I am the guest expert on Kimberly Wilson’s Hip Tranquil Chick podcast #35! To hear me discuss mindful eating 201, download the interview through iTunes (search “hip tranquil chick”) or listen online (scroll down to “hip tranquil chick #35″). Enjoy!

If you are a journalist or producer interested in interviewing me, please get in touch!

For written instructions, see the original post: Spinach-Walnut-Strawberry Salad

Begin with baby spinach leaves (proportions are up to you, or you can use my suggestions in the recipe archive — I think it’s easier and more fun just to freestyle it!). Place them in a serving bowl.

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Add some chopped walnuts. You can toast these beforehand, if you like.

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Slice some fresh strawberries or other colorful fruit and add them to the salad.

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And chop up some scallions and add these as well. The scallions provide a nice touch of unexpected flavor in this salad.

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Instead of a dressing, I like to add some brown rice vinegar to taste, along with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper.

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Serve immediately and enjoy!

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Note: this piece first appeared in the June 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.

Serves 4

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped
water
1 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
2 cups washed baby spinach leaves

Heat the oil in a soup pot. Add the onion and cook briefly. Add the carrots and sauté with the onion until vegetables are slightly browned.

Add the salt and pepper, along with enough water to cover the vegetables (step back to avoid splattering oil), and bring to a boil. Cover the pot and simmer 25 minutes or until very tender.

Remove the soup from the heat and cool briefly. Place soup in a blender and purée until completely smooth. Return soup to the pot and stir in the dill and spinach until the spinach is slightly wilted. Adjust seasoning and serve immediately.

Note: this piece first appeared in the June 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.

That wonderful leafy green that, in its canned form, gave Popeye the firepower to defeat his enemies, can do great things for you, too! Spinach is a wonderful, tender leafy green with a mild flavor. Despite Popeye’s preferences, it’s best when it’s fresh — both taste-wise and nutrient-wise.

Spinach is high in vitamins K and A and lutein, an important nutrient for eye health. It also contains iron, a vital mineral for hemoglobin production (hemoglobin carries oxygen to all body tissues!), especially considering how low it is in calories compared to other high-iron foods. Spinach is very high in calcium, but it also contains oxalic acid, a compound that can bind to calcium and other minerals, rendering these minerals unabsorbable and therefore not bio-available to your body. So, while spinach is a healthful food, it shouldn’t be consumed every day.

Looking for new ways to enjoy spinach? Check out our spinach recipes. Yum!

Note: this piece first appeared in the June 2006 issue of Clark Wellness ForkBytes.

I’m so pleased this month to introduce you to Annemarie Segaric, the author of the following feature article. Annemarie is a career coach and speaker who specializes in working with individuals who are miserable in their jobs and who are ready to make a significant career change. Read on for her inside information about successful job changes!

5 Key Steps for Career Changes
by Annemarie Segaric, career coach

Studies show that more than 50 percent of people are unhappy in their jobs, yet few will actually make a career change this year or any year for that matter. Why? Most people let fear stop them — but successful career changers know that fear is simply a sign that you are headed in the right direction!

Follow the five key steps that successful career changers actually take to overcome their fears and make a sustainable change.

1. Plug the Leaks
While you may be focused on the fact that this is a career transition, you are made up of more than just your job. Identify and commit to eliminating those things — big and small — that are draining you of energy. Deal with them now in order to have the energy you’ll need to make your career change.

2. Know What You Want and Make the Decision to Have It
We spend a great deal of time focusing on what we don’t like about our jobs and often let transitions happen to us. Being passive about a career transition makes for a painful passage. Stop and identify what you would like instead. Be proactive and make the decision, internally, that this is what you want and that you will not let anything stop you.

3. Believe In What You Want
Belief corresponds to how you feel about what you want. Examine what you are telling yourself about your desire for a new job. Make a decision to change your belief so that your career change is not a matter of “if” or “how” but only “when.”

4. Make a Transition, Not a Leap
Keep your day job and try out your calling on the side. Not being able to pay the bills is a stress you can choose to not put yourself through. Go through a process of repeated planning and testing, planning and testing. See what you learn and decide what your next steps should be. Remember, it’s a transition. Slow and steady will get you to the finish line. Think marathon, not sprint.

5. Live As If
Your future career is created by being in the present and showing up each day as if what you want has already come to pass. Ask yourself, “If I were already working in my dream job, how would I act today?” Then make the shift and go act as if you’ve already made it!

What step are you willing to take this week? Maybe it’s tossing all those magazines that have piled up that you keep telling yourself you will catch up on (but know you won’t!) and eliminating the stress of seeing them everyday. Or maybe it’s time to sign up for that course you’ve been interested in taking. And for some of you it might be time to learn more about yourself and your true desires so you know what work you’d love doing… and, oh yeah, that would pay the bills and then some!

Annemarie Segaric is a life and career change coach and the author of the booklet 107 Tips for Changing Your Career While Still Paying the Bills available on her website www.segaric.com.

Note: this piece first appeared as the June 2006 ClarkWellness.net Recipe of the Month.

Serves 4

This classic salad combination is simplified here with brown rice vinegar in place of a heavier dressing. Use any fresh berries you like — I think ripe, red strawberries provide a beautiful contrast to the green spinach.

2/3 cup walnuts, toasted if desired and roughly chopped
6 cups baby spinach leaves, washed and dried
1 cup sliced fresh strawberries
3 green onions, sliced
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
brown rice vinegar to taste

Combine the walnuts, spinach, strawberries, and green onions in a large serving bowl and toss gently. Sprinkle with sea salt, freshly ground black pepper, and brown rice vinegar to taste. Serve immediately and enjoy!

The most important question to ask about any work is “How does this serve the world?”

—Marianne Williamson