There are tons of theories out there when it comes to being healthy. While everyone is different and certain lifestyles work better for some than others, the following tips are important for everyone to incorporate.
1. Cut out sugar
…or at least work towards it. Studies have shown that sugar is more addictive than cocaine. Sugar is the underpinning of so much illness, both physical and mental, and is in almost everything. The one best thing you can do for your health is to reduce and cut out sugar. This includes sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup, aspratame, and sucralose. Read your labels, opt for natural, raw sweeteners, and look forward to a vibrant and dis-ease free existence.
2. Be present when you eat
Ever wolf down a meal without even tasting it? Breathe. Chew. Relax. The way you eat says a lot about the way you live your life. Are you slowing down to enjoy it, or rushing through it to get to your next task?
3. Drink lots of water
As simple as it is, most people aren’t adequately hydrated. Drinking water is the basis for a clear mind, healthy organ functioning, and beautiful skin. Do the best you can to drink water throughout the day, and brighten it up with lemon, orange, cucumber, or strawberries.
4. Eat the colors of the rainbow
The most amazing thing you can do to honor your body is to nourish it with vibrant foods from the earth. Eating lots of bright fruits and vegetables will provide you with all the minerals and nutrients you need for glowing skin, great sleep, tons of energy, and a strong immune system.
5. Live every moment with gratitude and love in your heart
Don’t hold grudges. Recognize your blessings. Release relationships that don’t serve your higher purpose. Our lives are the blink of an eye, work towards making your life an expression of love and you’ll align with your personal joy and true nature.
For many of us, getting a solid workout in five days a week just isn’t doable. While getting your ass kicked in an hour and a half long plyo class is a great way to get fit, there’s a lot of things you can do to get a hot bod without having a crazy workout regimen. Try these out for an efficient way to tone up without killing yourself.
1. Take 20 minutes
Short workouts are effective, especially when the thought of an hour at the gym is more daunting than the Monday after Coachella. Just commit to twenty minutes of cardio, Pilates, abs, yoga, whatever. There are amazing workouts all over the Internet you can do from the comfort of your home, so look some up and see what you like. Udaya.com has a great selection of yoga classes with varying lengths and focuses.
2. Multitask
Put the treadmill on a super steep incline and climb while you catch up on that proposal you have to read by Thursday. Have an interesting talk you’ve been meaning to listen to? Put it on and take a jog around your neighborhood. Do your arms while you’re on the treadmill so that you have to spend less time at the gym. One to two minute holds with light weights while walking will lengthen and tone your muscles really nicely. It will also help get your heart rate up higher so you’ll get more out of your cardio.
3. Stretch and breathe
Whatever yoga poses you know, start practicing them now. Yoga elongates all of your limbs and your spine, and the twisting poses are great at carving out your core. It also connects you deeply with your body and helps eliminate toxins that build up over time.
Physically, breathing deep into your stomach strengthens your core, and tones your abdominal and pelvic muscles. It’s also great in reducing stress and anxiety, and helps increase your energy and focus.
4. Eat light and easily digested foods before and after exercise
A semi-recent trend has been to workout on an empty stomach. While this can be harmful to your body and your workout, eating light before and after you exercise can be very beneficial to you.
Try having something light but nourishing about thirty minutes before exercise, like dates, a grapefruit, or a banana. The nutrients will be absorbed quickly, and become readily available to fuel your workout without weighing you down. After working out try a juice that has kale, spinach, and ginger. The greens will re-oxygenate your blood and organs, and the ginger will reduce inflammation. Because it’s a juice, your body will easily assimilate the nutrients while actively and quickly recovering.
Stop making excuses. Go rock climbing in Joshua Tree, walk across the Great Wall of China, learn to surf in Mexico. In the big scheme of things, doing what you want to do will give you so much more than saving a couple thousand dollars and spending an extra few days or weeks at the office.
2. Stop comparing yourself to others
You are exactly where you are supposed to be. Do your best and mind your own path.
3. Smile always
Seriously, when you frown, you look ugly.
4. Stop caring what other people think about you.
It’s none of your business.
5. Eat real food
Your body is alive so nourish your vibrance. Don’t eat shit, because it makes you look and feel like shit.
6. Send love to everyone
Quietly bless everyone you meet, especially if they suck. They have to wake up in their own grumpy body every day. You get to wake up in your blissed out life. Remember that.
7. Listen to your music loud
Dancing is good for you. Do it often.
8. Challenge yourself
Find something that makes you uncomfortable and do it. Yoga, talking to strangers, speaking in front of a group – put yourself in positions you can’t back out of. You’ll get through it faster than expected and will realize you can do pretty much anything.
9. Let go of expectations
Do your best every day, be kind to your besties and to strangers, take care of your body, and know that everything will be fine. Don’t hold people or situations to expectations, accept challenges, and know that the infinite power of the universe is gently recalibrating your life at every moment to help guide you to your highest potential.
10. Practice gratitude
Be thankful for your parents and friends, your job, your apartment, and those tiny moments of happiness that you get from your morning coffee. This is your life, send appreciation and love to every corner of it.
Here are some simple tips to incorporate into your routine that will help make healthy eating more efficient, cooking easier, and shopping simpler.
Cook once eat twice – Cooking new meals every day can be time consuming, so cook enough food at dinner so that you can modify it a little the next day and have it for lunch.
Buy organic – Look at it this way: you can either pay the farmer or pay the hospital. Yes, it’s more expensive, but you’ll get much more out of your foods. Most of our nutrients come from the soil so if soil quality is compromised by pesticides our food is nutrient deficient. Additionally, pesticides can be very harmful for our brains, fertility, and organs, and lead to various diseases. Start out buying 50% organic. Some foods are more affected than others by pesticides, so check out this guide to help you decide what to definitely buy organic: http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/
Chop vegetables right when you get home from the grocery store – Having your veggies already chopped and ready to go when it comes time to cook makes it that much easier and faster to get to dinner time. Buy onions, bell peppers, green beans, carrots, and celery that can be easily stored in a Tupperware and will keep well for a few days.
To hydrate, only drink water – Any small benefit of drinks that have vitamins or electrolytes is always outweighed by the sugar content, and is a big contributor to weight gain, hyperactivity in children, irritability, and anxiety. Flavored ice teas, juices, sparkling juices, sodas, and sports drinks are all full of sugar. If you have to have a sweet drink try and start cutting down, treat it as an indulgence and see if sparkling water with lemon or lime helps cut the cravings.
Eat slowly, stop when you’re full – As simple as this sounds a lot of us eat way past when we’re full. When we eat quickly it takes our brain time to catch up to our stomachs to realize that we’ve had enough. Slowing down allows us to stop when we’re full and avoid overeating. A good rule of thumb is to eat until you feel about 80% full.
Chew your food – Chewing food thoroughly is extremely important. When we chew, our bodies begin to create digestive enzymes that help us break down our food. When we don’t chew properly, our stomachs aren’t prepared properly to digest. Not only that, our stomachs don’t have teeth (obviously), so when we swallow food that’s still partially whole our bodies have to work extra hard to break down the food. This takes tons of energy from us and creates that tired, lethargic feeling we often have when we’re done eating.
Don’t buy foods that have more than 10 grams of sugar in a serving – Sugar is everywhere! Sugar content in foods is growing every year and is an extreme contributor to weight gain as it sends our insulin levels up and tells the body to store fat. Do your best to avoid sugar and if something does have sugar in it, make sure it’s less than 10 grams per serving.
Drink water 20 minutes before eating – When we drink while we eat it makes it hard for our stomachs to properly release the digestive enzymes we need to break down food. Because we’re not able to break the food down properly it rots in our digestive tracts and isn’t effectively eliminated. Undigested food is also a big reason for why many of us feel bloated or overly full after eating a reasonably sized portion.
If you’re feeling hungry and it’s not snack or meal time, try drinking water – Many times we mistake thirst for hunger, so we go to food to satisfy the craving we’re having. This unnecessary eating leads to weight gain and dehydration.
View dairy products as an indulgence – Cheese and milk are very delicious, but they’re also very hard for your body to digest and are high in fat. When they’re not high in fat they tend to be high in sugar, which encourages your body to put on weight. Cutting down on dairy and viewing it as an indulgence will help you to lose weight and keep it off more easily.
Sprinkle ground flax seeds on your meals – A large percentage of the US population is fiber deficient. Ground flax seeds are an excellent way to fortify your meals with fiber to help with digestion and promote healthy liver function. Super easy and very healthy!
Buy pink Himalayan salt – Salt is actually a very important mineral for humans but has gotten a bad rap. While white table salt is highly refined and is hard on our hearts and arteries, pink Himalayan salt is in its natural form, and when eaten in small amounts can be good for us. It tastes the same without being processed and harmful to your body.
Cook with coconut oil – Coconut oil is an excellent source of omega 3 essential oils. These are extremely important for our metabolism, memory, prevention against depression and anxiety, skin health, heart health and more. It can be very sweet at first so use it with veggies that are already a little sweet like squash, onions and carrots. It’s also a lot more stable than fruit oils like olive oil so it can handle high temperatures very well.
Eat the colors of the rainbow – When shopping, your basket should be full of brightly colored veggies and fruits! Various colors promote different functions of the body, so make sure to get a colorful combination. Bell peppers, sweet potatoes, onions, spinach, cucumbers and berries are a great place to start.
When many of us think of protein a hamburger or muscle-bound weight lifter come to mind. Typically most people associate protein with animals, however there are tons of plant based sources of protein that allow you to build muscle, eat well and enjoy your life. Reducing animal sources of protein can actually be very good for you in a number of ways such as heart health, mental clarity, improving your metabolism, immune system strength, and better energy.
While we all know that protein is important, I wante to look at the the specifics of why it’s such an integral part of a balanced diet and thriving life.
Protein is very important for muscle reparation and cell growth, and plays a critical role in many other functions within the body. Apart from water, protein is the most abundant compound in the human body. It keeps your skin looking good, is a critical source of energy and weight control, provides the structure for organs and muscles to build and function upon, and regulates hormones, enzymes and antibodies. It also helps maintain blood sugar levels which impact mood and mental clarity.
Protein makes up the incredibly important neurotransmitters in our brain. These neurotransmitters – serotonin, dopamine, gaba, and catecholamines – help us sleep well, cope with stress, feel happy, and protect us against depression and anxiety. If we don’t have adequate, quality sources of protein these neurotransmitters reduce in number and quality, and fail to regenerate themselves. (Our brains also need quality sources of fat, too. The lack of high quality protein and fat in our diets has lead to scores of mental illnesses that are now developing people earlier on in life than ever before, but I’ll save those details for another post.)
Clearly without protein our bodies are unable to function at optimal levels. While this list of benefits of protein is extensive, it does not mean that over indulging in protein is good for us either. For people who believe that protein should be the largest part of every meal and that the source should be animal products, lots of discomforts can accrue. Having too much animal protein can lead to weight gain, high blood pressure and cholesterol, and kidney issues.
Making sure you have a quality source of protein is the best way to ensure you get all the benefits without becoming susceptible to the risks. Many people feel that they just can’t fill up without eating meat (much of this comes from the belief that if you’re not totally full you’re still hungry). Protein is very filling however no matter what source it comes from, and is an important part of feeling satiated after a meal. Because protein is a source of energy, eating it with a complete carbohydrate ensures that the energy you receive from it will be distributed into the bloodstream over time instead of all at once. The fantastic thing is that there are some plant sources of protein, quinoa and beans for instance, that are both carbohydrate and protein.
Hemp seeds and spirulina are both complete proteins. Hemp seeds are an amazing source of omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants, and spirulina has tons of iron and chlorophyll to help oxygenate the blood stream. Both are great in a morning smoothie, and I like to sprinkle hemp seeds into soups and salads, and even on top of my almond butter and toast. Dark green veggies like spinach and kale have high amounts of protein too.
The great thing about eating plant sources of protein is that you get so much more than just protein out of them, things like calcium, iron, and antioxidants. By eating whole grains and plants your body can digest and distribute the nutrients very quickly and efficiently, without much strain on your system at all.
Next time you’re looking for a protein packed meal without meat and are not sure what to go for, fear not, veggies and whole grains will more than take care of all your needs. Plus, you’ll have tons more energy and any extra weight lingering as ‘winter storage’ will quickly shed itself. Start slowly if you need to also, beginning with cutting out meat Monday through Wednesdays. You’ll instantly notice a different and will feel less of those cravings you might feel for meat.
For those who do make animal protein their primary source of protein, please, please be mindful when you shop. Get free-range, grass-fed, antibiotic and hormone free meat, eggs and other animal products. Not only is it better for the animals but it’s much better for you. The antibiotics and hormones that are used on animals in the US today are extremely detrimental to our health and negate the benefits that the protein we eat should be giving to us. Additionally, the amount of antibiotics we eat through animal consumption is leading to resistance of antibiotics that would otherwise help us get over a sickness. When it comes to animal protein be thoughtful, take your time, and know that a piece of meat is not a complete meal. Start with veggies, salad, bean etc, and use a palm sized piece of meat to fill out your plate and satiate your appetite
And if you’re looking for a protein packed, meat-free meal, try this one!
Protein salad
I’m always on the go, so I like to have something fast and nourishing ready when I need something quick. I always recommend having something ready to go in the fridge so that I don’t make any poor choices based on lack of time, only to find myself hungry thirty minutes later because I didn’t eat any nutrients. The following is a great recipe for a salad that stays fresh for several days and is packed full of protein and antioxidants.
1 cup pinto beans
1 cup black beans
1 cup corn
3 stalks celery, chopped
one whole red bell pepper, chopped
Half a red onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups quinoa
1-2 tablespoon hemp seeds
1-2 tablespoon chia seeds
Mix all ingredients together and season with olive oil, salt, pepper and balsamic vinegar when ready to enjoy. If your stomach is sensitive to beans try soaking them with a kombu leaf (a seaweed leaf). This has the enzyme that breaks down the complex sugar that leads to gassiness and discomfort. This salad is fast, filling and extremely nourishing, good for lunch or a mid-afternoon snack.
Living in Los Angeles there are so many amazing options for dining out. Restaurants pop up every day, and who doesn’t love trying out the new Korean-French-Icelandic fusion where they tell you what you want before you even look at the menu. Unfortunately though, eating out can mean huge portions, a bloated walk back to the car and even a rough night’s sleep when it’s all over. It doesn’t have to be this way, so here are a few tips to help you enjoy your meal without feeling guilt and discomfort afterwards.
1. Start with a glass of water
When you sit down at a table drink a full glass of water. Thirst is often confused with hunger so many times we eat more than we really want because we’re not feeling satiated. Drinking water can cut back your chance for overeating and prevent you from drinking during or after the meal, which makes it difficult for you to digest your food properly and leaves you feeling heavy and bloated.
2. Don’t let that bread touch your table
We all know warm bread is delicious and irresistible, but no need to fill up on it before a meal. Most importantly, you don’t want it hindering your ability to enjoy and finish that $17 dollar Hamachi plate, so politely decline and enjoy your main course fully.
3. Only drink water or wine
Sugary drinks, be it soda, lemonade or a Jack and coke, are a bad idea in the first place, but during a meal they are especially harmful. A very important hormone in regulating hunger and satiety is leptin- in basic terms it tells us when we’ve had enough to eat and signals our brains to tell the body to stop eating. Sugar interferes with that hormone, compromising our ability to eat moderate portions which can end in overeating and horrible guilt. Additionally, drinks should be sipped during a meal, so slowly enjoy a glass of water or a tasty red while eating.
4. Order Sides or Starters for your main dish
Generally, the portions served in restaurants are absolutely huge. Many times we tell ourselves we’ll eat half and take the rest home, but I don’t know anyone who really has that kind of self-control. Side dishes are much more reasonably sized and if you order a few as a table you can try different things. Keep in mind, ordering a side of garlic bread and mac and cheese does not count. But, a veggie plate and a salad might be nicely complimented with a small side of fries. Enjoy yourself, just don’t overindulge! Sharing a small starter and a main course with a friend is also a good way not to overdo it (and save money!)
5. Have a desert at home for yourself
If one look at the desert cart gets you salivating, having self-restraint can be difficult at the end of a meal. This is why it’s good to have a desert at home to look forward to that’s half the size and half the sugar content of that chocolate-mocha-caramel cheesecake. Personally, I love Hail Merry chocolate peppermint tarts. They are delicious and very satisfying (not to mention raw and vegan) – half of one is usually enough for one person. Find a desert that you look forward to having at home so you won’t give it up for a seductive treat on the menu. Taking time between dinner and desert also gives you time to digest and for your body to realize that you’re full, so at home you’re likely to eat less than you would have at the restaurant.
Eating out should be fun, not stressful, so use these tips and you’ll sail through the holidays with ease and keep your body trim.
Yes, it’s green, chewy and slimy, but seaweed is one of the most nutrient dense whole foods available to us. With its high levels of calcium, iron and protein, it has incredible healing properties that include detoxifying heavy metals, anti-aging benefits, immune defense and support in weight loss.
Two good ways to incorporate seaweed into your diet:
Miso soup – Miso is a quick and delicious way to add seaweed into your diet. Boil some water and throw in some seaweed, sliced carrots and shiitake mushrooms. Once the water is almost boiling and the veggies have softened, turn off the heat and add a teaspoon of miso paste, stir, sip and enjoy!
Spirulina – A blue-green algae that comes in powder form, spirulina is a fantastic supplement to keep on hand to add to smoothies. Here’s a delicious and light smoothie recipe packed with nutrients for an energy and immunity boost! Superfood Smoothie
Your local co-op will be sure to have a few good options. I like Earthrise Spirulina and the freshest kind of seaweed available. Try some out and see how you feel, and be sure to let us know any good recipes of your own!
“You are the average of the five people you spend the most time with” – Jim Rohn. Environment is everything, surround yourself with inspiring, motivating people and watch your world change.
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