Category: Food Choices

Scheduling selfishness…

Surviving each day, week, month is difficult because there is this thing that is really hard for me…it is called constant responsibility.  As a teenager, I spent my days sitting on someone’s dock in a Minnesota lake, with my feet in the cool water, trying to figure out how I was going to spend the rest of my day. Or during really “difficult” times, you could find me driving by someone’s house to see if they were home and as bored as I was. I loved that if there was a mess or some clothes I needed washed…it was miraculously taken care of if I just left it long enough.  Fast foward to present day, and that mess cleaner, and boredom inducer of children…is me. Every minute can be filled with other people’s needs if I allow it to be. And if there happens to be a small window of the day that I try to have a few seconds to myself, someone always finds me…

I recently had my first ever girl’s weekend since becoming a mom. It was a weekend filled with zero productivity and instead, pure selfishness…or should I say, self awareness. I did nothing useful with my time, and instead did something that I haven’t done in so long…I took time to think about myself. One important facet of health, is not only eating right and exercising, it is about taking care of your mental and emotional health.  This is something that can often be forgotten in our daily lives.  We over-work, over-schedule, and “free time” is looking at what other people are doing on social media.

I chose to spend my time away from responsibility by spending a day at the spa, shopping, eating at great restaurants, and drinking far more glasses of champagne than I would like to admit.  I spent the weekend not thinking about anything but my happiness. Is that selfish?!? I don’t think so.  I think it is a way to slow down and think about how grateful I am for a chance to really LIVE, experience new foods, and most of all, I could really remember that deep down, I was still that same girl with her feet in the lake. I just haven’t had time to think about her in a loooong time.

Another important facet of this trip was the fact that I learned to make my days and weekends of “selfishness,” days to indulge on my health.  When people generally use vacations to over eat and make poor choices, I use trips away to find ways to be healthy in new and unique ways…I actually get excited by this.  I find restaurants that offer fresh and local ingredients. In fact, there is so much more emphasis on making healthy “fast food,” it has allowed some costs to stay down, and quality ingredients are no longer only found with a huge price tag (Some of my favorites are Modern Market, Larkburger, and Grabbagreen. One tip…if you search out gluten free or vegetarian in a respective city, it will lead you to great places.  If they have to pay attention to what is going into their foods, they are generally more conscience overall.) I also look for hikes and exercise classes offered through the places I stay. Staying active and moving your body while in new locations will create some excitement in your work out. Not to mention, food or a cold beer never tastes better than after an amazing workout (Yes. I said beer. Remember, it is about learning to make health fun by creating a happy and positive feeling around it).  And in regard to all of those glasses of champagne…I think my laughter and relaxation increased before I even had the first sip.

Health is about doing what is right for your total body. Find joy in creating a life that allows you to be full of energy, having a heart that can help you climb a mountain, and a mind that will be at peace after a weekend spent laughing with a girlfriend.  There are no right choices, there is a desire for a better life. Find joy in wanting that for yourself. And don’t forget to pass the champagne…

Strong mind. Strong heart. Strong body.

Val

Never stop living, but understand your body may be hurting

One of the most important parts of health, is to understand how your body functions.  As you go through your day, your heart never stops pumping blood throughout your body, your lungs fill that blood with oxygen, your gut is digesting and absorbing nutrients to give you energy, your liver clears the body of harmful substances, and your kidneys are constantly working to remove waste…and so on…With all of this in mind, it is not my belief that you should stop living and enjoying things you love, but to understand that if you treat your body poorly, it may be struggling to fix the damage. You body is amazing, and it works extremely hard to keep you healthy even when you treat it badly.  It is not realistic to make constant sacrifices and miss out on important events which are indulgent (such as all of the upcoming holidays!), therefore just remember to treat your body extra well surrounding these big events, and think about how you can help it recover.

With holiday events and parties comes constant desserts, candies, cocktails, and various other treats. With every piece of candy, dessert, or festive alcoholic beverage, there is going to be a rapid blood sugar spike (and eventual crash), which causes your body to release insulin.  Your body also needs to digest and excrete these unnatural colors, flavors, and substances, which takes work from your gut, liver and kidneys. Once again, I am not saying this to create negativity or guilt when you have one too many candy corn or Christmas cookies, I am explaining that your body may need a little more TLC.  My approach before a night out or a holiday party is to amp up on a few different things, so my body can function at the highest level possible.

  1. Drink lots of water.  Water is the holy grail of your body’s overall functioning.  Basically every part of you needs it and cannot do it’s job without it. It is also essential to continue flushing, detoxing, and excreting toxins. Especially with drinking any type of alcohol. I highly suggest prior to an “unhealthy” day or few hours, push fluids. Then continue to drink water throughout, and of course, following. Your body will need it.
  2. The party is over, and now you hungover in more ways than one.  Whether consuming sugar or alcohol, there will be spikes in blood sugar, and your body is going to go a little crazy. In fact, once you put these things in your body, you will only crave it more. They are both addictive. The following hours or days, your body is going to trick you into thinking you want more. You are going to feel hungover. This is my tip…don’t listen.  Stop treating yourself like crap. It is only instant gratification, and the pleasure goes away pretty quickly.  You have to live with your body forever.
  3. Always load up on healthy foods and probiotics, but especially on the indulgent days. If you have read any of my blogs, your know how much I love the gut.  It is linked to mental health, immunity, life altering health conditions, etc.  If you are consuming foods with little nutrient content, which are basically “fake” and unrecognizable to your body, your gut is going to be struggling to digest, excrete, and remove these types of toxins.  My approach is to load up on fruits and vegetables to make sure things are still able to move along (This is why it is your poop chute; that crap wasn’t meant to sit in there!), and help populate the “good” bugs. Then load up on any type of probiotic foods or supplements, so that when those unknown substances cause an environment where the “bad” bugs thrive, some outside sources may still give your gut a fighting chance.
  4. Give your liver and kidney a vacation for a few days.  All of the sugar from the desserts, candy, and alcohol are like a punch to your liver. Following a constant influx of the hard stuff, your liver is severely taxed, and this essential organ can be overloaded. In addition, your kidneys are also working hard to remove wastes, balance electrolytes, and keep your fluid balance in check.  Once your body is not able to identify these unnatural foods and drinks, it is then turned into waste. The waste is sent to your blood (which of course circulates throughout the body), and the kidneys have the huge undertaking of removing these waste materials.  If the body is always full of terrible stuff, the kidneys are overworked, and cannot efficiently remove waste from the blood. Therefore toxins build up and continue to cause damage throughout your body. Basically, if bad stuff keeps coming in, your body will continue to lessen its ability to get it out…and you can imagine how you are going to feel.
  5. How to fix it?  As terrifying as this all sounds, when I push for people to live a healthy lifestyle, I would never suggest taking away from holidays and things you love.  Live life, and enjoy these moments! They are filled with happiness and so many memories. However, I do highly suggest you think about how hard your body is working, therefore do everything you can to take care of it.  Indulgences happen, but days were not meant to be filled with them.  Eat your cookie, and move on.  Fill the rest of the day with taking care of yourself so you can FEEL good. Believe me, when you see how amazing you feel living a life full of energy, those days or hours filled with instant gratification will be quickly followed with trying to get back to living a healthy life.
  6. My favorite products for detox. I would never suggest products that I don’t personally use. I can attest that I use these two products every singe day, and I cannot speak more highly of them. The first is Bragg Organic Apple Cider Vinegar.  Apple cider vinegar is known to be antimicrobial, which helps break down bad bacteria, and aids with keeping a balanced digestive system.  It has also been discovered to prevent blood sugar spikes and interferes with carbohydrate absorption, therefore frequently studied and utilized in the diabetic population.  Additionally, it has been found to aide in the removal and flushing of toxins, and has links to decreasing inflammation, especially in arthritic patients. My suggestion is to start slow to get used to the taste. My husband and I have been drinking it daily for 5 years, and in the beginning, it was hard to get used to. But stick to it, I promise it will get better! I make it every night before bed (so it is cold, and I have no excuse not to do it since it is waiting for me). I mix 2-3 teaspoons with 1 tablespoon of Tart Cherry Juice Concentrate (full of antioxidants, an anti-inflammatory, links to reducing heart disease, cancer, arthritis, and gout).  Then I fill the glass with water, and chill in the refrigerator overnight.  I drink it throughout the day with meals.  The second product is Republic of Tea’s detox tea “Get Clean.” It claims to stimulate the liver, therefore assisting in the removal of toxins, and “gets things flowing.” There are also ingredients to encourage healthy digestion, and helps keeps the kidneys flushed. The tea also contains Indian sarsaparilla and red clover, which are known to be purifiers and tonics.  With the added vanilla and almond flavors, it really tastes great. I drink a cup every night before bed (sometimes two cups if I have had a little too much that day).  With fair warning, this is an herbal tea, therefore do not drink before speaking with your healthcare provider, especially if you are pregnant or lactating.

Please, enjoy these special moments. These holidays should be full of happiness, love, and all of the indulgences that come with it. Remember, happiness is a HUGE part of health. Do not hold on to regrets or feel guilty, and don’t spend a single moment worrying about the choices you made.  However, spend the minutes, hours, days around these moments, with finding joy in taking care of your body, and therefore your health. Find a love of taking care of yourself by learning that the sugar and alcohol “high” is so short and will never last.  But if you find a “high” off of healthy living, that will never end.

Strong heart. Strong mind. Strong body.

Val

Smell that cool air?!?!

If you have seen me anywhere recently, you would likely witness me soaking up each and every minute of the changing scenery, and letting the smell of decaying leaves fill my lungs. Why?!? I am trying to taste, smell, and feel fall. I also may be trying to see if I can smell the snow…which in Colorado, could come any day now. But back to my body’s attempt to totally absorb the feelings of fall… To me, fall brings the greatest feelings of change.  It is back-to-school, back to routine, and time to reassess the direction we are heading in the coming year. I personally love change.  In fact, I thrive off of it.  So for me, this is a time of personal growth.  I feel so refreshed when I tackle a project around the house and try to get our lives more organized, but I also love the feeling of looking for new foods to entice my interests.

We love going to restaurants, and living in a city like Denver, we have become spoiled.  “Fast food” restaurants have been replaced by foods with fresh, local, ingredients. The menus are often seasonal, as they present fruits and vegetables that are, get this…grown in season! There is so much “Colorado pride,” and with that is pride in the food grown here, supporting local farmers and our home economy.

I am not going to preach anything about GMO’s, organic, or make anyone feel guilty if they just cringe at the site of a vegetable (Hey, if you ate a fruit or vegetable today, and drank a good amount of water, way to go).  What I have found through the years is that everyone needs to change how they appreciate food. Food should be an experience.  Each bite should entice the senses.  If you are consuming something without flavor or substance…it is probably not real and lacks nutrition! Why monotonously consume a bag of chips while you sit in front of the television.  If you are craving something like that, have a few, enjoy them, appreciate it for what it is, and move on. Find foods that bring flavor and interest to your palate. That doesn’t mean it needs to be full of spices, sauces, or additives, it merely needs to be full of foods! Every meal I make, I throw in as many grains and vegetables I can. In fact, most of my cooking revolves around healthy oils, some flavor packed spices, and himalayan pink salt…simple as that.

I have taught my girls to see, taste, and recognize what is in their meals, instead of try to mask or hide it.  They get flavors from the actual ingredients. Believe me, they don’t love everything, and my two-year-old may spit out a thing or two.  But my five-year-old asks for her sandwiches in her lunch to have tomato and spinach on them. Her favorites “sides” right now are fresh cucumber, and she even loves salad. This took a lot of time, but eventually her palate formed into something open and welcoming to new tastes and flavors.  It took a lot of effort and persistence, by giving her everything and anything, but it was worth it. To me this is proof that if a child can learn to love “healthy” and fresh foods, an adult can too.

So my challenge now is not to present an idea that you need to go out and buy every weird fruit and vegetable in the grocery store. It is to take a meal you enjoy, and fill it with good things. I am definitely not a Martha Stewart, or a domesticated goddess.  If you came to my house, I would not be baking, nor making homemade holiday decorations. I will not open a page that includes ‘Pinterest.com’ in the web address. I never know what I am making for dinner until 5pm, and it is a rush to the pantry for ideas.  I just stock my fridge and pantry with GOOD food. Real food.  My reasoning behind gravitating towards natural and preferably organic items is that I like fresh food, and I want my food to taste like it should.  For example, we eat frozen pizza often, and I am proud of it. Many meals of my week include various formulations of veggie burgers and french fries, pasta, and quinoa.  However, I take those meals and add lots of healthy fillers. I basically prefer my meals to have the basis of someone who is a vegetarian or vegan, but every once in awhile, I throw in some meat (In fact, some of my favorite restaurants are vegetarian or vegan).  My gluten free frozen pizza night, includes throwing toppings of fresh avocado, and spinach or kale on top. Then we eat it with our hands like a pizza sandwich.  It is so delicious and more filling. My veggie burgers are topped with any vegetable I have left in the fridge. Either fresh, or sautéed on the stove with oil.  I often prepare my french fries fresh from potatoes, mixed with olive oil and an assortment of spices (Almost all taste great. So don’t shy away! Paprika and turmeric add a great kick), and pink himalayan salt. When the fries are fresh out of the oven, I often toss them with fresh parmesan cheese.  The pasta I commonly make is created with a base of many variations of vegetables.  If the girl’s don’t like it, at least they tasted it, and in the future may grow to love it. Additionally, I am always roasting vegetables.  It is difficult and often expensive to constantly be running to the grocery store to stock up on fresh vegetables, so I keep many variations of frozen ingredients in our freezer. As I walk down the grocery aisle, I fill my cart with frozen veggies of every shape and color, so no matter what I make, I probably have something that will work. It is also cheaper than the produce aisle, and the vegetables are frozen at the peak of freshness and maturity, therefore maintaining the nutrition and flavor. Often times I just toss them with oil and salt, and put them in the oven until crispy.  It is delicious, and makes any vegetable taste more appetizing…most of the time…

This simple change is just to create awareness with what you are eating. Make it an unforgettable experience. Fill it with color, tastes, and flavors. Love food. Enjoy it. Make it about living. Smell that air?!?! It is time to make a change.

Strong mind. Strong heart. Strong body.

Val

The 10 ways I choose a lifestyle of health

I don’t focus on the details.  Like I said in my last post, I focus on simplifying my life.  I choose simple, basic, and wholesome ingredients.  I don’t go to a gym or use a trainer.  I don’t obsess about what I eat, how much I eat, and I never feel guilty over food.  That is not the point of living a healthy lifestyle.  It is about moving past the details, and just choosing to listen to your body, your mind, and your heart.

If anything I say is overwhelming or stressful, it is not for you. Find a place to start that makes you excited. For example, find a great hike, and go with a friend. Or listen to a playlist that makes you happy about what you are doing in that moment.  Focus on how you feel. Focus on the scenery. Focus on the view. Live the here and now. And I probably wouldn’t think about kale…

In today’s post, I would like to discuss 10 ways I choose a lifestyle of health:

  1. Do what makes you happy.  First, aim to get excited about being healthy. If you don’t like something, you will dread it and grow to despise doing it. A great example is how I feel about the gym. I don’t like it. Period! I don’t like how it smells.  I am not a fan of people staring at each other.  I don’t love that I jump on one of many treadmills lined up along a wall, and how the super stinky guy or the girl with too much perfume always manages to pick the machine next to me.  I also don’t like the way girls glare instead of encourage, and how the guys act like they are amazing enough to stare at themselves in the mirror. Get over yourself buddy! Also, it is so much work to get there.  By the time I get my kids in the car, park, get into the locker room to change, I am already hungry and have lost all motivation. Exercise or good food choices may always be a hurdle, but if it is doable and maybe even a part of day you get excited about, then you will keep it up.
  2. Learn to love to sweat.  The more you move, the more your body will learn to love it. Do it to feel good, not to change how you look. It sounds odd, but I know when my body needs to sweat.  My chest feels tight, and I feel like my body desires more than the stress of the day.  I am not thinking about how much I ate or how much cellulite has creeped onto my legs overnight. I am thinking about how good I feel when I take care of my mind, my body, and my heart.  I feel stronger for it in so many ways.  And I never think about how many calories I burned or whether I am going to look great in the new jeans I bought.  I think about how I feel when I am done. Proud and accomplished. And probably more sane.
  3. Don’t think about size or weight…think about HEALTH. I never weigh myself. I don’t count calories or fat. I choose things that make my body feel good. I want to be strong. I want to have energy. I want to sleep well. So I move my body every day, and I think of food as nutrition and fuel.
  4. Read packages for nutrition content, and if you don’t understand it, your body won’t either. I love fat-filled foods…avocado, oils (coconut, avocado, olive), whole fat cheese, almond/peanut butter…it really is found in all meals of my day. I use it to enhance the flavors of my food and fill me up. I also salt almost everything with Pink Himalayan salt.  It is nutrient dense and gives my body things it needs. Focus on quality foods and put things in your body that count. Often times, the less ingredients the better!
  5. Change your focus on meals. Food is a source of energy and a foundation to how your body functions. It should be enjoyed and considered, but not a center point. See food as a supply for what your body needs. The basis should be fruit and vegetables. It is essential for fiber and gut health. Let’s face it…pooping regularly is a great sign for how your body is functioning. But those essential foods should not be a stress. Find things you enjoy. You need your MIND to change, and your taste buds will follow.
  6. Stop focusing on how you look, and instead focus on how you feel. If you feel like crap…change something. Desire more for yourself because you deserve better. Your body is telling you something, and you are not listening.
  7. Never stuff yourself. Why would you? So you can feel terrible afterwards? Not worth it. Your body won’t use it, and it will probably all be poop later…because it’s crap!
  8. Watch out for blood sugar spikes. I really do eat very little sugar.  I broke that habit, and it honestly changed my life.  Sugar is addictive, and they have found people really do get a”high” off the feeling of eating it. I highly suggest removing as much of it from your diet as possible. It will not be easy, but once it is limited, you really will crave it less. Instead of feeling “high” when you consume it, you will feel like crap.  It has no nutrition content, and makes your body have a strong reaction.  Every time sugar is consumed, there is a spike in blood sugar, and insulin is released. If this occurs frequently, and your blood sugar takes the form of a roller coaster, your body will react negatively. With this, the risk for diabetes increases. Instant gratification can turn into a life-altering health condition in the future.  And if you do feel like a cookie or piece of cake every so often, timing is important.  Have a great meal and drink lots of water first. The spike will be less dramatic, and you may find a smaller amount will be more satisfying. If you do indulge, enjoy it! Having a treat is not to be followed by instant guilt or regret. It is a part of living and enjoying life.
  9. “Skinny.” Fat.” “Diet.” Words that are not in my vocabulary, and will not be spoken in our house. Period. Those words suck. “Strong and healthy” are the only words my girls will hear.
  10. Just LIVE. It doesn’t matter what you look like. If people around you think differently…get new friends! The only person you have to impress is yourself. If you were a good person today and felt loved…it was a good day. So live like it.                                                                                                                                                                                                                         Strong mind. Strong heart. Strong body.

Val

Oh great…another “know it all” with a blog…

I know what you are thinking…another blog. What does this girl know that hasn’t been posted a million times before?  You are right! What do I know?!? I have a love of health.  I don’t push theories and opinions. As a nurse, I have a science mind. I love how the body works, and when it does what is should, it is amazing! If you have a cut, a cold, or you are just hurting from lack of sleep, things that are going on inside you are healing you and fighting for you.  For anyone who has had poor health, you know how much it has sucked. You felt helpless, and had no control.  As a nurse, I have seen medicine cure…but it is really your body who was fighting. Treat it like it will one day bring you back to life.

I have never dieted. I don’t weight myself…ever! I also don’t look in the mirror trying to find the “ugly.” I LIVE to love life.  I enjoy food. I like a cocktail here and there.  I focus on how I feel, and I love to feel healthy and happy. I want to show other people how I have changed my view of my body, and the world I live in. I focus on being strong…strong mind, strong heart, and a strong body.

Each week I want to share with you different ways I strive to better myself and my family.  No one has time or energy to incorporate a bunch of different things into their routine or diet.  If you have to plan and stress, you won’t keep it going.  I have found a way to simplify my routine, to focus on quality, instead of quantity.  I am not a perfect wife or mother, and I don’t have very much control of my day with two busy little ones.  I want to show you products and foods that I love, how I learned to love working out, and how I can let go of all of the negativity.

I have always been an active person.  One thing I haven’t had to work on, is the desire to exercise and stay fit. But I was not putting the right things in my body, and I wasn’t feeling the way I thought I should at a young age.  After years of being unreasonably fatigued, in a mental fog, and feeling my happiness was falling as much as my weight, I started trying to find answers. Every month I would come home from college for another visit to the doctor for scans, blood tests, and stool samples, and finally I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease at 21.  Then after getting married and suffering hormonal and menstrual problems, I was diagnosed with PCOS at 26. I was suddenly facing reproductive issues and infertility.  I felt as though my body was against me.  I was falling apart from the inside out.  At that point I started to gain weight, and I lost some interest in my health and my desire to exercise.  I felt lost.  But as time went on, with the assistance of doctors, I was able to get pregnant. I was going to be a mother, and I now was the luckiest person in the world. It was time to stop feeling sorry for myself.  And that began my journey to clean up my diet, my work out habits, my skin care and cleaning products, and the way I viewed the world. So I started caring about what was in products. I became passionate about learning how to use things in my environment to heal myself from the inside out.  I started buying natural, clean, and organic everything.  I loved going to health food stores, and learning everything about anything I could get my hands on. One of the things I love the most about being a nurse, is learning how the body works.  I now use this new knowledge to focus on filling my life with the things that allow it to do so. I believe in science and holistic health, and I am passionate about making every day count.

People often come to my house, and leave with some new ideas of how to make their lives better.  I love telling people about things I have discovered, and giving them a realistic view on how they can change.  I want others to get “high” on doing something good for themselves, and making each day a little better than the last. No one is perfect. No one goes to bed at night without feeling some self doubt and negativity. Therefore I am hoping that if people get anything out of reading my blog, it is that we are all in this together. We are all on a different journey.  Life is about learning from our mistakes, and trying to be better each and every day. Be kind. Be healthy. Be strong.

Strong mind. Strong heart. Strong Body.

Val