February is not all about Valentine’s day. I call it “loving yourself” month. If you are not able to love yourself, you won’t be capable to truly love others.
So, this month we will explore everything that could make you healthier, more loving, and more honoring of yourself! 😊
Enjoy the articles below!
A Way to Create a Healthier, Calmer You – SLEEP
A good night’s sleep is vital for maintaining both your physical and mental health. Sleep deprivation or not getting enough quality sleep can weaken your immune system, cause changes in mood and behavior, and even lead to weight gain.
Consequences of Lack of Sleep
According to an article by the Mayo Clinic, sleep (or lack thereof) can influence all of your other daily health habits, such as what you eat and your activity levels. Without adequate sleep, you may notice a spike in appetite since your hormones can’t properly regulate themselves. You may also be more prone to bodily aches and pains, which can limit your ability to work out.
Moreover, when sleep is disrupted, many brain functions, including memory and emotion regulation, are affected. According to a Harvard Mental Health Letter, disrupted sleep affects the hormones that influence brain health. Insomnia is one example of a sleep disturbance that influences brain health, which may put sufferers at risk for developing an anxiety disorder or major depression.
Whether you suffer from insomnia, aren’t getting enough quality sleep, or simply want to spruce up your nighttime routine, there are numerous ways to set yourself up for a more restful night’s sleep and productive tomorrow. And what better time to develop these habits than at the start of a new year!
The following are eight suggestions to get you started. Incorporate all of them into your nightly routine, or start with one or two. Experiment to find what works best for you.
Eat Sleep-Promoting Foods
Eating a large meal before bedtime, especially one that includes sugary or high-fat foods, can disrupt sleep. Keep dinner healthy and light, including foods such as whole grains, cherries, walnuts, and kiwis, all of which naturally promote sleep. Although the specifics of how these foods promote sleep is not completely understood, they include nutrients (e.g., calcium, potassium, and magnesium) that have been shown to improve sleep.
Prior to sleep, skip foods that contain caffeine, such as chocolate, soda, and coffee, as well as alcohol. Aim to eat dinner two to three hours before sleep to allow time to digest.
Find What Relaxes You
Think of activities that you find both enjoyable and relaxing as part of your pre-sleep routine. Here are a few suggestions:
- Read a good book.
- Listen to relaxing music.
- Practice breathing exercises.
- Practice light yoga or gentle stretching.
- Draw a warm bath.
- Consider lighting a candle or purchasing an essential oil diffuser. Scents such as lavender and ylang ylang can be particularly calming. A white-noise machine may also be helpful.
Try a Calming Supplement or Herb
Many supplements can help to promote sleep, such as:
- Melatonin: Your body produces melatonin on its own, but a supplement can help you to make the most of the natural hormone, according to an article by Johns Hopkins Medicine.
- L-theanine: An amino acid found in tea leaves, L-theanine may improve sleep quality by promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety.
- GABA: A neurotransmitter that can promote sleep, GABA can promote restful sleep when taken before bed.
Remember to consult your doctor before taking any supplements. A healthcare professional can tell you which supplements could be most helpful and the proper dosage.
Herbs such as chamomile, lavender, and lemon balm have also been shown to calm the nervous system and ease anxiety. Tea is a simple and effective way to consume them. For an extra dose of relaxation, add a teaspoon of magnesium powder, which has been shown to help with sleep in elderly people. Again, consult a doctor before adding magnesium powder to your nighttime regimen, especially if you’re taking other medications.
By adopting a healthy sleep routine, as opposed to staying up late returning work emails or flipping through TV channels, you’re more likely to give your body the sleep it needs to recharge. A well-rested body and mind can have a significant effect on your relationships, physical health, and all other areas of your daily life.
6 Steps to Ease Into a Vegetarian Diet
Transitioning into a new way of eating should be slow and steady. When you make a massive change or go “cold turkey” with something, it’s less likely to last for the long-term. And with any lifestyle change, having a reason why you’re doing it will help further the success. Make a decision to change based on your why and then take the action! With will power, your why, and a roadmap to your goal, you can do it!
If you want to stop eating meat and adopt a vegetarian diet, easing into it is the way to go. Your body gets used to eating certain foods, and when you stop eating them, you’re naturally going to crave them because that’s what your body is used to. Easing out of a certain way of eating and easing into the new one is best not only for the body, but also for your success! So let’s talk about how to ease into a vegetarian diet.
What Is a Vegetarian Diet?
Vegetarianism is primarily plant-based, with the absence of animal meats. There are a few different types of vegetarianism:
- Lacto-ovo vegetarian: Excludes animal flesh, but consumes dairy and eggs
- Lacto vegetarian: Excludes animal flesh and eggs, but consumes dairy
- Vegan:Excludes all forms of animal flesh and animal products (eggs, dairy, etc.)
Going from a standard American diet (SAD) to a vegetarian diet can be difficult. The SAD contains all forms of animal flesh and animal products—cheeseburgers, pizza, fried chicken, etc. It’s mostly animal-based. A vegetarian diet is primarily plant-based, so making that transition will be easier if you take it step-by-step and meal-by-meal. Here are five tips to ease your way into a vegetarian diet.
- Take It Slow
You don’t have to make the change to vegetarianism overnight. In fact, you’ll feel much better physically if you take it slow. Start with doing Meatless Mondays (as the name implies, go meat free the whole day) for a couple of weeks and then begin to tackle your breakfasts. After a couple weeks of Meatless Mondays and vegetarian breakfasts, you can move to removing meat from your lunches. Going one day and one meal at a time will give you time to adjust to the changes.
Create a calendar for yourself. Set a goal date to be fully vegetarian and work backward for each step to get there. Give yourself two to three months—you need time for your body to adjust to a lifestyle change. Remember, it’s about the long-term, not a quick diet fix! Slow and steady is the key to lasting change.
- Start with One Animal Product
Instead of swearing off all meat right away, start with one type. Red meat can go first, then pork, poultry, and then fish. It will be easier to ease into a plant-based diet when all meat isn’t immediately off limit.
If you usually get a burger every week, opt for a chicken sandwich once you cut out red meat. As time goes on and you cut out poultry, move to fish, and then before you know it, all meat will be gone! It’s a sustainable way to transition your eating habits.
- Replace, Replace, Replace!
Adopting a vegetarian diet isn’t about just cutting things out. It’s important to replace what you remove. For example, if you normally have carnitas tacos, get bean tacos! You’ll get the same (or similar flavoring) along protein from the beans and you won’t be missing out on important nutrients.
The good news about a vegetarian diet is that you’ll need to consume a greater volume of food. Who doesn’t love to eat more?! Meat and animal products are typically high in calories so you’ll need to replace those calories with plant foods. Plant foods are usually lower in calories, hence more volume needed! Think 100 calories of beef versus 100 calories of broccoli—you need a lot more broccoli to equal 100 calories than you do with a piece of beef. Incorporate filling plant foods like sweet potatoes, legumes, nuts, seeds, and quinoa.
- Collect Recipes
It’s easier to transition into and maintain a vegetarian diet when you cook. Collecting recipes and ideas for vegetarian meals will help make the transition easier. It can even be fun! Head to your local bookstore and look for the cooking section. Vegetarian cookbooks are common. Pinterest is another good source for vegetarian recipes. Or simply search “vegetarian recipes” to find find tons of vegetarian cooking blogs with recipes!
- Introduce New Foods
Don’t get hung up on what you can’t have and focus on what you can have! Think about adding in new foods constantly. You may be surprised at how much you enjoy your new foods. It’s easy to get stuck eating the same foods, but once you ditch the meat, you’ll have more room on your plate for new options.
Variety is key. There are so many different fruits, vegetables, and plant-based foods like quinoa and rice that you can incorporate. Try them all and find out which will be your new favorites!
- Stay Hydrated
The initial stage of transitioning into a vegetarian diet is the most important. The SAD, because it is so full of animal products, can leave residue in your intestinal tract over time. The majority of animals are fed hormones and treated with antibiotics. Because you consume what the animal is fed, these growth hormones and antibiotic residue ends up in the meat and can then end up in your body. And when you begin to incorporate more plant foods, a gentle detox will begin to happen. The fiber from the plant foods will cleanse your digestive tract, so it’s important to maintain proper hydration to continually flush your digestive system. Adding fresh lemon juice to your water will also help aid in the detoxification process.
With these six tips, easing into a vegetarian diet will be no problem at all!
BY: Lauren Venosta
2019 Healthy Food Trends
A new year is a fresh start for many, so it’s a better time than ever to introduce new food trends in the health and wellness industry. The following are the top predicted food trends for 2019.
- Eco-Friendly Packaging
Food packaging made from compostable materials, recyclable straws, food wraps made from beeswax, and more—it’s all about the environment in 2019. Due to customer demand, some companies are working to make their packaging environmentally friendly—or at least, friendlier.
Some products are made from the get-go to replace products that aren’t environmentally friendly, such as Stasher bags that replace plastic sandwich bags. Or LunchSkins, which makes sandwich bags made from paper. Reusable everything is what the market is turning toward.
Stainless steel, glass, or silicone straws in replacement of plastic straws are helpful as some companies—and cities and even countries—have banned one-use plastic straws. And when it comes to produce bags, many individuals are now BYOB (bringing their own bag) to the grocery store to avoid all plastic bags when shopping. People bring their own reusable cups and mugs to coffee shops, and many shops sell their own reusable cups.
- Plant-Based Goes Mainstream
Grocery stores, restaurants, cafes, and even fast-food chains are hopping on the trend of offering more plant-based options. This is good news for those who follow a vegetarian or vegan diet, and is also helpful for omnivores who are trying to increase their intake of fiber-rich vegetables and legumes. Plant-based is what it sounds like—foods derived from plants such as vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and few-to-no animal products. Plant-based is more of a lifestyle than a diet because it has flexibility. The plant-based lifestyle isn’t a new trend, but the availability of plant-based options and the number of people consuming them are rising. And with new food products on the market—like jerky made from mushrooms and burgers made from pea protein—the options are ever-increasing.
Why are plant-based protein options becoming so popular? Studies have shown that eating a plant-based diet can be highly effective in reducing blood pressure, treating diabetes, and improving cholesterol levels. With the obesity epidemic in America and the rise of diseases like diabetes, many people are looking to food to help combat those issues rather than relying on pharmaceuticals. But people still want to feel like they are eating meat without the health implications of doing so. This is where meatless “meat” snacks come in. Fast-food and casual restaurants offer Beyond Burgers, meatless burger patties that can also be purchased in mainstream grocery stores.
However, although more plant-based options are great, be aware of the ingredients they contain. Many meatless options are made using seitan, which is gluten, and/or processed soy protein, which have their own health implications. As always, reading ingredient labels is key!
- Hemp Everything
CBD, CBD, CBD. It’s all the rage. Hemp seeds aren’t new in the food industry, but CBD oil, also known as cannabidiol oil, is derived from a part of the marijuana plant that is non-psychoactive. It has made its way into health food conventions, farmers markets, and trade shows as a natural alternative for managing anxiety. Research has found that CBD may help to calm the central nervous system. It may also help with anorexia, pain, inflammation, epilepsy, and more.
CBD, although it’s prohibited in food by federal law, is sold in the form of oil that consumers can buy from companies such as Charlotte’s Web and NuLeaf Naturals. With many people looking for more natural alternatives to pharmaceuticals, it’s no wonder CBD is gaining popularity.
Consumers of CBD use it in recipes like hot chocolate as a way to relax at night, or in raw energy balls for a midday take-the-edge-off effect. Since it’s an oil, it can be easily added to almost any food or drink. The question at this point is, how long will it take for CBD to start showing up on grocery store shelves in your favorite food products?
- Fats for the Win
It’s known that eating fat has its benefits, so this trend isn’t much of a surprise. And with the keto diet gaining popularity, there is even more focus is on healthy fats. The keto diet, also known as the ketogenic diet, is a low carbohydrate way of eating to force the body into ketosis, which means the body breaks down fatty acids for energy instead of glucose. This can help with weight loss and overall energy.
Companies and retailers are following consumer demand and are hopping on this keto diet trend. Fats like MCT (medium-chain triglyceride) oil and grass-fed ghee are used in common convenience foods. From coconut butter cups infused with MCT oil to popcorn with grass-fed ghee instead of oil, it’s easier than ever to increase your fat intake! But this is happening not only in packaged foods, people are also adding extra fats to their meals. Avocado with everything or consuming extra bacon, it seems that the low-fat diet trend is long gone.
But how much fat is too much? And are people compromising the quality of fats they’re eating just because of this new trend? There remains much to study and learn.
- Gut Health Goes Viral
Probiotics, prebiotics, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha—everything related to digestive health and gut health is at the forefront of the healthy industry lately as the evidence of the importance of gut health is confirmed with further research. Your gut microbiome, where your body’s microorganisms related to the digestive system reside, depends on these natural organisms to ferment and metabolize what you eat.
It’s only natural that you’re going to see more products with added probiotics and companies promoting products like sauerkraut and kimchi. These foods help keep your gut healthy and your microbes in balance with more good microbes than bad.
Not only is gut health a trend for 2019, but shelf-stable probiotics are making their way into foods like granola, oatmeal, bars, and chips.
- Collagen Power
Collagen is the most abundant protein in the human body. Research has found that it can reduce the visible signs of aging. In a world where plastic surgery and fillers are common, individuals use collagen as a way to stay looking young. Active people and athletes consume it as a way to build muscle and for muscle recovery, although research has yet to back up these claims. Coffee shops and smoothie bars have it as an added option for beverages and some health professionals praise its potential additional health benefits such as relieving the symptoms of arthritis.
Many companies sell collagen powder for at-home use to add to any liquid—whether it’s a soup or smoothie. A leader in collagen products is Vital Proteins, which sells a variety of different collagen powders made from beef, chicken, and even marine sources.
- Upgraded Snack Foods
Long gone are the days when the only potato chip option was a bag of Lay’s. Now there are potato chips that are organic and made with coconut oil and avocado oil instead of canola. Healthier snacks are more available. You don’t have to skip all the packaged products anymore because there are healthy options out there. As always, though, with any packaged food, ingredients are key. Reading the ingredients lists will never go out of style.
But in 2019 you are going to see more snack foods that have been upgraded with healthier ingredients and rich flavor. Everyone loves a good snack and if you can snack in a healthier way, it’s even better! Even the classic marshmallow has a healthier counterpart. Meet the Smashmallow, made with cane sugar instead of corn syrup and free of artificial ingredients and GMOs.
Any trend either fades quickly or lasts for years to come. Most of the trends for 2019 don’t seem to be passing fads. As new studies come out and discoveries are made, the industry changes. But eco-friendly packaging are consuming more plant-based foods are trends unlikely to change anytime soon! So what food trend are you going to hop on for 2019?
By: Lauren Venosta
Healthy Recipes
Roasted Red Pepper + Tomato Soup
This soup is a big bowl of warmth. There is nothing like a bowl of warm tomato soup in winter! The chili powder and red pepper flakes give this soup a kick of heat to get your blood flowing and keep your body warm.
Ingredients:
- 2 pints cherry tomatoes
- 1 yellow onion, quartered
- 2 red bell peppers, cored and roughly chopped
- 2 carrots, peeled and chopped into 2” pieces
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 28 oz. can whole peeled tomatoes
- 3 cups vegetable broth
- 1 15 oz. can cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 4 sprigs fresh thyme
- 2 teaspoons Himalayan pink salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 1 teaspoon onion granules
- 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Directions:
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees. On a parchment-lined baking sheet, add the cherry tomatoes, onion quarters, red bell peppers, carrots, and garlic. Drizzle the vegetables with the olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Mix everything with your hands so all the veggies are coated. Roast in the oven for 35 minutes—until the veggies are lightly browned.
Once the veggies are done, add them to a large pot, and add all the remaining ingredients. Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Remove the thyme sprigs from your soup and then puree the soup using either an immersion blender or a standing blender. If you are using a standing blender, carefully ladle the soup into the blender. Do it in batches, if needed.
Once pureed, return the soup to the pot and cook for an additional 10 minutes. Taste the soup and add more salt or pepper as needed.
Serves 4
Warming Vegetable Soup
A big bowl of this soup will warm you right to your bones. Nourishing, hearty, and flavorful, it’s the perfect winter meal.
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 1 yellow onion, diced
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 parsnips, chopped into 1″ pieces
- 4 carrots, chopped into 1″ pieces
- 1 sweet potato, chopped into 1″ pieces
- 1 teaspoon fresh thyme, de-stemmed and chopped
- 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary, de-stemmed and chopped
- 8 cups chicken bone broth (or vegetable broth)
- 1 tablespoon raw apple cider vinegar
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 teaspoon dried parsley flakes
- 1 bunch Swiss chard, de-stemmed and chopped
- Juice of 1 lemon (or 2 tablespoons)
Directions:
Start with coconut oil in a large pot on medium heat.
Add the chopped onions and salt and cook for about 10 minutes—until onions are translucent.
Next add in the garlic, parsnips, carrots, sweet potato, thyme, and rosemary and cook until vegetables begin to brown on the sides.
Add in the broth, apple cider vinegar, bay leaves, and parsley flakes. Bring soup to boil, then reduce heat, and simmer for approximately 25–30 minutes.
At the end of cooking, add in the Swiss chard and lemon juice.
Leave pot on stove with the lid on for about 10 minutes to let the Swiss chard wilt down and the flavors marry.
Serves 6
Roasted Garlic + Cauliflower Soup
This soup is a hug in a bowl. It’s warm, toasty, and smooth. The roasted garlic brings a ton of flavor while also warming up the body.
Ingredients:
- 1 head cauliflower, chopped into florets
- 1 onion, chopped
- 1 bulb garlic
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable broth
- 3/4 cup unsweetened almond milk
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Himalayan pink salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1/4 teaspoon ground turmeric
- Hot sauce (optional)
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Wash cauliflower and chop into florets. Lay cauliflower on parchment paper on a baking sheet and drizzle cauliflower with 1 tablesppon olive oil, salt, and pepper.
Cut off top of garlic bulb so cloves are exposed. Drizzle garlic bulb with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper. Wrap in foil and put on baking sheet with cauliflower. Roast in oven for about 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, sauté chopped onion in 2 tablespoons olive oil until caramelized.
Put all ingredients into blender and blend until creamy. Season soup to taste.
Top soup with a dash of hot sauce and fresh ground pepper. Serve hot!
Serves 4
Healing through Art 