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Natural Ways to Lower Cortisol Levels

1/31/2022

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Cortisol is the body's primary stress hormone. It plays a significant role in many bodily functions, including how it controls our blood sugar levels. It usually starts higher in the morning and then gradually decreases as the day goes on.
 
Cortisol can also play a role in regulating the body's sleep and wake cycles. It can also manage how the body utilizes nutrients like carbohydrates, fats, and proteins, helps to reduce inflammation, and plays a role in controlling blood pressure.
 
When we are overloaded with stress, our bodies may need additional help to lower cortisol. These are some practical ways to lower cortisol levels and, therefore, lower stress. 
 
Lower tension. While it may be easier said than done, taking intentional steps to cut excessive tension from your life will only benefit you in the long run. Learn what your stress triggers are, and work to make a plan of action to adjust these situations in your life. We can't alleviate stress completely, but we can learn to better deal with it as it comes. 
 
Eat a balanced diet. We should always be focused on eating a healthy and balanced diet low in sugar, but there are additional foods you can focus on that have been shown to stabilize cortisol levels. These are foods like dark chocolate, bananas, pears, black or green tea, and foods that contain probiotics, like greek yogurt. Staying well hydrated also keeps cortisol levels in check.
 
Get some rest. Creating a nighttime routine that focuses on quality sleep is essential for keeping cortisol levels from spiking. Lack of sleep or prolonged periods of disrupted sleep can lead to increased cortisol levels in the bloodstream. Try creating a relaxing atmosphere free of electronics.
 
Try meditating. Any type of mindfulness, meditation, or even deep breathing can help reduce stress, which reduces cortisol. 
 
Exercise more. Learning which exercises are right for your current life situation can be important. Intense workouts can lead to a spike in cortisol, especially if you are already experiencing stress in your daily life. But things like walking, a leisurely swim, yoga or Pilates can help to stabilize them.
 
Use supplements. Both fish oil and ashwagandha have been known to lower cortisol levels, but should always be taken in addition to a well-balanced diet. Consult your medical professional before beginning any new supplements. 
 
Great relationships can also be a key to lowering cortisol levels, as they can induce feelings of safety and happiness. For example, adding a pet to the family is also great. Finding a hobby that your pet can be a part of can be a great way to elevate feelings of happiness and reduce stress.
 
The first step to creating a balanced and healthy body is to be aware of how your body is currently operating. We must be able to observe areas we may struggle with increased stress. If we can do this, we can better pinpoint ways to improve our situation. Adding in just one or two of these practices to our day can significantly reduce stress, which leads to lower and healthier cortisol levels.
 
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Make 2022 Your Best Year Yet

12/31/2021

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The exciting thing about going into a new year is the feeling of a fresh start, making positive changes and achieving new heights, yet we tend to follow old habits and patterns. To achieve your goals you need a body that can support such requests.  To start out with a fresh beginning and moving forward toward your goals, I propose trying an experiment (to learn what your body needs).  Rather than falling into cycle of “should” and feeling guilty for not accomplishing what you set out to do, I suggest experimenting in one or several areas to see how it effects your productivity, mood, motivation, happiness, resiliency and overall health.  Go into this experiment with an open mind, and with no expectations.  Go into it with curiosity, no judgement or pre-existing assumptions, and see what you uncover. Go into it as if you were dating someone for the first time and getting to know them; or bringing home a newborn baby and trying to figure out what each cry is asking for.  Our body sends messages but often we don’t hear them or take the time to listen, let alone nurture it.
 
Start your experiment with a baseline and compare what you notice after a week, a month or even better, how you evolve over a year.    The longer you do it, the better you will know your body, what it is asking for and how to nurture it.  With this knowledge you can learn how to bend your rules without suffering for weeks after.   If you choose not to take on the experiment, do try and list out your patterns as a baseline.  It is hard to know where you are going if you don’t know where you have been.  
 
Bed Time
Sleep is such an important aspect of our wellbeing, yet so many of us are sleeping much less than we need.  In addition, some people have challenges sleeping and require a supplement to help them fall asleep or stay asleep.  Discovering your habits and patterns is a good way to start your sleep experiment. This can allow you to discover a culprit that may be disrupting your sleep and bring to light a tool that may help enhance your rest.   Let’s break it down by writing down your baseline and then experimenting to see what changes. 
 
Baseline: 
  1. What time do your currently go to bed and what time you wake up?  
  2. What activities do you do before bed and how do you feel when your head hits the pillow?  For example, are you exhausted, is your mind racing, or is your mind wired after being on the computer or watching TV.
  3. How do you feel when you get up?  Do you feel refreshed, do you pop out of bed, or  roll over and push snooze button on the alarm?
Experiment: 
One method is not necessarily right for every person.   Each person requires a different type of support to properly nurture their body.   Hearing when your body needs more assistance and then knowing ways to nourish it can improve your resiliency. Try these ideas for multiple days or weeks to see how your body responds and feel free to test other variables as well.  
  1. Go to bed 15 minutes earlier than you have been. Gradually increase your bedtime by 15 minutes each night to find your sweet spot.  Everyone has their own amount of sleep that works best for them.  However, the hours you go to bed count.  The human circadian rhythm allows healing of each organ at specific time while you sleep or rest.  If it is not able to do its’ “healing” job, the body will compensate and you may feel this in your energy, mood, motivation, productivity, or overall health. 
  2. Create a relaxing and enjoyable nighttime routine that you look forward to, which will prepare you and your body for rest. 
  3. Have a tiny bit of protein 30 minutes before bed – this could help with blood sugar issues which may be causing you to wake up during the night.
  4. Try fasting for 12 hours.  For instance 8pm – 8am.
 
Write down how each of these activities influenced your sleep and how you feel the next day.  If you find one works well, continue doing it. Start out with one variable and if it works, you can combine an additional one to see if that improves things even more.  If you don’t observe a difference after multiple attempts of one variable, write down your habits and come up with more ideas that may work for you.
 
Eat More Vegetables
Vegetables are so valueable in providing vitamins and minerals needed for your cells and organs to function optimally and allow your body to thrive. 
Baseline: 
  1. Write down the vegetables you have eaten in the last week.
  2. Write down vegetables you enjoy overall.
Experiment: 
  1. Eat a vegetable you have not eaten in the last week – it is important to rotate your foods. 
  2. Have 3 different color vegetables on your plate - this provides a diversity of vitamins and minerals.
  3.  Try a new ways of cooking a vegetable – saute, bake, air fry with little oil, raw, or steamed
  4. Find recipes with veggies that you love, and don’t be afraid to try something new. 
  5. Try adding spices and herbs  
  6. Add a vegetable to your regular meal or additional veggies inside a casserole– For instance, add finely chopped veggies like cauliflower rice to a burrito, a taco, to lasagna, stir fried rice, or soup.  
 
Move Appropriately 
Many of us feel that if we don’t give our all in a workout we have failed.  Sometimes your body needs a change of exercise depending on the stress load.  When your body is exhausted, strenuous exercise can set your immune system back and you can become vulnerable to sickness.  Learning what movement is good for your body at certain times can help your body to heal and thrive rather than become drained. 
Baseline:
  1. Write down how you feel after exercising.  The same exercise frequency may not always give you the same results each time. For example, a workout may leave you feeling invigorated or rejuvenated and another day that same workout can leave you drained and exhausted. Get a gage of what workouts are harder on your body and what workouts are lighter.
  2. Write down 3 different levels of exercise, routines or movements that you enjoy doing (your idea of each level, not society's idea).  
    1.  A type of a stretching or easy movement, such a kundalini yoga, taking the stairs instead of the elevator 
    2.  A type of mild exercise or movement, such as brisk walking, light swimming, Pilates 
    3.  A type of strenuous exercise, such as weightlifting, aerobics, CrossFit, jogging
Experiment
  1. Assess the level of stress your body is currently under physically, emotionally ,  mentally, or even environmentally.  Give it a number on a scale of 1-10 (10 being most stressed). For example, deadlines at work (5), bad air quality (7), dealing with a cold (8), had a spat with your partner (4), having a great day (1).  
  2. Select a movement that supports your current situation.  If you are stressed from work at a level 10 and you go to CrossFit, notice how your body feels afterwards and into the night. Notice how resilient you feel the next day.  Keep mixing and matching your movement to find the right level that feeds your body for the situation it is handling at the time.
 
Allow yourself to get comfortable with the new you.  Changes may happen subtly but the positive results can last a lifetime, allowing you to transform and achieve your goals.   If you find that you have tried several experiments and still not made traction, contact me so we can discuss other possible experiments, tweaks or perhaps getting you access to the right labs to find hidden stressor getting in the way of increased energy levels or weight loss.  Let’s make 2022 your best year ever!   
 
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Daily Gratitude Practice & The Health Benefits

11/17/2021

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Gratitude fuels happiness. If we can be grateful, we can see the joy in life, even if it's just the little things. Practicing gratitude not only improves our spiritual and mental well-being but also improves our overall health. Here are some health benefits of gratitude and tips on how to practice it daily.
 
Gratitude Improves Sleep
Practicing gratitude daily can help improve the quality of your sleep. If you have time before bed, take a few minutes to practice gratitude, whether that's writing in your journal or reflecting on the day you've had. It will help you fall asleep quicker and have a deeper, better sleep overall. 
 
Reduces Stress
One of the main health benefits of practicing gratitude is that it significantly reduces stress levels. Stress doesn't just affect our mental well-being; it can also have severe consequences for our physical health. High stress levels affect everything from sleep to immunity to digestion, and by reducing stress levels, you also reduce the risks of many chronic illnesses.
 
Boosts the Immune System
People who practice gratitude daily may have stronger immune systems. This is due to several factors, one of them being reduced stress levels. Chronic stress causes inflammation and weakens the immune system over time. Studies show that people who practice gratitude also tend to improve other areas of their well-being, such as exercising and eating healthy— all factors that boost the immune system. 
 
Can Improve Mood
Daily gratitude practice is proven to be an effective tool for boosting your mood. It helps us remember that there are still things to be grateful for (and happy about), even if we don't feel our best. Gratitude can help us see things from a brighter perspective, one that may be difficult to find on our own.
 
How to Practice Gratitude Daily
 
1. Keep a Gratitude Journal
A gratitude journal is one of the easiest ways to practice gratitude daily. You can buy dedicated gratitude journals that already have prompts in them or get creative and write your own. You don't have to write a lot— have realistic expectations, so you don't get overwhelmed and put it off. Take a minute or two and jot down three things you are grateful for that day. Practice getting more and more specific.  
 
2. Create Visual Reminders
Feel free to create visual reminders around your house or set up notifications on your phone that help you slow down and practice gratitude. Visual cues can help jog the memory and help to remind you of all you have to be grateful for.
 
3. Share Your Gratitude with Others
A proven way to practice gratitude daily is to share your gratitude with your loved ones. If you're grateful for someone's actions, or simply their support and love, remind them. Let them know how grateful you are for them. Not only will this put a smile on their face, but it will also make you feel even happier.  

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5 Tips for Aging Well

9/22/2021

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People don’t believe that I am almost 52 years old.  Some think it is my genes or just luck.   Like most of us, I have my challenges with keeping up with my kids' schedule and hiccups with joint surgeries and occasional aches and pains.  I do have to say I work at keeping healthy and notice signs when my body is out of balance, which reminds me I am asking a bit more than it can deliver.  Don’t get me wrong, I do have my splurges and fun times, but I don’t find that it sets me back for weeks or even days. I wanted to share some of my lifestyle tips that have helped me to feel my best and minimize the signs of aging.   

Cut Down on the Sugar
There are so many reasons we should limit our sugar consumption, but you can also add aging to the list. Sugar attaches to proteins in the bloodstream and damages them through a process known as glycation. Two of the proteins affected are collagen and elastin, which are responsible for keeping your skin plump, glowy, and looking youthful. Not to mention the havoc it can wreak on your various systems, it's best to keep the sugar intake low for a myriad of reasons.  
 
Eat Anti-inflammatory Foods
Inflammation isn't just something we get when we're hurt or sick— many of us have chronic, low-grade inflammation that can cause damage to the body over time. Foods such as leafy green veggies, fatty fish (think salmon and mackerel), and nuts (preferably raw) contain anti-inflammatory properties that can reduce the signs of aging. Some herbs, such as thyme and basil, also are anti-inflammatory. Avoid inflammatory foods, such as sugar and processed foods. Chronic low-grade inflammation is a risk factor for many lifestyle-related conditions, which I'm certain you are trying to avoid.
 
Load Up on Antioxidants
Our cells undergo damage from the environment. Compounds known as free radicals accumulate in our bodies and cause oxidative stress, damaging DNA and cells. Over time, this damage leads to signs of aging. Antioxidants in fruits, veggies, and other whole foods neutralize these free radicals and prevent DNA and cell damage. Try having some mixed berries as snacks or in your breakfast. Dark, leafy greens, Russet potatoes, red bell peppers, and apples also contain many antioxidants, but you won't go wrong with any fruits and veggies.
 
Take Care of Your Digestion
A healthy digestive system is critical for your overall health and wellbeing, but it also helps slow down aging.  It’s important for the food you eat to be broken down and absorbed well in the body, so it can adequately nourish and replenish your tissues in order for you to feel energized. What you put into your body also has to come out, and if the digestive system isn't doing an excellent job at removing waste, accumulated toxins are going to have a difficult time leaving your body. This can lead to a dull, congested complexion, skin issues, and even wrinkles. Drink enough water, eat a diet full of whole foods, and take probiotics to ensure your body assimilates nutrients and eliminates waste and toxins regularly.
 
Sleep
According to the body’s natural circadian rhythm (aka cortisol and hormone rhythm), every 1-hour of sleep before midnight is worth 2 hours of rest for the body. While you sleep your body and brain work to repair muscles, tissues, organs, and cells.  Chemicals that strengthen your immune system start to circulate in your blood.  Levels of growth hormone go up which regulates the fat, muscle and bone in our bodies.  A cooler room helps you sleep better.  And being asleep by 10pm allows the body to enter its deepest states of sleep, restoration and recovery so you can feel energized in the morning, boost your immunity and improve your overall health and aging.

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Daily Habits to Support Your Metabolism

8/31/2021

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Your metabolism includes all the bodily processes that convert food into energy that fuels your body. The rate at which these processes occur depends on many factors, from genetics to diet. Although you can't control all of these factors, there are many things that you can do to support your metabolism and boost your metabolic rate. Here are some daily habits that you can implement to support your metabolism. 
 
Stay hydrated all day. 
As soon as you wake up, drink a glass of water. Drinking water first thing in the morning "wakes up" your metabolism and gets things moving. In addition, it helps remove the toxins your body has worked hard to filter during the night. That doesn't mean to ignore your water bottle for the remainder of the day -- the digestive system needs water to function, and your metabolism will work better when you're hydrated. So get a good jump start in the morning, and carry your water with you all day long.  
 
Move your body daily. 
To get things moving in your digestive system, you need to move! Exercise is one of the best ways to support your metabolism. A mix of cardio, low-intensity workouts such as walking, Pilates and strength training will boost your metabolism. Click here see my exercise blog posts for ideas.  If you have an office job and sit at your desk all day, try to get up periodically for short walks and take advantage of your lunch break to get some steps in. Strength training stimulates your metabolism even after the workout is complete, and it builds muscle, too.
 
Eat your fiber.
Fiber is a wonderful nutrient, but most of us aren't getting enough of it. Fiber is food for the healthy bacteria in our gut, but our bodies cannot digest it. Because of this, our bodies work extra hard to try and break it down, which burns more energy. Fiber also keeps you feeling full for longer, which means you won't feel the need to eat as often.  In addition, fiber helps stabilize your blood sugar and prevent you from wanting to grab a sugary food or a caffeine energy boost. 
 
Practice mindful eating. 
Your metabolism works best at a healthy weight. By becoming more mindful of what and how much you eat, you will better understand your eating habits and hunger cues. Do you eat dinner while watching TV or talking on the phone? These habits might lead to overeating when we eat while distracted. Take the time to enjoy your meals and stop when you're full. Further, our body processes food better when it is in a rest and digest state.  The body doesn't prioritize the breaking down of food and assimilating nutrients when it is stressed or needing to fight or flee.   It is trying to send energy to your brain or limbs so you can get out of harms way. 
 
Get enough sleep!
Like most bodily processes, your metabolism needs sleep and rest to function optimally. Lack of sleep will disrupt your metabolism and slow down your metabolic rate. Sleep deprivation also increases appetite and cravings, especially for unhealthy foods that are high in sugars or salt (think pre-packaged snacks). This could partially be because sleep deprivation disrupts the hunger hormones. A consistent sleep schedule will do wonders for your metabolism and overall health. 

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Ways You Can Stay Healthy While Traveling

7/24/2021

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There is nothing more exciting than planning a little getaway or traveling somewhere. Traveling is a time to enjoy yourself, take a break from your usual routine, and make lifelong memories. While everything is fine in moderation and it’s important to enjoy yourself, there are simple things that you can do to stay healthy even when you travel. Here are some tips for staying healthy while traveling this summer.
 
Explore by foot or on a bike. Wherever you travel this summer, there will be plenty of sights to see and places to explore. Instead of driving or taking a bus, try walking around the city and exploring on foot. If the city is bike-friendly, you can rent a bicycle and explore even more that way. Sometimes, this is the best way to discover new places, and you’ll be getting some exercise while you’re at it.
 
If the place you’re traveling to isn’t very walkable or if you’ve decided to have a relaxing day, try to fit in a workout in the morning. There are plenty of quick 5- or 10-minute exercises that you can do on your floor with no equipment. I offer some exercise moves on my WEBSITE. Working out in the morning is best when you’re traveling because you can get it out of the way and enjoy the rest of your day.
 
Stock up on some healthy food staples. Whether you’re staying in a short-term rental with a full kitchen or a tiny hotel room, you can always keep some basic healthy foods in your room. Hotel rooms usually have a mini-fridge where you can at least store some fresh fruits or pre-made salads. If not, bananas, apples, and oranges don’t need refrigeration and make healthy snacks. Some other food staples are nut butters, snacks such as trail mix or protein bars, and quick oats. All hotel rooms typically come with a kettle, so you can easily make healthy oatmeal with fruits and nuts for breakfast. Try to make at least one of your meals healthy each day. You could also aim to always carry some healthy snacks with you in your bag.
 
Stay hydrated throughout the day. Carry a reusable water bottle with you wherever you go. If the place you’re traveling to doesn’t have drinkable tap water, you may have to buy water bottles. At the very least, remember to order a glass of water with all your meals. You need to stay hydrated, especially if you are spending all day exploring outside. If you don’t drink enough water, you’ll end up dehydrated, which can lead to headaches, fatigue, and even dizziness— none of which you want on your vacation! 
 
Get enough sleep. Your travels are a time to have fun and let loose, which sometimes means staying up late and not getting enough sleep. While it’s fine to have sleepless nights once in a while, continuous lack of sleep is going to catch up to you. Lack of sleep can lower your immune system, cause bloating and digestive discomfort, and leave you feeling sluggish and exhausted. If you can’t get enough hours of sleep during the night, at least try to take a nap the next day. ​
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Tackling Those Spring Allergy Symptoms

4/20/2021

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After being cooped up all winter long, the warm weather brings us outside to enjoy the sunshine. The warmer weather also brings pollen, which can leave you feeling uncomfortable. If you've tried all of the over-the-counter tricks to no avail, give these natural approaches a chance to fight those allergies for you.  
 
Here's how to handle those troublesome allergy symptoms and embrace this season's full-bloom.

Practice an ounce of prevention
Did you know wearing sunglasses helps with lessening your exposure to allergens? The sun is finally shining bright, so you're likely already tossing those sunglasses in your bag. Make sure you wear them as often as possible to lower the allergens getting into your eyes. I'm sure you're a hand-washing pro after the year we've had, but continue that on into spring as well. Washing those allergens off of your hands before they have the chance to get into your eyes, nose, or mouth will help to bypass some symptoms before they even start. 
 
Try bee pollen
The next time you're at Whole Foods, grab a bottle of bee pollen. When you take pollen daily, it can work on desensitizing your immune system. It also gives you amino acids, vitamins, and proteins while helping quell inflammation. You can add this to your morning smoothie, and you'll never notice it's there. 
 
Spring clean your home
Those allergens could get lodged in the things you use at home every day. From the carpets on your floor to the curtains surrounding the windows, give everything a thorough cleaning to liberate yourself from trapped allergens.
 
Know the signs of mold
Mold and mildew are prevalent allergens, and they can be hiding in places in your home. Often, it lurks on shower curtains and can be easily removed with a bit of vinegar and baking soda. These usually hide in damp areas -- behind your refrigerator, under your sink, air conditioning vents, etc. 
 
Splurge on manuka honey
Simply adding this to a cup of tea gives you methylglyoxal or MGL, which effectively fights mucus in the nasal tract. By halting it there, you won't experience the symptoms of seasonal allergies. Plus, manuka honey, like all real honey, is antibacterial though the effects are even more potent. 
 
Of course, if you have severe seasonal allergies, you should always check with your doctor. These natural tips are meant to help you find natural ways to alleviate the discomfort brought forth by the coughing, sneezing, and watery eyes that allergies can bring. They can be used in conjunction with what your doctor advises for your unique situation. Finding ways to get the relief you deserve is what matters most so you can have a fantastic spring season and beyond. 

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Tips to Spring Clean and Organize Your Kitchen

3/14/2021

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How often have you felt like a pantry staple you swore you just bought somehow vanished into thin air? You may even have a few condiments in your fridge that expired ages ago. The next time you're hunting for your Tupperware lids and feeling frustrated with the disarray, make the commitment to do a kitchen detox to get things in order.  
 
While it can look like a daunting task, these tips will undoubtedly help you get your kitchen looking superb in no time.
 
1. Get rid of nonessentials
Do you have a toaster oven you never use? Dishes that are chipped? Seasonings you've never tried? For the things you may use once in a blue moon, like just during the holidays, store them elsewhere (garage, attic, or basement). The items that you don't ever use anymore can be donated. You can toss out anything beyond its lifespan.
 
2. Scrub it down
After going through every cabinet and your fridge, scrub it all down. It will feel like a whole new home when you do. You can break this task up over a week or two to make it less overwhelming. For example, on Monday, you can wipe down all of your cabinets. On Tuesday, tackle the refrigerator shelves. Create a schedule that's doable for you so you won't procrastinate. 
 
 
3. Make a plan for your kitchen storage
Now that it's all clean don't just shove everything back the way it was. Make a plan and define your kitchen zones. This way, you'll know where everything goes. For example, make the items you use the most frequently stay in an easily-accessible place. It would help if you organized cookware near your oven, and pantry goods should go into the pantry. Of course, these are only suggestions, so make a plan of what works for you and your kitchen and stick to it. 
 
4. Work with the space you've got
Some of you might have a massive kitchen with tons of space. Organizing this will be far easier. But if you're in tight quarters, you'll have to get a bit more creative. For this reason, make sure that things you don't use daily aren't in the way of what you use more often. Making your space functional will create ease in the kitchen.
 
5. Invest in storage items
We've all gone into the pantry and pawed around to find an old box of crackers that we forgot about. Instead, make life easier by getting clear containers for these types of things. You'll be able to see it easier, and as a bonus, it will extend the shelf-life drastically by keeping things fresh. 
 
6. Think outside the box 
There are so many ways to get creative with the space you have in your kitchen and get it organized in a beautiful and functional way. Pots and pans take up loads of space, but if you can install a hanging rack, you can display them and keep them out of the way. 
 
If you spend too much time fumbling for spices, mount a spice rack to the inside of your cabinet doors and organize it alphabetically. Corkboards, drawer organizers, dividers, and even over-the-door compartment racks can all be utilized to help you organize with ease and make your kitchen look great. 
 
7. Be open to change
Sometimes, your organizational tactics might not go as planned. If things are still getting messy, be open to changing it for another method. And even if it's going well, make a plan to do a deep clean and decluttering once per year to keep everything in top shape in your kitchen!
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Uncover Sensitivities with This Eating Plan

2/2/2021

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​Do you ever feel like something is off with your body but can't put your finger on it? You may have a food intolerance or sensitivity. To find out what's causing your digestive discomfort, aches, pains, or headaches, you might want to try an elimination diet.
 
You'll start by removing certain foods from your diet -- the foods that are well-known for causing symptoms. Then, you'll reintroduce the foods you eliminate one at a time and take note of any symptoms. The process takes about six weeks, and if you have a food sensitivity or intolerance, you'll be able to see which food is causing your body distress and avoid it. 
 
The Way Elimination Diets Work
There are two phases to the elimination diet. The first is elimination, where you remove the foods that could trigger the symptoms you're experiencing. You'll stop eating them for 2 to 3 weeks. These foods are commonly known allergens such as dairy, nuts, wheat, gluten, eggs, and seafood.
 
After that, you'll reintroduce the foods you eliminated. You'll take your time observing for 2 to 3 days after reintroducing each of the eliminated foods to see if any of them cause a reaction. 
 
Common symptoms of food sensitivities and intolerances are rashes or changes in the skin, pains in the joints, headaches, fatigue, insomnia, bloating, and stomach pain or cramps. When you don't have any symptoms after reintroducing a certain food group, you can safely continue to eat it. But if you notice these symptoms, you've found your trigger food and can now work to keep it out of your diet. 
 
 
How Elimination Diets Help
If you've been experiencing these symptoms of discomfort for a long time and are ready to figure out what's causing them, this is a great way to do that in the comfort of your own home. 
 
It can significantly benefit you to determine if something you're eating is to blame for the way you feel. Those that eliminate foods that cause reactions in them start feeling better within days, and in weeks, they can feel completely reborn. 
 
Benefits include:
  • Your uncomfortable bloating will dissipate.
  • Your skin will look radiant and healthy.
  • You won't need coffee to give you energy in the morning.
  • You may lose weight naturally by ridding any problem foods from your diet.
  • Your menstrual discomfort may improve (and who doesn't want less pain?)
 
Believe it or not, food intolerances and sensitivities are more common than you think. If you uncover some intolerances or sensitivities, know that you are not alone. Knowing which foods set you off is an extreme asset, which is why choosing an elimination diet can help you find out once and for all what's going on with your body and how to restore balance. 
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3 Simple Ways to Create Healthy Change

1/21/2021

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We all have every intent to start the year off in the right direction but then life happens and we may get off track. If you have trouble sticking to all the resolutions on your list, go back to the basics, which I call a foundational routine; 3 non-negotiables that will get you back on track, and then you can springboard to the rest of the resolutions on a winning note. Here are 3 foundational routines to put into place to get started or come back to whenever you get off track or feel you are loosing ground on your wins:

1. Make more time for sleep and regulate your metabolism
We all feel deep regrets for the naps we refused to take as children. Now, as adults, we wish we had more time for rest. But in all honesty, we still have time. We compromise ourselves trying to take on too much.

End that cycle by setting a firm bedtime for yourself. You can select a bedtime alarm on your phone that will tell you when to put out that midnight oil and get ready for bed. Read a few pages of a good book and then pull up the covers. You’ll start feeling happier and less anxious when you take this time for yourself.

If the thought of setting a bedtime doesn't motivate you, here is another health aspect that may be more motivating- Growth Hormones are made between the hours of 10pm and 2am. Growth hormones play a huge role in making healthy muscle and how our bodies collect fat (especially around the stomach area). They are super important when it comes to metabolism so try maximizing your growth hormone by getting to bed between 10pm and 11pm.

2. Jump on the meal-planning trolley
Perhaps one of your resolutions each year is to eat healthier foods. You might have started with the best of intentions, but when life got hectic, and your schedule turned busy, you went back to your old ways. Instead of getting caught in the chaos, start meal planning. 

During downtime, take a moment to look at healthy meals you can prepare ahead. Build a shopping list that makes it easy to craft numerous healthy meals from the same base of ingredients. And then let your slow cooker, Instant Pot, and other kitchen tools help you get the job done. 

Freezing leftovers properly will ensure you always have healthy and delicious meals at the ready. So when you get home from work and realize you forgot to plan dinner, you will only have to snatch it from the freezer and heat it up. Bonus: you can put your feet up while you wait!

3. Take time to unplug from the digital world
So much of what we do involves being digitally-tethered. We’re always on our devices for work, and when we’re done for the day, we’re entranced with our smartphones and the endless barrage of social media platforms. 

Remember the days when the internet was an escape from reality? Now we need to make reality an escape from the online world. Unplug from your devices each day at a particular time and make time for those in the real world under your roof. Make time for yourself too. You’ll be no good to anyone else if you’re not in tune with your own beat.

These three healthy habits might seem small, but they will make a big difference in how you charge forth into the New Year. And with the way this year has been, going into a new one with strength and a positive attitude is the best way to stay on top no matter what happens.


To jump start your year on a healthy note, check out the 14 Day Online Whole Foods Cleanse.  
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    Mona Merrick

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