Category: Mental Health

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

 

Focusing on the heart

February and Valentine’s Day can be a sore spot for many, but thankfully this post has nothing to do with that type of lovey fake fluff. My focus for this day has always been on what it can represent…reminding us all to love and be kind. Do you really want to know how to make your life feel fulfilled and happy, be kind and bring happiness to others. It will make you feel like you have never before. By this I don’t mean you need to go out and join a charity or volunteer (which of course are amazing if you do!!), I mean show everyone you meet kindness and love…the ones that don’t act that way toward others, are often the ones that need it the most.

Working in a hospital, I got a view into people’s lives in the most personal and emotional manner. These patients and families were faced with stress none of us can prepare for, and life decisions no one is ready to face. In fact, I saw family dynamics and personal struggles surface that no one knew were even there prior to these situations. One thing I learned and would take away is…no one knows anyone’s life or personal struggles. One family would be saying goodbye to a family member with so many prayers and love, and another could not cope with a life without them. Life is stressful. Life is so hard. And none of us know what we are doing. My theory is, show kindness to everyone and hope they spread the same to others. With that, don’t be a pushover! Still be the strong mind, heart, and body I preach. But take the strength you are gaining every day, and spread it to others by words and actions that are positive and hopeful. We all need it.

But with that, how can we take all the corniness I described above and make this month of love truly meaningful. I have a few insights…

  1. Love yourself and be confident. You may feel like with the hustle and bustle of life around you, there are times you feel so small and insignificant. But guess what, you are supposed to be here. No matter what level of impact you make, the world would not be the same without you. We are all different for a special reason, and life would not be the same without you. I am saying this because you have to know that when you go through your day, in one way or another you have impacted others, and can positively affect people around you if you choose to! So are you going to drift into the shadows, or are you going to be the surprising light on someone’s day. But make sure to save some of the light for you. If you are not kind and show love to yourself, it makes it really difficult to spread it to others.
  2. Be the smile that catches someone’s eye. Have you ever made eye contact with someone, and they gave you a smile that caught you off guard. Where your first thought is…why are they smiling at me? Then you realize, oh they are just one of those special people that actually smile at others for no reason?!? Just because they are nice?!? That smile may have made you make a misstep on to the curb, but the following steps you took that day were probably were a little lighter. Remember that. Small things make a big difference to others.
  3. Pay a compliment to as many people as possible. After the age of 18, I feel like I graduated into a time where compliments vanished. There was so much build up where people wanted you to succeed and flourish, and then one enters adulthood where this big shadow of insecurities, judgment, and competition lie. When someone would say something nice, my response would be fragmented and forced, you would think I had never heard something nice in my life. That is when I decided I was going to compliment people as often as possible…good friends, complete strangers…any time a nice thought came into my head, I did something crazy…I said it out loud…to them. Some examples are, “I love your hair.” “I like your shirt.” “You look really nice today.” Nothing groundbreaking. Things you may have noticed and probably were in your thoughts, but hey, why don’t we start saying these things out loud. Make others feel good. That simple.
  4. Keep your circle small, and love hard. When I was in my geriatric nursing class (aka old people), there was one thing that really stuck with me. As people age, their “circles” get smaller because they know their time on their Earth is getting shorter, and they want to spend it with people they really care about. To me this theory was so profound. Find the ones you love, and give them your time, your thoughts, and your energy. We only have so much life left to live, so give yourself fully to people you really love. You never know how many memories you have left to make, so you better start now.

As you make changes in your health, there is no bigger change you could make then in your heart. Impacting others in a positive light will make you grow as a person more than you could ever imagine. My blog is all about keeping things simple and realistic. Spreading kindness in small ways every day, will make a huge impact on who you are the rest of your life. Grow in your heart, and the world around you may follow.

Strong mind. Strong heart. Strong body.

Val

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

The problem with America…gut health

I will tell you what one of my favorite words is…POOP!  It is a part of my every day conversations, and I feel like it should be.  The first question I would hope every doctor would ask is…”Do you poop every day?” The goals I have for my children include: that they are kind to everyone, they are happy most of every day, and that they poop often. I will be frank…I poop every time I eat, about 4 times a day.  Too much information for you?!?! Get over it, and start paying attention to what is going on in your own bathroom.

More and more things are coming out about poor health, and the link to gut flora (the good bugs that live there).  A combination of processed foods and stress have created a change in the flora that live in our digestive tracts, and things grow that should not.  Unfortunately, it is difficult to adequately test gut flora in a normal office visit, so let’s focus our attention on how we can attempt to fix it.

The most recent studies have shown links between gut flora and depression. Mental health has skyrocketed around the world, and children are being diagnosed with depression at younger and younger ages.  I am not placing the blame all on the gut, however I think focusing on keeping such a large organ healthy, should always be a priority.  Researchers are in the early stages of pinpointing beneficial bugs that can be used in the treatment of depression and anxiety.  They are called psychobiotics.  These studies have found that when people used these psychobiotics daily for a month, they more calmly reacted to stress, and reported reductions in their depression and anxiety. This is related to findings that the brain and gut strongly communicate, and research has suggested that probiotics tell the brain to secrete oxytocin and serotonin that make you feel relaxed and happy.

Another major issue related to an unhealthy gut involves your immune system. In fact, 70 percent of the cells that are in charge of your immunity, lie in the lining of your digestive tract. A big part of it’s functioning is related to how well it is able to rid of your body’s toxins.  Unfortunately, due to chronic poor eating, and the lack of beneficial flora, those toxins are not going to be excreted properly, thus affecting your immune system. Therefore, people’s health can be greatly affected by something they are completely unaware of.

Immunity and mental health are areas everyone should find extremely important for daily living and a quality life. Therefore probiotics and gut health should be a priority.  To change your gut, and stress the re-establishment of beneficial bugs, it is important to focus on clean eating, and foods high in probiotics.  For instance, the basis of all diets should be fruits and vegetables, along with whole grains. This will increase fiber intake and help the good bugs do their job. It is also important to focus on fermented foods such as yogurt, sauerkraut, kefir, and kimichi.  I am honestly not a huge fan of any of those foods, so I take a high quality probiotic daily, and drink lots of kombucha and apple cider vinegar.

If you were to take any form of supplements, I would highly suggest investing in a quality probiotic. It is so important to your health, and a probiotic will never be a waste of money (unlike other supplements, where benefits are often unclear). Look for ones that say “live active cultures,” which in most health food stores, are found in the refrigeration section of the supplement aisles.  I have been taking one with 100 billion cultures, and it has been amazing for my body and my digestion.  I have not been sick in years, and I largely believe it is due to my attention to my gut.  My girls also take probiotics daily, and even as babies, were given probiotic powder in their milk.

With all of the healthy things I have incorporated into my daily lifestyle, I really do live off a basis of how amazing our bodies can function if we allow it to.  Anatomy and pathophysiology were my passion in nursing school, and I really focus on incorporating a simple approach…your body wasn’t made to handle things that are not wholesome and real.  So try your best to eat, drink, and move in a way your body needs and desires.  It is the only body you have. Treat it well, and it will treat you well.

Strong mind. Strong heart. Strong body.

Val