OK, so I’ve probably said enough about lamb. After you’ve read this post, I hope you think differently about it. The next time you’re at the butcher or grocery store, consider buying lamb – and if you’re feeling adventurous, buy something other than lamb chops.

Thanks for your time and happy eating!

Chronic stress has been related to:
Heart disease
Strokes
Weight Loss/Gain
Insomnia
Miogranes
IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome)

One of our body’s ways to handle stress is to shut-down certain systems such as digestion, immune function, and reproductive systems.  You can now see why your libido might be the first thing to go when you begin to experience chronic stress.  Cortisol also constricts the blood vessels, making necessary blood flow for arousal next to impossible.

That’s the bad news.  The good news is that sex can actually help your body release toxic levels of cortisol.  Orgasms are not only our biologically-given right to pleasure, but every time you orgasm, your body experiences a huge cortisol flush that releases it from your system.

There is a clear dilemma here:  If you are chronically stressed, it will difficult for you to get in the mood to experience a fantastic cortisol-flushing orgasm.  Stress management is a great place to start.  To begin to balance out your hormones and achieve a rockin’ libido try these few tips on how to manage daily stress:

1- Maintain a diet high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and healthy fats
2- Establish a regular exercise routine
3- Put on relaxing music and light candles when at home doing chores
4- Take a bath with soothing essential oils (Lavender) and epsom salts
5- Go for tea with a close friend for quality conversation and LAUGHTER!!
6- Attend a yoga and/or meditation class
7- Download a meditation CD and listen to it at home
8- When you are stressed at work, take 2 minutes to focus on your breath.  Inhale for 4 counts, exhale for 6 counts.

The message to take home is that you don’t have to completely do away with stress in order to have a healthy libido.  Learning to manage stress/cortisol levels on a daily basis will support your body’s efforts in maintaining balance.  Our bodies are extremely capable of maintaining balance given the right tools to work with.  When you begin to experience more balance, your libido will respond beautifully!

1- Restrict the craving from your diet
2- Crowd the craving out of your diet.

When you restrict anything, the natural human reaction is to have a stronger desire for what ever is not allowed.  Think about a toddler wanting to draw on your wall with a marker.  Each time you tell him/her “No,” they will want to do it even more.  It is just simply human nature.  What we can do is apply that same idea to how we approach food.  What generally happens when we restrict something from our diet?  Usually, if you are me, it ends with shameless wolfing down of away too many cookies.

The other way to approach your cravings is to literally crowd them out with foods that are naturally sweet. Some good examples of naturally sweet foods are:

1- sweet potato
2- carrots
3- beets
4- fruit (dried or fresh) and berries

The reason you are experiencing cravings is because it is 100% completely natural for your body to want sugar.  Your body and brain need sugar (glucose) to function.  When we were hunter/gatherers we gathered fruits, berries, and sweet vegetables to fulfill the need for sugar in our diets.  So when you crave something sweet, try not to beat yourself up and remember that cravings are natural.  But, of course, how you satiate yourself is of the utmost importance.  Instead of reaching for cookies, ice cream, or chocolate every time you crave sugar, try to nip your craving in the bud and make meals that contain veggies and fruits with naturally occurring sugars.

I made a DELICIOUS lunch today for me and Jeff after our first bike ride and run (called a brick in triathlon terms) of the season.  We were starving but this very satisfying salad, accompanied by a sweet potato did the trick.  Having the sweet potato there with the salad both made the meal more filling and satisfied my admittedly strong sweet tooth!  No chocolate craving after this meal!

Ingredients:
Mixed greens
1 avocado
Handful cherry tomatoes- halved
Quinoa and buckwheat -cooked or soaked overnight
Goat cheese
Walnuts
Pepitas
Carrots and beets (grated in food processor)
Radishes and their greens
Fresh basil
Kelp flakes
Nutritional yeast

One sweet potato or yam- Wash and wrap with tin foil.  Put in oven at 400 degrees for about 40 minutes or until soft to touch.

Dressing:
Lemon juice, olive oil, Braggs Amino Acids, pepper

One last note:  Allow yourself a treat every now and then.  Life is short, after all!  I like to try to live by a 90/10 philosophy.  90% of the time I try to eat well and the other 10% is dedicated to cookies, cakes, pizza, and wine.

One Hyde Park is a condominium in London where apartments sell for nearly $12,000/square foot.  Clearly this development is the ultimate in luxury that only the uber-wealthy of the world can afford.  Many of the residences are owned by off shore trusts making it difficult or impossible to track the actual residents.  The press has speculated owners hail from Kazakh, Russia, Ukraine, Britain, Nigeria, China, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar, but the developer will not confirm or deny this.

One Hyde Park boasts beautiful architecture and floor to ceiling windows to maximize views and light.  What other amenities attract billionaires?

The world’s wealthiest individuals require security and privacy.  In addition, they enjoy the bragging rights of owning one of the most famous and priciest apartments in the world.  There is a relationship between One Hyde Park and London’s Mandarin Oriental.  The Mandarin provides hotel amenities such as housekeeping, food and beverage, concierge, car cleaning and valet.

To cater to the owners’ privacy needs, there are private cocktail suites, cinemas and meeting rooms available.  There are even two private gyms for those who wish to work out in private.

Learning about One Hyde Park inspired me to think about similar properties in Park City and only one immediately came to mind:  The Montage Deer Valley.  Priced under $2000/square foot, The Montage seems like a bargain!  The Montage Deer Valley has owner amenities similar to One Hyde Park.  It’s location at Deer Valley, the number one ski resort in North America for six straight years, is exceptional.  Montage has already past $100 million in sales and has attracted the attention of international buyers.   Wealthy individuals around the world are always looking for a safe place to stash their cash.  My prediction is that we will see more of such buyers enter the Park City luxury real estate market. Of course, these individuals keep such a low profiles and have so many homes, their entrance into the Park City real estate market may not be noticed.

Every year I catch the fever that is called March Madness. I watch the selection show, scour the Internet and eaves drop on conversations around the water cooler, all to inform my NCAA tourney brackets.

Every year I sit back and watch as somebody else surpasses me in braketology and ask myself where it all went wrong.  Maybe I’m just not suited for predicting college basketball games in March.

Every year I hear that the person who won the pool picked their brackets based on team mascot or team colors or some other extraneous criteria. Then I feel even worse. How could somebody who knows nothing about the sport beat me?

I have an Idea!

This year will be different. I’ve decided to use a unique selection process to choose my brackets. I thought long and hard about it and came to the conclusion –

Why not choose the teams based on their food pedigree. That sounds so ridiculous it just may work.

So here’s the criteria I used:

Teams that are in regions that have a strong food culture supersede a team from an area that is a culinary wasteland.

• Is there a strong farming community that thrives on sustainable, artisan foods?
• Do they make all natural, handmade foods in the region?
• Is there a strong restaurant scene near the school?
• Is the area known for a specific food that is unique and delicious?

My Picks

By using these new criteria, I worked through my bracket and came to the following final four teams:

Midwest – From a food standpoint, probably the weakest collection of schools. However, there are a few standouts, including St. Louis, Oregon, Memphis and Duke.  Based on their BBQ and whiskey, I’m giving this region to Memphis (6), though Oregon is a close second.

West – This is a tough region. You have Southern University, Wisconsin and Gonzaga from parts of the country that feature great food. These three are all legitimate choices, but because cheese is one of my favorite foods, I’m going to have to choose Wisconsin (5).

South – I wouldn’t say this region features the obvious areas one would associate with a thriving food scene, but there are a few to note. North Carolina, UCLA, San Diego State and Georgetown are the best. I’ll have to pick Georgetown (2) because DC has such a great restaurant scene, it’s close to Maryland which has some of the best seafood on the east coast and not far from the pig farms in Virginia. Hard to argue with that one.

East – There are a number of contenders in this region. You have Cal in northern California, Marquette in Milwaukee, University of Miami, and Pacific (offering northern Oregon produce, hops for beer and wine grapes). So my heart says Pacific, but Cal is also a major consideration being close to farms, cheese makers and of course, Napa. This is too close to call and any of these teams could be a legitimate choice, but I have to go with Marquette (3) since it is in Milwaukee, which stands for brats, beer and cheese – some of my favorite food vices.

Of those 4 teams, I’ll have to award the NCAA Championship to…Georgetown (2). It offers great restaurants, fresh seafood and reasonable proximity to a great agriculture scene.

So there you have it. A few expected picks and a few surprises. Maybe I wouldn’t be that far off from these selections by choosing based on basketball ability, but I certainly had more fun in the process.

Have any opinions about my selections, please kindly respond below and let me know what you think.

People who live in Park City know inflammation.  A twisted ankle swells after rolling on a rock during a trail run, pain in the lower back becomes persistent after a few crashes on the mountain bike or skis, and maybe your hips start speaking up after hours of XC skiing.

The reality is that our bodies naturally produce pro-inflammatory responses.  For example, when you twist your ankle, cut your foot, or are fighting a sore throat, the body responds immediately by swelling, which delivers more blood and therefore nourishment to the affected area.  While this pro-inflammatory phase can be painful, it is usually naturally followed and counteracted by an anti-inflammatory phase that is necessary for cellular repair and regeneration. This acute inflammation is normal, short lived, and usually beneficial.  But sometimes the balance between pro and anti-inflammatory processes gets out of whack and inflammation continues for too long at a low, but persistent level.

Chronic, low-grade, internal inflammation is often called, “silent.”  Even though you may not feel it, chronic inflammation makes itself known through the symptoms of illness and disease it causes.

We now know that internal, chronic inflammation is at the root of many different types of illness, from cardiovascular disease to Alzheimer’s.  This is the type of inflammation that is killing the majority of our US population.

High risk factors for inflammation are:  bad habits (like smoking, drinking excessively), poor sleep, chronic stress, obesity, and poor diet.

A great place to start is with your diet.  Well-known and highly acclaimed Dr. Andrew Weil suggests the following diet guidelines to ease chronic inflammation:

1- Eat more healthy fats especially those high in Omega 3s.  Chia seeds, ground flax seeds, avocados, walnuts, sardines, and wild-caught salmon are just a few great options.

2- Eliminate the wrong fats such as polyunsaturated vegetable oils: safflower, sunflower, corn, and soy oil are a few.

3- Eat more fruits and vegetables!!  Especially in a nice array of colors

4- Limit “white” carbohydrates.  White flours and sugars cause drastic spikes in blood sugar which contributes to inflammation in the body.

5- Cut back on animal products

6- Season food with healing spices such as turmeric, ginger, and red pepper.  Turmeric is perhaps the most potent anti-inflammatory herb studied so far.  Studies have shown that turmeric may help protect against Alzheimer’s disease.  In animal studies, turmeric appears to help prevent cancer.  Personally, I have been using turmeric daily, with great results, as a means to manage my lower back pain due to a bulging disk.

7- Drink pure water or drinks that are mostly water (tea, very diluted fruit juice, or sparkling water with lemon) throughout the day.

Remember that our bodies are like well-oiled machines when given the correct tools.  Our bodies have an innate ability to heal themselves. A healthy diet, regular exercise, and stress management goes a long, long way.

I have a deep and profound love for blueberry pancakes.  This is old news for those who know me well.  The aromas of blueberry pancakes cooking on the griddle evoke feelings of contentment, joy, and warmth.   They bring me back to my childhood.  They remind me of innocence and existential happiness.

Having said that, new light has been shed on my favorite breakfast.   Being a recent graduate of a holistic nutrition school, I can see that my blueberry pancake breakfast may not be the most healthy breakfast option.

As Jeff so dutifully prepared my most favorite meal in the world this morning I had a few ideas to make our pancakes healthier.

1- Cook quinoa and add about ½ cup to the batter

2- Add a tablespoon or two of Mila (The highest quality of chia seed on the market) to the batter.

3- Use a batter made with whole grains or even a gluten-free option.  We LOVE “Pamela’s” pancake batter.  It is gluten free but it tastes fantastic!

And Voila! My favorite meal just became that much healthier.

Quinoa is an extraordinary “grain” with a complete amino acid profile, which means it is a complete protein, and is high in fiber, phosphorous, magnesium, iron, and calcium.

Mila is a brand of chia seed that is highly regarded for its outstanding quality next to other sources of chia.  Like quinoa, Mila is a complete protein.  Mila is also a rich source of phosphorous, magnesium, and iron.  It is also a balanced plant-based source for the perfect ratio of 3:1 (Three omega-3s to one omega-6).

Two years ago my clients, Dr. and Mrs. Smith (not their real names, but the rest of the story is factual) purchased a condominium at Bear Hollow Village.  They paid $485,000.  They used the condominium for the past two summers and for family ski trips.  They donated a week at their condominium to various auctions.  When they weren’t using the condominium, they rented it.

Just before last Christmas, Mrs. Smith told me that she really wanted a single family home when her family visits Park City during the summer of 2013.  Her kids are active in sports and want a yard.  We listed the condominium and found a buyer in about 30 days.  We had multiple offers and sold the condominium for $490,000.

Just before the condominium closed, Mrs. Smith and I looked at some houses together.  She likes the Silver Springs neighborhood because of its large lots, mature landscaping and access to the Park City trails.  I showed her the home pictured above. We were the first of six showings scheduled that day and that was before the sign even went up in the front yard.  I told Mrs. Smith that she needed to write an offer immediately if she wanted that house.

That night the Smiths were under contract to buy the home.  When Dr. and Mrs. Smith applied for their loan, they learned that even though the home is worth nearly $100,000 more than the condominium, their payments are going to lower!  They are getting the house they want and their out of pocket expense each month is going to be less.

This may be the perfect time to move up.

The biggest change that I felt from not drinking for a month was that I had more energy.  I was able to stay up a little later at night to study or just hang out with Jeff and I was also able to wake up earlier and feel even a bit chipper!  I also have to say that not drinking for a month was pretty easy.  The only times that I felt a little bummed were the two times I did anything social at night.  Going out with friends and drinking “Mocktails,” as they called them, didn’t really have the same effect as the real deal.  I now have a greater understanding for those who have gone through AA and struggle with sobriety and being social.  Alcohol acts as our co-pilot in social scenes and we feel surer of ourselves with a drink in our hands.  They don’t call it “liquid courage” for nothing!

The reactions from my buddies and family were also interesting.  I thought that I was going to get a lot of grief from my friends and family, and I was especially concerned about the “Oooo, Lisa must be pregnant” whisperings.  I didn’t want to give any family members false hope.  Much to my surprise I got a lot of pats on the back and tales of past experiences with going sober for a spell.

To be perfectly honest, I’m a little sad to see “Sobuary” go, but not sad enough.  I finished school yesterday and will celebrate tonight with Jeff and some friends over some yummy food and a glass of red wine (I know it’s a day early but I have to work tomorrow night).  This has been a wonderfully introspective experience and study.  I highly suggest you try it some time.