Learning the art of Italian Cooking to spice up our dinner routine!

I love to cook and was thrilled to take a class learning some new techniques to add to our repertoire.  We discovered some simple yet absolutely delicious recipes that we used on our Christmas Eve dinner table this year, to rave reviews.  One of the biggest takeaways I got from this class was that our cooking techniques don’t have to be complicated to create GREAT RESULTS!

Wouldn’t it be great if you had a “cookbook” of simple techniques to show you exactly how to soothe your belly…that actually work?

In order to help serve you better I’ve put together an ALL NEW e-book:

“25 Ways To Soothe Your Belly…Without Giving Up All The Foods You Love.”
Designed to get you into action right away, this guide is full of practical techniques that you’ll go back to again and again for inspiration and ideas on how to not only soothe your belly as it hurts, but learn how to PREVENT future belly attacks from even occuring.

This guide is for you if you:

• Want practical strategies to make your belly feel better RIGHT AWAY.
• Thrive on having written action plans.
• Could benefit from more accountability and follow through around your health routines.
• Feel like you are stuck in a belly pain cycle that you can’t get out of.

25 Ways To Soothe Your Belly…Without Giving Up All The Foods You Love is a 25+ page guidebook which contains detailed techniques and action steps to end the cycle of belly pain and start living your pain free life.

The guidebook includes the following:

• 25 detailed totally do-able techniques on how to soothe your belly…without giving up delicious foods.
• A 25 item belly soother toolkit list.
• Detailed action plan ready for you to personalize so that you can implement the techniques right away.

You will also receive:

• An Information Packed, hour long recording of my teleclass “Top Secrets For Healing Your Belly From Irritable Bowel Syndrome“

This is an electronic book and will be sent directly to your inbox by email in pdf format so that you can read it through Adobe Acrobat’s free reader or you can print it off so that you can customize your own action plan included in the book.

To reserve your copy of 25 Ways To Soothe Your Belly…Without Giving Up All The Foods You Love simply send an email right now to

megan@santehealthcounseling and I will send you the link via email ASAP to process your request.

To Your Health,

Megan

With my business mentors Stacey Morgenstern and Carey Peters of Holistic MBA at the James Malinchak Speaker Bootcamp in Los Angeles.

There’s nothing like some quality time with mentors to kick you in the butt and support you on your goals, right?

In early December I headed to Los Angeles to hang out with my mentors and to get a jumpstart on the health of my business for 2011.  Being around people who could reflect my blindspots back to me and help me refocus was not only great for my business but nourishing for me in my own personal growth.  True mentors are people who can lovingly and honestly tell you like it is.

Wouldn’t it be great if someone could tell you straight up where you’re missing opportunities to finally heal your belly once and for all…without going on a horrible bland diet and giving up delicious foods?

That’s why I’m here.

I’ve noticed many women with belly pain struggling with a big problem: they fail to see the biggest opportunity right in front of them to tame their tummy troubles for good.  They’re often so caught up in their day to day routine and obligations that they don’t believe there is a solution out there.  So they just “live with it” (gas, bloating, pain, day after day, uggg) and miss the chances to discover the REAL permanent secrets to feeling better that are just there waiting for them.

As you know, I’m passionate about being of service to hot, hip, creative women like you!  So I’ve created a special 30-minute session to get out of that belly pain rut for good…

Introducing….

The ALL-NEW “Tame Your Tummy Pain Discovery Session!”

This session, valued at $75 is for amazing women who know they deserve more from life than hating their bellies and trying to hide the fact they are in pain.

Is one of these sessions YOURS?

Until January 15th only, I’m gifting 5 of these sessions to YOU, my wonderful subscribers!

To reserve one of these 5 sessions before they’re all snapped up, simply send an email right now to megan@santehealthcounseling with the subject line “Tame My Tummy Pain!” and I will respond to you via email to schedule your session ASAP.

I can’t wait to welcome you to your session!

To Your Health,

Megan

Plus, my belly does the best when I eeeeeaasssseeee out of the weekend into my work week.
So, staying up late paying bills on Sunday night not only is a drag, but just isn’t good for my belly!

So…we’ve put parameters on our bill paying time by scheduling them into our work week, and then frankly, letting some other things go, (do we need a clean house before starting the week?  No, not really.)

Now I’ve even started to look forward to Sunday nights when it’s quiet, some music is on, and we spend some time cooking for the week, reading, or just sitting and talking.  Ahhhh, feels so much better!

What would you do on your “Slow down Sundays?”  I’d love to hear, let me know!

Why is mindfulness so important?
Mindfulness can be used to learn to gain control over our minds so that our minds don’t control us. Often times we have a script in our head how we are, how we act, and how we should be. Using the techniques of mindfulness, we are able to challenge those old tapes that get in the way of changing and growing. By using mindfulness, and bringing awareness and intent into the PRESENT MOMENT, we can choose how we act rather falling into old behaviors.

How is mindfulness related to eating and digestion?
By using the technique of mindful eating, you have more power to be in touch with the messages your body is sending you and feed your body how it truly wants to be fed.  You will be more aware of your hunger cues and how certain foods affect your body.

Benefits:
• You be less likely to overeat, as you are continually checking in with your body
about its level of satisfaction.
• You will be more in touch with what foods are causing your stomach to feel upset
• You will be relaxing your body during eating, and when your whole body is
relaxed your digestive system can do its best work.

To practice mindful eating:
1. Find some time to eat your meal or snack with no distractions.
2. Prior to eating, look at your food, notice the color, textures, and smells. What
are your reactions prior to eating? Take note of them mentally without judging
them.
3. Take a bite. Focus your attention on how the food feels in your mouth. Notice
the taste. Keep at it, if you find your mind wandering or you feel impatient, bring
your mind back to the food in your mouth.
4. Chew your food. Continue to focus your attention on the taste, the texture. Resist
the urge to swallow before you have chewed your food entirely (about 30 times).
What is this like? Is this challenging to do? What feelings are coming up for
you? Notice them, but don’t judge them
5. Swallow the bite. Again, notice any sensations.
6. Check in with yourself.

Keep in mind that mindfulness is a practice, something to strive for, so keep at it!

Did you know that squash is a belly soothing food?  It is the perfect time of year to load up on this fiber rich vegetable which is so plentiful right now.  It is also loaded with Vitamin C, A and Potassium.  Look for it at late fall farmers markets in all shapes and sizes.  Try delicata, butternut, hubbard, acorn, and pumpkin.  I recently made this soup with butternut, but it would be delicious with any winter squash you have.

Serves 8-10
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 pounds butternut squash, peeled and diced into 1-inch chunks
3 large carrots, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, peeled and minced
2 quarts vegetable stock, chicken stock, or water
1/8 cup grated orange zest
Pinch of ground nutmeg
Pinch of cayenne pepper, to taste
Sea salt to taste
Ground pepper to taste
Chopped Italian flat leaf parsley (optional)

Cooking Instructions:
1. Heat olive oil in a medium pot over medium heat in a large sauce pot.
2. Sauté the squash, carrots, onion, and ginger for 3 minutes, until lightly browned.
3. Add water or stock and orange zest and bring to a boil.
4. Lower to a simmer and cook uncovered for 35-40 minutes, until the vegetables are tender.
5. Add the nutmeg, cayenne pepper, salt, and pepper to taste.
6. Puree soup with a handheld immersion blender or in a food processor, or blender until smooth.  (I like to leave my slightly chunky)
7. Sprinkle with chopped parsley prior to serving.

Adapted from The Whole Foods Market Cookbook

Today I’m going to tell you some truths that it took me a long time to fully understand and own up to about my Irritable Bowel Syndrome (in many ways I’m still working on this).  I’ll begin by saying that IBS isn’t just about your reaction to food.  It is so much more than that.  That’s because your digestion, belly, gut, however you refer to it, is the seat of your personal power. And when your digestive system is not working properly, there are implications far beyond gas and bloating.  Now, when I started suffering from IBS I just did not think about this.  I was simply trying desperately to figure out why it was that whenever I ate something I either felt horrible or had to run to the bathroom.

On the physical level, your entire body cannot function without proper digestion.  Think about it: in order to sustain you as a human being, give you the energy to get through your day, and keep your body strong and nourished, your digestive system MUST be breaking down the food so that it can be assimilated into your body.  If you are not absorbing the nutrients from food, how can you be healthy?  It really is the key to life.

Now, in addition to the physical, there is a whole other level to your digestion. And this is where your personal power comes in, and where I’ll get really honest with you.  My IBS conveniently kept me from stepping into myself as a competent, powerful, effective person for a long time. Now, it may not have looked that way on the outside—I went to a great college, worked hard, and even got a masters degree, however, throughout that whole time, in addition to feeling ill, I felt kinda stuck.  In a way, I felt like I was hiding out from stepping up and going after the kind of life I REALLY wanted. I was hiding from recognizing my true desires and what I was really hoping to accomplish and contribute to the world.  And you know what was holding me back?  FEAR! I was fearful of being myself and offering out to the world my unique voice.  And I would say “gee, I really wish I could do this or that, but I know my belly will act up.”  In my health coaching business, I am so blessed to finally be in a place where I am using my voice, and have stepped up and out my chronic pain (well, actually, I still work on that part daily, and my belly is a great reminder system when my self-care is lacking).

If you are not nourishing your belly, or you have chronic digestive issues, the seat of your unique power, chances are it has something to do with fear.

To be clear however, I am NOT suggesting that having IBS is something that is your fault, or that you should blame yourself for having such a difficult condition.  I am encouraging you to look at where in your life you are not stepping up into your personal power and talents and where in your life you are stifling your true desires, and unique gifts.  Perhaps you are stuck in a life or job situation you just don’t want to be in.  Perhaps you aren’t having the fulfilling relationships you secretly want.  What do you think you might be doing if you felt energized and fabulous?  Where would you really shine  What would you go after?

Healing from IBS and stepping out of your chronic pain requires an approach where you are addressing the physical AND the emotional.  It takes envisioning yourself as a healthy, powerful individual.

Start to re-gain your personal power in my one-on-one coaching program Heal Your Belly Now.  Visit my website to schedule your FREE Digestive Wellness Strategy Session—for a limited time.

Did I mention how incredibly EASY this is to make?

Ginger-Cinnamon Tea

Ingredients:

½ cup thinly sliced fresh ginger
6 cups water
2 cinnamon sticks
honey to taste
lemon wedges for garnish if desired

Instructions:

In a saucepan, simmer ginger, cinnamon, and water for 20 minutes, or longer for stronger tea.  Strain tea through a sieve.  If desired, add honey and lemon prior to serving.

Enjoy!

Hello All,

Hope you enjoyed your weekend– I got out for my annual fall hike and enjoyed the beautiful foliage and crisp weather here in New England.  The hike, which we did in the White Mountains was really challenging for me this year– but, I’m happy to say I kept with it, despite wanting to turn around!  After the hike I felt AMAZING because I knew I had done something that took me out of my comfort zone.  This was just what I needed, because lately I have been working a ton and definitely neglecting some of most basic health routines that I MUST do to keep me and my belly feeling good.  To be honest, prior to the weekend, I really hadn’t been feeling all that great.  And you know what– I hadn’t been practicing what I preach, and I was getting stuck in that old funk of just accepting that I didn’t feel great.  And that is a dangerous place to be.  Do you know how long you can go feeling bad and blah?  I went YEARS before I took charge of my health.

Going on that hike was exactly what I needed to get me unstuck.  Sometimes we need to do something different to get us out of our heads, out of our comfort zone, out of our RUT!

So, now, I’d like to ask you:

• Does your belly hurt EVERYDAY but you have yet to act on it?
• Do you keep pushing away that little voice saying “you know, you really should do something about this belly pain.”
• Do you keep ignoring when your body tells you that something is WRONG?
• Do you think, well, my belly doesn’t hurt THAT bad–  I don’t have time to do anything about it.

Now there are many reasons (and excuses) for why we get (and stay) stuck in the place that I think of as “comfortably uncomfortable.”  Some of them are:

• Not wanting to face having to make a change such as giving up certain foods or telling our friends and family we are eating differently
• Not wanting to admit that something is wrong
• Being unsure what the steps are to get out of that place

What PUSH do you need to LEAP out of your comfort zone into a place where you can feel not just so much better, but AMAZING?  My new program “Heal Your Belly Now” provides the exact push you need–  In this program I TELL YOU EXACTLY WHAT TO DO to heal your belly step-by-step. No more excuses, no more procrastination.  I  know your belly pain is affecting your whole life, even if on the surface it may not look like it, so why not start now?

Get in touch with me to schedule your Digestive Wellness Strategy Session, which for a limited time is FREE.  This is a 30-minute PHONE consultation, so don’t procrastinate– you don’t even have to travel!!

Head over to my website to book online:

http://www.santehealthcounseling.com/#goto=private-wellness-coaching

OR, send me an email

megan@santehealthcounseling.com

à votre santé,

Megan

Does that sound familiar to you?  One of the reasons I STRUGGLED for so long to figure out my belly was because I was waiting for someone else to tell me what was going on in my body. Now, 10 years later, the most important thing I learned was that

I WAS THE ONE WHO HAD TO LEARN ABOUT AND TAKE CHARGE OF MY BODY Nobody else was going to do it for me.

You see, Irritable Bowel Syndrome REQUIRES that you take a look at your body, listen and understand what it is telling you.  Until you become personally empowered and take charge of your own health you will not heal, and I fully stand behind that statement.

Ironically, it took reaching out to gain that sense of personal empowerment.  It wasn’t until I started working with my own health coach, Christi Collins that I finally felt empowered about my body and my well-being.  It took having a gentle, yet firm coach to gain that sense of personal health empowerment.

I’d like to be that person for you. As an expert in healing from Irritable Bowel Syndrome, I am so excited to invite you into my newest program “Heal Your Belly Now.”

This 16 week coaching program combines step-by-step instructions on how to heal your physical body with crucial guidance and direction to nudge you to enter into your place of self-empowerment, not just about your belly, but your overall health.  In this program you will:

* Uncover your own personal trigger and soothing foods and learn what to eat that will still be delicious and dinner-party worthy. (Cause I’m not a fan of deprivation, or eating rice and bananas for the rest of my life).
* Discover the #1 most important reason you could be eating the ?right? foods and STILL be having belly pain.
* Learn a simple system to understand what factors are causing your belly pain
* Discover what you already have in your home that will soothe your belly right now
* Use your belly healing strategies not only to heal your IBS but also boost your overall health, energize your body and lose weight
* Finally learn a system of steps to pull you out of your IBS attacks quickly so you never have to wonder any more if you are doing the right thing for your sensitive belly.

I have a limited number of spaces for this program, and spots are already filling up.  To learn more about this program visit my website at www.santehealthcounseling.com

And if you are ready to get started, as a bonus, I am now making my Digestive Wellness Strategy Session, a $65 dollar value FREE!  This is a 30-minute phone session in which you will:

* Learn 3 essential keys to healing from IBS
* Clarify your health goals
* Discover how my program can help you feel better…fast
* Plan your next step toward feeling better

Head on over to my website to book your session now!

http://www.santehealthcounseling.com/#goto=private-wellness-coaching

à votre santé,

Megan