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FRESH START CHALLENGE #6: WHERE COULD YOU USE MORE BALANCE IN YOUR LIFE?

2/27/2013

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Balancing your lifestyle is so SUPER DUPER important!!! For me, by balance, I mean eating a balanced diet of healthy, nutritious foods and leaving some room for indulgence (I said some!! lol), exercising daily and sweating to release toxins and produce endorphins (Ok!! I will admit this is my challenging one!! I get into a routine and follow it religiously for months and then something happens where I break the routine, and BAM. Before I know it exercise is a thing of the past.. So This is My Challenge to get back and get motivated!!), getting enough sleep each night and feeling well rested, participating in healthy, meaningful relationships, feeding your soul (doing something JUST FOR YOU), and practising some form of meditation, spirituality, or belief that is supportive and healing. Living a balanced life helps coping with day to day life much easier. I believe that when we don't live balanced lives our bodies make sure we make up for it somehow..For Example getting sick. :-( Our bodies' need rest and eventually will tell us that in different ways that force us to shut down for a bit and take a much needed break. These are some lifestyle habits that I think are important:

SOMETHING JUST FOR YOU: Whether you read a good book, go for an after dinner walk, take a bath, or sit in a sauna before bed, it is good to find something you enjoy that is just for you everyday. This gives you a little break from everything else and gives you something to look forward to each day. What is something that you love to do that is just for you?


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FRESH START CHALLENGE #5: IMPROVING DIGESTION

2/19/2013

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Bringing Awareness to Digestion For Optimal Health

We’ve all heard the Expression.. “You are what you Eat!”  You are also what you Absorb (or don’t absorb). This is absolutely true when it comes to your Digestion and the Digestive process. When your Digestion is processing symptom free, the better chances you have to properly absorbing all of those vital nutrients! Good digestion is as important as good food because our cells can’t use what our body can’t absorb.


Signs of Poor Digestion:
Constipation, Un-digested food in the stool, Bloating, Stomach aches, Heart Burn, Acne, Excessive Gas, Belching, Burping after meals, Feeling too full after eating, Tired after eating, Difficulty Losing Weight, Migraine Headaches, Constipation, Loose Bowel Movements, etc.

Poor digestion is one of the most common problems that I encounter as a Holistic Nutritionist! 
So, What’s going on?

1. Man Made/ Added Ingredients into Our Food Supply:
  • Processed and unnatural foods (including genetically modified foods) 
  • Foods containing chemicals  (pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chlorine, etc.) 
  • Foods containing chemicals, or that have undergone processes designed to preserve them (preservatives, oil, sugar and grain refining, hydrogenation, Nitrites, Nitrates) 
  • Alcohol, Caffeine

2. Food Allergies/ Food Sensitivities

3. Lack of Movement/ Exercise on a daily basis




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FRESH START CHALLENGE #4: CONTROL YOUR CRAVINGS

2/12/2013

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We all know when we grab a chocolate bar, a soda, or candy full of sugar, we feel an initial spike in blood sugar and sense of happiness, with an immediate crash of tiredness and lack of energy.. and then a vicious cycle of wanting to grab another sweet snack. So, How do we control that craving for that chocolate bar or soda from the start? By managing and balancing our blood sugars through whole, real foods we can stop this vicious cycle and stop the cravings. 

Let's start by explaining refined foods. What exactly is involved in the refining process? The refining process takes a whole food such as a grain and breaks it down. 


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FRESH START CHALLENGE #3 "EAT REAL FOOD" 

2/5/2013

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What does "Eat Real Food" mean to you? 

To me it means going back to the way our great, great grandparents used to eat. This photo was taken from the cooking class we took while in Vietnam last month. In this third world country it isn't even a question whether or not they will choose real food, Real food is mostly all that they have! Our trip through the market was an outdoor market and full of fresh produce, meat, fish, seafood, rice, grains, and even had rice noodles drying in the sun! 
 
Why is eating real food so important? There's so many reasons. Packaged, Processed, and store bought food that comes in boxes, plastic, cans, and jars have lost so many nutrients and gained so many additives, dyes, and artificial flavourings just so that it can survive the transport to the grocery store, on the shelves, and finally into your kitchen. There is also so much sugar, sodium, unhealthy oils, fats, and cheap ingredients added to these foods that we would never add to our own cooking. 


Slowly we are realizing the effects all of these unnatural foods are having on our bodies. Disease, poor digestion, weight gain, addictions, cravings, and fatigue is something that we are all surrounded and familiar with. So.. How can we make our food our fuel? By making the choice to spend a little more time planning, shopping, and preparing our meals is how we can maintain a healthier lifestyle and diet. 

Here's some tips to guide you through "EATING REAL FOOD" :
  • CLEAN OUT THE "JUNK" : If its not there, you won't eat it, right?! 
  • STOCK UP YOUR KITCHEN with fresh produce, whole grains, nuts and seeds, healthy oils and fats, dried herbs and spices, beans lentils and legumes. If it's there and easy to access, you'll eat it! 
  • JOIN AN ORGANIC FOOD DELIVERY SERVICE that delivers fresh, seasonal food to your door 
  • COOK FOOD IN BATCHES AND FREEZE some for those days that you have less time to cook
  • MEAL PLAN for the week and only buy what is on the LIST
  • VISIT YOUR LOCAL FARMER'S MARKETS! You can support local, know that your food hasn't travelled far to get here, and know what is in your food!
  • THE LESS THE INGREDIENTS THE BETTER! Try to buy items that have very few ingredients..and ones you can understand. If it has more than 5 ingredients and you can't understand what they are, maybe reconsider buying it. 
  • SHOP AROUND THE PERIMETER OF THE STORE: There are a few exceptions such as whole grains, beans, legumes, and dried herbs/ seasonings, but for the most part you will find more "fresh whole foods" in the perimeter of the store. 
  • GROW YOUR OWN PRODUCE: When you can, in the summer months grow some of your own produce. Once you discover the taste of a home grown tomato, there's no going back!! 
  • Try one "new to you" food a week! If you have kids let them help to pick it out! 

I hope this has been helpful, keeping those 3 little words (EAT REAL FOOD) in your head before and while you plan, decide, shop, prepare, and eat will keep your choices healthy! This may or may not be a huge change for some of us, but to keep it simple, make one or two changes in what you might usually pick to eat. For instance, instead of buying white rice next time you are out, try a new brown rice. Instead of grabbing that packaged fruit snack, grab an apple and have it with some almond butter or peanut butter. Instead of cereal, make your own granola which is way easier than I ever thought it would and doesn't have all of the added sugar your average store bought cereal or granola has. There are so many options to choose from and your health will thank you for it! If you have any questions or requests for certain recipes, please feel free to ask! I'm here to help and make this transition easier for you. 

Let me know your thoughts and progress now that we are 3 weeks into the Challenge in a comment on the Blog or on the Fresh Senses facebook page! I really look forward to hearing from you and getting your feedback!! 

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    Laura Harvey

    RHN, Culinary Nutritionist

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