Maria Alcoke
About Maria Alcoke
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Berks County Physician Recognized as “Everyday Hero” by the Pennsylvania Medical Society
Aparna Mele, M.D., has been recognized by the Pennsylvania Medical Society (PAMED) as an Everyday Hero Award winner. In addition to being a practicing physician for the last 15 years, she owns her own non-profit organization which aims to increase awareness of preventable diseases that impact community health. Dr. Mele was nominated for the award […]
Inner and Outer Strength
By: Maria Alcoke, web & graphic designer, personal-growth junkie and fitness-enthusiast What does strong and well-fed mean to you? To me, it represents confidence, feeling good in your skin, and being satisfied. You know that feeling, after a really good workout, or a great meal, or after quality time with loved ones? You just feel […]
Starting a Gratitude Practice
While the holidays can be filled with family, feasts and festivities, it can also be a stressful time of year. Whether it’s a strained relationship, the struggle of celebration after a loss, overwhelming travel; the holidays can easily become a stressful time. How you handle stress can affect many aspects of your life from sleep, […]
A Reflection on Self-Care Inspired by Maternal Mental Health Week
By Maria Alcoke It was recently Maternal Mental Health Awareness Week and I wanted to remind all Moms out there that our mental health matters and that we are enough. But I can’t tell you how many times I’ve felt “less than” as a mother: that there is never enough of me to go around, […]
3 Tips to Reduce Fatigue and Increase Energy in 2018
By: Maria Alcoke, Founder & Host of The Engine Mom Podcast, CF-L1 Trainer We make hundreds of decisions every day. From the moment we wake up, “Should I hit snooze or get up?”, “What should I wear today?”, “What am I having for breakfast?”, etc. We’re making even more decisions if we have children to […]
Take a Stand at Work
Think about how many hours per day you spend sitting. Now, think about how many hours per day you spend on your feet? In this article, I will mention some of the detriments of being sedentary, as well as several simple adjustments that you can do to ensure that your body is at its optimal, […]
Easy Blender Breakfast: 3 Ways
While breakfast may be the important meal of the day, taking the time to make a healthy breakfast may not always be convenient on a busy schedule. Here, I will share my favorite go-to breakfasts that are simple, require minimal clean-up, and are packed with clean ingredients including leafy greens, healthy fats and carbs. All of […]
Stop war and violence
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Salad Dressing – Buy it or make your own?
I was listening to the radio the other day and the morning show commentators were talking about salad dressing…whether they prefer to buy a bottle of salad dressing at the grocery store or whether they make their own at home. Despite the fact that my local grocery store chain devotes nearly an entire aisle to […]
Fiber, what it is, and why it's so important!
Fiber is only found in plant-based foods. It is the part of these healthy foods that doesn’t break down and digest, and this has a positive and important impact on our health! Fiber is like a sponge inside your body, it soaks up the bad stuff in your digestive tract and makes sure it gets […]
Butternut Squash Soup
It’s so silky and sweet, your kids will hardly know it’s healthy. That’s right, no cream, no butter, nothing unhealthy about this recipe! It came about by accident, the way many of my recipes do. I was hungry after doing some exercise, and looking for something quick that I could just heat up and enjoy. […]
Luxurious Tomato Basil Pasta Sauce
This article appeared in The Reading Eagle Newspaper on December 3, 2014 and was reprinted with permission from the author. [column size=”1-2″ last=”0″] [/column] [column size=”1-2″ last=”1″] One of the questions I hear asked most often about eating plant-based foods is “where do you get your protein?” Typically people believe that the more protein you […]
Mini-Muffins: Exquisite Taste in a Tiny Portion
Sweet. Salty. Sour. Bitter. Every exquisite bite you’ve ever tasted has likely been the result of all of these mouthwatering tastes coming together in the right balance. Unlike cooking, baking requires precise measurement to achieve the desired result. Celebrating holidays, or any season from Memorial Day to Independence Day to New Years Day is the […]
The Sweet Truth: Making Bitter Greens Palatable
This article was printed in The Reading Eagle on Wednesday, December 4, 2013. Find it in the Berks Country Magazine section under “Strength in Plants” by Kate Murray. You know the bitter greens, the ones that don’t exactly make your taste buds sing: dandelions, arugula, broccoli rabe, swiss chard, collards, mizuna, mustard greens, radicchio, endive, […]