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Eating Healthy Can Make You Happy

We know that eating healthy has many benefits. We know that it lowers the risk of chronic diseases, reduces inflammation in the body, improves bone and muscle health, boosts the immune system and may also lead to weight loss. But did you know that eating healthy can also make you feel better and happier? Dr. Will Cole, a functional medicine expert, shares with us why a happy gut creates a happy outlook. 

The Link Between Food and Mood

If you ever noticed that you feel a little “blah” after eating junk food or a highly processed meal, you’ve already experienced the food-mood connection in real time. I say it all the time, but every piece of food you eat sends a message to your body that either promotes overall health and wellness, or creates imbalances and disease.

This isn’t “woo-woo” thinking, either. The research on this connection is well established. Studies have linked mood disorders to a higher intake of certain foods, including: ...

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5 Reasons Why Rest and Recovery is Important

Taking a break is necessary so that you don’t actually break down. It’s the same with exercise. Getting enough rest after exercise is essential to recovery as well as performance.  Fitness expert JJ Virgin gives us the reasons why rest and recovery is important to one’s health.

Signs You Need to Rest 
Pushing yourself to your limit can be great, but pushing yourself too far can backfire. How do you know the difference? Your body offers clues. Feeling tired is one of the most straightforward signals you need to rest. Think of constant fatigue as a warning light on a car dashboard indicating low fuel.  

Soreness is another sign. After a challenging workout, feeling a little sore is normal. However, if that feeling lingers for an extended period, it's a sign that your muscles need more time to recover. Soreness is a message from your muscles telling you they need rest to repair and strengthen.  

Feeling irritable or easily agitated are...

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Baked Apples with Cinnamon Oatmeal Crumble

Ingredients:

  • 4 organic apples (Pink Lady, Fuji, and Granny Smith are all great options)
  • 1/4 cup coconut oil
  • 1/2 cup rolled oats
  • 1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts or pecans
  • 1 tsp stevia, monk fruit extract, or other low-sugar sweetener (to taste)
  • 1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • 1/4 tsp ground cloves
  • 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp sea salt

 

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F.
  2. Peel and core each apple, making a large well in the center, and arrange prepared apples in a glass baking dish. (You may need to remove a thin slice of apple from the bottom of each one to help it stand upright in the dish.)
  3. In a medium mixing bowl, stir together the oats, chopped nuts, sweetener, spices, and salt; cut in the coconut oil until evenly combined.
  4. Spoon 1/4 of the oat crumble mixture into each apple, topping the apples with any extra.
  5. Bake in the preheated oven until apples are tender and filling is toasted and bubbling, about 30 minutes.
  6. Allow to...
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Have the Right Mindset for the Holidays

The holidays can be exhilarating, stressful, depressing, and overwhelming. Just take your pick. Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions which may result in emotional eating. That’s why this week we’re going to learn about practices that will create the right mindset for the holidays. Here’s an article from Psychology Today that talks about these practices and how we can put them in place.

The winter holidays are often an emotional time. Looking ahead to months of colder weather can bring about a more somber mood. Lack of sleep and too much rich food or alcohol can make us feel grumpy or guilty. We may face internal or external pressures to have a picture postcard perfect holiday, complete with sparkling snow, glittery ornaments, and brightly wrapped presents. We may be reminded of loved ones who are no longer with us, kids who are now grown, or we may feel more aware of our loneliness and long for a partner to share this special time. On the positive side, holidays...

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Dr. Hyman's Blood Sugar Balancing Meal

Uncategorized Dec 08, 2023

Ingredients:

Steak

  • 2 (6-ounce) filets, room temperature (grass-fed or pasture-raised if possible)
  • ½ teaspoon sea salt
  • 1 teaspoon ghee

Brussels Sprouts

  • 3 cups trimmed and halved Brussels sprouts
  • 1 tablespoon ghee

Miso Ghee

  • 1 tablespoon organic light miso paste
  • 1 tablespoon ghee
  • 2 large garlic cloves, microplaned

Garnish

  • ¼ cup thinly sliced scallions
  • ¼ teaspoon sesame seeds
  • Freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

1. Allow the steaks to come to room temperature before cooking (about 30 minutes prior) and preheat the oven to 415°F.

2. Sprinkle the meat with salt on both sides and set aside. Begin with the other preparations in the meantime. Place two cast iron skillets on high heat (one for the steaks and the other for the Brussels sprouts) and let them heat up.

3. While the skillets are heating, prepare the miso butter by combining all the ingredients into a bowl and mixing it up, set aside.

4. For the Brussels sprouts, add 1 tablespoon of ghee into the...

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Practicing Gratitude the Right Way

Practicing gratitude is certainly beneficial to our health. It improves our physical and mental health, our self esteem, and creates better relationships. On the flip side, focusing on gratitude can be harmful if not done the right way. Here’s an article from Psychology Today that shows some of the practices that can cause negative effects instead of positive as well as steps to make sure we don’t fall into making these mistakes. 

Invalidating Your Emotional Experiences
You shouldn’t feel this way. Remember, many people have it worse than you.

Does this sound familiar? If you’ve had this thought, heard it, or said it yourself, you may have experienced a negative impact of gratitude. When you compare yourself to the circumstances of others, you risk minimizing and/or invalidating your emotional experiences.

Connie L. Habash, LMFT, states that “gratitude shouldn’t be practiced in a way that compares ourselves to others. It’s not about who...

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7 Ways to Practice Mindful/Intuitive Eating

With the holidays on its merry way starting with Thanksgiving, it’s important to practice mindful or intuitive eating. When we apply principles of awareness and intuition to our food choices, we are able to feel better about ourselves. According to VerywellFit here’s the difference between mindful and intuitive eating as well as ways to incorporate both eating styles so you can truly enjoy the day and all its edible delights.

Mindful eating is any effort to bring the principles of mindfulness to our food consumption. Being in the present moment as we eat, savoring tastes and textures, and reducing distractions are all hallmarks of a mindful meal.

Intuitive eating, on the other hand, is a trademarked program developed by dietitians Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole. It revolves around 10 key principles, such as rejecting the diet mentality, respecting your body, and making peace with food. These practices aim to unravel and heal unhealthy relationships with...

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Garlicky Green Beans Almandine with Lemon

healthy meals rise veggies Nov 16, 2023

Ingredients:

  • Equal parts water and vegetable broth (see step 1 below)
  • 2 pounds green beans, ends cut off
  • 3/4 cup slivered raw almonds
  • 4 cloves fresh garlic, peeled & minced
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
  • 2-3 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1/2 teaspoon finely grated lemon zest
  • Sea salt, to taste

Instructions:

  1. Fill a large stock pot with half water, half vegetable broth and bring it to a boil. Make sure the amount of water/broth is at least twice as much as the amount of beans you intend to cook.
  2. Gently blanch the green beans (cook them in the boiling liquid for about 3 minutes until just al dente (brightly colored and crisp)). Drain beans in ice cold water (or put them in a bowl containing an ice water bath and set aside). This stops the cooking process.
  3. In a wok or large deep frying pan, heat the oil and garlic on medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Don’t let the garlic brown.
  4. Add in the almonds and stir for about a minute. Then mix in the lemon juice and finely grated lemon zest.
  5. ...
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Different Types of Rest We Need

healthy lifestyle rest rise Nov 16, 2023

Our bodies need food, movement and rest. Rest, however, is not just about sleep. According to Dr. Saundra Dalton-Smith, there are seven different types of rest your body needs to keep your energy levels and mental capacity high. They are:  

  • Physical rest 
  • Mental rest
  • Social rest
  • Spiritual rest
  • Sensory rest
  • Emotional rest
  • Creative rest

How do we know if we need more rest? Health expert JJ Virgin gives us the symptoms and breaks down the different types of rest we need.

Before we dive deeper into the different types of rest, let’s look at some of the symptoms you might be feeling if you’re missing out on any of the seven:   

  • Feeling tired, groggy, unfocused, or cranky throughout your day, even when getting the recommended 7-9 hours of sleep each night 
  • Stress from feeling like your life is non-stop action and hustle from the moment you wake up till the second your head touches the pillow at night 
  • Achy joints or random pain...
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Crowd-Pleasing Cioppino

 

Ingredients:

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil
  • 1 onion chopped
  • 1 celery stalk chopped
  • 3 tablespoons shallots chopped
  • 1 pinch saffron
  • 1 teaspoon paprika
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 5 garlic cloves minced
  • 2 1/2 cups fresh diced tomatoes or 16-ounce can diced tomatoes with juice in a pinch (for 8 servings)
  • 1 16-ounce can tomato sauce
  • 3 cups vegetable broth
  • 1 pound white firm fish (sea bass, halibut, cod), cubed
  • 1 pound large shrimp uncooked, peeled, and deveined
  • 1 pound clams or mussels
  • 1/2 pound bay scallops
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • 3 tablespoons fresh parsley chopped

 

Directions:

  1. In a heavy-bottomed pot, heat coconut oil over medium heat. Add onion, celery, shallots, saffron, paprika, and bay leaf. Cook for 6 minutes.
  2. Add garlic, and cook for 1 more minute.
  3. Add tomatoes, tomato sauce, and vegetable broth....
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