A "Whole" Whirlwind Trip

Well hello!

It's Katie and it's been a while since I've stopped in to write, just to write.  On Mondays we like to give a little "what's up" with us post - which as you can imagine can cover a whole host of topics and areas.  With that said, today's is easy.  I'm a few days back from visiting Megan in San Francisco and boy did we tell those five days who's boss.  To back up for those of you that don't know - here's how Prescribe Nutrition looks:

Megan = San Francisco

The mighty Golden Gate

Katie & Anna = St. Paul, MN {this picture is being nice - I should have attached a full on snow storm picture as that's what we saw up until 3 weeks ago.

Mississippi River via downtown St. Paul

It's wild.  I realize that the majority of the work force works with partners from all over the nation... or the globe, but our partnership has been built with some pretty interesting back drops which have included two private practices, other roles/jobs, moonlighting (that's Anna) and a few other eggs in our baskets.

Megan and I work via email {a lot}, then coupled with an exorbitant amount of 30 minute phone conversations.  In the short 8 months we've been together we've run five {5} programs, joined forces with some of the coolest bloggers in the country/world, and even more importantly we've created our own sub team of ridiculously cool video, graphics, technical, chefs and fitness professionals that have made us who we are.  The best part of all that = we LOVE them {in the most NON- cheesy sense ever.}

{Just going out for some Mexican}

So back to this trip.  We had a list, oh did we ever.  Each day a fully stacked agenda of all the focus points, meetings, deliverables and so on for the day.  We also managed to squeeze {sarcastic face} in a photo and video shoot for our upcoming program; Kids Rule: Nutrition that Matters.  The whole trip was fantastic and I have to say that I love that Megan MORE every time we are together.  We really are a match {thank god.} We work alike, think alike, have largely the same sense of humor but aren't afraid for one second to challenge one another, push back and call a red flag when necessary.  All this happens without either of us feeling trumped, defensive or undermined.  Remember, we are women and many times women don't play nice.

{...we decided that if we didn't get out and move, we might just implode}

Oh and we also managed {completely unplanned} to change our logo colors and font as we are doing a big website upgrade [[GET EXCITED]] and we need to man up the look!

Did I see the Golden Gate? Yes.  Did I see Fisherman's wharf? Yep, sure did, and I loved every dang second... in the last 24 hrs I was there.  I can't wait to go back for Megan & San Fran.  Until then, she'll be jamming in the midwest in less than a month.

Thank you so much for making PN what it is.  We love our readers, participants and supporters.  Health and feeling good is a big deal and we love that it's our job.

MN to SF love,

Katie

The Whole Cookbook

Chickpea crepes with artichoke aioli? Yes, please! 

As you you probably know, we LOVE Kris Carr - talk about inspiring! All of her books are educational, motivational and funny, and her cookbook is no exception. This is a vegan cookbook, and while we don't think the vegan life is right for everyone, we do support loading your plate with "plant-empowered" food. And this cookbook is great for just that. If you are looking to cut back on meat, or even just to get more color on your plate - this is the cookbook for you.

"Change  your plate, change your fate." We couldn't agree more!

Instapeek - A Look at the Week!

Katie and Megan:

*these two beauties spent some quality

 time together in San Fran where they:

Celebrated being together

Cruised the parks

Saw the bridge by day {and night}

Ate good food, duh!

Worked, worked, worked

And again, of course, celebrated being together

Anna's Week

She got to sleep in on Mother's Day and awoke to some of her
favorite things: her family, a latte, an old fashioned doughnut,
Ava Joan's art work, a card that made her cry and a spa appointment

Isla celebrated Mother's Day with her baby, Joelle - and
in case you're wondering, Cabbage Patch Dolls smell the same way
they did in the 80's. Mmmmm, the smell of life pre-responsibility!!

This big shot started riding her first bike!

A Whole Man’s Perspective

Sometimes we get sick of our own voices, so we introduce people we love who are willing to share their experiences with Prescribe Nutrition. As you know, whole is our theme this month. Meet Will Spurzem. He's an architect, a designer, a bourgeoning chef, a smoothie aficionado, builder of terrariums, and a health nut, ALL while being a manly man. He's talking about his experience on the road to health - a road which is all too often paved with Muscle Milk. 
At least for men.

All too often in the nineties I saw advanced nutrition, health foods, super-foods, and the concept of ‘well-being’ associated with women. This is changing but despite men and women requiring relatively similar general nutrition there is still a significant discrepancy. The popular concept of a whole woman has closely related health, wellness, and general happiness for some time. By contrast, the popular concept of a whole man is someone who hits the gym, does some crunches, and slams muscle milk afterwards. The inextricable link between overall health and happiness hasn’t always been a big part of the discussion for men, but it should be. We are all striving for the same goals, and we should use most of the same tools.

Hi. I'm Will.

Over the course of the last two years I actively discussed my new long term health goals with many friends. I wanted to get down to a specific weight range, take the edge off creeping cholesterol with long term diet changes, eliminate some nagging digestive issues, and get serious about life-long activities/sports. This was a whole health and wellness life track.

I make pesto manly.

My female friends were supportive and immediately wanted to talk about how much better I would feel, what foods I was changing, and how my general health would improve. The majority of my male friends wanted to know how many pounds I wanted to lose, and which sports I was going to take on.

It took more than a few months to feel real change but I slowly changed my routines, gradually replaced more cheese with hummus, and reintroduced swimming to my life. As I got more dialed in I still had enormous fatty burgers and fries periodically, and I didn’t change my drinking habits, but I started to feel the effects of those events much more clearly. I began to notice that if I was hitting the right balance of nutrition, exercise, and outdoor sports that I was in a significantly happier state of mind than I was if I let one of those go. I’ve started talking about this with my male friends and I can feel the tide turning. We swap manly smoothie recipes, debate kale vs. spinach, talk about eating meat less frequently, and instead of bragging about moving weights we talk about how many different kinds of workouts we had in a week.

I love the snow.

Most of this probably old news for the typical reader of this blog but it is new for some, especially men. Gender roles are for a different blog but I feel pretty confident in my masculinity despite embracing the more personal side of my whole-ness. I was on a date recently and mentioned biking to work with a kale smoothie, and she smirked. Then she laughed and asked if it was in a mason jar, and if I was also wearing yoga pants.

I wasn’t wearing yoga pants, but the smoothie was in a mason jar, wide mouth, the good kind.

Cheers

The Whole Outfit

Today we are talking fashion. Say what? Let us say first, we realize that this is not our area of expertise. But we are all aware of fashion, even if we're not in to it. It's there. We're here. And still those of us who don't want to think about it have to at some point. So here we are - talking about the whole outfit...

Before getting married and having children, I fell into what became a dream job. There is no way to make my long story short, so I'll just begin with getting hired to work at Hot Mama. It isn't your average woman's boutique. As managers and stylists we went through extensive training regarding: fitting all body types, dressing people for their lifestyle and how to put a whole outfit together. 

I am passionate about connecting with people, learning and teaching - and having clothing be the subject was fine by me! I spent years at Hot Mama and on a regular basis shared tears of joy with women as they learned how to dress themselves in clothing that fit their bodies. They saw that under the layers of clothing that didn't fit them well, was a beautiful body - a HOT body. So my first advice would be to recognize your body type and learn how to dress it {ask for help if you need it!}.

Once your body type is established finding clothes that flatter you is the next step. And while it's great to walk out of a fitting room with a couple of garments of clothing that fit well, that might not necessarily help you put a complete outfit together. Discuss with a stylist what you already have at home {maybe even bring in a few favorite pieces}, and let them help you choose pieces that will maximize your closet. Make sure your choices fit your lifestyle. 

Now on to the outfit, its about time, right? As you can see from the pictures, accessorizing is a great way to make an outfit look complete. Add a light weight summer scarf, hat, necklace, bracelets, a great pair of statement earrings  - these are the dressing on your salad and the garnish on your plate. Just don't wear them all at once!






A few of our favorite summer go-to pieces:

• chambray top
• fedora
• jean jacket
• scarves

The Whole Enchilada

This has nothing to do with enchiladas. But it does have to do with food and the word 'whole' so it seemed a fitting title to me. At Prescribe Nutrition we are continually amazed by the intelligent, eager and motivated people we have on board with each new program. One of the questions we hear all the time is, "How do I know if I'm eating a balanced, whole meal?" Well, the answer could go on and on and on...

Please note I am not encouraging frequent enchilada ingestion.

First we have to talk about different ways of eating. Just think about all the different dietary regimens there: vegan, pescetarian, omnivore, paleo, low-carb, intermittent fasting, vegetarian, raw, fruitarian (true)...and on and on. There's many different schools of thought behind all of these ways of eating, but there is one truth that governs all: proper nutrition requires the digestion of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, proteins, fats - all nutrients.
I'll repeat that first part: requires digestion. Breaking down the nutrients? This is how we get energy. This is how we live. The food we choose to eat is actually the detail that can make all the difference in the way we feel and the state of our overall health.

Healthy foods? Absolutely. Healthy for you? Only you can truly know. We simply help guide you.

I talk digestion all day. It's my jam. Subjects on the brain? Chewing, digestive enzymes, stomach acid...but also chronic problems like IBS, Crohn's & celiac disease...the list goes on. The common denominator with all things digestive? Everyone is different. What is crucial in one person's diet (for example, fiber from beans and whole grains) can ignite painful symptoms in another person. This is why diets don't work. You can't expect to pick up a book and follow what one person ate and achieve the same results. The key is to get to know your body and what works and what doesn't. It's the foundation of our programs: learning to know your body better.

Belly: "Please stop ignoring me."

So what's a well rounded meal? Well, we say focus on the veggies. Tons and tons of veggies. But guess what? A huge salad can cause a total belly ache for some people, while it's the one thing that keeps things 'moving' for other people. Some people need those veggies cooked. What about protein? Some people need animal protein...their bodies thrive with it or it can specifically help rebuild and heal. Others really do better eating plant based proteins. This list could go on and on, and frankly it starts to get controversial. The only real answer is this: eat whole foods. Stay away from packaged processed foods. Find protein, fat and fiber in each of your meals, and do so in the way that works for you (fiber and carbohydrates aren't only in beans! They're in chia seeds, kale, and even avocado!) Eat a plant based diet in the manner that works for YOU. At the end of the day it's about getting to know yourself better and giving your body what it is asking for.

But if it's telling you 'Oreos and milk' tell him to be quiet for a little bit while you fuel up on the good stuff.

Whole Themed Cookbooks We Love!

We are back at it with more {yes, more!} "whole" talk. This time it's for the kitchen. Time and time again you hear us talk about the importance of eating whole foods and this includes full fat milk, full fat coconut milk, full fat yogurt. You get the picture. We want whole foods in their whole state. No reduced this or fat-free that. WHOLE.

Yup, we might be in the minority, but we sit there happily. If you want to join the "whole movement" and need some support in the kitchen, we are going to take the next few Sundays to recommend a hand full of cookbooks we love. Nourishing Traditions goes beyond recipes, of which there are plenty, and really gets in to how whole foods nourish us and how to prepare them to reap the nutrient rich rewards.

This book is bound to stir up some questions or comments. Let's discuss!

And no, we did not forget...
Happy Mother's Day!!!