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T.G.I.F, How are you?

pastel colored cafe wellness

This week has been one heck of a week, hasn’t it?

I am going to get real with you right now, I needed, wanted to get this post out this week.

I wanted to do it to connect with you and see how you are, but also to keep some semblance of routine for myself.

I could have posted something else, but the other things I had in the pipeline seemed insincere and off topic, in regards to all that we are now working through.

I’ll admit, social distancing is taking some getting use too. Isolation, is taking more of a toll on the kids, at this point, more than me.

Routine

We are working on keeping our routines, which have been met with mixed reviews.

The kids feel like they are on an early spring break and they do not understand why they have to go to bed close to their regular time.

I’ve read how vital routine is for adult mental health and the mental health of the kids. So, I am going to keep pushing forward with it. I’ll keep you posted on how that goes. 😊

Our new homeschooling, is hit and miss. I think we are working through some kinks and getting closer to being productive.

However, I am not getting to my own course work done. I am hopeful that next week will be more productive.

The Harvard Business Review put together a great article complete with productivity hacks for parents that have recently found themselves working from home, quarantined with their children.

I am looking forward to using some of them.

Cooking & Ina

If you are trying to figure out something new to conjure up for dinner this weekend, Ina Garten is on Instagram posting some delicious twists on her amazing recipes.

While she shelters in place, Ina has modified her scone recipe and Broccoli and bow ties pasta, among others. I am trying those two this weekend!

Moving

Exercise is so vital during this time.

We have been taking many walks and bike rides in an effort to keep our endorphins up and keep from going stir crazy.

I’ve also found some great workouts on PopSugar fitness and Yoga on YouTube, like this stress relieving sequence. It’s a good way to stay active when it’s been raining out.

I was hoping that the weather would be more cooperative. Oh well at least we can exercise inside too. 😊

Enough about Me

What about you? What are you doing to stay grounded and healthy? How are you adjusting to the big changes this week? Do you have any tips you’d like to share?

Wishing you a peaceful & well weekend.

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16 Simple, Easy Ways to Reduce Waste Everyday

reduce plastic waste everyday

I’m not going to pretend to be an enlightened eco-guru on the topic of saving the planet. What I can tell you is that I’ve always cared about the world around me.

My mom was an under the radar hippie who use to make whole wheat pizza crust, instead of buying the white flour store bought pizza. (Can I just tell you how badly we envied our school friends for their regular pizza?!)

My aunt was sharing the gospel of re-usable grocery bags long before any of my mid-western friends had heard of them.

My dad comes from a long line of farmers, where respecting the earth and planting your own food was tradition.

So, I think with this kind of upbringing, I became complacent for a while. I was doing my little part to “save the planet”, but I had stopped looking for how I could do more.

What changed for me, was a conversation with an enthusiastic cousin, who is corporate green consultant (yup, it’s a thing), she showed me how it wouldn’t take much time or effort for me to do more.

Yes, that may sound lazy, like reducing my waste foot print should be convenient for me, ‘cuz the earth would love to have that luxury too- insert the planet rolling its eyes at me.

But I am busy running kids here, there, and everywhere, along with my own job, and my class work; I sometimes do not have time to slow down and think about much more than what is in front of me, unfortunately.

I’m sure so many of you are in a similar boat as I am, busy but wanting to reduce your use of plastics and reduce the unnecessary waste in your daily life.

Reduce, Reuse, Everyday

The list that I’ve put together is easy to implement. These tiny fixes will help reduce our daily use of plastics and other daily waste. Most are inexpensive and some will even save you money!

1. Reusable Coffee Cup and Lid

I bought a pack of 5 from Starbucks that hold up to a grande size drink. When you bring them back to Starbucks you receive a small discount on your beverage as well as not adding more junk to the land fill.

No worries, if you don’t have a reusable Starbucks tumbler, using a coffee tumbler will do the job too.

reusable Starbuck Coffee Cup Reusable Sleeves

2. Reusable Sleeve

Starbucks has been working to make their sleeves more sustainable, but they aren’t completely environmentally friendly.

A more sustainable option is a sleeve that you bring yourself.

Reusable sleeves can be a fun way to add a bit of personality to your take away coffee, above are two sleeves of mine.

The pink one was knitted by a friend, the teal one I bought from dizzalPop on Etsy they have really cute designs at great prices, and not picture, I bought my husband a Millennium Falcon sleeve that his co-workers love.

Don’t have the budget for a reusable sleeve? Reuse the coffee sleeve from your take away coffee as many times as you can.

3. Metal straw or no straw

It is estimated that 7.5 million plastic straws are littering America’s beaches. These straws don’t just pollute our environment but they harm wildlife.

Metal straws are a great alternative to plastic straws. I have 3, two regular and a big smoothie straw.

They clean up easily, mine are ok to go in the dish washer.

When it comes to transporting them, many come with some type of small carrying case or you can grab one off of Etsy, like I did.

4. Pack Lunch

Packing lunch helps to save on fossil fuels as well as being budget friendly.

Pair it with reusable containers to make a bigger impact!

apples laying on carpet reusable bag

5. Reusable Water Bottle or Reusable Drink Container for Milk or Juice

Reusable water bottle has been embraced for a while now, which is great. But did you know that juice boxes and milk containers sent to school cannot be recycled by most municipalities?

When we pack reusable drink containers and food containers, we are helping the planet and also helping our pocket book, in the long run.

6. Recycled Paper towels

Paper towels are not able to be recycled, however many cooks and the health officials make a valid argument for their use.

Good reasons to use them, when working with chicken and other items that run a high risk of contamination. Cloth towels will increase the risk of food borne illness.

If one must use paper towel, take a cue from America’s Test Kitchen and switch to using recycled paper towel and use them sparingly.

7. Use Cloth Napkins and Cloth Towels

Cloth napkins and cloth towel are a cute, reusable alternate to using paper towels.

Cloth napkins fancy up just about any meal. You can buy them or, if you’re feeling crafty, you can make your own.

8. Reusable Grocery Bags

These are easy to find these days. I think Trader Joes and Whole foods have good quality ones that hold up.

Stylish and sturdy, reusable grocery bags will also help lessen the need for 100 Billion plastic bags that Americans use every year.

9. Buy Bulk or Loose Veggies or Fruit

Americans use 100 billion plastic bags a year! By purchasing fruits and veggies loose or in bulk we can cut down on plastic use.

Don’t want that lovely produce rolling around the cart? Opt for mesh veggie bags or cotton baggies in place of plastic bags.

hand holding composted dirt recycled food

10. Compost

Compost is food for the planet .

Instead of throwing away your food scrapes compost.

Quick list of Items that can safely be composted are:

  • Egg shells
  • Fruit
  • Veggies
  • Coffee grounds
  • Leaves
  • Grass clipping

An indoor steel compost bin will help hold your compost until you can take it outside to your outdoor compost.

The EPA has a great break down of all the things you can compost, how to compost (which isn’t very difficult), and what not to compost.

11. Glass Food Storage

So many benefits to glass food storage, 100% recyclable, non-porous, no chemical interactions, and are free of BPA, which can mess with our endocrine systems and fertility. Yikes!

Since glass is free of all of this crude, food can safely be microwaved within it without fear of chemical leaching.

12. Meal Planning and Seasonal Eating

Creating a meal plan in advance and sticking to it helps cut down on food waste and fossil fuel usage.

Freezing the food, you aren’t able to use also reduces food waste.

Seasonal eating gives us the optimal nutrients from our food, cuts down on fossil fuels, AND it can help us lose weight.

13. Mend Clothing

In 2017 the EPA estimates that 11.2 million tons of MSW textiles entered American landfills. While some textiles can be recycled it only amounts to about 15%.

We can help cut down on clothing entering into landfills by mending our closes and re-purposing them.

Wendy has a great tutorial teaching you how to mend socks, shirts, seams, and much more.

Helpful Videos:

Repair a tear in a Pair of Jeans by Hand

Upcycle Sweater Slippers

14. Reusable Cutlery

On those day that getting takeout or drive thru is a necessity just say no to the plastic wear.

While plastic cutlery is recyclable not all municipalities recycle it, do to cost.

When you use your own reusable cutlery, you can be assured that you are not adding to plastic waste.

15. Silicon Mats in Place of Parchment Paper or Foil

Many of us are prone to using parchment paper with baking or foil with cooking. Unfortunately, parchment paper is coated with silicone and cannot be recycled.

While foil is recycle able it often isn’t clean enough to be recycled.

So, what is a baker and chief to do?

No fear, there is a reusable alternative, Silicon mats. Silicon mats are easy to clean, and they lay nicely to line sheet pans in place of parchment paper and foil.

hand picking coffee beans

16. Loose Tea and Coffee

Our coffee and tea habit can be environmentally unfriendly. Luckily a few simple changes, can help to make our habit a little more environmentally friendly.

Switching to loose tea is better for the environment and your health. Bagged teas are sealed with micro-plastics that do impact our planet, not to mention possible impacts to our health.

For my coffee addicts, making coffee in a way that does not use a paper filter is the best way to go. There are many options on the market today, French press (my fav), Espresso maker, anything that has a metal reusable filter is your best bet.

If you already have a Keurig type machine, switch to the reusable eco-friendly k-pods that you fill with lose coffee. These will save plastic pods from gathering in our landfills as well as saving money!

Using an electric tea kettle to boil your water will help to cut down on your electric usage and water usage when it comes to making a cup of tea or coffee.

Compost your lose tea and coffee when done.

Bonus points for cutting down on your environmental impact when you buy organic, shade grown, fair trade coffee and organic teas.

Pro-tip:

Coffee made with out a paper filter has a less acidic, more robust natural flavor due to the natural oils that are not captured by a paper filter.

Every Bit Counts

I know it can be easy to get comfortable with what we feel we are doing to help our environment.

If you are getting that nagging feeling that maybe you could do a little more, I hope this list of 16 ways to reduce waste in your everyday life helps you too.

Do you have any waste reduction tips that you swear by and that you found were easier to adopt than you thought they would be?

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7 Best Space Saving Home Gym Equipment- Perfect for a Budget

mom flexing muscles and toddler son flexing muscles too

Are you tight on time, have a tight budget, and/ or have a small space- a home gym is the perfect solution for fitting in fitness.

The more convenient it is to exercise the more likely we are to be consistent.

We’ve all heard how important it is to be physically active and get our 10,000 steps. But what does that really mean?

When your busy, like I am and I’m sure you are too, getting to the gym is inconvenient.

How can we make exercise a priority?

According to the CDC physical activity is defined as anything that gets our bodies moving.

That is a pretty broad definition.

They say to aim for about 150 minutes (2.5 hrs.) of activity a week.

A home gym is the prefect solution to making exercise a priority.

A home gym can be made to fit to your needs to a T.

You can build your home gym to fit amount of space you have available, and your budget.

What Kind of Activity is Best?

There are two important types of physical activity we should be aiming for each week:

Aerobic Activity

Any activity that raises our heart rates.

It does not necessarily need to be a HITT class, it can be a walk.

The important part is that the heart rate becomes elevated.

Muscle Strengthening

This can be done with light weights, bands, or our own bodies.

Even light weights help build lean muscle which will help increase our resting metabolisms as well as strengthen our bones.

Mini Work Outs for Big Health

Impact

Don’t worry that the 150 minutes has to be all or nothing.

When shooting for 150 minutes a week of exercise- a week that can be broken down into 30 minutes/ 5 days a week or 21.5 minutes a day for 7 days.

Our work outs don’t need to necessarily be HITT, or anything as intense as that, they can be 5 or 10-minute mini workout done thought out the day.

Harvard actually reviewed some data and found that mini workouts though out the day had the same health benefits as a long workout.

The American heart association and the CDC also encourage mini-workouts because the important part is that we active and we have the ability to remain consistent.

Mini Workouts:

Home Gym for Small Spaces

No space for a home gym? No problem!

All of the exercise equipment I have picked out are easy to store and don’t take up a lot of space when in use.

I have every one of these pieces.

They have moved from apartment, to townhomes, to small house, to bigger house with me, so I can attest that they are affective AND great for small spaces.

Most of these pieces can be stored underneath a bed. Which is often where mine have been stored.

1. Jump Rope

Shop Amazon

Old school but effective!

This little thing gives a whole-body workout.

Burn 10 calories a minute with a jump rope!

*Pro Tip- No Jump Rope, no worries! Simply pretend as if you have a jump rope and you can still get an effective workout in.

2. Exercise ball

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Sometimes called a stability ball, this piece of gym equipment can be used as a unique way to get a full body workout or focus just on your core.

A stability ball can also be used with hand weights to engage your core while you strength train.

Using an exercise ball for an ab workout is 2 times more effective than old school crunches!

Get Moving:

Pro Tip: Use your stability ball in stead of a desk chair. You’ll manage to work on your core and posture while getting your work done. Win-win!

3.Yoga mat and or Pilates mat

woman doing yoga on yoga mat in home gym

I have often found that workout videos use yoga mats for Pilates mats, which you can do.

However, a true Pilates mat is thicker than a yoga mat.

Pilates Mat

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A Pilates mat is made thicker in order to cushion the spine as one goes through the Pilates exercises- which are mostly performed while laying on your back.

Pilates mats are not the best choice for yoga.

Their thickness does not allow the body to balance and align like it should.

Yoga Mat

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Yoga mat is, of course, great for yoga.

It’s also often used in conjunction with a stability ball for a total body workout.

You can use it as a substitute for a Pilates mat, if you do not mind not having the extra cushion when doing rolling moves.

more like this:

Which Exercise Mat is better?

Honestly, it’s up to you.

Which exercise will you do more?

Is storage an issue?

If so, the yoga mat rolls up much more tightly and takes up less room.

Get Moving:

4.Hand weights

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Hand weights are a great addition to any home gym.

No need to worry about getting big, heavy hand weights, 1 to 3 pound is the recommended size to help increase your heart rate and strength when exercising.

I like that little hand weights can be stored just about anywhere and they can be incorporated into many exercise routines, which increases calorie burn.

Get Moving:

5. Step Platform

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The step is a throw back workout.

It came along in the late 80’s and is still around because it’s so effective.

The step platform height can be adjusted, depending on the work out.

Weights can be incorporated into a step workout as well to give a unique

workout to the hips, thighs, butt, as well as the arms.

After a good workout, the step platform can slide easily under most beds for easy storage.

Get Moving:

6. Resistance bands

Click, Resistance Loop Bands

Click, Resistance Exercise Bands

These little power house are a great addition to your workouts.

They help with strength training by using resistance.

There are two kinds, the simple ones that look like long rubber loops (see above) or the kind that have tubing and a handle (see above).

The advantage of the resistance bands that are tubing with handles, is that it is easier to use them for arm related exercises.

The loop bands can be used for arm, thigh, butt, and hip exercise.

Both types of resistance bands can be incorporated into a Pilates, yoga, or other stretching routine for added flexibility.

Bands are so small that it makes storing a breeze.

Resistance bands are so tiny, making them a natural for travel. Which also makes working out away from home super easy!

Get Moving:

7. Mini Trampoline

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Also called a rebounder, the mini trampoline is easy on the joints and fun!

Jumping on the trampoline for 20 minutes has the same benefit as having run but without the impact on your joints.

Don’t worry that rebounder workouts are simply bouncing up and down, that would be boring!

Most workout include twists, jumping, dance, and more.

It’s a whole body work out that can burn anywhere from 8-15 calories a minute, while being low-impact.

For storing, I flip mine upside down, then slide it under a bed.

Get Moving:

Compact Home Gym- Big Results

Finding time to go to the gym can be a pain.

I, like so many, have bought a gym membership and not used it nearly as much as I had hoped too.

A home gym can help you stay active more conveniently and it cost much less than a membership to the gym.

Remember, just because you are tight on space-or tight on cash- you can still put together a home gym that will fit your budget and available space.

What’s your favorite way to stay fit?

Click to shop the post:

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10 Motivational Quotes to Inspire a Positive Mindset

10 Motivation Inspirational Positive Mindset Quotes

Do you ever just feel worn out and unmotivated? I know I do! It can be exhausting running through the rat race of life.

I’m a mom, student, blogger, wife, chauffeur, housekeeper, CFO of my house, ect., ect. I know you see where this is going. It’s exhausting and often I have trouble staying motivated in ALL of those areas. I am sure you are no different.

I was mindlessly searching through some quotes the other day, probably avoiding something I actually should have been doing, and l ran across a quote that just spoke to me: “If you try, you risk failure. If you don’t, you ensure it.” That just smacked me across the face.

Blogging is hard work, I’m not going to lie. Parenting, going to school, and other things make blogging more difficult. I have been struggling with my mindset lately. In one part of my mind, I know to treat my blog as a business. However, I have a family and other obligations that make my business take a bit of a backseat. But I am working on my business. Trying all the time. For me that quote was what I needed to read. Those simple words inspired a more positive and motivated mindset in regards to my blog.

Yes, I am risking failure, but I am trying. I am giving it a go. It is a slow go, but I’m doing it! This way if I should not succeed, I won’t be because I never tried.

How about you? What depletes your motivation? Do you have a quote that helps you recalibrate your mindset?

I’ve compiled a list of 10 motivational quotes to help inspire us (the tired, the weary) to get back in a positive mindset.

We’ve got this!

Motivational Quotes

If you try, you risk failure. If you don’t, you ensure it.

10 Motivational Quotes Positive Inspirational Failure Risk Keep Trying Quote

Allow Yourself to be a beginner. No one starts out being excellent.

10 Motivational Quotes Positive Inspirational Forgiveness Beginner Excellence

Tell the Negative committee that meets in your heat to sit down & shut up.

10 Motivational Quotes Positive Inspirational Negative Committee

Give Yourself the same care and attention you give to others and watch yourself bloom.

10 Motivational Quotes Positive Inspirational Bloom love yourself

Setting Goals is the first step in turning the invisible to visible. -Tony Robbins

10 Motivational Quotes Positive Inspirational Tony Robbins Goal Setting

Doubt kills more dreams than failure ever will. -Karem Saddiki

10 Motivational Quotes Positive Inspirational Karem Saddiki dreams doubt

People often say that motivation doesn’t last. Well, neither does bathing-that’s why we recommend it daily.” -Zig Ziglar

10 Motivational Quotes Positive Inspirational Zig Ziglar

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. – Confucius

10 Motivational Quote Positive Inspirational Confucius Quote

If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room


Motivational Quote Positive Inspirational Smart

My mission in life is not merely to survive, but to thrive; and to do so with some passion, some compassion, some humor, and some style.

- Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou Motivational Quote Positive Inspirational

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Bee Pollen Benefits and Risks of Nature’s Super Food

 

Bee Pollen Nature Super Food Anti-oxidants

It is farmers market season in the Midwest, finally! I love the outdoor farmers market. I love meandering through the various stalls, discovering new products, and rediscovering others. One of my favorite things is local honey. Last year, at one of the farmers stalls, I happened upon bee pollen at one of my favorite honey farm stalls. It just so happens that this humble looking granulated bee product is a super food! Bee pollen is full of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, micro and macro nutrients, protein, flavonoids, and 22 essential amino acids. A lot of amazing things stuffed into a small granule!

What the Heck is Bee Pollen?

When Bees are going from flower to flower they collect pollen on their legs in things called “pollen sacks”. They then take this pollen back to their hive to feed the young bees.

To harvest bee pollen for human consumption, the bee keeper attaches a comb looking apparatus to the hive entrance. As the bees enter the hive, the pollen is knocked from their legs into a bin below. From there the beekeeper will harvest and process the bee pollen.

Nutritional makeup of Bee Pollen is:

  • Protein 21.2 %
  • Carbohydrates 48.5%
  • Fiber 14.2%
  • Fatty Acids 9.9%
  • Flavonoids 2%
  • Minerals 1.6% (calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, iron, copper, zinc, manganese, silicon and selenium)
  • Water Soluble Vitamins 0.6% (B1, B2, B6 and C)
  • Fat Soluble Vitamins 0.1% (vitamins A, E and D)

Bee Pollen Super Food Anti-oxidants

Bee Pollen and You

Bee pollen is a small, yet mighty nutritional supplement. As crazy as it many seem, the small pellets of bee pollen harness many nutrients our bodies can actively use.

Research has shown that daily consumption of small amounts of bee pollen can help keep our bodies running in tip top shape.

Inflammation Reduction

Inflammation can secretly, or not so secretly, undermine our physical and mental health. Lucky for us bee pollen shows great promise as an anti-inflammatory agent. Researchers found bee pollen given to mice greatly reduced the swelling of an inflamed paw.

Another study found that bee pollen can help reverse liver damage, inflammations, and liver toxicity.

Researchers have also touted its ability to fight inflammation as being comparable to non-steroid anti-inflammatory medications like naproxen, analgin, phenylbutazone, or indomethacin.

Bee pollen could be a great addition to an anti-inflammatory diet.

Reducing Stress and Depression

There are times that inflammation and depression are found together, and then there are times that depression stands alone as the main ailment. Either way, bee pollen has been shown to improve depression in a short amount of time. Research done on bee pollen found that when it was taken with antidepressants, it helped that patients so much that doctors were able to lower the antidepressant doses!

When it comes to stress, bee pollen has been shown to strengthen stressed out nervous systems by improving blood supply. The improved blood supply also helps to increase energy and our mental sharpness!

Immune System Strengthened

As you can see above bee pollen has been shown to reduce inflammation, stress, depression, and increase energy. I’m sure you won’t be surprised when I tell you that bee pollen strengthens the immune system.

Various studies have found that mice and rabbits given bee pollen had healthier pregnancies, healthier off spring, and the mice and rabbits lived longer. Other research has shown that bee pollen maybe strengthening our immune system by having antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties. Staphylococcus aureus shows a particular dislike for bee pollen.

Fermented Food, Yuck!

I feel a little uncool these days. I do not like kombucha, sauerkraut, or any of the must have fermented foods, really. If you are like me, fear not, bee pollen to the rescue!

Bee pollen is a great source of free radical fighting antioxidants. In tests, bee pollen antioxidants have been found to be comparable to those in fermented foods. Whether you like or do not like fermented foods, bee pollen can be a less smelly alternative for your antioxidant fix.

Bee Pollen Farmers Market

Where to Get it, What to do with it

Ask questions and choose from a reputable source. A farmer’s market or health food store are places to find bee pollen easily.

It is important that bee pollen is pesticide free and that the hive has not been treated with any chemicals.

It’s common to find bee pollen in granule form, which I have, or ground. Either way, most people mix the bee pollen in yogurt, smoothies, cereal, cottage cheese, ect. Although there are some people who do not mind taking it alone.

Ingestion

Once you’ve decided that bee pollen is a supplement that can be added to your diet, it is important to start small. Bee pollen is not a supplement where bigger is better. The farmer who sold bee pollen to me, suggested that I start with a few grains of pollen 3 times a day, then gradually work my way up to 1 teaspoon, 3 times a day.

Side Effects

Bee pollen, though natural, is a supplement. As such, it’s important to talk to your Doctor or homeopath before getting started.

** If you are allergic to wasps or bees DO NOT take bee pollen. If you have certain tree allergies, it could cause a reaction.

Symptoms of an allergic reaction would be:

  • Itching
  • Swelling
  • Lightheadedness
  • Trouble breathing

It probably goes with out saying, if you have a reaction discontinue using bee pollen, call your doctor, or emergency services ASAP!

Bee Pollen Super Food Healthy

The Take Away

Research shows that bee pollen has a lot going for it. It’s a super food for humans with 22 essential amino acids, antioxidants, lots of vitamins and minerals. It has been found to have anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antifungal, and antimicrobial properties. It can help decrease allergies, depression, liver toxins, and increase energy.

Personally, one of my favorite things about bee pollen is that it can replace fermented foods! Even if I’m in the nutrition minority camp on this one, I’m excited about not needing to drink or eat anything fermented. My taste buds are gleeful!

I just recently bought my bee pollen. As of writing this post, I have been taking it for about 7 days. My hopes are that it clears up my decreased sense of taste. I do feel like I may have more energy despite some late nights. It also doesn’t hurt that I will be getting free radical fighting antioxidants, even though I will be able to see or feel those results.

As of this post, I haven’t had any allergic reactions, which is great.

I will make sure to update this at a later time with a follow up on bee pollen and my health.

And You

Have any of you experimented with bee pollen before? Did you notice an increase in your health, energy, or anything else?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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4 Super Foods to Super Charge Your Immune System

antioxidant super foods chai, hemp, acai, cacao, cocoa

Cacao, açai, hemp, and chia seeds are small but mighty super foods. Maybe you’ve heard of them. In the past five years they have grown in popularity. So much so that açai and chia are easily found at some major grocery retailers. From my experience cacao and hemp haven’t quit made it out of the specialty retails, yet. However, there is always Amazon. Amazon does have all of these at the click of a mouse and a few other things I’m sure I needed… Ok back to Super foods.

These 4 super foods are packed with anti-oxidants, the free radical fighters that boost our immune system. Free radicals help cause inflammation with in our bodies that contribute to aging, heart disease, cancers, auto immune disease, and the list of negatives goes on. Luckily for us super foods like cacao, acai, hemp, and chia are easier than ever to find and even easier to incorporate into our meal plans.

Being high in antioxidants is a great reason to start consuming these 4 super foods. What also makes the 4 foods so special is that they are also great sources of proteins, fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

What I like about these 4 super foods is that you get a dietary bang for your buck. In addition to being high in antioxidants, these 4 foods are also great sources of proteins, fiber, vitamins, Omega’s, and minerals.

While being high in antioxidants is a great reason to start consuming these 4 super foods, they are so easy to incorporate into a healthy lifestyle! All of these go great in a smoothie. Many of them can be used in baked goods and other cooking. All can be incorporated into a breakfast or snack routine.

And the Super Foods are….

cacao powder, cacao nips vs. cocoa

1. Cacao

Cacao vs Cocoa what is the difference?

Cacao or cocoa? You may be thinking,” is this a case of Tomato or tomatoe?” Not really.  While cacao and cocoa come from the same part of the Theobroma cacao plant, they are processed differently.

Cacao is the raw form of cocoa, if you will. The cacao seed is fermented, and dried. Sometimes using a light heat, but unroasted. Less heat applied to the product the higher the level of antioxidants. Once the cacao is heated above 104 degree’s Fahrenheit, the antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals start to deteriorate. It is that process that makes all the difference in their antioxidant levels, omega-3’s, vitamins, and minerals.

What’s in it

Cacao is a superfood because it is loaded with heart and brain healthy magnesium, inflammation fighting flavonoids, high in easily absorbed iron, excellent source of fiber, monosaturated fat, and theobromine. Theobromine is an alkaloid that is similar to caffeine. Theobromine, like caffeine, it believed have a positive effect on mood and give an energy boost.

Cacao’s antioxidant content cannot be understated. It has forty times the amount of antioxidants as blueberries. That’s right, 4-0.

How to Eat it

The most common form of cacao are cacao powder and cacao nips.

Cacao nips are simply cacao beans that have been chopped into small pieces. Fun fact, 1oz of cacao nips has 9 grams of fiber and 6% of your daily requirement of Iron!

Cacao powder is not as bitter tasting as unsweetened cocoa powder. It can be used as a measure for measure substitute for cocoa powder in your baked goods.

Using cacao products in smoothies and snack mixes keeps the antioxidants intact while adding some fun flavor. It’s also a popular addition to lattes even though heat can deteriorate the antioxidants in the cacao.

To get you started:

Coffee- Kristi over at Farmstead Chic blog has a yummy mocha latte. Her latte is dairy free and uses cacao powder. Kristi’s latte is perfect for vegans, paleo, Whole30, vegetarians, and regular folks.

Smoothie- If you are in the mood for a smoothie, Sara at Tastefulventure has 4 ingredient Banana Peanut butter smoothie with your name on it.

To Go- If trail mix is more your thing, simply add cacao nips to your favorite nut and fruit mix.

acai antioxidant rich super food

2. Acai

The Acai fruits’ claim to nutritional fame is its high level of easily absorbed anti-oxidants.

19 amino acids and more anti-Oxidants than any other commonly eaten berry. The antioxidant level of the acai berry is three times higher levels than blueberries or cranberries and they are easily absorbed. There is also evidence that the anti-oxidants found in Acai are particularly good at protecting the brain from inflammation and improve memory function.

Acai is a dark purple fruit high in polyphenols. These are the free-radical fighters also found in red wine. Polyphenols help to prevent inflammation, chronic disease, diabetes, and promote cardiovascular health.

100 g of Acai will give you 3 grams of fiber. Fiber, is great for regularity, but don’t forget fiber also helps to keep blood sugar levels steady and has heart healthy benefits.

An acai serving of 100g will also give you 103% of your daily value of manganese. Now manganese isn’t one you hear much about. However, manganese helps to prevent osteoporosis and inflammation.

Acai also has high levels of the monounsaturated fat, oleic acid. Again, this is another inflammation fighter and heart health booster.

Easiest way to find Acai berries is frozen, dried, juiced, or powdered.

To Get You Started

Smoothie bowl- Rachel, Healthy and Psyched, has a gorgeous power packed Acai smoothie bowl using frozen fruit, powdered acai, and cacao nips (optional). Her low-cost is vegan, gluten free, and easy to make!

Smoothie- If you don’t have time for a bowl, or it’s not your thing, The Green Blender has a Raspberry Orange Acai smoothie to go with you.

On the go- Like cacao, dried acai berries can be added to your favorite trail mix.

3. Hemp

There is a lot to like about hemp. It is easily digested by our bodies. Hemp protein contains 9 amino acids, meaning it is a complete protein. Hemps digestibility and amino acids make it a good protein choice before a workout.

Hemp like marijuana does contain THC. Hemp contains about 0.3 to 1.5 % THC. On the other hand, marijuana contains 5 to 10% THC. Hemp powder won’t get you high, but it will enhance your bodies ability to fight free radicals, strengthen your bones, and protect your heart.

What’s in it

Hemp is a super food for many reasons: 9 essential amino acids, 20 amino acids, 19 g of protein per serving, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids, GLA, magnesium, iron, and the plant proteins edestin and albumin.

Protein- A serving of hemp powder, 4 TBSP, provides 12 g of protein. The type of protein found in Hemp is special. It’s easily digested by our bodies and it has edestin and albumin. Edestin and albumin are special because they are plant proteins that support our immune systems by allowing our blood to form antibodies.

Hemp protein also contains inflammation reducing gamma-linolenic acid (GLA). GLA is an omega-6 that has been shown to support cardiovascular health and prevent bone loss.

Vitamins and minerals- 4 TBSP of Hemp powder contain 65% of our daily allowance of magnesium, 5g of Fiber, and 35% of the daily value of Iron.

Magnesium, is under discussed, in my opinion. Magnesium plays a role in 300 enzyme functions in our bodies! It aids in our body’s absorption of other vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Magnesium has also been shown to strengthen our immune systems, bolster cardiac health, and like GLA, it helps strengthen bones.

How to Eat it

The most common way to consume hemp is in the form of hemp protein powder. There is also hemp and hemp seeds (hemp hearts). Hemp can be added to yogurt, baked goods, smoothies, and oatmeal.

If you want your baked goods to become super food power houses, replace 25% of your flour with hemp protein.

To Get You Started

Smoothie-Get a coffee boasts and an antioxidant jolt with Gunjan’s coffee hemp smoothie over at Kiip Fit. It uses hemp milk, hemp seeds, and powdered coffee.

Hemp Milk- Whole Foods Mama has a recipe for making your own hemp milk.

Breakfast or snack- Meal Prep on Fleek has a 4-ingredient overnight oat recipe with hemp hearts, chia, almond butter, and almond milk, that is paleo, keto, and gluten free friendly. This recipe is breakfast super food slam dunk!

chia seeds antioxidant rich super food

4. Chia

For its size the chia seed is considered one of the top anti-oxidant super foods. Yes, Chia like the chia pet on television. Chia is a not just for novelty gifts. Chia is a little black seed packed full of superfood prowess!

Chia seeds are affordable and small enough to add to baked goods recipes, smoothies, yogurt, and oatmeal. Chia seeds can also be made into their own stand-alone snacks or breakfast, like chia pudding.

What in it

Chia seeds are so nutrient dense that 1 ounce provides your body with 30% of it daily value of magnesium, 44% of Fiber (11g), 4.4 grams of protein, 18% calcium, and 27% of your daily allowance of phosphorous.

The little chia seed is also tiny free radical warrior. Mexican scientists have found the antioxidant levels in chia seeds to stop up to 70% of free radical damage! That translates into cancer fighting, anti-aging, healthier heart, and helps prevents cognitive decline. All in that little seed!

The chia seeds mix of antioxidants, fiber, and proteins help to fight inflammation as well as promoting weight loss.

How to Eat them

Chia seeds are easy to add to your diet. I find they are in most grocery stores too.

I highly recommend experimenting with them in your baked goods. I have added chia seeds to my banana chocolate chip muffins. My niece, who hates any food that she thinks could be healthy, loves them!

They are a regular addition to my yogurt and oatmeal’s. They are filling little guys. I have noticed that I am not able to finish a full bowl of oatmeal when it has chia.

They are also an easy addition to smoothies.

Then there are chia puddings. Chia puddings are immensely popular. They can be prepared over night or some within 30 minutes. Chia puddings the chia seed is soaking. This has actually been found to be one of the most efficient ways to receive the chia seeds health benefits.

To Get You Started

Pudding- Chia seed pudding is so popular that The Greatist has a round up of 36 different chia seed pudding recipes. They have all kinds of chia puddings, fruity, chocolaty, and more.

Snack- Chocolate Coconut Chia Seed Bars ,from Running on Real Food, is an amazing antioxidants snack. Deryn’s chia seed bars have raw cacao as well as chia seeds. These guys are a no bake bar. 30 minutes and they are ready for you to take anywhere.

Smoothie- If you are smoothie partial, how about Jen Elizabeth’s Journals Triple Berry Chia Seed detox smoothie. This is a tasty, easy smoothie utilizing frozen berries and ¼ c chai seeds. ¼ cup of chia seeds may sound like a lot, but this recipe makes 6 servings. Jen is so on it, the she includes tips for freezer storage.

cacao, cocoa, hemp, chai,acai, inflammation fighting super foods

Staying Healthy

When it comes to using food as medicine it just got easier with Cacao, açai, hemp, and chia seeds. Our health is precious. Life gets busy and it can be hard to remember to take care of ourselves. Incorporating any of these 4 super foods into your daily routine makes taking care of our health easier. Mix any of these antioxidant rich super foods into your smoothie and you’ve just bolstered your cognitive health, cardiovascular health, strengthened your bones, and fought the free-radicals that try to take your health. Cacao, açai, hemp, and chia seeds four little foods that pack one heck of a healthy punch.

Have you used any of these super foods? Which is your favorite?

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13 Easy, Budget Friendly Whole 30 Snacks that Can Travel

Whole30 Budget Friendly Snacks on the go

Changing our eating habits, even if it’s for 30 days, can be challenging. I don’t know about you, but for me, snack time can be one of the hardest times to maintain that momentum. But it doesn’t have to be.

If you are giving the Whole30 elimination diet a try, or you are trying to eat a little cleaner, we’ve got a snack list for you!

These snacks can be made ahead of time. They are easy to make and they don’t skimp on flavor.

These yummy Whole30 snacks are great for the person on the go. As a plus, they can be made relatively inexpensively!

These recipes are sure to help you curb your craving, while also giving your body the healthy snack it deserves.

There is no need to go hungry while on the Whole30 diet. We have got your easy, tasty snack time covered!

Snack Time

1. 4 Ingredient Protein bars

 Inspired by her love of RXBARS, Ashley of Fit Mitten Kitchen came up with a chewy, DIY version.

These bars are easy to make and cost a fraction of the price of a store bought RXBAR, $0.50 instead of $2.50 per bar!

Throw these tasty little snacks in a container so you can eat them at the office or on the go.

2. Spiced Roasted Almonds

Nicole from wonkywonderful.com came up with these salty little delights to help combat her buttery popcorn cravings.

Nicole’s 5 ingredient almond snack is quick and easy to make. 5 minutes on the stove top and you’ll be ready to enjoy some Whole30 approved snacking!

3. Trail Mix

So easy to make!

  • Grab your choice of nuts. Anything but peanuts are Whole30 approved. Throw those in a container.
  • Gently toast some no sugar added coconut chips (often found in the baking isle) on the stove top. Throw those in with the nuts.
  • Next toss some raisins or cranberries on top.

Mix those about and you have an antioxidant power snack waiting when hunger strikes.

**Bonus-Slice up salami to have along with your trail mix snack.

4. Fancy Snacking

Make a little snack pack with prosciutto or salami as your protein.

Then add apples, cantaloupe, or a fruit of your choice.

Kick your protein up a notch by adding some almonds.

** Tip- A little bento box is perfect to house all of this yumminess.

5. Elementary Snack for Big Kids

Ants on a log is old school but it’s the perfect snack to quell your crunchy, salty, sweet cravings.

Replace peanut butter with almond butter to make your ants on a log Whole30 compliant.

6. Mango with Chili Powder and Lime

This is an exotic, tasty treat. The beauty of this snack is that it quenches your sweet tooth while the chili powder rev’s up your metabolism.

Easy as it sounds:

Slice up a mango, toss it with a squeeze of lime juice, sprinkle with chili powder. Finished!

more like this:

7. Carrots, Celery, and Almond Butter Dippers

Put a couple of Table Spoons of almond butter in a container.

Grab some carrots and celery.

Nothing too fancy here, but it will stop hunger pains in their tracks.

8. Apple Cinnamon Almond Butter Dippers

This is a variation of carrot, celery, almond butter dippers.

Except for this one:

  • slice apples up, toss with a squeeze of lemon juice. The lemon juice adds a nice, light tartness plus it will keep your apples from browning.
  • Sprinkle with cinnamon.

Done! This is a snack is ready to travel.

Seasoned Cashews Almonds Whole30 Easy Snacks

9. Lunch Meat & Lettuce “Sandwiches”

Choose a lettuce like romaine or bib. These keep their “boat” shape and are easy to pull away from the lettuce head.

Using a clean leaf of lettuce, place your favorite all-natural lunch meats in the “boat”, creating an open face sandwich.

Top with your favorite mustards.

**Avocado is gorgeous, nutritional addition to these sandwiches. Use to your hearts content!

10. Eggs and Bacon

Breakfast for snack time, sort of. Eggs are inexpensive, full of vitamins, and protein making them a staple of many diet plans.

For this one, take your hard-boiled game up a notch.

Peel the hard-boiled egg, cut it in half, then sprinkle bacon crumbles on top.

Voila!

11. Cucumber Protein Slices

Fresh flavor and protein in one little snack.

  • Slice 1 cucumber and 2 hardboiled eggs
  • Top cucumber slices with egg slices
  • Sprinkle with paprika
  • If available, lightly sprinkle with fresh dill.

12. Monkey Salad

The name of this salad inspires curiosity. Vanessa, from See Vanessa Craft, has a salad that packs a flavorful protein punch!

Full of cashews, berries, banana, coconut flakes, and almond butter it’s easy to put together.

Easy to pack. So yummy to eat!

13. Minced Chicken Lettuce

Do you miss Chinese food while trying to stick to Whole30?

Look no further than the minced chicken lettuce wraps from Emily over at One Lovely Life.

Yes, these could totally be a lunch, but I am obsessed with chicken lettuce wraps, so I will eat them almost any time of the day.

If chicken isn’t your thing, Emily says you can substitute turkey or pork.

Living the Good Life

Making your health a priority is one of the best choices you can make for yourself. But healthy lifestyle changes can be challenging.

I hope these 13 easy, budget friendly, Whole30 compliant snack recipes make it easier for you stay full and stick to your health goals.

Do you have any tips for sticking to Whole30?

More Whole 30 Resources:

Click pictures below for more information 🙂

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Stop Clothing Smells and Extend Fabric Life- Workout Clothes Cleaning Hacks

pile of folded laundry

Have you ever been in this situation: Your getting ready for the gym, you pull your clean moisture wicking top over your head only to notice, it doesn’t smell that fresh?

Or worse, you are mid-way through your workout and you notice you are starting to smell.

Under further inspection the deodorant is working great, but it’s your shirt starting to give off a dog smell mixed with mildew.

Yuck!

By this point, you have probably guessed that I am guilty of experiencing both above stinky workout clothing scenarios.

What I did not add to the getting dressed scenario, is that I went through several funky smelling work out shirts before I could find a fresh top to throw on and head to hot yoga.

So frustrating!

So how do we get the musty preparation smell out of our workout clothes and go from smelling nasty to smelling fresh?

The answer is easy, but we will have to start at the root of the issue- We’ve most likely been washing our workout clothes all wrong.

You are Washing Your Clothes All Wrong

Athletic clothes have been getting better and better.

They are stretcher than ever and most have a moisture wicking component.

All good stuff. Hence the Athleisure business is booming!

The same fabric that gives us the moisture free support we enjoy during our workout is also the reason that we smell later.

Where we go Wrong with Clothing Care

These fabrics need to be cared for delicately, with little detergent, no fabric softener, and air drying in order to keep the mildew/ wet dog funky smell at bay.

Over use of detergent and fabric softener cause buildup on the clothing trapping in bacteria that cause our workout apparel to wreak.

4 Smell Busting Hacks for Fresh Clothes

woman in a standing yoga pose

How do You get rid of smelly clothes?

Whether you are a Lululemon girl or you like your workout clothes from Walmart, all workout clothes can benefit from these smell busting hacks.

These hacks will not only keep all of your athletic apparel smelling fresh, they can also extend the life of the fabrics.

1. Post Workout Do’s

 As soon as possible get your workout clothes out of the gym bag, turn them inside out, and either air dry them or get them into the washing machine.

When laundering workout clothes continue to stick to the old laundry rules of lights with lights, darks with darks, ect..

Place any bras with clasps in a dedicates laundry bag; making sure the bra is inside out while in that bag.

2. Special Fabric

Workout clothing is made of special fabrics that need to be washed in cold water on the delicate cycle.

The less harsh the wash and the cycle, the less wear and tear on the garment.

Due to the stretchy nature of modern workout clothes it is best to not just separate according to colors but wash according to fabrics too.

Washing workout clothes with harsh things, like wash clothes or sweat shirts, can cause piling and stretching of the fabrics, wearing them out sooner.

3. Reversing a Stinky Situation

We have found clean but nasty smelling workout clothes, no what do we do?

Turn everything inside out, this will allow all the dead skin, dirt, oils and bacteria to be cleaned off more effectively in the wash cycle.

  • Use half the detergent we normally would, for that load size.
  • Add ½ Cup to 1 Cup of white vinegar to the rinse cycle, depending on your load size.- The vinegar is going to help cut through the product build up and eliminate bacterial.
  • Air dry

4. Regular Care and Keeping Stink Free

Now that we’ve cut through the clothing stink and our workout clothes are build-up free, it’s time to go to our regular care regiment.

Turn those clothes:

  • inside out
  • put the cold water, delicate cycle on.

Detergent Use:

For athletic apparel use a little less than the recommended amount of detergent for the load size. (More detergent just means more build up)

Add to the cycle ¼ C to ½ C white vinegar or baking soda, as an odor eliminating laundry booster. (We are using less vinegar than we did previously, because we aren’t cleaning off build up and mildew.)

Feel free to substitute Borax for white vinegar too.

Sports Detergent:

If you have it in your budget, a sports detergent, like Tide Sport, works great at preventing odors.

I have used this one.

It works. It’s usually easy to find too.

No need to use a vinegar, baking soda, or borax if you go this route.

Lastly and importantly:

  • Air dry

No, No’s of Washing Workout Clothing

Workout Clothes Keeping them Fresh

There are only two big no-no’s to remember with washing and caring for your workout clothing.

1. No Fabric Softener.

None. Zip. Zilch. Fabric softer coats stretchy, moisture wicking moisture wicking fabrics which aid in retention of bacteria on our sweaty workout clothes.

The fabric softer build up prevents detergent from cleaning our workout clothes fully.

Fabric softener will put us right back to stinky square one.

2. No Heat.

That means no hot water.

No dryer.

Heat amplifies odors. Heat breaks down the elasticity of the fabrics causing them to lose their shape, and possibly shrink.

Drying Rack:

A drying rack is invaluable in this process.

They also fold up and store easily when not in use.

To Keep Clothing Odors at Bay and Extend the life of Your Workout Clothes:

  • Always was on delicate.
  • Air dry for drying. In a pinch, low/no heat in the dryer. For the life of the fabrics, try to keep that very few and far between and use a drying rack instead.

How do you keep your workout clothes looking good? Do you have any hacks you’d like to share? I’d love to hear them!

Shop the Post- Below for Fresh Clothes:

Related articles:

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28 Eco Hacks You Can Do Today on Any Budget

Eco-friendly Lifestyle reuse recycle hacks every budget

An environmentally friendly lifestyle doesn’t need to be expensive or complicated. Small changes to our lifestyles can save money as well as lower our carbon footprint.

You’ll notice our green list includes some green lifestyle hacks that you are probably already doing ,or accustomed to hearing, as well as new ones. All of these green hacks are easy to fit into your life and are easy on the pocket book. A definite win-win!

Earth day doesn’t need to be only one day a year. Make every day April 22 with these easy, economical green lifestyle changes.

eco-friendly lifestyle, earth day, budget hacks, reuse recycle

Clothing & Accessories

Another Chance

By purchasing clothes and accessories used we save money, reduces manufacturing pollutants, and keep old clothes out of landfills.  Next time you are in the market for some new shoes, bracelets, or purse, consider buying gently used at your local thrift store, second hand shop, consignment shop, garage sale, and let’s not forget eBay.

Give away or donate your old clothes instead of throwing them in the trash.

  • Clothing swap is a great excuse to get together with friends. Have them bring their clothes, and accessories. Make a day or evening out of it; maybe with some wine or mimosas? Help the environment while also having a great time.
laundry, washing machine,eco-friendly lifestyle, earth day, budget hacks, reuse recycle

Sniff Test

According to NPS.gov, the average washing machine uses 41 gallons of water per load and the average dryer accounts for about 6% of a home’s energy consumption.

We can lower our water and energy consumption by:

  • only washing our clothes when they smell
  • make each load a full load
  • use cold water for laundry, this small switch, for 1 year, would result in enough energy to power a car for 421 miles!
  • Dry full loads of laundry. Even better, utilize a drying rack or clothes line to really save some green and help the planet.
  • Switch to fragrance free and environmentally friendly laundry products, dryer sheets, or wool dryer balls. Fragranced laundry products have been found to emit VOC’s. While standard laundry detergents include surfactants and phosphates both of which contribute to problems with in our water ways.
  • Clean lint screen after every dryer load, improves circulation and efficiency.

Feeling eco-crafty? You can DIY your own laundry detergents and wool dryer balls!

This will most certainly save money and the planet will thank you. Bonus, making your own products will make you feel so accomplished!

Here are some great blogs to help you out:

household, eco-friendly lifestyle, earth day, budget hacks, reuse recycle

Household

Thermostat

switch out the old for one with an energy star rating. According to energy.gov, we can save up 10% on the heating and cooling of our homes by simply turning the thermostat back by 7-10 degrees for 8 hours a day.

  • Winter, set the thermostat to 68 while you are awake, turn it back a few degrees while you sleep
  • Summer, try it at 78 while you are awake.

Water heater

Set your water heater to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. Energy.gov has found that switching from manufacture recommendation of 140 to 120 degrees will result in a significant amount of money and energy saved every year.

Bonus, turning down the water heater will also reduce mineral deposits and corrosion of your water pipes. Saving energy, saving money on energy and repair bills!

CAUTION: always consult your water heater’s owner’s manual before adjusting your settings!

kitchen eco-friendly lifestyle, earth day, budget hacks, reuse recycle

Kitchen

The Kitchen, like so much of our households, holds room for eco-improvement.

Dishwasher

Run the dishwasher only when full and choose eco-friendly, biodegradable, and plant-based dishwashing products.

These will clean without harmful bleaching agents and phosphates.

Food

  • Need warm or boiling water? An electric tea kettle can help and for less money than using the stove top. There are so many different types to choose from and many price points. It is easy to find an electric tea kettle for most budgets.
  • Crockpot. Make soups, stew, and meals in the crockpot. Using the oven and stove incur costs and energy usage, but they also can warm up the house. This can be a problem in the warmer months, causing the AC to be used more often. Save fossil fuel and money by using your slow cooker. The meal will be just as warm and tasty, but more environmentally friendly!
  • Local is where its at. Local is defined by the Farm Act as any food that’s origin is no more than 400 miles from its end point. Local food is healthier, not only due to its smaller carbon foot print, since it has spent less time in transit, it still has many of its vitamins and minerals intact. Buying local food will save energy, pollutants, and benefits our local growers and producers.
  • Skip the Red Meat. The raising and producing of beef is very resource intensive. In comparison to other meat and vegetables, beef ,and lamb production, has been found to account for 10 to 40 times more green house gas emissions than vegetables and grains. To boot, it takes 840 gallons of water to produce 1 serving of red meat! This is an area where small changes really can make a big impact on our environment.
bathroom,eco-friendly lifestyle, earth day, budget hacks, reuse recycle

Bathroom

Water off.

The average sink faucet will pump out 3 gallons a minute. Make sure to turn off the tap while you’re brushing your teeth.

Showering

A shower saves more water than taking a bath.

Switch out your old for shower head for a low-flow version and get ready to save cash and water.

This small switch saves ½ gallon of water per minute.

Faucets and Aerator

Upgrades can save 700 gallons of water per year, which equates to about 40 showers.

Look for the Water Sense certification.

These are inexpensive fixes that can really make a difference for your wallet and the planet.

coffee sleeves,eco-friendly lifestyle, earth day, budget hacks, reuse recycle

Out and About

Coffee Break

Mug

Many coffee shops will allow you to bring your own travel mug and give you a small discount on the fill, like Starbucks for example.

Sleeves

Save your card board coffee sleeves and re-use the next time you grab some java.

Or purchase a super cute knit coffee sleeve off of Etsy. I was gifted a cute pink knit sleeve with a yellow flower years ago. I love it!

BYOW

Bring Your Own Water

Americans consume 3.3 million water bottles an hour! Unfortunately, only 1/5th of those will be recycled.

Break the cycle by purchasing a reusable water bottle.

From the grocery store to Amazon, it’s easier than ever to find a reusable water bottle that fits your budget and lifestyle.

Just Say No, to Plastic Grocery Bags

I know this has been said before, but Americans are still using them. To the tune of 100 billion plastic grocery bags a year and they account for 8 % of litter!

Leave some canvas bags in the car so they’re always ready for the next shopping trip.

eco-friendly lifestyle, earth day, budget hacks, reuse recycle

Your Turn

April 22 is officially Earth day but will these small changes every day can be Earth day at you house.

Do you have any eco-friendly hacks that work for you? We’d love hear them!

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Spring Cleaning Our Health, 5 Simple Ways to Improve Your Healthy Lifestyle

Wellness healthy hacks tips for better skin, energy, and life

Spring Cleaning Your Health

Spring Cleaning our health is the last post in our spring cleaning series.

During our spring cleaning series, we’ve purged expired beauty products from our makeup bags, made eco-friendly cleaning supplies to help with the dreaded spring cleaning, and now we’re going to spring clean our health.

I feel like spring is a better time for health and diet changes than January; for the simple fact that spring weather makes it easier to get outside for exercise and a variety of fresh produce is available.

Spring cleaning our health isn’t about major radical changes. Spring cleaning our health is about looking at the places that need cleaned up, need a little help.

These 5 health topics are areas where many of us are deficient.

When we do not we eat as we should, hydrate, sleep, or exercise our bodies make it harder to lose weight, our skin dulls, our health suffers, inflammation builds, and we can become depressed.

I personally have experience all of those negative effects from not caring for myself, but I thought I was.

I thought I drank enough water. I’m a person who likes food. I thought I was informed when it came to nutrition.

Even though I wasn’t get enough sleep, but I was exercising, so why couldn’t I lose the extra weight?

I thought I knew what I was doing, but I was wrong.

My dietitian recommended that I not only write in a food journal, but daily note my water, sleep, and activities. All of this opened my eyes to where there were deficits in my “healthy lifestyle”.

I know I’m not alone. The Mayo Clinic found that only 3% of Americans meet the criteria for a healthy lifestyle.

As you can tell, I am passionate about spring cleaning health.

I’ve seen it change my life. I know it can change yours too!

I have more energy, my skin is better, my digestion is better, and I fit back into my jeans!

Spring cleaning our health is about pin pointing places where we can tweak our lifestyle.

These small changes are easy to do and will have your body feeling it’s best in no time!

Water spring cleaning health diet

1.Drink Enough Water

Water is responsible for nourishing our cells, joints, it helps us to eliminate waste.

When we are well hydrated our skin’s tone is improved and dry skin is minimized.

How Much?

How much water we should drink depends on our sex, environment, and activity level.

On average a man should drink 15.5 cups of fluids a day, where as a woman should drink 11.5 cups.

Most liquids can help hydrate you, including coffee and tea.

Hydrate Well

However, in order to hydrate well, we should be consuming liquids without caffeine, sugars, high fructose corn syrup, low/no calories, and no sodium.

A good rule of thumb is, the more natural the better.

If drinking plain water is a challenge for you; try infusing your water with fruit, herbs, or cucumber. Infused water is easy to do and is so refreshing.

Organic Life has a very informative info-graphic to inspire your infusion combinations.

Hydration Reminders

If simply remembering how much water to drink is the issue, there are water bottles that can help you track your intake.

They range from high tech and sync with your phone to low tech with a clicking cap.

A friend of mine has had the sleekly designed, low tech Joseph Joseph for about a year and she loves it. To track your water consumption, after you have finished drinking 20 oz, you twist the Joseph Joseph’s cap, it clicks and reveals 1 or 3 dots.

The Joseph Joseph is reasonably priced and can be found on amazon.

I personally have a plain, stainless-steel water bottle that I love. I know I need to drink 3 a day. That works for me.

spring cleaning health food journal diet

2. Food Diary

As I said earlier, a food diary changed my life.

I know it sounds silly. I thought I was eating well and moving enough. Once I journaled everyday for a month I was able to see that I was missing the mark by a long shot.

Honestly one week into journaling, I could see I was not as great at being healthy as I had thought.

The Right Journal

First rule of the food diary, pick out something you will use. $1 note book, gorgeous journal, it doesn’t matter.

It just has to be something you will use.

I suggest something that will fit in a purse too for those occasions you eat out or at the office.

Convenience

Secondly, put the journal where it is easy to grab and use.

Convenience is key. If you think you will write it down later, later may never come.

My best place is on the counter. I find it utterly annoying to have it cluttering the counter, so it makes me use it.

3. Fruits & Veggies

If you are like One in ten Americans your journal probably revealed that you are not enough fruits or vegetables.

For women between the ages of 19-50, 2.5 cups of veggies a day is adequate.

The fruit serving recommendation are 2Cups for women ages 19-30; 1.5 a day for ages 31- 50.

Upping the intake of fruits and vegetable needn’t be stressful. The great thing about spring and summer is the variety of produce available.

Smoothies and Salads are a delicious, convenient way to increase our consumption of produce.

Salads

Salads can be made ahead and it’s a great way to get the daily recommendation of veggies.

Salads do not have to be boring.

Smoothies

Smoothies are a great way to sneak in your daily servings of both fruits and vegetable, the trick is to watch those calories.

Keep your smoothies all natural too.

Smoothies can be a little intimidating, especially if you are trying to add vegetable to the mix.

We’ve compiled a list of smoothies to help get you started.

All have easy to find ingredients.

As a bonus, add 1 tsp of Chia seeds to increase the protein, fiber, anti-oxidants, omega-3’s, vitamins and minerals of the smoothie.

Easy, Yummy Smoothies:

spring cleaning health snacks diet4. Healthy snacks

While we are on the subject of food, let’s talk about snacking.

Eating more frequently helps to stabilize blood sugar, reduce cravings, reduce BMI’s, and supports a healthy metabolism.

BUT for snacking to be a beneficial, we need to make sure the snacks are healthy, preferably high in fiber and protein.

Foods high in fiber and protein help us feel full longer making us less likely to binge on the donuts left in the conference room.

Laura Catalusci, MA ,a certified health specialist interviewed by Everyday Health, suggests limiting a snack to no more than 300 calories.

For many of us a 200-calorie snack will suffice.

So that we don’t grab the first thing we see when snack time hunger strikes, having a plan is key.

Purchase or package your snack ahead of time.

Prepackage packaged snacks:

Homemade snacks:

  • Apple with 1 TBSP of Almond or Peanut Butter.
  • Veggies-carrots, broccoli, snow peas, cauliflower, ect, 2 TBSP of Hummus runs about 80 calories
  • Air Popped Popcorn, plain, has about 31 calories per cup.
  • Apple and string cheese
  • Nuts, pistachios, cashews, walnuts, almonds, ect. NO salt
  • Hard boiled eggs, lots of protein
  • Smoothie, watch your measurements.
  • Fresh berries, 1 Cup with Plain Greek Yogurt
  • Whole grain crackers and cheese. Kashi several makes a great whole grain cracker.
  • Kale chips
  • Cottage cheese, 1/2c with mandarin oranges or cantaloupe
  • Banana and peanut butter or almond butter
  • Edamame
  • Avocado toast with whole grain or gluten free bread. Gimme Delicious has a delicious 5 minute toast recipe.

spring cleaning health healthy lifestyle exercise diet

5. Exercise

What I love about spring, is the good weather encourages us to get outside.

Getting outside makes exercise easy.

Exercise does not have to be an aerobics class, or yoga.

It can be a walk around the block, gardening in the yard, even cleaning the house can be considered exercise!

Since we are spring cleaning our health, it is important to know that the American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes, or 30 minutes a day, of moderate exercise.

30 minutes a day of moderate exercise is enough to lower the risk of stroke and heart disease.

That 30 minutes does not need to be all at once.

A better fit may be to divide the 30 minutes up thought out your day. Whatever it takes to get to 30 minutes.

Tracking

Breaking up your exercise minutes may make it challenging to keep track of.

If you have an iPhone there is a health app with a pedometer built in.

Wear it all day and it will help you to count the steps you’ve taken throughout the day.

The ideal is 10,000 steps a day, however most American’s take under 5,000 daily.

Since we are attempting to make health changes that stick, wear it for several days and see what your average is and then go about increasing it every day.

iPhones tracking tends to be on the low side, in my opinion, but if it’s what you have on hand, then it’s a great way to get started.

If you have a little extra cash investing in a pedometer might be a better option for you.

I have a refurbished Garmin Vivosmart from Amazon and I love it! It is accurate. I haven’t had any problems with it and it has more bells and whistles, like a sleep tracker.

Tom’s Guide has a great comparison review of Fitbit, Garmin, and Polar fitness trackers.

spring cleaning health sleep diet

6. Sleep

When we talk about cleaning up our health we cannot forget our sleeping habits.

Sleep is often an over looked culprit for many of our health issues.

When we are not well rested we cannot think as clearly, function at our full potential, our productivity drops, it effects our skin, health, it can contribute to inflammation, contribute to mental distress and obesity.

For most adults the Sleep Foundation recommends 7-9 hours of sleep a night.

However, 1 in 3 Americans do not get enough sleep.

Technology in our bedrooms, not having a steady schedule, drinking caffeine too late in the day, working out too late, and even our bedrooms being too warm can contribute to our loss of sleep.

How do we get more or better sleep?

Do’s
  • Cool, dark bedroom. Heavy curtains, lower temp between 60-75 F
  • Make sure the mattress and pillow are comfortable
  • Read paper books instead of e-readers.
  • Use a fan or other soothing white noise like rain to help sooth your body and brain to a restful slumber
  • Have a bedtime schedule. Make a point to go to sleep and rise at the same time every day. This will create a rhythm for your body.
Do Not’s
  • Do not consuming any caffeine or nicotine 4 to 6 hours before we head to bed.
  • Computer, T.V., and Cell phones out of the bedroom. The back lighting delays our melatonin Melatonin helps us to sleep. Even when we are not using them, the presence of a cell phone keeps our brain alert, inhibiting it from fully resting.
  • Exercise no later than 3 hours before bed. Exercise stimulates the hormone cortisol which contributes to our bodies being more alert.

spring cleaning health changes diet

Spring Cleaning Our Health

Cleaning up our health does not have to be about huge changes.

Our goal is to make positive changes that we can keep up with.

Changes that don’t over whelm but encourage us.

When we make positive changes, that we can manage, it creates a positive snowball effect.

Instead of feeling discouraged we feel encouraged and empowered.

This spring is the start of a healthier, happier, more empowered you!