@coachlindabush.com

Wellness & Life Transformation