You Can Do Anything For 30 Days: A Challenge

I am involved in a lot of things within health and wellness. I really enjoy being in the field, and I love studying health and nutrition, it excites me. I am always up to try new things and always willing to make a change, as hard as it may be. So for the month of September I have made a commitment. I will be participating in The Whole30. What is it? Well, it's not a diet, but more like a cleanse. It has similarities to the Paleo diet, but it has different rules. You can think of it more as a reset button for your body and your mind. Here is what I cannot eat for 30 days:

Sugar.
Caffeine.
Alcohol.
Grains.
Dairy.
Legumes.

And that's not all because it is more detailed than that. Like honey... NO HONEY!

For some reason we have decided that we cannot doing something this "crazy" for 30 days. I am not sure what the big deal is, our culture of confusion I suppose... too many things to choose from and not enough structure and discipline. But I am going to do this, and there will be struggles, but one day at a time and September will be over sooner than I know it. I hope.

The upside to all of this is that I am not the only one doing it. A good friend of mine has put all of this together and there are now over 30 other people participating in The Whole30. Knowing I am not alone makes it so much better.

So why am I doing it?

First: I believe everybody can always be healthier, including myself. I am always looking for ways to improve my eating habits, and by cutting out a lot of variables I will be able to resolve what works and doesn't work in my body.
Second: I am doing it because I have a future career in health coaching. I think it's really important to speak about something when you've had a first hand experience. Often, people voice their opinions without having a personal relationship with it. It's easy to talk, but challenging to lead by example.
Third: I have never fully committed myself to this sort of discipline. I've claimed it in the past, but I have never actually succeeded. My friend, Bri, can tell you that I definitely ate Froyo the whole time we were on the wellness cleanse. So I want to show myself I can do this, and clients.

So tomorrow, Sunday September 1st is the day. I will keep everybody posted on my progess including weaknesses and successes. You'll know everything.

Wish me luck!

The Most Amazing Vegan Cookie You Will Ever Eat: Created By Me.

This is the vegan cookie you have always wanted to eat but never could because it didn't exist until now. Please enjoy this fabulous-ness. And you can eat the whole batch, permission granted.

2 Bananas

1 cup raw oats

1/4 cup chia seeds

1/2 cup blended almonds and raw pepitas*

1/3 cup raw cacao 

1/2  teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1/4 cup coconut oil (softened)

1/4 cup unsweetened almond milk

1 tablespoon almond butter

Put all this stuff in a bowl and mix it.

Use coconut oil as a pan shortening.

Preheat oven to 375.

Bake 12-15 minutes.

Makes 6-8 cookies. 

Eat.

*blend 1/2 cup almonds and 1/2 cup raw pepitas in chopper/grinder until fine. 

ENJOY!

Juicing: It's Trendy For A Reason

The health and wellness industry is a really funny world to work in. We put billions of dollars, literally, into helping people get healthy, and giving everybody the tools they need to reach their goals. One of the best ways to get healthy is to understand that it is not complicated. Eating well can be SO simple. Joshua Rosenthal, the owner and founder of Institute for Integrative Nutrition, where I am attending school, says that it doesn't matter where you go, everybody on this planet knows that they should eat healthier. You hear this alot, "I know I should eat more vegetables." But are you eating more vegetables and fruit? That's where the line is.... everybody knows, but few are doing it. Finding the reason why you are not listening to what you know, is key. My diet is so simple. I make smoothies every morning, I juice mid-day, I eat good nutritious sources of protein, I enjoy food, and above all, I hydrate constantly. Most people on this planet are either sleep deprived or dehydrated. And there are SO many things you can do to fix that, and one of those things is juicing. 

Like many nutrition fads, juicing has spread to all corners of the world. And for a good reason. And let me set the record straight.... I do not think juicing is better than making smoothies. I get asked this ALL the time. I think they are equally important. It's very true, juicing takes most of the fiber out of the drink, but as long as you are conscious of getting fiber in other foods and meals, juicing will still hold its value. There are so many health benefits to juicing, and they vary from the ingredients you put in the machine. I highly recommend looking into the benefits of each ingredient you use for your drinks, because then you can determine what you really need. For example, making a beet-blend juice will give you nutrients that you wouldn't get from any other vegetable.... read the following, and you will eat beets every day. 

Beets are high in vitamins and minerals (potassium, magnesium, phosphorous), they serve as a blood purifier, and they have high amounts of sugar (healthy sugar) that are released slowly into the body give you lots of energy. I have also read that beets help with depression because of the betaine content.... not too bad. 

Invest in a juicer, I just bought one recently, and although it was costly, it has been amazing. And it's REALLY simple and takes only a few minutes. One of the best benefits of juicing is that it cuts cravings. When I juice in the morning my desire for coffee and caffiene decreases almost completely. Juicing diminishes your desire for carbs, breads, and sugary crap. I'm sure the side effects are different for everybody, but the common understanding is that you can more easily give up your guilty pleasures. Speaking of which, another result is that I feel more productive. It's just true.... when you are treating yourself with high care and putting your well-being at the top of the list, you get more things accomplished. Taking care of your health does not need to be time consuming and stressful; find easy and simple ways to get your vitamins and nutrients and you will see changes so quickly. 

Try out this beet juice recipe and you will fall in love, I promise...

1 whole beet

4 large carrots

1 whole cucumber

1 whole apple

Fresh ginger (cator to your taste buds, I don't like it too heavy on the ginger)