7.01.2013

Put your game face on and level up!


When I was a wee little one, i used to love to come home from school, get me some milk ‘n cookies and sit down to diligently do my homework right away!

....

False. I rushed home to play hours upon hours of NINTENDO. I was obsessed. With Super Mario Brothers in particular. There was something exhilarating about becoming an expert in various levels, knowing the lay of the land and anticipating every Goomba or Koopa Troopa that lurked in the shadows. I could care less about the Princess (sorry sister). So, then what was the point of it all?


LEVELING UP, BABY. 

For me, it was all about the journey and optimizing my new found skills and awareness to take it to the next level. Was I going to beat the game my first time playing? Of course not. It took curiosity, persistence and learning new skills and tricks to get there. 

Are you seeing the metaphor here?

Much like in real life, it takes curiosity, persistence and experience to take things to the next level. This applies to our healthy habits too! Does one go from Taco Bell Queen to Green Juice Goddess in a single day? Nope. Moving along at our own unique pace will lead to the most sustainable changes. And even the smallest changes can lead to big differences - every move matters

That’s why I'm giving you some tips on leveling up in your health journey, no matter what level you’re on. Check out this lil' chart I put together to pinpoint wether you're a novice, gamer or pro in 4 areas I get asked about often, and see how you can level up (or down).


Juice
You wanna make sure you're getting real juice - as in 100% real juice. The best kinds are organic, non pasteurized and not from concentrate. 
Wanna go pro? Fresh pressed is king, so make your own! The lower in sugar (= less fruit), the better.

Bread/Flour
Here's where "white" really is devil. Try to stay away from highly processed refined breads and flours. Can you squish that bread loaf into a ball easily? Then it's highly processed and not "real" food at this point. Go for organic whole grain varieties, which have more nutrients and fiber (and are tastier in my opinion). 
Go pro: try sprouted grain breads! Brands like Food for Life and Manna can be found in the freezer section at your local health food store. 
*If you're gluten sensitive, then stay away from glutenous grains all together - opt for gluten free flours like almond or brown rice*

Snack Bar
Are there a hundred ingredients you can't pronounce in that bar? Then ditch it. Again, organic is good but doesn't always mean better... with snack bars, you really want to watch out for the sugar content. Sadly, some organic snack bars are no better than a candy bar! I would try to save snack bars for "emergency" moments (like when traveling or when you can't access food easily) - not as a meal replacement or daily snack. 
Pro tips: make sure your bar has a lower sugar count and is higher in protein. Try making your own - it's actually fun and you have control of what goes in it!

Cleaning Products
Man oh man, talk about toxicity. There are so many chemicals that go into cleaning products and they absolutely have an effect on our health! Definitely check out Environmental Working Group (EWG) and their guide to healthy cleaning. It takes the guess work out of choosing cleaning products and exposes the worst offenders.
Going pro: DIY is not trendy - it's smart! AND CHEAP. So try lowering your toxic load and cleaning expenses  by making your own cleaning products. I get tons of great ideas from Pinterest (warning: TIME SUCK).

BONUS: Here are some general ground rules to follow that will help guide you in your health game:

✓ Read the label

✓ Less ingredients, the better

✓ It’s ok to be confused. There’s a lot of misinformation out there - so ask! Ask the staff at the store, ask a friend who’s healthy or go the distance and seek support from a pro like a health coach or doctor.


Remember, too, that it’s OK to fall back sometimes - we all have our bad days. You are the CEO of your life - no one can fire you for eating that Domino’s pizza the other night. In fact, if you do choose to drop down a level and nosh on some junk, do it with gusto and acceptance. Enjoy every minute of it, then level back up because life is about the journey. Don’t forget to enjoy the ride.

If you’re ready to LEVEL UP your health game, then sign up for the Summer Sizzle Detox and join others who are on the path to feeling awesome in their skin this summer! Click HERE to get started.


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