In order to make lasting change, you must get clear not only on what your goals are, but why they are important to you. What will reaching these goals mean for you? How will your life change? If you are interested in exploring this further, if you know where you want to be and you’d like support on your path to getting there, email me today with the subject line “I’m ready!”
Peace, Love, and Wellness,
Xandra
Let me guess, you know what you need to do to make more nutritious choices in your life, right? Even before this month of tips that I shared with you, you had enough information to act on, but did you? Often, the follow-through is where people get tripped up, can you relate? You take in new information and implement it at first, but eventually you slip back into your old habits. What makes the difference is having someone there to support you and hold you accountable to the actions that are most important to you.
Where do you need support in turning your goals into realities? Let’s chat.
Peace, Love, and Wellness,
Xandra
Toxins are just about everywhere these days, and they are interfering with your ability to reach your optimal health. By bringing awareness to where toxins are, you can focus on reducing your exposure in the areas where you have control. Even a few small steps to decreasing your toxic exposure can decrease your risk for cancer, hormonal and reproductive complications and more. Did you know that there are toxins in your food, personal care products, and the air in your home? Learning more about these toxins is the first step to creating healthy change. Here are a few ways you can start to reduce your toxic exposure today:
Stress reduction is key to your health because stress actually causes inflammation in the body, which leads to illness and disease, sometimes suffered silently for a long time. We are more stressed today than ever before and many of us are moving at breakneck speed without slowing down even to eat, let alone breathe and check in with ourselves. When you reduce your stress you:
Where do you feel stuck when it comes to reducing stress?
An important part of your health is making time to take care of yourself outside of the realm of food. So many things drop to the bottom of the to-do list because we often view them as luxuries instead of necessities in our lives. In fact, taking care to make ourselves happy is crucial to a healthy life.
You can find ways to incorporate self-care into your daily routine without taking much time. Here are some of my favorite ways.
It is easy to find excuses not to do the things we love, but that tends to leave us feeling miserable. Instead, decide to take care of yourself even if it’s only in little ways because those little ways add up quickly. If you need support in finding ways to fit self-care into your routine, email me today at xandra dot oneill at gmail dot com.
Farmer’s Markets
Spring is here, and for many people that means the return of farmer’s markets and an abundance of fresh and local goodies! If you’ve been wondering how to get the healthiest and freshest foods at the best prices, farmer’s markets are your answer!
You can also sign up for a CSA (community supported agriculture) so you can take the thinking out of the process and get a book full of delicious produce every week!
Some of my favorite reasons to shop at my local farmer’s markets:
You can find a farmers market or CSA near you by visit http://www.localharvest.org
What’s your favorite reason to shop at your famer’s market? I’d love to hear about it!
Raw honey
As allergy season is once again upon us, I have restarted my habit of a teaspoon of raw honey when I wake up in the morning. On the days when people around me are complaining of terrible allergies, I feel well. This is saying a lot coming from someone who used to spend my childhood indoors because my allergies were so bad!
Local raw honey works well to ease allergy symptoms because since the pollen is local, it gives your body a chance to build a tolerance to the allergens.
But raw honey is good for more than just allergies!
Note: Don’t give honey to a child under 1 as there is a risk of botulism.
Pumpkin seeds are another great source of protein, iron, and magnesium. They are also a good source of both omega 3 and omega 6 fatty acids. You can eat them on their own as a snack, or throw them into a trail mix, salad, or oatmeal. In the fall, you can roast your own and season them anyway you like! They are another healthy snack to have on hand during pregnancy to help ease morning sickness or to make sure that you are getting enough nutrient dense calories in our diet.
Quinoa is a high protein whole grain that is worth getting to know. Also rich in folate, iron, fiber and other vitamins and minerals, quinoa is a low calorie nutritionally dense food. You can use it in place of whole grains and serve it with veggies or your favorite sauce. One of my favorite ways to eat quinoa is to combine with amaranth and millet and create delicious breakfast porridge. Quinoa is a gluten-free grain so it is easier for many people to digest. Because it is mild and can be flavored with whatever you choose, quinoa is a great grain to try when you’re having trouble keeping food down due to morning sickness because it can be as bland as you want it.
Dark leafy greens are wonderful sources of many important nutrients for a healthy pregnancy including vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, C and folate. Some are also rich in calcium, iron, and magnesium. Be sure to get a variety of different greens in your diet as their nutritional makeup differs and you want to make sure that you are getting a wide range of nutrients. Some of the greens to choose from are spinach, kale, chard, collards, arugula, romaine, dandelion greens and broccoli.
There are many ways to incorporate greens into your diet, including salad, stir-fry and smoothies!
