I am such a coconut (oil) girl!! (You must listen to this song as you read this post) Coconut oil is unbelievable. Although there is still a lack of scientific research over the health claims of coconut oil, other research suggest that the list of benefits just goes on and on! My experience with it and personal opinion tends to dwell more on the side of the healthy benefits!
Lets face it, this winter was a tough one and unfortunately our skin is the one who takes the beating! Our skin dries out from the heat in our homes which causes dehydration. We tend to drink less in the cold weather than we do in the hot summer months which is even more dehydrating. Physical activity also tends to decline in bad weather and so circulation to the skin is compromised. Our skin is the largest organ of our body. We need to keep it as healthy as possible so that they rest of our body is working properly.Paying close attention to the foods we eat can enhance the vitamins that nourish the skin. A good way to remember what to eat and ways to help nourish your skin is to say your ABC’s!
A is for avocado. They contain the best kind of fats that add emollients to the skin. They also help to block absorption of the "bad" cholesterol and aid in eyesight by their high lutein content. They are also unbelievably delicious!
B is for beets. They are rich in beta-carotene and high in phytonutrients that protect the skin.
C is for vitamin C, the vitamin that enhances the skin cells' ability to fight free radicals, the primary cause of skin damage.
D is for vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin. We all realize that we get less of the beneficial effects of sunlight during the winter months. However, with Springtime here there is no excuse for not getting outside for at least 15 minutes of (unprotected) sunshine each day!
E is for vitamin E. A rich source of antioxidants and rich in emollients for the skin. Eggs, nuts and seeds are rich in vitamin E.
G is for green tea. Green tea can reduce the risk of damage from ultraviolet light (such as the rays of the sun), and thus reduce the risk of skin cancer.
Skipping to O, omega-3 fatty acids. Flaxseeds, walnuts, beans, olive oil and fish such as salmon and Coho contain the most omega fatty acids.
P is for plums. Plentiful plums are packed with antioxidants, which are healthy for the skin.
R is for rub. Rub your skin beautiful! While in a hot shower, take a washcloth with no soap and scrub your entire body until its uniformly rosy. As you scrub each day, your skin will release toxins trapped under it leaving you with soft, smooth skin within a few months! This improves your circulation, helps your digestion and allows your skin to glow.
S is for smile. A happy face is a healthy face. The act of smiling increases production of endorphins, the "feel good" hormones. When you smile, people smile back. Spread the wealth!
W is for water. Water, water everywhere! Hydration is key to moisturizing the skin. Water keeps the cells hydrated, while helping cells move nutrients in and toxins out which automatically leaves the skin looking better.
Z is for zzzzz's. Sleep, rest and refreshment are essential to healthy, radiant skin. This element is one that you cannot buy in a supplement or eat for dinner. Taking time to be conscious of your lifestyle and making the choice to rest and refresh yourself is your gift to yourself.
Keep it fresh!
- Lauren
Recent studies say dark chocolate -- not white chocolate or milk chocolate -- is good for you! What is it about dark chocolate? Chocolate is made from plants, which means it contains many of the health benefits of dark vegetables. These benefits are from flavonoids, which act as antioxidants. Antioxidants protect the body from aging caused by free radicals, which can cause damage that leads to heart disease. Dark chocolate contains a large number of antioxidants (nearly 8 times the number found in strawberries). Flavonoids also help relax blood pressure through the production of nitric oxide, and balance certain hormones in the body. Dr. Andrew Weil has dark chocolate included in his anti-inflammatory food pyramid!! How exciting is that?!
Super Bowl Sunday is the biggest day for food next to Thanksgiving. It's okay to splurge a little bit and eat foods you don't eat everyday, but it's easy to get carried away with all the excitement and over do it. The following are a few tips on how to avoid over-eating and staying on track with any healthy New Year resolutions during the big game, and all year round!
A spoonful of sugar? Americans are swallowing 22 teaspoons of sugar each day, and it's time to cut way back! Most of that added sugar comes from soft drinks and candy – the equivalent of guzzling two cans of soda and eating a chocolate bar. Remember, if you are consuming excessive amounts of added sugar, you will add calories, which leads to weight gain, or you will displace other essential nutrients. To check for added sugar, look for a variety of ingredients including sugar, corn syrup, fructose, high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, molasses or evaporated cane juice on the label.What YOU can do:
Take a good hard look at what you are drinking each day, figure out where the sources of added sugars are and think about how to cut back on that. Plan ways to substitute sugary foods in your diet with things like sweet vegetables, fruits or herbal teas.
1. Put down the can. Soft drinks are the biggest culprit! Soft drinks by far, followed by candy, cakes, cookies and pies. With about 8 teaspoons of added sugar, a regular 12-ounce soft drink will put most over the recommended daily limit. Keep in mind, it DOES NOT make it ok if they are diet drinks. Artificial sweeteners (such as Splenda, Equal, Sweet & Low, etc.) are even more toxic than the refined sugars that are in regular sugary drinks!
2. Drink water. Replacing carbonated soft drinks with water will cut a lot of your sugar intake, and the benefits don't stop there. Drinking two glasses of water before a meal may encourage the stomach to feel full more quickly, so you don't eat as much. Lots of the time you may have a sweet craving because your body is dehydrated, so drink up!
3. Drink real fruit juice. Juice can have as many calories as soda, but it has far more to offer in the way of nutrients. This presents a dilemma -- you want the vitamins and antioxidants without all the extra sugar. The safest bet: Look for 100% fruit juice. Steer clear of juice drinks that have added sweeteners. Look for the percent of real juice, noted on the nutritional label. You can also slash sugar intake by drinking water with a splash of juice. Feel free to squirt some lemon, lime or orange slices into your water for a healthy, yet flavorful drink!
4. Try coconut water! Sports and energy drinks are sugar bombs like soda. Although they contain electrolytes which are great for hydrating the body, its still smarter to stay hydrated with water rather than sports drinks. A wonderful alternative to sports drink is coconut water. It's a natural isotonic beverage, with the same level of electrolytic balance as we have in our blood. It contains more potassium than most sports or energy drinks and has less sodium. It's the fluid of life, so to speak!
5. Enjoy a cup of tea. Herbal teas can be not only delicious, but hydrating at the same time. There is a wide variety of flavorful herbal teas that will satisfy your sweet tooth. Right now I’ve been enjoying Yogi Tea’s Mayan Cocoa Spice made with cinnamon bark. It has low caffeine and plenty of rich chocolate flavor! It’s a must try!
Keep it fresh!I encourage you to celebrate the new year by taking the time to think about what you are grateful for and express that gratitude. Be truly thankful for the bounty of food before you and recognize that it should not be taken for granted. Be thankful for the people around you and celebrate with family, friends or neighbors. Be thankful for your health and your body’s ability to heal itself. Be thankful for all the things in your life that make you happy and take the time to reevaluate those that don’t.
There are so many things that nourish our bodies, aside from what choices we make concerning food. When all the different aspects of our lives are in balance, this is when our body, mind and soul thrive and we are at our healthiest. Think about all of the different areas of your life…. your relationships with friends and family, your romantic relationship, your career path, your home and physical surroundings, the amount of physical activity you make time for….. and recognize imbalances. What areas would you like to change, where is there room for improvement? How can you create the exact life that you want to live, in the exact world that you want to live it in?
We have the power to create the life we want and we have the power to change the things in our lives that we are unsatisfied with, but we all too often let fear hold us back. All year long, be thankful for the areas in which you are satisfied, but also take steps towards changing the rest. Set goals for yourself. Write them down and hold yourself accountable for reaching them.
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10 Ways to Express Gratitude |
Wake up with gratitude. Before you even get out of bed each morning, say one thing that you are grateful for.
Write a quick "Thank You" note or card to someone who has done something nice, or simply been there for you.
Be generous with affection. Everyone loves hugs!!
Practice random act of kindness. They will make you feel good and put a smile on someone else's face as well.
Give back. Donate time, money,
goods to those less fortunate.
Acknowledge jobs well done. Even something as simple as letting a manager at your local coffee shop how great your favorite barista is, can make someone's day. Who knows, maybe he/she will receive a bonus as a result.
Write down 10 things you like about yourself. Write down 10 things you like about someone else and send it to them.
Let go of anger and resentment and forgive someone towards whom you hold a grudge.
Pray or meditate. Taking the time to collect your thoughts will help you find balance and be more aware of the things that you are grateful for.
Make someone a healthy meal. The way to everyone's heart is through their stomach. A delicious homemade meal full of love and gratitude will be warmly accepted.
Keep it Fresh!
- Jill
Achoo! Tis' the season of colds and flu viruses. A recent published in the British Medical Journal said that the best defense against the flu is good hygiene including washing your hands and covering your mouth and nose when you sneeze. In addition to good hygiene, it is important to keep your immune system in tip top shape! Follow these 10 quick tips to boost your immunity and stay healthy through this flu season:
October is here and that means that everyone is already thinking about what they will dress up as on Halloween. Fall is one of my favorite times of year and Halloween is possibly my favorite holiday. I love that it inspires creativity and self expression and encourages families and communities to interact and celebrate together. It is a fun and exciting night, but it's focus unfortunately has become more about candy than anything else. Sure, trick-or-treating is a once-a-year adventure for kids but it ends with them gorging on chocolate and sweets for the next month...at least! Not the healthiest message to send to our kids.1) Let your kids choose a few of their favorite pieces of candy from their baskets and then donate the rest. Many local dentists will buy or swap candy at Halloween and donate it to troops overseas through Operation Gratitude. Halloween Candy Buy Back will help you find a participating dentist in your area!
2) Find recipes that use candy such as snickers, peanut butter cups and M&M's and have a bake sale with your creations. Let the kids have fun with you in the kitchen to get them excited about the alternative use for their goodies! Let them use the proceeds towards a new toy.
3) Make Halloween night about spending time together (Part 1)! After trick-or-treating host a pumpkin carving party for the family or neighbors. Roast the pumpkin seeds with your favorite spices or flavors as a healthy treat for kids to snack on instead of candy. (If you haven't joined our newsletter yet, our October Recipe will show you how! Sign up on sidebar of this site.)
4) Make Halloween night about spending time together (Part 2)! Go apple picking with the family the weekend before and use the apples to make healthier candy apples together on Halloween night. Use honey or brown rice syrup instead of corn syrup, or follow this raw recipe from Renegade Health:
Raw Caramel Apples
• 1 cup dates (pitted and unsoaked)
• 1/4 – 1/2 cup almond milk (or other nut milk of your choice)
• 1 teaspoon coconut oil (optional)
• 1 dash sea salt
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, or 1 inch vanilla bean, scraped
• 3-4 apples, depending on size
Preparation
• Mix all ingredients in a blender until smooth.
• Start with 1/4 cup almond milk and add until consistency is such that apples can be dipped and the caramel sticks.
• Insert a popsicle stick into the center top of each apple.
• Dip in caramel sauce.
• Refrigerate until caramel solidifies
5) Avoid hiding candy and then using it as a reward when your kids help out around the house. This sends the wrong message. We should be encouraging children to make healthy choices because it makes them feel good, not allowing them to make poor choices so that they behave well. Instead offer them healthier alternatives such as fruit, trail mix or popcorn.
6) Use their collected candy in creative ways. Make gingerbread houses or ornaments with them for holiday decorations.
Keep it Fresh and Spooky!
- Jill
If you are looking to loose weight or just make healthier choices for your body, keeping a food journal can be a powerful tool to assist you. Keeping track of what you are eating will help bring awareness to your eating habits and patterns. To keep track of meals, snacks and drinks that you consume, keep a small notepad in your purse, or keep a log on your phone, laptop or ipad.. whatever is most convenient for you to use throughout your day. You can even purchase food journals like the Diet Minder from book stores. The food diary process is designed to be fun and informative. It will help you recognize poor habits or foods that you react to and will help you find connections between what you eat and how you feel.
We all probably think, in some way or another, that we could be making healthier choices as far as our diet is concerned. And as much as we want ourselves to be healthy, we want even more to feed our children as healthy as possible. Our child's health is so important, because their young developing bodies are more vulnerable and therefore susceptible to illness. Feeding our kids a healthy, wholesome diet will not only help prevent sick days, but it will also be the most important thing we can do for their report cards. A healthy child will be focused, alert and attentive, allowing them to be at their utmost capacity to learn and perform their best! However, when our kids head off to school we relinquish the power to control everything they eat for a good part of the day. Therefore it is important to get them excited about making healthy choices and then send them off with healthy options so that we can feel confident that they will choose to eat the way we want them to.
Finding the right foods to feed our children can be even more difficult! Every child is going to be different, as far as what they like and are willing to eat. It is important to do your best while staying within realistic boundaries. All the effort in the world to prepare the healthiest meal possible is going to go to waste if your child is going to get to school and not eat it. Start with small, reasonable changes and work your way up. You will be surprised at how much your child will crave less junk foods and more healthy foods as they build healthier habits. In general, stick to healthy, natural, whole foods such as fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, healthy fats and whole grains. Avoid (as much as possible) hydrogenated oils, trans-fats and processed and refined packaged foods, especially those that contain lots of sugars, artificial colors and artificial flavorings!
As many of you may know 3 Healthy Chicks, Lauren Forney, Terra Pfund and Jill Rizzi are graduates of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Board certified Holistic Health Counselors. That sounds very healthy and impressive, but what is the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and what exactly is a Board certified Health Counselor?
During my first trip to India in 2009, I was introduced to Tulsi tea, also known as 'holy basil' tea. I was told to drink it each day I was there to keep my immune system strong. Apparently, it worked because I remained healthy throughout and following my trip. I brought some back with me and have been hooked ever since! Luckily, Organic India makes a delicious line of Tulsi tea's that you can find here at all health food stores, and even in some supermarkets. I swear by the original flavor, but they have many different kinds. My favorite flavor is the Honey Chamomile all summer long, then I fall in love with the Orange Mint during the Fall and enjoy the Vanilla Creme when it's colder. My tastes clearly change with the seasons! If you see a box the next time you're food shopping, give it a try! Read below for all of the wonderful health benefits of this holy basil tea.
About Tulsi Tea
Tulsi tea, which originated in India thousands of years ago, is known for its rich antioxidant and adaptogenic properties that are known to promote wellness by building the body’s immune system, reducing stress and promoting mental clarity. It is recognized as one of India's most sacred herbs because of its health benefits and healing properties. Tulsi Tea's antioxidants protect cells from the damage caused by free radicals that facilitate the cause and progression of various types of diseases. Also referred to as holy basil tea, this herbal brew’s adaptogens serve as powerful anti-stress agents that protect your body from a wide range of health concerns. The adaptogens guard against and deal with physical, chemical, environmental, and emotional factors that produce high levels of stress that compromise physical and mental health.
Potential Health Benefits of Tulsi Tea
· Strengthens the immune system, promotes longevity and enhances well-being.
· Promotes heart health by lowering cholesterol and high blood pressure.
· Reduces the negative physical and psychological effects of stress.
· Increases the body’s efficiency in using oxygen, which improves stamina, strength and endurance.
· Promotes respiratory health.
· Helps with digestion and gastrointestinal problems.
· Neutralizes dangerous biochemicals that contribute to cancer, degenerative diseases and premature aging.
· Facilitates healthy liver function.
· Reduces cell and tissue damage from sun rays, radiation therapy and other radiation sources.
· Relieves inflammation from arthritis and other diseases.
· Helps fight infections.
Keep it fresh!
- Lauren
Yoga means Union. Union between the individual self and the Universal Self; union between Body-Mind-Spirit. Yoga is not just a system of physical exercises. It is a classical system of personal development of body, mind, spirit. There are four main paths to attain this Union which brings health, happiness and peace of mind: Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Raja Yoga (Hatha Yoga) and Jnana Yoga. Each path is suited to a different temperament or approach to life. All the paths lead ultimately to the same goal. The lessons of each path need to be integrated if true wisdom is to be attained. By acting selflessly, without thought of personal gain or reward, and by detaching from the fruits of actions and instead offering them to God, the Karma Yogi purifies the heart and sublimates the ego.
Through prayer, worship and ritual, the Bhakti Yogi surrenders to God, channeling and transmuting emotions into unconditional love or devotion. Chanting or singing the praises of God form a substantial part of Bhakti Yoga.
This path is often called Ashtanga, or eight-limbed yoga. It is the path of body, breath and mind control, and meditation. Hatha yoga is part of Raja yoga. It offers a systematic method for controlling the waves of thought. The chief practice of Raja Yoga is meditation. When body and energy are under control, meditation comes naturally.
This is vedantic meditation and self-enquiry. Requiring tremendous strength of will and intellect, the Jnana Yogi uses intellect to inquire into his or her own true nature and into the nature of reality. Before practicing Jnana Yoga, the aspirant needs to have integrated the lessons of the other yogic paths - for without selflessness and love of God, strength of body and mind, the search for self-realization can become mere idle speculation.
Keep it Fresh!
- Lauren
Back in High School, I remember explaining to my doctor that my stomach felt like a lava lamp each and every day. He laughed at my explanation, but it was the truth! Each day I had pockets of gas painfully churning inside me due to all of the dairy products I was consuming. Luckily, he suggested a week off of dairy products only to find that I was indeed lactose intolerant. Lactose intolerance, also called lactase deficiency, means you aren't able to fully digest the milk sugar (lactose) in dairy products. It's usually not dangerous, but symptoms of lactose intolerance can be uncomfortable.
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