10 healthy habits to add to your New Years resolutions for a slimmer waist… and energetic vibes.
Here’s a secret, there are no secrets. Some of these tips you may have heard before, some will be new. Take what you will, leave what you won’t. I am no expert, but I have been on this journey for quite sometime. The objective is to share the wealth of health, couldn’t keep these goodies to myself.
Daily movement - Whenever you can, wherever you can, soak up the sun and catch the wind. Start with neck rolls to introduce movement to the spine, folds to stabilize the back, squats to increase the heart rate. Take 5 to 10 minutes of each hour during your work day to stretch or be mobile, especially if you plan to skip the gym. The name of the game is move it, or lose it. There are no work arounds to that, the only choice we have is to be accountable. We sit in chairs all day (some of us slouching), never reach up, keep our hearts inactive, and rarely stretch. It’s important to do what is best for you, but do SOMETHING! Don’t stress yourself by setting the bar too high. Start slow, it’s a marathon not a race. The goal is to live comfortably as we age, independent of medication, surgery, or orthopedic support as we move through life. Take a walk, dance, go to the gym, play with the kids, join a sports league, … anything to grow and sustain a strong body.
Use a variety of Spices & Herbs - Cinnamon, cayenne pepper, & ginger, are just a few of my favorite herbs that flush the system of toxins, increase metabolism, and influence healing in the body. Use real spices when you cook. Try laying off the seasoning salt and see how much character your dishes have when you season with tumeric, garlic, or fresh herbs like parsley & thyme. Put cinnamon in your smoothies, try different types of teas, or consume herbs in supplement form. There is an herb for every ailment, don’t be afraid to visit your local health food store to seek guidance. My favorite stores in Chicago for this are Haji Healing Salon and Bonne Sante.
Gut Health - The gut and the mind are highly influential of one another, some might argue that the gut has significantly more influence towards how we feel and perceive life. How does your gut feel? If the answer is full of gas, bloated, constipated, irregular, or sluggish, you have a problem Houston! The gut should be a place of constant flow. I realized not too long ago how dangerous it was that I would only poop every other day(circa a few years ago). A healed gut does its job thoroughly. If your gut isn’t healed, all the tips in this blog will aid in the path to wholeness. On top of that, take a prebiotic/probiotic blend to give your gut what it needs to break down enzymes and maintain good bacteria. Add collagen to your diet. Collagen protein lines the gut and helps to fill in the holes created over time from eating greasy, sugary, or toxic food. If there are holes in your gut lining your body will feel slow, creeky, and depressed due to toxins escaping your digestive system and poisoning the bloodstream. Lastly, do a cleanse, my personal preference is a juice cleanse, but water fasting can be beneficial too. We eat and overeat and never give our system a break, which makes no sense. Everything needs a break, a cleanse, a reset to stay at peek performance. Think of it as a digestive tune up for you to do at least 4 times a year, and thank me later!
Coffee/Tea - My favorites are Matcha and Jasmine tea (I’ll do a blog on recipes for the perfect tea lattes later this year). Caffeine can be great in small doses. It helps to flush the system, boost the metabolism, and its a great way to add cinnamon and collagen to your daily diet. I add both to my daily cup of tea faithfully. Be careful not to drink it past the afternoon as it can wreak havoc on your nervous system and circadian rhythm. Let this be a moment that happens after you’ve has a glass of water first thing in the morning, to get you prepared to conquer your day!
Fruit/Greens - Eat greens with every meal, begin each day by having 2 servings of fruit before you eat anything else. Two rules I swear by. Greens are natural diuretics and full of the nutrition/fiber needed to keep our body burning calories. 90% of my days begin with a piece of fruit. Citrus fruit is especially acidic which is perfect for waking up the digestive system. Anything eaten after the fruit with have some help being broken down and processed. Be careful not to have fruit after eating heavy foods like carbs and protein, that’s similar to putting a Ferrari behind a mack truck, it can cause gas and indigestion. Done correctly fruit can give you the mental boost you need to start each day, kickstart your energy and focus, and help you crave less refined sugar/carbs. It’s a win win!
Give attention to your Obliques & Lower back - Work your entire core, wine your waist when you dance, twist and twirl, throw in some planking. A strong core leads to longevity in life. Every moment is an opportunity to support and sustain your spine. When sitting (or standing) roll your shoulders a few times, them rest them behind your back, zip up your low abs, lift your heart, level your chin to the ground, and breath deeply. Train yourself to stay in alignment. Yoga offers an abundance of technique and tips for a stable core. Join me in class (shameless plug), or a yoga instructor of your choice to grow in this area.
Avoid cheese and cows milk! -I didn’t say never indulge, but pay attention to how your body responds when you do. Cows milk in its purest form was made to nurse baby calves into 300 pound animals, do you really think this is something humans should consume on a daily basis? Dairy is one of the main culprits of mucus in the body, which often leads to an unhealthy gut, emotional/mental imbalances, and a slew of more complicated health issues if it goes unchecked. Try substituting cheese with a few slices of avocado, replacing dairy milk with oat milk, and minimizing dairy whenever you can.
Oxy! - OK, so when I’m choosing to indulge I lean on this favorite supplement to blast through the tough to manage sugar, carbs, and dairy. This is NOT something I’d do on a regular basis but it’s totally fine to take one on a cheat day, bi-weekly to flush, or when you know you’ve put a heavy work load on your stomach. It’s called Oxy Powder and it’s a supplement meant to aid in cleansing the gut of any backed up junk to prepare the body for cleansing. If you take these pills, know that they do work to flush and be ready for what that comes with. Drink plenty of water because flushing can cause dehydration. And by all means do not drink alcohol or caffeine on the same day as taking these. It’s very important to replenish nutrients in your body when taking these, so be mindful of getting back to your clean eating routine, always. https://globalhealing.com/products/oxy-powder
Eat three meals with protein and other nutrition every day! - Balance your meals and your diet. Have colorful foods, healthy fats, whole grains, and protein. Eat to live not to taste. Simple and plain. There is a wide array of vegetables in this world, challenge yourself to try some new ones!
Keep junk out of the house - If you have to leave the house each time you want a cookie I bet you’ll eat a lot less of them. Tips like this are a major key in managing a discipline routine. I literally don’t allow myself to stock or store unhealthy snacks like chips, pop, or sweets. Speaking of soda/pop…. Do NOT DRINK YOUR SUGAR! When people ask me I always tell them I only drink water and tea, that is no lie. Pop, sweet juices, & koolaid have no place in my cupboards. When you drink sugar your digestive system has no work to do, the simple glucose slows down metabolism and it goes directly into storage as cellulite, back fat, and fupas. It’s a dirty game, but that’s life. Sugar and simple carbs are just as much of a drug as the illegal ones. (And prescriptions unfortunately). Life is best without them on the regular. It’s ok to have a bit of fun every once in a while but if you wouldn’t take Vicodin on a daily basis, you shouldn’t have junk food that often either.
BONUS - Balance your hormones & Drink water! All of these tips will help to balance your hormones, but there will be more to come on this subject. It’s a big one!
My friends I hope this information was enlightening and helpful in some way. Before I sign off, I leave you with this! Habits are not built overnight! Think longevity, eat slowly, use smaller plates, sit tall with an erect spine, enjoy the journey. The choices we make today create our reality for tomorrow.
Be well!
Namaste