Natural Health and Wellness

Here is a great excerpt from a thoughtful and brilliant  article by Dr. Mark Hyman .  .... The next time you eat, ask yourself if you are about to eat under stress.  Note how you feel by checking in with your breath- is it shallow or deep? Get in touch with your heart rate and see if you can find a way to use your breath to slow it down and relax your pulse. Is your mind racing and do you have stressful thoughts running it?  Are you excited about your food or are you feeling guilty or concerned about what is in front of you? Do you feel calm or restless? All of these questions are the beginning of embarking on an  understanding of how you relate to food .  The funny thing is, how we each relate to food tells us a lot about how we approach life and what we want out of it.  The next time you catch yourself eating under stress, follow these guidelines: Start each meal with 3 deep belly breaths.  For a thorough explanation on how to calm you...

Oh those sweets! We love them. We hate them. We love the taste of sweets. We love the feeling of sweetness in our mouths. In fact, we love the " feeling of sweetness ". Oh but the guilt that follows the bite down is enough to spoil that love affair with each swallow. I can hear it now... " this is bad for me, I will gain weight, my face will break out, where is my will power, this causes inflammation, this causes addiction, this causes disease ..!" * Gulp! * You just ate that, all that. The guilt is punishing enough to make you never eat another sweet again. That is, until the next bite tempts us. "Oh, hello my sweet love!" Sweet food is, for many of us, a love-hate relationship . We crave sweetness for many reasons. One reason people eat sweets is that we have become "programmed" unconsciously to do so. We have become mindless when it comes to putting something inside our bodies based on triggers that aren't the hunger triggers. How many t...

I loved this article about the truth and lies behind clutter. Brilliant. Here is Lie #6. Lie: Okay, so I haven’t worn it this year. You just never know! I could never get rid of those sexy black stilettos that I’ve never worn! They’re Anne Klein and were only $10! The perfect sit-down-and-just-admire-my-shoes event is sure to be in my future! Solution: If you’ve never worn it, even on Halloween, you’ll probably never wear it. Give it away. Like I said before, waste equals waste. How do you discern which clothes you actually wear and which ones you don’t? Try going two or three weeks without doing laundry. Wear all of your wearable clothes. Whatever is left in your closet at the end of two or three weeks you probably don’t need. If you won’t wear it even when you’re desperate for clean laundry, you’ll probably never wear it. Click 10 Common Lie We Tell Ourselves About Clutter (from Care2) To give you some ideas on how to clear clutter, here is a shorte...

Most of us live busy lives that leave us exhausted. We want more energy, but fail to develop the habits that will bring that energy to us. As Charles Nobel said: "First we make our habits, then our habits make us." Plug yourself into habits that make you energized! Here are some simple tips to a healthier and more energetic you! 1. Chew your food to liquid before you swallow This allows you to digest your food easier (saving your body's energy for other important tasks); gives you the most nutrients out of your food for fuel; and creates a healthier alkaline internal environment (promoting increased health and vitality). 2. Drink water at least every 1-2 (waking) hours Even when we “think” we are hydrated, we generally are not. This causes fatigue. By drinking every couple of hours we will not allow ourselves to become dehydrated. When you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated - and exhaustion is sure to follow. ...

We all know it's a good idea to chew our food -- frankly, because we don't want to choke on it. However, most people put food in their mouths, chew a few times and swallow -- as if seeing how quickly we can get it into our tummies. We have either unconditioned ourselves or have never developed a healthy chewing habit to begin with. Let’s take a moment to find out why it’s a good idea to liquefy your food before you bring it down the hatch! Chewing food thoroughly can give us Better Digestion by mechanically and chemically breaking food down, and stimulating the entire digestive process. More Energy by allowing the nutritional value of our food to be absorbed and co...

'Tis the Season to over-indulging, blood-sugar roller coaster rides, stress, and partying with a lot of viruses! It is a sure cocktail to feeling a little blue and bulgy. The good news is there are some strategies to help get you through the holidays. Drink plenty of water. Yes, water. Not just wine, cocktails, juice, coffee, tea, or other beverages. Water helps you to feel fuller and is the only drink that hydrates your body. This is also beneficial because winter tends to be very drying due to our heated homes. Try to drink some water at least every 2 hours. Have a healthy light snack before going out to dinner. Eat some fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts, or seeds to partially fill your tummy with some nutrient dense food so you won't over eat on things that are less healthy. Eat Less. Watch your portion size when filling your plate. Intentionally leave some space on your plate and don't go back for seconds. Your body will thank you for this. Eat Slow. Take your time eatin...