Don't attend a holiday party without reading this!

Holiday parties are in full swing!

Don't let the instant gratification and temptations sacrifice what you want MOST for your health. Here are some tips to help you thrive! Eat before you go. If you aren’t sure what type of food will be waiting to greet you at the door, do not make the mistake of showing up hungry. When in doubt, eat crudité and hummus. Name one holiday party you have attended that doesn’t have raw veggies and hummus... bet you can’t do it! (Avoid the sour cream trans fat dip like the plague!) O.P.R. You know it well by now: stick to one plate and enjoy what you will. Pick your poison. Alcohol, dessert, fried finger foods… someone stop me! Pick one treat to have, and fill up on the healthy stuff.  Drink clear liquor. Clear liquor is best, and drink water in between so you wake up the next day looking remarkably fresh and fantastic. (watch this video for a laugh... and a good explanation on the best types of alcohol) Make it about the company, not the food. We tend to stuff our face when we feel socially awkward. “Oh look there’s Tom’s annoying boss. Let me just stuff my face with these mini hot dogs and he won’t try to talk to me.” Sound familiar? Try to focus on the people, and if the party sucks, don’t eat, LEAVE! To cleanse or not to cleanse... Do I think it is important to cleanse? Yes, I believe as the seasons change, or with the beginning of a new year, it is wise to give the body a little help in renewing itself, but I want it to arise out of a compassionate desire to reach for better health, not as a quick fix to undo bad behaviors. I think it would be a great idea to cleanse with the new year, but be careful to recognize what is driving you to do so (love or punishment?). We love these cleanse packets from Designs for Health because they provide the body a deeper cleanse using the highest quality nutrients and extraction methods. If you decide to couple it with the food guidelines of our 10 day detox then you will reap the benefits of the synergy between food and herbs. As we all agree that the pressure to cleanse during this time of year is a tad redundant, I want to make sure that IF you decide that doing a cleanse is the right choice for you at this time, that you have access to the highest quality products and support. For this reason, we are offering 10% savings on our favorite cleanse packets throughout the month of December and January. (Please consult your doctor before you do any sort of cleansing or supplement regimen.) So, to cleanse or not to cleanse? This is entirely up to you. What I wish for everyone during this eating season is a level of food consciousness that helps guide you through the holiday parties and gatherings. Let's all set the intention to reflect back on this holiday season and feel proud of the eating choices we have made. We will share the goal of having our bodies be the physical manifestation of how much we love and care for ourselves.  Click here to purchase the cleanse packets and receive 10% savings with discount code NW10% plus FREE shipping! Success Stories: Congrats Maria, Sara and Anthony!

Spent too much time wrapping presents?  Don't forget that your health takes first priority. Here's one of our favorite quick and easy crock pot recipes!  Crock Pot Moroccan Lamb Stew

Water 101

The solution to pollution is dilution!

It's 4pm and you look over at your water bottle and it's filled to the brim.You realize you aren't even close to reaching your daily water goal. You know who you are (I'm watching you)! If you're one of my clients, past or present, you know that drinking half of your body weight in ounces of filtered water daily is my recommendation. Have you ever wondered WHY this magic number is one of the keys to unlocking your ultimate health and vitality? Do you know why you shouldn't drink out of plastic water bottles? Check out my latest article, Water 101, in the November issue of Austin Fit Magazine for the answers to these questions... and so much more. Still having trouble getting those ounces down? Start the day by waking up and grabbing your bottle (I drink 32 ounces right when I get out of bed, I reach my goal faster and avoid late-night trips to the john).   Set an alarm (or two... or three) on your phone.    Keep a bottle in your car, at your desk, by your bedside, everywhere!   Buy a large glass or stainless steel water bottle and do the math to figure out how many bottles you need per day (puh-lease, no one's counting regular glasses). Do you need help figuring out how much YOU need to drink? Take your body weight in pounds and divide by two. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, your magic number is 75 ounces!   Don't forget to add to your goal if you are you doing a lot of heavy exercise (especially if you find yourself a sweaty monster afterwards). I love to add these electrolytes to my water on workout days for extra support. Tired of plain water? Add some flavor!    Our favorites include lemon, lime, orange and cucumber, but there are endless possibilities. You can add these straight to your bottle or purchase a fruit infusion pitcher.   Grab some fizz!    Buy a soda streamer and carbonate your own filtered water. We love to add a pinch of sea salt and a lime wedge to ours. LaCroix, Topo Chico and Pellegrino are a few of our favorite store-bought "sodas". Success Stories: It's been a while since we've posted some success stories, and man do we have a bunch to catch up on! Way to go Hailey, Ashley, Joi and Kristi!

Looking for something sweet to warm you up at night? Try this yummy Carly-approved hot chocolate recipe! Spicy Hot Chocolate

Which button will you press?

Time to Reflect...

Thanksgiving is over and by now you are either shopping on Amazon to find your favorite jeans in the next size up, or you are feeling victorious over the first holiday showdown. For those of you reading this filled with T-giving regret, I have the perfect solution for you.     PRESS THE RESET BUTTON.   You have now come to the holiday crossroad. You can either press the Tap Out Button, be reckless for the rest of the year and join all the poor souls on January 1st, or you can take a deep breath, forgive yourself, do some good ol' fashioned reflection and press the Reset Button.     Pressing the Reset Button allows you to accept yourself as a work in progress. It also means you believe in yourself enough to try again and expect a better outcome. Anytime we feel our behaviors aren't in alignment with living our best life (think about the way we speak to our spouses when we are upset, or our mother when she is nagging us, a stranger in traffic, etc...) we can practice self forgiveness and make an intention for the next time this opportunity crosses our path.     Reflection is a huge piece of moving forward with the confidence in making a different choice. Using Thanksgiving as an example, what was it that triggered you? Was it the chaotic environment? Too many options for food? Annoying cousin Janice talking your ear off? We need to understand why our behaviors manifested in that way, get to the root and make a plan from there. Only then does pressing the Reset Button carry it's full power.     If you did well for Thanksgiving, then mazel tov! Rinse and repeat.     Make the commitment that no matter what, you won't ever press the Tap Out Button on yourself or your life. Stay tuned in, be present and always strive for more.   xoxo Carly Success Story: Congrats Livia, you're a rockstar!      "About a year ago I decided that I needed a big change in my life. I was unhappy with my body, the way I was living, my relationships, etc. That's when I found Carly. After seeing her and following the tips she gave me, I found that everything started falling into place. I started losing weight and I removed all of the people and all of the stuff that was causing me harm (emotionally and physically). My life started to change. I've grown so much in the past year and I feel happier than I have ever felt. I just wanted to say thank you to the people who supported me through this journey! I know my body and my life isn't perfect but that's okay, I accept it and love it just the way it is. Love you guys!" Recipe of the Week: Moo Shu Pork

How to Prevent the Thanksgiving Binge

Before you bust out your stretch pants...

I know what the holidays look like for most of you. Lest us not forget that I used to wear elastic waist stretch pants (just like Joey's) to Thanksgiving and Chanukah...and probably most days in between. Many of the holiday dishes that we love SO much are only available to us on these days, and therefore we feel the need to pack in as much as possible IN ONE DAY (cut to you on the couch, elastic stretched to the max, belly stuffed to the brim...eating a third serving of grandma's famous pie). Well, I'm about to rewrite that "story" for you.  Why not make a Thanksgiving meal THIS WEEK?!? You heard me right. If you make a healthy holiday meal this week, and enjoy some of your favorites, you'll be less likely to eat too much next week on T-Gives. Same goes for Christmas and Chanukah. We've provided a few healthy holiday recipes below, but you can head over to our website for many more. We know that most of you are not going to bust out a 12 pound turkey the week before, so check out our recipe for Turkey Burgers and serve them with a few of your favorite festive sides. Here are a few of our favorites: Sweet Potato Casserole Wild Rice Stuffing with Cherries & Pecans Green Bean Casserole Cranberry Apricot Pecan Relish Mini Pumpkin Pies with Toasted Coconut It's not too late to Conquer the Holidays! We've had so many requests to re-open enrollment that we are going to make the program available for 24 more hours for those of you who missed the deadline. This life-changing program costs less than a pair of designer shoes, a sushi dinner, your daily latte', you get the picture. Don't delay, sign up today using the link below! www.ConquerTheHolidays.com

Hey, it's me your body, I need to tell you something

It starts as a whisper...

...but if you ignore the warning signs, it will quickly get louder!

The human body is very wise. It first speaks to you in whispers, which may seem like nagging or annoying symptoms. "Hey, something's not quite right in here (My farts smell!)." If you ignore these whispers, your body's communication will only get louder over time and that can look like debilitating symptoms or disease ("I haven't pooped in three days!").    Here's the low down Your Nails: think vitamin and mineral deficiency      White spots: these can signify a zinc deficiency, which means an overall mineral deficiency in the body Ridges: this can be due to age, or poor nutrition (see above photo on the right) Yellowish nails: can be tied to a fungal infection Pitted nails: little craters in your nails can be connected to eczema Thin nails: if your nails are thin and peel, this is due to vitamin and mineral deficiency Pale nails: can signify anemia  Missing lunae: do you see the little white moons at the base of your nails? Most people at least have them on their thumbs, but they may missing on the rest of the fingers. This can be an indicator of low thyroid function.   ACTION STEPS:  Test for fungal infections and vitamin and mineral deficiencies Women: start supplementing with a high quality prenatal vitamin and mineral Missing lunae in conjunction with thyroid symptoms: test thyroid function using a temperature test or blood work   Your Hair: think hormonal imbalance      Excessive hair loss or balding (women): hormonal imbalance and can also be a strong signal for iron deficiencies in pre-menopausal women  Dandruff: this condition can be linked to a fungal infection in the body Excess facial hair (women): too much sugar, caffeine, or stress can send the adrenals into overdrive and increase facial hair   ACTION STEPS: Check the function of your thyroid and adrenal glands via temperature testing and blood work Cut out sugar and caffeine Manage stress   Your Skin: think gut issues        Bumps: bumps around the hair follicles in the skin may mean you need to increase your vitamin A and C, zinc, and essential fatty acids Fluid retention: especially around the eyes or ankles can signify kidney damage or inadequate thiamine Age spots: these are caused by free-radical damage to cells, resulting in accumulation of cellular waste. Avoid processed foods and increase your antioxidants (fruits and veggies!). Rosacea (red cheeks): this can be from an allergic response, a vitamin B deficiency, or a sign of low hydrochloric acid in the stomach   ACTION STEPS:  Start supplementing with a high-quality probiotic Let us perform a stool analysis to check for parasites, bacteria and candida Address possible food intolerances   Your Tongue (need a visual? Google image search "candida tongue", 'nuff said)   Yellowish coating: indicates a tired, toxic liver White coating: indicates bacteria, fungus or parasites in the gut   ACTION STEPS: Don't just buy a tongue scraper! Your tongue and gut are connected too. Take a probiotic, drink more water, and look at your tongue every morning and address based on the chart above.   Your Eyes        Dry eyes: you're lacking sparkle if you need omega-3 oils, vitamin A, and zinc Night blindness: difficulty seeing at night? This is associated with vitamin A deficiency Puffy, dark, inflamed, or wrinkles under eye: these can all be allergic reactions, or an indicator of kidney problems Sensitivity to bright lights: this is a signal of drained adrenals due to high stress on the body Jittery eyes: thiamine deficiency (common in alcoholics)   ACTION STEPS:  Supplement with high-quality products Drink more water Address possible food allergies   Want to know what's going on with your poop?!? Don't worry, we're going to dedicate a whole newsletter to it! Stay tuned to our social media for an "All About Poop" FAQ Thursday, coming to you manana :) Calling all Wisdom Seekers! We are asking you to take a few seconds to show some Nutritional Wisdom love :) Voting for Austin Fit Magazine's Best of 2014 is well underway and ends November 3rd - Click Here to vote for your favorite nutritionist! Just scroll through and enter "Nutritional Wisdom, www.nutritionalwisdom.com" for "Best Nutritionist/Dietician"   In Case You Missed It... Click Here to find out how you can get protein at breakfast without eating eggs all the time!

It's late at night and you're fridge is callin'

We've all been there...

It's 10pm, you're getting ready for bed, and suddenly your tummy lets out a little rumble. You know that you are supposed to stop eating at least two hours before your head hits the pillow, but you wonder "Will I be able to fall asleep without a snack? If I DO decide that I need to eat something, what should I eat? WWCD (what would Carly do?!?)". First, let's figure out if you're really hungry! Take a few deep breaths Have a cup of herbal tea Get as far away from the kitchen as possible and busy yourself with a book or your favorite TV show (Shahs of Sunset anyone?) Drink some water (but not too much or you'll be running to the bathroom all night!) Take a bath Call a friend Write in your journal Just get your mind off of food and your gurgling belly! Chances are you'll forget all about it and can get on with your bedtime routine Okay, so what if these ideas just don't cut it? You're hungry (fo' real ya'll) and you need some late-night snack ideas PRONTO! We all want to reach for the sweets...chocolate, fruit, cereal, cookies and milk...but allowing ourselves to eat these foods before bed will have that jean button popping off in no time. Our recommendation is to stay away from carbohydrates at night and eat small amounts of protein and/or fat.  WARNING, what tends to happen is that once we decide we are going to eat, it is ON! Remember, eating just a few bites will keep you from feeling hungry and have you sleeping like a baby. Save those calories for your breakfast meal (you can dream about it like I do!).  Here are some of our favorite go-to's. We know these choices aren't going to knock your socks off with excitement, but if you're desire is to have ultimate health and vitality, then this is how you get to have your "cake" and eat it too (does that sting?!?). Half of an avocado with a sprinkle of sea salt A hard-boiled egg  A few slices of turkey wrapped in lettuce w/ some mustard Hot chocolate (my personal fave) (heated almond milk with a small scoop of chocolate protein powder and a pinch of cinnamon) A spoonful of almond butter   A handful of nuts (check out our yummy recipe for roasted cashews) Success Story Hands off ladies, Bobby's taken! Before After (down 20 pounds of fat)    "A little over two years ago I was 245 pounds. I was miserable and wanted to start losing weight. I tried diet after diet and had some success but never really gained any insight on how to make healthy eating a lifestyle. Carly and the Nutritional Wisdom team have helped me a great deal. The principles that she taught me were unlike any other diet that I've tried before, but after a few months I began to notice the impact of how clean eating and NOT dieting made me feel better. Not only do I feel better physically, but I feel better mentally and spiritually.  Thanks to Carly and Nutritional Wisdom,  eating has become a way of life. I now weigh 173 pounds and continue to meet with Carly once a month. I cannot express how grateful I am that the Spirit of the Universe led me to Nutritional Wisdom." In Case You Missed It... Click Here to find out why Carly was soaring through the air in last week's FAQ Thursday!