3HC Vision Board Workshop

3 Healthy Chicks hosted a Vision Board Workshop this past week at Onsen for All in Princeton, NJ. We had quite the creative group who were hard at work cutting and pasting their dreams for 2010 onto their vision boards. Terra and I enjoyed creating our own 3HC vision board for 2010, but we missed Jill very much! Here is a picture of our vision board.

What is a Vision Board?
A vision board is a collage of images, pictures and affirmations of your dreams and desires. It can also be called a dream board, treasure map or vision map. They are a great way to make you feel positive, and are helpful if you are using the law of attraction. A vision board can set you on a path to achieving dreams and goals that may have previously eluded you. The key to a successful vision board is to post it in a place where you have to look at every day and it can serve as a constant reminder.

If you vision it, it will come!
Do you have a dream or vision of where you would like to be on this day next year? If so, start collecting positive images or words and place them in a 'vision folder.' On a rainy day or when you are feeling particularly creative, whip out that folder and paste those dreams onto a board. The law of attraction is a very powerful thing!

Stay tuned for more 3 Healthy Chicks Vision Board workshops in the very near future!

Keep it fresh!
- Lauren

Friday Friend Shout Out: Veggie Brothers

This week's Friday friend shout out goes to New Jersey's own Veggie Brothers. Although located in Bradley Beach, Chef Mark Rasmussen and fellow Institute for Integrative Nutrition graduate Michael Balducci, aim to bring healthy vegan food to people nation-wide with their innovative on-line restaurant!

The two "brothers" were brought together by the love of excellent, healthy and animal-free foods, and together they launched veggiebrothers.com. The website's goal is to make delicious vegan food accessible to everyone; vegan, vegetarian and non-veg alike. By making their menu items deliverable and available to people throughout the country, they make it super simple for people to stick to a vegetarian or vegan diet, maintain a healthy diet, transition to a veg diet or just enjoy some really good food! All meals are delivered directly to your home pre-cooked, all you have to do is heat it up and enjoy!

Mark and Michael are committed to using the freshest, most natural and organic ingredients to create an online vegan buffet. Their menu includes everything from breakfast to dessert! You have your choice of traditional entrees such as black bean or lentil burgers, "meat"loaf and "chicken" pot pie, to Italian favorites such as eggplant parmigiana. Tofu scramble with sausage is available for breakfast, and a selection of pies, cookies and more for dessert!! With so many options to choose from, you can have a different meal everyday and never lift a finger!

See for yourself! Check out the Veggie Brothers website and have a delicious vegan meal delivered to your doorstep! http://www.veggiebrothers.com

Small Steps Towards Lasting Change

Now the holiday feasts and festivities that define the season have concluded, it's time to start thinking about the year ahead and a healthier you in 2010. The key to health in the next year is consistency! Take small steps towards lasting change, rather than sprinting to change and fizzling out by the first week of February.

Healthy is the definitive buzz word for January, and light and fresh is the way to go. Eating healthily doesn't need to mean a world of bland food and restriction. It means being a bit more sensible and the sensible thing to do is to eat fresh, whole foods that taste great!

To combat the chilly weather of the season, the trick is to make sure meals are still warm and tasty. Indian cuisine is particularly good when it's chilly - and brown rice is fabulous complex carbohydrate packed with nutrients that our bodies need. It has a distinct, nutty flavor that lends itself to spicy blends including, Indian, Mexican and Asian dishes. Warming Thai curries are also wonderful, while a spicy stir-fry will warm up your palate and you'll feel great about being sensible!

Neti Pot

Plagued by sinus problems? Today, millions of people suffer from sinus infections of some sort. While many of them are becoming increasingly resistant to antibiotics, there is help available through this unique method of sinus irrigation. Neti pots offer drug-free, all-natural, cost-effective relief from recurrent nasal irritation. Any sinus sufferer knows that relief like that translates to an improved quality of life.

The way the neti pot works is that a saline solution is poured up the nose to clear the nasal passages of mucus and anything else that's hanging around up there (think dust, pollen, etc.). This prevents the mucus from pooling in the sinuses, where it would provide the consummate breeding grounds for bacteria. Some people use a neti pot only when they feel a cold coming on while others use it daily as a preventative. In any case neti pots are fairly cheap and not so difficult to find.

What Exactly Is a Neti Pot?

A neti pot is a small ceramic or plastic pitcher. It has two openings, one at the top and another in the spout. It is filled with salt water to cleanse your nasal passages. Cleansing your sinuses in this manner relieves symptoms associated with colds, flu, sinus infections, nasal dryness, allergies, and other sinus irritations. It also helps reduce swelling of the nasal membranes. A sinus wash is recommended as part of your daily personal hygiene regimen, especially for those who suffer from sinus issues regularly or seasonally.

Time Required: 3 to 5 minutes

What You Need:

• neti pot
• lukewarm water
• salt (non-iodized)
• 1/4 teaspoon

Here's How:

1. Fill the neti pot with water. The water should be lukewarm (not too hot, not too cold) and can be poured into the pot directly from the tap (approximately 1/2 cup of water). Distilled water is recommended if the purity/safety of the tap water in your region is questionable.
2. Add 1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon of sea salt or table salt (must be non-iodized) to the water. Stir with spoon to dissolve thoroughly.
3. Lean your head forward over the basin, bending your neck down slightly with your eyes looking downwards.
4. Gently place the spout of the neti pot inside your right nostril, forming a seal to avoid any outer leakage.
5. Open your mouth slightly. Breathe continuously through your open mouth during this sinus cleansing procedure. This allows a necessary air passageway so that the water will not drain from behind your nose into your mouth.
6. Tilt your head sideways, so that your right nostril is directly above your left nostril. Tip the neti pot, allowing the water solution to pour into your right nostril. Within a few seconds the water will naturally drain from your left nostril into the sink.
7. After the net pot is empty, remove the spout from your right nostril, and exhale gently through both nostrils. Gently blow your nose into a tissue.
8. Repeat steps 1 through 7 for your left nostril.

Tips:

1. Thoroughly clean your Neti Pot after each use. Periodically place it in your dishwasher for a thorough sanitizing. Same as a toothbrush do not share your neti pot with anyone else. Everyone in the household should have their own neti pot.
2. Try using only half the amount of recommended salt the first few times you use your neti pot until you become more accustomed to the process.
3. Applying a thin layer of petroleum jelly on the inside of both nostrils before the treatment helps sooth sensitive skin.
4. You may notice improved breathing, smell and taste.
5. If you experience any discomfort please discontinue using your neti pot and consult your doctor or other health care provider.

Keep it fresh!
- Lauren