Showing posts with label tools. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tools. Show all posts
12.13.2013

Your Guide to Surviving the Holidays

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First Halloween. Then Thanksgiving. Now we’re knee deep in the holiday season...

This is around the same time when we throw our hands up and say FUDGE IT... there’s no chance in Hello Kitty Town (<--a real place you guys) that I’m staying healthy this season. TEMPTATION ABOUND.

This of course can end in total derailment.

Bacchanalian activities that lead to poor judgement and decision making {a few Hottie Totties later and you wake up in bed with the gingerbread man, powdered sugar on your face and 5 pounds heavier. No judgement}.

Here’s a little holiday trivia for ya: The average American gains 1-2 pounds during the holiday season... that can mean 20 extra pounds in 10 years! It may seem nearly impossible to not stuff our faces with every delicious looking morsel on the buffet table. But overeating leads to poor digestion, fatigue, gas, bloating, weight gain and more.

NO THANKS.

Enter your Holiday Dinner Survival Guide.
A few simple steps to a healthy, fun and guilt-free holiday...

Don’t go to gatherings hungry.
Wait a minute... isn’t the point to eat at these gatherings?? Yes, but you don’t want to go so hungry that you lose control. Make sure you eat a healthy low Glycemic Load (GL) snack beforehand, one that contains fat+fiber+protein. Some good examples are apple slices with almond butter, sprouted whole grain bread with nut butter, and raw veggies with hummus.

Stay hydrated.
Dehydration can be perceived as hunger. Also, the more alcohol we drink, the more dehydrated we get - so get your water on!

Exercise portion control.
Serve yourself tiny amounts of each dish first if you want to try many. Start there, then work your way up. Make sure you eat, then wait (the body takes 15-20 min to register fullness) before you go back for seconds. That way you get to taste a variety of dishes and avoid feeling deprived.

Make smart choices.
Pile on the veggies and go easy on meat, starch, gravy and desserts. Bring your own delicious veggie dish to a gathering if you think there won’t be many - you can be that cool guest that proves a plant-based meal can rock the tastebuds.

Proceed with caution at the dessert table.
Desserts are high in calories and sugar, which triggers the secretion of insulin = increase in fat storage (and a whole host of other bad things). Make sure you eat a well balanced meal before eyeing that dessert table. Ask to share a dessert with someone and just take a few bites. Our sweet tooth will be satisfied with less than we think.

Be social.
Engage in conversation rather than stuffing your face in a corner! Social interaction and great company fill up our “primary food” and makes us feel good and satisfied which will carry over into our appetite.

Get physical.
We not only burn calories when we exercise, but our body continues to burn calories hours afterwards. Honor your body and show it gratitude by gifting yourself an hour of invigorating movement. Of course we all know things can get crazy around the holidays too, so make it convenient! Take the stairs when you can, walk to the store, park the car further away, get your 20 minutes of workout at home with yoga apps or DVDs and simple strength training equipment. Make it work.

 
Remember to enjoy yourself and be safe this holiday season! The greatest gift you can give yourself is the love and health you deserve. If you know someone who could use some helpful tips on staying healthy this (and every) season, spread the love and forward this article to a friend! 

Bonus! Have them sign up for weekly(ish) tips at www.unveiledu.com and they'll get my free guide on 10 ways to beat cravings.

Happy & Healthy Holidays!
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9.27.2013

4 Signs There Are Too Many Toxins In Your Life

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This blog post was first published on the MindBodyGreen website, Sept 27, 2013.


You might be reading this because you have a sneaking suspicion that something isn't quite right. Perhaps you’re not feeling as good as you used to, or the foods that used to satisfy and energize you now bring you down or upset your digestion. It may be easy to chock it all up to “aging,” but our bodies are really good at letting us know when something is wrong. It’s when we stop listening to our bodies’ whispers that real problems can turn up.


Here’s a truth: Balance is our true nature. Our bodies are like a masterful orchestra, playing a harmonious symphony — they're constantly moving toward balance. But daily stressors like toxins, eating the wrong foods for your body, not getting enough sleep or hating your job get in the way of achieving that balance. Instead, they can throw you into a toxic tailspin!


It’s important to get in tune with our bodies so we can start listening to the signs.


Here are four signs you can start listening to today:


1. You’re full of “it.”


Literally. Our bodies need to eliminate waste every day. This includes having a bowel movement at least once a day. If you’re not releasing the junk in your trunk, then those toxins are absorbed back into your bloodstream and can wreak havoc all over again.


Tip: If you’re having trouble with constipation, try drinking more water, exercising, taking a good-quality probiotic or sipping on an herbal tea such as senna leaf.



2. You have a “dirty mouth.”


Halitosis, more commonly known as bad breath, can not only ruin a perfectly good makeout session... it can also tell your date that you’re toxic. Bad breath can come from bacteria in the mouth releasing odor-causing byproducts. It can also indicate that your liver and colon are having some difficulty eliminating toxins.


Tip: You can start using a tongue scraper to eliminate excess bacteria and yeast that might be coating your tongue. Also, try getting fresh with herbs like parsley and cilantro, which are fantastic liver detoxifiers. There’s a reason for their use as a garnish.



3. You’re a little too nose-y.


Do smells often offend you? If you find yourself having strong reactions to smells like perfumes or smoke, then you might have toxic overload. Many times we become more sensitive to environmental smells when our liver is having trouble eliminating various toxins from the body. When these detox pathways are blocked, our bodies and senses can become heightened and cause reactions such as headaches and nausea.


Tip: Support your liver with herbs like milk thistle and dandelion root, both of which can be consumed in tea form. You could also try one of my favorite detoxifying practices: the castor oil pack. This oldie but goodie is a great tool to also help relieve less-than-pleasant symptoms resulting from detoxing too quickly.



4. Those extra pounds just won’t budge.


There are many reasons for weight loss resistance. Out-of-whack hormones, consuming the wrong foods for your body, and — you guessed it — toxic overload are among them. Toxins such as dioxins, PCBs, and many pesticides are lipophilic (literally “fat loving”) which means in our bodies they’re stored in our fat cells. When the body is overloaded with them, it can seem impossible to release that extra weight.


Tip: The key here is to make sure your body is releasing toxins properly. This means enhancing your body’s natural ability to detox and find balance. Doing a safe cleanse or detox, like this season's Fall Into Balance detox, can be really helpful, but reducing your exposure to toxins is super important. Choose clean, organic foods when possible and make sure you sweat, poop, hydrate and breathe well each and every day.



So there you have it. I just gave you 4 tips on how to tell if there are too many toxins in your life... tell me the one that stood out to you most and why in the comments section below. Love to hear from ya :)
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7.01.2013

Put your game face on and level up!

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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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5.30.2013

Avoid the Travel Trap: 6 tips for staying healthy on the road

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It’s 3 am and you’re still packing, even though you have to be at the airport in 2 hours. You’re tired, stressed and starting to feel the overwhelm, and then, it hits you. Sh*t. There’s no hope for staying healthy on road. Good bye green juice and yoga. Hello continental breakfast bagel and bloody mary. And 5 lbs. Sigh. The travel trap.

We’ve all been there. Who wants to think about keeping up with vitamins when you’re planning adventure excursions or making dinner reservations at that 5 star restaurant you saw on TV? It seems fine for the time being, but as soon as your butt lands back at home - reality hits. And the guilt.

There is another way. 

Don’t let traveling get you stuck in the vortex of airport Starbucks, hotel danishes or conference cookies! Living a healthy life is not a part time job.. and while it can be harder to keep up with our good routines on the road, it just takes some modification. Not sure about you, but I want to come back feeling just as good if not better than when I left! So here are 6 tips for keeping up with the healthy Joneses while hitting the road...

1. Use the Google.

So there’s this really awesome tool where you type in something like “healthy food in Soho” and out pops 5 results to check out! 

Ok, in all seriousness, DO YOUR PRE-TRIP RESEARCH. While you’re checking out hotels and tours for your trip, do some quick searches for healthy food options nearby such as cafes or juice bars. Are there farmer’s markets or produce shops nearby where you could buy veggies and fruit to snack on? You’d be surprised at the amount of accessible healthy food if you just look for it. Here are a couple of sites to get you going:

yelp.com - this one may be obvious, but it’s a goodie. Plus their mobile app with mapping and filter functions make it super easy peasy. I’m obsessed.  

http://www.happycow.net/ - an online healthy eating guide with listings across the globe.

2. SNAX: trail mix and raw bars

A killer trail mix is my favorite travel go-to... you gotta make it nutritient-packed AND tasty! My standard trail mix consist of raw almonds, cashews and macadamia (a splurge ;) along with superfoods like goji berries, golden berries and cacao nibs. Mmm mmm. The danger is you might finish the darn bag before your flight even takes off.

And then there are the raw bars. Now I’m really “meh” about bars since so many of them are chock full of sugar... but in a bind, they will make do. When you’re looking for a raw bar to munch on, make sure that there is some kind of balance between sugar in grams and protein amount so that your blood sugar doesn’t spike like crazy. I usually go for one of these three: Core Defender Raw Cashew & Cacao, GoRaw Spirulina Energy Bar, and Lara Bar Cashew Cookie. 

3. Juice! Well, green juice powder, that is. And you thought you were off the hook...

When I can’t bring my own green juice or access a juice bar while traveling (or to be honest, when I’m just feeling lazy) I opt for an awesome green juice powder. There are tons to choose from, but I currently enjoy these travel size packs from Amazing Grass - and they come in a variety of flavors to switch it up. You can even make a quick smoothie with the powder and any produce you can find if you take along a mini blender like the Magic Bullet (I love that lil’ guy!) and save some dough on food while abroad!

Bonus: For those times when you’re feelin’ like something warm and cozy, opt for a good travel oatmeal pack. I like the Three Sisters brand (mmm chai...) or Nature’s Path Flax Plus.

4. Keep on movin’! 

When we travel, it’s easy to put aside our exercise routine and go for the foodie tour. Or if you’re stuck in a conference, when the heck do you have the time, right? It’s important to make it EASY for yourself. Thanks to websites like DoYogaWithMe.com and apps like YOGAmazing or Daily Yoga, we can shake our asanas anywhere at anytime. Or sign up for some exciting excursions where you’ll get that body moving and heart rate going! Remember that exercising and moving your body boosts endorphins and gives you that ultimate high, in addition to revving up your metabolism and burning calories. And you thought you couldn’t feel any better on vacay...

5. Speaking of moving... keep that poop goin!

Yes I said it. Poop. Poop poop poop. 

Now that we’re over that, let’s talk regularity. Traveling, especially on planes, can totally mess it up, leaving us with constipation, bloated bellies and poor digestion. NO THANK YOU. So how do you avoid getting poop train sidetracked? Magnesium my friends. Magnesium Citrate not only gets your system moving so that you can avoid any unplanned “stop-overs”, but it also calms your nerves and muscle tension so you can truly relax. CALM or Bluebonnet are good brands. 

**Of course, please check with your doc before taking any supplements, y’all**

6. And lastly, because I’m such a fan of the ole’ neti... Neti Pot travel edition!

Ever notice how easy it is to get a cold or congested after traveling? The travel Neti Pot is gold for keeping those issues at bay. Stay clear of those airborne invaders circulating in the stale airplane air... gross. Another great thing to add is a DIY nasal steam - when you arrive at your destination, heat up some water in a bowl and toss in some mint tea or tea tree oil. After a long flight, breathing in that glorious moistness will be quite a relief :)

So the next time you’re cruisin’ across seas or jetting to NYC for a conference, try busting out these tricks and tools to keep your health on point and vibrancy dialed on HIGH ;)


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3.12.2013

Be cool and tap that app.

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That's right. Cheetos, that perfectly constructed lab "food" that took thousands of dollars and hours to get juuuuuust right... got a big fat D and a handful of warnings to go along with it. The picture is from an app I use called Fooducate, and it's one among the MANY new health and eco- conscious apps available to the masses (of smartphone users). 

It can be a confusing and daunting food world out there. Wild Wild West. Smoking gun at every turn of the grocery aisle. BAM! Victims of a corrupt food nation and we didn't even see it coming. Just the other day, I skipped out on reading the label of a seemingly innocent goji berry snack I purchased (hey - even health coaches let their guard down at times). Apparently the manufacturers thought it would be awesome if they doused the perfectly wonderful raw goji berries with tons of additives and added sugar - turning the pure and delicious gojis into poison, and making me out to be a fool.

"GOTCHA SUCKA!" - that's what I imagined them saying as I bought the overpriced bag without a second thought. 

Overly dramatic of me you say? Hardly. If you look at what this kind of behavior and lack of transparency by food corporations has done to the state of health in America and beyond, then it's hard to disagree. That's why it's KEY to take advantage of awesome new tools available to us now.

It's time to arm yourself like the 21st century smartphone-carrier you are... this means no more excuses. Transparency can be right at our fingertips - if we choose it. Make the right move and download these 9 cool apps that will help empower you when confronted with confusing and sometimes overwhelming food choices:

1. As a kid, I had this weird fascination with the scanner at the grocery store... and apparently it hasn’t entirely gone away because I can’t stop scanning my food with the Fooducate app! This free app lets you scan the barcode of any product (or just shake it for a random item), and proceeds to give you a letter grade, the number of calories per serving, and other health-related information. I likey a lot.

2. Similar to Fooducate, The GoodGuide mobile app makes it fast and easy to find safe, healthy, green, and ethical products, instantly delivering the information you’re looking for when you need it.

3. Say it ain’t Sole... avoid overfished and PCB-ridden seafood with the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch app. It’s easy to navigate and contains the Monterey Bay Aquarium extensive research and expertise regarding mercury, toxins, and sustainability of seafood choices. This app gives you quick lists of fish as the "best choice," a "good alternative" or one to "avoid." Super informative and detailed, this will help you choose in a jiffy at the fish counter.

4. Did you know that there’s a really good chance the seemingly healthy conventional celery stick you ate as a snack was highly contaminated, since conventional celery tested positive for 57 different pesticides. Eek. The Environmental Working Group’s Dirty Dozen app will help you discern the dirties from the Clean Fifteen with their easy to use shopper’s guide to pesticides. 

The following are for iPhones only. 
{sigh}... to my dismay - Android user :(

5. What’s on my food? If you really want to know, then this app is for you. From the Pesticide Action Network, the most recent data (ranging from 1999 to 2007) is used to give you super specific info that you most definitely want to know, showing possible carcinogens, hormone disruptors, neurotoxins, and more.

6. I love me some Mark Bittman. And now you can have him in your little pocket with his very own How to Cook Everything app, which has 2,000 recipes - there’s also a vegetarian version (2,000 meatless dishes). The best-selling author and NY Times columnist also gives us shopping lists, kitchen timers, and illustrations for cooking techniques such as chopping and peeling, all in his no-nonsense style. And if you don’t read his Op-Ed column in the Times, start now.

7. Say Hell No to GMO (Genetically Modified Organisms) with Non-GMO’s shopping guide app called ShopNoGMO. Those suckers are very sneaky and are in pretty much anything packaged, so make sure you let this little ole app help you avoid GMOs in the foods you buy at your grocery store.

8. Seasons app is all about foods that are in... you guessed it - season! From fruits, veggies, lettuces, herbs, mushrooms, and nuts - it lets you search by “local” and “imported” season. It also includes an international Farmers’ Market finder, you know, for all you lucky jetsetters who are not in Chicago right now (whose local food list items can most likely be counted on one hand during these colder months...).

9. Have an allergy or 2 (or 3...)? Or just want to avoid certain foods? Then check out Cook IT Allergy Free. This app has over 200 recipes that can all be customized to be made allergy free. Tell the app everything you’re allergic to, and it’ll automatically adjust the recipe to include a substitution. You can save your adjusted recipes, keep notes on your “trial & error,” create a shopping list, and more.

Do you have a favorite app that's not listed here? Let me know by writing a comment below! Share the wealth y'all.




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