10 Surprising Healthy Habits Wellness Experts Trust
There are eight pillars of living a Nutritious Life because we believe that a balanced lifestyle encompasses much more than just “more sweat, less sugar”—and when you ask wellness experts to share the healthy habits that add vibrancy to their lives on the reg, it’s obvious most agree. Over time, we’ve tapped a variety of these role models—from celebrity yoga teachers and trainers to superstar nutritionists and healthy chefs—to share how they live their own Nutritious Lives. Within the interviews, they revealed super interesting insights into healthy habits they swear by, some of which may surprise you. We’re sharing 10, here, to inspire your own well-rounded wellness regimen. Surprising Healthy Habits Wellness Experts Trust 1. Eat food that makes you feel good. It’s not always about balancing protein and carbs or scouring labels for organic ingredients, say Sakara founders Whitney Tingle and Danielle DuBoise. Eating Empowered, to them, is “knowing what it feels like to eat good food. Food is meant to be nourishment and food should make you feel sexy!” Read more. 2. Align your body, and your life will follow. “Finding alignment in your physical body is the first step to aligning your life, connecting to your gifts, attracting your deepest desires and feeling like you are on your true path,” says foam-rolling guru and best-selling author Lauren Roxburgh. “Over the years as I was so deeply studying the body, I realized many other things in my life and self were also coming into ‘alignment.’ I’ve seen it with hundreds of my clients too.” Read more. 3. Sip on water and tea as often as possible. Nearly all of the experts mention hydration as incredibly important, and Nutrition Stripped founder and RD McKel Hill swears by supplementing plenty of lemon-spiked H2O with matcha lattes and all kinds of other teas. “I’m a huge tea drinker all day long, whether it’s green tea, liver supportive tea, peppermint, or ginger. #gimmiealltheteas” Read more. 4. Give back. Sure, wellness is about your life, but focusing on others may also be essential to finding balance. “I try to pour my energy into causes that I am passionate about, like eating disorder recovery, animal rescue and raising awareness of cyberbullying,” says The Balanced Blonde blogger Jordan Younger. “I host a lot of events that give back to some of my favorite local LA organizations that raise funds/awareness for those causes.” Read more. 5. Design your space for great sleep. Chef, author, and all-around wellness star Candice Kumai details how getting a solid night’s sleep starts with how you design your space. “No electronic devices in the bedroom, no TV in the house—only reading, art, vision boards, and photography on our walls. Plus, lots of plants in the house for oxygen.” Read more. 6. Surround yourself with happy people. “I collect loving people in my life every day,” explains fitness celeb extraordinaire Natalie Jill. “When I meet positive, goal oriented, successful, happy, loving, and energetic people…I want them in my life. I find ways to be around them. They energize me, inspire me, and help me want to better myself! And when I am my better self, I am able to love more.” Read more. 7. Ask yourself, “How important is it?” When your clients include Jennifers with the last names Aniston and Lawrence, life can be pretty busy. To make it through tough situations, yoga teacher-to-the-stars Mandy Ingber asks herself this simple question. “The phrase ‘How important is it?’ reminds me that there are no big deals. When my behavior and actions are aligned with my own moral compass, I can handle life’s twists and turns,” she says. “Although a learned skill, relaxing into what comes is the discipline I practice. Everything is as it should be, and I can trust that my life is unfolding before me in perfect order.” Read more. 8. Make time for real meals. Maintaining a healthy diet is easier when you’re organized about your eating and in control of your meals says Deliciously Ella blogger Ella Woodward. “It’s easy to snack, snack, snack, but I like to sit down to proper meals, and I like to cook my meals,” she says. Read more. 9. Move, at least a little bit, every. single. day. “Trying to move a little every day is a big part of my life. It doesn’t always happen, but I feel the best when I’m more active. Every little bit adds up,” says Michele Promaulayko, author of 20 Pounds Younger and the Editor-in-Chief at Cosmopolitan magazine. “You don’t have to run for hours on a treadmill to burn fat.” Read more. 10. Don’t discount the power of me-time. If you’ve got a hobby that makes you happy or feel refreshed whenever you take a hot bath, those things have real value, even if they feel indulgent. Celebrity yoga teacher Kathryn Budig nurtures herself regularly with “epsom salt baths, reading juicy fiction novels, taking time to write for myself, and experimenting in the kitchen.” Read more.
How Your Lymphatic System Can Help You Lose Weight
By: Lauren Roxburgh The lymphatic system is truly a forgotten hero in our amazing bodies. By getting to know your lymph system you can help eliminate cellulite and jumpstart your weight loss goals! Basically, it’s the garbage disposal of our bodies, it’s responsible for filtering our system and eliminating toxins which is incredibly important for immunity, optimal health and even weight loss. We are exposed to thousands of toxins daily from household cleaning products, beauty products, processed foods, plastics, chemically based foods and other environmental toxins. Efficient functioning of the lymph system is essential to eliminate these excess wastes in our modern day bodies and help the body function optimally. Stress, sitting too much, lack of activity, injuries and poor posture also contribute to a sluggish lymphatic system. The lymph system is found under the skin throughout the entire body and support circulation, immunity and help the body flush of toxins. The lymph has to move against gravity since we are upright and that is what makes this system become congested and make you feel sluggish and carry excess weight. Since toxicity can play a huge roll in premature aging, losing or keeping excess weight off, this system must be addressed when we are seeking optimal health. Here are a few amazing ways to reboot your lymphatic system to get glowing and feel lighter and brighter. Foam Rolling: Rolling helps smooth away congestion, inflammation, flush out the lymphatic system, increase immunity, stimulate blood circulation, “wring out” and hydrate the connective tissue and revitalize your whole being. I always say it’s like an internal juice cleanse of your connective tissue! Inversions: Getting your hips above your heart is an amazing way to help improve your lymphatic system. By using gravity to drain stagnant fluid, inversions help bring blood and lymph from your feet and legs up to your kidneys to drain excess fluid, toxins, and stagnant energy. Brisk Walking: When walking your legs act as a natural pump that helps move the lymph fluid through the body. Plus, the deep breathing creates pressure and expansion that helps aid the lymphatic fluid. The more transverse rotation you have while walking, the better your lymph system can flush the upper body, arms, neck and shoulders. Rebounding: For me the combo of rolling and rebounding is the key to getting the best results. I use the Bellicon in conjunction with foam rolling each day for a transformative combination. Start with the roller for a few minutes to smooth out the density, congestion, and inflammation and then finish with 5-10 minutes bouncing on the rebounder for a fully restorative, stress busting, cellulite reducing and detoxifying workout. I have my Bellicon set up in my backyard for maximum results, breathing fresh air and soaking up a bit of vitamin D. BOUNCE #1 The Health Bounce: Move up and down without actually jumping for 1-2 minutes to warm up your muscles, joints, lymphatic system, and organs. BOUNCE #2 The Toning Bounce: Jump as high as you can, which helps improve balance, strengthens your primary and intrinsic muscles throughout your entire body, and also jumpstarts your lymph garbage disposal. Do this for 1-2 minutes. BOUNCE #3 The Cardio Bounce Combo: This includes Jumping Jacks, running in place, the ski bunny twist, bouncing on one leg at a time, dancing, and any other ways you can think of. Doing these with some high intensity will help you sweat out the toxins. Do this for 10 minutes. Dry Brushing: Dry brushing has been around since ancient times, though it’s been surging in popularity lately as many supermodels claim it as their beauty secret weapon. The idea is to get the circulation going, effectively “tightening” the skin by stimulating it with a vigorous rub, using either a brush or dry brushing gloves before a bath or shower. Always brush towards your heart and rub each limb and your torso for about 30 seconds. I find it invigorates me in the morning—and is almost as essential as that first cup of coffee. It also helps exfoliate any dry or damaged skin. Mineral Bath: This is another ancient technique that’s just as relevant today. I recommend adding Magnesium flakes to your bath for two reasons. First it helps draw out toxins and impurities, and secondly it helps re-mineralize your skin (many of us are magnesium deficient as our Western diet and farming techniques often don’t provide the minerals we need). Rosemary essential oil and lemongrass are also great things to add as they boost the lymphatic system. Other benefits of a warm bath include easing sore muscles and helping you relax and sleep. About Lauren: Lauren Roxburgh is an international best-selling author of ‘Taller, Slimmer, Younger – 21 Days to a Foam Roller Physique’, and creator of the Lo Rox Aligned Rollers and the Aligned Life video series. Certified in the fields of Structural Integration, classical Pilates, nutrition and pre/post-natal yoga, Lauren is a body alignment, fascia and movement healer, and has been fortunate enough to work with some of the world’s top athletes and celebrities. She is the go-to writer and expert on all things fascia, alignment and foam rolling and regularly works with some of the country’s top orthopedic surgeons.
How Does Lauren Roxburgh Live a Nutritious Life?
Lauren Roxburgh is an international best-selling author of ‘Taller, Slimmer, Younger – 21 Days to a Foam Roller Physique’, and creator of the Lo Rox Aligned Rollers and the Aligned Life video series. Certified in the fields of Structural Integration, classical Pilates, nutrition and pre/post-natal yoga, Lauren is a body alignment, fascia and movement healer, and has been fortunate enough to work with some of the world’s top athletes and celebrities. She is the go-to writer and expert on all things fascia, alignment and foam rolling and regularly works with some of the country’s top orthopedic surgeons. Currently, she is working on making me two inches taller. Perhaps I won’t get two inches, but she can, for real, make you taller (and calmer at the same time.) Named “Body Alignment Pro” by Vogue and dubbed “The Body Whisperer” by Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop.com, Lauren has also been listed as one of the “Hottest Trainers in America” by Shape magazine. I love every minute I spend with Lauren as she truly radiates all things Nutritious Life in her calm, positive, beautiful inside and out way. Read on to learn how this gorgeous mama lives her most Nutritious Life: (PS: I know you’re going to want to lie down on the ground and start rolling the minute you read this and lucky for us, you’ll be learning more from Lauren in the blog here soon. So, keep checking back.) How do you DRINK UP? I stay hydrated with Alkaline water, Rosemary Lemon Water, Chlorophyll Water, loose-leaf green tea and a bit of Italian or French red wine and organic coffee. How do you EAT EMPOWERED? Nourish and live with the 80/20 Rule! Go Alkaline 80% of your life and go ahead and allow yourself to indulge a bit for the other 20%. Start your day with an 8oz glass of water and a squeeze of lemon before you have coffee or breakfast. Reduce red meat, wheat, dairy, processed foods, refined sugar and alcohol in your diet. How do you LIVE CONSCIOUSLY? My whole philosophy is about empowerment and connecting with our true strength and authentic selves. Finding alignment in your physical body is the first step to aligning your life, connecting to your gifts, attracting your deepest desires and feeling like you are on your true path. It’s not about what you think the world wants you to have, but actually digging deeper into what your own true desires, passions and loves truly are. Over the years as I was so deeply studying the body, I realized many other things in my life and self were also coming into ‘alignment’. I’ve seen it with hundreds of my clients too. People who have struggled with weight issues, stress, toxic relationships, addictions or other personal issues often find they finally get resolved once their body is correctly aligned, connected and stronger and they start to feel empowered. When we take time to really BE in our bodies and out of our heads, magic happens, light bulbs go off and your true inner self can start leading the way. Hence my motto: Aligned body, aligned life! I also practice TM meditation to help me connect to my higher self. How do you LOVE MORE? Practice gratitude, soulful self-love and acceptance, not just saying it in our heads, but feeling the love for self and acceptance of self in our bodies and at a cellular level…That’s when we change our vibrations and we start connecting to what and who we truly desire. When people focus on the positive, life becomes better, you glow more and you attract more positive in your life. Even when we go through awful things in life like break-ups, losses, deaths, illnesses and betrayal we can choose how we view the experience. We can choose to be a victim or look at lesson. Ultimately, finding balance in life, letting go of the small stuff, prioritizing love, health, laughter and nurturing your body and emotional wellbeing. How do you NURTURE YOURSELF? Roll, bounce, sauna, mineral bathes. Surround myself in scent. Rub 2-3 drops of skin suitable lavender oil into your palms and rub together, then inhale 4 times to relax my mind and body. Then rub on my temples and neck and feel the tension flow away! Another great way to nurture myself is to take hot salt bath. Salt baths and saunas helps release unwanted tension, flush the body of toxins, hydrate connective tissue, reduce soreness, help you sleep better and fully relax your entire body and mind. How do you SLEEP DEEP? Natural CALM Magnesium drink helps relax my body so much. How do you STRESS LESS? Be here and now. Remember to breathe…in just a few minutes a day you can dramatically increase your lung capacity, improve posture and reduce stress by doing what I call “Umbrella Breathing”: Visualize your lungs as a 3-dimensional umbrella. Imagine you are opening the umbrella by taking a full inhale to expand your lungs as much as possible. Pause at the top of the breath, then take a full calm exhale (as if you were sighing in relief). Pause again at the bottom of your breath and repeat. Decide which way is easier for you: the inhale or the exhale? Then focus on the weaker direction to help increase the absorption of oxygen. It’s so simple but the benefits are increased metabolism, better posture, decreased stress, more energy and even feeling more inspired. How do you SWEAT OFTEN? Get on my Bellicon rebounder and do my Total Body foam roller Workout Aligned Life video series Foam rolling increases circulation, smoothes out fascia and helps ‘wring’ out your organs all of which can help regenerate and restructure your connective tissue, reduce stress and inflammation, detoxify your body, and even beat cellulite once and for all. Cellulite occurs when underlying fat pushes through weakened, dry, or brittle connective tissue (or fascia). This weakened or imbalanced connective tissue structure can be caused by gravity, aging,
