HOW ADDING COLOR TO YOUR PLATE CAN BOOST YOUR HEALTH & BEAUTY

Including different COLORS in your plate – coming primarily from nutritious vegetables and fruits - is an easy and fun way to maximize the nutritional benefits of your meals (and make them more tasty and pretty!). Eating a wide variety of colorful fruits and veggies will help to increase your immunity, strengthen your muscles and bones, slow down your aging, improve your skin, and can even contribute to weight loss!

There are 6 main colors, and I suggest to have at least 3 colors present in each meal (ideally some green plus 2 other colors). And aim to have a bit of each color every day.

This goes hand in hand with a recommendation that I always give my clients, which is to include at least 2 different veggies (or fruits) in each meal. And every day, I suggest (generally speaking) having 5+ servings of veggies, 1-2 servings of fruit and 1-2 (or more!) servings of nuts/seeds and/or legumes, always switching it up.

Read the blog for the benefits of each color, and some healthy foods in each category to start incorporating into your daily diet.

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Why You Should Add Turmeric to Your Diet

Turmeric is a yellowish-orange colored spice, most commonly used in Indian curries, and is one of the most powerful anti-inflammatory and disease-fighting agents on the planet!

It has been used as a medicinal herb in India for years, and recently has been discovered worldwide for its medicinal properties. Studies have shown the benefits of Turmeric to be just as effective (and MORE effective in some cases) than Ibuprofen, Advil, and many prescription medications.

Here are some the proven benefits of curcumin, the most active ingredient in Turmeric:

  • Help lower inflammation. (This is HUGE because low-grade chronic inflammation has been linked to many common diseases, from heart conditions to Alzheimer’s and cancer)
  • Controls blood sugar spikes and insulin resistance
  • Helps regulate high cholesterol
  • Boosts immunity and the antioxidant capacity of our body
  • Helps manage Arthritis symptoms (and generally, works as a pain reliever!)
  • Can lower the risk of heart disease
  • Has anti-cancer properties, helping to prevent the growth of cancer cells
  • Can improve many skin conditions like Eczema, and more!

It's amazing, and a little goes a long way. Plus, it's so easy to incorporate into your diet. Here are some of my favorite ways to use turmeric:

 

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The Nutritious Seed You Never Thought of Eating

I think most of you know of my love-affair with avocados. I could eat them with every meal - they’re so delicious, versatile, and good for you. But what I never knew until recently is that the seed/pit of the avocado has a ton of health benefits as well.

Here are some of the known benefits of the Avocado Seed:

  • Helps ease digestive issues - avocado seeds are primarily known for their amazing ability to alleviate GI tract issues, ranging from gastric ulcers to constipation.
  • Full of antioxidants with anti-cancer properties – it’s estimated that 70% of the antioxidants in avocados are actually found in the seed! The seed contains phenolic compounds and flavonols, which help prevent/reduce tumor growth.
  • Fights inflammation - the high level of antioxidants (including catechins and procyandins) act as anti-inflammatory agents, reducing swelling/stiffness of joints, as well as improving blood circulation.
  • Boosts immunity – avocado seeds help reduce free radicals and prevent against bacterial and fungal infections.
  • Lowers cholesterol - avocados and their seeds are very rich in soluble fiber, which binds to excess fat and cholesterol, also improving heart function.
  • Helps fight cravings and burn fat – the high levels of soluble fat keeps you full and balances your blood sugar levels, which helps avoid that mid-afternoon sugar craving.

How do you eat the seed?

It’s actually fairly simple! 

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Intermittent Fasting for Health and Weight Loss

Based on my research and experience, I find that some degree of intermittent fasting can be highly beneficial to almost anyone. And I don’t mean fasting for 24 hours every week; I’m referring to a small degree of fasting, such as allowing a 12-16 hour break between dinner and breakfast.

I personally have suffered from both digestive and hormonal issues, but feel my best when I practice daily intermittent fasting, allowing 12 hours between dinner and breakfast. And about once a week, I may allow for 16 hours between meals.

Why is this so great for me (and most people)?

The key idea is that fasting gives your body a rest from digestion and allows your body to fully assimilate nutrients, getting rid of what it doesn’t need, and concentrate on healing.

Some benefits include:

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10 Foods That Fight Inflammation

Inflammation in the body is one of the biggest issues leading to chronic disease, such as obesity, arthritis, heart problems and even cancer.

But inflammation doesn’t necessarily show up through puffiness and redness. Most often, we have internal inflammation that isn’t visible to us, but is present inside our bodies (aka silent inflammation). It’s building up, and it’s causing (for now) just minor things such as digestive issues, allergies, and basic skin problems. And if you don’t work NOW to control this inflammation, it will leader to more serious illnesses down the road.

The easiest and most effective way to taper inflammation is through your diet. After all, food is your best medicine. Start by eliminating processed foods, and then adding in naturally anti-inflammatory foods, including a variety of high-quality spices and herbs.

The following 10 foods, herbs and spices are among the best natural sources for reducing inflammation. I’ve also included tips for easy way you can start incorporating them into your day-to-day diet.

1.  Omega-3 fatty acids – from fatty fish like wild salmon, krill, as well as vegetarian sources like flaxseeds, chia seeds & olive oil. You can also consider taking a fish-oil supplement.

Tip: Try adding 1 tbsp of ground flaxseeds to your morning oatmeal / yogurt / smoothie.

2.  Dark Leafy Greens – These are some of the healthiest foods period, and among other things, they help with your body’s detoxification, flushing out some of this inflammation. They also contain lots of fiber and water which help with weight loss and contributes to beautiful skin and hair (among so many other benefits)! These greens include leaves such as: kale, spinach, arugula, swiss chard, collard greens, mustard greens, escarole and watercress.

Tip: Start having a fresh or cold-pressed green juice once a day, either with breakfast or as a snack between meals.

 3.  Berries – Berries contain flavonoids which contribute to their blue/purple/red coloring and have powerful anti-inflammatory benefits. These include goji berries, blueberries, blackberries raspberries, cranberries, cherries, and less common ones such as bilberries, mulberries, elderberry and gooseberry.

Tip: Add a handful of berries to your breakfast porridge or yogurt, to your green smoothies, and/or enjoy them as a snack with a few raw nuts.

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Sweet Beet, Leek and Hemp Soup

Two vegetables that I LOVE and frequently buy are beets and leeks.  So instead of my usual - which is just sticking my veggies in the oven with coconut oil and sea salt, I decided to try making a soup with them, and wow, the result was delicious.

Beets are filled with nutrition, high in many vitamins and minerals including: the B vitamin folate (great for mommies-to-be), potassium, fiber, vitamin C, iron, among others.  Beets are known for their phytonutrients, which contain antioxidants, anti-inflammatory properties and provide liver detoxification support.

Another amazing thing about beets is their delicious sweet flavor, which I have found is also great for reducing my sugar cravings.

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