photo credit: Lorna Jane
You’ve heard the advice a million times, right?
Live a healthy life. Eat clean. Work out. Reduce stress.
But what does that mean EXACTLY? How do I go from crazy-busy take-out-eating woman to yoga-calm, fit-and-confident whole foods chef? What if you just don’t know where to begin?
A friend recently confessed, “I stand in the middle of the health food section and I don’t know what to do. So I walk away.”
Is this you?
Would it be helpful to have a step-by-step plan to achieve good health?
Maybe you and I need a road map written by someone who is just like us – a super busy woman. A woman who has to schedule time to prepare healthy meals and who has to consciously make fitness a priority.
A guide penned by someone who can show us exactly what fresh produce to buy in the health food section or at the farmer’s market.
A friend who can demonstrate how to make simple recipes using those nutritious ingredients.
That handbook is Nourish: A Fit Woman’s Cookbook. And that “someone” is its author, Lorna Jane Clarkson.
Who is Lorna Jane?
Lorna Jane Clarkson is the incredibly fit and vibrant founder of Lorna Jane Active Living. Not only does she love designing cute and functional workout clothes, eating delicious and nutritious foods, and working out daily, but her mission is to inspire other women to ACTIVE LIVING.
Active living is a motto for anyone struggling to find their way to a healthier life. Active living can be reduced to three simple words: Move. Nourish. Believe.
It’s not so complicated, right? Now let Lorna Jane show you, me, and my confused friend exactly how to begin the practice of ACTIVE LIVING.
Lorna Jane’s cookbook inspires busy women.
On first glance at the Nourish cookbook I was absolutely captivated by the beautiful photography – gorgeous, colorful photos of fruits and veggies. Mouthwatering pictures of simple meals, smoothies and snacks. Stunning photos of Lorna Jane, with her infectious smile, being active and enjoying the great outdoors.
But what drew me in was the feeling the book evoked in me. I felt like Lorna Jane was a BFF who was sitting down with me (no doubt on a sunny Australian beach while drinking kale smoothies) to explain how to live my best life. Giving me her personal advice how to fall in love with fitness. How to crave healthy food to fuel my body. How to schedule time to relax and recharge despite my hectic life. And mostly, how to BELIEVE these big changes are possible.
Start with life rituals to nourish your body and soul.
Lorna Jane describes several daily rituals or “healthy habits” which are a perfect starting point for someone new to fitness and health. These are simple actions, such as moving your body daily, getting fresh air and sunshine, making time to rest and meditate. Baby steps to good health we can all add to our day as part of our Active Living journey.
Lorna Jane’s practical steps to a healthy life.
Lorna Jane describes her food philosophy, shares her favorite recipes, provides lists of healthy fruits and veggies for seasonal eating and even offers three sample meal plans to help you get started.
Sprinkled throughout the book are great tidbits of information such as simple gardening tips and super foods to incorporate into your diet. You’ll learn the proper mindset to make healthy changes and even how to make wise choices when dining out at restaurants.
Nourishing yourself with quality food is a way to love yourself.
What really tugged at my heart was Lorna Jane speaking to the culture of dieting. Though I know the importance of proper nutrition and caring for my body in a loving manner, I personally come from a place of restrictive dieting.
Lorna Jane counters that healthy eating is not about deprivation or dieting. Rather, eating is about balance and finding the right types and amounts of foods that work best for your body. Eating is about choosing nutritious foods to fuel your activity, to fight aging, to boost your immune system, and to keep your hair, skin and nails healthy.
My favorite part – the RECIPES!
Standing in the health food aisle looking dazed and confused won’t happen to my friend any longer. Nourish provides shopping lists and recipes to create wholesome and delicious meals from morning until night.
Warning: Arm yourself with a healthy snack when browsing the cookbook, because the delectable photos will make your mouth water! The recipes are bursting with freshness and flavor and are based on local, seasonal produce.
Breakfast
Start off the day with Overnight Oats Parfait with Berries and Yogurt or Smashed Eggs with Spinach on Toast. Super busy? How about Out-the-Door Energy Bars?
Lunch
Wouldn’t Kumara (Sweet Potato) and Peanut Butter Soup make a tasty lunch? Or Thai-Style Vegetable Rolls? Maybe a Quinoa, Mushroom and Spinach Frittata? Mmmmmm.
Egg Lettuce Wraps have a zippy blend of Greek yogurt and Dijon mustard - yum!
Snacks
Healthy snacks are certainly a part of life for those of us aspiring to be healthy. Nourish features loads of snack recipes, like Choc-Crunch Bananas, Fruit Chips, and Egg & Lettuce Wraps (my personal fave).
Smoothies are a delicious way to sneak nutrients into your diet and Nourish is chock full of smoothie options for snacks or mini-meals.
Dinner
Whether you are cooking for yourself or a family, enjoy Chili and Garlic Prawn Skewers with Quinoa and Cauliflower Pilaf or Tamari, Lime and Sesame Beef and Broccoli Stir-Fry. Roasted Pumpkin, Beetroot, Chickpea and Barley Salad would make a delicious, satisfying meal any night of the week!
Desserts
Sweet treats can certainly be part of a healthy diet if you make wise choices and watch your portion size. Rhubarb and Coconut Cream Cups caught my eye, as did the three different varieties of Yogurt Pops. Perfect for a hot summer’s day!
Let’s get cooking!
Immunity Tonic - fresh orange juice, honey, ginger & turmeric.
Jump-start your morning with a delicious shot of nutrients!
A good-morning tonic or elixir is a simple first step for someone new to clean eating. These drinks are yummy concentrations “of highly potent ingredients, in health-promoting combinations designed to give you an instant boost of whatever your body needs on a particular day.”
Energy Tonic is a perfect alternative to a mocha!
I love the idea of beginning the morning with a flavorful, healing beverage that I’ve created out of “real” ingredients. My body gets an immediate boost of nutrients and I can feel good about starting my day on the right foot.
Each tonic makes two small servings. Make the recipe, drink one serving immediately, and store the second serving in a small glass jar in the fridge.
The first tonic I tried was the Immunity Tonic. It is a tangy blend of fresh-squeezed orange juice, honey, freshly grated ginger and tumeric. The ginger added a nice kick to the citrusy drink which was delightful! I’ve even added the Immunity Tonic to a mug of freshly brewed green tea. Delish!
As a coffee lover, I found the Energy Tonic to be a sublime mixture of espresso coffee, coconut sugar, cacao powder and cayenne pepper. I was a little hesitant about the cayenne, but it adds just a tiny bit of heat. The Energy Tonic reminded me of a strong mocha – with a kick! I like the idea of drinking the Energy Tonic before an early morning workout and in fact used it to help fuel my 7.5 mile run this weekend!
The Beauty Tonic is as gorgeous as it is delicious!
The Beauty Tonic is jam-packed with of antioxidants and vitamins, and its vibrant berry color makes me happy! It is a combination of mixed berries (I used blueberries and raspberries), fresh orange juice and white chia seeds. It does thicken a little on standing so I drank the first glass and the next day I topped off a serving of Greek Yogurt with the Beauty Tonic – amazing!
Think outside the box.
Just because a recipe is categorized as “breakfast” or “dinner,” doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it at other times of the day. One of my favorite recipes was the Nourishing Breakfast Salad, which I packed for lunch one day and ate as dinner the next.
Nourishing Breakfast Salad is a savory and colorful array of roasted veggies on a bed of watercress flavored with a delicate lemon and thyme dressing and sprinkled with toasted pepitas. Adding the poached egg is optional but highly recommended!
Nourishing Breakfast Salad - two servings ready to pack for lunch.
I substituted sweet potato for the out-of-season pumpkin. The flavor combination was fab, and the large portion size made the recipe super filling without a lot of calories. The crunchiness of the toasted pepitas was a great contrast to the roasted veggies and soft watercress, while the lemon thyme dressing added just the right amount of zip!
Best. Lunch. Ever.
Here’s how to pack the salad for lunch:
- Pack each of the ingredients separately in a glass jar or container (dressing, veggies, lettuce, seeds and egg)
- I poached an egg and popped it in a jar, but an easier solution for an on-the-go lunch would be to substitute a hard-boiled egg
- Make sure to pack a LARGE bowl or plate to assemble your salad
- At lunch time, simply add lettuce to your bowl or plate
- Warm the veggies (if desired) and add to lettuce along with the egg
- Sprinkle with toasted pepitas and dressing
- Enjoy!
Nourish: The Fit Woman’s Cookbook can be your road map to good health.
Lorna Jane must know lots of frazzled women, like my friend, who strive for good health but who aren’t sure of the first step to take. We have the best of intentions but just need a little guidance putting a health plan into place. Let’s be honest – knowing how to live a “healthy life” is vague.
Sometimes we need to be taken by the hand and shown exactly what to do. How to shop for food, how to stock our pantries, how to plan simple meals. We need a little instruction and inspiration to create filling and tasty meals and snacks. And, well, we need some delicious options for dessert as well that won’t break our calorie bank!
Lorna Jane’s Nourish: The Fit Woman’s Cookbook is such a book. It not only has the nutrition component down pat, but simple daily rituals to add to our lives, and guidelines to good health. Before you know it you and I (and my friend) WILL be the yoga-calm, fit-and-confident whole food chefs we aspire to be!
Would you like a free copy of the Nourish cookbook??
Ten lucky readers will win their own copy of Nourish: The Fit Woman’s Cookbook - wouldn’t it be awesome if one of those winners were YOU?! Click to tweet below - the most active participant will receive a cookbook and a $200 gift card to Lorna Jane!
Tweet: Join the #LiveLoveNOURISH initiative w/ @LornaJaneActive @FitApproach! Giveaway of: 10 NOURISH Cookbooks + $200 Gift Card to #lornajane!
Disclaimer: I was given a complimentary copy of NOURISH: The Fit Woman’s Cookbook thanks to Sweat Pink and Lorna Jane in order to provide an honest product review. I was not required to give a positive review and, as my husband will attest, I am very opinionated and don’t hesitate to share my thoughts. All opinions and conclusions are uniquely mine.
Nourish by Lorna Jane Clarkson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Lorna Jane Clarkson, the incredibly fit and vibrant founder of Lorna Jane Active Living, must know lots of frazzled women who strive for good health but aren’t sure of the first step to take. Nourish: The Fit Woman’s Cookbook is a beautifully-illustrated guide to good health and active living with those first steps mapped out for us.
The book is written in a conversational tone and it feels like Lorna Jane is a BFF sitting down with her readers (no doubt on a sunny Australian beach while drinking kale smoothies) explaining how to live our best life. Giving us her personal advice how to fall in love with fitness. How to crave healthy food to fuel our bodies. How to schedule time to relax and recharge despite our hectic lives. And mostly, how to BELIEVE these big changes are possible.
“I want to share my knowledge and inspire you to get off the diet treadmill…so you can look and feel better while enjoying nutritious and incredibly delicious food.” Lorna Jane Clarkson
Lorna Jane describes her food philosophy, shares over 100 of her favorite recipes, provides lists of healthy fruits and veggies for seasonal eating and even offers three sample meal plans to help you get started on the path to a healthier life.
Sprinkled throughout the book are great tidbits of information such as simple gardening tips and super foods to incorporate into your diet. You’ll learn the proper mindset to make healthy changes and even how to make wise choices when dining out at restaurants.
Nourish: The Fit Woman’s Cookbook is an inspiring cookbook and guide to healthy living. Highly recommended!
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