www.ParisianPicnics.com

Keep These Snacks in Your Desk or Purse

Ava — Fri, 18 May 2012 03:36:21 +0000

On Tuesday, I was out of my house from 8:30am until 6:30pm. I stayed up just a little too late the night before to plan for my day out, but it was well worth it. That long day included a networking meeting in the morning, purchasing food supplies to bring to a client, an hour lounging in a sunny park with lunch, and presenting to a women’s association. You’ve probably had days similar to mine, where you are on the road or at the office all day long.

I’ve created a list of highly nutritious snack foods that you can pack with you for days like this. Store them in your purse, suite case, office desk, or car if it’s not too hot outside. When everyone else is falling asleep in his or her 3pm slump, or choosing mediocre take-out options, you’ll have everything you need to stay satisfied and energized.

Chia Seeds

Mix with juice and these seeds will plump up for an easy filling and energizing drink. They are very high in protein.

Toasted Seaweed

Nori seaweed has the highest protein content of all seaweeds, and also aids in digestion. You’ll find it in a small package in most chip aisles.

Apples and Peanut Butter

Apples provide fiber for a happy digestive track. The fat of the peanuts slows down the sugar in the fruit. Fats also allow us to absorb more nutrients from fruits and vegetables. These days, you’ll find natural single serving squeeze packs of peanut butter. Be sure that you read the ingredients so that you choose the peanut butter without added sugar.

Tea

Tea is an easy and affordable alternative to coffee. Go slip a few teabags into your bag right now.

Drinks without sugar

Choose cold drinks that are naturally sweetened, and made without processed sugar or high fructose corn syrup. I love Amazake rice shakes, sparkling fruit juice, and iced tea.

Ginseng Supplements

These help to calm stress, and also protect us from radiation from electrical devices like our cell phones and computers. The kind I purchase from health food stores comes in a red box, with the long label of “Renshenfengwangjiang.” Each bottle inside contains a mix of ginseng, royal jelly and honey, which can be sucked through the small straws that are included.

I’m Taking My Sugar Consumption PUBLIC

Ava — Tue, 15 May 2012 03:20:08 +0000

Sugar has inched its way back to my life. I enjoy French fries once a month, with (dare I say) the high fructose corn syrup ketchup that is at most restaurants. Gluten-free bread that holds my sandwiches of goat cheese, tomato, lettuce, avocado, and condiments has sugar as an ingredient. I’ve decided that sweetener has come a little too far back into my life.

One of the first steps to changing a habit is to become aware of it, and I plan to do just that.

For the week of May 10th through May 17th, I am going to document ALL of my processed sweetener consumption publicly through facebook. Honey and coconut syrup won’t be taken into account, because they have my approval for occasional use.

Why am I doing this? It’s worldwide accountability. Some clients who are already fans of the facebook page are viewing from as far away as Australia and New York. It will make me think twice about a sugary item before I eat it. This project also means that I must know what is in my restaurant meals, and I will be asking before I accept a dipping sauce for fresh rolls at my favorite Thai restaurants.

Is there a habit that you would like to take public this week, with the intention of noticing it to change it? As I begin this week, my plans aren’t to be sugar-free. I simply want to document the sweets that I do consume. If you feel inspired to join in for the week, please do! You can either post about your current habit through social media, find a partner to check in with daily, or send a few people in your family an email each day. If you aren’t getting enough hours of sleep each night, start noticing it. If you would like to eat more fresh salads each day, tell the world how many salads you do eat.

I bet that your habit will start to shift for the better after a few days of honesty with the people around you.

The new facebook business page I’ve created is not set to private, so even if you aren’t on facebook, you can still take a peek at my sugar consumption at Ava Waits ~ Be Nourished Around The World.

It’s Time To Evolve

Ava — Fri, 04 May 2012 22:56:19 +0000

May 4, 2012

A note from Ava:

It’s time to step into the next evolution of this company.

You’ve watched the services I provide go from support for digestive problems and food sensitivities, to support for gum disease, and to enjoyable and healthy global dining at Parisian Picnics. I adore Paris and how the Europeans love their meals. It’s been a pleasure to teach you how to make great food choices when you’re away from home, and to dine slowly.

I also know that I have much more to give, and it’s too big for the name Parisian Picnics. To honor the next evolution of my company, I am upgrading this website to www.AvaWaits.com where I will continue to provide information and ideas so you will be nourished around the world.

There are many ways that I intend to support you:

~ Nourishment through the food that will keep you happy, confident, and gorgeous.

~ Nourishment through the personal growth and culinary exploration that travel connects us with.

~ Nourishment through food choices that feel best in your unique body.

~ Nourishment through saying yes to your passions.

~ Nourishment through a business that bends to your rules and your itinerary. (I’ve loved creating a nutrition company that travels anywhere I do, and staying healthy on the road is something I will share more of.)

I’m still treating life as though it is a Parisian picnic (delicious, slow, and blissful). You’ll now hear me use my title The Global Nutrition Concierge™, as well as my personal name, in many videos and articles. Several new programs are in creation right now, and a few of you will even have the chance to join me in some exotic locations to explore healthful living.

Until the new website is up and running, I’ll be eating and relaxing at my new Facebook page, Ava Waits ~ Be Nourished Around The World. Please join me there!

In this transition, I’ll be sure to let you know about new changes and upgrades in the coming weeks. For now, please send emails to AvaWaits@gmail.com.

How exciting! Here we go!

Much love,

Ava Waits

Nutrition Mentor and Global Nutrition Concierge™

Behind The Scenes Laughs at the 2012 Integrative Nutrition Mega Conference

Ava — Thu, 03 May 2012 21:57:08 +0000

Do You Want Your Brain Disabled By A Bear Claw Doughnut?

Ava — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 17:29:03 +0000

A colleague and I sat down for tea earlier this week, and had an interesting conversation.He was asking me how healthy eating supports creativity and brain function, especially for business people who are called into companies to work on special projects.Many highly successful business owners I know take great care of their body. They focus on quality food, because their productivity, creativity, and capacity to work with more clients grows. Many of the personal development coaches I follow are leading amazing lives, often with no sugar, sometimes no meat, and definitely none of the foods that slow them down.

He went on to speak about teams who come into a company to work on special projects. Thousands of dollars are spent on plane tickets and lodging. The companies bring intelligent minds into the same room, with the intention of solving an important problem. Then they are fed doughnuts and expected to do the job well. Their brains are disabled with bear claws!

Has your brainpower or thinking ever been clouded by a food? It happens to me when I eat sugar. I know that my creativity is going to wither within an hour of eating foods containing sugar.

If you are going on a summertime vacation, heading to a conference soon, or attending an early morning networking event, remember this: The continental breakfast of pastries or white bread bagels is complimentary for a reason. The ingredients will provide nearly zero nutritional value, and very little brainpower.

Does Wheatgrass Make You Feel Sick?

Ava — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 19:07:44 +0000

Sometimes, we create our personal rules based on what someone else has told us. There are probably a few things that you eat only because you were told that they were good for you, and deep down, you may be repulsed by them.

I used to drink an occasional shot of wheatgrass, because I learned that it was good for me. Green juices, especially wheatgrass, do help to cleanse the digestive tract, provide nourishment for beneficial bacteria in your body, and also tone down body odor. It’s a great food, but wheatgrass also makes me feel nauseous when I drink or smell it.

If you also feel sick or get cramps after a shot of wheatgrass, it’s a sign to ease into green juices slower. It’s a powerful cleanser, and may be too powerful as a beginning juice. Tone it down, and first try juice made from celery or cucumber, apple, and begin with just 1 piece of kale. Keep adding more kale leaves as your body adjusts. In the future, you can give the wheatgrass juice a try. You are also not obligated to ever drink it if it doesn’t feel good.

How does your body react to fish oil supplements? Fish oil is important for neurological health, and I used it when I was healing the gum tissue around my teeth. It’s also another health food that makes me feel queasy. Does it feel good in your body? Have you made up a rule that you must take a spoonful of this fat every day?

Even if certain foods have the “healthy” label, it doesn’t mean that they are right for your body. We are very unique, and must listen to what we uniquely need. There are always alternatives that will provide similar health benefits, minus the stomachache.

Inner Abundance = Outer Abundance

Ava — Fri, 06 Apr 2012 16:00:03 +0000

Have you ever gotten so busy with work that you skip a meal and then become a little dizzy?

When you travel, do you explore for too many hours without stopping for snack?

If you push yourself without food for hours, it’s going to create a weak spot in you. I’ve definitely done this before, and it’s not pretty. Some people get angry, others get anxious, and some people are more prone to sadness. Often, we quickly catch a cold in the days that follow this malnourishment.

This quote from Dr. Wayne Dyer showed up in my life over the weekend: “I will attract into my life WHAT I AM, not what I want.”

If you want to have an outer abundance of happiness, friends, and wealth, you must first take care of your own internal abundance. If we are fully nourished, through food, the nutrients in food, and through a supportive environment, the outside world mirrors this back to us. I have been experimenting with this all week, and taught a more detailed class on this topic to the 30 Days of Wonderful™ group.

Here are 3 ideas to help you create an internal environment that is overflowing with abundance and potential.

1. Don’t get really hungry

I hardly get any work done on an empty stomach, and anxious energy comes through my work if I’m shaking with hunger as I create. You must be eating on a consistent basis, and be sure to actually schedule lunch breaks in your workdays. Otherwise, other activities seem to cave in and cover up the time.

2. Bring in superfoods and herbs

These foods have a dense collection of nutrients that aren’t often available through regular food, even organic produce. Some of my current favorite superfoods are bee pollen, nettle, maca, and spirulina.

3. Use juices or smoothies

I have been drinking fresh juices and smoothies all week. These keep me very calm, and provide nutrients without dumping heavy food into my stomach.

I use a Hamilton Beach juicer that was $3 at a thrift store. Quite often, thrift stores are filled with other people’s tools for short-lived diets. If you’re not quite sure how committed you’ll be to juicing, give it a try first on one of the juicers that was used twice and then abandoned.

These combinations, which can be blended or juiced, will get you started:

4 sicks of Celery + ½ an Apple + 2 leaves of Kale

3 Carrots + 1 peeled Orange + inch of Ginger

1/2 a bunch of Cilantro + 1 pear + 1/2 an Orange

Eating well makes you MAGNETIC!

Ava — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:33:59 +0000

Before I go to bed, I just have to tell you about a nutrition client!

She lives in Europe, and we had an appointment over Skype today. Because both of us are business owners, we do speak about growing our businesses, and she had very exciting news to share with me today.

In our 6 months working together, she has brought 24 clients into her new coaching business, AND she was interviewed on television last month!!

I am so excited for her!

Over the past few months, this client has been deeply dedicated to eating well, and connecting with her desires. When you take care of your body and your inner flame, you develop a huge capacity to attract opportunities like new clients, money, and lucky coincidences.

Eating well makes you MAGNETIC!

If you are a business owner, this magnetism makes you stand out in a crowded sea of other businesswomen. Wouldn’t you choose to do business with a woman who is brimming with hope, enthusiasm, and confidence in her body? I definitely wouldn’t go to the woman who is stuck in melancholy, or who is sipping a toxic diet soda.

If you are a creative woman, quality food provides mental clarity, and allows you to draw out your gifts and show them to the world.

We are about to bloom into spring.

Are you ready for great things to happen?

Weight loss

Clear skin

Your seasonal depression disappearing

Digestive problems clearing up

More energy

A powerful immune system so you don’t catch another cold this year

This is what the 30 Days of Wonderful™ program is about.

I am getting really excited because I have some big dreams and big wishes to create in April! In this group, we will support your health and dreams at the same time.

Learn more and reserve your place before we begin on April 5th!

Good night (And good morning to my friends in Europe),

Ava Waits

Nutrition Mentor and Global Nutrition Concierge™

P.S. I want life to be magical for you. Sign up here.

Lettuce Spring Rolls and 2 Easy Dipping Sauces

Ava — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 21:12:55 +0000

Lettuce Spring Rolls

Use lettuce in place of rice paper, and fill with your choice of sliced: carrot, burdock root, red bell pepper, or cucumber. You can also add sliced green onion or sprouts.

Roll up, dip in sauce, and you’re done!

Mango Chili Sauce

2 large mangoes

1 large red bell pepper

1 teaspoon or Tablespoon red chili flakes/chili powder

1/4 cup soaked dates

1/4 cup soaked apricots

2 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

3 Tablespoons tamari soy sauce

3 cloves of garlic, finely chopped

Blend in a blender and use as a dipping sauce.

Coconut Peanut Sauce

1 can of coconut milk (usually 13-14 ounces)

3/4 cup organic peanut butter

4+ cloves of garlic, finely chopped

5 Tablespoons tamari soy sauce

5 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar

Blend all ingredients in a blender, and adjust the seasonings to suit your taste.

You Are Worth A New Tea Bag

Ava — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 17:37:41 +0000

Have you ever brewed a cup of tea and set the used tea bag aside, with the intention to reuse it after your cup is done? I do this on occasion, especially if I know that I’ll want just a half-cup more after I finish my first cup. Sometimes there is enough essence in the tea leaves to brew another cup, but most of the time, it’s already been sucked dry.

Recently, I’ve been doing some self-study around scarcity and abundance. I believe that holding onto a mediocre tea bag points in the direction of scarcity. There are many cases where we cling to a piece of food, when a simple replacement or upgrade is all that is needed.

Please remember:

You are worth fresh food. Yes, you should throw out the food that is almost going bad in the refrigerator. It’s losing nutrients day by day.

You are worth crisp vegetables, so go ahead and purchase fresh greens once or even twice a week.

You are worth food without spots of mold, especially because one spot of mold is a sign that the entire piece of food is decomposing.

You are worth replacing the shea butter hand cream or beeswax salve if it goes rancid.

You are worth organic food, because you’re body is tired of working so hard to cleanse the chemicals and toxins of sprayed vegetables and fruit.

You are worth a new teabag. It will only cost a few cents, unless you’re tea is purchased from Harrods department store in London. Even then, you should do it.

Yes, you are worth a new tea bag.