Category: Healthy Living

How Can I Deal with Stress? Do Some Spring Cleaning.

Well, it’s Spring. Time for Spring Cleaning. We all think about cleaning out our closets and clearing the clutter in our homes when it’s Spring. But what about the vessel that houses our soul? It’s time to Spring Clean your body! No matter who you are, where you live, or how you live, your body is exposed to toxins everyday.

Take some time this week to assist your body with eliminating some of the “clutter” that it has collected through the winter, and do a little detoxification program. Below are some things you can easily do for 1 to 2 weeks to help cleanse your body in time for spring. All of these things will also help you create that perfect swimsuit body just in time for summer! Commit to at least 1 week of at least 1 item listed below. If you want to go longer, by all means do! The longer the healthier!

  • Drink 8 Glasses of water or herbal tea per day. Actually keep a tally. This is one of the most effective ways to give your body a boost!
  • Change your diet. Focus on eating only fiber rich foods. Great sources of fiber include oatmeal, flax (super grain!), apples, oranges, pears, strawberries, blueberries, whole wheat, whole whole grains (brown rice), nuts, celery, carrots, broccoli, green, leafy vegetables (lettuce, kale), grapes, cucumbers, tomatoes, lentils. OK, so more fruits and vegetables and whole grains! Eat smaller portions of meat and dairy.
  • Omit sugar from your diet. (It’s only 1 week!)
  • Omit Alcohol. (I know, I know. Food tastes better with wine! It’s just a week…give your liver a break!)
  • Quit smoking. OK, this one needs to go on for the rest of your life, but start with committing to a week. Allen Carr’s Easyway to Stop Smoking can do the trick!
  • Eliminate deep fried foods completely.
  • Try an herbal detox program that can be purchased from your local health food store. These kits assist with the elimination and cleaning of the most important home you have… your body! Ask the staff to recommend one based on the results you want.
  • Do 20 minutes of yoga everyday. Simple yoga poses effectively help to eliminate toxins and keep you calm, focused and flexible. Be sure to drink lots of water afterwards.
  • Get a massage! Massages also help to release toxins from their long term storage bins. Again, drink tonnes of water to help eliminate them so they are not reabsorbed. Perhaps a massage swap with someone close to you? Ooooh, detoxing can be amusing also!

Please note that you may experience flu like symptoms, like headaches and a decrease in energy for the first few days of any “detox” program. This is a result of a large amount of toxins being released into your body. Be sure to eat tonnes of fiber and drink lots of water to  help eliminate those toxins and avoid them being reabsorbed back into the body. I was recently looking for a fiber rich cereal when I noticed one called ‘Holy Crap‘. I had seen it on Dragon’s Den and was excited to see it on the shelves of my grocery store! I bought it and it tastes fantastic. Does it live up to it’s name? I am on day 1, so I’ll let you know! Enjoy your week or 2 of spring cleaning. Namaste.

Composting in Calgary.

I love being GREEN! It’s good for the environment, and it makes me feel so good to be doing things that contribute to our earth. Admittedly, though, I’m not perfect! This year, I got a little lazy with my compost through the winter. I kept adding everything I should  add, but I didn’t turn it like I should have every week. Last weekend, with spring finally upon us and the snow gone, I decided to to give my compost a real good turning. I was intending to use some of the “ready” stuff on my current garden beds. I really went to town digging and turning, and all of a sudden a bunch of cute little rodents came rushing up to the surface! They were looking at me as if to say “what the heck are you doing to our home lady?” I promptly stopped digging, closed the lid, and went in the house.
 
My consequence of not regularly turning the compost is VOLES! How nice. Rather than poison or trap the little critters, I decided to take a more humane approach. I have turned my compost every day, and I have added some water. The little grey rodents have vacated their comfy home, and I have my nutrient rich compost back! Gardening is not for the faint of heart!
 
The natural approach is always the best approach.
 
The warm, stagnant environment that I allowed in my compost made it way too nice for the voles, and I take full responsibility for allowing them to move on in. Making it an uninhabitable place is also my responsibility, and it is the easiest way to discourage any critters from hanging around too long.
 
Always think about using simple, natural methods as your first choice. Keep the healthy life balance going in your yard, and you will be blessed with healthy land, healthy gardens, and healthy families. One small step everyday by each of us can make a ginormous impact on the health of our planet. Being Green is a mindset that is contagious! Let’s all make an effort to create more harmony. Namaste.

Birthdays.

We all deserve to have at least 1 day of every year where we feel like we are the most important person. That day is normally your birthday. The phone rings for you more often that day and you may be able to take liberties like longer lunches or sleeping in, and feel good about it. Today is your reminder that age is a state of mind.

I am constantly preaching about looking at results and using those as a basis for judgement and action. When I look at people who practice yoga, I see the kind of results I want. They may have grey hair, but their bodies are tighter and more flexible than most people in their 20’s! I am looking forward to feeling like a 25  year old until I am 105, and I want to have the body to back those feelings up.

Do what you can to preserve the wellness of your body so that you can continue to do all of the things that you feel like you should be able to do, for as long as you want to do them. And don’t let a number like your age restrict you. Remember, you’re only as old as you feel…how old is that today? Me, I’m 25 and holding. Namaste.

How can I deal with stress? Consider your needs.

Life can be hectic, and our own lofty goals can sometimes interfere with our feelings of happiness. Consider your happiness definition.

My 6 year old daughter Kayley reminded me tonight that “all you need to survive is food, and life and love”.

While we are frantically chasing down other things in our lives, we can forget that the simplest of things are often the most desirable and the most rewarding. Most of the time, we already have these simple things, but we are too busy to enjoy them.

Make some time to enjoy a relaxed, healthy meal with the people you love.  Truly savor the food that is nourishing your body and giving you the energy you need to live your best life.  Be grateful for the health you enjoy everyday.  And tell the people you love how much you love them.  And when they tell you how much they love you, let your heart swell with happiness. To be loved by anyone is an amazing feeling.

Be thankful for everything you already have in your life, and do not take anything for granted. Don’t forget to smile, especially if you feel like you don’t want to.  Namaste.

4 Hugs a Day…

“4 Hugs a Day, that’s the minimum.  4 Hugs a Day, not the maximum!”

You need 4 hugs a day just to survive, but don’t stop there! The more the better! Human touch is essential to our well being, so start hugging more! Once you start doing this more, you will notice how a simple hug can energize you and make you feel better.  And the longer the hug, the better.   Improve your day with a hug (or 4!).  Namaste!

Tasty Tuesday

Make sure you eat breakfast every day.  Your body has been starved through the night, and it needs the immediate nourishment that breakfast gives.  Eating anything within the first hour of being awake will kick start your metabolism, which will help you lose weight and give you the energy you need to start your day off right.  So, go ahead and make yourself a piece of toast, or get a bowl of cereal.  Adding a fruit will make the energy last even longer.  What could be easier than a banana?   Feed your body, and you will feed your soul.  Have an abundant day!