Providing a natural approach to support you on your journey to health
Most holiday meals are carb overloads. Stuffing and casseroles and freshly baked bread — it’s all delicious, but not a great variety of nutrients. Make sure you’re eating enough protein & fiber with every meal, which will help you feel fuller for longer. Fill your …
Those tantalizing smells that pierce the air during the holidays can send our self-control right out the window. Do you find you eat foods you wouldn’t usually eat during the holidays, and maybe eat more than you usually would, as well? I know I do, …
With fall weather in full swing take the time to nourish your body with veggies of the season. I thought I would share this article and recipe on Root Vegetables from Institute for Integrative Nutrition for your reading and eating pleasure….
The roots of any plant are its anchor and foundation; they are the essential parts that support and nourish the plant. Root vegetables lend these properties to us when we eat them, making us feel physically and mentally grounded and rooted, increasing our stability, stamina and endurance. Roots are a rich source of nutritious complex carbohydrates, providing a steady source of necessary sugars to the body. Instead of upsetting blood sugar levels like refined sweet foods, they regulate them. Since they absorb, assimilate and supply plants with vital nutrients, roots likewise increase absorption and assimilation in our digestive tracts.
Long roots, like burdock, carrots, parsnips and daikon radish, are excellent blood purifiers and can help improve circulation in the body and increase mental clarity. Round roots, like turnips, radishes, beets and rutabagas, are nourishing to the stomach, spleen, pancreas and reproductive organs and can help regulate blood sugar and moods, and alleviate cravings.
Recipe of the Month: Roasted Root Vegetables
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 25-35 minutes
Yield: 4-6 servings
Ingredients:
1 sweet potato
2 parsnips
2 carrots
2 turnips or 1 large rutabaga
1 daikon radish (or substitute/add in your favorites, like squash)
olive oil
salt and pepper
herbs: rosemary, thyme or sage (fresh if possible)
Directions:
Note: Any combination of vegetables will work. Roasting only one kind of vegetable also makes a nice side dish.
Credit IIN 2010
We are in the midst of spring allergy season. Pollen counts are at an all time high and expected to continue at this level until mid June. Come see us at Whole Self Nutritional Wellness, we can provide you with alternative solutions to over the …
I love this story! 83 Year Old with Dementia gets her memory back after changing her diet… Please whatever you do don’t let yourself get discouraged or think that it is too late to make positive health and lifestyle changes because it’s not. Making small changes …
| set·back
ˈsetˌbak/ noun 1. a reversal or check in progress. synonyms: problem, difficulty, hitch, complication, upset, disappointment, misfortune, mishap, reversal;blow, stumbling block, hurdle, hinderance, impediment, obstruction, delay, holdup. informal: glitch, hiccup |
| re·set
rēˈset/ transition verb 1. set again or differently. Synonyms: changed, renew, revised, regenerated, transformed, established, corrected, revolutionized, improved, reconstructed, amended, reworked |
“SETBACKS” are a part of life and can be discouraging on our journey to overall health and wellness. But what if we thought of a “setback” as an opportunity to “RESET” instead. According to the dictionary a “setback” is a noun, a thing but a “RESET” is a transition verb…an action. As you transition to your healthy lifestyle remember that it is a transition and transitions take time and patience.When we go off course rather than get discouraged we can use it as an opportunity to take stock in what is working and what isn’t working on our journey to health and wellness.
For example if you fell off the wagon (had a “setback”) because you had back to back meetings all day at work was it because you were not prepared with healthy meals and snacks so you had to grab whatever was available? Then you know that you can work on being better prepared.
Was your “set back” due to not factoring time in each day for self care and because of this you have not been able to work out at all this week? Then you know that you need to work on making time for yourself. For each of these examples you can “RESET” how you are doing things a suggestion would be to use Sunday afternoon to prepare meals and snacks for on the go or set up your weekly calendar to include “me time”so your work outs are scheduled both of these are a great way to prevent hiccups in your progress.
As we make nutrition and lifestyle changes remember that it is a journey and should be taken one day at a time. In life there will be “setbacks”, the important thing is how we handle them, how we “RESET” and what we learn about ourselves in the process. Rather than throw in the towel and resort to old ways, “set backs” can provide a learning opportunity to help us understand more about ourselves and how we manage stress in our daily lives. When a “setback” happens pay attention to what is going on in your life: is it due to stress at work, finances, relationship, family emergency, holidays, lack of preparation etc…etc. When we take time understand our reactions to the stress of life we can learn how to “RESET” our reactions. Understanding the emotion behind the “setback” will empower you to handle the stress better next time.
Be patient with yourself and make sure to give yourself the same grace you would give your tires…
We would love to be part of your journey:
Call: (502) 209-7955 or email: [email protected]
Did you know that long-term health is significantly impacted by the amount of water you drink? The most abundant nutrient in the body, water compromises two-thirds of the body’s mass. How Much Water Should I Drink? Water intake varies from person to person, we …
I love this…Pick one or two of these that speak to you. You will be amazed by what making little changes every day will do for you body, mind and soul. Remember…It does not have to be all or nothing baby steps work too. Enjoy …
Stress can be a good thing….that is in small amounts. Acute/short term stress is beneficial. In fact our stress response is protective, without it humans would not have survived and adapted for as long as we have.
I am sure everyone can think of what stress looks like in their life: kids schedules, bills, spouse, tragedy, work life balance, boss, relationship issues, etc., etc… Then there is technology…we can’t forget that! For it’s many benefits technology also comes with the added stress of being constantly connected.
Our stress response is controlled by the autonomic nervous system, think automatic, it happens without our control. When under stress our stress response is triggered, a chemical cascade happens in our body which impacts every body system: Skeletal, Nervous Cardiovascular, Respiratory, Endocrine, Digestive, Gastrointestinal and Reproductive. The stress response is supposed to turn off once the “danger” has passed. Today we live with chronic stress and the response doesn’t turn off, when this happens the body can become damaged at the cellular level. BUT the good news is: stress can be managed and damage can be reversed. I recently did a lecture on Stress and Fatigue, here are some of the tips I came up with on Stress Awareness and Management. Look for future posts on the process the body goes through under stress.
Tips to Manage and Identify Your Stress Triggers and Response:
Become Aware:
Awareness brings the power to affect change. Even though our stress response is automatic it does not mean we can not help to calm and counteract it. By learning to recognize the stresses we face in our daily life and our own stress symptoms we can adjust our reaction.
We would love to be part of your journey:
Call: (502) 209-7955 or email: [email protected]
The importance of self care is undeniable but why is it so hard to make time for it. Speaking as a mom, and wife I can say that one of the biggest deficiencies in my life is taking time out for me. It seems as …