Cooking Classes in April

11:56 AM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

Hello all! I just wanted to invite you to a few upcoming health classes I am teaching through Iowa Lakes Community College. Please help me spread the word! Thank you! 


Super Smoothies Made Simple $35 

Course #: 54293 Date: 4/8/14
Site: Spirit Lake Time: 6-7pm (Tues.)

Smoothies can be a nutrient-filled quick and easy meal or snack!! I will share some of my favorite recipes and ingredients that are best for energy, clearer skin, weight loss, inflammation, cancer killing, and cleansing the body! Samples included!





Cooking With Quinoa $35 

Course #: 54296 Date: 4/15/14
Site: Emmetsburg (732) Time: 6-8pm (Tues.)

Quinoa- a superseed! Learn how to cook up a delicious dish and explain the health benefits of this wonderful gluten and grain-free ingredient! Tasty samples and more recipes will be provided!



Please contact Iowa Lakes Community College to register. 712.362.7231

If you are unable to attend the classes check out my Clean Eating Recipe Ebooks on my website. 



Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.

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1 Year

9:21 AM Jackie Mart 2 Comments

Today marks one year exactly since moving back to Iowa. I arrived with $50 in my bank account, an enormous feeling of defeat in many areas of my life and wanted to give up altogether. I was pawning off my belongings in Minneapolis to pay my rent, on a vicious cycle with my eating disorder, depressed, and letting my divorce ruin me. I didn't want to give up but knew if I didn't make some decisions I would be dead before I was 31 years old. I was so stressed out I was making myself sick with worry.

This past year I've made huge progress with loving and taking better care of myself and have helped many others in the process.  I've accomplished things I never thought possible: opened up an office here to run my business, made a few amazing new friends, spent some much needed time with my family, paid off my credit card, inspired others to live a healthy lifestyle and take control of their health, touched hearts, saved lives, and now have money in my bank account from my own hard work and dedication!

Am I 100% fully healed? No, but I will always be a work in progress. I am thankful my family has been here for me. I don't know how many times I came home and have been lucky to give my mom a hug whenever I needed one! I now realize my family loves and cares about me more than I ever thought through a handful of deep life conversations. 

I'm writing this to encourage others. Whatever you are currently dealing with, big or small, or what your past looks like, there is still hope! Reach out to those who love you and choose a different path. It may not be easy at first but get up, show up, and work on improving yourself each and every day! We all have a story-this is your life, find your passion, lead by example, love and believe in yourself, and don't let setbacks crush you completely! Radiate your true self, be fearless and take chances! Challenges are what cause growth.  I'm looking forward to my next steps and plan on enjoying the journey! Sending you some love and sunshine today! :-)






Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.


2 comments:

Food is Love

2:36 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

I follow a few women who are recovering from eating disorders on my Instagram account. One woman uses a heart plate just like this one every time she eats.



I think we could all learn from this. Food is fuel and nourishment for our bodies; what we put into it should reflect the love we have for ourselves. Choose to eat only the foods that help heal your body and feed your soul! So many people use and abuse food to distract them from their emotions and life.  Love should go into your food...organic, natural, and from the Earth, not chemicals and man-made from a factory or from animals that have been treated inhumanely and don't see the light of day!  Every time you sit down to eat think about how the food on your plate directly impacts your cells, body, mind, and energy!   I love this affirmation! 




Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.



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Spring Detoxing and Cleansing

4:17 PM Jackie Mart 1 Comments


Springtime- I think of flowers blooming, green grass, Easter egg hunts, and exercising outdoors! It's been a really LONG winter here in northwest Iowa with the extremely low temperatures. Being cooped up all winter leads to sluggishness, fatigue, and weight gain. With the seasons changing now is a great time to not only Spring clean your house but do a body cleansing as well!! 

Here are 9 ways you can rid your body of toxic build up! 


1. Clean Eating

Ditch these clogging foods and your skin, gut, and brain will thank you! 
Dairy Products
Acidic to body; contain antibiotic residues and growth hormones; causes mucus build-up and acne.
Gluten/Wheat/Sugar
Processed carbohydrate foods like white breads, white pastas, sugary drinks and candies all demand extra effort from your liver to keep your blood sugar levels stable as well as to remove the toxic substances these foods contain. Eating a processed carbohydrate rich diet will mean your liver is working over time.

Anything with Additives/Preservatives/Colorings in a Box or Can

These foods are highly processed, made in factories, contain chemicals that our bodies cannot break down. They cause weight gain, diabetes, cancer, diseases, and other health issues.  It is "dead" food without living enzymes.
CLICK HERE for more information on clean eating and RECIPES

2. Juice Fast
Juicing is a way to get a mega-dose of vitamins and nutrients into your body with maximum absorption! Try doing one for 3-5 days if you are new to juicing to give your digestive system a rest! Here is one recipe I enjoy. 

Deep Green Liver Detox Juice: 
  • 1/2 cucumber
  • 2 cups kale
  • 1 lime
  • 1 cup swiss chard
  • 1/2 lemon
Run all ingredients through a juicer and drink! 


More of my top picks to juice: http://jackieamart.blogspot.com/2016/03/spring-body-cleaning.html?m=1

Sweating is the body’s safe and natural way to heal & stay healthy. Infrared sauna benefits the body by heating it directly causing a rise in core temperature resulting in a deep, detoxifying sweat at the cellular level, where toxins reside. 



4. Dry Skin Brushing




Dry skin brushing on a daily basis can provide numerous benefits, such as improved circulation, stimulating lymph drainage, stimulating hormones, and firming the skin.


  • Stimulates the lymphatic system, which also helps to eliminate toxins from the body.
  • Helps your skin to breathe by removing dead skin cells, and opening clogged pores
  • By increasing the circulation to the skin, you are encouraging your body to discharge metabolic waste.


5. Liver Cleansing- Foods/ Herbs:

Consume More of These Foods
  • Beets
  • Carrots
  • Lemons
  • Limes
  • Dark Leafy Greens
  • Sulphur rich foods like onions and garlic
  • Cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower
Herbs (Be sure to consult with an educated professional before using.) 
Burdock Root: Burdock root is an extremely bitter root that is a powerful blood purifier. This will help to support your liver in its blood filtering work.
Dandelion Root: Dandelion root works to support the cleansing of the liver. I like to drink dandelion root tea! 

Milk Thistle: Milk thistle can work to cleanse and repair the liver tissues. This is most likely the most common of the liver supporting herbs. It comes in tincture, tea, and capsule forms. 

6. Total Body Cleanse
Some people like to use a product to assist with cleansing. Here is the one I use and recommend from Garden of Life. It's gentle and effective! Please contact me if you would like to order one! 


7. Herbal Detox Body Wraps
You can use these in the comfort of your own home! 
The Herbal Detox Body Wrap is a non-woven cloth wrap that has been infused with a powerful, botanically-based formula to deliver you maximum tightening, toning, and firming results when applied to the skin. It continuously hydrates for firmer, smoother, more youthful-looking skin and reduces the appearance of cellulite and skin slackening. 

It is natural and it aids the body in releasing toxins, tightening and toning the body and emulsifying fat so that you lose inches in a 45 minute application. This inch loss can be from 1-6 inches in 45 minutes. Also helps with stretch marks, cellulite, pain, and inflammation. $30 for 1 Wrap (Retail Price).



8. Ion Detox Foot Bath
This is a service I offer in my office. The ion foot bath is a powerful way to experience a cellular detoxification. It generates a stream of positive and negative ions (charged atoms) which attract and attach themselves to oppositely charged toxic particles. Through osmosis these toxins are drawn out of the body through the pores of your feet to cleanse and detoxify the body. It increase energy (both physically and mental energy), vitality, stamina, and weight loss at the same time it is used to purge (ionic detoxifications) the body of toxins, chemicals, radiation, pollution, synthetics, and other foreign material trapped in the body that have clogged up the systems of elimination.



9. Drink More WATER!

Most people are not consuming enough. Rule is to drink half your bodyweight in ounces of filtered water a day minimum! Water cleanses toxins from the body, regulates body temperature, is needed for digestion and more. Use stainless steel or a glass water bottle instead of drinking out of plastic bottles! 


Please CONTACT ME to schedule your detox session or wellness consultation!










Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.

www.optimumwellnessmn.com

1 comments:

How Can I Make An Avocado Ripen Faster?

8:14 AM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

When you're craving guacamole and the avocado is like a rock put the avocado in a loosely closed brown paper bag with two apples. Apples produce ethylene gas, a hormone that triggers ripening. The avocado will soften in a few days! Heat also speeds up the process so you can put the bag on the kitchen windowsill in the sun for quicker ripening. 




Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.

www.optimumwellnessmn.com



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Saturday Pick-Me-Up

12:52 PM Jackie Mart 2 Comments

Things not going your way? Adjust your sails. Try something different, but keep trying! There is ALWAYS a solution to everything!  Focus your energy on finding a solution and NOT on the problem. 



Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.

www.optimumwellnessmn.com



2 comments:

Gluten-Free-Too Expensive?

3:53 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments


This is a typical "Gluten-Free" aisle in a grocery store. As you can see all of the food is processed and in a box, bag, or a can. (Dead Food)  Fruits, vegetables, meat, nuts, beans, seeds, and fish are naturally gluten free! Eat clean and you will not have to spend $6.00 on a box of gluten-free cereal, crackers, bread, or cookies! Just a tip! ;-) 

What do you mean by "clean eating?" CLICK HERE for more information or schedule a wellness consultation with me and I will lead you in the right direction! 712.790.5883




Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.


www.optimumwellnessmn.com

0 comments:

My Go-To Makeup Remover

3:49 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

I have learned  what my skin can and cannot handle after being a model the last 6 years.  Makeup artists tend to pack on the makeup for runway shows and photo shoots as you can see! 


I've been health conscious about what I put in and on my body for the same amount of years. Eye makeup is one of the toughest things to remove. 


Here is an ingredient list of a popular name brand makeup remover: 

Water, Cyclopentasiloxane, Cyclohexasiloxane, Aloe Vera (Aloe Barbadensis) Leaf Juice, Benzyl Alcohol, Sodium Chloride, Dipropylene Glycol, Poloxamer 182, Allantoin, Tripotassium EDTA, Benzalkonium Chloride Solution, Glycerin, Cucumber (Cucumis Sativus) Extract (Cucumis Sativus), Potassium Phosphate, Dipotassium Phosphate


According to the Environmental Working Group's Cosmetic Database this product is rated a 6 on a scale of 0 to 10 for hazard toxins. Some of the chemicals in this makeup remover have been linked to: cancer, organ system toxicity, irritation of the eyes, skin, lungs, and allergies. 

Cheap, effective, non-toxic, natural alternative: Coconut Oil! 



Use a cotton ball or pad to apply gently to your face and makeup will wipe right off! (even waterproof mascara) Coconut oil is very moisturizing and will help soothe the skin.  Please follow me on Facebook for more natural health, wellness, fitness, and beauty tips! 



Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.


www.optimumwellnessmn.com




0 comments:

Soul Mate

11:52 AM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

I saw this a few weeks ago and wanted to share it!  I've been holding myself back from being truly happy for years. I'm ready to open up and let someone special in! I cannot wait to find out who will be a part of my amazing adventure I call life! ;-)



Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.


www.optimumwellnessmn.com





0 comments:

Walden Farms- Calorie Free?

11:30 AM Jackie Mart 1 Comments

One of my clients sent me a message asking about these products because her family buys them so I decided to go to the grocery store and do some research! Here are a few things I found from this company at the local store in the "Health Market" section.





On a quick glance, the company looks impressive, amazing… almost a little too good to be true.

No Calories, Fat, Carbs, Gluten or Sugar of any kind!

From the company website:

Walden Farms irresistibly sweet calorie free specialties are prepared with real fruit extracts, concentrated natural flavors, rich cocoa and other natural ingredients, all sweetened with Splenda. Our savory specialties are made with hundreds of freshly ground herbs and spices, concentrated natural flavors and the finest aged imported and domestic vinegars.

The good news is, they wrote it right on their website. Splenda. Splenda is one of the worst sweeteners you could consume! Google the danger of it and see for yourself!

Save 330 calories a day, 10,000 calories a month and lose 34 lbs a year! -more deceptive marketing claims to draw you in! 

Why would you want to eat a peanut “spread” that doesn't even have peanuts in it? It’s FLAVORED to taste just like natural peanut butter. Sounds natural right?

Their strawberry spread features “strawberry flavor”, “natural flavors”, and cellulose gel  in addition to Splenda. Wouldn't you rather just have real strawberry preserves? The natural sugar in the REAL strawberry preserves might be higher, but its NATURAL sugar… not artificially concocted stuff. Time to get back to eating real food! 

Several of the products have maltodextrin, cellulose gel, several types of vegetable gums and one more little tidbit I learned along the way – only the suggested SERVING size contains no calories, so if you use more, you're getting some calories you might not realize were there! Remember, my motto is: Count chemicals, NOT calories for health! ;-)

Want to learn more? Schedule a grocery store tour or a wellness consultation with me. 712.790.5883


Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.


www.optimumwellnessmn.com


1 comments:

Brownies Never Tasted So Good

11:17 AM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

Saturday was my friend's birthday and I wanted to surprise her with some goodies! I decided on Black Bean Brownies. They are gluten and grain-free, sweetened with xylitol and stevia (natural sugars that do not affect blood sugar levels) and packed with fiber and protein! They were a huge hit especially with her kids! They taste NOTHING like black beans, don't worry! ;-) 










**This recipe is one of the many in my Clean Eating Recipe Book available on my website if you haven't already snatched it up! Please CLICK HERE to purchase!  ($12) 




Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.


www.optimumwellnessmn.com


0 comments:

DIY Vapor Rub

11:35 AM Jackie Mart 0 Comments


My mom slathered Vick's Vapor Rub on us as kids. I'm sure your mother did too! I've even heard of people using it as a cold remedy by putting it on the bottoms of their feet at night, covering them with socks, and waking up cold-free in the morning?

Here is the short list of toxic ingredients in Vick's Vapor Rub:

Camphor: Contributes to the vapor quality.  Toxic levels are anything over 11 percent.  Vick’s has 5  percent.

Turpentine Oil: Also aids in the vapor qualities.  It is a paint solvent.

Laureth 7:  which comes from ethylene oxide and lauryl alcohol, serves an emulsifier. A common, probably too common, component found in detergents, cleaners and paint.


Petrolatum: THIS is what make’s Vick’s, Vick’s. The silky, thick salve substance you scoop out of the container and rub on chest, neck and nose. Derived from petroleum (aka crude oil) it is approved by the USFDA as a glide in ointments and cosmetics.  Petrolatum has been found in cancerous tumors (breast, coincidently the same area where we like to RUB Vick’s), causes suffocation of the skin, premature aging and aggravated acne.

Just a few reasons why you should to make your own! 

Homemade Vapor Rub

Ingredients:

5 TB coconut oil
2 TB cocoa butter
1 1/2 TB beeswax
30 drops eucalyptus essential oil (for children use Eucaylptus Radiata or Eucaplytus Citriodora)
12 drops each of essential oils: peppermint, lavender, and rosemary
5 drops tea tree essential oil

Instructions:

In a saucepan, over low heat, add the coconut oil and cocoa butter. Melt.

Once melted, add the beeswax. Melt.

Remove the pan from the heat. Allow the mixture to sit in the saucepan for 5 minutes. This will allow the mixture to cool so the oils aren't damaged.

After 5 minutes, add the eucalyptus, peppermint, lavender, rosemary, and tea tree oils to the coconut oil mixture. Combine with a spoon.

Pour the mixture into glass jars. I use these mason jars. This recipe will make one 4 oz. jar of vapor rub. As the mixture cools in the jar the liquid will solidify, making it a creamy, spreadable rub.

**This recipe will keep for a year.

www.ewg.org 

Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.


www.optimumwellnessmn.com

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New EBook Launch- Kid Friendly Clean Eating Recipes

3:14 PM Jackie Mart 0 Comments

Due to popular demand I decided to create a  recipe Ebook for the moms out there! This is a collection of 30 kid-friendly and approved recipes. All recipes are free of refined added sugars, gluten and grain-free! (I added some of their favorites only healthier versions: chicken fingers, fruit snacks, macaroni and cheese, pancakes, and more!) 

Here is one recipe from the Ebook:

Peanut Butter Balls 


Ingredients:

2/3 cup organic creamy natural peanut butter***
2 tsp stevia powder 
1/2 cup almond flour (or more for runny peanut butter)
2 tsp raw honey (optional)
1/2 cup  organic 80% dark chocolate

***Almond, cashew or sunflower seed butter can also be used

Directions:

1. In small bowl, blend peanut butter, stevia and almond flour. Dough should be stiff.  (Add more almond flour if needed to make a thick dough.) Taste for sweetness and adjust if needed. Using small scoop, measure out mixture and roll in hands to form balls. Place balls in refrigerator for at least 30-60 minutes or until firm.

2. On top of the stove, melt chocolate. Insert tooth pick into cooled peanut butter balls and carefully dip in melted chocolate. Place balls on wax paper and allow to cool. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Peanut Butter Cup Variation

Place mini liners into mini muffin pan. Spoon 1/2 tsp. of melted chocolate into bottom of liner followed by 1/2 of a peanut butter ball. Top with 1 tsp more of melted chocolate. Refrigerate.


Please CLICK HERE to purchase the EBook. $12.00



Copyright, 2014, Jackie Mart. For further information about this blog, or Optimum Wellness LLC, contact Jackie Mart at 712.790.5883 or Jackie@OptimumWellnessMN.com. As a holistic nutrition and lifestyle coach, I will support you in taking steps to a healthier and happier you. My goal is to help you create an art of balance in your life. You will also learn how important balance between primary foods (relationships, physical activity, sleep, career and spirituality) and secondary foods (organic food and whole food) is.


www.optimumwellnessmn.com




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