Welcome Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Podcast listeners!  Thank you for clicking over and checking out my site today! Please introduce yourself in the comments below.  I was so honored and flattered that Jimmy asked me to be a guest on his show.

To all my long time readers and subscribers click here to listen to my interview with Jimmy Moore. I’m a huge fan of his podcast, blog and all the great work he does with educating the public about high quality nutrition and debunking a lot of the modern day nutritional trends and myths.

Click here to listen.

I am totally intrigued with the exercise philosophy and technique called Burst Training.

It is my latest Healthy Discovery.

I first learned about Burst Training a couple weeks ago when I was listening to one of JJ Virgin’s nutrition lectures on-line.  Then I read Dr. Jade and Keoni Teta’s theories on Burst Training for quick and effective fat loss.

I’m now fascinated by the below YouTube videos and the theory behind this exercise philosophy.

What is Burst Training?

Burst training involves exercising at 90%-100% of your maximum effort for 30-60 seconds in order to burn your body’s stored sugar, followed by 1-2 minutes of rest and recovery. You do this 3 more times for a total of 4 bursts and your workout only lasts 10-20 minutes.  This causes your body to burn fat for the next 36 hours to replace your body’s vital energy (glycogen) stores.

You only need to do this 3 times a week to see marked changes and improvements. More is not always better–make sure you have days of rest.

Fascinating, huh?

What are the benefits of Burst Training?

• Significantly boosts metabolism and fat burning mechanisms.
• Increases your ability to handle stress.
• Increases growth hormone which helps slow down the aging process.
• Increases testosterone (yes, women need adequate levels of testosterone too).
• Increases your oxygen debt which enables you to burn more fat and calories when you’re at rest and not exercising.

Here is a video of JJ Virgin explaining Burst Training.

Now take a look at Burst Training in action.

Mix and match your Bursts

1.  Run the stairs or run in place

2.  Jump rope

3.  Squats with arm weights

4.  Elliptical

5.  Bike

6.  Jumping Jacks

7.  Push-ups

8.  Weights

Here is another example of a Burst Training workout.

It’s quick, it’s efficient and it produces results in a short amount of time.

Here is the scientific (hormonal, physiological and biochemical) explanation behind Burst Training.

Intriguing huh?  If you are frustrated with hours of cardio each week and not getting the results you desire, you might want to consider Burst Training.

Always consult your physician before beginning any new exercise program.  And finally, as with all of my Healthy Discoveries I am not financially connected to this theory or practice in anyway. This site is about things that I find healthy and interesting and I share them for information and education purposes only.

If you follow me on Twitter you know I was working in Iowa and Missouri last week.

This trip also marked my six-year anniversary of facilitating corporate wellness workshops for Owens & Minor Medical Supply Company.

It has been an incredible journey (literally and figuratively). I love my career!

I have presented over 250 workshops in 25+ states.  The best part is hearing about the positive health commitments that people make after participating in my class(s). Their dedication creates measurable healthy outcomes for themselves and their families.

I put together a quick video from my presentation last Monday. It’s only 1 minute 12 seconds.

If you want to see the whole thing (1.5 hours) you’ll have to hire me!

But for now, here is a video clip of me speaking at the Owens & Minor Regional Sales Meeting on June 28, 2010 at The Camden On The Lake Resort.

Amy and I lived together during the summer of 1993.  She was my favorite college roommate. We’ve known each other for almost 20 years.  This is Amy and me last year in Denver, Colorado.

After the conference last week I drove to Petaluma, California to visit Amy, her husband and her three daughters.

On Sunday we woke up early and car pooled with her running group to Sonoma, California.  We all participated in a run, walk that went through the Sonoma Wine Country.

At the start of the race we ran (I walked) up the hill into the vineyards.

The race gave us an up close and personal look at the grape vines.

We finished in the Sonoma Town Square on a beautiful Sunday morning.

The Girl and The Fig was the restaurant we selected for our post race brunch.

Of course we couldn’t leave Sonoma without stopping at a local vineyard for some wine tasting.

We finished the day off with yoga.  Amy teaches Baptiste Style Yoga at Renew Yoga in downtown Petaluma. I took her class and I loved it!  It was the first time I tried Baptiste Yoga.

And that was our Sunday.

The rest of the trip was spent eating out with her husband and friends, sitting by the pool with her daughters (ages 5, 9 and 13), strolling through the antique stores in downtown Petaluma and visiting a natural, sustainable and environmentally friendly green farm.

But mostly, we talked.

Amy and I speak the same language.  It’s a language that moves beyond agreeing on a lunch spot.

The conversation that connects us, even when we go long periods without seeing each other, is an attempt to peel back the layers within our individual experiences so we can grow and discover better ways of living.

Over the course of our 4-day conversations this started to surface.  I quickly latched onto to this idea, it resonated with me.  Amy is doing this and now I want to do this!

I’ve been looking for something or someplace to mark the milestone of my 40th birthday.  On race day I will be two-months shy of turning 40.  I’m thinking that training for and finishing The 2010 San Francisco Half Marathon might be just the ticket.

I admit, the Godiva Chocolate stations located throughout the course, the engraved Tiffany Necklace as the race souvenir, and the San Francisco Firefighters who dress in tuxedos to present each woman with a necklace at the finish line are all great incentives to run this race. Plus this marathon runs smack dab through the amazing city of San Francisco.

I’m told the runners come down a final hill in the October sunshine and cross the finish line.  It is an emotionally charged, awe-inspiring end for not only the runners but the spectators too.

The chocolate and jewelry might be all I walk away with, but I doubt it.  Knowing that my friend of 17 years will be in the race with me and knowing that we seem to find synchronicity, insight and deeper perspective in all our adventures adds that final bit of motivation for me to train for and run this race.

I face a couple challenges:

1.  I’m not registered.  Registration is a lottery system and it has already closed; however, people sell their race bibs and registration on Craigslist (due to injury or other reasons) so I will have to find and buy a race bib.  There’s a chance that won’t happen, but I’m keeping the faith, I really want to run this race!

2.  I’m not a runner.  I have no running base, but I met with a running coach in Denver this past weekend and he said 18 weeks is plenty of time for me to train for a half marathon (13 miles) he assured me this is very doable.  I’ve mapped out my training program, a couple weeks of The Couch-to-5K Running Plan and then I’ll begin Hal Higdon’s 12 Week Training Program.

3.  I have a bad knee.  Eight years ago I began training for a full marathon and I quit after running 10 miles one day.  My right knee hurt too much. I added miles too quickly during that training. This time I will take it much slower, but there is a lingering possibly that my knee will prevent me from running in October, however, I’m keeping the faith.  I’ve been running a little bit this past week and so far so good.  My knee feels fine.

A couple things that are in my favor:

1.  Nutrition.  I can design an eating and supplement program for myself.  I know which nutrients to add to decrease inflammation and increase recovery time.

2.  Training.  I’ll run at 5,000-7,000 feet for the next 4-months which will hopefully make running at sea level on race day a little easier.

So last week I started to take my first steps toward that October finish line and all the Healthy Discoveries that this journey is sure to offer.  I’ll keep you posted.

When my aunt was diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer seven years ago I sent her a Rachel Remen book.

When my nutrition colleague was diagnosed with stage four colon cancer this spring I reread Rachel’s books.

If you have been reading my blog for any length of time you know how much I value good books, skilled writers and articulate stories.

Rachel Remen has mastered all of the above.

Life can be hard.  Life can be incredibly sad.  In fact, life can knock us down so hard and so fast that sometimes we don’t know what hit us.  I myself have experienced some profound hits.

I don’t cry easily, but when I do cry I sob.  I weep inside and out for the struggles, sadness and betrayal both globally and personally.

In an effort to find some solace and perhaps discover new ideas for facilitating my own workshops I stumbled across yet another Healthy Discovery.

I signed up for a Rachel Remen workshop.  The Healing Power of Story:  A Deeper Human Connection

Health care practitioners (medical doctors, osteopaths, pastors, rabbis, social workers, therapists, nurses, surgeons)  from all over the US, Canada and even New Zealand came to this workshop in Mill Valley, California last week.

It was absolutely amazing!  It brought my tears to my eyes.  It was exactly what I needed.

Rachel’s curriculum, The Healing Art, is taught in 71 medical schools around the U.S.  It was an honor to participate in this 3-day workshop, if people didn’t sign up by March they were put on a wait list.

Rachel is a medical renegade.

She is a Clinical Professor of Family and Community Medicine at The University of San Francisco School of Medicine.  Rachel left her Pediatrics Practice at Stanford 30 years ago (she was the first woman on the pediatrics faculty at Stanford in 1968) and she founded The Institute For The Study Of Health & Illness at Commomweal Cancer Help Center.

Medicine and science can’t cure and explain everything, but the inspiration in people’s stories, both past and present bring healing when a cure (physical) or explanation (emotional or spiritual) may not otherwise be available.

Today she is in her 70’s.  Her calm presence continues to move and transform audiences and her individual patients.

Rachel also has a 48-year personal history of Crohn’s Disease and nine major surgeries.  Her work is a unique blend of the viewpoint of the physician and patient.

This was by far one of the best (if not the best) workshop(s) I have ever attended!

1.  Put Down Whatever You Are Holding- At the beginning of each session Rachel would say, “put down what you are holding.”  We would literally put down our paper, pens and drink cups, however, the careful phrasing of this sentence also spoke to the unconscious mind and asked us to “drop any emotional burdens or troubles we are holding at that moment.”  I thought that was brilliant.

Then she taught us how to focus on the stillness within each breath.

Notice that space after each exhale and right before your next inhale.  That space is our natural place of rest, peace and stillness. It only happens for a nanosecond, but notice it, focus on it, develop it.  It’s a powerful reservoir of calm that is available to you every time you take a breath.

2.  Stories Give Us New “Eyes” And New Perspectives, Especially When Dealing With A Crisis- Stories can liberate people and stories can heal. Stories strengthen the will to live.  When your story is heard by another human being it validates you and the fact that your life matters.

Rachel would speak to the whole group (80 health care workers) then we would break into smaller groups. Everyone had a chance to share an experience through telling a personal story.  We spoke about an object that represented our work and why it was meaningful to us.  We spoke about a loss in our lives and how it transformed us.  We spoke of a situation where we were of service to another human being but ended up receiving more than we gave.

When people take off their masks and begin to speak from the heart we remember what is real, what is important.  Health care practitioners and clergy are on the front lines when it comes to hearing and witnessing transformational stories in their work each day.  Rachel taught us how to avoid cynicism or burn-out and really hear and be with people as they heal.

3.  Two Dimensions Of Story Telling

• Storytelling- Is about you sharing what is true for you in this moment.  As time goes on that story will change shape.  It will deepen.  It will help you find a new perspective.

• Generous Listening- Is a container for the storyteller to be heard in a non-judgmental space.  Do not comment, interrupt, ask questions, give advice, or speak.  Simply listen as the person fully and completely tells their story.  This is an incredibly powerful practice although it is not always easy.  We are used to interrupting, hurrying the story along, launching into our own story or judging a story.  Some stories belong to us and some don’t, many stories have been manipulated or distorted.  But the more people can get in touch with what’s true for them the more they tap into the authentic story of their life.  Most of the time we don’t need an answer, we just need to register an experience with someone who is capable of listening generously.

4.  Appreciate and Recognize The Awe And Wonder In Your Life- Life is filled with so much mystery and beauty.  When we stop noticing the awe and wonder that surrounds us, we become cynical, burned out and numb. Start noticing the joy and connection in your days.  At the end of every day ask yourself these three questions and record your answers in a journal.

• What Surprised You Today?
• What Touched Your Heart Today?
• What Inspired You Today?

The most powerful tools are the simplest tools. Begin to listen more and you will notice the insightful and strengthening stories that surround you all the time.

I highly recommend Rachel’s books, she writes from the universal language of compassion, love, service, kindness and healing.

If you feel like you are struggling for any reason with your health, work, money, relationships, emotions, etc. pick up Kitchen Table Wisdom: Stories that Heal or  My Grandfather’s Blessings:  Stories of Strength, Refuge and Belonging they are filled with inspirational stories about every day people and cancer patients who Rachel has counseled over the years.  Many times the story is quite ordinary but the message is extraordinary.  Her books will lift your spirit without connecting to any particular religion or philosophical belief.

It was a pleasure to meet her and learn directly from her after being a fan of her work for years.

I left this workshop with a deeper desire to listen generously (in my own work with groups and patients and in my personal life) because that’s where the inspiration, the true spirit and the healing ultimately reside- In our every day stories!

A video of Rachel speaking at UCSF on The Art of Living Every Minute Of Your Life

My family and I celebrated Mother’s Day on our family farm yesterday.

This is the house where I grew up.  My great grandparents, grandparents, parents, sister and I have all lived here. This house is over 80 years old and it’s where my parents still live today.

This is our barn, the FN stands for Fritz Niemeyer.  Fritz was my great great grandfather, he homesteaded our family farm in 1888.

My sister and I are the fifth generation to be born and raised on these 260 acres in Northeastern Colorado.

After 120 years our farm is still operating.  This is a picture of my dad chopping forage last summer.

And here’s yours truly in the pig pen on Easter morning.  No, these pigs are not cooped up and factory farmed, in case you saw Food Inc.  They are let out daily and roam freely around the barn yard in the bright sunlight and fresh air.

Yesterday, on Mother’s Day, I made a pork tenderloin for dinner.  It’s one of our family favorites.

I don’t like most grocery store pork tenderloin because they add sodium, MSG and goodness knows what else. Even though my family has raised sheep, cattle, chickens, and dairy cows over the years, along with planting a garden each summer; I don’t have the opportunity to eat farm fresh food every day.  And no, the pork tenderloin we ate yesterday did not come from the above picture!

A couple weeks ago I heard about a new market in the Highlands District of Denver.

It’s called, In Season Local Market.

Their mantra:  “if it’s not from here, it’s not in here.” They are dedicated to providing local food (within a 250 mile radius) that is naturally and ethically grown, raised, harvested and processed. In Season Local Market is about re-evaluating the way we eat and shop for groceries. By buying and eating locally, we can eat fresher, better food and support our own community.

Since this is the way I was raised and how my grandfathers and father always farmed, I was very excited to find “clean” pork tenderloins at In Season Local Market in Denver.  They also have things like; cheese, beef, bison, chicken, eggs, vegetables, fruits and honey  Click here to view the full grocery selection.

I was telling my sister about my latest Healthy Discovery and she told me about something she recently signed up for.

It’s called Door To Door Organics

They deliver a variety of fruit and veggie boxes straight to your door. The contents change every week based on the freshest arrivals from Colorado organic farms.

Now I’m following my sister’s lead and signing up for this.  I can’t wait to get my first box of fresh Colorado fruits and veggies!  Both my sister and I travel a lot for our jobs so Door To Door Organics allows you to put a week(s) on hold if you’re out of town.

If you don’t live in Colorado and can’t take advantage of these Healthy Discoveries look around your own area for locally grown farm fresh food.

A great place to start is Farmer’s Markets.

In the age of movies like Food Inc, and Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution people are remembering the benefits of the back-to-the-basics-farm-fresh-food.

Fritz, my great great grandfather (who spent cold winters in the late 1890’s building our farm house). Archie, my great grandfather (who plowed the fields 14-hours a day with mules) and James, my grandfather (who milked cows by hand twice a day) would all be proud, yet probably chuckle a bit at this “modern day trend”!

First of all I want to welcome and thank those of you who recently joined my Healthy Discoveries Fan Page on Facebook. I occasionally post pictures, videos and updates, but my published blog posts are what I link most frequently to this facebook page.

I usually write 2-4 blog posts a month.

My intention with my blog is to connect you to healthy people, products, ideas, books, events and places. I have been blogging for 2.5 years.  Some posts I have written during that time period include;  transfats, dealing with weight loss plateaus and people like my friend Jo, who overcame a traumatic brain injury.

I also share my favorite “Healthy Discoveries” such as Float Tanks, Coconut Water, The Nia Technique, and Wet Sock Therapy to name a few.

Sometimes I write about my own life, for example;  my struggle with hypothyroidism, a great business trip turned weekend get-away to Seattle, my thoughts on running my own business and some insights I gained while climbing my first 14′er.

In other words, under the umbrella of the Healthy Discoveries Blog, you get a little bit of everything- meaning whatever is on my mind at the time.

So thank you again for joining my page, it means a lot and I appreciate knowing that you’re out there reading once I hit the publish key!  I also welcome your comments on my blog or facebook so please don’t be shy.

And now onto today’s Healthy Discovery:

The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Show

People often ask me which websites and on-line resources I recommend for reliable health information?

To be honest, those sites are few and far between.

But The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Podcast is one of those rare gems on the Internet that provides top-notch health information.  Jimmy Moore interviews the best of the best in the health industry. You can download any and all of his podcasts to your computer or iPod for FREE!

Jimmy believes (as do I) in a low sugar, low grain diet, hence the name – The Low-Carb Show.  But don’t be turned off by that name if you don’t subscribe to that diet philosophy (although you may want to listen to some of his interviews with doctors about the negative effects of wheat gluten).

Nonetheless, scroll through Jimmy’s podcast archives (he’s been recording his interviews with top experts, doctors and authors since 2006) you’ll find a treasure chest of cutting edge health and nutrition information.

These are some of my favorite interviews:

Dr. Uffe Ravnskov – The Cholesterol Myth

Dr. Nancy Appleton – Lick The Sugar Habit

Lierre Keith – The Vegetarian Myth

Julia Ross – The Mood Cure

Dr. Richard Bernstein – The Diabetes Solution

Gary Taubes - Good Calories, Bad Calories

Dr. Bruce Fife – The Health Benefits of Coconut Oil

Dr. Jonny Bowden – Finding The Diet That’s Right For You

Mark Sisson - The Primal Blueprint

Sally Fallon - President of the Weston A. Price Foundation

James LaValle – Cracking The Metabolic Code

I admit these are many of my nutritional hero’s.  I have read their books and heard most of them speak at medical conferences over the years; that’s why I’m so excited that Jimmy interviews them for the public to download.

Information is power and I think these podcasts are excellent resources to help individuals create optimal health.  I encourage you to listen and learn.  You’ll gain practical tips that will improve your energy, mood, weight and overall health!

The Livin’ La Vida Low-Carb Podcast is an amazing Healthy Discovery.  Click on over and start listening today!

In February my friend Kendra taught me some fun, new ways to add more flavor into recipes.  Over a course of four Saturday afternoons she and I cooked up a storm in my kitchen.  We made:

• An herb roasted chicken.
• A pork loin rubbed with fresh spices and a cherry preserve sauce.
• Steamed fish, herbs and vegetables in parchment paper.
• Coconut rice with stir fry vegetables.
• Delicious polenta and quinoa.  Here is one of Kendra’s Quinoa recipes.

She even taught me how to make the perfect omelet.  Who knew?  I certainly didn’t!

Kendra is the owner of Flavor Catering, she makes some of the healthiest, best tasting food I have ever had; so I asked her to give me some cooking lessons using this criteria:

1.  2-5 ingredients (I have no patience to tackle complicated recipes).

2.  Whole food (no heavy creams, sauces, gluten, sugar or bad fats).

3.  FLAVOR!

Today, for lunch I was in the mood for one of her many flavorful creations.  I grabbed my camera and thought I’d take you along as I make this easy and oh so tasty recipe.

If you like egg salad and if you like curry, you’ll love this.  Warning, after trying this version of egg salad you’ll never want to eat plain old mashed up hard boiled eggs with a dollop of mayo again.

CURRY EGG SALAD

Ingredients:  Eggs, scallions, curry powder, real mayonnaise, craisins, pepper

Put the eggs in a covered pot of cold water.

Bring the water to a boil.

Once the water has come to a boil turn the heat off and leave the eggs in the covered pot for 20 minutes.

Let the eggs cool in cold ice water for 20-30 minutes.

Peel the eggs

Mash up those eggs.  I just use a fork.

Keep mashing!

Dice and add the scallions

Add a handful of craisins (I used dried pomegranate craisins today)

Add 1-2 Tablespoons of curry powder (depending on how many eggs you use)

Add 1-2 Tablespoons of mayonnaise (depending on how many eggs you use)

Mix everything together

Voila the Best Egg Salad ever!

I’ll be eating this for lunch the next couple days.  Honestly, it’s hard for me to even get it to a plate.  I just start scooping it out of the bowl and into my mouth – Not very civilized, I know, but a testament to its amazing flavor!

Curry Egg Salad

4 hard boiled eggs (I used 8 eggs today because I wanted left-overs)

*1/4 cup scallions

*2 T curry powder

*2 T real mayonnaise (don’t use the fat-free mayo.  Use the real thing.  Remember a little fat is good, trans-fats/partially hydrogenated oils are the bad fats and they are often found in fat-free mayo)

*handful of craisins

dash of ground pepper

*Adjust to your own taste preferences

Some Nutritional Pearls For Curried Eggs:

Eggs- A perfect source of protein, containing all 9 amino acids.

Turmeric (found in curry powder) – Anti-inflammatory properties which guard against muscle and joint pain.  Turmeric also has anti-tumor effects and it’s great for your liver.

Scallions – Powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antibiotic and antiviral effects.

Pomegranates – Can slow the growth of prostate cancer, promotes cardiovascular health by reducing the LDL (bad) cholesterol.

Cranberries – Helps prevent urinary tract infections, reduces dental plague and cranberries can stop certain bacteria from sticking to the stomach lining, thus helping to prevent ulcers.

For more Nutritional Pearls on all types of food check out, Jonny Bowden’s book, The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth:  The Surprising Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat And Why. If you’re worried about eggs increasing your cholesterol, don’t be!  Sugar and trans-fats are the culprit NOT eggs. – The Cholesterol Myths: Exposing The Fallacy That Saturated Fat And Cholesterol Cause Heart Disease. So enjoy those eggs, yolk and all!

For more information about Kendra and her company, Flavor Catering, click here.  Kendra also writes a weekly blog post for the Denver Westword, called Swirl Girl.  It is about food, wine and local restaurants.

On January 1, 2010 I joined the 100 books in 2010 blogging challenge.

To date I’ve only read 17 books. I’m falling behind, I should be up to 27 books by now. My record is 75 books in one year so I’ll try to beat that record this year.

My favorite 2010 books so far:

1.  Mudbound - Hillary Jordon

Mudbound begins with two brothers digging a grave for their father.  It takes place in the 1940’s post WWII?  The book takes off like a race horse and it’s hard to put down; the ending is gut wrenching but the book is incredibly powerful and worth your time.  I think this book should be getting a lot more attention.  If you’re part of a book club it’s a perfect selection because you’ll want to discuss it with others.

2.  The Hunger Games –  Suzanne Collins

I’m embarrassed to admit that I liked this book.  The whole premise is absurd.  It’s fantasy, science fiction, young adult literature – three of my least favorite genres.  And oh yeah, did I mention it’s far-fetched absurdity?

No, it has nothing to do with vampires, but guess who stayed up until 2 AM reading this book?

Why?

Maybe it was the fast pace, the suspense at the end of every single chapter or the weird dark story line – I don’t know, but I do know that it sucked me in and I can’t wait to read the sequel.

3.  Highest Duty:  My Search For What Really Matters – Chesley Sullenberger

This book was passed around my entire family.  My dad read it first, then my sister, my mom and me.  We all loved it! My grandfather (my mother’s father) was a Caption for United Airlines for 32 years. I grew up listening to my grandfather talk about his love of airplanes and flying so Captain Sully’s similar love of aviation captured all our hearts.  Plus, Sully’s personal quest to do the right thing, to go the extra mile and to be a good person resonated with us as well. It’s a feel good, inspirational story for all.

4.  Chosen By A Horse – Susan Richards

There are 248 pages in this book.  At page 100 I started crying and didn’t stop until the end.  If you’re up for an emotional read about pain, loss, mistreatment and ultimately real love, courage and triumph of the human spirit you’ll treasure Susan Richards memoir, I know I did.  The next day I ran to the library and I checked out the sequel, Chosen Forever and I read it just as fast and enjoyed it just as much as her first book. Now I can’t wait for her third book, Saddled: How a Spirited Horse Reined Me in And Set Me Free, which will be out this May.  Someday I could only hope to write my own memoir with as much depth and wisdom as Richards.

5.  The Help – Kathryn Sockett

Gush, gush, gush.  Where do I even begin with this one?  Although I have to say it took me awhile to “get into” this book (the first 50 pages or so).  It’s a story to savor and I ultimately didn’t want it to end.

The Help is about black maids who worked for white women in the early 60’s in Jackson, Mississippi.  It’s shocking, sad, despicable, funny, heart-warming and an incredibly candid look into racism and class structures. The author, Kathryn Sockett grew up in a wealthy Southern Mississippi family and she was raised by a black maid.  Her respect and love for her own “Help”/Maid was the inspiration behind this novel.

Three strong women characters (two black, one white) tell this story in alternating voices.  A “Jolene” (very Southern name, but spelled Joline in the book) character even made a brief appearance, although I have to say, I’m not proud of my Southern namesake in this book.  Nonetheless it’s an amazing novel and I highly recommend it!

I have no doubt that The Help will be made into a major blockbuster movie, so read it now.  The book is always better than the movie!

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Social media mogels, Tim Ferris (author of The 4-Hour Work Week) and Kevin Rose (founder of Digg) discuss their favorite books in this video below.

Random w/ Tim and Kevin – Ep3 from Glenn McElhose on Vimeo.

So what are some of your favorite books?

I love hearing what other people are reading.  If you’ve read a page-turning-can-not-put-it-down-OMG-this-is-a-great-book please share it in the comments below. I need more books to add to my 2010 must read list.

And finally, here’s one last resource to inspire you on Why And How You Should Find Time To Read.

Giselle and I work together.  We share a nutritionist position and work with an Internal Medicine Doctor in Littleton, Colorado. We see patients for weight loss, cholesterol, diabetes, celiac disease, and general nutrition counseling.  I love it!  One-on-one coaching is incredibly rewarding.

When we’re not seeing patients Giselle and I travel for our respective companies.  Giselle manages corporate health fairs around the US and I teach corporate health workshops around the US.  She has become one of my best friends.

(Giselle doing yoga in the Colorado Mountains)

Last Saturday Giselle and I attended a functional medicine conference in Broomfield, Colorado; then we went to Root Down for a late brunch.

Root Down is all the rage in Denver these days.  As nutritionists we were interested in the healthy, unique menu.  As Denverites we were long over due in visiting this hot spot.  This is what the Denver Post had to say;  “The place is packed. Solid. Hipsters, foodies, trendsetters — the beautiful people and their hangers-on come in droves to see the tricked-out, eco-conscious space.”

Really?

Yes, really!

Too bad I didn’t follow the crowd and the rave reviews a long time ago (it has been open for 14 months). This restaurant is a huge Healthy Discovery!

Root Down is a former gas station/mechanic’s garage.  Lanes from an old bowling alley serve as the bar surface, wood slats from an old high school gym are now part of the dining room floor and the bathroom wall is plastered with old cookbook pages.  On the weekends they show old movies (Kung Fu, When Harry Met Sally) on the big wall in the bar.

(Photo from RootDown.com)

And then there’s the menu. Oh my, The Menu! Following a “Field to Fork” mentality, Root Down focuses on organic, natural and local food.

Here is a sample of  their menu:

Banana Bread French Toast / Organic Chickory Creme Friache, Spiced Walnuts & Fruit Salad

Hazel Dell Mushroom Omelette / Goat Cheese, Roasted Mushroom, Sage & Caramelized Onion Creme Friache

Organic Beets 3 Ways/ Roasted Goldens, Fried Candy Stripes & Pickled Reds, Shaved Fennel, Organic Arugula, Candied Walnuts, Ewephoria Cheese & Citrus Vin

Organic Carrot & Red Curry Soup / Organic Gala Apple-Pear Chutney & Cilantro

Sweet Potato “Falafel” / Lemon-Tahini Yogurt, Israeli Salad, Sesame Seeds & Serrano Oil

Grilled Green Globe Whole Artichoke / Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil & Spicy Lemon-Herb Aoili

King Canyon Ranch Buffalo Sliders / Mongolian BBQ, Shitake Mushroom Relish, Arugula,
Udi’s Challah Bun & Burdock Root Chips

This is what I ordered:

Root Down Benedict / Quinoa “English Muffin”, Arugula, Iberico Cheese, & Oven Dried Tomato Hollandaise & Home Fries

It was AMAZING, the picture doesn’t do justice!  It was so tasty, I loved the Quinoa cakes in place of toast (they have many gluten-free options on their menu) I will return and order it again! Plus I can’t wait to try more things from their menu.

This is Bobby, the manager.  Doesn’t he look nice?  He is nice.  Say hi when you go.  We liked Bobby. He stopped and chatted with us; then he gave us a tour.

Root Down serves healthy, whole food – the exact food that Giselle and I recommend our patients eat.  It is a fun, happy, healthy place.  Check it out next time you’re in Denver - Located at the corner of 33rd and Osage.

1600 W. 33rd Avenue
Denver, CO 80211
303.993.4200/www.rootdown.com

AND

If you’re interested in scheduling one-on-one nutrition counseling sessions email me jolene@healthydiscoveries.com