Author Archives: Farm, Foodie and Fitness

About Farm, Foodie and Fitness

Kelly is a Certified Holistic Health Coach and received her training from the Institute of Integrative Nutrition in New York City. Fueled by passion, she founded her holistic health practice, Balanced Living Health and Wellness. She educates and teaches her clients and the community the life changing benefits of living a healthy lifestyle. Kelly is also the owner of Pilates on the Beach in Ocean City, Maryland. She is a Certified Pilates instructor by world renowned Body Arts and Science International. BASI Pilates ® For the past eight years, she has specialized in Pre and Post-Natal, athletes, rehabilitation, and clients with chronic illness. She also offers private one on one sessions, as well as in-home training. Kelly first discovered Pilates twelve years ago after a serious car accident left her with debilitating back and neck pain. She incorporates the Pilates method into her teaching and daily practice to maintain movement, a healthy lifestyle, and to live pain free. Kelly holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from Salisbury University with a concentration in Mass Media. Her passion for nutrition and food lead her to Alissa Cohen, where she studied to become a Certified Raw Chef. She enjoys incorporating raw foods into her diet and sharing her knowledge with her clients, friends, and family. Also a Certified Master Gardener, she understands the importance of fresh, local foods and knowing where your food comes from. Kelly offers gardening knowledge, advice, and hands on training through community gardens and edible school yards for the local community. Kelly Also works as a freelance writer and blogger. She has been featured in Charleston Home Magazine, Landmarks, Grand Living, and multiple local newspapers and magazines. She is also a contributing writer to online magazines Isla Magazine, Good Clean Fun Life, and Greenster. Kelly just recently published her first fiction novel, "The Road to Chianti." Visit her site to grab a copy or for upcoming book signings and events. www.kellyhughesroberts.com. Kelly also has a successful health, nutrition, fitness, and organic gardening blog. www.farmfoodieandfitness.com. When she is not working she loves to garden and cook. Kelly resides in Berlin, Maryland with her husband and two small children.

Enjoying Life- Taking a Break for Total Wellness

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IMG_1771Sorry I’ve been missing for a couple of weeks now. Life has seemed to take over lately. So I just gave in and decided to take a break for my sanity and for my families! Stress levels were starting to sky-rocket and a much-needed family vacation was coming around the corner. So instead of spending time stressing about trying to work on blog posts. I decided to bag it and just enjoy my lovies! Life definitely has proven in the past two weeks that it is some times, very short and can also be very heart breaking. While traveling with my beloved family, we lost a close family member and a family friend. Both way too young and just starting their lives; makes it more gut wrenching. Realizing life still has to go on, it was hard most times to enjoy whatever we were doing without thinking of everyone involved, but it also puts life in perspective. Cherish the ones you love the most because we don’t know when we’ll ever get that time back. Tell everyone what they mean to you, forgive your enemies, share your love, pass along your knowledge, spread your wealth, give back, donate your time…

I’m guilty of this too, letting the little things consume me and take over my mental, emotional, and spiritual health. In the grand scheme of life, they don’t matter. There will always be someone who doesn’t like you, or disagrees with your opinion and beliefs.  Life’s way too short to dwell on them anymore. So hug your kids or grandkids a little tighter next time you see them, call your grandmother or grandfather if you’re lucky enough to still have them here, (mine get a phone call almost every week and she can’t wait to hear from me) tell your parents thank you for always believing in you, repair old friendships, (if they’re worth repairing) and most of all take time for YOU!

Give yourself the gift of a mental health day to do what you love to do most. You’ll be IMG_1641more appreciative, your mind, body, and spirit will thank you, and be grateful for your loved ones and everything you have to offer, live life passionately and chasing your dreams. ”Life is sweet, precious, and beautiful. Hold on tight to the ones you love so desperately. Soak in even the smallest moments and make them unforgettable.”

4 Ways to Fight Depression By Eating

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These days the high concerns for what we're consuming and putting into our bodies are being linked to our chronic illness, excessive weight, constant pain, cancer, lack of sleep, the list goes on and on. But what about depression? Can depression be triggered by what we're eating? With depression on the rise more and more every year especially with our youth and women. 

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Check out my guest post for Enlightened Lotus Wellness. How to fight depression by changing your diet

Maintaining Your Healthy Lifestyle on Vacation

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photo credit: www.denverchamber.org   This comes just in time as I prepare for two trips in the upcoming weeks!! Love this post from guest blogger Cole Millen. Check out all his great ideas for staying healthy while you travel, which can sometimes be the hardest thing to do especially on vacation!

You may have worked hard to get into shape, and the last thing you want to do is blow it while on vacation. Traveling is rife with unhealthy temptations, but you do not have to give in to them. Keep your weight down and your health up by planning well.

Traveling There:

Before you leave for the airport, take time to eat a well-balanced meal. Load up on lean proteins and complex carbohydrates, such as oatmeal, to keep you satisfied for several hours. This will help you resist the temptation for high-calorie foods later. In addition, bring your own healthy snacks for the flight. Almonds are high in protein and omega 3 fatty acids. Dried fruits can help you satisfy an urge for sweets, without all of the sugar and fat.

Many airports are like miniature cities or shopping malls. They are full of tempting restaurants and places to buy candy and other types of junk food. When you have a layover, avoid settling yourself down at one of these places to eat a high calorie meal. Instead, look for places with light salads on the menu, fresh fruit, healthy smoothies and similar fare. This may mean traveling a ways away from your gate, but the walk will be a good workout.

Healthy Preparing:

Picking the right hotel can be the most important part of staying healthy on vacation. After all, it is your home for the time being. Doing a little research can go a long way. In my experience, reviews from other travelers provide the best forms of information. I recently took a trip out west and found a great site that listed hotels in Las Vegas along with all the amenities and offerings. With the help of these great reviews I was able to find a hotel with a list of amenities as well as a gluten-free restaurant in the lobby! As you plan your trip, look for a hotel that has on-site fitness equipment or that is near a park. This makes it easier to get exercise while you are away. Most hotel restaurants offer their menu for viewing online. Check out the menu to see if healthy food choices are offered. Most upscale hotels understand that many travelers want to stay on their diet and fitness program while traveling. These hotels will most likely have healthy options.

At Your Destination:

After you have checked in to your hotel room, seek the nearest supermarket or health food store. Load up on bottled water and healthy snacks to keep in your room. Eat these instead of high-calorie snacks from the mini-bar or the hotel cafe.

You should keep a bottle with you during any sightseeing trips. Drinking plenty of water will help curb your appetite in addition to keeping you hydrated.

Healthiest Menu Items:

Everyone enjoys having nice restaurant meals while on vacation. You do not need to avoid restaurants. You can still eat healthy by following some general rules. Avoid any course that is fried, battered, covered in creamy sauces or other high-calorie sauces or breading. Instead, choose menu items that are labeled heart-healthy, baked, or loaded photo cresit: www.freshhealthyeating.comwith vegetables. Baked or grilled fish, especially salmon, with a few side vegetables is one example of a healthy and delicious meal.

Beverages:

You can let yourself enjoy a cocktail or two, but keep in mind the calories these contain. All alcoholic beverages contain calories, but some are higher-calorie than others. Avoid sweet, syrupy cocktails such a daiquiris and pina coladas. Instead, opt for light beer, white wine or simple mixed drinks such as vodka and cranberry juice, vodka and water or scotch on the rocks.

By keeping up your healthy lifestyle, you will have more energy and feel better while you are on vacation and after you come back home. Just plan it ahead to keep on track.

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Anemia & How to Cure it Holistically

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Anemia is a chronic disease that not only affects women but men and children as well. Anemia is usually associated with vegans and vegetarians but that's definitely not the case anymore. Even people who regularly eat meat can be iron deficient and anemic. Anemia is affecting more and more people today because of poor diet and unhealthy lifestyles.

Anemia is a decrease in the number of…

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What's Really Hiding in Your Favorite Foods??

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YUCK! Ever wonder what's really hiding in your food? Ever thought to yourself did I just eat that? Well what if you really knew what was hiding in the food that you eat everyday? Would you still eat your favorite foods knowing the marketing world and FDA has been keeping secrets from you? Keep reading if you really want to know what's hiding in your shredded cheeses, jello, and even your tomatoes. 

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Celebrating Earth Day!

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photo credit: www.altavistagarrdens.orgWOW! It’s April 20th already? I swear time goes faster and faster everyday before we know it will be football season again! ;) Which is my favorite time of year but of course I love summer too! Although Monday is the actual Earth Day almost everyone celebrates over the weekend and holds events in honor of Mother Nature. Earth Day is always the perfect day to get outside and give back. Even though we should be taking care of her all year round and taking care of the planet that gives us so much, we often take things for granted.

This past year Mother Nature seems to have been pretty angry and giving us a taste our own medicine with lots of flooding, devastating hurricanes, and multiple dumpings of massive snow. Frigid winds and below freezing temperatures have wreaked havoc not only on this country but across the world. So why not for at least one day this year, give back and take care of our community, state, country, and planet. Otherwise I’m afraid she’ll continue to get more pissed off and we’ll be in serious trouble and it may be too late by then.

So this weekend, take sometime to get outside and do something to get back in touch with the soil, air, sun, tress, food, family, and community. It can be as simple as stopping on the side of the road to clean up the trash on a stretch of highway to as complex as starting a community garden.photo credit: www.mobilecommons.com

Need some ideas?? Here’s a few!

  • Plant a tree or beautify a public area with flowers and plants
  • Reduce, reuse, recycle- start today!
  • Avoid the grocery stores this weekend and shop at farmers markets/produce stands
  • Buy local/ support your community
  • Start a vegetable garden
  • Donate your time to help your local zoo, park, church, or school (They always hold events for Earth Day)
  • Go to a farm-to-table dinner
  • Involve the Kids! Make crafts likes bird houses or bird feeders.
  • Learn more about the environment visit local watersheds, coastal bays, national or state parks.
  • Buy environmental friendly products
  • Go organic!

Hope some of these ideas help you enjoy your day, start something new, learn something fun, make a change, and give back today! Happy Earth Day 2013!

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Homemade Green Nut Milk Recipe

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photo credit: www.andreahood.comSpring is (finally!) in the air which can only mean one thing – it’s greens season folks! After a Winter of eating lots and lots of root veggies, I am so excited to see all of the bright green colors at the farmer’s markets and in my weekly CSA share. Spring is the perfect time to detox your body and get rid of the heavy Winter foods you have been eating for months, and this homemade green nut milk recipe is one way you can do just that. In today’s post I am going to share with you how to make green nut milk (it’s surprisingly easy!) and why you should incorporate certain ingredients into the recipe this Spring.
This simple recipe is composed of seven ingredients, each one of them being important for adding into your diet this spring. The ingredients for this recipe are described below, followed by the simple homemade green milk recipe.
Cashews - 1/4 cup of these bad boys provide you with 5 grams of protein (the equivalent of an egg) and 10% of your daily iron requirements. Cashews contain protein and healthy fats that are great for your skin, nails, and hair. TIP - Look for raw, organic cashews as they contain the most nutrients.
Coconut Water - Think hydration. As the seasons change so do our bodies, and we need to keep them properly hydrated in the warmers temps. 1 cup of coconut waters yields more potassium than a banana, as well as naturally occurring electrolytes (perfect for fitness junkies). TIP - Purchase unsweetened coconut water to avoid added sugars and artificial flavors.
Cucumber - Again, think hydration. Cucumbers are mostly composed of water, so they help keep your body hydrated, as well as flush toxins out of your system. TIP - Make sure to peel and wash the cucumber when using non-organic to avoid toxic pesticides.
Lemon - Soooo good for detoxing, lemon helps flush out the not-so-good stuff in your body. Incorporating lemons into your Spring meals will help get rid of excess Winter baggage.
Kale - One word: SUPERFOOD. Seriously. Just eat as much of this stuff as you www.andreahood.compossibly can because it would take me days to write all of the benefits of this hearty green! TIP - Purchase organic kale to help avoid pesticides and toxins.
Dandelion Greens - Like all leafy greens, dandelion greens are great for detoxing your body and flushing out toxins; however, dandelion greens are especially good for detoxing the liver (c’mon, I can’t be the only one to drink too much wine while I was coped up over the Winter!). Dandelion greens are also high in calcium and iron levels. TIP - Purchase organic dandelion greens to help avoid pesticides and toxins.
Raw Honey - Do you suffer from seasonal allergies? If so, raw honey can help! (And if not, it still adds some yummy sweetness to your green nut milk). Raw honey contains enzymes, vitamins, and minerals that help keep allergy symptoms at bay. TIP - Purchase raw honey from a local farm stand or farmer’s market – the closer the raw honey is made to your home, the better.
Homemade Green Milk 
Serves 1
Ingredients: 
1/4 cup cashews
1 – 1 1/2 cups coconut water
1/2 cucumber
1/4 lemon slice (peeled)
1 big handful of dandelion greens (about 1 cup)
1 big handful of kale leaves (about 1 cup – remove the stems)
2 tsp. of raw honey
Directions:
1). Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover with water. Allow the cashews to soak 4 – 8 hours (I typically allow them to soak overnight so I can use them in the morning) on your countertop.
2). When you are ready to make the recipe, drain the cashews and place into your Vitamix, or high-speed blender, with 1 cup of the coconut water. Blend until smooth.
3). Then, add the remaining ingredients into the blender. Blend until smooth, adding more coconut water if you’d like a thinner consistency.
4). Pour into a glass and enjoy! This is a great recipe to make for breakfast – make it in 5 minutes then drink it on your way to work.
www.andreahood.comBio: After years of struggling with her weight and depression, Andrea Hood was amazed to discover that living a healthy lifestyle could literally change your life. Through healthy eating, particularly through local, organic food, and fitness, she lost weight and experienced significant changes in her overall mood and outlook on life. In an effort to share her love for healthy living and food, Andrea started a blog and enrolled in the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. She is now a certified Holistic Health Coach and teaches others simple and easy ways to incorporate a healthy lifestyle into their busy lives. Within the next few months she will be launching online nutrition programs, designed particularly for the busy working woman. For more recipes and healthy living tips, visit her at www.behealthybehappybelocal.com and on Facebook at Facebook.com/AndreaHoodHC.

Benefits of Gourmet Salts-Shoud You Be Using the Good Stuff?

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www.fengshuidana.comSalt has always gotten a bad rap, only because we use way too much on everything! “Table” salt really has no nutritional value and we load up on enough sodium throughout the day in all the junk we eat, there’s no reason to salt your food anyway. But gourmet salts may be the way to go instead. Even though they are still high in sodium, using a little to cook with and then a pinch to flavor the meal may be beneficial to your health. Some beg to differ, but I can guarantee that they will flavor your foods, add minerals to your diet that you may other wise not be getting, and gourmet salts are a great way to season all your favorite dishes.

There are over 100′s of different kinds ranging in different textures and tastes. Salt is naturally formed in the earth and range in colors from pink, red, white, even black. They are high in mineral and iron content. Normal table salt usually has the iodine removed which we need for T3 and T4, which are your thyroid hormones. In turn your thyroid hormones effect every cell in your body! This includes giving your energy, stabilizing your body temperature, helps maintain a healthy body weight, brain development and function, emotional health, and keeps your hair, nail, and skin healthy! And because I am a foodie, you’ll never meet a chef that won’t praise a gourmet salt and how well they enhance their dishes or how much they truly love to cook with different kinds.

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Grow Potatoes! Even If You Don’t Have Enough Room…

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www.farmfoodieandfitness.comFinally! Spring has finally sprung on the Mid-Atlantic coast! Boy has it been a rough winter for us east coasters this past winter. But after the dry and extremely hot summer that we had last year,  (which I don’t mind-I love the heat!) I knew we were in for it with old man winter. The continual rain, flooding, dreary and dark days, and the never-ending blustery winds put a hurtin’ not only on the plants and my poor garden, but I definitely know it did a number on a lot of our emotional and mental states.

So I was bounding with excitement this week to see the weather forecast say we were going to have unseasonably high temperatures this week and lots of sunshine! So skipping the trip to the doctors for a happy pill, I went out rubbed some dirt on myself and soaked up some serious Vitamin D. Now it’s the end of the week and it’s still 80+ degrees out and I’ve been planting, digging, weeding, and hoeing away. But with the ground still soaking wet after months of torrential down pours I decided to find alternative way to plant some potatoes.

I got some old, used coffee burlap sacks, (They actually still smell like coffee!) grabbed some compost and garden soil, and ordered some potato seed from my friends at the local organic farm. (They buy bulk so if you let them know when they’re ordering-they may be able to buy extra for you and save you a couple dollars!) I put them in a cool, dark place till they started to sprout, and then planted them inside the burlap bags.

So, if you want to save some room to try something new this year or you just don’t have room to grow potatoes, this is the perfect way to add some space your garden, grow your own food, and try something easy and new this year.

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International Children’s Book Day!!

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photo credit: wwwkellyhughesroberts.comThis kind of goes out of my normal health and nutrition posts, but it also falls into the wellness category. And since I am a writer at heart and it’s where my true passion lies, I figured today was a great day to celebrate!

I just recently published my first fiction novel set in Tuscany, Italy. It is targeted to middle-grade and young adults, but it seems to have left its mark on adults, young at heart as well. Today is the perfect day to pick up a new book and read to your children, nieces and nephews, grandchildren, or even to yourself. ;) Not only because I am a published author, but as a mama with two little ones that love their books and would much rather curl up with a large stack, choosing “Llama Llama” and “Fancy Nancy” instead the most recent episode of Sesame Street.

So in honor of this great holiday and Hans Christian Andersen’s birthday, turn off the tv tonight and grab a couple of your all time favorites with your children, read to them or let them read to you. The best stories I ever hear are the ones my daughter seems to tell just by looking at the pages and using her imagination. (Makes me one proud mama! And hopes that maybe one day she’ll be a writer too!) ;)

Even if they’re too little to understand, making it a routine to read at least one book a day can increase their vocabulary, boost their imagination, help them learn the importance of language, and it can begin a lifelong relationship with books! So… celebrate International Children’s Book Day today! There are events, even famous authors speaking all over the world, but you can celebrate as simply as visiting your local book store for “Storytime” or just by finding your favorite place to read with your favorite little one!

If you’re looking for something fun and new, you can grab a signed copy of my fiction novel, “an action-packed journey through cobblestone streets, dark forests, and gorgeous piazzas, The Road to Chianti explores the power of love to triumph over adversity and the importance of having a place to call your own.” It can also be found on Amazon and as an e-book!

Visit www.kellyhughesroberts.com for more information.