​Hands down my husband is a gem. Anyone that has had any interaction with him would agree. He's intelligent, humorous, Captain Safety, looks great in a pair of glasses and knows a lot about food!  He is truly the Yang to my Yin when it comes to cooking... the marriage (literally) of healthful (me) and flavorful (him). And now, true to the symbol, my cooking has evolved to be a tad tastier and a little more "fancy" and he is a whole lot healthier. Ok on to the fat part, specifically Duck fat! A little in moderation can change up the flavor profile! Its tasty, makes roasted potatoes sing, and did a little something wonderful for these petite Brussels sprouts pictured below. What’s more, it has less saturated fat and more unsaturated fat (the good fat) than butter.  Duck fat is minimally processed, really just melted off the duck skin. It is not refined, deodorized, or bleached like some other oils. Its’ smoke point is 375 degrees F and the big bonus for me; it brings a big smile to my French husband and his beloved French family heritage.
 
Now in the hierarchy of oils, here’s the scoop… Olive oil is still your best bet in terms of health. It has lower saturated fat, higher unsaturated fat, and no cholesterol. When roasting, use Virgin Olive oil because it has a higher smoke point.  The smoke point is pretty important, if you exceed that point when cooking with oil, it denatures and releases free radicals, which is no Bueno for your body. Finish with Extra Virgin Olive oil and use in salads.  I am also a fan of the health benefits of Coconut oil and use this in baking quite often.  Finally… I beg you, do not under any circumstances eat Canola oil!  It is dangerous to your health. Do the research and you will be astonished and horrified. Read your labels. It can even exist in "healthy" bread. More on this nasty oil in another blog post! 
 

So without further adieu, on to the recipe:

2 bags of small sized Brussels Sprouts
Himalayan Sea Salt
1 Tbsp Duck fat.. of course I use Rougie Duck fat

Wash and Cut Brussels Sprouts into half or quarters depending on size, peel away outer skins if they are brown
Toss with a tsp (or less) of salt and a Tbsp (or less) of the Duck fat


​Place on parchment paper
Roast in oven at 375 degree F for 25 ish minutes or until soft and slightly browned.
​ You may need to toss mid cooking so as to cook evenly.
 
Enjoy! ​

I gotta say its been a minute since our last blog post and boy am I sorry.  The past holiday season was lovely, and then our healthy little home bubble bursted, compliments of our sweet preschooler.  
This nasty guest made its first appearance in December and pretty much stayed with our family as a resident until a week ago. 
Chinese herbs, homeopathy, probiotics and acupuncture has helped us manage the strength of the cold virus stopping it at just upper respiratory symptoms. Thank goodness!  
Always boosting our immune system is my primary goal, and doing so in the form of food therapy is my primary method.  The classical way to take Chinese herbs is boiling raw herbs in water and drinking the tea.  At times with life's fast past speed this preparation method is not very feasible, so when I can find a product that eases this burden, and tastes good, I'm all for it! 
Enter Pukka teas- organic, herbal, healing, and the big plus- tastes great! 
My current daily obsession is the Cleanse variation.  It has organic nettle which is super useful for clearing and protecting the upper respiratory system of bacteria and viruses.  Dandelion root assists the liver in filtering toxins while Fennel aids the stomach in digestion.  Peppermint lends itself to a nice taste and also helps clear excess heat.  Also a great flavor enhancer is Licorice Root, but please note that it is not indicated for individuals with high blood pressure.  
Cheers to afternoon tea! 

How do you find the time to...? 


Prior to motherhood I enjoyed hour long workouts... Long gone are those days with running a wellness practice, raising and FEEDING two hungry boys ( three if you count my husband for the feeding not the raising, hehe).  Now multi tasking has taken on a new meaning and my cardio workouts have gotten really interesting!
Im asked on a regular basis what I do for my personal workout and some tips I may have! 
So, here they are:

1.  Invest in a Heart rate monitor and use it to track your intensity during a workout.
2. Interval train- alternate between 65%-85% of your max heart rate for 30 sec- 1 min each
3. If you have children, purchase a jogging stroller or a double one in my case and take the workout outside.
4. For music lovers: make a track of 5 of your favorite songs and split the song up to interval training. For example: jog for verses and sprint for the chorus. 
5. Please listen yo your body.. If you are tired, don't push it. Maybe a walk is needed instead of a sweat it out session! 
6. Breathe deeply and intently ALWAYS! 

Recently we introduced a new addition to the reformer at Palm Wellness, the jump board. Jump boards were originally designed for use with athletes and dancers that needed the exercise to improve the jump in their performance. They are now being introduced to even our moderate Tampa pilates students.

Shown in this picture, the jump board is placed at the bottom of the pilates machine, in front of the foot bar. While lying with your back on the reformer, students will use their legs to push off the board in a horizontal jumping motion.

The jump boards are a great cardio exercise and can also strengthen your core stomach and leg muscles more than most other exercises. The less resistance in the springs, the better the ab workout.

Clients of Palm Wellness by Natalie Maddox are raving about the jump boards calling it their favorite new addition to their workouts! Come in and try it today!
​
Did you know that new fans of Palm Wellness on Facebook receive a 10% discount on their first service? Palm Wellness also posts pop-quiz questions weekly for a chance to win gift certificates for pilates, acupuncture or aesthetic treatments, so follow us on Facebook for your chance to win even more discounts!