go Green

TRYING TO BOOST YOUR HEALTH AND IMMUNITY? DROP A FEW POUNDS AND GET YOUR GLOW ON?

GREENING YOUR DIET IS A GREAT PLACE TO START.  LEAFY GREENS, AND I’M TALKING THE DARKER THE BETTER HERE, ARE NUTRITIONAL POWERHOUSES, FILLED WITH HEALTH PROMOTING VITAMINS, MINERALS, PHYTO-CHEMICALS + ANTIOXIDANTS. GREENS HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO AID OUR BODIES IN MYRIAD WAYS, FROM REDUCING INFLAMMATION, BOOSTING COLLAGEN + PREVENTING HEART DISEASE TO DECREASING CANCER RISK, PROTECTING SKIN FROM SUN DAMAGE + PRESERVING MENTAL ACUITY AND BRAIN FUNCTION AS WE AGE.

LEAFY GREENS ARE ALSO LOADED WITH FIBER AND WATER, MAKING THEM AN ALL-STAR ADDITION TO A HEALTHY WEIGHT LOSS AND MANAGEMENT PLAN: THE FIBER IN GREENS HELPS YOU FEEL FULL AND STAY SATISFIED LONGER WITHOUT PACKING ON ADDED CALORIES. IT ALSO ACTS TO SLOW DOWN THE ABSORPTION OF CARBOHYDRATES INTO YOUR BLOODSTREAM, STABILIZING BLOOD SUGAR LEVELS AND HELPING CURB THOSE PESKY CRAVINGS.  THE HIGH WATER CONTENT IN LEAFY GREENS ALSO PROMOTES WEIGHT LOSS BY KEEPING YOUR BODY HYDRATED AND YOUR APPETITE IN CHECK.

SO GO GET YOUR GREEN ON TODAY: TOSS GREENS INTO A SALAD, BLEND THEM INTO A SMOOTHIE , TUCK THEM INTO A SANDWICH, FOLD THEM INTO AN OMELET OR STIR THEM INTO A SOUP — WHATEVER YOU DO, JUST GET THEM ONTO YOUR PLATE.

#THISISGROUNDED: GREEN YOUR DIET. SMALL SHIFTS = BIG CHANGE.

Be a BOSS: Take Charge of your Body

MORE THAN 90% OF CHRONIC DISEASE IS LIFESTYLE DRIVEN.  

I WAS BLOWN AWAY BY THIS STATISTIC WHEN I FIRST HEARD IT! STILL AM!

HEART DISEASE, TYPE II DIABETES, ARTHRITIS, HYPERTENSION, STROKE, ALZHEIMERS, DEMENTIA, OBESITY, CANCER + OTHER ILLNESSES WE ‘VE COME TO ACCEPT AS BYPRODUCTS OF AGING + OUR GENETIC DESTINY, ARE IN FACT DRIVEN BY THE HEALTH HABITS AND BEHAVIORS WE PRACTICE OVER A LIFETIME.

MEANING THAT EVEN IF YOU ARE BORN WITH A FAMILY HISTORY OF HEART DISEASE OR TYPE II DIABETES, IT IS NOT A FOREGONE CONCLUSION THAT YOU WILL DEVELOP IT TOO.  YOUR DIET, LIFESTYLE CHOICES, ENVIRONMENT, STRESS MANAGEMENT SKILLS + SLEEP PATTERNS PLAY A MAJOR ROLE IN HOW YOUR GENES ARE EXPRESSED, LITERALLY DIALING UP OR DIALING DOWN DISEASE IN YOUR BODY.

IN OTHER WORDS, WE HAVE A BIG SAY IN HOW WE AGE! HOW GREAT IS THAT! WHILE NOT EVERYTHING IS IN OUR CONTROL, WE CAN TAKE POSITIVE STEPS EACH DAY TO PROMOTE VIBRANT HEALTH AND WELLNESS THROUGHOUT OUR LIFETIME.

HERE ARE A FEW TIPS TO KEEP YOUR GENES HAPPY AND YOUR BODY HEALTHY:

1. EAT PLANTS: EAT A WHOLE FOOD, PLANT STRONG DIET.  THINK RAINBOW WHEN IT COMES TO CHOOSING FRUITS + VEGETABLES TO ENSURE YOU GET THE BROADEST VARIETY OF POWERFUL PLANT PROTECTIVE COMPOUNDS.  

GREEN YOUR PLATE: LEAFY GREENS ARE BURSTING WITH VITAMINS, MINERALS + PHYTO-NUTRIENTS THAT KEEP YOUR BODY STRONG, HEALTHY + DISEASE FREE.  TRY TO INCLUDE GREENS AT EVERY MEAL, INCLUDING BREAKFAST.

WORK TO REDUCE OR ELIMINATE YOUR INTAKE OF SUGAR, PROCESSED FOODS, SATURATED + TRANS-FATS. 

2. MOVE OFTEN: REGULAR EXERCISE PROTECTS AGAINST HEART DISEASE, CANCER, DIABETES, OBESITY, DEPRESSION, ARTHRITIS, DEMENTIA + OTHER INFLAMMATORY DISORDERS. FIND AN EXERCISE ROUTINE THAT WORKS FOR YOU AND STICK WITH IT.  JUST GET MOVING!

3. SLEEP SMART:  YOUR BODY RESTORES, REPAIRS + DETOXES WHEN YOU SLEEP, SO MAKE SLEEP A PRIORITY! SHOOT FOR A MINIMUM OF 7-8 HOURS PER NIGHT + AIM TO BE IN BED BEFORE MIDNIGHT. SLEEP EXPERTS SUGGEST THAT WHEN YOU GO TO SLEEP MAY BE AS IMPORTANT AS HOW MUCH YOU SLEEP BECAUSE OUR SLEEP/WAKE CYCLE DICTATES THAT THE DEEPEST, MOST RESTORATIVE SLEEP OCCURS BETWEEN THE HOURS OF 8PM AND MIDNIGHT.

COMMITTING TO AN EARLIER BEDTIME WILL IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR SLEEP, HELP YOU FEEL REFRESHED + ENERGETIC UPON WAKING AND SUPPORT YOUR HEALTH.

STRESS LESS: STRESS TAKES A TOLL ON YOUR HEALTH AND HAPPINESS. BREAK THE CYCLE OF CHRONIC WORRY: SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS. LAUGH. SEE A FILM. ENJOY A RELAXING MEAL. CLOSE YOUR EYES + BREATHE DEEP.  TAKE A LONG WALK. ENJOY NATURE. LISTEN TO MUSIC. MAKE SELF-CARE A PRIORITY.  

KNOWING THAT YOUR DAILY HABITS AND CHOICES IMPACT YOUR BODY ON A DEEP, CELLULAR LEVEL IS EMPOWERING. HOW WILL YOU USE THAT KNOWLEDGE TODAY?

#THISISGROUNDED: NEW WAYS TO THINK ABOUT DISEASE AND AGING MOVE WELL. THINK WELL. SLEEP WELL. AGE WELL. EAT WELL. BE WELL.

Each day is the RIGHT day...

I had lunch with a friend this week. She told me she was feeling bloated, overweight + downright blah. She was upset with herself because, like so many of us, she made a New Year’s resolution to shed weight and get fit. But just 5 weeks into the New Year, she was already off track and feeling like a failure.

She went on to explain she was trying to identify another auspicious day to begin working towards her New Year’s Resolution.

This got me thinking about all the ways we roadblock our own path to success and the life we desire. Every moment of every day, we have the opportunity to set our intention and move towards the life we want. Be the person we want to be. Waiting for the “right day“ to begin our journey leaves us feeling: Stuck. Unfulfilled. Unhappy. Disconnected.

Every day you get to choose how you want to live and be in this world. Every moment provides space to re-set intentions and actions.

What are you waiting for?

#THISISGROUNDED: Every moment is a gift. Everyday is an invitation to step forward. Do better. Be more. Live more.