Tag: nutrition

Produce & Pesticides

It’s what we’ve all been waiting for— the results of the Environmental Working Group (EWG) annual produce study. Each year, EWG analyzes thousands of fruit and vegetable samples for pesticide residues. The most recent EWG report ranks 48 different fruits and vegetables by the total number of pesticides found on them. We have listed the 15 most contaminated fruits and vegetables here, as well as the 15 varieties of conventional fruits and vegetables that are least likely to contain pesticides.

Why is this so important to consider, you may ask? Well, pesticides are chemicals that exist for the purpose of killing “pests”, such as insects, mold, bacteria and weeds that interfere with the growing process. It is a known fact that some pesticides, such as organophosphates and carbamates, affect the nervous system. Other pesticides can cause skin irritation, lead to cancer, or affect the endocrine system.

While you should take some comfort in knowing that the Environmental Protection Agency determines how much of a pesticide can remain on food that you buy, we believe that it still pays to be an informed consumer and to make your own decisions about the food you choose to ingest.

Ideally, all of our fruits and vegetables would be grown locally and organically. Practically speaking, we do not all live in areas with supermarkets that carry vast varieties of organic produce, nor do we all have financial budgets that allow a fully organic diet. We believe that the EWG list is a helpful shopping tool if you’d like to limit pesticide exposure.

Please note that the words “clean” and “dirty” are specifically referring to pesticides, not the quality of the produce, whether it is genetically modified, or whether it is grown locally or thousands of miles away. Pesticides ONLY. It is up to YOU to determine which factors are most important to consider before purchasing food.

Here are some general guidelines:

-If a fruit or vegetable is on the “dirty” list, make an effort to buy the organic version.

-If you consume a particular fruit or vegetable on a frequent basis, buy organic—especially if it’s on the “dirty” list.

-The EWG study found that although leafy greens, such as kale and collard greens did not make the “dirty” list, they tend to be treated with particularly toxic pesticides. If you frequently purchase conventional greens, cook them. Pesticide levels typically diminish when food is cooked.

-Use organic greens for juicing.

-Go ahead and make that guacamole with conventional avocados. Only 1% of avocados tested showed any detectable levels of pesticides!

-Remember to thoroughly wash your produce before eating. I know it’s tempting to just wipe that apple on the edge of your shirt. Without washing your produce, your risk of ingesting pesticides is greater.

March 16, 2015
10 Wellness Tips for the New Year
The New Year seems to imply that we need to make a change, but we like to think of it as an opportunity to refocus on ourselves and concentrate on adopting some healthy habits.

We are firm believers that small steps and changes can make a very big difference. Starting small will help ease you into a new routine and work towards adopting a revitalized mindset. Once you start making some incremental changes, you will see, and feel, a difference.

So, in an attempt to inspire some healthy habits, we have jotted down ten that we think are worth considering. They are not only focused on yoga, fitness and nutrition — but overall wellness. We hope they become a part of your routine!

Here’s our list of top ten wellness tips for 2015:
1. Wake up early — start your day early enough that you can accomplish a few things before the day actually gets started. Generally mornings are rushed, making lunches, racing to get dressed and out of the house and off to work and school. Get up early, even if it’s only 15 minutes earlier than usual. Take a moment, have a cup of tea and ease into your day. These few moment of peace are all yours.
2. Set a daily intention — since you will be up early, take the time to set an intention for your day. Find a quiet place to sit and think — think about what you will conquer during the day and how you will achieve your goals.
3. Find time for exercise (morning, noon, or night – whenever it’s best for you). If carving out some time early in the morning or late at night doesn’t work for you, do something active during your lunch break, or while at your desk. Even taking a walk and stretching your legs counts!
4. Take care of your skin — suncreen, skincare, etc. Wash your face. Moisturize it and protect it with SPF. We are not beauty consultants, but we all need to take care and protect our skin.
5. Do something for you. Pencil some “me time” into your calendar. That may mean finding time for a pedicure, or having tea with a friend. Do something for you — maybe not every day — but as often as possible.
6. Cook more, take-out less. Eating healthy is so important, and we really do believe that cooking your own meals inspires healthy eating — a healthier lifestyle. Of course, you can find healthy food options at restaurants and in cafeterias, but your own kitchen is the best place to start. Take a few extra minutes to make something homemade versus buying a pre-made, likely preservative-laden, option. That doesn’t mean you can’t take short cuts — like buying pre-cut and washed veggies — but, focus on preparing your food versus choosing something from a freezer case.
7. Read — a newspaper, a magazine or a book. It doesn’t matter if it’s fiction or non-fiction. Reading sparks creativity, and it’s just different from being fed information from the television. You are an active participant in receiving knowledge!
8. Go outside, and do something active. Even in the dead of winter, a quick walk around the block can invigorate you. Take a moment and go outside — breathe in some fresh air. Even better, participate in an outdoor activity. Riding a bike, an outdoor yoga class, a run — whatever suits your fancy! Just get outside!
9. Put your phone down, or your laptop — whatever device you are attached to these days. Isn’t it the worst when you are trying to have a conversation with someone and they are glued to their phone? We are all guilty, so, put your phone down. Focus on what’s happening right in front of you — whether it’s a conversation with a loved one or a work colleague. Or, perhaps, just put your phone down in order to focus on yourself.
10. Make a daily to-do list. We love our lists. We like to make ours at night in order set ourselves up for the next day. Making a list will help you organize all of the moving parts of your life. And, there’s nothing like crossing something off your list to make you feel accomplished!
January 20, 2015
An Announcement…

Hello everyone!

Just a quick note to thank you all for the tremendous support. In the two months that we’ve been up and running with the Two Fit Moms website, we’ve been working hard to create an online space where we can expand upon all of the yoga, fitness and nutrition love that we express so briefly in captions on Instagram. We hope you are enjoying all of our tutorials, tips, recipes, and weekly giveaways.

In an effort to provide more content, and in order to manage the Two Fit Moms website more effectively, we have added a new member to our team. We are excited to introduce you to Kate Alexander, who has been in our lives since high school!

Kate will take on the role of creative and editorial director for Two Fit Moms. With more than 15 years of experience in public relations, she will also be responsible for all things related to marketing and branding of the website. Kate will be a great addition to our team, as she shares her tips on how she balances her life as a professional consultant, a wife, and a mother to three young children. Please look out for her future posts on nutrition and wellness.

Much love to you all—

Masumi & Laura

March 27, 2014
Balsamic Brussel Sprouts

Brussel sprouts conjure up images of my childhood….not the good moments, unfortunately. I remember whining and crying at the dinner table as I faced a plateful of mushy baby cabbages that made me want to gag. I know that so many of you must have had similar experiences, which is why I am SO excited to introduce you to THIS recipe. I’m not exactly sure when my mom started making this version of brussel sprouts, but I am very grateful for the change. Trust me. This recipe makes me WANT to eat brussel sprouts just about every day. Give this a try.

Ingredients:

1 lb brussel sprouts
1 Tbsp olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
¼ cup vegetable broth
⅓ cup crushed walnuts
salt & pepper (optional)

Step 1
Cut the hard end off of each brussel sprout, and slice each one into fourths.

Step 2
Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a deep pan, and sautee the brussel sprouts for 5 minutes until they are golden in color.

Step 3
Add ¼ cup of vegetable broth and 2 teaspoons of balsamic vinegar to the pan. Stir the liquid, and then cover the pan. Allow ingredients to simmer over a low flame for 5 minutes.

Step 4
Mix ⅓ cup of crushed walnuts into the pan. Add salt and pepper to taste.

February 24, 2014
Healthy Quick Tip: Steaming Greens

Creating a healthy lifestyle does not have to be an overwhelming experience. I’m not sure when “all or nothing” became the mantra for healthy living, but it really does not have to be that way. You can build a healthy life, step by step. Simply start by incorporating one small, healthy change into your routine. My favorite quick tip for better health is to steam leafy green vegetables on a daily basis. This is such an easy way to kickstart your healthy eating plan. In the time it takes to boil a few inches of water in a pot, your greens will be washed and ready to cook.

I do this every single day. Let me tell you why.

Finding Inspiration
When I was diagnosed with an autoimmune illness, I went to a natural healing facility to learn how to balance my body and health. I was in tremendous pain, but I did not want to start taking the very harsh drugs that are the usual course of treatment for illnesses similar to mine.

While I was at this healing center, I met a number of individuals with various types of catastrophic illnesses. They turned to this healing facility as a last resort. Many of them were given death dates and told that there was nothing else left to be done medically, and many were told to go see the world and say their last goodbyes. It was only under these dire circumstances that these individuals turned to macrobiotics, a lifestyle and diet to balance the body and mind.

As I spoke to some of these individuals with cancer and tumors all over their body, I learned that some of them were just beginning their macrobiotic journey, but many of them had been living macrobiotically for years and had long since surpassed their so-called death dates. How were these people recovering and healing from illnesses that were deemed terminal?!! It was amazing to witness, and I knew that if they could find healing with these horrific diseases, then I certainly could find healing, too.

I will not go into macrobiotic theory in this article, but I WILL tell you one thing that EVERY one of these sick people did at EVERY meal. They ate large quantities of cooked, leafy green vegetables—leafy green vegetables that are low in oxalic acid (not spinach or swiss chard). Yes, they ate many other very important healing foods, but this is such an easy one for anyone to do! Imagine the health benefits of eating greens three times a day! (Or even once or twice a day.) Who knows what kind of weirdo illness you can help ward off with this very simple habit!

The knowledge that I gained at this healing center was invaluable, and with this knowledge, I have been able to stay out of the hospital and manage my illness without drugs. I have incorporated greens into my daily routine, and I’m here to tell you that it’s easy, and you can do it, too.

Let me show you how.

Step 1:
Boil water in your steamer pot, or if you do not have a steamer, boil about 1-2 inches of water in the bottom of a pot. While your water is boiling, wash your green leafy vegetables in cool water. (Ideally, you will have access to organically grown produce.) In the photo below, I’m working with collard greens.

Step 2:
Slice the leaf along either side of the hard stem, but do not discard the stems! Organic vegetables are expensive, so you will want to use every part of the plant. Dry the stems and save them in your refrigerator for another day. I will post another article and tell you how I use up my collard stems.

Step 3:
Make a pile of the leaf halves.

Step 4:
Start at one end, and begin to roll your stack of greens into a tube.

Step 5:
Hold your tubes of collard greens on one end, and begin to slice your greens from the other end into thin shreds. By slicing the collards into thin shreds, a typically very tough green can be steamed and softened quickly.

Step 6:
Drop your shredded greens into your steamer or into your boiling water. Cover the pot for two minutes. After two minutes, your greens are ready to eat.

You can have your greens alongside your breakfast (which is what I do) or pack them up to eat with your lunch or dinner later in the day. Throw them into soup or chili, or eat them as a side dish with a drizzle of your favorite vinegar. Remember that preparation is key! The greens will not magically appear if you do not prepare them. Give this healthy tip a try. Be proactive about your health, and fuel up on nutrient-dense foods.

If you would like to ease into macrobiotics, Alicia Silverstone’s cookbook, is a great one to try. The “Superhero” diet that she presents is actually a macrobiotic diet. She also includes many vegan and non-macrobiotic recipes that the whole family will enjoy. There is no pressure at all to adapt a new diet and lifestyle…just a lot of encouragement to dabble and enjoy!

February 20, 2014
Green Smoothies 101: Buying the Basics

One of the quickest and easiest ways to improve your diet and to start each day with a nutritional bang is to blend green smoothies. If you are ready to join the green smoothie bandwagon, you will need a few kitchen staples on hand to make this a simple, natural process each day.

Stock Your Kitchen

Surprisingly, you can create many different, delicious green smoothies with the same few base ingredients. Just mix and match the following items in your blender with a couple of new ingredients each day to change the flavor. If you are working with recipes rather than mixing up your own concoctions, don’t worry—many recipes will include a few of these ingredients. You might need to add one or two new items from the supermarket, but the staples listed here will be used repeatedly. Nothing listed here will be wasted.

-Greens

In order to make green smoothies, you will obviously need to keep green leafy vegetables on hand. If you are short on time, you can buy plastic containers full of pre-washed organic greens from the produce section of your supermarket. It’s as simple as grabbing a handful of leaves and throwing them into the blender with your other ingredients. If you happen to have an autoimmune illness that affects your joints, I recommend working with greens that are low in oxalic acid, such as kale or collard greens. Stay away from spinach and swiss chard, which are both high in oxalic acid and can aggravate your joint condition.

-Frozen berries

These days, you can find bags of frozen organic berries at most supermarkets. Buy a couple of bags of strawberries, blueberries, raspberries or blackberries. You can buy mixed bags of berries or bags of each individual type of berry. I recommend buying berries that you typically DO NOT eat often or do not enjoy. It’s a great way of adding variety and new nutrients to your diet. I know that sounds counterintuitive, but smoothies happen to be a great way of consuming foods that you’d rather not. Flavors and textures of any particular fruit or vegetable just disappear into blended goodness. Personally, I am not a huge fan of eating fresh blackberries. I happen to enjoy the flavor, but I can’t deal with all of the seeds. It drives me crazy, so now I consume all of my blackberries in pureed form. I just throw a nice big handful of frozen blackberries into my blender, and I get all of the benefits of eating them without actually having to deal with the unpleasant texture of the seeds.

-Frozen bananas

Buy a bunch of bananas, and allow them to ripen on your countertop for a few days. Brown bananas are not particularly appetizing to eat as a snack, but they are perfect for smoothies. Slice each banana, and freeze the slices. Frozen bananas slices blend much more easily than frozen bananas that haven’t been sliced.

-Liquid for your smoothies

I like to stock my pantry with organic, non-GMO soy milk, almond milk, and coconut water. If you prefer a smoothie with a juice base, keep your fridge stocked with orange juice, apple juice, or whatever it is that you prefer.

-Almond butter

If you are worried about getting hungry within an hour or so after consuming your smoothie, turn your drink into a stick-to-your-ribs meal by adding a tablespoon of almond butter to your blender. If you aren’t a huge fan of almond butter, try another type of nut butter, or maybe even a piece of non-GMO organic tofu.

-Fresh Ice

I can’t even tell you how many times I’ve reached into my freezer to grab a handful of ice for my smoothie and realized that my ice smelled a little funky. Whether you have an automatic ice maker in your freezer like me or a few trays of ice that you fill with water and freeze yourself, check your ice before you actually need to use it! Once a month, I dump all of my ice out of the freezer bin that collects my ice cubes from the ice maker. I scrub the ice container with hot soapy water, and I collect all new ice cubes. There’s really no easier way to ruin a delicious smoothie than to fill your blender with old, stinky ice. Take the time to make sure you are using good ice. And don’t forget that you always have the option of skipping ice altogether and just adding more frozen berries instead!

-Lemons/limes

When you first start making green smoothies, you will most likely dapple with recipes that include lots of fruit. Once you become accustomed to these smoothies, you will probably start lowering the quantity of fruit and increasing the quantity of greens and other vegetables. If you move on to these more savory green smoothies, you will want to have fresh lemons and limes on hand. A good squeeze of lemon or lime really compliments any greens or herbs, like parsley, that you might add to your blender. Lemons and limes have quite a long shelf life in the refrigerator, so go ahead and buy a few. Even if you don’t use them today, you can use them in a few weeks, and they will be just as good.

January 26, 2014
Apple-Pie-In-A-Cup Smoothie

This might be my favorite dessert smoothie ever. I call it a “dessert” smoothie because the apple-cinnamon flavor reminds me of apple pie. Turn to this drink instead of taking down a box of cookies and a half-gallon of ice cream. It has the perfect level of sweetness to satisfy your cravings.

Feel free to add a generous handful of baby kale leaves to this recipe. If you don’t mind the green hue, you will benefit from the added nutrition, and honestly, I don’t detect much of a difference in flavor.

Remember to honor yourself and the experience of consuming this delicious drink. It somehow tastes better when you sit down and sip it slowly out of a beautiful glass. I know you are busy. I’m tempted as much as anyone else to just pour my smoothie into a random old mug and drink it while multi-tasking around the house. Let’s change how we eat. Let’s make a real effort to eat mindfully.

Blend:

1 Fuji apple
1 frozen banana (sliced before freezing)
1 Tbsp almond butter
1 Tbsp cinnamon
1 cup soy/rice/almond milk
2 handfuls of ice
1 handful baby kale (optional)

Makes about 20-ounces of smoothie.

January 19, 2014
Train Yourself to be an Early Riser

You can train yourself to be an early riser! Will you love the process? Probably not. Do I love it? Not really. Dragging my sleepy body out of bed is not my idea of a good time…but what I DO love is putting my best foot forward from the moment that I step out of bed. By waking up early, I control the direction and tone for my entire day. Waking early removes the rush and chaos of the morning, and it makes me feel centered and disciplined. I love knowing that I can use the extra time without guilt because there just isn’t anywhere else I need to be at the crack of dawn. I may not put myself first at any other time during the day, but my early mornings are for me. I want you to experience that same feeling—the feeling of doing something healthy, just for you.

So, how do you become an early riser without it being a painful experience? Training. You need to train your body to wake up early. It’s a process. Discipline must be cultivated. I do NOT suggest that you start out by shifting your wake-up time from 7 am to 5 am. That is beyond painful. Just as you wouldn’t train for a marathon by stepping outside and running 26 miles on your first day of exercise, you also shouldn’t expect yourself to wake up two hours earlier than usual on day 1.

Baby steps. That’s the answer to almost any new endeavor—and this is an endeavor that you definitely want to undertake. According to recent studies, early risers are more productive, optimistic, and they even experience better quality restorative sleep. You know you want a piece of that.

Take a baby step by waking up just 15 minutes earlier than usual. Taking this small step will not overwhelm you, and you will establish a new healthy habit. Nobody ever said that waking up early to improve your health must include an hour-long cardio session followed by weight training and a homemade breakfast.

Start off slow. If you have an extra 15-minutes in the morning, use this time to do something to improve your health—something that you normally could not fit into your morning routine. Once you feel comfortable waking up 15 minutes earlier, move on to the next baby step by adding another 15 minutes. If you feel like crap, don’t move on just yet. Fifteen minutes is still a positive change, and you should be proud of yourself for doing it daily.

Wake Up 15 Minutes Earlier

Obviously, you can do whatever you want with your extra 15 minutes in the morning, but here are a few options that I like:

-Prep for dinner.

If the thought of cooking at the end of a long day is exhausting, give yourself a head start in the morning. Wash and chop raw vegetables so you can quickly steam, oven-roast or stir fry after work. Store your vegetables in a bowl in the fridge so they are readily accessible later in the day.

-Steam your greens.

You know you should eat your greens, but who the heck can manage to get them in at every meal? YOU can. The easiest way is to wash, chop and steam your greens in the morning, and to cook enough for the entire day. It’s such a quick and easy way to improve the quality of every meal you eat. Have a side of steamed kale, collards, bok choy, cabbage, mustard greens or broccoli. I always have a serving with my breakfast, and I prepare enough for lunch and dinner, too. Even if you buy your lunch at work, you can always carry a little container from home. Throw your steamed greens into a cup of lentil soup if you like your vegetables warm. This is such an easy, quick solution to improve your eating habits at every meal…and it only requires 15 minutes.

-Prepare your own healthy beverages for the day.

Instead of buying a cup of coffee on the way to the office, a bottle of sweet tea to drink with lunch, and a post-workout sports drink later in the day, brew a quart of your own herbal tea in the morning and take it to work with you. If you don’t drink tea, make a quart of flavored water instead. Add slices of cucumbers and mint to your water or add slices of lemon and lime. The possibilities are endless. Treat yourself to a nice new thermos or jug to carry your drink, or just buy a large bottle of water from the supermarket and re-use that bottle daily.

-Do some stretching, and bang out a few sets of push-ups and crunches.

Even 10 or 15 minutes of movement makes a difference. You will build some heat in your body and feel great.

-Create a schedule.

Time management is your friend. Get the most out of your day by making to-do lists and filling out your daily calendar. Schedule your errands and appointments, make a grocery list, and create a meal plan for the day. Determine when you plan on exercising, and make sure that you actually schedule it. If you fail to schedule your exercise into your day, it can easily get pushed onto the back burner in favor of an interesting television show or an extra half hour of surfing the web. Use the extra 15 minutes in the morning to organize your day and to de-clutter your mind. Just a few minutes of planning can set you on the right path for success.

-Pray, meditate, give thanks.

This is such an obvious suggestion, but I would be remiss if I didn’t mention it. Sometimes, all we need is a little gratitude, silence and perspective to change the course of our days. There is no better time than the early morning hours to find stillness and peace. Use this time to pray, meditate or write in a gratitude journal. Taking stock of your blessings is transformative and will naturally lead towards greater joy and contentment. Giving thanks brings awareness to your current state of being. I know that my own gratitude practice compels me to take even better care of my body, as I have become more grateful for the miraculous life that I am living. Over the years, I’ve come to really understand that good health is not guaranteed. You can take as many vitamins as you want, eat as healthy as humanly possible, get lots of sleep, maintain low stress levels, breathe unpolluted air, drink the cleanest water in the world, and you can still get sick. Some of this is just luck of the draw. Do the best you can, give thanks for all you have, and fiercely protect whatever good health you DO have.

Wake Up 30 Minutes Earlier

So you’re ready to move on? Go ahead and re-set your alarm clock to wake you a full half hour earlier than usual. Here are a few meaningful changes that you can make in your life with just an extra thirty minutes in the morning.

-Make breakfast.

I’m not talking about pouring yourself a bowl of cereal. I’m talking about a real, nutritious meal. Personally, I like to chop and steam a bunch of vegetables, heat up some miso soup that I cooked the day before, and cook some grains (like oats or brown rice). I know it’s unconventional, but it is healing food, and leaves me feeling nourished and healthy. You can make vegetable-filled omelettes instead, or blend a good smoothie—and if you’re already chopping up fruit for the smoothie, chop a little extra to take to work.

-Yoga.

Take a 20-minute yoga class online. I love the 20-minute yoga classes that I’ve taken. They are surprisingly effective at waking the body up and relieving morning stiffness. Yes, there are 30-minute classes available too, but if you’re waking up 30 minutes earlier than normal, you might want a 20-minute class so that you can have 10 minutes to freshen up afterward. If you don’t want to pay for online classes, do 15-minutes of sun salutations and spend another 10 or 15 minutes working on challenging poses. Take a photo or two of yourself to track progress, and post your photos to Instagram!

-Clean Your House, Pay Your Bills, Sort Your Mail. Basically, go ahead and get some of your chores out of the way. If you have no desire to exercise in the morning, use your extra thirty minutes in the morning to pave the way for a healthy evening.
One evening about a month ago, I found myself addressing 75 holiday cards instead of exercising. In hindsight, I see that this makes no sense. I could have addressed the holiday cards early in the morning, leaving me with no excuse to skip the gym at night. Today, try to think of every excuse that you’ve ever used to avoid exercising in the evening and if possible, tackle those items early in the morning.

-Wake up even earlier

Once you get the hang of waking up 30 minutes earlier, you can continue to add another 15 minutes to your early morning routine. The earlier you rise, the more options you have. Personally, I like having an extra 75-minutes in the morning. I know that once the clock strikes 7 am, I need to get in mom mode and start preparing lunch boxes, brushing knotty hair, cooking kids’ breakfasts, washing crusty faces, etc. If I set my alarm for 5:45 am, I have just the right amount of time to do everything that I need to do to start my day feeling healthy, happy and bright. I used to set my alarm for 5:30 am, but I came to the conclusion that I actually preferred the extra 15 minutes of sleep. I didn’t accomplish more in the morning by waking up at 5:30. Somehow, 5:45 am is just right. You might need to play around with your wake-up time a bit, too. Good luck finding that sweet spot. You won’t regret it.

January 8, 2014
6 Healthy Habits for the New Year

It’s a NEW YEAR… Time for new hopes, new dreams, and a clean slate for us all. Ideally, we would never have to make New Year’s resolutions because we would already be living our lives to their fullest potential. However, even those of us with the greatest motivation and the best intentions tend to lose focus and fall off the wagon. As much as we all want to improve our lives by eating healthier foods, exercising more, and creating better habits, we find ourselves bailing on our resolutions one by one, and making the same resolutions year after year.

If you are just beginning your new and improved healthy life, you are bound to be full of energy and enthusiasm. I know you are tempted to tackle every item on this list immediately, but I encourage you to fight that urge. Building new habits take time. Your body and mind need time to adjust to change.

Start out by just doing ONE thing, and continue doing that one thing every day until it feels like a natural part of your life. You have the greatest chance of success if you do not feel overwhelmed. Once you incorporate one healthy habit into your life, (and this may take a few weeks before it feels routine) feel free to take on a second healthy habit. Remember, this is not a sprint—you are in it for the long haul! You can create a healthy, vibrant life, one habit at a time.

Here are some of our favorite tips:

1. Get outside

Photo Credit

Did you know that exposure to sunlight results in increased production of the mood-lifting hormone, serotonin? That’s right—getting outside will put you in a better mood. Whether you’re gardening, swimming, jogging, walking your dog or shoveling snow, make an effort to get outside for at least 30-minutes every day. For those of you living in cold-weather climates, I know it’s hard. Bundle up. Get a good pair of gloves and a hat. You will feel energized, your mood will be boosted, and there’s a good chance that being outside will lead you to do some form of exercise.

2. Eat Your Greens at Breakfast

Every morning, I get up and eat my leafy greens. Some days, it’s kale. Other days, it’s collard greens. Sometimes it’s raw, and stuffed into my blender with a bunch of fruits and vegetables for a delicious green smoothie. Other days, my greens are steamed and thrown into soup, or eaten alongside a bowl of oatmeal. If you can’t stomach eating steamed greens in the morning, then start out by blending delicious smoothies. If you throw a handful of raw kale into any kind of banana-berry smoothie, I guarantee that you won’t even know it’s there. Kid-approved. Trust me! Waking up and doing something healthy sets the tone for the day. You are much more likely to make healthy choices throughout the day if you start out with a healthy, vegetable-filled breakfast.

3. Begin a Yoga Practice

Now you KNOW I couldn’t get through this post without discussing yoga. I love yoga for many reasons—the first reason being that it is an activity that is suitable for EVERYONE. My 60-year old mom can do it, my 4-year old son can do it, my own 36-year old body that sometimes cooperates and other times is too inflamed from an autoimmune flare-up can do it. Why is yoga suitable for everyone? It’s suitable because there are many different types of yoga—And one of them will suit you! Whether you turn to yoga for relaxation, meditation, healing, mind-body connection, improved flexibility, or simply for a muscle burning, sweat-inducing workout, you will reap the benefits. Yoga is a transformative experience, and your own personal yoga practice will transform as your needs change. My own practice began as a means of rehabilitation and healing. It then moved on to serve as a physical fitness challenge, as I learned to test the limits of my body’s ability to balance, invert and stretch. Today, it has become a journey of peace and a moving meditation. Begin your own yoga practice this year, and see where it leads you.

4. Avoid Foods with Labels

If you want to start a healthy eating plan this year, focus on eating REAL food, not weird processed food products. Don’t worry about dieting, and don’t worry about counting calories. Good food is fuel. If it requires a label and a list of ingredients, don’t buy it. An apple doesn’t require a label with a list of ingredients. Neither does a head of broccoli. Get it? Very simple. Eat real food, prepare it yourself (if possible), and lay off food that had to be processed by someone other than you. Be prepared to feel better than you’ve felt in a very long time.

5. Turn off the TV

Now let’s get one thing clear…. nothing makes me happier than a really good show. However, I am VERY disciplined with my TV time. I allow myself one or two shows a week, and for those couple of hours that I’m on the couch, I’m on the couch. I’m not exercising, I’m zoned out, and nothing productive is happening. I definitely understand the importance of relaxation, and I think we should all carve out some time to relax and to do something enjoyable. An hour at a time is reasonable, but you will not find me on my couch all night. When I’m up off the couch and the television is off, I get more done. I eat more mindfully. I move more. I exercise more. I write more. I read more. I cook more. I sleep more. Overall, I am more productive with my time, and my actions are more consistent with that of a healthy, happy individual.

6. Take Photos

Over the past year, I’ve discovered that photographs are a great tool for recording and tracking fitness gains. Are you trying to improve your flexibility? Track your progress with photos. Take a photo of yourself doing a backbend today, and in six months, take a photo of yourself doing the same backbend. You will see progress. Are you trying to bulk up and increase muscle mass? Take a photo of yourself today, and take one at the end of each week so you can monitor your progress over time and see the results of your hard work. Are you trying to lose weight? Ditch your scale, and take photos of yourself regularly instead. Photos don’t lie, and photos won’t drive you crazy by documenting the very small day-to-day fluctuations of your weight. Photography is a wonderful tool—take lots of photos this year, and let your collection of photos become a visual journal that inspires you to continue down the road to good health.

January 6, 2014