Anyone who knows me, or who has worked with me, knows I am just not that hardcore when it comes to food. I believe we’re meant to enjoy eating, and I also know that if you feel deprived, it’s eventually going to cause a boomerang in your eating habits. So I have lots of ideas about how to enjoy your treats while still supporting your health. It’s all about balance.

This time of year, the treats we crave are generally frozen and sweet. But why buy commercial ice cream, loaded with sugar and unhealthy fat, (not to mention fillers, additives, artificial flavors, colors, and other nasty chemicals) when you can make healthy delicious stuff so simply at home?  You can have ice cream, even if you’re dairy and sugar free.

For years, I used an inexpensive Cuisinart, but upgraded recently to a DeLonghi gelato machine with a built in compressor, and oh my am I enjoying the results.

Here’s what I made last night:

1 cup of fresh local blackberries
1 cup of unsweetened coconut milk
3 T organic half and half (you can just add more coconut milk if you’re non-dairy)
2/3 cup xylitol
1 T grated lemon rind + 2 T lemon juice

Blend everything together. If you don’t have an ice cream maker, you could probably use your blender, and then pour it into cups or molds to freeze. Which is a good idea anyhow, just to keep you from scarfing down more than you should! It’s that delicious!

originally published in July 2010 Natural Awakenings Magazine

No single food or supplement can keep us from aging or prevent all illness. The wisest approach is to consistently build and maintain health with a balanced diet of high quality lean protein, lots of fruits and veggies, and healthy fats.  Add in plenty of good quality water, eight hours of sound sleep and the right kinds of exercise, and you’ve got the foundations of excellent health over the long haul.

While no one food is going to light up the sky all on its own, these five are pretty stellar.

Chia Seeds
In the best-selling book, Born To Run, author Christopher McDougall reveals secrets of super-athletes who run 50-100 miles for pleasure into old age.  What fuels them?  Chia seeds, which they use for endurance and energy.  They mix their chia with water and lime for a gel-like drink, but chia can be added to protein shakes and smoothies, on yogurt, cereal, salads or vegetables, and as a pudding (see recipe).  What makes chia a superfood? Chia is nutrient-dense powerhouse, rich in Omega 3, calcium and other minerals, soluble and insoluble fiber, and protein.

Berries
Berries are high in anti-oxidants and phytonutrients, high in fiber, and have a low glycemic index so they have minimal impact on blood sugar. And best of all, nothing matches their scrumptious taste. Berry season is here, so avail yourself of these healthy little treats. Whenever possible, choose organic berries, as berries’ soft skins increase the rate of pesticide absorption.  Try serving with a little coconut milk and chopped walnuts (or chia seeds!), in smoothies, or all by their delectable selves.

Dark Leafy Greens
Vitamin D is in the news a lot lately, and many people are taking it as a supplement. But did you know that you need Vitamin K with it? And where do you get Vitamin K? From dark leafy greens.  Vitamin K supports strong bones and teeth by helping transport calcium.  Without it, calcium can cause problems in arteries and soft tissue.  But that’s only one reason to heap bok choy, spinach, swiss chard, broccoli raab, collards and mustard greens on your plate. They are alkalinizing, which makes us more resistant to disease; they are a great source of minerals, including calcium, magnesium and iron; and they fill us up with few calories, low carbohydrates and no fat, making them ideal for weight management.  Steam or saute with olive or walnut oil, add some fresh herbs, and dig in.

Whey Powder
Not all whey powders are equal. Choose minimally processed, hormone-free, whey produced with low temperatures to maintain the benefits of raw milk, including immunogloblulins and lactoferrin, which support the immune system, and cysteine, which is a precursor of glutathione, a nutrient that helps protects from effects of aging, illness, infection, trauma and more, but is difficult to absorb directly.  Whey from grass-fed cows also contains a healthy balance of essential fatty acids.

Chlorella
Chlorella has the highest chlorophyll content of all plants, and is about 60% high quality protein, including all eight essential amino acids, making it extremely valuable for vegetarians and others who limit animal products in their diets.  It is rich in vitamins and minerals, including E, beta-carotene and B12.  It is a powerful detox support, yet gentle enough for nursing and pregnant moms.  Chlorella absorbs toxins from the intestines and colon, and is often used to reduce heavy metals.  Make sure the chlorella you use is tested to be free of mercury, and has no additives or preservatives.

RECIPES

Chia Pudding
2 cups unsweetened coconut milk or MimiCreme (or make your own cashew milk)
1/3 cup chia seeds
3 Tablespoons sweetener: xylitol, agave, or maple syrup
1 Tablespoon vanilla
pinch of salt
Place all ingredients in jar or bowl with secure cover. Cover, shake, and refrigerate overnight.

Kale Chips
Think your kids won’t eat their greens? Try these.
Chop or tear kale into 2 inch bits and dry thoroughly. This is essential.
Preheat oven to 350.
Mix together 1-2 T olive oil, 1/2 t sea salt and other spices if you wish (cayenne, paprika, garlic, curry, etc).  Sprinkle on the dry kale and work into the leaves with your hands.
Arrange on a cookie tray. Cook for about 12 minutes, until leaves are just crisp and still green.

How to Lose Weight, Keep it Off, Get Healthy, and Feel Better Than You Ever Imagined

So many people have tried dieting, tried exercise, and still have not successfully gotten to the weight and body composition they know they could have. One of my specialties is helping people identify the problems that have kept them from succeeding in the past, and helping them finally succeed in reaching – and even surpassing – their goals.

If you have found that all the diet programs, eating “right”, limiting calories, even with exercise, does not work for you, you are not alone. If you have had this experience, it is not your fault! You are probably missing some essential information that will make it work for you as a unique individual: not just what’s theoretically healthy, but what is healthy for YOU!

In order to lose weight and keep it off, you need a healthy metabolism. Contrary to popular belief, your metabolism is not static: anyone can change a poor metabolism into a healthy, fat-burning metabolism. Once you have healed your metabolism, your body will naturally burn fat.

One of the most common impediments to weight loss is hidden food sensitivities. They can cause so much inflammation in your system that it is impossible to lose weight and keep it off.  My clients find that once they eliminate these from their diet, the pounds come off so much more easily, and many other symptoms disappear too, even ones they thought were “just a normal part of aging”.

My program works because I combine sound scientific information, years of experience, an in-depth understanding of your unique circumstances, and week-by-week coaching, so that the program is custom-tailored for you. I take a thorough history in our initial consultation, and then we get to work making the changes you need to feel better in every area of your life. We can work in person or long distance, by phone or webcam.

I coach clients through the basics of customized balanced eating, “smart” exercise, replacing core nutrient deficiencies and behavior modification. I help clients heal areas of metabolic damage to finally resolve their weight issues, based on their individual needs and circumstances. I also address conditions that are known to be caused by or exacerbated by obesity, including hypertension, diabetes, osteoarthritis, and other degenerative conditions, to ensure that clients reach and maintain optimal health.

A comprehensive, personalized, integrated program to help you understand why you have not achieved and maintained your ideal weight and body composition, and follow through until you do.

• Extensive personal health and lifestyle review and discussion
• Body Impedance Testing using a medical grade Tanita Body Composition Analyzer, for insight into your metabolism as well as objective and specific monitoring of fat loss and lean muscle gain. The BCA gives readouts of fat %, fat-free mass, and projected muscle mass in pounds and % for total body, each arm and leg, and belly, as well as hydration (total body water), BMR (basal metabolic rate) and BMI (body mass index).
• Individualized nutritional program with specific guidelines and menu suggestions for meals and snacks.
• Individualized supplement program designed to help you heal your metabolism and then rev it up, as well as address issues specific to you.
• Help in identifying and eliminating food sensitivities that damage your metabolism and can cause countless other symptoms, including fatigue, aches and pains, digestive symptoms, headaches and more.
• Food Journaling: email me your food journal, and I will send it back to you each day with helpful hints about how to improve your choices and optimize your health. Be accountable – and get daily guidance and support, too.
• Information on how to incorporate smart, “hormonally correct” exercise. Exercise smarter, not more.
• Adjunctive therapies, as needed, including homeopathy, kinesiology, detoxes, and more.
• Help with managing stress, sleep and other issues that impact your ability to lose weight.
• Support with managing cravings, and the keys to eliminating them forever.
• Help tapering off toxic chemicals.
• Support by phone and/or email.

What Clients Say:

“I’ve never felt this good.  I’ve lost 29 pounds, 27 of it fat and it’s not like I’m starving myself, not at all.  It makes life a lot easier!  To think that at 53 I had arthritis!  It’s gone. Sure we’re all getting older, but I don’t have that inflammation any more.  I feel much healthier, I’m more active, I sleep better, I have more mental clarity and a more positive attitude.”  IE

I recently completed Fran’s 13 week weight loss program and am now 25 pounds lighter! I have been seeking Fran’s advice for a few years now. Every time something in my body “broke down”, I immediately reached out to Fran. She kept telling me that I needed to change my eating habits. I tried, but after feeling better each time, I fell off the wagon. Now I know what was missing. It was Fran’s weekly guidance and coaching. After being diagnosed with kidney stones, fatty liver and diverticulum in my colon, what did I do? What else? Pick up the phone and call Fran, AGAIN. She gently nudged me to think about what she had told me all along: I had to change what I was eating. I committed to her 13 week program and Fran helped with everything from physical to psychological issues. She tested me for different supplements and guided me in the use of my new found love for essential oils. The weight came off and I noticed changes starting to happen to my digestive system. I have more energy, sleep better and have a new found love for life and veggies!! Without Fran, I know I would be unhealthy and feeling emotionally “sick” right now. Way to go Fran!!! —VP, Centereach, NY

I’ve lost 35 pounds since I started working with Fran. When I’ve been on diets in the past, it’s been agonizingly painful, so difficult for it to come off. Since I’ve been on the supplements and homeopathic remedies, it just comes off. I was put on Fosamax in 2003 for osteopenia and… my MD couldn’t believe the results since last July: there was a 50% improvement and my bones are now normal. She said that she has never seen so much improvement before. I look great and have more energy. It makes me very happy. —ES, Westwood, MA

Fran is always a considerate, compassionate, deeply aware and intuitive person who works in earnest to alleviate the stresses we inadvertently place on our body, mind and spirit. Not only do I enjoy our sessions and find much benefit in them but I have also seen major health improvements in the process. During the 15 month period of our work together, I have lost approximately 70 pounds (so much for the myth of not being able to lose weight after menopause) and my cholesterol dropped 60 points, all triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. Testing further revealed much improvement and restoration to my major organs. I have more energy and my mind seems to be functioning as it did in my youth. Although there is still much to be done, I consider myself blessed and fortunate to have found an exceptional and gifted healer to help me on my journey. —CP, Saylorsburg, PA

Don’t let ANYONE tell you these are the “normal” signs of aging! Now is the time to reclaim your life!

• Thinning hair?
• Tired all the time, and tired of being tired?
• Lost your libido?
• Weight creeping up more than you’d like,
  especially on your belly?
• Feel a little foggy?
• Too tired to exercise?
• Pains in your joints?

In a culture that worships at the altar of youth, what can a woman expect once she reaches her forties and fifties? Is it true that aging means gaining weight, lost libido, thinning hair, and increasing aches, pains and physical woes? Absolutely not! This can be a wonderful time of life, if women learn to take care of themselves as well as they’ve taken care of everyone else in the decades before.

Overworked, overwhelmed, overtired, over-committed, this can be the time when it all starts to unravel. The worst part is the authoritative voices, in doctors’ offices, in the news, on tv and in the movies, suggesting that this is how it’s supposed to be. It almost seems like we’re expected to just roll downhill from here. NOW is the time to reclaim your fabulous, vibrant, sexy, successful, fulfilling life!

Being this age does not have to mean a slow inevitable deterioration with increasing debilitating symptoms. And it certainly doesn’t mean the end of our sensuality or sexuality. It can be a time of great vitality, growth and new freedom. These are the years when lifestyle choices really pay out: the great ones and the not-so-good ones. It’s the time to make the changes that determine the quality of your life for the decades ahead. Decide what you want to change, educate yourself about the options, and get support. Don’t accept conventional wisdom about what can and can’t heal. Much more is possible than you think.

The most important issues at this age are healing the metabolism and balancing hormones. What worked in your 20s, when your body was still geared toward growth and reproduction, no longer works. Women who have been on and off diets and up and down the scale for a couple of decades are almost always insulin resistant. Many also have burned out their adrenals from a combination of chronic stress, too much caffeine and too little sleep. The good news is that we are incredibly resilient: all of this can be healed. To get help right now, either click on the Book Now button to the right and let’s get started.

I Can’t Lose Weight!
Women at this age often complain that they don’t eat much but seem to gain weight anyhow, and losing weight seems impossible. If that’s your experience, you are not wrong, but you probably have a damaged metabolism. Healing your metabolism involves identifying and eliminating food sensitivities; balancing protein, carbs and fat every time you eat, according to your current state; reducing your toxic load, including nicotine, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, refined sugars, and caffeine. And don’t depend on soy for protein. Soy suppresses the thyroid, causing further havoc with your hormones. By making consistently good choices you can heal your metabolism and become a more efficient fat-burner. We don’t get healthy by losing weight – we lose weight by getting healthy.

My Hormones Are Out of Whack!
Somewhere in their forties or fifties almost all women start to experience hormonal changes signaling the end of the reproductive years. Hormonal changes are responsible for many symptoms we associate with aging, including dryness, loss of flexibility, aching joints, thinning hair and plummeting libido. Instead of trying to replace estrogen directly, it’s better to lower cortisol, which is always in inverse relationship to estrogen (as testosterone is, for men). Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glad in response to stress, and stress hormones take precedence over all other hormones, so if you are stressed, your calming and reproductive hormones drop. Lowering cortisol helps bring all your hormones back into alignment. You can do that by: getting more sleep, reducing caffeine, practicing stress management, and taking Phosphatidyl Serine, a naturally occurring phospholipid, which reduces the cortisol response. PS also improves cognitive function and has been shown to reduce age related declines in memory, including name recall. It also helps you lose belly fat. Therapeutic doses of VItamin C help repair the adrenals and lower cortisol levels. There are so many nutritional changes and supplements you can use that will support your healing in this process. I can help you find the right ones from the hundreds that are available, and make sure you get the quality and dosage of supplement that will actually work for you.

Sleep It Off
Want to look and feel younger, lose weight, have more energy, improve your immune system and your heart health? Get at least 8 hours of sleep a night! It’s a myth that you need less sleep as you age. Sleep is the precious time when our body does repair and rebuilding. It’s also the time we stop producing cortisol, so sleep contributes to hormonal balance as well.

Turn Yourself Upside Down
Hot flashes? Night sweats? One of the best things you can do is inversions. There are many reasons to do yoga during these years, but headstands and shoulder stands are truly stellar. Start with 10 breaths, and work up to a count of 100. Don’t do these without warming up first, and if you’ve never done them, you’ll want to find an experienced yoga instructor to help you. In the meantime, you can lie on the floor with your legs vertical, against a wall, and small pillow under your lower back.

Find Your Still Point
Mind-body techniques such as visualization and meditation help us find the calm in the center of the storm. Meditation doesn’t have to mean sitting in unmoving full lotus for an hour, nor does it mean not having any thoughts. There are many forms of meditation and you are bound to find one that suits you if you shop around. Many places, including my office, offer free classes, so compare styles and formats. And you can take a mini-vacation any time by simply taking a few deep breaths while thinking of something pleasurable, somewhere beautiful, or someone you love. To hear two examples of meditation that I teach and practice, click here. To find the next meditation class I am teaching, see the Events Calendar to the right.

Exercise Smarter, Not Harder
As we age, extended cardio is less effective for losing weight and maintaining health. You can lose more fat, support hormonal balance and increase energy by doing exercise “bursts.” Go all out for one minute and then let your heart rate return to normal. Repeat 4 times a day, 3 times a week, and you will produce more human growth hormone and testosterone, keys to lean muscle, and helpful for improved energy and libido. To get the best results in only 12 minutes a week, and burst with no impact to your joints, I recommend the Xiser.

Make a Commitment to Yourself
Your forties, fifties and beyond can be a time of vibrant physical health, healthy sexuality and sensuality, and pleasure and delight in a full and active life. It all begins with making decisions that support you in thriving in your own wonderful life, and following through with them day by day. Ready to start now? Let me help you with an individualized program to heal your metabolism and rebalance your hormones. You don’t even know how much better you can feel!