Debi Cristiano - EvolvingWellness.net

EVOLVING!!!

2011-05-24T07:42:00.000-07:00

I've been EVOLVING!
Just like the name of my business. I've been evolving.... not only my wellness but.... MANY aspects of my life.
It's been a roller coaster of anxiety, happiness, joy, frustration, ...you know...all those feelings YOU may start to have when you just THINK about personal/professional CHANGE!!

MOST of all, it's been ENLIGHTENING and EXCITING!
Part of the excitement is the launch of my new fitness program!!! A program that is RADICAL and DIFFERENT and LIFE CHANGING!!
If YOU would like to experience it, I'm giving an introductory class
in Sarasota on Tuesday, June 7, from 6-7 pm at Elite Fitness!! For more about the class or to register for the class email me at debi@evolvingwellness.net.

Also, I'll be launching a new website, a new blog and some new projects. VERY SOON!!

Want to learn more about my journey, the new projects and interesting articles about fitness and wellness?
Connect with me on my Evolving Wellness Facebook page.

I'll also be sending out emails to announce: more classes, launches and other FUN happenings I'm creating!!

What have YOU been up to since we last connected? I'd love to hear about the wonderful things happening in your world!!

Homemade Green Lemon Limeade

2010-10-22T10:56:00.000-07:00

My favorite breakfast juice!! Homemade Green Lemon Limeade!!

This drink is a great cleanser and it will energize you for the entire day. Feel free to adjust the quantities of greens. I've even made this recipe with Kale, Spinach and Romaine Lettuce. No matter what greens I have used, they all taste deliciously invigorating!! Enjoy!!!

Recipe:

1/2 head Romaine Lettuce,
7 large bunches of whole Spinach - stems included
1/2 Cucumber
4 large stalks of Celery
1 lime
1 lemon
1 1/2 apples

Your body, mind, spirit will feel alkalized, hydrated and energized!!!

2010-09-30T07:26:00.001-07:00

Pumpkin Pie Drop Cookies

This cookie has become a holiday favorite for EVERYONE who tastes it!! You can omit the almonds or you can toast the almonds for more flavor. I also like to actually frost the cookie with the delicious brown butter frosting rather than drizzle it over the top!! ENJOY!!

Preheat oven to 375°

Prep: 30 min. Bake: 10 min. per batch

1 cup butter softened

½ cup granulated sugar

½ cup packed brown sugar

2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup canned pumpkin

1 to 2 tablespoons finely chopped crystallized ginger

2 cups all-purpose flour

½ cup chopped almonds, toasted (optional)

Brown Butter Drizzle

Chopped almonds, toasted (optional)

Finely chopped crystallized ginger (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. In a large mixing bowl, beat butter with an electric mixer on medium to high speed for 30 seconds. Add granulated sugar, brown sugar, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Beat mixture until combined, scraping sides of bowl occasionally. Beat in egg, pumpkin, and the 1 to 2 tablespoons crystallized ginger. Gradually add flour, beating until combined. If desired, stir in 1;2 cup almonds.

2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons 2 inches apart onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 10 to 12 minutes or until bottoms are lightly browned. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool.

3. Place Browned Butter Drizzle in a heavy resealable plastic bag. Seal bag and snip a small hole in one corner. Drizzle icing over cookies. If desired, sprinkle cookies with additional chopped almonds and crystallized ginger, pressing additions lightly into icing. Let cookies stand until drizzle sets. Makes about 48.

BROWNED BUTTER DRIZZLE: In a medium saucepan heat ½ cup butter over low heat until melted. Continue heating butter until it turns a delicate brown. Remove pan from heat. Slowly beat in 2 ½ cups powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon vanilla, and enough milk (2 to 3 tablespoons) to make icing of drizzling consistency.

TO STORE: Layer cookies between waxed paper in an airtight container; cover. Store at room temperature for up to 3 days. Or freeze unfrosted cookies for up to 3 months; thaw and ice cookies.

Recipe was initially published in the 2005 Holiday Edition of Better Homes and Gardens

Re-charging for Guys - The Raw and Fit Way!!

2010-07-25T13:48:00.000-07:00

For many men, it is a lot of pressure to be a provider, a protector and a source of emotional support for his family. So when it is time for them to re-charge, many men will sit down in their comfy chair/couch, watch some sporting events or play a few video games. During this re-charge time, they may indulge in drinking alcoholic beverages, eat high fat foods: pizza, chicken wings, or hamburgers, munch on crunchy salty snack foods: pretzels or potato chips, etc. After a while, these re-charge choices start to have a not so re-charging affect!! Weight gain, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, lack of energy, low moods, and even depression may be the outcome of guys ‘re-charging’ time. Trying to get a guy to change how he re-charges, may not be the easiest for you to do but by encouraging him to change, it may be the best gift you could ever give him!! Here are some ways to help a guy learn to re-charge and create a healthier lifestyle, the raw and fit way!

1. Purchase a gym membership for a guy and for yourself (if you don’t already have one). It’s been scientifically proven that men will stay committed to an exercise program when they have an exercise buddy. Along with being his workout buddy, both of you will enjoy the time spent together.

2. Prepare some delicious raw foods dishes for guys. They can be as simple as: fresh delicious seasonal fruits cut up in pieces, raw crunchy vegetables served with healthy raw nut cheeses, a hearty salad with various greens and dehydrate fruits and raw nuts served with a savory raw dressing.

3. Give a guy a water purifier along with an environmentally friendly water bottle. As part of the gift, have the water purifier installed. That way, this gift won’t end up in the garage as part of the home improvement project to do list! Once it is installed, fill up his water bottle and encourage him to drink plenty of delicious water. Guys will be amazed at how wonderful he feels after a few days of healthy hydration.

4. Buy a book! If the guy is a reader, purchase a raw foods lifestyle book or a book written to assist guys on how to create his own personal fitness program. A guy can read about how a raw food lifestyle will provide delicious ways for him to create healthy dishes filled with enzymes, oxygen, and necessary nutrients to re-charge his body, mind, and spirit! A personal fitness program themed book will give guys some insight on how to create fun and enjoyable ways to incorporate exercise as a part of his lifestyle. The best way to find books a guy would enjoy, go to Amazon.com and search for raw food lifestyle and health and fitness programs. Read through the reviews. I have found the reviews to be an excellent way to find informative books on these subjects.

5. Patience!! Yes, being patient with guys as they start to create a healthier lifestyle is a gift!! It takes 21 days or more for someone to become comfortable with any new habit or thought process. When guys start to create a healthier lifestyle, your patience will be the added support for them to be successful. Know that guys may not stick to a healthier raw food lifestyle or exercise program all the time. What matters is that they consistently choose healthier options over the long run for lasting changes over their life time. As they move through those 21 days, they will begin to feel better! As they feel better, they will continue to choose healthier options. Let guys know you will be patient with them and support them as they create a healthier lifestyle, the raw and fit way!!

Healthy Inexpensive Ways to Celebrate Mother's Day!

2010-05-07T06:10:00.001-07:00

As Mother's Day approaches, I've heard the question, "What are you GETTING your Mother for Mother's Day?", asked many times. Bet you already know some of the answers I heard in return... "A greeting card." "Going to brunch at her favorite restaurant." "A gift certificate to the day spa." They are ALL wonderful gifts. Yet...as I thought about all these Mom's receiving their Mother's Day gifts, I also began to think how nice it would be for Mom to receive something a little different! Hmmm.. a creative, unique, inexpensive, and very personal Mother's Day gift. Here are a few gift ideas I came up to fit the criteria. I am SURE you can come up with some of your own too!

1. Prepare a healthy Mother's Day breakfast served in bed. Creating a healthy breakfast doesn't necessarily mean cooking or baking. This special gift is fantastic for younger children to make. To prepare a simple and inexpensive breakfast purchase locally grown fruit(s). Arrange the fruit(s) in a pretty bowl with a sprig of mint. You can also prepare small bowls of toppings to add to the fruit(s). Chopped nuts (almonds - high in: calcium, Vit. E and walnuts - high in: Omega 3 & cholesterol lowering monounsaturated fats), shredded coconut (coconut possesses a very unique fat which has been scientifically proven to have numerous health benefits), locally harvested honey ( a fantastic immunity booster), brown rice syrup ( a very healthy way to feed a sweet tooth) and/or your own selection(s) of healthy toppings.

2. Collect some photos of your loved ones, memorable events, family pets, etc. Scan them into your computer OR you can make color copies of the photos. Create a very special greeting card with them. Include hand written heart felt feelings and you have created a one of kind Mother's Day greeting card. You can also expand the card and add additional pages to include more photos and hand written sentiments. For a very special personal touch, write a special story about your Mom. Your Mom will cherish your special words, no matter what you choose to write about!!

3. Give your Mom a hand crafted book of gift certificates. Be creative and come up with ways to thank your Mom for who she and what she does through the year. Certificates for: "me" time, a healthy home cooked meal of your Mom's favorite dishes, a walk and talk, etc. are just a few thoughtful ways to give back to your Mom, for Mother's Day and throughout the year.

With these special gifts, Mom will be over joyed with the personal, healthy, memorable way you celebrate Mother's Day!! ENJOY!!

Delicous Green Smoothie!!

2010-05-02T05:53:00.000-07:00

During our most recent excursion to the local Saturday Morning Farmer's Market, we had the most amazing green smoothie!! It was delicious, energizing, and refreshing!! Yet, after we finished this delightfully thick taste filled smoothie, we felt as though we had enjoyed a light beverage! The next day we decided to create our own version of this green smoothie with our new VitaMix. WOW!! Our version of the green smoothie was even more energizing and deliciously thick with all the power packed nutrients from our organic foods we had purchased from the Farmer's Market. Inspired to create this green smoothie? Here are both recipes for you to create! Enjoy the taste of all the green goodness in this healthy tasty smoothie!!

Farmer's Market Green Smoothie
1 1/2 c of greens (kale or spinach or dandelion greens or a combination of both)
2 small apples (or 1 very large apple) add more apples if you would like it sweeter
2 stalks of celery
1 c of cucumber
1 very ripe avocado
1/2 cup of ice (or very cold water) If you like your smoothies to be VERY cold and with icy pieces add ice rather than cold water

Mix in a blender until well blended and smooth!

Cage's Green Smoothie
1 1/2 c kale (curly kale)
2 med. apples
4 stalks of celery
1 c of cucumber
1 very ripe avocado
8 oz of rice milk
1/2 c cup of cold water

Mix in a high speed blender until blended and smooth!

Fuel your Renewal and Energize YOU!

2010-03-03T06:11:00.000-08:00

March 20, 2010, marks the first day of Spring, known as the vernal equinox. It also represents a day of renewal!! Here are seven ways to put more spring into spring, fuel your renewal and ENERGIZE YOU!!

1. Energize your salads, sandwiches, and soups with sprouts. Sprouts are rich in enzymes, vitamins, and micronutrients. They are an awesome way to add more raw into your healthy meals! You can even sprout your own Sprouts!! It’s easy and fun.

2. Bring more spring into your food shopping. The warmer temperatures of spring brings more outdoor events. One of my favorites: a visit to one of the local farmers markets. While I am there I purchase locally grown vegetables and fruits. It’s energizing to smell and touch their freshness. You will definitely taste the delicious difference!!

3. Create an energizing green salad! Delicious greens fuel your body with wonderful living raw nutrients! One of my favorites: mix any green leaf vegetable with chopped cucumber, red onion, tomatoes, yellow peppers and orange peppers. Toss with a little bit of Grapeseed oil and Ume vinegar. Season with sea salt, dulse and unhulled raw sesame seeds. You can even add sprouts to the mix! YUM!!

4. Walk or run outside. Your body will be renewed with all the fresh scents of spring and the wonderful rays of sunlight!! Just a few minutes of direct sunlight on your bare skin increases your Vitamin D, which boosts your Calcium absorption.

5. Enjoy moments of awareness with Mother Nature. Grab a comfortable chair, move it outside. Sit comfortably, with your spine tall, and place your hands on both sides of the lower portion of your rib cage. Breathe deeply into the space between your hands. Take a deep breath in through your nose and a deep breath out through your mouth. Repeat for ten cycles. Connect the pathway between your breath, your body, and your thoughts! This process will fuel your body with more awareness and oxygen. It’s the easiest, fastest, and best way to renew your bodymindspirit!

6. Stretch your body! Learn a few yoga moves or stretches. Make them a part of your morning start. You can even perform them mid-day. Stretching releases tension and increases the feel good chemicals in your body. It’s the ultimate in renewing and energizing YOU!!

7. Fuel your mind with positive and energizing affirmations, mantras, and quotes! Choose ones which support the accomplishment of your personal and professional goals, healthy eating plan, fitness program, etc. I enjoy printing them and posting them in places where I can see them through my day. It’s one of my favorite ways to energize my thoughts! One I’ll be posting to fuel my renewal:

"Throw your dreams into space like a kite, and you do not know what it will bring back, a new life, a new friend, a new love, a new country." Anais Nin

Get your Zzz’s the Natural Way!

2010-01-28T07:49:00.000-08:00

Having trouble sleeping like millions of other people? Try a natural approach of bringing the body back into balance by supplementing with 5HTP, eating foods sources high in tryptophan and naturally increasing your melatonin levels. 5HTP or 5-Hydroxytryptophan, is an amino acid, made by the body from Tryptophan. 5HTP boosts serotonin levels, a hormone responsible for regulating your mood. In turn melatonin, a hormone which regulates sleep and wake cycles, increases in the body. All three components work to bring the body back into its balanced cycle of restorative sleep, resulting in a healthier wake time. Want to try 5HTP? Look for it in the supplement section of health food stores, drug stores or in your local supermarket.

Before you run out and make your purchase, read on...

I ALWAYS encourage people to be informed about any supplement they put into their body. Here are some additional facts about 5HTP, Melatonin and Tryptophan, along with sources for more in depth scientific knowledge regarding them. Note, reading highly technical information can be boring and may put you to sleep!! Hmmm...taking 5HTP, increasing food sources rich in Tryptophan AND reading technical information, while sitting in the sun, may be just what a sleepless body needs for a great nights sleep!!

1. 5HTP is made from the seeds of an African plant called, Griffonia simplicifolia.
2. 5HTP may also be prescribed for conditions such as depression, fibromyalgia, migraines, anxiety and weight loss.

3. Great food sources of Tryptophan: turkey, chicken, beef, brown rice, nuts, fish, milk, eggs, cheese, fruit and vegetables. NOW you know why you feel so sleepy after a BIG turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day!!
4. Tryptophan is constantly competing with other amino acids to access the brain. Eat foods rich in carbohydrates to naturally increase the absorption of Tryptophan.
5. Melatonin production can be boosted naturally by increasing the body’s exposure to sunlight each day.

For more information about 5 HTP, Melatonin and Tryptophan:

http://altmedicine.about.com/cs/herbsvitaminsad/a/5HTP.htm

http://www.holistic-online.com/Remedies/Sleep/sleep_ins_melatonin-and-5HTP.htm

http://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/tc/melatonin-overview

http://www.nutritional-supplements-health-guide.com/sources-of-tryptophan.html

Threading the Needle by Tori Ziege

2010-01-25T04:41:00.000-08:00

My niece, Tori, was asked to write a paper about one defining moment in her life. She called me, frustrated and thinking she had a boring life, since she could not come up with ONE single important, defining moment! As her words entered my thoughts, I could feel her frustration. I felt, if given the same assignment, I could not wrote about just one moment. Sharing those thoughts with Tori and discussing some of her life events. I could feel her energy and thoughts shifting to a VERY creative solution! Here is her interesting and insightful interpretation of the assignment.

Fear controls your body like a puppeteer. Pull the strings on your legs; they tremble as though they’re in an earthquake. Pulls the strings on your eyes; they roll back inside your head. Pulls the strings on your hands, and for the umpteenth time you tightly grip the harness of your parachute, making sure everything is secure and operational. 5...4...3...2...1...JUMP! Suddenly, the strings of fear are cut, and you’re propelled forward. Clouds rush past you faster than the high speeds of Comcast internet, and your life flashes before your eyes. What do you see? What memories, what events, have shaped and justified your time on Earth? That’s the question I was faced to answer, and at the moment, a flashback would seem more like a black out. Cotton ball clouds and bright blue skies would become an endless void, too dark to see the parachute chord. And I’d be falling… falling… falling…

“Tori!” Talia’s voice shattered through my reverie, “Have you decided what you’re going to write about yet?”

“No,” I huffed, glaring at my computer monitor as though it were to blame. The screen was like a sheet of printer paper in a snow storm, you couldn’t see anything but white.

“Here, now she has something,” offered Christian, his giant catcher’s mitt hands quickly typing gibberish letters across the page.

“Oh yes, that’ll be the next best-seller in the Wall Street Journal,” chuckled Brian on the other side of me. Today was Friday, which meant that his hair looked like a fraidy cat’s fur standing on end… after sticking it’s paw in an electrical socket… after getting whirled around in a tornado. Or you could just say he looked like the guy from Dragonball Z. Either way, you get the picture.

“Yeah, as much as I pine to be the author of randomly typed manuscripts, I think I’ll give it a bit more thought,” I teased, holding down the backspace button.

Then the piercing caw of a crow shrieked in my ear, “Why’d you delete that? You had something written.” Oh wait, it was the sub. Man, her voice was high pitched. It was as shrill as the blaring fire alarm. I marveled at it for a second. “Ahem, ahem,” she coughed like Umbridge, straight out of a Harry Potter novel, “I said, why did you erase what you had?”

“Oh…” I mumbled, “I umm… just didn’t like what I had.”

“Well what was it?”

“It was uhh…” I stalled by turning back to the computer. Hurriedly I fingered the keys to form a sentence. I was sitting at the computer, trying to think of an idea. “There,” I explained, showing her my cover up. “That’s all I had.”

“Come with me.” Gulp. I felt like I had been pushed off a tight rope. It’s not like hadn’t been making an effort; I was working harder than Bob the Builder to find the perfect subject to write my personal narrative about. But I just didn’t have good balance, and after a few precarious steps I was bound to topple over and be sent spiraling to the ground. Wasn’t I? The sub (I think her name was Mrs. R?) lead me to a menacing, round table away from everyone else and took a seat, staring at me like a judge scrutinizing his jury. “So, what’s the problem here?” she queried, taking on an even impossibly sharper tone.

“I can’t think of an event to write about.”

“Why not?”

“I’m not sure…” I trailed off. And I really wasn’t. The picture perfect topic was eluding me worse than the Gingerbread Man. Run, run, run as fast as I couldn’t seem to catch it. What was worse was that I was a cross-country runner. I certainly should be able to catch it. And then it me. Running! I could easily write about that. But which race? Different images of courses and finish lines flashed like a kaleidoscope through my head. There was my first scoring race in 6^th grade, or 7^th grade Big 11 finals when mounds of snow blanketed the ground. Then there was also the two races I’d won in 8^th grade and all the varsity High School races I’d run so far. But none of them felt right. How had they individually affected me? The Great Pyramids didn’t pop up over night. They took hundreds of years, brick upon brick, to construct. But remove one stone, and the whole monument would still come crashing down like a Janga tower. That’s how I felt about my meet. I couldn’t just write about one; it had to be all. Sigh. Back to the drawing board.

“I see you’re a runner,” screeched Mrs. R, pointing at my bright pink track tee. “Why don’t you write about that?” Whoa. Déjà vu. Didn’t I just go through this? Maybe I should start saying my thoughts out loud.

“No, I don’t think that’ll work,” I replied vaguely. I knew what my problem was. I was too much of a perfectionist. I’d been fighting it for the majority of my life. But this time I was stepping out of the ring. I had this specific vision in my head and nothing else would, nothing else could satisfy me.

“What about a sibling being born?”

“I really don’t remember that”

“Life threatening injury?”

“Never so much as broken a bone.”

“Any vacations…” Okay, this was getting ridiculous. I knew in my heart only I could unearth the solution I was looking for. This sub was trying to fit a square peg in a round hole, and even worse was that mine was needle thin. I needed to locate that needle. Unfortunately, it seemed to be stuck in a haystack. One I could only search if this old bird stopped talking and let me get to work. Really, I appreciated that she was trying to help, but I was done playing around.

“Brilliant idea! I think I’ll write about that!”

“Write about what?”

“…What you just suggested!” I called, already taking off back towards my seat. Expecting to see my screen angel white again, I was surprised to find the cursor winking at me from a couple lines down the page. I was sitting at the computer, trying to think of an idea, when I discovered the cure for cancer and the meaning of life…Then I woke up. “Funny Brian,” I chortled as I glanced him guffawing next to me. As my life could morph so quickly, so instantaneously into something exciting. I couldn’t think of one lifelong highlight that had changed me, how could it suddenly change now? Change… My laugh cut off like someone had shoved a dirty dishrag in my mouth and I paused like a deer in headlights. The needle was change. Because I was wrong. Or that is, my perception was. It wasn’t that anything in my life hadn’t had the capability to change me drastically; it was that I just hadn’t let individual periods affect me. I was never a person who liked change, as I said before I was a perfectionist. Change was like sweeping a broom beneath my feet, ruining everything I had worked so hard to establish. That’s why I let each race I ran slowly build inside me. That’s why my experiences ran together over long periods of time. My outlook had established steel bars against change inside my mind. But at some moment I had to realize change was good. Now was my moment. If I didn’t like my hair, I could easily pick up a pair of scissors and cut it, giving me a whole new confidence. And without even blinking I could speak the words to a secret burning inside of me. Words that could set me free. At this moment I was opening myself up to a whole knew world of change and by doing this, change was happening inside me already. Without a minute to waste, I spun my fingers across the keyboard as I slid into my seat. I typed quickly, the rhythmic clicking like music to my ears.

“What’s going on Tori?” asked Christian, peering effortlessly over my shoulder because of his height.

“I’m threading the needle.”

A GIFT to Spiral YOUR energy UP!!

2010-01-24T05:56:00.000-08:00

Give the gift of a BodyMindSpirit session from Evolving Wellness. Each session is a holistic, energizing or relaxing hour of fitness, health, nutrition and wellness, to SPIRAL YUR ENERGY UP! You can choose to experience your session by phone, in the studio or at your home. Gift Certificates are available.

As a special gift to readers/fans/followers, purchase a session OR a package of sessions during the month of January and February and receive a complimentary 30 minute session! Yes, you will receive the gift of one 30 minute session - to use either by phone or in person. You can gift this session to yourself or to someone in your world. To purchase gift certificates for sessions with me at Evolving Wellness OR to find out more information about Evolving Wellness sessions please call 941-320-3697.

Client's share their experience of their holistic sessions at Evolving Wellness:

"First time I have stuck with an exercise program for a year!! My clothes fit better, I have less aches and pains and I actually ENJOY coming to work out at the studio and on my own!! - P.L.

"Some very cool things have been happening in my life since you worked with me (by phone) Fantastic!! Thank you..." - D.W.

"I have arthritis in my hands and feet. I feel much better now. My posture is better...I actually ENJOY her sessions. I FEEL GREAT!!" - L. P.

To purchase gift certificates for sessions with me at Evolving Wellness OR to find out more information about me and Evolving Wellness sessions please call 941-320-3697.

Healthy Organic Vegan Italian Soft Cookies

2010-01-17T18:59:00.000-08:00

Healthy Organic Vegan Italian Soft Cookies

This year I decided to give myself a culinary challenge! Converting all of my favorite holiday cookie recipes into healthy, vegan, organic versions, while keeping them delicious!! The first one I converted, Italian Soft Cookies, is a favorite family recipe. Everyone LOVED them!! AND they loved the fact they are healthy, organic and vegan. Even though they are a holiday cookie, they can be made ANY TIME of the year!! Enjoy!!

(I am including both versions of the recipes.)

Healthy Organic Vegan Italian Soft Cookies

1 cup vegan butter, softened, room temperature

1 cup organic sugar

4 flax “eggs”*

1 cup organic coconut milk, unsweetened

1 tsp. organic vanilla extract

1 tsp. organic almond extract or organic lemon extract or orange extract

6 heaping tsp. organic baking powder

4-5 cups flour - A mixture of organic brown rice flour, organic quinoa flour and organic unbleached white flour. (You can experiment with different rations and flours.)

Flax “egg” = 1 tbsp. organic ground flax meal + 3 tbsp. water, mix until well blended.

Cream together sugar, eggs, butter in a large mixing bowl. Add milk and extracts. Mix until blended. Add the baking powder. The mixture will rise and bubble creating a foam on the top of the mixture. Then add the flour until a moist cookie dough consistency is created. Refrigerate dough over night.

To Bake: Preheat oven to 350°. Using a melon ball scoop, scoop the dough and roll into a ball. Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place the rolled dough pieces approximately 2 inches apart. Bake until glossy on top and slightly brown around the edges. Remove from oven. Transfer cookies to wire rack to cool.

Frosting: Combine 1/2 cup softened vegan butter, 2 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar, 1 tsp. organic vanilla extract, 2 - 3 tbsp coconut milk to create a frosting consistency. Frost completely cooled cookies and store in a single layer in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Unfrosted cookies can be stored up to 3 months in the freezer.

Original Italian Soft Cookie Recipe

4 eggs

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter

1 cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tsp. lemon or almond extract

6 heaping tsp. baking powder

4-5 cups flour

Cream together sugar, eggs, butter in a large mixing bowl. Add milk and extracts. Mix until blended. Add the baking powder. The mixture will rise and bubble, creating a foam on the top of the mixture. Then add the flour until a moist cookie dough consistency is created. Refrigerate dough over night.

Frosting: Combine 1/2 cup softened vegan butter, 2 1/2 cups organic powdered sugar, 1 tsp. organic vanilla extract, 2 - 3 tbsp coconut milk to create a frosting consistency. Frost completely cooled cookies. Allow frosting to dry before storing. Store in a single layer in the refrigerator up to 2 weeks. Unfrosted cookies can be stored up to 3 months in the freezer.

Handbook to Just BE!

2010-01-06T12:23:00.000-08:00

On the first day of the New Year, unlike MANY other people, I had decided NOT to: think about the past year, make a bunch of resolutions or create a list of goals for 2010. Ahhh...yes, I was going to be different, just relax into the New Year and just BE!! And then, I read an email from a former client. The email hooked me with the first line. ‘Drink plenty of water.” It conveys the same healthy tip about water, which I share almost weekly on Facebook and other social media sites!! Continuing through the list I realized this 'handbook' fits my criteria to BE, with direction. Guiding me to: BE healthier, BE more of who I am and BE more connected to family, friends and the world. Most of all, BE more connected to MY life!! If you choose to enjoy the guidance from the handbook, I've included some tips on how to easily incorporate it into your life! ENJOY!!

HANDBOOK to just BE!
(originally titled Handbook 2010)

Health:
1. Drink plenty of water.
2. Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a beggar.
3. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.
4. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm and Empathy.
5. Make time to pray.
6. Play more games .
7. Read more books than you did in 2009.
8. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.
9. Sleep for 7 hours.
10. Take a 10-30 minute walk daily. And while you walk, smile.

Personality:
11. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
12. Don't have negative thoughts or think about things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

13. Don't overdo. Keep your limits.
14. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.
15. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip.
16. Dream more while you are awake.
17. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
18. Forget issues of the past. Don't remind your partner with his/her mistakes of the past.

It will ruin your present happiness.
19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone. Don't hate others.
20. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.
21. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.
22. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn. Problems are simply part of the

curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class, but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.
23. Smile and laugh more.
24. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

Society:
25. Call your family often.
26. Each day give something good to others.
27. Forgive everyone for everything.
28. Spend time with people over the age of 70 & under the age of 6.
29. Try to make at least three people smile each day.
30. What other people think of you is none of your business.
31. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will. Stay in touch.

Life:
32. Do the right thing!
33. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
34. GOD heals everything.
35. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.
36. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
37. The best is yet to come.
38. When you awake alive in the morning, thank GOD for it.
39. Your Inner most self is always happy. So, be happy.

Tips to incorporate the guidance of the Handbook to Just BE!

1. Print out the handbook and read it before you start your day and right before you go to sleep. The morning read will guide you through the day. The bedtime read will strongly guide your unconscious thought process. It's a known fact!! Many of the great thinkers and inventors of our world regularly used this simple technique to come up with new inventions, original theories and answers to solve hard problems.

2. Pick one action step of the Handbook and incorporate it daily for a month. It takes 21 days or more to create a new thought process, which then produces a habit!

3. Journal about your progress. Recognize ALL the changes taking place, even the small ones. Most often the small changes create the greatest life long positive effects.

4. Most of all, enjoy the process. It's all about being present during the process, not focused on the future outcome!!

Give the Gift of BodyMindSpirit!!

2009-12-15T06:10:00.000-08:00

Give the gift of a BodyMindSpirit session from Evolving Wellness. Each session is a holistic, energizing or relaxing hour of fitness, health, nutrition and wellness, to assist you in creating your best wellness! You can choose to experience your session by phone or in person. Gift Certificates are available.

As a special holiday gift to readers/fans/followers, purchase a session OR a package of sessions during the month of Dec. 2009 and January 2010 and receive a complimentary 30 minute session! Yes, you will receive the gift of one 30 minute session - to use either by phone or in person. You can gift this session to yourself or to someone in your world. To purchase gift certificates for sessions with me at Evolving Wellness OR to find out more information about Evolving Wellness sessions please call 941-320-3697.

Client share their experience of their holistic sessions at Evolving Wellness:

"First time I have stuck with an exercise program for a year!! My clothes fit better, I have less aches and pains and I actually ENJOY coming to work out at the studio and on my own!! - P.L.

"Some very cool things have been happening in my life since you worked with me (by phone) Fantastic!! Thank you..." - D.W.

"I have arthritis in my hands and feet. I feel much better now. My posture is better...I actually ENJOY her sessions. I FEEL GREAT!!" - L. P.

To purchase gift certificates for sessions with me at Evolving Wellness OR to find out more information about me and Evolving Wellness sessions please call 941-320-3697.

Holiday Gift Idea - Give the Gift of ENERGY

2009-12-13T19:11:00.000-08:00

Give the gift of ENERGY.... Nine Tomatoes mandalas!! Beautiful Mandala Banners for anywhere you need amazing healthy energy! This is a great gift for: a yoga enthusiast, a yoga instructor, a meditation instructor, a student of meditation or a person who loves to create amazing energy in their living/working space. I have one in my home and my wellness studio. Each time I want to re-charge, I study each mandala on the banner, breathing deeply, while connecting to the corresponding energy center within my body. Within minutes, I feel re-charged and ready to continue my day with energized awareness!!

From the Nine Tomatoes, Mandala Energy Artist, Dana Weekley:
MANDALA BANNERS by Nine Tomatoes, are digital transformations of original ink drawings printed with eco-friendly inks on 100% cotton. The word "mandala" comes from Sanskrit, meaning center or wheel. All mandalas have a center and some form of symmetry or balance. Examples of symmetrical mandalas abound in Nature and every cell within our body is a living Mandala. The mandalas shown coordinate with each of the seven main chakras or energy centers in our bodies. Chakras, which are like spinning wheels. or vortices, allow energy to flow form one part of the body to another. As with all things in our reality, they are linked to sound, light and color.

1st - Red - Root 2nd - Orange - Sacral 3rd - Yellow - Solar Plexus 4th - Green - Heart 5th - Blue - Throat 6th - Indigo - Third Eye 7th - Violet - Crown

Now thru 12/31/09 - all banners 15% off.
Evolving Wellness fans, followers of the EvolveWell Blog, use coupon code HOLIDAY09 to get an extra $8 off. Enter the coupon in Google checkout.
If ordering more than one, place separate orders to reuse the coupon as many times as you like. http://www.ninetomatoes.com/zencart1/

Hints for a Healthy Holistic Holiday

2009-11-25T05:05:00.000-08:00

Hints for a Healthy Holistic Holiday

A Holistic Healthy Holiday?? How in the world can one be holistic during the crazy, fun, food laden holidays of Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year’s and still enjoy it? It can be done, simply and effectively with these healthy holistic hints.

1. Move - Moving with awareness creates a relaxed yet energized body. Take walks, stretch, dance, skip elevator/escalator rides, pick the parking space farthest away. While you move, connect to your body. You will be amazed at the difference in your energy!!

2. Eat for Balance and Enjoyment - Yes, you can enjoy all of your favorite holiday foods and still stay in balance. How? Maintain your blood sugar by controlling your portion sizes, how often you eat AND most of all, include green veggies and fruits. Its the veggies and the fruits which will allow your body to stay in balance while you taste the holiday favorites. Squeeze fresh lemon, lime or orange into your water. Munch from those veggie platters, especially the celery and cucumbers. They will add water, keep the body alkalized and energized!!

3.Breathe - Yes, breathe often, deeply and with awareness through the holidays. We all get so stressed out over what we think we NEED to do to create the most perfect holiday, yet. When we stress, we automatically hold our breathe which causes our body to stress even more! So lets take a deep cleansing breath together right now. Ahhh...didn’t that feel great!!

Five Ways to Feel a Fruitfull Fall

2009-11-24T05:07:00.000-08:00

Five Ways to Feel a Fruitfull Fall

With the days getting shorter, cooler and drier, here are some tips keep your body in balance to create a very fruitful Fall for YOU!!

1. Increase your water intake. Yes, its all about being hydrated during these drier days of fall. Ingesting more water in the form of healthy teas (decaffeinated) and soups along with drinking more water can achieve your daily healthy intake of water. Water allows you to think and feel YOUR best!!

2. Your body will be craving more energy dense foods such as nuts, seeds, squash and potatoes. Experiment with out of the ordinary foods like parsnips, lentils and quinoa.

3. Increase your sunlight time by walking outdoors as much as possible. Invite a friend to walk along with you! Its a great way to re-connect with the positive people in your world AND increase the positive effects of exercise and sunlight.

4. Be grateful for everything you have experienced through the past year. While connecting to those thoughts of gratitude visualize all the positive potential for your persona for the rest of the remainder of the year!! Remember what you think and feel manifests in your life.

5. Honor the change in the seasons by clearing the energy in your home and creating a warm environment. Do this by organizing and clearing the spaces in your home, now that you will be spending more time indoors. Throw away or pack away items that you no longer need or will not be using during the cooler months. Bring warmth into your home by changing the colors of your pillows and blankets to warmer tones.

Enjoy YOUR fruitful energy this Fall!!

DIY - Green Gifts for Giving this Holiday Season!!

2009-11-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

Tired of giving gifts which add to the carbon footprint of your friends and families? Wanting to give a gift which uses the your time (not much of it) and talent (yes, you can be artistic and crafty)? Here is the answer to BOTH questions - easy, simple, handcrafted, green gifts! Remember, the more creative you let yourself be, the more unique the gift. ENJOY!!

Joy (Inspiration) Jar - Create a memorable gift by recycling a medium or large clear glass size jar, with a removable top. Fill it to the brim with colorful slips of paper containing all different types of inspirational messages. Where to find those snippets of inspiration? Here are some ideas:
- Cut out inspirational quotes and words from magazines.
- Cut and paste quotes from inspirational websites or quotation websites into a word processing document.
- Print your quotes on colorful sheets of scrap paper and cut them into small strips of paper.
Cut quotes from old calendars or recycle your chinese fortunes.

Once you have collected all your pieces of inspiration you can fold them into different sizes or you can roll them up! Place all the slips into the jar. Tie a recycled ribbon around it. Your Joy Jar is done!! Its a great way to spread JOY!

Debi’s DIY Helpful Hints:
Best Glass Jars: I like to recycle sauce and pickle jars.

To remove the labels from the jars, I used the methods listed on this site: hintshttp://gnowfglins.com/2009/04/18/how-to-remove-labels-from-glass-jars-and-plastic-containers/

Create a decorative lid: Wrap the lid by securing a scrap of cloth over the lid with a rubber band. My favorite rubber band to use - the ones from Whole Foods!!

I love to recycle ribbon, raffia, string or yarn, that I have collected and tie them over the top of the rubber band.

Sources for inspirational quotes -
http://www.quotegarden.com
http://www.brainyquote.com
http://www.thinkexist.com

2. CD “Notes” - Take an empty plastic CD case and remove the inside piece as well as any paper. Using plain, color or other paper you have accumulated, cut them to fit inside the plastic CD case. Use the template(s) to fill the plastic case with uniquely decorative notepaper. You can also use it as a guide, insert your own clip art, artwork or photos to create your own one of a kind notepaper.

Debi’s DIY helpful hints
Decorate the exterior of the CD case by gluing cutouts, affixing decorative stickers or hot gluing ribbons or other decorative accents.

3. Healthy Holiday Snacks - Prepare a healthy GORP (Good Old Raisins and Peanuts) or a delicious Snack Mix - There are all kinds of healthy mixes you can make and give in a decorated recycled glass jar. Be creative and make up your own mixes OR try out some of the following recipes. Grab a glue gun, recycled ribbons, scraps of cloth and other decorative trinkets and let that artsy crafty persona in you, create a uniquely gorgeous “green” jar, filled with a healthy snack!

Basic Recipe for GORP
1 cup of peanuts (salted or unsalted)
1 cup of raisins (regular or golden)
Mix well.
Adjust the quantities to your tastes OR increase the quantities to make several batches at once!

Variations on the basic GORP.
RAW GORP with raw peanuts and raisins and add sea salt to taste.
Roasted GORP - dry roast raw peanuts in a pan with sea salt to taste.

Basic Snack Mix
1 cup peanuts
1 cup raisins
1 cup candy coated chocolates
Mix well
Adjust the quantities to your tastes OR increase the quantities to make several batches at once!

Variations on the basic Snack Mix
Instead of raisins use dried cherries, blueberries, cranberries or goji berries
Instead of peanuts use cashes, almonds, pecans or walnuts
Instead of candy coated chocolates use dark chocolate chips or candy coated sunflower seeds
RAW Snack Mix - Mix raw nuts and unsweetened dried fruit add shredded unsweetened coconut (1 cup or more, according to your taste.) Add sea salt to taste
Organic Mix - use all organic ingredients for any of the snack mix recipes.

Which one are you feeding??

2009-08-09T16:08:00.000-07:00

One evening, an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between two wolves inside us all. One is Evil - It is anger, envy, jealousy, greed, and arrogance. The other is Good - It is peace, love, hope, humility, compassion, and faith." The grandson thought about this for a while and then asked his grandfather, "Which wolf wins? To which the old Cherokee simply replied, "the one you feed."

Which "wolf" are you feeding? The healthy best YOU or the out of balance/not your healthy best YOU?

If you are: drinking plenty of water, feeding yourself healthy unprocessed foods, creating positive thoughts, moving your body and making time to connect and nurture your inner you, then CONGRATULATIONS, you are winning and feeding your HEALTHY BEST YOU!!

If you are feeding the out of balance/not your healthy best you and want to successfully feed your healthy best you, then start to make small changes. Drink one more cup of water, today. Eat one delicious green salad, today. Take five minutes to breathe deeply, today. Move your body in a way which makes you feel your best, today!! And congratulate yourself for feeding your healthy best YOU, today!!

Honoring Mothers

2009-05-10T08:19:00.001-07:00

Tonglen* for Mothers

I breathe in the daily frustrations
small as they are, big as they can seem
I breath out patience for us all.

I breathe in the loneliness
of days spent mothering on our own
I breathe out connection
community, compassion.

I breathe in the brokenness
not being enough in the world
I breathe out wholeness
leaving ideals behind, truth.

I breathe in the boredom
diapers, cooking, same every day
I breathe out simple pleasure
swings, finger painting, rocks.

I breathe in the exhaustion,
the worry, the fear
I breathe out the calm energy, excitement.

I breathe in the rage
at your plight, your place, your life
I breathe out peace
contentment, courage.
- DeLona Campos-Davis

* Tonglen is a traditional Buddhist practice of compassion. In order to have compassion for ourselves, we cultivate it for others. We take in the difficult parts of mothering, for ourselves and for all mothers and send out compassion and love.

Source: http://www.beliefnet.com

Prayer by DeLona Campos-Davis is from "Honoring Motherhood: Prayers, Ceremonies & Blessings" - Edited with Introductions by Lynn L. Caruso. (c) 2008. Permission granted by SkyLight Paths Publishing, P.O. Box 237, Woodstock, VT 05091 www.skylightpaths.com

Change your....

2009-05-01T10:47:00.000-07:00

This post came to me as an

e-mail from my a close friend

who I have known since the

seventh grade. I loved it so

much I posted it here for all

of you to read and share!

I am not sure of the origin

or I would have credited it

(them) here.

Sending out a big THANK YOU,

to where ever this came from!!

These words will change your

thoughts, your feelings and in

turn your world!! ENJOY!!

"Be kinder than necessary

because everyone you meet is

fighting some kind of battle.

A sharp tongue can cut your

own throat.

If you want your dreams to

come true, you mustn't

oversleep.

Of all the things you wear,

your expression is the most

important.

The best vitamin for making

friends..... B1.

The happiness of your life

depends on the quality of your

thoughts.

The heaviest thing you can

carry is a grudge.

One thing you can give and

still keep...is your word.

You lie the loudest when

you lie to yourself.

If you lack the courage to start,

you have already finished.

One thing you can't recycle is

wasted time.

Ideas won't work unless

"You" do.

Your mind is like a parachute...

it functions only when open..

The 10 commandments are

not a multiple choice.

The pursuit of happiness is the

chase of a lifetime! It is never

too late to become what you

might have been.

Life is too short to wake up

with regrets. So love the people

who treat you right.. Forget

about the one's who don't.

Believe everything happens

for a reason. If you get a

second chance, grab it

with both hands. If it changes

your life, let it. Nobody said life

would be easy, they just

promised it would be worth it.

Friends are like balloons; once

you let them go, you might not

get them back. Sometimes we

get so busy with our own lives

and problems that we may not

even notice that we've let them

fly away. Sometimes we are so

caught up in who's right and

who's wrong that we forget

what's right and wrong.

Sometimes we just don't

realize what real friendship

means until it is too late."

author/origin unknown...

Who ever you are...

a BIG THANK YOU!

2009-02-27T20:43:00.000-08:00

I didn't mean to hurt you, didn't want to make you cry but isn't it better to tell the truth than it is to tell a lie?

-Tori Ziege, author, writer, a self-evolving journalist, my niece

A balanced approach to HEALTHY!

2009-02-24T07:39:00.000-08:00

A study in the Journal of Applied Physiology found that people who cut out 230 calories daily for one
year, but didn't exercise lost muscle mass, strength and aerobic capacity.

As a BodyMindSpirit Practitioner, I have consistently educated my clients to undertake a balanced approach to a healthy lifestyle. This includes healthy enjoyable movement (exercise), daily healthy eating (die-t), supportive water intake and positive focused thoughts. Here are a few tips to integrate into your life to assist you in connecting with that balanced approach. By the way, if you are already integrating them, CONGRATULATIONS! You already know how wonderful it feels and how great your life is because of the BALANCED APPROACH to a HEALTHY LIFESTYLE!

1. Move, stretch, connect to your body for at least 30 minutes daily. Creative ways to do this, walk as often as possible, take the stairs, stretch while you are on the phone and find a fun activity to do with family and friends.

2. BREATHE, yes, five deep centered breathes to disconnect from our hectic daily life style is equivalent to hitting the re-set button on your computer. Do this at a stop light, while you are waiting in line or waiting for your next phone call, appointment or when you look at the clock.

3. Incorporate one new vegetable into your meals each week. Personally, I just joined an organic fruits & vegetable co-op. Each week I am surprised with a bag filled with fresh tasty organic vegetables & fruits selected by the co-op organizers. When you have such beautiful fresh food in your refrigerator every day, it makes it so much easier. Here's my recent creative incorporation of veggies: adding apples, pears and sprouted clover to my salads, cutting up fruits and vegetables ahead of time to sprinkle over prepared healthy foods from local organic markets and making a veggie soup from lots of the leftovers!!

4. WATER, WATER, WATER...This seems to be the most challenging to healthy activity to integrate. Most clients don't like the taste of water, they are addicted to sodas and other diet beverages. THE BEST tip I can give you is, drink one cup of water every hour while you are awake. You will be amazed at how much better you feel. Gone are the headaches, fuzzy thinking, memory lapses and muscles spasms. Now if you are a heavy exerciser, live in a warm & humid climate and drink a lot of caffeine containing products. You will need more water. Foods which contain a lot of water, cucumbers, celery, radishes count!

Remember...a balanced approach to health is a journey, not a destination. EvolveWell with me! ~Debi

2009-01-28T07:10:00.000-08:00

The creative process has started and the blogging will commence. Looking forward to adding enlightenment and enjoyment through this blog!

Hoping you use this as a tool to transcend through life's ever changing landscape!

EvolveWell,
Debi