When it comes to taking care of your body, experts at Verywell Fit swear by these eight practices. Take a look at them and see what you may want to consider committing to in pursuit of ultimate health.

Eating Whole Foods

A whole foods and plant-based dietary pattern involves eating high-fiber, low-fat foods and minimizing animal-based products and processed foods. Studies have found that eating too many ultra-processed foods increases the risk of overall cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, and cerebrovascular disease. Examples of ultra-processed foods include candy, fried foods, and sweetened beverages.

Compared to non-plant-based diets, plant-based diets lower the risk of cardiovascular disease and mortality, says Sara Chatfield, MPH, RDN, a registered dietitian nutritionist. “Whole plant foods like fruits and vegetables, whole grains, beans, lentils, nuts, and seeds offer a variety of benefits for mental and physical health."

Whole plant foods also are good...

Ingredients:

•  1 scoop Farmacy Super Simple Grassfed Vanilla Protein (or any no-sugar-added vanilla protein powder)
• ½ cup ice cubes
• 1 cup flaxseed milk or any other nut milk, unsweetened
• ¼ cup plain Greek yogurt or plain coconut yogurt
• ¼ cup blueberries (fresh or frozen)
• 1 cup packed spinach
• ½ cup broccoli sprouts
• cup chopped jicama
• ½ large lemon, with pulp, skin removed
• 1 teaspoon chia seeds

Directions:

1. Add all of the smoothie base ingredients into a blender and purée until smooth.

2. To serve, pour the smoothie into a cup, add any desired garnish, and enjoy!

To learn more about Dr. Mark Hyman click here.

In our coaching programs, we encourage our members to go through a detox at least two or three times a year. That’s because a detox is the quickest way to feel better, reboot your health and jumpstart your weight loss. If you’re not sure how that looks, Dr. Mark Hyman shares some ways you can do a detox to help get your body back to its optimum.

1. Be a turkey (a cold one) and take a drug holiday.

There is no way to handle a true physiological addiction except to stop it completely. Addicts can’t have just one line of cocaine or just one drink. Go cold turkey. But you won’t have to white-knuckle it because if you follow “5 Ways to Detox” you will automatically reset your body’s neurotransmitters and hormones. 

Stop all forms of sugar, all flour products and all artificial sweeteners. They all cause increased cravings and slow metabolism, and lead to fat storage. This especially includes liquid sugar calories—a latte can have more...

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: ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...