Hi,
I wanted to stop by and give you this yummy green juice for you to try. The recipe is from my 28 Days To Healthy Digestion And A New You Program. Cheers! Nina
This can be blended as a smoothie as well
11⁄2 cups coconut water
1 head romaine lettuce, chopped
1 handful spinach
3 stalks celery
1 apple, cored and chopped
1 pear, cored and chopped
1⁄2 lemon
1⁄3 bunch parsley (stems okay)
Combine all ingredients in a juicer or in a high speed blender. Juice or blend and enjoy.
The “fight or flight” syndrome – you’ve heard of it, right? Accompanied with the image of the saber-toothed tiger dashing after a hunter, getting ready to attack. You often get into this situation, don’t you? In modern times, we’re not literally in that frantic position, but our bodies are often reacting as if we were fighting for our lives. Our adrenal glands, located on top of each kidney, are forced to work overtime in an effort to deal with stress from all sources: injury, disease, work, family, finances, environment, etc.
It’s hard to imagine these small endocrine glands, essentially the size of a walnut, responsible for the manufacture and secretion of vital hormones such as cortisol, estrogen and testosterone. The cortisol production is crucial for the body to combat stress. Whereas thousands of years ago the stress was a finite amount of time – you either outran the predator or survived or you were eaten – nowadays, stress seems to be a state of being for so many people.
Although not getting along with a boss or missing a bill payment are not life-threatening like the saber-toothed tiger, our bodies react to the stressors in a similar fashion. The body starts to feel unsettled. More and more cortisol is produced because the body believes it needs massive amounts of energy to run for its life. This happens over and over again throughout the day: getting the kids ready for school and getting yourself ready for work, traffic, spilling coffee on your new suit, your assistant calls in sick and you’ve got to send out 20 packages today, the babysitter is late picking up the kids from school and taking them to soccer practice, your late afternoon meeting runs over and you leave the office late so family dinner becomes you eating leftovers alone. And all this is going to happen again tomorrow!
Here’s the problem: chronic stress can overload the adrenal glands to the point of exhaustion. For some, the fatigue will become overwhelming and the adrenals will no longer function properly to provide the energy and resources the body needs on a day-to-day basis. When someone is exhausted, a natural suggestion is to get more sleep. That’s not always easy with adrenal problems because insomnia is a common symptom. There are, however, steps you can take to prepare yourself for sleep, which is certainly one of the best ways to refresh and rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit.
For better sleep and to heal your adrenal glands:
1) Go to bed at the same time every night between 10-10:30pm.
2) Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and sugar in late afternoon/evening (or remove them completely from your diet to avoid any rollercoaster-like blood sugar surges).
3) Keep a gratitude journal near your bedside. Every night, list five things for which you are grateful. Remind yourself that even though you may feel fatigued, there are wonderful aspects of your life and many reasons to heal.
In health,
P.S. Don’t forget to grab my Free eBOOK and check out 28 Days To Healthy Digestion And A New You Program
I focus on digestion because I do believe that good digestion leads to a healthy life. But in order to have good digestion, you must be detoxing properly. Good digestion decreases inflammation and less inflammation prevents disease. Hippocrates said it best, “All disease begins in the gut.”
In much the same way you need a holiday from work, your body needs a break from time to time, especially when you are feeling tired, sick, heavy or just plain run down.
Detoxification is a normal process within the body as it neutralizes and eliminates toxins
through the major organs such as our colon, liver, kidneys, lungs, lymph and skin. Our bodies do it naturally every day, in fact it is one of our most basic automatic functions. But what if our self-cleaning system is overloaded and our body cannot perform its job?
Detox is necessary to be healthy, happy, and free of disease. We all have some low level inflammation because, again, we breathe but, even more, so we are under a lot of stress in this world.
By detoxing, YOU will improve digestion and therefore free your body of inflammation and toxins.
The foundation of a good detox is NOT to ever feel deprived or starved. The goal should be to help YOU learn how to EAT CLEAN and what foods are IRRITATING your body.
Eating clean is a way of life, not a diet.
We begin to eat whole foods that promote detox in a safe and natural way. No, you do not have to only drink juices, or soups, or smoothies, or go on a grapefruit-eating-only diet; instead, you need to eat foods that are not irritating your digestive system and clogging it up.
Is this making sense?
Here are my tips for staying healthy & detoxing naturally:
1. Upon waking, drink warm or room water with lemon and 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar (if tolerated) and add a dash of cinnamon or cayenne.
2. Start your day by being positive. Find a daily affirmation that gets you fired up.
3. Try getting quiet without yourself, even just for one minute, and say, “I release what does not serve me.” Hold your heart as you say this out loud and scream it if you want. Own that power.
4. Drink fresh, green juices or make your own green juice with 1 tbsp chlorophyll and lemon and lime and water.
5. Aim for one meal that is super easy on your digestion per day. Try a smoothie, green juice, or soup to give that digestion a rest.
6. Get moving & shaking. Yes, exercise is one of the best ways to detox your body.
7. Drink plenty of water & add lemon, lime, or grapefruit to flush the toxicity.
8. Skin brushing is my favorite way to support the liver and get rid of those toxins
9. Tongue Brushing.
10. BE Happy & grateful for life.
In health,
P.S. Don’t forget to grab my Free eBOOK and check out 28 Days To Healthy Digestion And A New You Program
It’s 4pm, and you’re already yawning and feeling exhausted. Put that double espresso and muffin down – they aren’t going to get you through!!
Who hasn’t experienced that drained feeling halfway through the afternoon, when making it through the day seems impossible? According to the National Sleep Foundation, nearly half of us report an afternoon slump where energy and concentration are challenged. One of the most common reasons for afternoon fatigue is fluctuating blood sugar levels. If too much sugar is released into the body at once, by either waiting too long to eat between meals or high carbohydrate or fatty foods, too much insulin is released to balance the sugar levels. This causes your blood sugar levels to rise and fall rapidly, leading to a quick burst of energy followed by a deep crash. And there lays the afternoon energy slump… yawn!!!
Enter SNACKS. So, why are they such an important part of your day? Snacks are those delicious bites that will save you!! They bridge the gap between meals and stop that rumbling stomach when lunch and dinner are hours away. They keep your blood sugar stable and your hunger in check so that you are not grabbing a candy bar from the nearest vending machine or gorging everything in sight at your next meal. Snacks will fuel your AM workout if there is no time for a proper meal and will replenish your glycogen stores after you have finished that run and strength session. Snacks are also a great way to get in extra whole foods to ensure that you are getting in the correct nutrients for the day.
It’s important to pick the right snack at the right time, to keep energy levels up and bridge the gap properly. A snack made up of a complex carb, a healthy fat, and clean protein will increase your energy levels for a longer period of time.
So, back to that 4pm slump. It’s the time of day when another cup of coffee or quick sugary snack seems like the perfect way to carry you to the end of the day. Hold that thought! With this snack list in hand, and a little planning, you can easily push through and run to the finish line. Don’t let that 4pm slump take control of you; you have the power to take control of it! Below is a list of my top ten snacks to beat that slump, so arm yourself with the ingredients and knowledge that you have the power to keep your hunger and energy in check all day!
TEN SNACKS IDEAS TO PREVENT THE AFTERNOON SLUMP
1. A handful of raw unsalted nuts/homemade trail mix – the protein, fiber, and fat is a perfect snack combination
2. Two cups of mixed raw veggie sticks and 2 tbsp of your favorite dip – hummus, tahini, pesto, etc.
3. Hardboiled egg, ¼ avocado, and tomato on a piece of sprouted Ezekiel toast or gluten free bread.
4. Half to a cup organic Greek yogurt (or a lactose-free option) with 1 tbsp nut butter, cinnamon, and ½ apple, sliced, OR Greek yogurt with 2 tbsp mixed nuts, seeds, and berries
5. Green juice – cucumber, kale, spinach, parsley, celery, lemon ginger, and coconut oil
6. Smoothie – unsweetened almond milk, ½ banana, 1 tbsp almond butter, vanilla, cinnamon, hemp seeds, maca powder/cacao powder, and ice
7. 1 apple, sliced, with 1 tbsp nut butter
8. Blue corn chips with fermented or cultured vegetables or homemade guacamole dip
9. Chopped fruit salad with fresh mint and some almonds
10. Nori seaweed, canned salmon/tuna, avocado, spinach, and cucumber wrap
In health,
P.S. Don’t forget to grab my Free eBOOK and check out 28 Days To Healthy Digestion And A New You Program
Do you feel like your food is just sitting in your stomach for hours after you eat? Or is the opposite happening, and you are running to the bathroom before you have even finished your meal? You are not alone, and there are things you can do improve the situation. Here are ten steps to take now to get things moving properly through your gut:
1. Food Combining – When foods are combined properly, they do not sit in your stomach and rot. That rotting food feeds the bad bacteria and yeast that everyone has residing in their digestive tract. To combine food, you eat protein with vegetables or grains with vegetables, never proteins & grains together. Also, fruits should be eaten alone on an empty stomach.
2. Fermented Foods – These are naturally fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, pickles, etc., that, when eaten, will feed the good bacteria in your gut and balance your inner ecology.
3. Enzymes and Probiotics – I suggest that everyone take digestive enzymes and probiotics to help with the digestion of their food and build up their immunity.
4. Water – We all know we need to drink plenty of water. A little known Ayurvedic trick is to drink a glass of water 15 minutes before your meal. This will get your digestive juices flowing and your food will get digested better.
5. 80/20 – This rule is to eat until you are 80% full. That leaves 20% of the room left in your stomach for your digestion to work. No one likes that uncomfortable full feeling and your tummy will thank you if you stop just before you are full.
6. Eat Loads of Fiber – Your body needs fiber to carry out toxins, excess hormones, and junk. Eating lots of water-soluble fiber, found in veggies, will ensure that you get plenty of fiber. Just don’t forget step #4! Drink lots of water, too, so that you don’t end up with bulky stool.
7. Short Fasting Period – Don’t worry, I am not suggesting that you don’t eat for a day. What I am suggesting is that you take some time between meals. Give your system about 3 or 4 hours to let the food get assimilated. When your gut is constantly bombarded by food all day long, it gets confused and doesn’t work properly. Give it some time to work on that last meal before you head to the kitchen for a snack.
8. Cut Sugar and White Carbohydrates – These foods will feed the bad guys in your gut. Avoid them for less gas and bloating – and you don’t want the insulin spike that comes with them either.
9. Gluten – A large percentage of Americans are gluten intolerant and do not know it. Try going without and see if your digestion works any better.
10. Bone Broth – The #1 most soothing and healing drink that you could ever ingest. Homemade bone broth contains all of the nutrients you need to heal your gut if it is leaky and also provides the minerals you need for strong bones. It’s a win-win, must-consume food!
If you incorporate some or all of the tips, you will ease in to better digestion and the tummy troubles will disappear.
In health,
P.S. Don’t forget to grab my Free eBOOK and check out 28 Days To Healthy Digestion And A New You Program
Nina Torres 