It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the years fly by.

Now that we have all resolved to be healthier, more fit individuals, I would like to share with you one of my favorite ways to eat clean and stay on track:

FARM FRESH TO YOU

I discovered this company last year while trying to get the healthiest, organic food.

Farm Fresth To You is a local company that provides excellent organic food, delivered right to your front door! What I like about it is that it is:

1. Affordable – I get a large box of produce (the size of a file storage box) for just $31.50. (They have smaller boxes too.) The leafy veggies practically stand on their own – crisp and vibrating with energy! In a typical box I will receive: 1 onion, 2-3 bushels of bok choy, 1 bundle of kale or collard greens, I bag of yellow potatoes or 1 butternut or spaghetti squash, 1 head of lettuce, mixed herbs, 1 -2 bushels of broccoli, and a head of cabbage. It’s a lot of veggies! They last me all week long and stay fresher longer because they come directly from the farm!

2. Convenient – Delivered right to your door! If you live in Riverside, the delivery date is Friday. (Check the website: www.farmfreshtoyou.com to see when/if they deliver to your area.) The veggies (they also have fruits, if you like) come to my house super fresh.

3. Variety – I don’t know about you, but I am a creature of habit. I tend to buy the same vegetables every week. With this service, it forces me to eat veggies I normally wouldn’t buy. Remember, variety is the spice of life! Each vegetable has its own unique vitamin, mineral profile – which means that your diet will be more complete by changing up the veggies you eat. The company has a great website that is chock full of recipes to cook these vegetables that you may not be familiar with. (I also use Epicurious, a smart phone app designed to help you cook a gourmet meal with the ingredients you have in your fridge.)

4. Connection – Another added bonus from this company is that you get a newsletter each week from Thaddeus, the farmer who now owns this family run business. Thaddeus is an excellent writer who shares with you the trials and tribulations, the beautiful scenery, and the general going ons that are happening on the farm. It creates a deeper bond to your food – knowing the stories behind where they came from.

5. Integrity – It’s very rare to find a food company that is honest, hard working and dedicated to growing and selling sustainable, healthy and delicious food. Their hard working team are just as passionate as Thaddeus and his brothers are about providing our community with organic agriculture.

6. FUN – The farm allows you to pack a picnic and come out for farm tours and live music festivals! I have yet to do this myself, but it sounds like a good family outing!

NOW, you too, can try out this fabulous service. And, they want you to save a “bunch” off your first order! Just use this promo code: 6164. Just go to www.farmfreshtoyou.com or call 1800-796-6009. Please tell them I sent you (Angie Lustrick)

I struggled with this blog, truly wanting to inspire and show the ray of sun that lies on every horizon but my ‘Pollyanna” disposition was lost. Then I saw a post from my niece on Facebook. Not only is she talented and beautiful but she is influencing our world with her insights and wisdom. I am resubmitting her 2012 resolution because frankly I think there is little to improve upon. May all of you that are reading this have the fortitude to get through the highs and lows of the upcoming year. May you be happy and blessed to have love and family in your life and may you reach your goals of happiness and health despite the obstacles that come your way. Because what makes us genuinely better people is how we handle our challenges more than our victories! Be humble and be happy, it’s going be a GREAT year!
By Caroline Adair: “There were countless trials & tribulations this year, countless tragedies and disasters that will not be forgotten .There were wonderful things that took my breath away. I chose to be inspired. I vow to do something every single day, large or small, to help make the world a better place. I will look at the bright side. I will vote. I will volunteer. I will hold the door open for a stranger. I will smile at the grumpy person having a bad day. I am thankful for my health. I am thankful for my job and home and I am thankful for my wonderful friends and family. I am ready for the New Year!”
http://yearinreview.yahoo.com/2011/blog/1263/inspiring-video/

It never ceases to amaze me how quickly the years fly by.

Now that we have all resolved to be healthier, more fit individuals, I would like to share with you one of my favorite ways to eat clean and stay on track:

FARM FRESH TO YOU

I discovered this company last year while trying to get the healthiest, organic food.

Farm Fresth To You is a local company that provides excellent organic food, delivered right to your front door! What I like about it is that it is:

1. Affordable – I get a large box of produce (the size of a file storage box) for just $31.50. (They have smaller boxes too.) The leafy veggies practically stand on their own – crisp and vibrating with energy! In a typical box I will receive: 1 onion, 2-3 bushels of bok choy, 1 bundle of kale or collard greens, I bag of yellow potatoes or 1 butternut or spaghetti squash, 1 head of lettuce, mixed herbs, 1 -2 bushels of broccoli, and a head of cabbage. It’s a lot of veggies! They last me all week long and stay fresher longer because they come directly from the farm!

2. Convenient – Delivered right to your door! If you live in Riverside, the delivery date is Friday. (Check the website: www.farmfreshtoyou.com to see when/if they deliver to your area.) The veggies (they also have fruits, if you like) come to my house super fresh.

3. Variety – I don’t know about you, but I am a creature of habit. I tend to buy the same vegetables every week. With this service, it forces me to eat veggies I normally wouldn’t buy. Remember, variety is the spice of life! Each vegetable has its own unique vitamin, mineral profile – which means that your diet will be more complete by changing up the veggies you eat. The company has a great website that is chock full of recipes to cook these vegetables that you may not be familiar with. (I also use Epicurious, a smart phone app designed to help you cook a gourmet meal with the ingredients you have in your fridge.)

4. Connection – Another added bonus from this company is that you get a newsletter each week from Thaddeus, the farmer who now owns this family run business. Thaddeus is an excellent writer who shares with you the trials and tribulations, the beautiful scenery, and the general going ons that are happening on the farm. It creates a deeper bond to your food – knowing the stories behind where they came from.

5. Integrity – It’s very rare to find a food company that is honest, hard working and dedicated to growing and selling sustainable, healthy and delicious food. Their hard working team are just as passionate as Thaddeus and his brothers are about providing our community with organic agriculture.

6. FUN – The farm allows you to pack a picnic and come out for farm tours and live music festivals! I have yet to do this myself, but it sounds like a good family outing!
NOW, you too, can try out this fabulous service. And, they want you to save a “bunch” off your first order! Just use this promo code: 6164. Just go to www.farmfreshtoyou.com or call 1800-796-6009. Please tell them I sent you (Angie Lustrick)

It’s down to the wire… shopping in chaos, wrapping the gifts
and cooking up a storm. The final push is here and with all my grandiose ideals
of remaining Zen during the holiday I find myself in the midst of a stressful
week! You can relate to the list that adds two more tasks as you cross one off.
The fact that the kids are out of school at the same time you are trying to
balance motherhood, your job,  overnight family
guests and the dreaded fruit cake  that
will eventually show up is an enormous amount of responsibility. Then add the
fact that you want to be available to your friends and family with a cheerful
disposition even though you are thinking how much you love them when they are
all ASLEEP! God help me because I am thinking I want them to shut up and leave
me alone! Add a few indiscretions in the diet, less sleep for myself and the slight
guilt factor of not working out as much as I should and voila’…you have a
formula for depleted energy and short tempers. So how do I regain my composure?
How do I manage to spread Christmas cheer without wanting to stuff the next fake
Santa I see up the chimney? Personally, I start with 5 minutes of quiet time. You can call
it meditation, prayer or closing your eyes so people think you are asleep and
will leave you alone for a few minutes. Then I get a hot cup of green tea which
is a great adaptogen (a nutrient that is supportive to the system instead of
taxing on it) and helps give you energy without the spiked and dropped feeling you get from sugar or coffee. Then I give myself a small dose of forgiveness. I try to remind myself that EVERYONE
gets stressed, EVERYONE has a laundry list to complete and EVERYONE needs
someone to acknowledge them even in the smallest of ways. So when you are in
the store make the clerk smile, let the little Grandma behind you get in line
first and bring someone else’s day up. You’ll find that you will affect your
energy in a positive way. During this beautiful time of year, remember there
are those that do not feel cheery about the holidays due to varied
circumstances and they are the ones that need to be uplifted the most. So when
the stress gets to you, keep in mind that you have been blessed with a roof
over your head and food on your table. You have friends and family that want
to spend time with you and 2012 is looking like a wonderful “do-over” that will
bring you a fantastic year. So with that being said I want to extend my holiday
wishes for all of you that are willing to spend your time reading my blogs and
providing feedback. May you experience the joy of family, the gift of health
and the happiness of laughter. If that doesn’t work, stuff the next Santa you
see up the chimney, you’ll be surprised how much better you’ll feel. And please
do not ask me why I know this! Merry Christmas!

Next, rule out any new foods you may be consuming during the holiday season: things with food colorings and dyes, and artificial ingredients.
Also, think about your sensitivity to gluten – products containing wheat. This is more common than you may think!
Another possible reason is skipping meals. This tends to happen when we are stressed and trying to do too much. (like our daily lives plus all the holiday shopping)

Other things to investigate:
Calcium and magnesium deficiency
Low essential fatty acids in diet (more fish, flax, nuts and seeds)
Low B vitamins (we use these up when we are stressed) – Eat more whole grains: oatmeal, rice, quinoa.

I hope this helps! Merry Christmas!

So the holiday starts…the shopping, the bombardment of commercials and music and now the craziness that overtakes people to do stupid things like pepper spray someone to get a crummy TV that is on sale. It is insanity at its all time high. I started to feel overwhelmed by the tasks at hand. Do I send out Christmas cards? Do I only send them to family or loved ones that are not close by? Do I make the fattening appetizer that everyone loves or do a healthier version so I can make something delicious that isn’t going to contribute to a heart attack? Do I give myself a heart attack while trying to accomplish all of this nonsense? Do I buy EVERYONE gifts or just the people I really like? Do I put myself in a financial ditch to buy small trinkets that will not be important by the time January arrives? Oh boy, the anxiety kicks in and I feel like I’m drowning in the mistletoe and Christmas lights with no life preserver in sight. As the panic started to take residence in my being I had a flash come across my mind like a mental forehead slap. Trying to prioritize all of these tasks made me analyze where to start. “What is the most important thing about the holiday season?” The answer became clear and simple. Spending time with friends and family, enjoying their company and trying to show how much they mean to me is really the reason I do all of those crazy things. So I started to shift my energy, deciding that using my resources to spend time with people is more important than spending money I don’t have to spend. That the gift of time, love and humor is the most precious gift of all. Anyone that feels the pain of losing a loved one feels the void of that loss especially at this time of year. If you had the opportunity to spend one more day with that person and make another beautiful memory you would take that opportunity in a heartbeat. So instead of busting a gut trying to DO, DO, DO, try instead to BE, BE, BE. BE with your friends and relatives in a space that cherishes these joyous moments. BE present to life as it is happening. BE a good listener to that person that needs it today whether it is a stranger or a loved one. BE fun to be around and lighten your load with laughter. The gift you give through your positive energy is really what your fellow human being wants. BE grateful for this thing called life and value ever moment. Oh and if are one of my friends and don’t receive a gift this year I still do REALLY like!