I am a yoga and meditation practitioner, the owner and creator of B'Tyli Natural Skin Therapies. I am a nutrition consultant and pursuing my degree in Holistic Nutrition,at Clayton College of Natural Health. I am mom of 2 boys, 27 years old, 13 years old and a 3 year old granddaughter. I have been married for 18 years to a wonderful man, who on June 17th donated his kidney to me. I have lived with chronic illness for 20 years and have learned so many spiritual lessons from this experience.I am currently publishing a book titled, Living within the Silver Lining( finding your blessings within the dark clouds). I love life and live it fully each day. Love to cook so check out my weekly or maybe daily recipes. Healthy and Delicious!!!
Who doesn’t love granola ? Okay, put your hand down, Lol 😂. But for us granola lovers, here’s a keep it simple and a bit sweet easy recipe.
You can also find this recipe and others delectable pictures of yummies on my Instagram page Life with Lisa Washington:
Easiest Stovetop Granola: Maple Granola with Pumpkin Seeds: #nutfree
Ingredients:
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1 cup gluten free old-fashioned oats, not instant
1 tablespoon virgin-coconut oil
1 tablespoon maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon of molasses
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
A pinch of clove
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Pinch of sea salt
Instructions
1. In a medium skillet over medium-low heat, add seeds and oats. Toast for 4 minutes, stirring frequently, until the oats are golden and the seeds are fragrant, but not burnt. Add oil, maple syrup, molasses , vanilla, and salt, mix well to coat the oats. Cook 1 additional minute while string.
2. Remove from the heat and spread on parchment paper lined baking sheet. Allow to cool completely before adding to an airtight container.
It’s back to school and here’s an easy recipe that will be a go to for you and your family. I love making this for my family because it’s quick, healthy and fills their bellies. When school starts back we all are in the grind of life, adjusting to a new school year schedule. There are footballs practices, ballet rehearsals, music recitals and a thousand other things we have to focus on, so let dinner be one thing, you pour Love into, but not lots of time. But hey it can taste like it. 😉
Note: A short cut here for this recipe is to precooked the potatoes the night before or use frozen potatoes. I prefer to precook fresh potatoes the night before, fresh ingredients really does make a difference. If you do, cook them until they are mostly tender and not mushy. They will cook later in the recipe.
INGREDIENTS:
2 Tablespoons olive oil
4-5 Sweet Italian Turkey sausage links
10 medium red potatoes, cut in half
1 large yellow onion, sliced
3 bell peppers, any color, sliced into strips. I used what was in the fridge.
2 garlic cloves, minced
3/4 cup Low Sodium Vegetable Broth
1 1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
Sea salt to taste
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
DIRECTIONS:
Add the red potatoes to a pot of boiling water, cook until mostly tender, they will cook in the saucepan with the sausage and peppers later. Drain and set aside.
*If you are using precooked potatoes or frozen, skip this step above.
While the potatoes are cooking, Poke each sausage a few times with a paring knife or fork (this helps release steam as they cook).
In a large skillet with a lid, heat olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add sausages and brown gently and slowly. Cook for 3- 5 minutes, turning occasionally to gently brown on all sides. (They should not be fully cooked.) Once browned, remove sausages to a plate. Set aside.
Increase heat to medium high. Add onion and pepper slices. Toss to coat in oil and sear vegetables until slightly blackened, stirring often. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute.
Add vegetable broth, to deglaze the saucepan, scraping bottom of pan with a wooden spoon to release bits. Simmer the vegetable broth until reduced by half.
Add Italian seasoning. Stir well to combine. Add sausages and the potatoes. Add salt to taste and gently toss. Bring to a simmer then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer until potatoes and peppers are soft and sausages are cooked.
Broccoli and Parmesan Cheese with a twist
This is a simple recipe, but it has a twist. Instead of using water to steam the broccoli you use vegetable broth. It gives the broccoli so much flavor. In a sauce pan add a bit of oil on heat the stove on medium heat . Toss in 2 cups of broccoli florets. Stir the florets around in the pan to help coat them with the oil. Add in a 1/3 cup of low sodium vegetable. Place the lid on top of the pan and allow to steam until the liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and add parmesan cheese on top, place lid back onto the pan to help the cheese melt. Serve immediately. Enjoy
Today I had the opportunity to do a television segment for Fox 5 Good Day Atlanta, because back to school is upon us and we want to give our kids a healthy start to the new school year. Well, I got you covered. Try out some of these recipes with your kids and see how going back school can be a fun and tasty experience for the whole family.
Here’s a few tips to get your kids into eating healthy:
1. Show the new ways to eat fruit and veggies: peanut butter on celery, hummus and red pepper slices, coconut milk with berries popsicle sticks
2. Get them involved in the process. Let them come up with healthy recipes ideas that incorporates more veggies .
3. Plant a garden.
4. Let them explore new fruits and veggies once a week. They don’t have to love it, just be open to trying new things.
5. Make eating healthy fun and not a chore. They are exploring and getting to know how to make good eating choices. So keep light.
Who doesn’t love sweet potatoes? Yes. Everyone does! Okay I just going to pretend that everyone does. The rest of you guys will be converted after this post! LOL.
So here it is, sweet potatoes are not only nature’s little candy, because they are super sweet, but they are loaded with nutrients. Here are a few benefits why you should eat sweet potatoes:
Stabilizes blood sugar levels.
They are high in antioxidants
Need a brain boost, sweet potatoes helps with brain function.
They also are known to help enhance you immunity
They promote vision health.
Need to drop a few pounds, they also help with weight loss.
I know you are thinking about trying them now, with those impressive health benefits, but if you are not totally convinced, check out these two awesome recipes. The recipes below are vegan and plant based, but you can add an egg to them to boost your protein, if you are vegetarian or eat meat. The best thing about both recipes is that you can get super creative.
Sweet potato toast is the new craze out there, if you are trying to cut back on the bread. I love this new take on toast. The toppings are endless, you can go sweet or savory.
Sweet potato toast is simple to make and you make several slices of the toast and keep them in the fridge for up to 7 days and pull them out when you need them and add your favorite toppings. Here’s the easy recipe:
Sweet Potato Toast
Ingredients
1 large sweet potato
Sweet Potato Toast : Sweet ~ Almond Butter, Granola and Cherries Savory ~ Avocado, Smoked Paprika and Olive Oil
Instructions:
OVEN
Preheat the oven to 400ºF and line a baking sheet with parchment paper to help prevent sticking.
Peel the potato. This is optional. I peeled the the ends of the sweet potato off, cut the potatoes in 1/2 inch slices.
Bake until the slices are tender and easily pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Serve warm with your favorite toast toppings.
Store any leftover sweet potato slices in an airtight container in the fridge for up to a week. To reheat for an easy breakfast, just add to your toaster on the medium setting to heat up, remove and add your favorite toppings.
TOASTER
Ingredients
1 sweet potato, cut into 1/4 inch slices
Instructions
Peel your potato and add it to your toaster. It may take you three times to cook and toast the sweet potato completely. Every toaster is different, so you will know it is done when the sweet potato is tender and brown on the edges. Remove it from the toaster and add your favorite ingredients: nut butters, avocado, jams, jelly, granola, nuts, apples slices, whatever, you get creative.
Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper Hash
Sweet Potato and Poblano Pepper Hash
Ingredients
1 large organic sweet potato peeled and cubed
1 small red onion, diced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 poblano peppers, diced
1 small red bell pepper, diced
1 small yellow pepper, diced
1 cup broccoli pearls
1 cup of black beans
1 handful of cilantro, roughly chopped
a pinch or two crushed red pepper, to taste
salt and pepper, to taste
Instructions
Heat olive oil in a cast iron skillet over a medium-high heat. Add the onions and peppers and cook for about 2 minutes until they begin to soften, add the sweet potato, broccoli pearls, salt, and crushed red pepper. Cover and cook about 5 minutes, until the potatoes begin to soften. Add beans and cook for about 3-5 minutes until the beans are warmed up. Taste and adjust seasonings if necessary. Top with cilantro and garnish with lime ( optional) .
How can you take 4 prepackaged vegetable skewers and make several meals?
What I love about using the skewers is they have all my favorite veggies, big plump portobello mushrooms, crunch red bell peppers, zucchini, yellow squash and red onions. The first day I marinated them in a balsamic glaze with olive oil and herbs and paired it with a red quinoa vegan tabbouleh. The next day I took the two of the vegetables skewers and took off the vegetables and sautéed them in olive oil, herbs, sea salt and cracked black pepper. I put the veggies in a bowl, add kalamata olives, sundried tomatoes, banana peppers and chickpeas. I added a little olive oil, balsamic glaze and toss. I chopped some fresh parsley over top and you have your second skewer meal. I took the last one and made a simple stir fry with eggs.
I had such a beautiful afternoon spending time with my girlfriend Sarah and talking about her amazing weight-loss using the keto lifestyle plan. She has lost 40 pounds using this plan. So in honoring of her big victory, I decided to make her my keto savory zucchini cakes.
We did a Facebook Live, where she was able to talk to about how the keto lifestyle plan has helped her live a more healthier way of living. It’s pretty fun, hilarious and educational, so check it out in my Facebook page under Lisa Washington.
Here’s the recipe. To find out more about to keto lifestyle Magic Pill on Netflix.
Keto Zucchini Cakes
Ingredients
• 1 pound zucchini
• 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink sea salt or regular sea salt or to taste
• 1 1/2 teaspoon savory south seasoning by Hillari Moon or herbal garlic no salt seasoning
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/4 cup coconut flour
• 1/4 cup grated Vegetarian Parmesan cheese, BelGioioso Cheese is Vegetarian
• olive oil for frying
Instructions:
1. Grate the zucchini on a box grater . Put the zucchini in a colander and sprinkle with the teaspoon of Himalayan pink sea salt or regular sea salt. Mix the zucchini gently to distribute the salt and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Squeeze the zucchini out with your hands and place into a medium sized mixing bowl.
2. Sauté the onions and garlic in a pan with a bit of olive oil. Remove from pan once the garlic is golden brown. Set aside to cool.
3. Add the eggs to the zucchini and the cooled onions and garlic mix together. In a small bowl, add the rest of the dry ingredients and stir together. Add them to the zucchini and mix thoroughly.
4. Heat a medium to large pan over medium – high heat. Pour in enough oil to completely cover the bottom surface of the pan. When it looks hot, stick the end of a wooden spoon into the oil and check for bubbles. If the bubbles are moving quickly, then the oil is hot enough.
5. Stir the zucchini mixture one more time and dip a 1/4 cup measuring cup into the batter, level off. Dump the batter into the pan and gently push it into a flat pancake shape with the back of a metal spatula/flipper. Cook for three minutes adjusting the heat up or down as needed, then flip, cooking for another three minutes. Add more oil to the pan as needed to prevent sticking.
6. Drain the zucchini cakes on a paper towel before serving.
The past months have been very busy. My son is about to graduate from high school and we have been preparing with all the events around “Senior Year” to help him keep his sanity and for us to keep ours. My business has been going great and celebrating those I love in my life has been very fulfilling and made my heart so happy. All these things are good, but after awhile my body started to talking to me, “Hey you, yes you, can we celebrate me for a moment, can you honor and pay attention to me, because I am losing it over here. Yup that’s a sore throat you are feeling and those are body-aches, PAY ATTENTION LADY!” LOL. 🙂
But all jokes aside, I got so rundown and being on auto immune suppressants, as a kidney transplant recipient, is not good medicine for wellness, and with a busy schedule. Not happening!
This is my birthday week/month. I know, I am one of those people. Why not? It only comes once a year! Right?! Let’s get on with it, how this laryngitis has been my birthday blessing .
So, I got sick and I lost my voice. No voice for the past three days. I have been pretty much silent and laid up in the house. The thing is, I know what this means, I am not listening to my spirit, so that is the first place I go, back home, to me, to Spirit.
You know that time in your life when you are fighting to “make things and people happen” and nothing is going your way. Yes, that frustrating, what is wrong with the world time? What this week has taught me, well, what it has brought me back to, is a lesson God has been teaching me for many years. The issue is never outside of you Lisa, it is always within. I love Mother Teresa’s quote, “In the final analysis. it is between you and God. It was never between you and them.”
So here I am with no voice, speaking to God with my soul, listening for his guidance, his words. What is it God that you want me to know? It is a question I have been asking God for as long as I can remember. The answer always opens up my heart and soul and blessings flood into my life in ways I never imagined.
The first thing he did was lead me to a book titled, Make the Most of You, by PatrickLindsay. I read something in this book this week that brought me to tears, it was a quote by Mahatma Gandhi, ” To believe in something, and not live it, is dishonest.” Wow!!!
What do I l believe and I am not living it? Where am I not be truthful in my life? I examined this question and it pricked my heart so much. I believe that God is the source of my life and that whatever I need and desire comes directly from him. But I was stressed out and living like, No what I need and desire, comes from this situation or a person working it out for me. That is a lie. The second belief, You need to say No, you are on divine assignment, stay aligned with God and he will tell you where to go and when to go and who to go with. I was living, I need to be there, so they will see that I care, so they will see that I matter. EGO. EGO. EGO. This made me sick, because I was not honoring what I believe to be true. I WAS HONORING MY EGO, MY PRIDE.
God, the universe, our bodies are always speaking the truth to us.
We must not as Marianne Williamson states from the Course in Miracles, “Do not seek illusions to replace the truth.” I am returning back to being a truth seeker, my well being depends on it. The divine assignments that God has laid out for me depends on it. The flow of blessings and miracles that God has stored up for me depends on it. Silence has been a wonderful teacher, but the greatest teacher of them all for me is in God’s word: Galatians 1:10 New International Version (NIV)
10 Am I now trying to win the approval of human beings, or of God? Or am I trying to please people? If I were still trying to please people, I would not be a servant of Christ.
It is so easy to be human focus and not spirit focus in our day to day lives. I leave you with this beautiful African story about allowing our souls to catch up with our bodies:
Photo by Oleg Magni on Pexels.com
There was once an American traveler who planned a safari to Africa. He was that typical Type-A American tourist, who many of us may be and who I admittedly am when I travel. We do our research about this travel destination and we have a timetable, maps, and a clear agenda of the things we need to see and do. Some local people had even been hired to carry some of the traveler’s supplies as they trekked throughout the land—it was that level of planning.
On the first morning, they all woke up early and traveled fast and covered a great distance. The second morning was the same—woke up early, traveled fast, and traveled far. Third morning, same thing. But on the fourth morning, the local hired help refused to move. Instead, they sat by a tree in the shade well into the morning. The American traveler became incensed and irate and said to his translator, “This is a waste of valuable time. Can someone tell me what’s going on here?” The translator looked at him and calmly answered, “They’re waiting for their souls to catch up with their bodies.”[1]
Okay, so my biggest client is my husband. He is in amazing shape… and the Oscar goes to his wife, that’s me, for making him delicious and healthy meals, everyday. Yes everyday, well almost everyday. Lol 😂
He went for his yearly annual and his doctor told him most everything looked awesome, just had to watch those carbs. Of course, I get a call, because my husband is serious about his health and he married his nutritionist.
“Honey, he says, I need to cut back on the carbohydrates, but how do I do that and still enjoy what I love to eat? ”
Well before we get to that, let’s look at Why Carbohydrates are good for us:
Here’s the deal on carbohydrates, first off they are our friends. We need carbs to function, they give us energy. They help fuel our brains, kidneys, heart, muscles and central nervous system. They help us fill full and assist in keeping our blood cholesterol levels on point.
According to the United States Department of Agriculture, you should consume, at the very least, the recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of carbohydrates, which is 130 grams for adults, 175 grams for women who are pregnant and 210 grams for women who are breastfeeding. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, women should consume 25 grams of fiber on a daily basis, while men should consume 38 grams of fiber on a daily basis. Source:WebMD
If you have health issues, like diabetes or prediabetic this number can vary based on your doctors evaluation.
If you have diabetes, you should see a doctor or dietitian who can help you plan meals to control your blood sugar. Though your daily carbohydrate requirements are the same as those for someone without diabetes, it’s important to avoid eating too many carbohydrates in one sitting. The American Diabetes Association suggests that you should limit your intake to about 45 to 60 grams of carbohydrates at each meal. SOURCE: WebMD
If you are just cutting back, I like to suggest 100 grams a day for weight loss. Substituting your simple carbs with more complex carbs, like brown rice for white rice, eating more fruits, whole grains and legumes. Eliminating simple carbs out of your diet, like sugary foods, white flour and white potatoes.
Also knowing how to count your carbs is very important. For example, multi grain bread may have 21 grams of carbs, but 4 grams of fiber, you subtract the fiber and you get a true number of how many carbs will be in that slice of bread. Got it?
Enough of the science, here’s some healthy substitutes I bought my husband that I know he will eat.
Popcorn instead of chips, is the big one for all of us:
The Special K bars have 11 g of carbs, the Dave’s Killer Bread, thin slice has 9 g of carbs, for breakfast he toast that and add a tablespoon of Nutella on it ,which is 10 g of carbs. The Smart Food popcorn has 11 g in 1 3/4 cups . We are cutting his desserts down to once a week, because we are not skipping on dessert. 🍮 . He eats some type of protein with each meal. The carbs gives him energy, while the protein builds muscles, skin, and hair. Both are needed in order to stabilize blood sugar and are best when eaten together.
So there you have it folks, my long answer to a question I think a lot of us are asking. Need more low car tips, just shoot me an email. Oh yes, I almost forgot, remember to Set the Table with Love.
Salads are what you make them, and if you are eating to boost energy and shed a few pounds, you may want to be more conscious of how you are making that ‘healthy salad”. Most people think to throw some lettuce in a bowl with a few tomatoes, carrots, cucumbers and some type of dressing and you got yourself a healthy salad. Think again my friend. Don’t get me wrong, everything in that salad for the most part is good, but let’s look at it closer.
So, you are making a salad, most people go for just regular iceberg lettuce. Iceberg lettuce has no real nutritional value, just good ruffage. When picking lettuce the best rule of thumb, the darker the greens the more fiber, flavor and nutrients they will possess.
Now let’s talk about ingredients. If you are eating a salad as your main meal, which is a good idea, because you can incorporate, good protein, lots of fiber, good carbohydrates and good essential fatty acids all on one plate, if we are conscious of what ingredients you are choosing. A salad that will keep you energized and help you drop a few pounds, if eaten daily, with exercise and other healthy accompany meals would look something like this:
Green Avocado Salad
Greens:
Choose 2 to 3 greens:
romaine lettuce
arugula
spinach
kale
Mixed green Medley ( easier way to get several leafy green choices)
You can also add:
Cabbage or Radicchio
Fresh herbs:
Choose 1 or 2 herbs:
basil
parsley
mint
dill
Grains ( optional, but loaded with vegan protein and lots of fiber, just use a little, they are high in carbohydrates.)
Choose 1 grain:
Quinoa
Wild Rice
Farro
Bulgar Wheat
Protein
Choose 1 to 2 proteins:
Organic Chicken ( grilled )
Salmon, steamed or grilled, high in protein and essential fatty acids
Chickpeas, vegan protein and fiber
Eggs
Beans, such as lentils
Vegetables:
LET THESE BE THE MOST IN YOUR SALAD, LOAD UP!
Beets
Carrots
Onions
Cucumbers
Yellow Squash
Bell Peppers
Zucchini
Mushrooms
Celery
Peas
Olives
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Healthy Fats, for crunch
Nuts and Seeds of all kind that you can consume:
Walnuts, Almonds, Pistachios, Brazil Nuts, Hazelnuts, Peanuts, Sunflower Seeds, Chia Seeds, Pumpkin Seeds, Flax Seeds and Hemp Seeds .
Dressings:
Make your own and the healthiest dressings are one that are not creamy, but more in the vinaigrette family.
Simple and healthy dressings have these 4 key ingredients:
Acid~ Lemon Juice, Balsamic Vinegar, Red Wine Vinegar, Rice Wine Vinegar, Apple Cider Vinegar and White Wine Vinegar.
Emulsifierr ~ which is the ingredient that helps keep the first two ingredients from separating and keeps your dressing stable ~ Mustard, Greek Yogurt, Ground Flaxseed, Mashed Avocado and Honey.
Herbs and Flavoring ~ Basil, Parsley, Rosemary, Thyme, Oregano, Dill, Cracked Black Pepper, Red Pepper Flakes, Chives and Honey .
In a blender add all ingredients, blend and enjoy. 🙂
Store in a glass airtight container in the fridge for one to two days, this is a very perishable item. Use it all in a day if possible.
So now you are educated about how to make an awesome salad that is loaded with everything your body needs. Now go out my loves and make the world a ” Happy Salad Place.” 🙂
I remember growing up and being taught to not talk to strangers, let alone give them a hug and for good reason with the world we live in and all the violence we see happening to our children, but is that the best way? I don’t think we should force our kids to hug people, we need to teach them to trust their instincts, but we should teach them about the power of a “good hug”. I taught me kids early to give “good hugs”, to the people in our circle of friends and family. They are all grown up and they still give hugs. Life is about balance with wisdom. We as human beings need healthy and healing physical touch. Studies have shown that touch is essential to our well being, even for our mortality .
But touch is even more vital than this: babies who are not held and nuzzled and hugged enough will literally stop growing and-if the situation lasts long enough, even if they are receiving proper nutrition-die. SOURCE:
Bruce D. Perry, MD, Ph.D. is a child psychiatrist and neuroscientist. He is the Senior Fellow of The Child Trauma Academy and co-author of Born for Love: Why Empathy is Essential—And Endangered.
Maia Szalavitz has published five books and written for The New York Times, Time magazine online, New Scientist, Psychology Today, and other major publications.
So here’s an experiment you may want to try and it may bring a bit of “Happy” into your life. Start a hug campaign in your home, church or community. I suggest to start some where you and the people around you will feel comfortable and open to this experiment of hugging.
Juan Mann, started a very public and controversial hug campaign, that impacted thousands of people. It was so powerful that authorities, banned his campaign. Juan went around and had people sign s petition and they had to remove the ban and the hugging party continued, Hugging is a big deal. Check out his video below and some reason why hugging is so good for us :
Scientific research shows that a good hug, meaning at least 20 seconds is the fastest way for you to get oxytocin flowing in your body. Oxytocin, also known as the “love drug”, calms your nervous system and boosts positive emotions. Here’s how a good hug resulting in oxytocin flow affects you:
• It lowers your blood pressure, especially helpful if you’re feeling anxious.
• It lowers your cortisol (the stress hormone), enabling a higher quality of sleep.
• It can increase your social connections and a sense of belonging.
Studies have also shown that couples who hug more are more likely to stay together. Some reports have even shown hugs can reduce pain. So let’s get the hugging party started. SPREAD THE LOVE. 💕
Instructions
