It’s time to get creative! Creativity is about producing something out of your own unique inspiration. Life is creation, ever flowing, changing and growing. Everyone is creative, but not everyone creates in the same ways. Your creativity is your own unique expression! There are many different ways to be creative: sketching, coloring, cooking, dancing, volunteering, envisioning, gardening, building, painting, practicing yoga, storytelling, writing poetry, singing, inventing, photography, journaling, playing music, scrapbooking, praying, building a playlist, problem solving, rearranging a room, building an altar. The options are endless!

Creating allows you to express the inspiration that lies within. Holding in creativity can feel make you feel heavy, restricted or depressed. When you express your creativity it helps you to shine, flow, accept and sometimes process emotions.

Many people have resistance to being creative or claim they are not creative. Often it is because of some memory in the past where their creativity was criticized. The truth is that we are all creative. You are creative! We all have a unique way of viewing and expressing to the world. None of us needs someone else to approve, accept or acknowledge their creativity for it to be worth while. As we all have our own ways of being creative, we all have our own concept of beauty, too. Your creations do not need to be judged as beautiful for them to be worth creating. The beauty is in the joy of creating.

So, create because it is your joy to create! Find your favorite routes of expression, and make time every day for your creations!

Ahhhh! What a difference a good night’s sleep makes! The quality of our sleep significantly impacts the quality of our day and our energy levels! Even the way in which you awake can shift the whole mood of your day or your energy level. But what determines a good night’s rest? 8 hours? No interruptions? Dreamless sleep? Awaking before the alarm? Awaking after the sun? There are many considerations but to me, the most important is how you feel when you wake up.

Do you feel rested and ready to start your day with a positive outlook?

Look back on the first 5-10 minutes after awaking…Were you ready to get out of bed? Where you excited about what today may bring? These first few minutes of the day can dramatically shift our general mood throughout the day.

There are a few ways to improve this time.
1. Be sure to get enough sleep. Usually between 7-10 hours is best but it will vary depending on the person, their day, their stress and exercise levels. Go to bed early enough that you get the about that you need.
2. Minimal interruptions. Try not to drink too much before bed so you don’t have to awake in the middle of the night. If you can, turn the phone off, or at least to airplane or silent mode.
3. Set an alarm that is enjoyable to wake up to. Try a song you enjoy or a sound that doesn’t make you jump out of your skin, but does wake you up.
4. Rest the mind before bed. It is better it avoid all “screens” for about at least a half hour before bed. The light can affect your circadian rhythm, which regulates organ function among other natural processes. You also want to be aware of emotional stimuli before bed. Watching the news, a horror film, or even Facebook can trigger stress, which the body then has to process while sleeping. Try having a shower, a cup of herbal tea, light reading, yoga or meditation instead.
5. Exercise during the day. During exercise the body to processes stress hormones (and out food) and the mind can processes thoughts. That way you aren’t doing your processing as you lay down for bed!
6. Dreams. We all dreams but we rarely remember them. Dreams are imaginings of the subconscious that often act out our thoughts, emotions and fears in a representative way. The last 10 minutes before you sleep and the first 10 min upon waking have the greatest ability to affect our subconscious mind. It is a magnificent time to work on affirmations/intentions, meditation and dream recognition.

Sleep improvement may not come “overnight.” It may take of few days before you see significant results, but waking up feeling refreshed and excited for the day is well worth it!

Wow! It’s been a packed week! It feels terrific to have organized cupboards, stocked full of yummy foods that are good for our bodies too! We’ve been taking great steps towards wellness for the past 7 days. Let’s revel in it!

Enjoy the fresh air through the depth of your breathing practice!

Tickle your tastebuds with refreshing iced mint tea!

Have fun with the family while playing in the yard!

Dine on a divine dish of local greens, quinoa and chicken!

Satisfy your goals for the week!

Today’s a day to reinforce all the new habits we’ve been building. If you need a refresher, go back and review the earlier challenges. You can also try starting a routine journal where you keep track of your new habits and goals day by day. Check the link below for an example of one!

How are you doing with your daily routines? Are there any new habits that you’re having a hard time integrating? Any feel so great you want to take them further?

Contact me with any questions!

Habit journal

Ahhhh…doesn’t it feel nice to have a klean kitchen?! Your nutritious and yummy options are right up front making choosing healthy that much easier! Hopefully your shelves are a little lighter and more accessible too. They may seem a bit sparse and you may be ready to get to the grocery store. Before you go out and stock up on more of what’s in the Treat box, let’s look at some wellness-boosting options at the grocery store.

To start off, shopping for groceries should be a positive experience. You’re purchasing the foods that will nourish you for the next week or two! Be sure to have a meal before hand so that you aren’t craving and over-purchasing. It’s also good to be sure you like your grocery store/market. This may sound silly, but if you feel the store is disorganized or hectic, the clerks are rude or there’s limited options, it’ll be more difficult to make healthy choices. Drive a little further to a store/market that you like better.

It’s summer time and we’re lucky to have many local Farmer’s markets popping up! Buying local and seasonal fruits and veggies helps the environment out immensely and supports local businesses versus giant international corporations. If you can find organic even better! Try the West Side Market too! These foods may cost a little more but please, consider the amplified benefits to your health, your city and your environment before griping over and extra dollar.

Here’s a few general tips on foods to stock up on and foods to avoid. I could write a book on these so I will try to keep it short and sweet!

Fruits and Veggies
Best Option: Fresh, Local, Organic and Non-GMO. There are many foods that can’t grow locally so at least opt for Fresh and Organic. Go for frozen over canned. When you do buy canned check for glass bottle options and at a minimum BPA-free cans. Never buy dented tin cans! The liner inside can crack and release very toxic chemicals into the foods.

Carbs and Grains
Best Option: Organic, Non-GMO, Whole grains. Maybe you have a local baker or a market that does homemade pastas? Go for whole wheat, rice or vegetable pastas; brown or wild rice; sprouted, whole grain, or gluten-free bread loaves (these may be frozen but are worth it if you’re having any digestive issues). Branch out by trying new grains like quinoa or barley. Bleached flour is the main ingredient you want to avoid, also watch out for chemical preservatives. Store bread in the fridge if you are worried about mold.

Meats, Dairy & Eggs
Best Option: Organic, Grass-fed, Hormone, Steroid and Anti-biotic free, free range. These products have a lot of hidden chemicals and allergens that don’t show up on ingredient lists. It is important to find brands whose labels are honest and offer this information. If you buy lunch meats, be sure to get the ones that are nitrate free. Opt for local fish or wild caught salmon. Some fish stocks are low and it is better to purchase farm raised over wild but it is specific to the species and location.

Sugars & sweeteners
Best Option: Organic, Non-GMO, Raw Sugar cane, Real Maple Syrup, Avoid fake and “diet” sweeteners like Splenda, Aspartame, High Fructose Corn Syrup, etc.

This is a starter list, just to point you in the right direction. By no means is it exhaustive. If you have questions or would like more info on any of these categories, feel free to contact me!

Last week we touched on 4 essential habits for a healthy lifestyle: Breath Awareness, Hydration, Exercise, and Nourishment. I hope you had a chance yesterday to set some honest and achievable goals for the next few weeks! Having a practical direction to head in will really help you focus on what is important to you and decide which actions and choices serve your well being and which ones don’t. Keep up your dedication!

Today, let’s take a look at your environment and see how it can better supports the goals you have set! When you eliminate the unhealthy options it makes it so much easier to choose healthy ones on a daily basis! We’ll focus on the kitchen.

Begin with the breath…What effects the clean air you breathe? It’s an old habit to store cleaning chemicals under the sink. Check what actually needs to be there. Move any highly toxic products or ones you rarely use somewhere else. Try the garage, basement, or the garbage! I’m not a fan of these, most cleaning can be done with vinegar and water, borax, or a little bit of dish soap. Try to find biodegradable, non-phosphate soaps and you’ll help save the lake from late summer algal blooms! While you’re here, be sure you aren’t storing any food products or containers in the same place as cleaning chemicals!

Next, hydration…What beverage options do you have in the fridge and pantry? Do they support your goals? Grab an empty box, or use an empty shelf or cabinet that is out of reach. This is going to be your “Treat Box.” More on that later! Place all the beverages that don’t support your hydration goals there. These are drinks like soda, sugary juices, alcohol, caffeinated beverages like coffee, black teas, etc. If you’re ready, throw them out or offer them to a neighbor. The goal is to get them out of sight. If you are living with someone who is still drinking these things, let them know where you’ve placed them. Maybe they will want to join you! Bring all the drinks that are on track with your goals to the front at eye level. Try blending up 4-5 servings of a smoothie or juice or infusing water with fruit and herbs. I love soaking chia seeds over night then squeezing in lemon or infusing cucumbers for hydration & mineral packed infusion.

The big one is nourishment…What foods do you have that don’t support your wellbeing goals? Place it the dry goods in the “Treat box” and the refrigerated foods on the bottom shelf. At the beginning, it can be hard to transition to making choices that support your health. It takes a little while to convert our old habits into ones that give us the results we want. But hey, you’ve made those same old choices for years now! Now you get to try something fresh and new that feels good! Bring all the delicious, nutrient packed, nourishing foods to the front and on shelves that are eye level. Make your healthy choices easy for you! When your craving something and need a snack your healthy choices are right in front of you. If the Cheetos are in a box and the Blue Corn Chips are right in front of you, you’ll probably just grab the chips. Prewash your favorite fresh fruits and place them in a bowl on the counter for an easy, go-to snack.

Now, that “Treat box” may be overflowing…scan through it. Is there anything that you don’t really need? Think about it…is it worth the space in your life to store something that leads you astray from your goals? Keep the foods that provide some nutritional value and that are your favorite splurges. We saved our favorite Girl Scout cookies, bleached-flour pasta and Rice-a-Roni, but we tossed anything expired, dented and non BPA-free cans, marshmallows, and artificial sweeteners. Once you’ve paired it down, label it “Treats,” and place it on a bottom shelf or top cabinet. The idea is to tuck it away so you don’t see it all the time and it isn’t easily accessible. You can take it one step further and set a max on how many times a week you can dive into your Treat Box.

I know this may seem like a lot. Take it one step at a time or invite a friend over to help! You can also stretch it out over a few days to do a really thorough job. Know that you are really doing yourself a HUGE favor by making it exponentially easier to choose wellness! This is what our Klean Shelf and Treat Box look like:

Why do we want to focus on well-being anyway? What’s it worth? We age, that is part of life! There are days that we are injured or have to over come illness. However, living a healthy lifestyle is like taking preventative medicine! When we fuel our bodies with nutrient rich and nourishing foods, drink enough water to keep everything flowing, breathe fresh air, move enough to metabolize and maintain a positive outlook, we’re much more likely to live a long, healthy life and recover from illness easily.

The thing is, we’re not so accustomed to living like that! There are many reasons why. Often we were raised in a household where nutrition and wellness weren’t a factor, or we think we’re too busy to bother, or we think it’s too late. These are totally understandable. Our culture, though ironically it worships a fit beautiful body, doesn’t have a great track record for socially supporting wellness. The consumer culture is constantly coaxing us to stop by a fast food restaurant, buy some expensive do-hicky to save time and solve all our problems or go have a rager of a night at a local bar. I’m not against a fun night out or a quarter pounder on occasion, but if that’s your norm it’s not leading you down a path of health!

Coming into wellness is not an all or nothing deal. It’s actually MUCH better to take it in stages, creating sustainable changes. Over time, converting damaging habits into moderately acceptable ones, then into health promoting habits. It’s about forging a new outlook and lifestyle vs a quick fix.

Last night was the New moon, a time when the night sky is dark and the moon pauses between its waning and waxing phases. It is a perfect time for us to pause and plan a new direction for our lives. Take some time today to set simple, achievable and incremental Wellness Goals. Use the habits we’ve been working on for the past 4 days or add others that you want to focus on. Here’s a template you can print! Wellness Goals

With this direction and focus, it’s easy to take action and see results. Though no one else can do it for you, we can support and inspire each other along the way!

“Let thy food be medicine and medicine be thy food,” Hippocrates

We’re all aware of the effects of a slice of watermelon on a hot day, hot cocoa on a chilly night or a dish of those melodic BBQ beans! There is no doubt that different foods have different effects in the body. The foods we choose to eat may be leading us towards great health or horrible dis-ease. For example, it is recommended to people with arthritis to avoid eating nightshades (tomatoes, potatoes, eggplant, peppers) as they are linked to increased inflammation, but tumeric is a wonderful anti-inflammatory that adds color and bite to your meals. Let’s not poo-poo the nightshades though, eggplant improves circulation and the digestion of fats and tomatoes are rich in iron so they help to reduce anaemia.

The keys here are: 1. To be aware of your ailments 2. Notice the effects of your food and 3. Make new food choices according to what feels good after.Yesterday evening, I was feeling bloated and sleepy. I had a big lunch with a salad, rice, curried lentils with veggies and cornbread, later I snacked on saltines and homemade peanut butter. I over ate and I combined a bunch of different foods. I would attribute my discomfort and sluggishness to the lentils, saltines and overeating. Looking back, it would have been better to have gone for the carrot ginger soup over the lentils and to snack on fruit or skip it completely. So, I brewed a cup and ginger tea and decided to try that greens & grape smoothie for dinner! Mmm. Mmm!

If you are having a specific chronic issue related to digestion or energy levels, it may be helpful to give your system a break. You can try a cleanse, detox or fast depending on your health condition. It’s advisable to speak to your doctor before significantly altering your diet. A light cleanse or detox could be eating ONLY simple, clean and easily digestible foods for a 2-5 days. This could be herb or tumeric-seasoned steamed rice and vegetables (with no oils or spicy seasoning). Proteins, oils and other heavy foods take longer to digest, so these are left out (it’s ok, its less than a week!). This type of cleanse is like a subtle “reset” for the digestive system because, the foods you eat are easily digestible and will help release toxins and reduce inflammation. In the past, I’ve added in a day or two of vegetable juice fasting in the middle to boost the effect.

Today in Hindu culture, the women celebrate Vat Savitri (which means “long life”) in honor of their husbands. They fast for the day and offer prayers for a long and healthy life for their spouses. The fast is to purify the body so that their full energy is present in their prayers. But it is interesting that a day dedicated to a long and healthy life is a day of fasting.

Have you noticed any foods this week that made you feel radiant afterwards? How about sluggish?

Now that we’re aware of the breath and staying hydrated, let’s get moving! Daily exercise is essential to our well-being. Not only does it help the body stay fit, flexible and healthy, exercise helps us to de-stress mentally and emotionally too. Focussing on the movement helps to disengage the mind from whatever is distressing it and releases endorphins in the brain that promote joy! It’s best to aim for at least 30 min of moderate exercise a day.

We all know the amazing benefits of daily exercise and now that the weather is beautiful, we can even do it outside! It’s a great time of year to go for a jog or a bike ride, beautify your garden or practice yoga in the grass, only to name a few. Breathing in the fresh air and catching some rays has the added benefit of boosting your mood and immune system too!

Sometimes though, it can be hard to find the time or the motivation to exercise. Here are some easy ways to increase the amount you exercise without a massive time commitment. Try parking in the back of the parking lot at work or the store, take the stairs instead of the elevator, stand at your desk as you read or brainstorm for a few minutes every hour, stand or walk when you’re on the phone, walk the dogs an extra block, bike or walk to the corner store or a nearby restaurant. My favorite is to close the door, blast the volume and dance my heart out to a to my favorite pop song!

Try adding 5-10 minutes exercise to your morning and evening routines and build on it as the weeks go. Keep it fresh by doing different things every few days, invite friends and neighbors to join you so its more fun, and set incremental and achievable goals. A great option could be to join one of the charity walks this summer!

Don’t forget to rehydrate after! 😉

Did you know that the air we exhale has nearly 100% relative humidity? The essential processes of life, like breath and metabolism, use up water in our bodies. That’s why its so important to drink plenty of water through out the day and especially to rehydrate in the morning!

Make it a goal to drink at least 1 cup (8 oz) of water first thing in the morning before you eat or drink anything else. This helps to rehydrate you after a long night breath and digestion. If you’d like to jump start your metabolism try adding lemon and cayenne to your next glass.

In general, it is recommended to drink at least 8 cups of liquids per day. I know…that seems like a lot of water! BUT is doesn’t have to be just water! Try adding lemon, lime or orange to your water. Iced and hot herbal teas are delicious and add the benefit of minerals and antioxidants. Fresh and natural juices count too! Fluids like sugary juices, soda pop, coffee, and black teas tend to counteract hydration because of the diuretic effects of the caffeine.

Consider this: even slight but chronic, dehydration can lead to digestive issues! Without sufficient water, the stomach cant make the proper amount of digestive juices which can lead to symptoms like indigestion and bloating or lead to disorders like IBS.

On the plus side, staying hydrated will help keep the joints lubricated, support weight loss and keep the skin supple and avoid burning!

So, cheers to your favorite cup! or in Mexico…Salud!

mmmm…Kava tea!