Habits That May be Aging You

Has this been happening to anyone else lately? You’re scrolling through Facebook and suddenly one of those “Facebook Memories” from three or four years ago pops up….and your first thought: “Wow, I look SO young.” You’re wondering what happened. It’s only been a few years, but when you look in the mirror you feel like you’ve aged more like ten? You look tired, you feel tired and that glow you seemed to have in that memory photo is nowhere to be found. What were you doing differently back then? How did age creep up so fast? Believe it or not, you probably don’t look that different. But your self-critical habits can’t help but sneak up on you – and if you think about it, maybe you have been a little stressed, spending less time with friends and feeling generally overworked. If any of those things feel like issues you’ve been dealing with, you just may be creating a few bad habits that may be aging you. Let’s take a closer look and see.

1 – You’re working around the clock. This happens to so many of us at one point or another in our careers. You feel like you can’t get it all done and just when you think you’re catching up, more projects appears. It becomes a vicious cycle. And, when you’re trying to get ahead, advance your career and make moves – it’s very tough to walk away. But, here’s the thing. No one performs their best when they are stretch beyond capacity…no one. And, what you really need is to deliver your best for the duration of the working day – not around the clock and into the wee hours of the night. So stick to a schedule. Get done what you can during your set hours and at the end of that day, pack up and go relax. You’ll be more rejuvenated and on point in the morning. You’ll also give your body that much needed time to unwind and keep you looking (and feeling) young and fresh.

2 – You aren’t getting enough sleep. This is one of the worst things you can do for your poor body. Sleep is the thing that keeps us going – all living beings need sleep to let their whole body take a break and recharge in order to operate at peak performance. No matter if you’re working too much, partying too much or your kiddos are keeping you up all night, you have to find a way to get on a regular sleep schedule. Not only will that keep you looking and feeling younger, but you’ll stay nice and healthy too. Pretty much a win win.

3 – You aren’t drinking enough water. Guilty as charged on this one! (It’s so hard sometimes) You have to make hydration a priority in your life – it’s essential for keeping your body functioning at top performing levels and keeping your skin and complexion looking renewed, young and glow-y. Try investing in a fun water bottle you really like or use an app to track your water consumption each day if you have trouble remembering. You’ll have more energy, you’ll look amazing and your body will thank you for it.

4 – You aren’t getting enough exercise. This is a tough one when you’re super busy and trying to juggle and balance it all. You want to exercise, but sometimes finding that motivation is a real challenge – you just have to get out there. Once you make exercise a regular habit in your life, you’ll find yourself craving that awesome high that comes from working your body and working up a sweat. Next time you want to exercise, don’t just think about it – make a move.

What do you think? Can you break these bad habits by exchanging them for good ones and get your youthful glow back?

Keep doing

Angelika

(credit: L.R.)

February is Heart Month: How to Support

If heart health hits close to home in your family or with your friends, you’ll be excited to know February is “Heart Month,” and there’s a whole bunch of great ways you can support the cause and help bring heart health awareness to the table. If you’re ready to get started and learn a little bit more, here’s some info on this year’s “Heart Month..

 

Uncontrolled high blood pressure is a leading cause of heart disease and stroke. High blood pressure often shows no signs or symptoms, which is why having your blood pressure checked regularly is important. It’s easy to get your blood pressure checked. You can get screened at your doctor’s office and drugstores or even check it yourself at home, using a home blood pressure monitor.

Once you’re sure you’ve got your blood pressure under control, it’s time to help spread the word to family and friends. Think about offering a ride to older relatives and neighbors to visit their doc or a local pharmacy for an annual blood pressure screening.

  Wear red on National Wear Red Day (February 6th) to help remember and raise awareness for all those who have been affected by heart disease. Share your Wear Red efforts on social media with selfies, pet picks and anything else you’re doing to raise awareness. Join thousands of others who will use #HeartHealth to raise awareness.

There are so many ways you can support Heart Health and help raise awareness during Heart Month. For more information about all of the ways you can help, check out The American Heart Association @ heart.org.

  Keep doing

Angelika

(credit: L.R.) 

How to stay fit over the Holidays

With the holiday season upon us, the parties and festivities have likely already started. And, you know what that means? If you aren’t careful, you could start packing on the pounds. From baking cookies with the kids to the loads of treats floating around the office, having a strategy for navigating all these extra calories is essential. While staying on track with your health during the holidays may sound daunting, you’ll feel better about yourself, be in a better mood and look great at all of those parties if you stick to some simple rules. Already overwhelmed? Don’t be. Here are a few tips for staying fit and healthy over the holidays.

Have a plan. Take a look at the calendar and evaluate the holiday season. How many parties do you have on the schedule? Which days will you need to ramp up your exercise and which days can you scale back a bit? When you know what’s coming, you know how to plan – both from a nutritional and exercise perspective.

Pack healthy snacks and lunches for the office. Despite all the temptations at the office, if you come prepared it’s one of the easiest places to avoid and resist all the snacks and unhealthy items. Pack a lunch every day loaded with leafy greens, lean meats and healthy crunchies – like apple slices and carrot and celery sticks. When you feel the urge, break out your healthy snacks and have a huge glass of water – you’ll be full in an instant.

Before you head to a party, eat a healthy snack. Heading to a party when you’re super hungry is the easiest way to pack on unwanted pounds because your tendency is to head straight to the cheese plate. Rather than mindlessly eating loads of calories, fill up on something healthy first – like almond butter on a slice of sprouted bread or a couple of turkey roll ups. The protein will help keep you feeling full and will help you avoid mindless snacking.

If you want to have dessert, just go for a few small bites. You don’t have to avoid it all entirely, but rather let yourself taste a few of the delicious holiday treats. Just have a bite or two – and then walk away from the desserts. You can do it!

Make exercise a priority. Especially on the days when you’re party bound, finding time to get your daily steps in is essential to staying fit throughout the holiday season. Making that extra bit of effort to get up early will make all the difference when it comes to feeling great no matter how many parties you attend in a week. If you can’t make it to the gym, throw on your sneakers and hit the pavement each morning with a brisk walk or a light run. Just 30-60 minutes of getting that heart pumping each day will leave you feeling great.

Don’t beat yourself up if you get off track – it’s OK, it’s the holiday season after all! If you eat a few extra calories or have a bit too much to drink, get up the next morning and lace up those running shoes – it’s time to head to the gym or head outside to get moving.

Do you have a plan for making health and fitness a priority during the holidays?

Stay healthy

Angelika

(credit: L.R.)

Anti-Inflammatory Cocktail Recipes

Ready to get a flatter tummy and start eating healthier? Me too!


After a brutally cold winter for much of the country, it’s time to embrace the changing season and cleanse and rejuvenate our bodies with lighter foods, juices and smoothies, says nutritionist and juicing pioneer Cherie Calbom, MS. (“The Juice Lady”).
What’s considered healthy and unhealthy seems to change on a regular basis, which is why it’s helpful to recognize further studies that confirm previous findings. Most recently, a study by Georgia State University microbiologist Benoit Chassaing has further confirmed the destructive properties of an inflammatory diet.
Researchers found that common additives in processed foods including ice cream, margarine, packaged bread and many more may promote the inflammatory bowel diseases ulcerative colitis and Crohn’s disease as well as a group of obesity-related conditions.
“It’s not only intestinal problems; low-grade inflammation caused by food additives has been shown to contribute to weight gain and blood sugar control problems, as well as a host of other chronic disease,” says Calbom, author of “The Juice Lady’s Anti-Inflammation Diet”, which offers healthy meal options, smoothies and robust juice recipes to help readers live an anti-inflammation lifestyle.
“No matter the kind of diet you may lean toward – vegetarian, vegan, low-carb, no-carb, Mediterranean, Neanderthal or any other kind of diet – any and all anti-inflammation efforts are well worth it!”
Healthy juices and shakes are a convenient way to reduce inflammation, revitalize your cells and lose some of those winter pounds.
“Yes, you can lose weight on the anti-inflammation diet and rejuvenate your body,” says Calbom, who offers just a few of her recipes and discusses their health benefits.

3 Anti-Inflammatory Cocktail Recipes

•  Anti-Inflammatory Cocktail
  1 green apple
  ½ large fennel with fronds
  1-inch-piece ginger root
  1 large broccoli stem
  3 leaves kale
  ½ cucumber, peeled if not organic

Cut produce to fit your juicer. Start by juicing the apple and finish with the cucumber. Drink as soon as possible.
Benefits
Fennel: anti-inflammatory, anti-histamine, analgesic, and antioxidant
Apple: inhibits the development of allergies; rich in histamine-lowering quercetin
Cucumber: analgesic (pain killer); antioxidant that prevents the synthesis of the inflammatory compound prostaglandin
Broccoli: anti-carcinogenic, prevents gastric mucosal damage (suggesting potential histamine-lowering action)
Ginger: as effective as an H2 receptor antagonist prescription drug

•  Morning Energy
  1 – 2 carrots, scrubbed well, tops removed, ends trimmed
  ½ small beet, with leaves
  1 cucumber, peeled if not organic
  1 handful spinach or several chard leaves
  ½ lemon, peeled
  1-inch-piece ginger root, scrubbed, peeled if old

Cut produce to fit your juicer’s feed tube. Juice all ingredients and stir. Pour into a glass and drink as soon as possible.
Benefits
Beets contain unique phytonutrients called betalains, which have been shown to provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification

•  Antioxidant Power Smoothie
  1 cup unsweetened plant milk such as hemp, coconut, or almond milk
  ½ cup blueberries
  1 pear
  ½ cup baby spinach
  1 tsp. Indian gooseberry extract (optional)*
  1 Tbsp. flaxseed
  Ice cubes (optional, depending on how cold you like your smoothie)

Add all ingredients to a blender and process until smooth.
Benefits
Berries help prevent damaging effects of free radicals and inflammation by turning off the inflammation signals triggered by cytokines and COX-2s, making them an ideal part of your diet. Yummyyyyy xo

Keep doing
Angelika
(credit : L.R. + Cherie Chalbom)

Skinny Mom Secrets

We all know how tough it is to keep our body looking exactly the way we want while also finding the time to manage a household, be a mom and maintain a career. The daily grind of getting the kiddos out of bed and either out the door to school or entertained all day long leaves little time for taking care of yourself. When you see those skinny moms with the body of your dreams, you have to wonder how they do it? What are the tricks to staying so slim?

1. Go for the healthy options. When you’re fueling your body with healthy foods, your body will continue to crave healthy foods. Go for leafy greens, veggies and other low calorie options that fill your body with good-for-you vitamins and minerals and simply skip the junk.
2. Portion control is the name of the game. Really, you can enjoy any type of food you like and stay looking your absolute best – how much of that food you consume is what matters. Eating small portions throughout the day means never feeling overly full – and, ultimately helps keep your calories in check.
3. Embrace your workout. Being a mom means being on-the-go, but squeezing in those workouts is essential for keeping your body in tip top shape. Can fit in a trip to the gym? Pull out the stroller and get walking. Can’t even squeeze that in? Get outside with your kids for a quick game of basketball in the driveway. Whatever you have to do – be sure to get your heart pumping at least once a day.
4. Eat when you’re hungry, not just for the sake of eating. Eating nourishes the body, so why not save it for those times when you actually feel like you need those vitamins and nutrients? Rather than mindlessly eating empty calories while the kids are doing their homework or getting ready for school, save eating for when you feel like you need to fuel the body.
5. Skip the diets and embrace an all-encompassing healthy lifestyle. Making your health your priority is the first step to having the body you want.  And, fad dieting isn’t the answer. Taking all these tips into consideration: eating when you’re hungry, stopping when you’re full; everything in moderation; go for the healthy stuff and make exercise part of your daily routine – and you’re on your way understanding the skinny mom secrets after all.

Remember, we are all built differently – some of us will never be what society deems as “skinny”, but you know what – who cares! YOU are you and being your best, most conscientious self is the ultimate goal. Teach your children to embrace their beauty, bodies and minds and remember – they watch everything you do. When you embrace a holistic and healthy lifestyle, they will too.

Keep eatingAngelika(credit: L.R.)