Quote
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sail. Explore. Dream. Discover."
- Mark Twain
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Welcome
I discovered a fabulous Korean Spa over the holidays. It's called JeJu, it's located at Gwinett Place Mall area, and they only charge $25 for the entire day. They have whirlpools, hot tubs, sauna and a large beautiful swimming pool, plus several meditation and hanging out rooms that are lined with different substances. One room is lined with clay, one with rock salt, another with charcoal, and another with crystals, and so forth. The different substances have unique actions on the body, from detoxification to calming.
They also offer standard spa services like massage, and they have a Korean restaurant as well. It was a fun, relaxing way to spend a few hours on a Saturday. (Fair warning: JeJu is an authentic Korean spa, which means the cultural norm is nude bathing in gender-segregated areas where the hot tub and saunas are - takes a little getting used to, but you soon forget all about it! The swimming pool and various meditation rooms are in a common area where bathing suits and the provided loose shorts and t-shirts are worn.)
http://www.jejusauna.net/
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Feature Article: New Year, New You
A lot of people begin the New Year by making resolutions. We’ve all been there. We take a vow to lose weight, exercise more or spend more time with our family. We start the year with great intentions, but then we quickly relapse into old habits. Why is it so hard to stick to those New Year’s resolutions?
Here are some ways you can make your intentions a reality this year:
Write down your intentions and keep them in a visible place, like taped to your bedroom mirror or the dashboard of your car. -
Get to the source of whatever is keeping you in a rut. Are you in a stressful relationship that causes you to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry’s every night? Are you stressed at work and feel too tired to exercise after work? If you don’t tackle the root of the behavior, it will be much harder to accomplish your goal.
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Be clear about what your life would look like once you achieve your goal. If you resolve to go to the gym more, how will this benefit you? Get connected to the result of your action, and you will be more likely to stick with your plan.
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Share your resolutions with friends and family. Hold each other accountable for achieving your goals. If you want to go to the gym more, have a friend call you two or three times a week to check on you or invite them to join you.
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Reward yourself with every little accomplishment. If your intention is to lose weight and you lose 1 pound a week, pamper yourself with a massage.
Big changes do not require big leaps. Permanent change is more likely to happen gradually than through one big restrictive plan. Allow yourself to climb the ladder one rung at a time.
Happy New Year!
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Laura's Bookshelf
If you want to learn more about working with your intuition and interpreting the messages your body sends, take a look at Divine Intuition: Your Guide to Creating a Life You Love , by Lynn A. Robinson, M,.Ed.
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Recipes: Mighty Miso Soup
(Note: the recipe in the last newsletter was unfortunately truncated by a few sentences, so if you wondered exactly how to put it together at the end, now you know why... Here is a link to the corrected, full-length recipe.)
Sea Vegetables
In traditional Chinese healing, sea vegetables correspond to the winter season and to the kidneys, adrenal glands, bladder and reproductive organs. The strengthening, balancing and cleansing properties of sea vegetables are known to help these organs as well as the hair, skin and nails. Sea vegetables (or seaweeds) provide a variety of minerals and vitamins, including calcium, iron and iodine, and can help balance hormone and thyroid levels in the body. Eating too many processed foods or foods grown in mineral-depleted soil can result in a lack of minerals in the body, leading to cravings for salty or sugary foods. Adding sea vegetables to your diet can help balance your energy levels and alleviate cravings.
Mighty Miso Soup
Prep Time: 5-10 minutes
Cooking Time: 10-15 minutes
Yield: 4-5 servings
Ingredients:
4-5 cups spring water
1-2 inch strip of wakame, rinsed and soaked 5 minutes
in 1 cup of water until softened
1-2 cups thinly sliced vegetables of your choice (see notes)
2-3 teaspoons barley miso
2 scallions, finely chopped
Directions:
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Chop soaked wakame.
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Discard soaking water or use on houseplants for a boost of minerals.
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Place water and wakame in a soup pot and bring to a boil.
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Add root vegetables first and simmer gently for 5 minutes or until tender.
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Add leafy vegetables and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
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Remove about 1/2 cup of liquid from pot and dissolve miso into it. Return it to the pot.
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Reduce heat to very low; do not boil or simmer miso broth.
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Allow soup to cook 2-3 minutes.
Garnish with scallions and serve.
Note:
Any combination of vegetables can be used in miso soup. Here are some classic combinations:
onion-daikon: cleansing
onion-carrot-shiitake mushroom-kale: mildly sweet
onion-winter squash-cabbage: great in wintertime
leek-corn-broccoli: great in summertime
Variations:
Add cooked grains at the start of making the soup. They will become nice and soft. Add a tablespoon of uncooked quinoa or millet at the beginning and let it cook with vegetables for 20 minutes. Add cubed tofu toward the end. Add bean sprouts toward the end. Season with 1/2 teaspoon ginger juice for an interesting twist. If using dry shiitake mushrooms, let them soak for 20 minutes, slice and add at the beginning.
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Events
Upcoming Georgia Organics Annual Conference: to be held in Athens, GA on February 19th and 20th. Carl and I regularly attend this conference and it's a lot of fun. The farm tours are interesting and informative, there are lots of tracks for beginning and advanced growers, and the culminating Farmer's Feast dinner on Saturday night is always a highlight. Last year over a thousand people attended the Feast.
http://www.georgiaorganics.org/conference/
FYI - this conference sold out last year, so I'd recommend that if you're interested in attending, sign up sooner rather than later.
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$50 for helping others
Your referral is the best compliment we can receive at Intuitive Wellness!
If a friend, family member or anyone else you refer signs up for an Intuitive Wellness six month program you will receive a check for $50 as a thank you AND you will have made a difference in the life of another human being.
Is there anything better than that?
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Forward
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Special Offer for Past Clients
Now is a great time to come in for a "tune-up" and/or an opportunity to get back on track with your health. I have a special offer this month for past clients only - one session to be used as you see fit, including lots of new health information, at a discounted rate of $75.
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About Us
Laura Brown is a Certified Health Counselor (CHC) and the founder of Intuitive Wellness. Combining the principles of Integrative Nutrition and years of hands-on experience, Laura Brown helps clients tap into the healing power of food in their lives – one meal at a time.
Call or email to schedule a free health consultation with Laura:
770-953-0534, or laura@intuitive-wellness.com.
See www.intuitive-wellness.com for more information.
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