Category: Energy

How I have raised my kids with a foundation of health

Thinking back to when I was a kid, it really is astounding how much “health” has changed over one generation. I used to hear at a young age that it was ideal to be skinny, and perfection was attainable with the right diet, restriction of calories, or if someone could just maintain some kind of workout regimen for a few weeks before they had to wear a swimming suit on vacation. That is not health! That is just stupid. Although these actions may have resulted in a little weight loss and therefore caused people to think that they “looked” better with these extreme measures, the inside of their bodies were most likely confused, hungry, and therefore probably angry (a.k.a hangry), and probably not functioning any better. Therefore, they may have looked good in that swimming suit, but their health did not change for the better. Not to mention, none of these habits are maintainable long-term when the only goal in sight is to be “skinny.”

With my little ones, I have changed these habits drastically. As I often preach, I NEVER say “fat,” “skinny,” “diet,” and I make a point not to look for imperfections in the mirror. Instead, I use words like “healthy,” “strong,” “brave,” “confident,” “kind,” and we flex our muscles in the mirror like crazy people. There are enough terrible thoughts that will sadly be put in to their minds by others, therefore I am trying to make them strong within their own hearts and bodies. With that, they will maybe face the world with a better ability to block out all the crap and nonsense. I can hope.

Another way I show my girls the importance of health is through making choices. I never make food a stress. If there is a meal they don’t like, I just ask that they take one bite of everything on their plate. The more they are exposed to tastes and flavors, the more their palates will mature. We all sit down at the dinner table together, with the same dinner. When I grab a handful of spinach and put it on my plate, my 2 year-old will do the same. She doesn’t enjoy it or eat it like I do, but when we all have the same meal in front of us, she is watching and learning from us. She takes a few bites, and through observing everyone else eat, she knows she needs to eat it too. She is open to new tastes and flavors because she has never had another option. Also, when it comes to candy and snack requests…it is a part of childhood. If I said “no” to everything, one day they would discover it, and not be able to get enough. Whenever they ask me for something, I consider the time of day, whether they have eaten or are hungry, and the proximity to meal time. For instance, they often ask for something sugary before lunch. I always ask that they give their body healthy food first, and afterwards they can have a treat. Then I take out as many veggies as I have with hummus, and whatever fruit I have on hand. Then they munch while I make their lunch (which believe me, is nothing complicated). I also encourage them to constantly drink water. I have reusable water bottles filled in the fridge, and I give that to them constantly. Thirst can exhibit as cravings. By the time lunch is done and they run off to play….99% of the time they have forgotten about their sweets request.

Another thing I encourage is for them to make their own healthy choices, and understand WHY it is important for their bodies. They feel less deprived when I tell them their bodies will “feel crazy on the inside,” if they eat sugar right before bed. If they want a cookie before dinner, I explain that their blood sugar is low which makes their body crave unhealthy things. I follow this up by loading a cutting board with vegetables and fruit, and cold bottles of water, and let them go crazy. After this I also think it is important to follow-up afterwards by letting them see how much better their bodies feel by having these healthy snacks. Then when we do have cupcakes or cookies, I say nothing about what they are doing. Like I said, I don’t want these moments to be a stress. Food should be enjoyed, and I don’t want them to feel deprived. The instruction only comes at times when better choices could be made. My only goal is to form their minds and teach their bodies to not crave the bad stuff, and have their palates be open to new flavors and foods. Also, since candy and preservatives are not a part of our routine, tastes such as the sweetness of a fresh apple will only taste that much sweeter. Real food on palates uninhibited by sugar addiction is food like no other.

Kids understand much more than we give them credit for. They hear, see, and absorb so much with their ever growing craniums. Therefore, be the role models they need. Look at your own body through their eyes. You are their hero. You are their everything. You are perfect just for being you. Now when you look in the mirror, be the person you want them to be one day. Maybe you will see a smiling and confident face looking back at you. One that is ready to take on the day, filled with the energy and happiness you deserve. Move your body and show your kids that you are taking care of yourself so you can better take care of them. A strong body is merely a reflection of so much more going on inside of you. Do it for you, and do it for those little eyes watching you…learning from you..little ones that will only grow up to want it too.

Strong mind. Strong heart. Strong body.

Val

 

Being healthy on a budget

As someone who is obsessed with everything healthy (and noting how amazing I feel and the way my body has transformed), there is still a huge hurdle that is very hard to overcome. The super high cost of living this way. It is undeniable. When I walk through the check-out line at Whole Foods or Natural Grocers, I do have this moment of PANIC. Just waiting for those digital numbers to pop up on the screen with the final total…I feel a little sweaty and some quickening of my heart rate. I know it is not going to be good. But I can’t stop. I am addicted.

As I have purchased many, many products during my search for the best things I could incorporate in to my life, there are some that are very reasonable and have huge benefits, and there are some that are costly, but can be worth it when the healthy benefits are considered. Therefore, I created a list based on my own opinion, on what I find to be the most reasonable way to incorporate natural/organic products in to your life.

Beauty: Unfortunately it is much harder to find mainstream stores that carry makeup and lotion that don’t contain all of those ingredients which are supposedly messing up our hormones and causing issues internally. I have found that people really do become loyal to certain products, and don’t like to give up what personally works for them. I understand. I always believe that you should try to cut out any products you can part with, or just limit the exposure (from personal perspective, my grandma passed away strong and healthy at 97 years-old, and wore lipstick and perfume every single day). Unfortunately, our bodies don’t seem to be handling the constant influx of toxins from so many different sources. Therefore, I recommend taking a beauty detox. Let your skin breathe whenever possible. If you have some blemishes and are afraid how you look…who cares! The only person you are caring about in this moment is yourself. Then try to find more “natural” products for things that cover the largest amount of surface area (As a nurse, I applied pain medicine patches to patients surface layers of skin, so if you don’t think stuff absorbs, you are sadly wrong). I recommend more natural ingredients in lotions that are being used on large amounts of your body, along with deodorant, concealers and powders, and anything you put on your lips (duh…you are eating that crap!). I really like the makeup and lotion brands found at natural foods stores, and it may be a good place to start. My current favorite line of makeup is called Mineral Fusion mineral makeup, which is made in Denver, CO. With that being said, if there are certain products you really love and work well for you…keep those for the special days and occasions. All we are trying to do is lessen the exposure over time.

Fruits/Veggies: The Environmental Working Group (EWG) each year comes out with a list called “The Dirty Dozen”, and this list seems to be a strong standard for what is felt is the top items to consider buying organic. I feel that the list is helpful and beneficial to keep in the back of your mind, but the rule I try to follow most is: buy organic for the foods you eat the MOST. For instance, my girl’s love carrots, and eat them all day long. I always buy organic carrots because they are consuming such a large amount of them. The food industry is slowly changing, but I really don’t trust any labeling on foods these days. Therefore, I just try to buy as close to the source as possible, and preferably from small, local farms.

Powders and supplements: I have to say…this is the major problem area for me in regards to spending (possibly unnecessary) money. I love finding a new “green” powder, or supplement that will give me the energy and “feel good” feeling I always crave. In this area, I recommend to anyone who is working out and trying to get on a healthier life track, to buy a quality protein powder, with one added “green” powder. Some of my favorite companies are Garden of Life, Sun Potion, Pure Encapsulations, Amazing Grass, and Vital Proteins. All because they are known to have higher standards for quality along with labeling their products honestly. My reasoning behind investing in a few of these powders is related to studies that state drinking protein within 30 minutes of a work-out will help you repair/build muscle, and stabilize blood sugar and hunger so there won’t be the crash in an hour that makes you want to eat a whole sleeve of Oreos. I actually make a protein drink every afternoon whether I workout or not. It keeps me full and satisfied until dinner, and has helped me completely stop snacking. It takes a bit to get used to, but I encourage you to experiment with various ways to make it taste good enough that you will want to continue drinking it. I usually mix my protein in my favorite green juice, or put a scoop in a smoothie with various fruits and vegetables. As far as supplements, that is very specific to the individual. I always recommend a quality probiotic because it is heavily researched to benefit so many aspects of your body and life (immunity, mental health, prevention of many chronic conditions). I encourage everyone to get a blood test to find out if you are deficient in anything. For instance, my iron and B12 were extremely low last summer. I thought I was “mom tired,” and it turns out, it was so much more.

Fluids: Last but not least. Buy a water filter…and chug chug chug water. All day long. It comes at a minimal cost, helps flush out the “crap,” and it is generally needed by every single part or your body for basic life functioning. I also highly recommend buying a reusable water bottle to refill over and over. Not only does it reduce waste, but it is habit forming. Once you start carrying it around with you (everywhere you go!!!!), you will suddenly find your water consumption increasing tremendously, and you will start seeing how your body will only crave it more. Another example of how you can teach your body to desire the good, and not the bad.

I really wish we lived in a world where organic did not need to exist; that all foods were great for us, and we didn’t have to hear such a mix of information about what is healthy one week, and suddenly it is terrible for you the next. Sometimes I feel like we are all doomed…but then I find a new product down the aisles of my local grocery store, or get a whiff of the fresh scents at a Farmer’s Market…and I get excited to push through another day…

Strong mind. Strong heart. Strong body.

Val

 

Take care of the inside first, and the strength will come

So we are a few months into our healthy New Year. Now it is time to re-evaluate. Do not step on the scale. Do not even go near it. Focus on how you FEEL. Has your energy increased? Are you sleeping any better? Do you see any baby muscles popping up any where? If you haven’t reached any of these yet, THAT IS OKAY! People who go crazy and do too much too quickly get burnt out. Take it slow. Take everything day by day. Make changes by focusing on each day, each meal, each hour if you need to. Look forward to doing something for yourself that is going to make you a little bit healthier today. Maybe you started drinking more water; started going on long walks in the fresh air; or maybe you started adding a pile of greens to your dinner…all small but important accomplishments that are making your body cleaner, stronger, and more efficient on the inside. The outward stuff is only as important as you make it. The blood is flowing, and your muscles, heart, and lungs are all waking up. Do not stop now.

Now take a step back and look at the changes you have made. What have you loved? What has been terrible? The obvious response may be: It has all been HARD; remember though that you are teaching your body something new, and you have to constantly remind yourself that it is going to become something so much better. Those first few weeks of moving your body are challenging. Especially if it is something new, or something you are returning to. But you have to push through. When you are not in shape, things are not going to work well. But as things start changing and you teach various parts of your body how it should function again, things will get better and better. Do not quit. Do not give up. Think of this first month as a giant hill you need to run up. When you get to the top, it is going to be glorious. On a side note…if you keep in shape and keep health a priority…these giant hills will not be so giant.

It is also time to check in and see how you feel about the new foods that have been incorporated in to your diet. Are you exploring REAL foods with amazing ingredients? Are these real foods tasting good? Honestly, if they don’t, you have to come to the realization that something is not right with your body. It should make you want to push through this time even more. Your body needs to relearn what it should be eating, and therefore what foods it craves. If your body is full of crap and toxins, that is the food it will want more of. If you give your body energy-filled, nutrition-packed foods that make you feel amazing, then you will want only that. Focus on foods that will fill you up and leave you satisfied. You never have to sacrifice when your body is being fueled with things that make you feel good. With every meal add veggies, add whole grains, add colorful seasonal foods. Make your meals even more exciting than they were before because you know you are doing something amazing for yourself. One of the biggest tips I can give you…instead of getting excited and anticipating cookies or ice cream, get excited about finding a new “green powder” to add to your smoothie, or a energy-packed bar that is going to make you feel good in a way sugar never could. Plus, it doesn’t come with a stomachache or sugar crash. That high is one that is hard to come down from.

Welcome to a life of health. It will never be easy, and the road will always be long. But when you are feeling amazing, you can take that road head on, and have fun making it an amazing journey. You have a wonderful, amazing body just waiting for you to wake it up and show it that it is pretty fricken awesome. It is yours. Take care of it. Improve it often. Make your journey unbelievable.

Strong mind. Strong heart. Strong body.

Val

 

Setting realistic goals for the New Year

Oh hey January. Or what I like to call…holiday hangover month. I am not sure if I am more mentally or physically tired from all of the “too many’s.” Too many Christmas parties, too many holiday drinks, too many late nights and early mornings. Instead of taking this behavior and having regrets and thinking my mistakes make me who I am today, I actually do the exact opposite. I have no regrets. I loved every late night and fancy cocktail I consumed. It was a stream of holidays to remember. Now I get excited about how I can transform my body back to what I crave for it to be. A body that can run up the stairs without losing a breath. A body that enjoys the pull of every muscle as I lift my children easily in the air. A body that just feels good.

My goal of this blog is to transform HOW people view health. I want you to see that your body functions a certain way, so you need to focus on that instead of the numbers on the scale. If you would like to make goals for the New Year, this is what I recommend. Don’t aim for a certain amount of weight or inches to lose. That is not realistic or maintainable, and it does not teach you how to live a healthy life. Instead, make goals of ways you can be healthy every single day. Get excited about taking care of yourself. Don’t set standards and goals that are not maintainable.  For example, this is how I live a life of health in the New Year:

  1. Move your body as often as you can…between 2-4 times a week. Keep a small range of numbers. If you start out high, it leads you to feel constant regret and defeat when you don’t reach that number. That will not encourage you to keep this positive behavior going. This is about maintaining. Also, find things you enjoy. Walk, run, hike, partake in a workout class. But don’t allow yourself to skip it too often.  If you do it once, you will do it again, and continue to rationalize it until that number returns to zero times a week. Make it a part of your normal life. You need to build muscle, bone, and get your heart and lungs working. Also, don’t worry if you are terrible running up that hill or fall over in yoga class…the point is not to be perfect. The point is to challenge yourself.  And you are not there to impress anyone but yourself…especially not that girl in the expensive work out gear.
  2. Once you start routinely working out, you will find that those processed, “artificial” foods will not be as satisfying. Foods are fuel, and if you provide your body with the right nutrition, your body will take it, utilize it as it should, and only make you feel better. If you work out, and then eat processed, nutrition-lacking foods, you will feel heavy and worn down, like your work out was cancelled out by your body struggling to rebuild with nothing. I prefer oatmeal with hemp, chia, and almond butter. Sandwiches piled high with avocado, tomato, greens, and possibly an egg. Within 30 minutes of exercise, I drink protein mixed with amazing grass powder. It boosts metabolism and satisfies me until my next meal. I do not consider calories. I choose nutrition packed foods that fill me up, and never weigh me down.
  3. Become best friends with your water bottle. I recommend buying a water bottle you love. One that you will proudly carry as an accessory. It is now a part of your life.  Water is the basis to basically every bodily function, and helps you remove wastes and toxins. Drink…drink…drink. If you don’t like water, you should probably recognize that as an issue, because you have messed up a natural human need. I actually keep reusable water bottles in the fridge for me and my children.  That way I can just grab it for them and me as we walk out the door. Make it easy on yourself. No excuses.
  4. Focus on gaining muscle, and not on losing weight. I really despise the words “fat” and “skinny.”  What does that even represent?  I know people that are skinny and are incredibly unhealthy and out of shape.  I know people on the heavier side that are constantly working out and eating right. To me, weight depicts very little. Therefore, I encourage people to start looking at their body to find muscle, not fat. Enjoy getting stronger, therefore getting healthier every day. Find a work out that makes you want to go home and flex in the mirror. Once you work on making your body strong, your mind and heart will follow.
  5. Don’t diet. Don’t overeat. Don’t count calories. I am naturally an incredibly healthy eater. Not because I make myself, but after going through a period of cutting out sugar, diet coke, and all the foods filled with crap…I basically went through a detox. And now, guess how much of that stuff I crave…none of it! If an opportunity comes up to have a cookie or piece of cake, it doesn’t even taste that good to me. I encourage every one to cut the crap, and allow yourself to reset. Once your body learns sugar is out, it will no longer crave it like it once did. You need to get through an ugly period, but it is the best thing you could do for yourself. Then, just love food. Food is awesome, and it should not be a stress. I eat for flavor, for the experience, and to enjoy life. You are supposed to eat…just make sure everything on your plate is REAL.
  6. Finally, feel good about YOU. Is that corny? Is that too broad? Is that even realistic? I am just saying, give yourself a chance. Don’t give up on having a body you feel good in. If you are full of toxins and waste from many days of treating yourself badly, you are not living life to the fullest because you probably don’t feel that great. Start small and start realistically. You cannot change overnight, and don’t feel bad when you don’t. Just want a better life for yourself, and every day get excited that you are getting a little bit closer to a more healthy you. Just be happy you have this awesome body working hard for you every day, and it is yours to take for a ride. Make it a joyful one.

Strong mind. Strong heart. Strong body.

Val

Forget the soda…pass the kombucha.

Anyone who knows me personally, knows I am addicted to kombucha.  I have at least one a day, and we never run out in our home.  In fact, my husband has his beer fridge, and now I have my kombucha fridge.  To me, that cold, glass bottle holds so much goodness, and when you realize all it has to offer, you may want to get addicted too.

Kombucha is actually fermented tea. It can be made at home using a “colony of bacteria and yeast,” also know as a SCOBY or “mother.”  Although, be wary of any type of home brews, as there has been health risks related to contamination.  I purchase mine at Whole Foods, Target, and most health food stores. My favorite being: G.T.’s, Clearly Kombucha, High Country Kombucha, and Happy Leaf Kombucha; due to the fact that they tend to have a high amount of kombucha and a small amount of juice and added ingredients.  With any brand, check the ingredients, and be cautious of any formulations that contain high amounts of sugar (I would aim for less than 10 grams, preferably less than 4 grams).

This beverage has actually been around for 2,000 years, and the ancient Chinese called it the “Immortal Health Elixir.” Although it has newly risen in popularity in the United States, Germany and Russia have been relishing in it’s health benefits for over a century. Regions of these respective countries were seemingly void of cancer, and they found that it correlated to that area’s high consumption of kombucha. I am in no way saying that if you drink kombucha you will not get cancer. I really wish it was that simple.  However, there is information out there that some people and/or cultures, believe it does have some substantial health properties that allow the body function at a higher state and it could be related to their kombucha drinking. So I will continue to reach for the kombucha just in case.

Another great thing is due to the process of fermentation, kombucha becomes carbonated (hence the soda replacement), and contains b-vitamins, enzymes, vinegar, and probiotics. Because of this composition of ingredients, there are claims that it can improve digestion and provide immune support (probiotics and enzymes), increase energy (b-vitamins), aid in cleansing and detoxification (vinegar), along with what was stated previously, possible cancer prevention.

I recently talked to a Vietnam vet who said, “I have been smoking cigars since I was 12, and drinking whisky since I was 13, and I outlived two doctors who told me to stop.” This in itself shows that nothing is perfect in making healthy choices, and the route to maintaining a healthy lifestyle is often skewed and full of misinformation.  But before you throw all of this health stuff to the curb, I am just emphasizing to not make it stressful. Keep it realistic, and don’t compare yourself to anyone else.  I drink kombucha daily, and it will stay a part of my life because I love it. Find what you love and what makes you better, and stick with it. But keep in mind, the studies are lacking in the whisky and cigar combo…and to be honest…the guy looked terrible…

Strong mind. Strong heart. Strong body.

Val