Health & Wealth
A few weeks ago I went to the Raw Foods Institute in Connecticut to fully immerse myself in a week of raw food preparation and meal-planning AND to also give myself a chance to fully heal from a very stressful year of change. My goal was / is not to become a raw vegan but I really wanted to apply some of THAT way of living into my life: live more clean by way of foods at their highest peak of nutrition. And, yes, I got that! Plus, I wanted to refresh my own health education to offer this with more depth in my own offerings especially my yoga retreats, workshops and with my health coach clients
But I got much more! I had spent too much time away from learning/reading about the connection of an unhealthy diet relating to diseases. I understood the very basic facts like sugar and the diabetes connection but had no understanding of how sugar and diet affected/influenced Cancer, Autism, and so many other things (or at least didn't give myself the time to explore this more).
That week was a full injection of wellness understanding and learning that I need to share more here. So today I will share with you how to identify if you are dealing with inflammation, one immediate step to take to bring you back to balance, three food ideas that will have you feel nourished and some one other there idea!
One of the immediate takeaways is that an inflamed body is much more susceptible to diseases and illnesses. Do you think you might be dealing with inflammation? Chronic (undealt with) inflammation can lead to disease like Cancer and Rheumatoid Arthritis.
Green Smoothie
I have this smoothie everyday!
1/2 or 1/3 organic avocado
1/2 cup of fresh organic spinach
1 frozen organic banana
1/2 cup or more organic unsweetened coconut milk
1 teaspoon of spirulina powder (super greens powder)
1 scoop of plant protein powder
1 handful of raw almonds or cashews or both
1 teaspoon (The Mindbrain tonic-OPTIONAL)
1 teaspoon maca(OPTIONAL)
Here are some quick questions (taken from this site) to get you started on whether you are dealing with inflammation:
1. Are you carrying around extra weight (spare tire)?
2. Do you feel hungry soon after you eat?
3. Do you have digestive issues?
4. Do you feel tired most of the time?
5. Is your face is puffy?
6. Do you have allergies?
7. Do you have skin problems like eczema?
Immediate Step:
The first thing you need to do is get rid of eating junk food, processed foods like pasta, added sugar to your beverages and stop any kind of dairy (there are so many options for your caffeine fixes these days!). Just take everything out for 4 days to a week and see how you feel.
Food Ideas:
At the same time as letting processed foods go, start to make a daily green juice in the morning or before noon. Green juices like cucumber juice helps clear toxins out of your body, helps you to lose weight, heal your skin, boosts immunity, hydrate, and helps with elimination. I do a simple cucumber juice each day instead of a coffee drink now and I feel a HUGE difference!
Also, consider using Turmeric in your cooking. You can put turmeric warmed with almond or coconut milk to make a "latte" or you can use it in your soups or dals. The main active ingredient in turmeric, curcumin, "has a high level of anti-inflammtory effects and is a strong anti-oxidant". Turmeric helps to boost the good things fighting diseases in your body and suppresses the bad things. Order some today!
And start taking in the good fats and greens for breakfast. Make a green smoothie. You want your body to feel satiated so when you are out in the world, you won't feel the need to reach for junk food or anything bad that is near when you feel hungry. Avoid that trap!
Use the receipt to the left!
Last thing, think about giving yourself an enema! This is proven to help you immediately release toxins from your body (in addition to the above steps!) So many benefits for at-home enemas like more energy, clear skin, weight loss and helps reduce risk of colon cancer!
All of these offerings for you will help you reduce inflammation in your body and make your feel your absolute best!
Please share any experiences or any insight you have. I love having conversations around health and wellness!
Namaste!