Water Infusions

There was a time when coffee, tea, soda, juice, sugary lemonade, and milk seemed to be the only beverages anyone drank if they weren’t drinking beer, wine, or some other kind of alcohol. No one drank water. Not if they could help it, anyway.

Then bottled water came on the scene and water became more popular. Of course, food companies wanted to cash in so they made flavored bottled water and vitamin water. If you think they couldn’t mess up water, think again. If you need proof, read the labels.

Lately, infused water is all the craze. If you’ve never heard of it, infused water is simply water that contains fruit, vegetables, herbs, or spices. Whatever you put in it will infuse the water with its flavor.

The most interesting aspect to water infusions, is the many choices and combinations to be made. You can use anything from sweet fruits to hot peppers.

There are three ways to make water infusions:

  1. Simply add ingredients to a pitcher of clean, pure, water (preferably filtered) with ice. Slice fruits and veggies so they are very thin to increase surface area and increase flavor. When using herbs, squeeze or crush them to release the oils (and flavor).
  2. You can make an infusion in a jar and refrigerate it for use days later.
  3. Make ice cubes out of the ingredients you want to add to the water. Use the ice with water.

Here are some popular combinations. (Note: Basil is often used and it tastes great!)

  • Cucumber
    • With basil
    • With kiwi
    • With citrus fruits and mint
  • Honeydew melon
    • With basil! Seriously!
  • Watermelon
    • With berries
    • With mint or rosemary
  • Pineapple
    • With strawberries
    • With mango
    • With mint
  • Berries
    • With any other fruit
    • With mint
  • Citrus – oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruit, tangerines, etc.
    • Combine or use alone with mint
    • With melon
    • Note: You might want to peel citrus fruits to avoid their bitter flavor.
  • Jalapeño
    • With cucumbers and mint
    • With strawberries
  • Tomato
    • With celery and bell pepper

Try new and outlandish combinations. You never know what amazing flavors you will create! The best thing about homemade infusions is that you know what is in them. Why not drink flavored water full of nutrients and antioxidants? They are an excellent addition to a healthy diet. To learn more about a truly healthy diet check out the 80% Raw Diet. And if you’ve never tried cranberry lemonade, check out The One Gallon Challenge.

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Eat More Fiber, Drink More Water For Naturally Glowing Skin – Here’s Why

Fiber is such an important nutrient for your body in so many ways, but did you know that it is also crucial for beautiful, healthy skin?

A diet rich in high-fiber foods such as vegetables, fruits, and whole grains can have many benefits to your body. It can give you more energy, improve brain health, and reduce the risk of a whole range of diseases including heart disease and diabetes. But did you know that fiber is also really crucial for super healthy skin and hair?

So how exactly does the fiber from your diet improve the health of your skin?

Consuming foods high in fiber along with drinking an adequate amount of clean, pure water helps your body flush out toxins. Without fiber, these toxins can lead to clogged pores, acne, and dry listless looking skin.

Fiber generally comes from plant-based foods. It is a part of the plant that your body can’t digest. Therefore, as it passes through the intestinal tract, it acts like a broom, sweeping out toxins, excess fats, and waste. Fiber is also great for improving your circulation, which is vital for making sure your skin cells get enough oxygen and nutrients. This means softer, more youthful looking skin.

If you eat processed foods, such as white bread, pizza, and other junk food, you are eating food that has been stripped of its fiber. These foods can actually have the opposite effect on your skin; they can cause acne breakouts and other skin problems.

Make sure you are eating organic foods whenever possible and try adding some of these to your diet to bump up your intake of fiber and help your skin to be healthy and look amazing.

  • Whole grains such as barley, millet, brown rice, buckwheat, and steel cut oats
  • Lentils, chickpeas, and beans
  • Brussel sprouts, broccoli, and leafy greens
  • Chia seeds and almonds
  • Berries such as raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries

Along with having enough fiber in your diet, it is really important to be drinking enough water to keep your skin healthy. The benefits of drinking enough water are often underrated; however, it is very important for your body and your skin! Water helps your body regulate its metabolism, aids in your body’s digestion, and provides the skin with buoyancy and elasticity, which helps to keep you looking great.

Skin cells are predominantly made up of water and as a result, when your skin isn’t hydrated, your skin will appear dry, tight, flaky, and more prone to wrinkling. Drinking water is also a great detoxing agent, which removes toxins out of your body and will have a dramatic effect on the appearance of your skin.

So exactly how much water should you be drinking each day?

Well, it depends on a number of factors such as your body weight, where you are located (hot/cold, dry/humid climate) and your activity level. Generally, you want to drink around half your body weight in ounces of water. For example, if you weigh 160 pounds, then you want to be drinking 80 ounces of water per day. Try and spread out drinking the water throughout the day as the body can only absorb so much water at a time.

Have you noticed the effect of fiber in combination with water on your skin? Let us know how you will incorporate more fiber into your diet. Information is nothing without action, so try adding just one high fiber food into your diet today and build from there to transform your skin!

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Eat Vegetables First

I always think of Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham when I am sharing the benefits of vegetables with clients and friends. There is often so much resistance. Can’t you just see it? “Could you, would you?” and the famous reply…“But I do not like them, …”

On my personal journey, the most difficult emotional shift I needed to make around food was to move meat from the center of my plate and replace it with amazing, nutrient dense vegetables. It was difficult only because of the mindset I’d had my entire life. When it came to considering what to make for dinner, I always started with the meat. My thoughts went something like, “What am I going to make for dinner? Well, chicken and potatoes and green beans.” I needed to shift this habit to be, “What am I going to make for dinner? Roots and shoots with a side of quinoa topped with a small slice of chicken breast.” You see, the meat became the optional side. It felt difficult only because of the thought pattern. Once I made the shift in my mind, the rest was easy.

We are just beginning to understand the role vegetables can play in our well-being. Nutrition is a young, complex, and ever evolving science. What we do know is that plant foods offer a diverse and deep well of nutrition that supports our body in creating energy, fighting off cancer, preventing early aging, and aiding our digestive tract. Vegetables also help us to have clear skin and sleep better, and they seem to prevent a myriad of diseases. Every vegetable offers something slightly different, but the nutrients in each plant work together synergistically in a way we cannot yet recreate in a lab. What does this mean? There is really no substitute for the real thing.

As an example, a single cup of spinach holds 888.5 mcg (micrograms) of vitamin K, 14742.0 IU of vitamin A, 1.7 mg of manganese, and 262.4 mcg of folate. It also contains amazing amounts of magnesium, iron, vitamin C, riboflavin, calcium, (where do you think elephants get their calcium from anyway?), potassium, B6, tryptophan, fiber, copper, B1, protein, phosphorus, zinc, vitamin E, omega 3 fatty acids, niacin, selenium, beta-carotene, lutein, and zeaxanthin.  (Mateljan, 2007)

Adding vegetables to your diet can make a huge impact on how you feel and on your ability to reach your health and wellness goals. If you would like to focus on nutrient density, the ANDI food scoring guide will help you to choose foods with an amazing nutrient power pack. The trick here is diversity. Try mixing up your vegetables and changing up how you prepare them. In the beginning, you might feel resistant, the flavors and textures might be different than what you are used to, but by sticking with it, you and your taste buds will adapt. Whole, natural, foods have flavors that vary as widely as their colors – sometimes it’s in the preparation and sometimes it’s in the season and growing location.

Try this exercise:

Adding vegetables to your plate at every meal can be incredibly impactful. This will be a trial to identify what it feels like to have them more often and in greater amounts. As you work through the vegetables, if after a few tries you absolutely do not like a certain one, don’t force yourself to eat it. We don’t have to like all foods and by pushing ourselves to eat foods we dislike, we are trying to create an unsustainable habit. (I know I can’t stick with eating things I don’t like for very long so it’s okay if you can’t either.)

Begin by visiting the ANDI food scoring guide and choose a vegetable or two that you’d like to add to your plate over the next two weeks.

Take Action & Schedule It!

  1. What food(s) did you choose?
  2. Where will you get it?
  3. When will you get it?
  4. How will you prepare it?
  5. How many times will you have it?

Write your plans for your meals and track your food in a personal journal.

At the end of 14 days, come back and answer these questions:

  1. What did you try?
  2. How did you prepare it?
  3. What was your favorite way of having it?
  4. How often did you eat it?
  5. How do you feel?

Bringing awareness to your experience allows you to practice listening to your body and what’s working and what’s not. Watch for subtle shifts, greater energy, reduction of mind fog, and less bloating.

This article is an excerpt from Lessons for MomPositive Living, Attainable Wellness for Modern Moms written by Tammi Hoerner, INHC. This book is available for purchase here.

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Five Things Healthy People Do Differently

We all know at least one or two people who are super fit and never seem to get sick. They always seem to be really happy, too. But how do they do it? Were they born that way?

The short answer is no! Healthy people have some rules they live by, even if they don’t consciously follow them. So what are these rules?

They Enjoy Exercising

Healthy people love to exercise and have exercises or sports that they really enjoy doing. As a result, they keep doing exercises because they like to, not because they have to. When we try to do exercises we don’t like doing, the lifestyle change never lasts long term. Try to find an exercise or sport that you actually enjoy. That way you will look forward to it rather than dread it.

They Eat Bad Foods In Moderation

Many people think healthy people never eat any “bad” food. While this may be true for some, it’s not true for everyone. But healthy people have a different definition of “bad” food. They don’t drink conventional sodas and eat GMO corn chips, but they may have a sweet snack or a dessert once or twice a week, compared to others who eat junk food or sugary snacks once or twice a day. Try to make sure your meals and your snacks are healthy. Over time, you’ll elevate your definition of junk food, too.

They Eat Healthy Snacks

Snacking on junk food can cause all sorts of damage and contributes to weight gain. Healthy people make sure they eat healthy snacks and prepare them ahead of time. They eat snacks such as raw nuts (unsalted and unroasted), fresh fruit, and cut up vegetables (eg. celery and carrots). Try and plan ahead when it comes to snacks, and the next time you are at the grocery store, shop accordingly.

They Drink Plenty Of Water

Water does so many good things for your body. Keeping hydrated helps your skin and hair look great. It’s no wonder healthy people always seem to look great. They drink plenty of water and don’t drink sodas. Sodas are full of sugar, and don’t think diet sodas are any better. Diet sodas are filled with extra chemicals and terrible artificial sweeteners. Don’t be drinking plenty of fruit drinks such as orange juice either. Why? Have you ever thought of eating 30 oranges in a row? No? Well that’s pretty much what you’re doing when you drink a glass or two of orange juice. It’s a lot of sugar! Some fruit drinks are also full of other nasty ingredients. Try drinking water and herbal teas. Or check out this recipe for cranberry lemonade with stevia.

They Go To Bed Early and Are Early Risers

We all know that sleep is an important part of life. But healthy people know just how important it is to get at very least 7 hours of consistent sleep every night. They go to sleep earlier and get up much earlier even on their days off. And then, they tend to exercise first thing in the morning. Exercising in the morning has great benefits and can make us far more productive during the day.

Have you changed anything in your life that has made you healthier? Whether it is your diet or exercise regime, or a sport you love. Post your changes in the comments below.



Boost Health Without Sacrificing Yum – A Conversation With Food Babe, Vani Hari

How can you lose weight while still eating what you crave? Where can you find cheap options to eating healthy and yummy? What 6 simple habits can dramatically improve your overall wellbeing and help you lose weight naturally? In this interview, Food Babe, Vani Hari, will en”lighten” us.

Vani Hari is a revolutionary food activist, the creator of FoodBabe.com, the author of the #1 bestselling book, The Food Babe Way, and was named one of the Most Influential People On The Internet by Time Magazine. In her work, Hari has influenced how food giants like Kraft, Subway, Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, and Starbucks create their products, steering them towards more healthful policies. Vani teaches people how to make the right purchasing decisions at the grocery store, how to live an organic lifestyle, and how to  travel healthfully. The success of her writing and investigative work can be seen in the way food companies react to her uncanny ability to find and expose the truth. She lives in North Carolina and travels around the world to speak about health and food awareness. She is currently planning her next campaign.

Cortney: On my first trip to Europe, 20 years ago, I was stunned by the almost total lack of obesity. Now historically fit populations–Europe, Japan, you name it–are catching up to the U.S. What would you say is the number one cause of this increase in obesity throughout the world? Toxic food, sedentary lifestyles, or something else?

Vani: Worldwide obesity is influenced by a number of things, including those that you mentioned. Obesity rates are going up all across the globe, and we need to ask more questions about the food we are eating and the chemicals that are polluting our environment as these may play a role. Certain chemicals that have infiltrated our food have been coined “obesogens”, and many of them are not listed on ingredient lists.

Obesogens include such things as pesticides, antibiotics, and food packaging materials, like plastics, that can leach chemicals into our food. As I explain in detail in my new book, The Food Babe Way, obesogens can trigger our bodies to store fat even though we might be restricting calories. The effects are complex. Some of these chemicals increase the number of fat cells, others expand the size of fat cells, and still others influence appetite, cravings, fullness, and how well the body burns calories. I’ve made it my mission to teach people to take a closer look at what they are eating, to read ingredient labels, know where it comes from, and to demand transparency from the companies that are feeding the world.

Tip #1: Read Ingredient Labels & Know What You’re Eating

Cortney: One of the things I love about The Food Babe Way is that it urges us to do more of what fit populations have always done; they eat simple, nutritious food at home. Could this one simple habit be the answer to the problems we were just talking about and the key to dramatically improving the quality of our lives and health?

Vani: No matter where you live, you have the choice to take your health into your owns hands or hand it over to food manufacturers. People who eat more food prepared in their homes avoid thousands of unnecessary food additives that they would otherwise be exposed to. I encourage everyone to prepare as many meals at home as possible. When I make food at my house it is far more nutritious and tastes way better than anything I could find at a restaurant. I created The Food Babe Membership Program for this reason, to provide anyone looking for extra guidance with an easy plan to follow for making healthy food at home.

Tip #2: Prepare Your Own Healthy Meals As Much As Possible

Cortney: My sister, who lives in suburban Illinois, tells me about how difficult it is to find a variety of toxic-free food nearby and how she has to pay more for fewer options. How can the right food choices at the right price point be made available to the majority?

Vani: Thankfully, more affordable organic food choices are becoming available in conventional grocery stores like Walmart, Target, and Kroger. However, I know that sometimes this isn’t even an option. Use Local Harvest to find local farmer’s markets, co-ops, and family farms, which are great sources of organic produce, grass-fed beef, fresh herbs, and other organic goodies. There are online organic grocery stores with competitive prices, such as Thrive Market, which is similar to a Whole Foods Market, but available to anyone with an Internet connection. Also, consider starting your own garden. You might think this is a crazy suggestion, but hear me out. Growing your own food isn’t as hard as you might think and it’s definitely the cheaper route to having access to healthy eats all the time. My mother has always had a large vegetable garden. She takes great joy in cultivating her vegetables and preparing meals with them. She always encouraged me to have my own garden, too.

Tip #3: Grow Your Own Food & Take Advantage of Locally Grown Healthy Options

Cortney: Another obstacle to eating right is when we don’t listen to the needs of our bodies. How is that connection lost, and–more importantly–how can it be regained?

Vani: Many of us are living a fast-paced lifestyle, eating meals on the run without taking the time to consciously consider how the food we are eating could impact our bodies. This leads to weight gain and sickness, which I know from first-hand experience. Several years ago while I was working as a management consultant, I let my work life take over and that’s when I had my wake up moment. I was sick, overweight and looked horrible. It was then that I made a conscious decision to avoid processed food. If there was something I really wanted to eat that I knew was filled with additives, artificial ingredients, or other questionable substances, I would make it at home with my own organic ingredients so I could indulge. And then something dramatic happened. All the issues I had as a child—asthma, eczema, allergies went away. I was on six – eight different prescription drugs depending on the season and I’m on zero today. My weight normalized, and I actually lost another 5 pounds on top of that! I began to have more energy than I had when I was years younger! All you have to do is clean up your diet and be more conscious of not putting unnecessary chemicals in your mouth. The way you treat yourself, the way you treat your body, what you put in it, can make a HUGE life changing difference.

Tip #4: Listen to & Love Your Body

Cortney: In his book, Integrative Nutrition, Joshua Rosenthal talks about the difference between primary and secondary nutrition. Primary foods include thriving relationships and purpose-driven careers, while secondary foods are what we put in our mouth. I’ve met many fit, vibrant people who do not eat well. Can we chalk these examples up to great primary nutrition?

Vani: It all comes down to your beliefs and the practices those beliefs generate. For example, when I stopped thinking of food as “good” or “bad” and started asking questions like, “Is this going to serve my cells, my body, my health?” that shift in focus let me dismiss any disordered thinking so that my body and mind were able to receive the primary and secondary nutrition they needed to function at optimal levels. It’s about learning to accept and love yourself. Louise Hay’s work helped me a lot in creating and aligning new, positive thought patterns and self-talk with my purpose. And those perspective shifts allowed me to look and feel great without the struggle.

Tip #5: Change Your Beliefs, Change Your Body

Cortney: Speaking of primary nutrition, the Blue Zones–areas in the world where people live into the 100s–are historically known for higher levels of health and vibrancy. Could we apply what these micro populations are doing to create a health plan for the rest of the world?

Vani: Studies on the Blue Zones have shown that overall these people have strong relationships with their friends and families, and simply enjoy their life. I try to take time out every day to spend time with my loved ones, and also to exercise (outside if possible), meditate, and get out to meet new people. Personal relationship building is imperative to good health – no doubt about it! This is an area of health that many of us do not give much weight, but we should pay more attention to it. Of course, I think the local diets of the Blue Zones contribute to longevity as well. When food hasn’t been processed or packaged for a long shelf life, and hasn’t traveled miles to get to you, it is better for your health. That’s why I encourage people to get out and meet local farmers, go to farmer’s markets, and take advantage of the food that is grown locally in your area.

Tip #6: Take Time Every Day to Connect with Loved Ones, Exercise, & Meditate

To learn more about Vani Hari and her work check out her website or  purchase her book through Amazon: The Food Babe Way. To find alternative grocery stores, try The Local Harvest.

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Consumer Reports Finds Hamburger from Grass-Fed and Organic Cattle Poses Fewer Health Risks

Consumer Reports tested 300 samples (458 pounds) of hamburger from 103 stores from 26 cities for bacterial contamination, comparing “sustainable” meat to conventional meat. (Sustainable, in this study, referred to beef from cattle that was not given antibiotics). What they found was both enlightening and truly disturbing.

Beef samples were tested for 5 types of bacteria:

  • Salmonella
  • Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA)
  • Coli (7 strains)
  • Clostridium perfringens (CDC estimates 1 million cases of food poisoning due to this bacteria each year.)
  • Enterococcus

Consumer Reports published the following results:

All 458 pounds of beef we examined contained bacteria that signified fecal contamination (enterococcus and/or nontoxin-producing E. coli), which can cause blood or urinary tract infections. Almost 20 percent contained C. perfringens, a bacteria that causes almost 1 million cases of food poisoning annually. Ten percent of the samples had a strain of S. aureus bacteria that can produce a toxin that can make you sick. That toxin can’t be destroyed—even with proper cooking.

Just 1 percent of our samples contained salmonella. … salmonella causes an estimated 1.2 million illnesses and 450 deaths in the U.S. each year.

Consumer Reports then tested the bacteria they found and discovered that 18 percent of conventional beef samples were contaminated with superbugs—dangerous bacteria that are resistant to three or more classes of antibiotics. While testing out to contain half that amount, 9%, sustainably produced beef also contained superbugs.

A full 97% of the beef sold is obtained from conventionally raised cattle that are crowded into feedlots and left to stand in their own manure. They are fed corn and soy (both of which are usually GMO), candy, slaughtered parts of pigs and chickens and dried chicken manure and litter rather than the grasses and other plants they were meant to eat. They are also fed plastic pellets for roughage and routine antibiotics.

Although sustainable beef is clearly better and cleaner, all of the samples, even organic beef samples, were contaminated. Consumer Reports strongly recommends cooking hamburger to an internal temperature of 160 degrees – medium, rather than rare or medium rare. Rare hamburger, it seems, is much more likely to cause disease than other cuts of beef due to the fact that it is ground up and the bacteria is inside as well as outside. With other cuts of beef, the bacteria would only be found on the surface, where it is more likely to be killed by the heat source. If you’ve been eating conventionally grown meat, consider a GMO detox.

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Five Super Protein-Rich Vegan Foods for Healthy Living

Healthy living is usually based upon the concept of meeting nutritional needs and eating plenty of high protein foods, which balances the equation of other required nutrients.

However, if you’re a vegetarian, it can be quite tough to meet your protein requirements without any meat-based products. Since that’s the case, here are five meat-free options that can help you reach your nutritional goals.

Nutritional Yeast

If you’ve never heard of nutritional yeast, you’ve been missing out. This is one of the best kept vegetarian secrets when it comes to complete plant-based protein sources.

Nutritional yeast is actually harvested from molasses and has a similar texture and consistency to parmesan cheese. At 14 grams per ounce, nutritional yeast is an easy way to add thickness and “cheesy” flavor to pasta sauces or even popcorn.

Brewer’s yeast. This type of yeast is grown from hops (a by-product of brewing beer), and has been around since beer making began. It can be consumed by humans, used to fortify other products, or even given to pets.

Pure nutritional yeast. This is usually grown from sugar cane, beet molasses, or wood pulp. And it’s grown specifically for the purpose of human food consumption.

Nutritional yeast, which is not to be confused with Active Dry Yeast or Brewer’s Yeast, is a deactivated form of the microorganism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The yeast is pasteurized and placed in a dryer to deactivate the yeast and bring out its nutritional properties. The yeast, which is gluten free, has a flavor reminiscent of cheese and is rich in amino acids, B-complex vitamins, niacin, folic acid, zinc, selenium and thiamine. Bob’s Red Mill’s nutritional yeast has been fortified with vitamin B-12, as well. Nutritional yeast is popular with vegetarians and vegans whose diets can be deplete of B-complex vitamins, especially B-12.” – Bob’s Red Mill

Quinoa

A species of the goosefoot grain, quinoa is typically known for its edible seeds and complete amino acid profile. It tips the scales at 24 grams per uncooked cup and also boasts high levels of manganese, copper, and magnesium.

Quinoa can be whipped up in around 15 minutes and contains double the amount of fiber compared to most grains. If you enjoy heartier grains with a nutty texture,  quinoa is the perfect choice for you.

Buckwheat

Buckwheat is another rice alternative that actually comes from a fruit seed derivative. If a person does not tolerate gluten well, buckwheat is an excellent alternative.

There is actually research showing that those who consume (on average) 4 ounces of buckwheat a day actually improved their LDL to HDL ratio and reduce their serum cholesterol levels.

Beans

Beans are a vegetarian’s dream food – high in protein and antioxidants, low in cost, and plentiful in fiber, vitamins, and minerals. What’s not to love?

Not only that, research has shown that a moderate bean intake can be linked to lower incidences of cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and certain forms of cancer.

Lentils and beans can offer anywhere from 8-22 grams of protein per cup depending on the type of bean consumed.

Just remember to soak beans and lentils prior to cooking to release health damaging enzyme inhibitors.

Plant Based Protein Powders

The plant-based protein market has exploded lately. There are isolate variations ranging from soy, hemp, wheat, rice, and even pea to fulfill any amino acid deficiencies you might have through your nutrition. A few companies offer complete proteins with all of the essential amino acids. Do your research and choose carefully to make sure that your supplementation choice is rightly based upon your current nutritional intake. Protein isolates are more easily digested, and are often used by those who have a hard time assimilating protein, but isolates tend to be acidic and can damage the body for various reasons (especially whey isolates) if taken for long periods of time.

Mastering a Healthy Nutrition

Don’t fall into the trap of believing there’s a “one size fits all” approach when it comes to reaching your goals. When it comes to your health and fitness goals, protein is certainly essential, but you don’t always have to choose a meat-based option. With a little knowledge and personal research, you can easily reach your daily minimums and still eat foods that you enjoy.

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