Sugar lurks in lots of places besides cupcakes, chocolate and soda. Find out how sugar could be effecting your health and sanity in sneaky and surprising ways.
Stay tuned for 3 short installments of
3 Ways Sugar is Messing with You
REASON #1
From the category archives:
Awareness
We’ve all heard it before: Drink 8 glasses a day. No, 10. No, 6. No, Take your body weight and do some math (ugh).
There are a lot of differing opinions out there (much like with food) and many of them are sound and good. So how do you know which is best for you?
The Answer: You have to tune in and find out. Here are a few quick tips on the best way to make the most out of drinking your water.
1. Drink 2-4 cups with lemon upon waking.
When we sleep, our bodies are very busy repairing and detoxing. When we awaken, we are actually quite dehydrated. When you wake up squeeze a wedge of lemon into a glass of water and drink it. T
he lemon helps cleanse your liver and flush out toxins as the water hydrates you. My Nana used to do this every morning. It’s a terrific way to start hydrating and getting in your glasses of water.
2. Don’t drink water while you eat.
When we chew, we release digestive enzymes –digestion begins in the mouth. If we down water with our food, we dilute our digestive juices and hamper, digestion and absorption. Wait 20-30 minutes before or after you eat to drink your water — in between meals.
3. Drink throughout the day, and stop a few hours before bed.
This differs for everyone, find your optimum stopping point so that you may have a full night’s rest without waking for trips to the bathroom.
4. How much?
While it’s important to hydrate, how much water depends on what you’re eating. If you’re diet is rich with raw fruits and vegetables, you’ll find you need less water. If you eat a lot of cooked foods (the water cooks out) you’ll require more water by the glass. It’s important for you to be the judge. Too much water drinking can tax the kidneys.
Not enough water can cause dehydration, increased appetite, dry skin, hair, brittle nails, sluggishness, constipation and whole host of other things. There are some health professionals that believe the root of most disease is chronic dehydration. I believe that we are all different and our job is to tune into our unique body to find out what it needs.
I know that when I follow the steps above, I stay regular (who doesn’t want that?), my skin looks great, my energy flows, and I feel good. I do however, have to make a conscious effort to hydrate, the habit comes and goes for me. What about you?
Test out steps 1 -3 for a week and let me know what you find out. How much water are you drinking now? What are your water drinking goals?
The bedroom. It’s the place you go to recharge, unwind, and indulge in the sensual. Think of your bedroom as a sacred space. Look around with an unbiased eye and take note of what’s happening in your bedroom. Is it cluttered? Are there pictures or knick-knacks that drain your energy? Do you feel inspired and restful?
Sleep is critical for our physical, mental and emotional health. It is our time to unplug, recharge, detox, and quite literally, rest.
Without quality sleep, we experience greater emotional stress, susceptibility to illness, premature ageing and wrinkles, and anxiety.
Here are 7 tips on enhancing your beauty and health through sleep.
1. Remove the cell phone from your room. If you’re using it as an alarm clock, do yourself a favor and purchase a real one. Cell phones are always sending out and receiving a signal and this is highly disruptive to sleep.
2. Choose an alarm clock with red or orange light, not blue or green. Or go old school. The spectrum of red or orange light is much more soothing to our bodies. If you want to drop 100 or so bucks on a super-duper zen battery operated chime clock, check these out.
3. Sleep in the dark. Our bodies are programmed to sleep in the dark and wake with the light. Have you ever gone camping? Once the sun goes down, sleeping happens much sooner.
Buy black out curtains or simply hang extra fabric to seal out the light. Studies have shown that light while sleeping can affect ovulation.
4. Keep electronics away from your head. Electromagnetic fields (EMFs) disrupt our health and can trigger anxiety, restlessness, and prevent sound sleep. This includes alarm clocks (you can put this across the room or in the hallway), lamps, really anything plugged in to the wall. If you like to read at night, unplug the lamp before you settle to sleep. Some people even like to flip the circuit breaker.
5. Remove TVs, computers, stereos (does anyone use these anymore?) and other unnecessary gadgetry from your bedroom. Studies have shown that once you turn off the TV it continues to radiate for 8 hrs. Not so good if you’re trying to rest and repair.
6. If you suffer from insomnia, eliminate caffeine. Even a small cup of coffee at 8am could affect someone who is extra sensitive and prone to insomnia.
7. Create a nighttime ritual only 3- 10 minutes will do the trick. A hot salt bath (or if your feet are hot, a cool foot bath with peppermint soap), slow yoga to meditative music, 10 deep belly breathes, a foot rub. All of these bring your energy inward, calm the nervous system and prepare the body for sleep.
Forget the resolution – stop resolving (sigh) and start reflecting (ahh…)
Resolutions are abrupt, sometimes harsh, often with fearful, judgmental, guilt-induced roots. Resolutions are willful, aggressive and single-minded (often setting us up for a backlash).
Reflection, on the other hand is based in awareness, it is open, observational, gentle, expansive and unlimited.
One of the things that I’ve learned about profound personal transformation is that the temptation to speed along and make swift, hacking changes, doesn’t stick. If you’re ready for it, the ride is longer, deeper and more rewarding.
But it takes different tools. The fun part is, these tools are creative and they run counter to the speed, end-gaming and competitive energy running rampant in our current collective culture. If you’re a rebel (or you’re ready to act like one) you’ll love this.
Working with clients and working on myself, I’ve come to know that our greatest challenge is our “inner game.” Why do we get stuck? Why do we sabotage ourselves? Why do we hold our selves up to such high standards? Are you your own worst critic?
Well, listen closely because I’m going to let you in on something. Now’s the time to heal ourselves. It’s time for women to emerge and feel powerful without shame. It’s time to stop playing small. The turn of the New Year is a good time to reflect, release, and dream big. It is NOT a time to feel guilty, redouble our efforts and make resolutions (= rules).
Many of us suffer from subtle levels of stress, anxiety, perfectionism and fear, much of it we cannot put a name to. I believe that this is our wake-up call.
So, how do we co-create change that is expansive and effective? How do we leap from where we are now, to where we’d like to be?
Try this simple technique to close out the old and bring in the new.
Step1 : Reflect. Take a few moments today before the old year ends and the new one sweeps in and reflect. Grab a journal or piece of paper and take a few moments to just sit and gaze. How was your year? What was really wonderful? What would you like to shed?
- Make a heading at the top of the page and call it “Reflections on 2010”
- Now list out “What I would love to keep”
- Then list out “ What I will Release to the Past”
Step 2: Dream your future open. Clear out the future by being in the present. Sit quietly for 1 to 10 minutes, relax and do the work of it. Imagine that you can release all that doesn’t work in your life. Pack it in some bags, and simply mail them back to 2010. Now… think about 2011. It’s clean, fresh, unencumbered. What do you want to place there? What do you want to occur?
- On a NEW page start with the Heading, “Visioning and Creating 2011″
- Be free open and expansive. Use what you’d love to keep and expand upon it until it feels good to you.
Really see it. Claim it. Draw it. Write it. Paint it. Sing it. Create it into being.
Step 3: Be creative and play. We are creators (you know, the womb we have?) so create! You don’t have to be a formal artist… just do something that let’s that energy flow. What might set your heart or spirit free—even for 20 minutes? Color, draw, finger paint, do an interpretive dance, make a silly hat, make a clip with feathers. Seal your intentions with creative flow. Thank yourself and go and enjoy your evening!
Remember, you are the conductor of the complex melody of your life. You are a woman with power beyond measure. Use your power of reflection and awareness to create.
Use this space to share what’s on your list.
Have a beautiful celebration and Happy New Year,
Nicole
So, by now you’ve probably figured out that it’s my secret mission to help you feel great and get healthy without it being a big deal.
There are so many simple, small shifts we can make with our food that add up to a big difference.
This is one of my favorites…. wait for it…garnish… are you thinking orange slice? Tomato? Plastic grass from the sushi place?
PARSLEY!
Yep. Flat leaf, curly Italian, it doesn’t matter.
Parsley is packed with a ton of iron and is rich in copper and maganese.
We keep it in our refrigerator at all times. Just put the bunch in a glass of filtered water and snip off as you need.
What do you add it to, you ask?
Almost everything. I chop it fine and add it to eggs. I put it in soup. I add it to my green smoothie. I throw it on just about everything.
Quinoa, salads, cucumber and tomatoes, salsa fresca, pesto. Just add it everywhere and you’ll get all the benefits of this great, little herb.
There’s more:
Parsley is good for the reproductive system in both men and women.
It’s both a blood purifier and a blood builder.
You can use dried parsley as a tea for a diuretic effect.
It’s also good for the kidneys.
So add in parsley wherever you can and know that you are taking an easy but super-effective step towards radiant health.
Share your favorite parsley recipe, with us. Tabbouleh anyone?
On the last Ask Nikki D call, I turned the tables and interviewed acclaimed children’s author, Tonya Hegamin.
She shares with us her story about food addiction, sugar cravings, food allergies, emotional eating, and Diabetes. She divulges details that many of us can relate to and it’s with much gratitude that I share her interview with you.
Click here to download the intriguing interview.
I asked her to contribute a recipe and she graciously gave us two! Spring Salmon with Veggies and Apple Goddess Treat. What? These look amazing! I can hardly wait to try them. Let me know what you think.
Visit her website tonyacheriehegamin.com to read more about her and her wonderful books.
Spring Salmon
1 Cup Quinoa (cooked)
1 large leek (chopped in 1/4inch rounds)
1 bunch of asparagus (chopped)
1-2 handfuls of chopped cauliflower (so they look like little trees!)
1/4 Cup vegetable broth
2 or 3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons of cilantro or parsley
A few sprays of Braggs Liquid Aminos
Using 2 TBS olive oil or your butter alternative, heat the pan and saute the garlic. Add and stir-fry the rest of the veg & herb for a minute or so and slowly add veg broth. Cover on med-low heat for 5 minutes or until it’s steamed to your taste. Add quinoa if desired or keep separate (separate is best if you are avoiding carbs. 4-5 TBS is a general low-carb serving. Save the rest for later!)
To cook the salmon, preheat the oven to 375, and drizzle the pan with olive oil to keep from sticking. I spray the salmon with Braggs before I cook it. Season the salmon lightly with Old Bay, salt, pepper, whatever other low-salt general seasonings you have and throw it in the oven for 15-20 minutes (don’t overcook or it will be dry).
Serve Salmon over quinoa and veggies! Yum! It’s great to have for breakfast, too. Or make it into a soup by just adding more Veg Broth!
Apple Goddess Treat
1 chopped apple (pink lady are my favorites!)
1-2 TBS coconut oil, butter, or butter substitute of your choice (depending on your needs/wants)
1/2 can organic pumpkin puree
Cinnamon, nutmeg, clove or cardamom to taste
Stevia (to your taste– I usually only use one dash)
salt to taste
handful of nuts (I use sunflower seeds, almonds or cashews)
Cook apples in the oil for 5 minutes on med-high heat (but don’t let them burn or get mushy). Add pumpkin, spices, stevia and salt. Reduce heat, cover and allow flavors to meld for about another 5 minutes, stirring often. If sugar isn’t your issue or if you crave/tolerate more sweetness, add a few tablespoons of apple sauce. Sprinkle with nuts and serve warm or chilled!
If you want more insight into what has happened to our food in the past 30 years… check out this trailer for Food Inc.
You can purchase the film on Amazon.com.
I am happy to host a screening party and discussion for you at your local school, business or association. Reach out to me and we’ll plan something.
Once you’ve seen it, share your thoughts with me!
http://www.foodincmovie.com/trailer-and-photos.php
