Learn more about our new Energy Coach, Julie Kolb, here
by Jolie Kolb
Earlier this week Tyler sent out a list of seminars the Evolve team would be doing during the month of December. As I reviewed it, December 8th we are speaking on finding joy during the holiday season. This sounded like an awesome idea; the only problem was, I was finding it difficult to find joy myself. How am I supposed to help others with something I’m not sure I can accomplish myself?
This time of year is a challenge when it comes to maintaining positive energy. My boyfriend and I had already gotten into an argument about Thanksgiving plans, the bills are due and somehow there needs to be money for holiday shopping, everyone’s stress level is higher as we try to accomplish all the things, and then there are the ever-lingering memories of holidays past and the reminder of how things have changed which tug at the heartstrings. Yet this time of year is to be about the energy of joy. If I was going to speak about it, first I had to find it for myself. So I set out on a journey to find joy.
I started in the most logical place, asking my friends. This led to some interesting discussions about how it has to be in the little things and in things that don’t have anything to do with other people. This seemed like a conundrum since the holidays are supposed to be about friends and family. So now I’m looking for things that have nothing to do with other people, in a season that is about other people. At this point I did the most logical thing I could think of and booked myself a one hour salt float. Perhaps some time alone floating in a pool of salt would give me the clarity that I needed. My energy shifted with excitement as soon as I hit the “confirm” button on my float reservation. The relaxation time would definitely bring me joy.
If you have never floated, basically the way it works is that you get into a giant bathtub filled with salt water that has enough salt in it that you automatically float. The bathtub is in an enclosed pod. The doors close and eventually all the lights go out, although you can turn on lights if you choose. I settled in and began to float, eventually the lights went out and it was pitch black. I lay there for awhile trying to relax my mind. At some point I decided I wanted to turn the lights on, but in the darkness, I could not find the switch. I began feeling my way around the tank, unable to find the door or the switch, panic began to set in. It was completely dark and I couldn’t see anything and I knew that no one could hear me. I continued to frantically feel around the walls looking for the handle to the door. Eventually I found it, realizing that I had gotten turned around so that everything that had been on my left was now on my right. I opened the door and let in some light and found the switch to turn on the lights inside the pod. Settling back down into the water I began to reflect on this experience. I was here to relax and find joy. Why did I feel it necessary to look for a way out? Why when I couldn’t find the light switch could I not just relax knowing that in 50 minutes the lights would come on anyway? Why couldn’t I surrender to the experience without having an exit strategy?
After my float, feeling much more relaxed, I sat down to contemplate this journey to joy. It seems to me that if I am going to find joy this holiday season, and help others to do the same, then it has to be a path led solely by the heart. The minute my head gets into the mix, things go awry and it seems I self-sabotage my own mission. How many times are we our own roadblock to joy? I set the intention to get out of my own way this holiday season and to focus on following my heart on this journey to joy. Easier said than done? I have no doubt. But if there is one thing I have learned on the adventure of self-exploration, there are always lessons to be learned and obstacles to overcome. I am looking forward to taking on this challenge of staying in my heart space as we welcome in the holidays and can’t wait to share what I learn along the way.
Join us on Thursday, December 8 at 7:30pm for an online seminar about Finding Joy, not just during the holiday season, but every day of your life. Learn more & sign up here.
Salads are one of my favorite things to bring to lunch, but they can get boring after a while, especially if you always use the same combinations of vegetables & dressing. And, if you don’t add any protein or other toppings, this potentially nutrient dense meal can be much less filling & satisfying. We need good fuel at lunchtime to power through our afternoons, which means whatever we choose for lunch needs to be a balanced, healthy meal.
These five salad recipes are some of my personal favorites. They are packed with flavor & nutrients for a satisfying & delicious meal that you’ll want to have again & again.
Apple Walnut Salad
One of the most delicious ways to spice up your salad is to add fresh fruits & nuts. This Apple Walnut Salad is a delicious medley of fruits, vegetables & nuts that create a tasty medley on your tongue with every bite.
Makes: 1 serving
Ingredients:
2 cups mixed spring greens
1/4 cup blackberries
1/2 apple, sliced
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cucumber, sliced
2 tbsp walnuts, chopped
1 tbsp paleo jam (I love Wellbees strawberry jam)
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/4 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tbsp fresh orange juice
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
sea salt, to taste
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Directions:
Toss mixed spring greens, blackberries, apple slices, red bell pepper, & cucumber slices in a bowl. Top with chopped walnuts.
In a separate bowl, whisk together paleo jam, balsamic vinegar, dijon mustard, orange juice, extra-virgin olive oil, & sea salt & freshly ground black pepper, to taste
This delicious Caesar salad recipe is made without anchovies & topped with a vegan Parmesan cheese! It is honestly the best salad I have ever had.
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients:
For the croutons:
3 slices sourdough bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 tsp salt
For the Caesar Dressing:
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
1 1/2 tsp drained capers
1/2 tbsp ground black pepper
2 garlic cloves
1 cup avocado mayonnaise (or vegan mayonnaise for a completely vegan recipe)
For the Vegan Parmesan:
1 1/3 cups unsalted roasted cashews
2/3 cup nutritional yeast
1 tbsp sea salt
For the salad:
Romaine lettuce, chopped
Mixed greens, chopped
Fresh avocado, sliced
Directions:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, toss together bread cubes, olive oil & sea salt. Spread on a prepared baking sheet & cook for 15 minutes or until beginning to brown.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine cashews, nutritional yeast & sea salt. Pulse until crumbly & resembles Parmesan cheese.
In the bowl of a food processor, combine capers, black pepper, mayonnaise, mustard, & garlic cloves. Pulse until combined & garlic is completely minced.
Prepare plates with a mix of romaine lettuce & mixed greens. Top with sliced avocado, Caesar dressing, vegan Parmesan, & croutons.
Enjoy!
Note: I topped my salad with shrimp for a little extra protein. Feel free to top with your favorite protein or eat as is for a completely vegan recipe.
Thank you Pure Wow for the delicious recipe inspiration!
Fresh Summer Salad
This salad is fresh & summery, the perfect meal for a hot day.
Makes: 1 serving
Ingredients:
2-3 cups romaine lettuce
1/2 peach, sliced
1 ear cooked corn, corn shaved off the cob
1 carrot, chopped
6 large shrimp, thawed if frozen
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp pure maple syrup
Directions:
Spray a pan with cooking spray. Cook shrimp over medium heat until pink & cooked through.
Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, & maple syrup.
Top lettuce with peach slices, shaved corn kernels, carrot slices, & shrimp. Drizzle with dressing.
Enjoy!
Antioxidant-Boost Salad
This delicious, vibrant salad is full of antioxidants thanks to the almonds, strawberry & veggies, & the shrimp add some extra protein to give you energy all afternoon.
Makes: 1 serving
Ingredients:
2-3 cups romaine lettuce
7 strawberries, sliced
2 tbsp sliced almonds
1 carrot, chopped
6 large shrimp, thawed if frozen
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp pure maple syrup
Directions:
Spray a pan with cooking spray. Cook shrimp over medium heat until pink & cooked through.
Whisk together olive oil, red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, & pure maple syrup.
Top romaine lettuce with strawberries, almonds, carrot slices, & shrimp. Drizzle with dressing.
Enjoy!
Harvest Salad
This harvest salad is a delicious & filling lunch bursting with fall flavor. The recipe is vegan, but you can add your favorite protein, if desired.
Makes: 4 servings
Ingredients:
4 cups brussels sprouts
4 cups diced acorn squash
1 tsp extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups chopped kale
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup unsweetened dried cranberries
1/2 cup pomegranate arils
5 tbsp tahini
2 tbsp pure maple syrup
2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 lemon, juiced
3 cloves garlic
4 tbsp water, to thin dressing
salt, to taste
Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F & prepare a baking sheet with foil & cooking spray. Cut the ends off the Brussels sprouts & discard; then cut the sprouts in half. Toss Brussels sprouts halves & chopped acorn squash with olive oil & salt & pepper, to taste. Spread evenly on the baking sheet & roast for 30 minutes, or until tender.
Whisk together tahini, maple syrup, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, water, & salt, to taste.
Top kale with roasted veggies, pomegranate arils, chopped walnuts, & dried cranberries. Drizzle with dressing.
If you’re feeling a little blue this month, you may be one of the estimated 10 million Americans that struggle with seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
SAD is a type of seasonal depression that affects 10-20% of Americans every year. The exact cause for SAD is not known, but it is associated with the reduced amount of sunlight, which lowers our serotonin production, increases our production of melatonin, & messes with our natural circadian rhythms, altogether leaving patients feeling drowsy, less happy, & even disoriented.
Accordingly, if there’s less sunlight, that means there are more hours of darkness, which creates an increase in the hormone melatonin. Melatonin is the hormone that makes us feel tired at night & helps us fall asleep. The excess amount of melatonin produced in the winter can make us feel more tired & lead to lower energy levels throughout our day.
This change in the amount of daylight also messes with our natural circadian rhythms. When we sleep at different hours of the day than normal or get more or less sleep than our bodies naturally desire, it can lead to feelings of grogginess & disorientation. It can also negatively affect our sleep quality, which also leads to lower energy levels throughout the day.
If you believe you are struggling with SAD or another form of seasonal depression, here are 10 holistic strategies for fighting off the winter blues & taking care of your mental health this season.
This is one of the most important coping mechanisms for SAD. As stated above, SAD is associated with the reduced amount of sunlight, so a reasonable treatment is to increase your daily dose of the sun’s rays. Even just 15 minutes spent in direct sunlight can have enormous benefits on your mental health. Going for a walk or just sitting on your porch drinking coffee & soaking in the sun’s rays can increase your levels of serotonin & vitamin D, leading to increased levels of energy & feelings of happiness.
If you are unable to spend more time in the sun, consider purchasing a sun lamp. These lamps imitate the sun’s rays, & spending time basking in their glow can have similar benefits as spending time outdoors.
2. Exercise regularly
Me on a run
One of the causes of SAD is decreased levels of serotonin. Exercise naturally boosts our serotonin levels as well as the levels of our endorphins & other “happy” hormones. Aim to exercise for at least 30 minutes a day. Rhythmic, cardiovascular activities are linked to higher releases of serotonin & endorphins, so activities like running & walking, which can also be done outdoors in the sunlight, can have enormous benefits. However, any type of exercise, including dance, weight lifting, swimming, & more will boost your serotonin production.
Feelings of loneliness can contribute to depression & lowered self-esteem. On the contrary, studies show spending time with our loved ones can boost our self-esteem, self-worth & lower our stress levels. Make time in your schedule to spend with loved ones. Even if you can’t meet in person, a phone call with a friend can have enormous benefits for your mental health & the mental health of your loved one.
4. Eat for your mood
Citrus Shrimp – find the recipe on my Instagram page here
To help your mood, incorporate more omega-3 fatty acids in your diet. Studies show increasing your consumption of omega-3 fatty acids, which can be found in fish, nuts & seeds, & plant oils, can lessen the symptoms of various mood disorders, including depression.
Additionally, increasing your consumption of Vitamin B12 & Vitamin D can improve your mood as well. Vitamin B12 is not produced naturally in our bodies, so it must be consumed through diet. A deficiency of Vitamin B12 is associated with fatigue & mood disturbances. Most people do not need supplementation of Vitamin B12, but increasing this vitamin naturally in your diet can help improve your mood. Vitamin B12 is found in animal products, such as meats, cheeses & eggs. You can also find it in fortified foods such as cereals.
We get much of our natural Vitamin D consumption from the sun, so we are often deficient in this vitamin in the winter. Vitamin D supplements are available, & you can consume the vitamin naturally by eating tuna fish, salmon, egg yolks, & cereals, milks & orange juice fortified with Vitamin D.
Many people who struggle with SAD feel higher levels of stress. Limiting the stressors in your life can improve symptoms of SAD.
For stressors you cannot eliminate, developing coping mechanisms to deal with them can be helpful. Make time for activities you enjoy, & make sure you give yourself breaks when you are doing stressful activities. If needed, seek our professional counseling to help you learn emotional regulation skills & different coping mechanisms to deal with life stressors.
One symptom of SAD that leads to increased feelings of depression & fatigue is the disrupted sleep schedule. The decrease of serotonin, increase of melatonin, & disrupted circadian rhythm all lead to increased drowsiness & decreased energy.
Setting a regular sleep schedule can help with these symptoms. Set a time to wake up & fall asleep each day, & stick to it as closely as you can, no matter how your schedule varies. Before bed, make sure you have a “wind down” hour, when you put away the screens & engage in self-care to relax your mind.
If you still feel you are struggling because of the longer hours of darkness, consider investing in a Dawn Simulator. These are alarm clocks that simulate natural light to ease you into waking in the morning. I personally own one of these clocks because I wake up before the sun for much of the year & it has been a game-changer in my morning energy levels.
SAD has been associated with increased risk for drug & alcohol abuse. Depression can increase the temptation for using alcohol as a coping mechanism, but alcohol actually makes depression worse. The result is an increased dependency for this substance but no benefits for your mental health.
If you find yourself drinking more, consider reaching out to a professional counselor for assistance.
Journaling can help us process our feelings & emotions. Studies show journaling can lead to reduced feelings of stress & anxiety. Additionally, keeping a gratitude journal can increase our self-esteem & lower stress levels. Take time each evening to journal about your thoughts & feelings & write down a few things that you are grateful for. The more specific you are with what you write, the more effective this practice will be.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a mental health treatment that teaches techniques & tools to help you change your thinking & improve your mood. CBT can provide you with coping mechanisms that can be used, not just this season, but throughout your life. A study by the American Journal of Psychiatry found that when patients used light therapy or CBT alone, they had similar positive effects. However, one year later, the group that used CBT was experiencing fewer recurrences of SAD & less severe symptoms than the group that only used light therapy.
You can read books on CBT, but I highly recommend seeking a medical professional to help you learn the initial techniques & treatment.
When our mental health is struggling, it is easy to believe we are the only ones feeling this way. This can lead to increased feelings of isolation, & even worse, make you feel that you cannot share about your emotions & struggles.
If you are struggling with SAD, know first & foremost that you are not alone. As stated above, 10-20% of Americans struggle with SAD, & even more than that report milder symptoms of depression during this time of year. Additionally, depression itself is one of the most common mental health disorders, affecting an estimated 5% of the global population.
Talking to someone about the way you are feeling can help you cope with the stressors in your life, & discovering that someone else is also struggling may help you feel less alone & lead to increased feelings of self-worth. Seeking help from a medical professional can also be a great first step in managing your depressive symptoms. Your mental health is a priority, & it should be treated as such.
The winter may seem long, but there is always the bright ending of spring at the end. Take care of yourself this season, have grace for yourself during your mental health journey, & always remember that you are not alone.
It’s that time of year again. Early January is the time to set lofty goals we are often inspired to achieve for about a month & then forget about until another year has passed. The new year brings with it the desire to better ourselves, but how to achieve our goals can sometimes seem elusive.
While we have been taught how to set goals & told that we should set them every year, we often don’t know the necessary steps we need to take to achieve them. Achieving an attainable goal should only take a bit of your time each day, but it is something you have to dedicate yourself to daily to achieve it. The steps to achieve your goal should becoming a habit, not a chore.
Follow these four simple steps to make this the year you achieve your New Year’s resolutions & create lasting change in your life.
What is it you really want to achieve this year? What passion do you have that gets you really excited? Where do you see yourself being truly happy? Nothing is off limits. Nothing is unattainable. Sit down & brainstorm ideas. Think about where you like to be year from now, & then…
A goal in your head is erased as soon as a new thought enters. Write down your goal & put it in a place you will see it every day, such as your bathroom mirror. It should be something you see every morning so you remember to focus on it throughout your day. And every evening, you should see it so you can evaluate what you did that day to attain your goal & how much closer you are to achieving it.
When you write down your goal, make sure it is a SMART goal – Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant & Time-bound. Don’t be vague about what you want – put some thought into what it is & be specific in your wording. Make sure it is measurable so you can track your progress. You don’t just want to lose weight – you want to lose 50 pounds. Now, make sure it is attainable. Maybe 50 pounds seems a little too daunting, but 30 pounds? That is doable. Make sure you aren’t limiting yourself, but you don’t want to set a goal that you can’t achieve either. Next, make sure your goal is relevant. Do you need to lost 30 pounds? Do you even want to lose 30 pounds? Maybe there is another goal that would be better for you to focus on this year. And lastly, your goal should be time-based. For most New Year’s resolutions, this timeframe is one year.
A goal without a plan to attain it is as useful as a box of cake mix without any other ingredients. It has the potential to make a delicious cake, but without the eggs & oil, it’s just another box in your pantry.
Set a timeline for your goal, & then write out a list of smaller goals you have to achieve in order to make your big goal happen. Make sure the smaller goals are SMART goals as well.
For example, if you want to lose 50 pounds, just getting a gym membership & buying some celery is not going to make that happen. You need a plan & multiple steps to help you achieve that goal. Set aside time each day for a workout. Even better, mark the specific time on your calendar to make sure it happens. Look up healthy recipes & make a list of what you are going to eat each day. Keep a food journal. And then set timely goals for each month. By the end of month two, your goal should be about 10 pounds lost, which means each week you have to lose about one to two pounds. Focus on these smaller goals that will lead up to your bigger one, & by this time next year, you will be 50 pounds smaller.
This process applies to every goal you may set, not just losing weight. Set smaller goals along the way that will help you reach your big goal, & set aside time each day to achieve them. How much money do you have to save a month to save $1,000 by the end of the year? If you want to make this the year of trying new things, maybe make the third Saturday every month the day you try something new, like sky diving, so by the end of the year you have tried 12 new crazy things you never thought you would do. If you want to travel more, start planning your trip to Italy now, & each month set a goal you want to attain to make it closer to that trip: Save $1,000, get in touch with a travel agent, buy a fancy new dress you will only wear when you are finally being serenaded on a gondola. Whatever the goal is, set the steps you need to attain it, & then focus on those. They aren’t nearly as overwhelming, but if you follow the plan, the big goal will be achieved.
Do not wait until December to discover you have or have not attained your New Year’s resolution. Evaluate your progress as you go. Now that you have daily, weekly & monthly stepping stones put in place for the year, you are able to evaluate if you are on the right track to achieve your resolution, or if you need to set more attainable goals, work harder, or change another habit that’s getting in your way or limiting your progress. Whatever you do, do not get discouraged. If you have not made one stepping stone, you can still be successful. It is much easier to make small adjustments along the way than to make a big life change at the end of the year.
What are your New Year’s resolutions this year? Leave me a comment below & let’s support each other this year!
P.S. Newsletter subscribers this month receive a FREE set of planner sheets for their journal to help them keep their New Year’s Resolutions all year long. Receive this & more perks all year by signing up for the weekly newsletter here.
P. P. S. Evolve is offering a 30-Day New Year, New You program to help you achieve your health & wellness goals. You can learn more by emailing me with any questions at TylerVLayne@gmail.com
With the weather growing colder, the lack of sunlight, & much of the natural world around us lying dormant, it can be easy to feel the winter blues creeping in. We tend to spend more time indoors & be less active, which can be detrimental to our physical & mental wellbeing, & the stress of the holidays & pressure of the new year can make things even worse.
But winter, like all seasons, has its own unique joys to offer. I love to tailor my self-care practices & hobbies to the season I am in, & winter is the perfect season to reflect on your lifestyle & make some healthy changes.
As mentioned in previous blog posts, self-care is a very personal experience, & you should always make time to do things that bring you joy & comfort. But, there is nothing wrong with switching up your regular routine to reflect the unique joys & challenges that each season brings. Try a few activities, find what works best for you, & keep it in your back pocket for the next stressful day ahead.
One of the biggest challenges winter brings for our mental & physical health is the lack of sunshine. Even if you don’t suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD) (a type of depression caused by the lack of sunlight), the reduced levels of Vitamin D can still negatively impact your mental & physical wellbeing. And many of us are less active indoors, which means our bodies & minds only suffer more.
Make an effort this winter to get some sunshine. Even if it’s only for a few minutes a day, soaking in the sun’s rays can greatly improve your mental & physical health by regulating your melatonin levels, improving your sleep, reducing the effects of SAD, & strengthening your immune system. Take a walk, or just sit outside with a hot cup of tea or coffee & relax.
If you can’t get outdoors during the day, consider investing in a sun lamp. It’s not as good as the real thing, but spending 15 minutes basking in the glow of this fake sun can help improve your mental health.
Despite the lack of sunlight, our bodies are still losing water all the time, & it’s one of the most important elements we need to survive. When we don’t drink enough water, it negatively impacts our organ function, immune system, & energy.
Try to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. If you are traveling, regularly exercising, struggling to get in enough sleep, or fighting off illness, consider also adding electrolytes to your drink. Nuun is a great choice – it has different options depending on your activity & personal needs. Nuun Vitamins, Nuun Immunity, & Nuun Rest can all be great options to drink daily.
Your skin also needs some extra hydrating love in the winter. Buy yourself a quality, unscented moisturizer to nourish your skin with daily.
3. Treat yourself
My delicious, healthy hot cocoa – get the recipe here
The holidays are full of yummy treats to indulge in, & once the holidays end & the winter blues often kick in, we can find ourselves craving those indulgent cookies & cakes again.
It’s important to treat our food as fuel. The goal at feeding times should always be to nourish ourselves. But when you are craving a special treat, there is nothing wrong with indulging yourself. In fact, studies show when you satisfy a craving with a small treat instead of restricting yourself, you are less likely to binge later, which means you will be more successful at achieving your health & wellness goals.
So, go ahead – have that cup of hot cocoa & a cookie, snuggle up in a warm blanket, & enjoy those chilly winter evenings.
The limited daylight means we are often less active in the winter. This can lead to weight gain, inflammation, & fatigue. Energize your body by moving it in loving ways. Go for a run or walk, lift weights, do yoga, or even join a fun class at your local gym! Just getting your body up & moving releases happy hormones like serotonin that will help you feel better throughout your day & give you the energy to tackle your goals.
The weather outside is frightful, but a hot, bubbly bath is so delightful.
Warm yourself up with a hot bubble bath on cold winter nights. You can even add some epsom salts to help detox your body of any toxins it may be holding & decrease unhealthy inflammation. You could also add some therapeutic-grade lavender essential oil to help calm your senses. Light some candles to add to the ambience & turn on some relaxing music or read a book to relax & decompress.
When we spend more time indoors, we tend to spend more time alone, which can lead to feeling isolated from the world. Make it a point to reach out to friends & family members, even after the holidays. Invite friends over for dinner, or even just make time for a weekly phone call with someone you love. It can help you to feel more connected to others, which is important for your mental health & wellbeing. Studies show that people who feel connected to others have lower levels of anxiety & depression, & they also tend to have higher levels of self-esteem & self-confidence.
With all this time cooped up indoors, winter is the perfect season to explore new hobbies & interests. Why don’t you read that book that’s been sitting on your shelf for months, or why don’t you finally start learning to paint? Try something creative, or sit down to research & learn about something new. You might find you discover a new passion you never knew you had.
Winter is the perfect time to set goals & resolutions for the year ahead. What have you been wanting to achieve in your life? What passions do you have? Set new goals for the year, & then make a point every week to do something to help you achieve them. If you want to lose weight, make it a goal every week to exercise & eat healthy. If you want to improve your financial literacy, make a weekly/monthly budget. If you want to read more, pick out a new book every month. Whatever your goal is, write out a list of smaller steps to help you achieve that lofty long-term resolution so it seems more manageable & achievable.
If you’re stuck inside looking out at the cold, you might as well make the best of it. Cozy up with a hot drink, a good book, & a warm blanket, or have a movie night with your family, huddled up in a blanket fort in your living room. You can have a pyjama day, or spend time practicing hygge in your space.
As stated above, the winter season is full of tasty treats that are meant to make us feel warm & cozy inside. It’s the perfect time to indulge & enjoy, but those winter treats can also add up, which means more inflammation, weight gain & bloating.
Focus on eating lots of protein & vegetables in your daily life. Decrease your consumption of processed foods, & instead, eat more foods that come from the earth. Your physical & mental wellbeing will improve, which means the next time you see a tasty treat, you can enjoy it without feeling regretful later.
What are your favorite winter self-care activities? Leave me a comment below!
The holidays are upon us, which means lots of time spent with loved ones, enjoying the warmth of the indoors, a lavish dessert table always just a few steps away.
The holiday season is a wonderful time of year that should be enjoyed & indulged. But with a different party at every turn, it can be easy for those holiday treats to add up.
In my holistic wellness business, I focus less on the number on the scale & more so on the numbers of health biomarkers. Put more simply, I focus on how my clients are feeling & how healthy they are. When people engage in healthy habits, they feel better, mentally & physically, & a healthy weight will come from those healthy habits in its own time.
This holiday season, it’s important that we focus less on our weight & more so on how we are feeling. Despite the fun festivities this time of year, there are many factors that impact our emotional & physical health in a negative way. The limited sunlight, busyness of the season, & tempting sugary treats can cause anyone’s health to decline. Given most of us would like to enjoy this special time of year, it’s important that we take care of ourselves, emotionally & physically.
If you are struggling to find ways to keep your health goals on track this season, read below for seven healthy habits that will help you take care of your body & mind. And like I said before, if you are worried about those holiday pounds, these habits will also keep your waistline in check, or possibly even shrink it a little.
1. Prioritize eating enough vegetables & protein at parties
There is no doubt that there will be plenty of carbohydrates & fats at every party. Dishes laden in butter always find themselves on the dinner table, along with rolls & potatoes, & the desserts are always full of delicious sugar. To keep your goals on track, instead of focusing on & limiting foods deemed “unhealthy,” intentionally nourish yourself with protein & vegetables.
Focusing on limiting our intake of certain foods can negatively impact our mental health. While portion control is always a good idea, completely restricting or starving ourselves of foods we love can make us feel unhappy, & it is correlated with unhealthy binges when we finally give in to our desires.
Instead of limiting or restricting, focus instead of what your body needs. There will be plenty of carbs & fats, so fill your plate first with protein & vegetables. Nourish your body. Then, if you are still hungry, enjoy some of your favorite fat- or carb-heavy dishes. By making your protein & veggie intake a priority, you are more likely to have a balanced plate, which means a well-nourished body. Remember, carbs & fats are an important party of our daily nutrition intake, too, so they do not need to be entirely avoided.
The easiest way to keep your metabolism running, gut moving steadily, & to get a lovely serotonin (or happy hormone) boost is to exercise. Keeping your body moving can also help you detox from anything you have eaten that your body doesn’t enjoy, & it will help you use up some of the extra energy (food) you have consumed.
Most importantly, exercise makes our bodies feel good. Eating more sugar can increase inflammation, eating more salt can increase water retention, & eating rich foods in general can cause bloating & discomfort. Exercise can help combat all of these symptoms, which will help us feel our best for our next celebration.
Exercise also impacts our mental health in a positive way. Despite the extra exertion of energy, exercise releases hormones in our body that make us feel happy & energized. This means more productive work days & more fun at parties. Engaging in regular exercise can also help us have more productive sleep, which brings us to our next topic.
Sleep is one of the most important things we can do for our health. It is essential for our bodies to rest in order to grow strong & healthy. Our muscles repair & grow from exercise when we sleep, & our minds are able to decompress during REM sleep from anything stressing us in our lives.
When we don’t get enough sleep, it impacts us both mentally & physically. Limited sleep actual causes a reversal in the hormones released in our bodies. Normally, sleep releases leptin, which makes us feel rested & satisfied. But when we don’t get enough sleep, cortisol & ghrelin are released instead. Ghrelin makes us feel hungrier & causes sugar cravings, which means the morning donut you might normally pass up for a healthier choice suddenly becomes a donut or two for breakfast. Cortisol causes stress & inflammation in the body, & it can also cause an unhealthy weight gain around your stomach & thighs. Limited sleep is directly related to a weakened immune system & higher risk for disease.
Cortisol negatively impacts our mental health as well. When we have higher levels of cortisol, even small stresses in our daily lives seem unmanageable. There is a mind-body connection, & when we don’t take care of & let our bodies rest, our minds feel it, too.
If you are feeling extra stressed in your life, think about whether or not you are getting enough sleep. The phrase “Have you tried turning it off & on again?” applies to humans, too. Aim to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night for the best results. This will also allow for an ample amount of REM sleep, which, as stated above, is our body’s way of handling daily stresses in our lives. If you have a big problem you can’t solve, you may want to sleep on it. You might find in the morning, your subconscious brain has created a solution for you.
We can’t always use sleep as our means for rest, especially in the middle of a work day. If you find yourself feeling stressed during your day, take a few minutes to practice mindfulness exercises.
Engaging in a regular mindfulness practice has numerous benefits. From lowering stress to decreased blood pressure, mindfulness exercises like meditation, mindful walking & yoga can help increase our quality of life. Even if you only have 30 seconds to spare, sit, focus on your breath, & be present. You will be amazed at how much this simple exercise can make you feel more at peace in your daily life.
Like stated above, completely restricting or starving yourself of your favorite foods can negatively impact your mental & physical health. We tend to feel discouraged & saddened when we completely restrict ourselves from the foods we love, & when we do give in to temptation, its all too common to go on an all-out binge & eat way more than we would have initially.
The holidays are a perfect time to enjoy special treats. When you go to a party, give yourself a chance to make a selection of one or two desserts instead of sampling every single one. Walk down the table once to take a look at the options, & then a second time to get a piece of the ones you want. This helps you to avoid the all-too-common mistake of grabbing the first dessert that looks good, & then realizing the one you really wanted was all the way at the end of the table. Eating only one or two desserts will also help keep those carbs & sugars in check, so you can enjoy the holidays while keeping the inflammation & weight gain to a minimum.
Intentional exercise is not the only time we should be moving our bodies. Many people engage in regular exercise, but then spend the rest of their days sedentary at their desks. This not only increases your chance for weight gain, but it can increase inflammation & muscle tightness, which can lead to more chronic illness.
If you find yourself sitting for most of your day, set a timer to get up & take a walk every once in a while. Even if it’s only for 15 minutes on your lunch break, or a quick 2-minute walk to the water cooler each hour, your body will reap the benefits, & it may help you feel better mentally, too! Working all day can be draining, but taking a quick break to move & breathe can help you to refocus & re-energize.
There are fewer hours of daylight in the winter, which means more time spent indoors. Often, this time spent inside is much less active than the time spent outside, which means people tend to get more sedentary. The extra energy we are getting from holiday foods is stored rather than burned, & our muscles get stiff from the lack of use. The limited sunlight can also cause a deficiency in Vitamin D, which can weaken your immune system.
The best remedy is to get outdoors. It may be cold, but even just spending15 minutes in sunlight daily can combat all of the regular effects of the winter darkness. Go for a walk, meditate, or just relax on your front porch drinking a hot cup of tea.
If you absolutely can’t get outdoors during the day, consider getting a sun lamp. It’s not as good as the real thing, but spending 15 minutes basking in the glow of this fake sun can help improve your mental health.
8. Eat mindfully
Harvest Bowl with Pumpkin Polenta – click here for the recipe
There is so much good food during the holidays that we often tend to stuff ourselves far beyond what our bodies need. Remember, food is fuel, & the goal at feeding times is to nourish ourselves.
When you arrive at a buffet-style party, use the same strategy as used for the dessert table. Walk down once to peruse what the options are, & then walk through a second time to fill your plate with what you want. Remember to make the majority of your plate proteins & vegetables, & then add smaller portions of the carbs & fats you want. Eat slowly, engage in conversation, & relax for at least 15 minutes after eating before getting up for seconds. You may find you are satisfied with the amount that you initially ate.
The holidays have a lot of fun foods that we don’t normally get, so to make sure you don’t feel like you are missing out with smaller portions, eat mindfully. Chew slowly & savor the flavor of what you eat. Pay attention to the smell, texture & taste, & feel how good it feels to put these warm, comforting foods in your stomach. The goal of eating mindfully is to feel satisfied, instead of restricted or stuffed, at the end of the meal.
One of the most important things you can do for your health is to hydrate your body. In the winter, your body will thank you for this in many ways.
Our bodies need water to operate. When we don’t drink enough water, it negatively impacts our organ function, immune system, & energy.
Try to drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. If you are traveling, regularly exercising, struggling to get in enough sleep, or fighting off illness, consider also adding electrolytes to your drink. Nuun is a great choice, with different options depending on your activity level & personal needs. Nuun Vitamins, Nuun Immunity, & Nuun Rest can all be great every day options to drink.
10. Check-in with yourself
Me meditating
The most important thing you can ever do for your health is to check in with yourself. We all have different needs, & you know your body best. What is your lifestyle lacking? What practices would add more quality to your life? If it’s more sleep, create a regular sleep schedule & set a timer to go to bed each night. If it’s drinking water, set a timer on your phone to remind you to drink, or get a fancy water bottle that helps you keep track of how much you have consumed throughout your day. If it’s making healthy food choices, bring the healthy food choice to a party so you know there is at least one dish there that you can enjoy & share with others. If it’s exercising, find a buddy to keep you accountable or a gym class that you enjoy. If you need more time for self-care, schedule it into your planner & be intentional about what you do during that time.
Whatever it is that your body or mind needs, have grace & love for yourself & take the time to engage in self-care. More than anything, this is what will help you live your healthiest lifestyle & feel your very best.
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Note: I am not a doctor. While I am a holistic health professional & this piece is well-researched, it should never be taken as medical advice or should be considered more informed than your physician’s medical opinion.Caffeine affects people with certain health concerns in different ways, & you should always consult with your physician before making a drastic change to your lifestyle.
This article contains affiliate links. If you purchase a product after clicking a link, I may earn a commission off of that purchase.
What is it about that first sip of coffee that jumpstarts our day? Why do athletes use supplements with added caffeine, & why do health experts purport the benefits of drinking green tea?
Caffeine is the most commonly used stimulant drug in the world (1). And while it has benefits & risks, moderate consumption of caffeine can increase your alertness, improve athletic performance, & help fight off free radicals & oxidative stress.
Benefits of Caffeine
Caffeine can improve your energy levels, making it a great source of energy first thing in the morning or to break through a mid-afternoon slump. When you consume drinks with caffeine, the stimulant is absorbed into your bloodstream, where it then travels to your brain to block the inhibitory neurotransmitter adenosine (2). This leads to an increase in other neurotransmitters, such as norepinephrine & dopamine, which enhances the firing of your neurons, which means more energy, less fatigue, & better cognitive performance (3, 4).
Caffeine can also be used by athletes to improve physical performance. Many electrolyte drinks contain caffeine to help endurance athletes keep up their energy levels during long training days or competitive events. In addition to increasing your body’s adrenaline levels, which helps your body prepare for intense physical exercise, it also breaks down the fat cells in your body, which makes fatty acids more available as fuel (5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). Fatty acids are used by the body in low- to moderate-intensity workouts that are performed for long periods of time (11).
Because caffeine breaks down fat cells, & because it stimulates your metabolism, it is also thought to help with weight loss (12, 13). Many studies show that caffeine can boost your metabolic rate. However, the amount that it boosts your metabolism is limited & tends to diminish even more over time (14).
It’s debated whether caffeine alone causes risks, or if it’s the way it is normally consumed. Caffeine, no matter how it is consumed, does cause a minimal rise in blood pressure, & it is debated whether or not this can cause health risks over time (15). Drinking large amounts of caffeine (more than the FDA-recommended 400mg a day) can also affect your sleep, which will eventually have a negative effect on your daily fatigue & cognitive function & may cause a reliance (or even an addiction) to caffeine.
A high-caffeine intake has also been connected with frequent urination (16). Caffeine can be a diuretic, so it’s important to consume lots of water to remain hydrated.
High amounts of caffeine can also cause an increase in heart rate (atrial fibrillation) – this most often occurs from drinking highly caffeinated energy drinks (17). This rarely happens to people who consume moderate amounts of caffeine, & even some people who have diagnosed heart problems can tolerate high amounts of caffeine without adverse effects (16).
Digestive problems can also be a problem when consuming large amounts of caffeine. Caffeine can stimulate bowel movements by increasing the amount of contractions that move food through your digestive tract (18). Caffeine may also worsen acid reflux for people who already have that health problem (19, 20, 21). Both of these concerns seem to be more of a problem when drinking coffee rather than green tea.
Many of the other, more common dangers that come from consuming caffeine are attributed to the soft drinks or sugar-laden energy drinks it comes in. Soda is high in sugar, which can lead to weight gain, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, kidney disease, liver disease, & gout (22). The extra sugar in energy drinks causes similar health struggles, & the high amounts of caffeine can also cause irregular heart rhythms & a caffeine addiction (23).
Healthy Sources of Caffeine
Where you get your caffeine from matters. Just like there are healthy & unhealthy sources of carbs (think fruit versus a cupcake), there are healthy & unhealthy sources of caffeine.
Any sugar-laden energy drink is one you should most likely stay away from. Even high-performance athletes would benefit from an electrolyte drink with moderate amounts of sugar & caffeine than a highly caffeinated drink that’s made mostly with sugar. For the average individual, these drinks should almost never find themselves on your work desk. The health risks far outweigh the benefits.
Luckily, there are other ways to consume caffeine that actually have more health benefits. Coffee is one of the highest sources of antioxidants in the western diet. In fact, some studies show that many people get more antioxidants from their daily coffee consumption than they do from fruits & vegetables combined (24, 25, 26). Antioxidants help to fight off free radicals, which helps to fight off diseases like cancer & heart disease (27).
Another healthy source of caffeine is green tea, which is full of bioactive compounds like polyphenols, which help reduce inflammation in the body & can help fight diseases like cancer. Green tea also is also rich in antioxidants & has other vitamins & minerals that can help keep your body & brain healthy (28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36).
When you consume drinks with caffeine, try to limit adding sugar as much as possible. If you need your drink to taste a little sweeter, try adding natural sugars first, like honey & pure maple syrup, & if you can, slowly decrease the amount you add over time.
Caffeine can be a great source of energy & healthy antioxidants, & drinking it can be a good way to relax for a few minutes, or a fun way to meet up with friends. When making healthy choices in your life, it’s important to remember there is always a balance. And consuming moderate amounts of caffeine not only feels good; it can be a healthy choice for your mind & body, too.
Are you interested in taking charge of your health & getting the caffeine boost you need? Try Coffee Over Cardio! The coffee is delicious & is naturally flavored to be the perfect pick-me-up that doesn’t need any added sugar. Coffee Over Cardio also sells electrolytes you can put into your coffee to keep you hydrated & energized, & MCT oil creamer to fight hunger & give you more energy for your day. Use this link & promo code 10TYLERVLAYNE for 10% off your order!
4. National Library of Medicine: Caffeine & the Central Nervous System: Mechanisms of Action, Biochemical, Metabolic & Psychostimulant Effects – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1356551/
5. National Library of Medicine: Anti-Obesity Action of Oolong Tea by L. K. Han, T. Takaku, J. Li, Y. Kimura, & H. Okuda – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10094584/
6. Springer Link: Effect of Caffeine on the Metabolic Responses of Lipolysis & Activated Sweat Gland Density in Human During Physical Activity by Tae-Wook Kim, Young-Oh Shin, Jeong-Beom Lee, Young-Ki Min, & Hun-Mo Yang – https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10068-010-0151-6
7. National Library of Medicine: Effects of Caffeine on the Metabolic & Catecholamine Responses to Exercise in 5 & 28 Degrees C by D. E. Anderson & M. S. Hickey – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8201901/
8. National Library of Medicine: Caffeine Can Increase Insulin Sensitivity in Humans by Gerben B. Keijzers, Bastiaan E. De Galan, Cees J. Tack, & Paul Smits – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11815511/
9. National Library of Medicine: Effects of Caffeine on Plasma Free Fatty Acids, Urinary Catecholamines, & Drug Binding by R. V. Patwardhan, P. V. Desmond, R. F. Johnson, G. D. Dunn, D. H. Robertson, A. M. Hoyumpa Jr., & S. Schenker – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7408399/
12. National Library of Medicine: Normal Caffeine Consumption: Influence on Thermogenesis & Daily Energy Expenditure in Lean & Postobese Human Volunteers by A. G. Dulloo, C. A. Geissler, T. Horton, A. Collins, & D. S. Miller – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2912010/
13. National Library of Medicine: Comparison of Changes in Energy Expenditure & Body Temperatures After Caffeine Consumption by P. Koot & P. Deurenberg – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7486839/
17. National Library of Medicine: Energy Drinks & Atrial Fibrillation in Young Adults by Anna Vittoria Mattioli, Sonia Pennella, Alberto Farinetti & Antonio Manenti – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28527645/
20. National Library of Medicine: Gastric Acid Secretion & Lower-Esophageal-Sphincter Pressure in Response to Coffee & Caffeine by S. Cohen & G. H. Booth Jr. – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/1177987/
21. National Library of Medicine: Effect of Caffeine on Lower Esophageal Sphincter Pressure in Thai Healthy Volunteers by S. Lohsiriwat, N. Puengna & S. Leelakusolvong – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16722996/
24. National Library of Medicine: Intakes of Antioxidants in Coffee, Wine, & Vegetables Are Correlated with Plasma Carotenoids in Humans by Arne Svilaas, Amrit Kaur Sakhi, Lene Frost Andersen, Tone Svilaas, Ellen C. Ström, David R. Jacobs Jr., Leiv Ose, & Rune Blomhoff – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14988447/
25. National Library of Medicine: Contribution of Beverages to the Intake of Lipophilic & Hydrophilic Antioxidants in the Spanish Diet by R. Pulido, M. Hernández-García & F. Saura-Calixto – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14506489/
30. National Library of Medicine: Molecular Understanding of Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG) in Cardiovascular & Metabolic Diseases by Qian Yi Eng, Punniyakoti Veeraveedu Thanikachalam & Srinivasan Ramamurthy – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28864169/
32. Oxford Academic: L-Theanine & Caffeine in Combination Affect Human Cognition as Evidenced by Oscillatory Alpha-Band Activity & Attention Task Performance by Simon P. Kelly, Manuel Gomez-Ramirez, Jennifer L. Montesi, & John J. Foxe – https://academic.oup.com/jn/article/138/8/1572S/4750819
33. NCBI: A Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study Evaluating the Effects of Caffeine & L-Theanine Both Alone & in Combination on Cerebral Blood Flow, Cognition & Mood by F. L. Dodd, D. O. Kennedy, L. M. Riby, & C. F. Haskell-Ramsay – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4480845/
34. NCBI: Neurological Mechanisms of Green Tea Polyphenols in Alzheimer’s & Parkinson’s Diseases by Orly Weinreb, Silvia Mandel, Tamar Amit, & Moussa B. H. Youdim – https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15350981/
35. NCBI: Simultaneous Manipulation of Multiple Brain Targets by Green Tea Catechins: A Potential Neuroprotective Strategy for Alzheimer & Parkinson Diseases by Silvia A. Mandel, Tamar Amit, Orly Weinreb, Lydia Reznichenko, & Moussa B. H. Youdim – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6493995/
When the mid-afternoon slump comes around, or when you’re watching TV late at night, it’s natural to want something to much on. And sometimes, such as during that afternoon slump, you need food to give you the energy you need to get through the rest of your day. Unfortunately, many of the foods we reach for don’t actually give us the energy we need – they taste good & satisfy our sweet or savory craving, but they do little to fuel our bodies.
When you need some energy, or if you’re just looking for something yummy to munch on & kick your craving, it’s important to give your body what it needs, instead of just giving your taste buds what they want. People often give cravings a bad rap – they happen when you’re thirsty or bored & should be avoided at all costs to achieve your health goals. Sometimes this is true, but other times, our bodies are actually trying to signal us that they need something. When your stomach starts to growl & you feel your energy waning, that means your body needs food. Food is fuel, & not only does it help us focus, but eating every two to four hours also increases your metabolic rate, which actually helps you lose weight!
When you are craving a certain food, think also about what it is about that food that you are craving. Sometimes, you just really want a bowl of ice cream, & it is just a legitimate craving for that particular food. But other times, your body is trying to tell you what it needs. If you are craving ice cream, maybe your body needs sugar or calcium, which it can get from fruit, yogurt or milk. If you are craving potato chips, you might need sodium, which you can get from cheese or roasted, salted nuts. If you are craving red meat (which can be enjoyed in moderation), perhaps your iron levels are low & some dark leafy greens would help. It doesn’t always satisfy your craving, but clients I work with are often surprised how much this practice helps in satisfying their body & cravings without indulging in unhealthy foods.
However, if you just can’t kick the craving, there is still another option. There are plenty of healthy foods on the market & recipes you can make in your kitchen that taste just as good (or even better!) than the unhealthy snack you are craving, but eating the healthy swap won’t derail your health goals. Read below to find 10 healthy food swaps for your favorite unhealthy snack, & say goodbye to the diet culture idea of deprivation.
Craving potato chips? Try plantain chips
Plantain chips are actually one of my favorite snacks. It’s a little more dense than a potato chip, which I actually enjoy, & it still has the salty flavor that I love. Plantain chips have only two ingredients – plantains & salt. They aren’t fried, & the plantain itself is a little more nutrient dense than a potato, making plantain chips a healthy alternative to this salty snack. My favorite plantain chips are made by Aurora Natural.
Swap dark chocolate for your favorite candy bar
I know, this isn’t quite the same. But dark chocolate’s rich & bold flavor is something I personally enjoy. The darker you can go, the better, but start with 72% if you’re used to sweeter chocolate. If you go darker, I personally recommend Lindt chocolate – it’s the only brand I have found (at a decent price point) that maintains the creaminess of chocolate even as the cacao content goes up.
Dark chocolate, unlike a regular candy bar, has health benefits, too! It’s full of minerals & has lots of antioxidants to help keep your body healthy.
If you want something a little more nuanced than just plain chocolate, spread a thin layer of natural peanut butter on top for a sophisticated peanut butter cup flavor.
Instead of buying trail mix, make your own at home!
Store-bought trail mix (or, as I like to call it, chocolate with obstacles) is loaded with added sugar. And let’s be honest, it’s normally pretty peanut heavy, instead of including a range of different, healthy nuts. Make your own trail mix at home with a variety of roasted nuts & unsweetened dried fruit. If you need a little chocolate flavor, try adding carob chips instead of chocolate chips or M&Ms for a healthier alternative that still satisfies your sweet & salty craving.
Ice cream? How about n’ice cream?
N’ice cream, or banana ice cream, is just as creamy & sweet as regular ice cream, but it has none of the added sugar! And it’s so easy to make!
Chop your banana into 1-inch slices & freeze. When frozen, blend in the bowl of a food processor with your favorite ice cream flavors (I personally enjoy adding unsweetened dark chocolate cocoa powder & peanut butter for a chocolate peanut butter flavor, or adding fresh strawberries for a strawberry banana flavor). If needed, add a small bit of milk (1 tablespoon at a time) until the mixture is able to blend into a smooth, creamy confection. If needed, add a little honey or pure maple syrup (not pancake syrup) to get the sweetness level that you desire.
The only downside to n’ice cream is that it doesn’t freeze well – you have to eat it immediately. But it’s so easy to make, & there are so many flavor combinations to try, you could make a new batch every night if you wanted!
Instead of buying a sugar-laden fruit cup, meal prep some small fresh fruit cups for the week
Many fruit cups have hidden sugar & preservatives added. Instead of buying this faux healthy snack from the store, consider prepping little fruit cups for the week so you have a healthy snack that’s easy to grab & go. Chop up your favorite fruits & store them in small foodstorage containers in your refrigerator. It tastes even better, & it’s much healthier.
Want some crackers with your cheese? Sub your starchy favorites for Nut Thins
If you have ever ventured to look at the serving size of your favorite cracker, you may have been shocked to see it’s far fewer than the amount of crackers you probably eat in a serving. In fact, some crackers have as few as four crackers per serving! Instead of eating these starchy, high-carb choices, try Blue Diamond Nut Thins. They are gluten-free, made with ground nuts, & their serving size is 19 crackers (a much more reasonable serving size in my opinion). They are a great low-calorie, low-carb alternative to your favorite cracker, & they still make a great vehicle for your favorite toppings. And, if you are a fan of flavored, cheese-y crackers, try their Pepper Jack Nut Thins for a healthy, savory snack!
Not all protein bars are created equal – try Simply Protein for a healthier snack
I hate to say it, but many protein bars on the shelves are basically candy bars in disguise. With sugar contents that sometimes reach over 30g per serving, it’s a wonder to me how they get away with this marketing scam. If you’re looking for a quick, grab-and-go snack that’s high in protein but won’t derail your health goals, try Simply Protein. Unlike many of its counterparts, Simply Protein never has more than 3g of sugar, & many of its bars don’t have any sugar at all. Additionally, instead of the ingredients being a long list of unpronounceable words that make me think the snack was made by people in white lab coats instead of chefs, Simply Protein bars are made with high-quality natural ingredients that are easy to read & pronounce. When you take a bite of a Simply Protein bar, you know that you are nourishing your body. Their Peanut Butter Cookie Bar is my personal favorite, but check out their website for more flavors & other fun snacks!
Craving cookies with milk? Try these healthy banana oatmeal cookies
Cookies with milk is a nostalgic snack that I still crave every once in a while. Instead of grabbing a package of OREO cookies or baking a batch of Pillsbury sugar cookie dough, try making these easy banana oatmeal cookies for a healthy snack with no added sugar!
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a bowl, mash 2 bananas with a fork. Add 1 1/2 cups oats & stir until combined. Now comes the fun part – add your favorite flavors. Cocoa powder, cinnamon, semisweet chocolate chips, unsweetened dried fruit, or natural peanut butter all make great additions to this recipe. Add your mix-ins & then scoop out tablespoon-sized balls onto your cookie sheet. Press the balls flat (they will not spread in the oven) to give them a cookie shape. Bake for 12-15 minutes, or until lightly golden brown. Enjoy!
If you need something a little sweeter, try adding a touch of raw honey or pure maple syrup to the batter before baking.
Do you enjoy cereal for breakfast? Swap the sugary selections for healthier options
Cereal is one of my secret vices. It’s one of my favorite breakfasts (even though I know I’ll end up feeling hungry again within the hour), & I absolutely love it as a late night snack. If you just can’t kick your craving for cereal, there are plenty of healthier choices on your store shelves. Choose organic brands, selections without added colors & dyes, & those that have less than 10g added sugar (or less than 5g if you’re really trying to stay healthy) per serving. Cascadian Farm’s Purely O’s, Barbara’s Original Puffins, & Nature’s Path Flax Plus Raisin Bran all make great choices that taste just as good as their sugary counterparts. Cereal isn’t all bad either! When you choose healthier selections, they can be a great source of fiber, & many cereals are fortified with essential vitamins & minerals that your body needs.
What’s your favorite healthy snack swap? Leave me a comment below!
Yoga, for me, has always been a place of learning. On the mat, I learn more about myself than I discover in most other places in my life. I learn of my strength, my will, and my perseverance. I learn about my abilities, my draw to flexibility (both in my life & on the mat), & my limitations. Most importantly, I learn more about who I am, & I learn to love that person more.
Yoga was not always a part of my life. I was not a flexible child. I could not touch my toes if I wanted to. And for a long time, as ironic as it may seem given my current profession as a holistic health practitioner and personal trainer, exercise was not something I normally engaged in nor enjoyed.
However, when I was 13 years old, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia. This diagnosis came after months of widespread pain in my body to the point that it was difficult to get out of bed in the mornings. I was told then that yoga could help me, both in managing my physical pain & in managing my stress, which would, in turn, decrease the amount of pain I experienced.
At first, I was skeptical. Not only was I uninterested in yoga, but I had no confidence that I could do it. As many of my first-time students think, I thought I had to be flexible to do yoga. It never occurred to me that I had it the wrong way – I didn’t need to be flexible to do yoga; yoga would help me to become flexible.
Me doing yoga on the beach in South Carolina – Photo by Kristina Stout
And it helped me with that in more ways than one. When I finally rolled out the mat & slipped back into Downward Dog, I found that yoga was not just for the body; it is for the mind as well.
The yogic lifestyle began to drip into other parts of my life. As someone who was always easily stressed & angered, someone who lived by a rigid & unyielding schedule fueled by anxiety, yoga taught me patience & flexibility. When challenges came my way, I used the strength yoga had taught me as I held Plank Pose for minutes on end. When negative situations threatened my joy, I learned to flip them around & look at them differently, just as I viewed the world from Plow Pose with my feet sitting behind my head & my shoulders supporting my body instead. I learned to meditate on worries when needed, & to let meditation sweep the worries away when they no longer needed to concern my mind. And at the end of my practice, as I laid back during Savasana, I learned that it isn’t necessarily the work, but actually the rest & relaxation that can be the most important part of my life.
Yoga carried me through some of the most difficult moments in my life. It became a regular part of my daily routine. And I always felt better, mentally, physically & spiritually, when I stepped off my mat versus when I had stepped on.
As I got older, I discovered I wanted to share this joy with others, & so I was professionally trained in the art & began teaching my own classes. There is nothing more fulfilling to me than watching a student come into my class, their body held tight with stress, their mind clearly clouded with overwhelming thoughts, & then to watch them leave with a serene expression, their body loose & mind at ease. Through teaching yoga, I learned another important lesson – my life is meant for so much more than my own experiences. I was given a life to give to others.
Yoga is still teaching me every day. I have a stubborn mind, & I often have to be taught the same lessons again, but Yoga is patient with me, & it continues to teach me to have patience with myself. Yoga has helped me to love the body I have been given, to explore the depths of my mind & spirituality, to believe in my own abilities, & to have grace for myself when I fall. Even though I am a yoga teacher, I still often feel like I am the student in my practice, & this, too, has taught me an important lesson: humility, & in turn, compassion & empathy for others.
Yoga is a journey, filled with ups & downs, back-bending difficulties & relaxing tests of patience & flexibility. But, if you are willing to embark upon it, I promise you will discover so much more than you ever knew about the most important subject you have to learn about in this life: Your self.
Namaste.
P.S. I am currently competing to be the Yoga Warrior of 2021! Voting opens March 9. I would be so very appreciative if you would consider voting for me. You can place your vote here.
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Students often ask me how they can get better at yoga. As a teacher of five years & a practicing yogi for a decade, my first answer is always practice. Almost no one stands perfectly on their shoulders or hands their first time – it takes practice, & quite a few falls, to get there. But the next thing I remind students is there are more tools they can use to enhance their practice than just a good yoga mat.
Whether you are a beginner looking to get more flexible, or a more advanced yogi looking for a challenge or a deeper stretch, these are some of my favorite products to enhance your practice & maybe give you a little motivation to try some new poses. For me, buying a new yoga product excites me to get back on my mat for a little while & play around. And even as a teacher, some of these products still challenge me no matter how much I use them.
Let’s start with the mat. Having a good mat is the first priority. Gaiam yoga mats are high-quality & durable, &, let’s face it, they are really pretty, too. No matter what your style is, you can find a Gaiam yoga mat that appeals to you. For ease of going to class, or for taking your mat with you to the beach or wherever you go, you can pair it with a bag – a lot of Gaiam bags have extra pockets to hold your phone, water bottle, or any extra gear you need.
And with that being said, let’s get into some of those extra gear options.
Yoga straps are extremely versatile. Whether you are looking to assist yourself into more complicated stretches, or if you want a deeper stretch in some basic poses, a strap can help you achieve that. You can buy straps that already have loops for you to stick your feet or hands into, or a more basic strap that you can loop yourself. I often teach students to use a strap the first time they are trying Standing Hand-to-Big-Toe Pose so they can reach for their toes without hunching over at their core (see an illustration here). You can also use a strap to pull your core closer to your legs to deepen the stretch during a Forward Bend (see more instructions on that here). You can watch my video on how to use a yoga strap here.
Yoga blocks serve the same purpose. You can make stretches easier & make sure you stay in good form by using your block to shorten your reach, such as during Triangle Pose, so you don’t hunch over in your core (see a video illustration here). Or, you can use the block to deepen your stretches, such as placing it beneath your feet during a Seated Forward Bend & reaching for the end of the block, rather than just for your toes (see how to do it here). You can watch my yoga block routine video here.
A yoga wheel is perfect for the yogi looking to take their practice to the next level. I don’t care how often you practice with a yoga wheel – it never gets easier. It challenges your balance even more than your usual yoga practice, & there are poses you can do with the wheel to increase flexibility as well, such as Bridge Pose with a wheel. If you have Plank Pose down, I challenge you to place your feet on a yoga wheel & try again. You will feel your abs working like you never have before. I will be releasing a video on how to use a yoga wheel this Monday, so stay tuned on my holistic health Instagram page, Evolve.
For Savasana
One of the most important parts of yoga is actually during savasana – the cool down period when you lie back on your mat & let your mind & body relax. For many people, this meditative portion of yoga can be the most challenging. Completely quieting our bodies & minds is never easy. Luckily, there are some products that can help assist us into that elusive meditative state.
First, try some essential oils. Relaxing scents such as lavender & chamomile can help you to reach a more restful state. You can put them in a carrier oil & rub them in your skin, or diffuse them.
Our physical state can distract us from meditation as well. One of the reasons we do yoga is to stretch & relax our muscles so there won’t be any aches, pains or discomforts to distract us during savasana. But, if you’re anything like me, there is another distraction that shows up halfway through savasana – temperature. I’m warm at the end of my yoga practice, but it only takes a few minutes of lying still for my body temperature to drop. If this sounds like you, consider using a yoga blanket or wrap. It will help you to stay in that meditative state when the chills come, rather than becoming distracted just as you were starting to slip away.
Mala beads are another great way to stay focused. If you are familiar with praying a rosary, they work something like that. As you repeat mantras, you move your fingers from one bead to the next to keep track. When you have gone all the way around the string of beads, you are done with your practice. This can be a great tool for someone who is just starting their meditation practice. Rather than trying to clear your head of everything, keeping your mind focused on one thing can be an easier & still useful form of meditation.
Some days, you just can’t get into the meditative state. It happens to us all. When all else fails, I use this acupressure mat & pillow. Sometimes it relaxes me enough to meditate, but normally it just provides a new form of relaxation & gives my body a little extra love so I still get something beneficial out of my savasana period.
The beauty of yoga is that it can be done anywhere. As I said, one of the greatest ways to enhance your practice is to practice more, & that means consistency is important. If you’re often on the road, consider using one of these products to keep up with your practice.
First, yoga socks & gloves. When I don’t feel like toting around my yoga mat, I use these. It’s no fun slipping & sliding on a floor while you try to hold Downward Dog. These socks & gloves keep you in a stable position as if you were on a mat. They are also a great choice if you happen to be doing yoga in a cold environment.
And, whether you are traveling or not, I definitely recommend this mat wash to keep all of your gear clean. It’s all organic, & the gentle solution won’t harm your mat. It removes sweat, dirt, germs, & anything else you don’t want sinking into your pores during your practice.
So, there you have it – there are all my favorite items to use to advance your yoga practice, no matter where you are or at what your level is. Yoga is for everyone, & with the right tools & a mat with a design that makes you smile, it may just become one of your favorite ways to show your mind & body some love.
Namaste.
P.S. I am currently competing to be the Yoga Warrior of 2021! Voting opens March 9. I would be so very appreciative if you would consider voting for me. You can place your vote here.
