4 Reasons NOT to Go On a Liquid Cleanse Diet

  Q: What are your thoughts on doing a liquid cleanse diet? A: I’m a fan of a cleanse diet. However, I’m not a fan of a liquid cleanse diet. It’s hard to feel empowered when you’re drinking your breakfast. And your lunch. And your snacks. And your dinner. . . I need to chew. You?   I prefer a real food cleanse diet. I believe in eating whole foods to fuel and energize your body. Eating proper portions of fiber rich, high antioxidant foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and also eating lean protein and healthy fat, will give you the results you want for your health and weight for the long term. You don’t need to go to the extreme of liquid cleansing to achieve this. Yep, as boring as it may sound, eating healthy foods as part of an overall balanced diet is the best way to lose weight and keep it off.  4 benefits from a real food cleanse diet for a few days include Now, there are exceptions to every rule. I may green light a liquid cleanse for a specific situation or condition such as an individual needing to recover from GI distress. Sometimes bowel rest can be helpful to get a client back on a healthy track. Very infrequently I may have a client who needs something extreme to break a cycle and get to a new starting point on a healthy diet and a food cleanse isn’t an option because they’re overwhelmed by the prep (simple as it may be) or really resistant to alternatives. But, 99% of the time I recommend a whole, real solid food cleanse, not a liquid cleanse. Here are 4 reasons why I don’t like a liquid cleanse diet: Steer clear of liquid cleansing. If you want to take your healthy diet up a notch and give yourself a nutrition boost and weight loss push, try one of my real food cleanses!

How to Eat Healthy at a Holiday Meal

So you wanna learn how to eat healthy so you don’t have to unbutton your pants at the table this year. I get it. It’s almost become an accepted way of life that a huge holiday meal equals planning to stuff yourself, then actually stuffing yourself, then beating yourself up for stuffing yourself. What if this year could be different? What if this year you planned on enjoying your favorite holiday foods, actually enjoyed the holiday foods in an empowered manner, and then congratulated yourself for enjoying the holiday foods and ending the day feeling great about yourself? Guess what? It’s not as hard as you think. Learning how to eat healthy is a skill that takes practice, but you have to decide to do the work. And what better time than now? I want you to enjoy the holidays this year, and ring in the new year in your same pant size. How great will it be to not vow to lose 10 pounds this year come January, because you never gained them?! There are 5 rules to holiday eating that I always share with my clients, and I’m sharing them with you today. How to Eat Healthy at a Holiday Meal 1. Be a Wo/Man with a Plan. Before you embark on your Thanksgiving, Christmas, or Hanukkah adventures, take a minute to decide what you are going to eat, indulge in, or taste. If you take a few moments before you begin to really think and plan, you will set yourself up to be successful. Sometimes a little planning is all you need to get you through the day enjoying your meal and feeling good too! 2. Take Control with a little Portion Control. Remember to load up on the cleanest cooked vegetables available, salad, and turkey breast, ham, or whatever lean protein is served. Limit the sides and desserts. Choose 2 tablespoons of 2 decadent sides to indulge in and keep the rest of your plate green and lean! Of course, you should enjoy your meal, but get the leftovers out of the house and definitely do not take a doggie bag home. Removing tempting indulgences will help you get back to your Nutritious Life as soon as the holiday is over. RELATED: The Best Portion Control Hack to Avoid Overeating 3. Drink Up, Up, Up! Unwanted calories from beverages can undermine your work. Have a full glass of water or seltzer (with lemon) before the meal and match each glass of wine with a glass of water. Avoid the eggnog and fancy coffee drinks—those calories take the worst revenge and can plump you up in no time. End your meal with an herbal tea instead. 4. Choose the Most Nutrient Dense Foods. Roasted chestnuts, a tablespoon of cranberries, roasted root vegetables, turkey breast, and a spoonful of winter squash are loaded with nutrition! Make sure you are getting these powerhouses in, in place of the stuffing, mashed potatoes and corn bread, which may be less healthful. Making these nutritious choices on the holiday will have you feeling proud and inspired to make better choices the day after and beyond. RELATED: The Power of a Healthy Breakfast: Setting You Up for a Healthier Day 5. Get Up and Go. Do the best you can to move during the day! If it’s snowing outside, build an enormous snowman or have a super competitive snowball fight. If the weather is nice outdoors, rally the family for a 30 minute walk around the neighborhood or a game of touch football. If you’re stuck inside, try a competitive karaoke session with mandatory dance moves or teach your family their first yoga sequence. If all else fails, just offer to chase around after the little ones, since they never can sit still. Their very tired parents will thank you. Remember: Listen to your body! Stop eating when you are slightly satisfied even if it seems to go against the spirit of “stuffing” on Thanksgiving or Ho-Ho-Ho-ing on Christmas. ENJOY your holiday. It is one meal that should be cherished and celebrated. Keep your Nutritious Life in the forefront of your mind and know we’re cheering on your holiday efforts! You’ve got this! (Image: Shutterstock)

Will Hanukkah Ruin My Diet?

Ask Keri: Will indulging during Hanukkah completely ruin my diet? Keri Says: People always ask me, “how bad is it to eat chocolate every day?”  I also hear things like, “I know it’s bad, but I have to have a cookie with my tea in the afternoon.” I think what’s actually being asked is: will indulging in some of my favorite things undo all my weight loss or healthy weight maintenance efforts? What if I have something decadent every day? I’m opening up this topic once again because a client I worked with recently has lost 40 pounds this year and is worried that celebrating 8 nights of Hanukkah will set her way back. I’m sure it won’t surprise you that when she asked, “Can I truly celebrate all 8 nights without ruining all of my hard work?” my answer was a resounding YES! I have tons of experience navigating holidays and celebrations with clients successfully. YOU can do it, too. Here’s how. Step 1: Eat as clean and simply as possible during the day. You should have one or two go-to healthy breakfasts, healthy lunches, and healthy snacks that you enjoy and can bounce between. For example: Breakfast #1: 6 oz Greek yogurt, 10 almonds, 1 cup blueberries Breakfast #2: 2 hard boiled eggs, 1 cup spinach, 1 sliced tomato Lunch #1: 5 oz grilled chicken, 2 cups kale, tomatoes, cucumbers, sprouts, ⅓ avocado Lunch #2: 12 oz turkey and vegetable chili, celery and carrot sticks, 1 tablespoon sour cream Snack #1: Green apple and 2 teaspoons nut butter Snack #2: Crudités and 2 tablespoons hummus Step 2: Make dinner a party of lean proteins, such as beef, chicken, beans, fish, or lentils over a piled-high plate of salad greens and veggies prepared with little added fat.  Step 3: Make a promise to yourself (and with us as your witnesses) that you will NO LONGER call your indulgence “bad” but will now call it what it is: a “conscious indulgence”. And make that indulgence part of your celebration, with not a speck of guilt or judgment in sight. RELATED: Why You Should Eat Pumpkin Pie and Enjoy Every Calorie So, go ahead and add a planned treat to your meal—maybe a slice of challah, a perfectly fried latke, or a little bag of Hanukkah gelt (90 calories, 5 grams of fat). There is definitely room in your clean and beautiful day of eating for a planned indulgence. Since you get 8 nights, you don’t need the latke, challah, and gelt all at once. You can spread them out with one treat each night. Just like you did with your Halloween candy, you decide if it’s “better” to indulge in one day, like we do on Christmas, or stretch out the pleasure of the food over 8 nights, Hanukkah style. Whatever you choose, make a plan to stick to your healthy way of eating and plan your conscious indulging mindfully. Happy holidays!

3 Ways to Stop Emotional Eating This Holiday Season

Emotional eating is totally a thing, and if there’s ever a time that it’s more likely to happen, it’s the holidays. What exactly is emotional eating? For starters, emotional eating is a response to both bad and good emotions—although emotional eating due to positive emotions usually gets a lot less attention. Some of us are self-proclaimed stress-eaters. I’m thinking about the college students cramming for exams and downing bags of chips and M&Ms while they’re studying. Power-eating popcorn during a suspenseful movie also comes to mind. RELATED: Healthy Eating 101: How to Eat Healthy in College Others of us chomp our way through disappointment, sadness and loneliness. You pick up the pint of ice cream when you find out your end-of-year bonus isn’t coming through, or comfort yourself with a pound of holiday fudge because you can’t get home for Christmas. The holidays are filled with mixed emotions and it is usually a stressful time. Couple that with celebrating the togetherness of the holidays with a stocked fridge and pantry. And when I say stocked, I don’t mean with healthy foods. I mean packed full of all the I eat this once-a-year-foods—things like peppermint bark, snowflake cookies and eggnog.  Emotional eating has nothing to do with hunger, nutrition or wellness goals. Food is not made up of only vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and fiber. It’s also made up of stuff that connects us to our feelings. So, how do you stop emotional eating? And how can you make it through the emotional roller coaster of the holiday season without throwing your goals out the (perfectly trimmed) window? Great question.  RELATED: Enroll in Keri Glassman’s 4-Part Emotional Eating Course Here are my top tips for how to stop emotional eating. Keri Glassman’s Top Tips to Stop Emotional Eating Reframe your intentions Yes, you could choose to go through the holidays focusing on the guilt for not remembering to buy your colleague a gift, sleep-deprived because you’ve been burning the candle at both ends to get everything done, stressed out because the holiday cards haven’t arrived … and so on and so on. You could also choose to get through the holidays mindfully. Making the choice to focus on celebrating the company you keep, being in the moment and giving attention to your holiday traditions. This may help keep from getting too stressed, overwhelmed, and reaching for the soothing arms of that hot cocoa with whipped cream and chocolate drizzle. For when you do feel stressed (hey, it happens!), try keeping a warm mug of tea on hand. It will serve many purposes: The heat and smell will soothe and relax you and your feelings, it will hydrate you, and it will serve as a reminder to keep your wellness a priority. Know that YOU are in control You do not have to be a victim of the stress and general emotional energy-suck of the holidays. Instead, try this: Decide in advance what you’re going to bring to Aunt Edna’s holiday potluck (rosemary spiced nuts, anyone?), so you know you have a healthy snack on hand. Have a satisfying and healthy dinner before you head out to the office party so you don’t wind up making puff pastries your meal. Or, go ahead and make the decision to stick to seltzer with a sprinkle of pomegranate seeds instead of champagne. Keeping a food journal is also helpful. For one, it will help you see that the “binge” you thought you had was actually just a little too much brie, but it will also help you eat less. Knowing you will have to write it down will make you think twice before going for seconds of the pie. Bottom line: Feeling empowered helps you control your emotions and your eating. Triple D yourself Finally, use the three Ds when you’re trying to stop an emotional eating situation. Delay. Slow yourself down. Don’t head straight for the food. Start with a glass of water, tea or seltzer and make a conscious decision to slow your intake. Nobody is going to rip your plate out from under you and the appetizer tray will still be there in 15 minutes. Slow down, friend. Distract. You should be catching up with friends and family. That is what the holiday season is really about. Distract yourself by talking to your loved ones, checking out the ornaments on the tree, or lending a hand to the host. Disarm. Don’t keep unwanted food in the house. Don’t hover over the buffet table. Out of sight, out of mind. On a similar note, don’t bring sweets and treats home. Keep your home focused on health and wellness by stocking up on winter produce such as grapefruit, clementines, pomegranate and root veggies. RELATED: How to Add Winter Produce to Your Diet (and Why You Should)

9 Weight Loss Tips During Thanksgiving

You’re looking for weight loss tips because you want to do Thanksgiving differently this year, right? Usually, you eat until you’re stuffed, fall asleep on the couch, and wake up in the 4th quarter of some football game. If this is you, we promise you, you’re not alone. If football’s not your jam, you might retreat to a bedroom and pass out in a food coma on a proper bed. You tell yourself it was all that tryptophan from the turkey. But does the tryptophan in turkey really make you feel tired? Not really. Turkey contains an essential amino acid called L-tryptophan, which the body uses to produce the brain chemical serotonin. Serotonin can help us sleep by improving our mood and promoting relaxation. As it turns out, turkey contains almost the same amount of tryptophan as chicken, pork, and beef. What’s more, egg whites, soybeans and cheddar cheese have even more tryptophan than turkey. So, what are the real culprits behind your post-Thanksgiving marathon nap? Aside from typical overconsumption of food and alcohol, it’s usually just the result of too many carb-heavy foods and throwing your healthy diet out the window. Mashed potatoes, corn bread, stuffing, and apple pie—oh my! All of those starchy carbs can quickly raise blood sugar and may encourage sleep. This year, begin a new tradition. Eat a little less, drink a little more (water!), feel a lot better, and maybe you won’t even need the nap. You’ll be ready to show Black Friday who’s boss. 9 Weight Loss Tips During Thanksgiving 1. Begin with breakfast. Eat consistently throughout the day beginning with a well-balanced, healthy breakfast. 2. Eat before you party. Choose from your arsenal of healthy snacks before you go to a holiday dinner. To control hunger, try eating two high-fiber crackers with 2 teaspoons of natural nut butter or a hard-boiled egg as a pre-party snack. 3. Offer to bring a dish. There may not be many healthy foods offered at your party, but that’s OK. By bringing your own healthy dish, at least you’ll have one go-to—and you’ll know exactly what’s in it. 4. Turn on your healthy food radar. Load up on lighter and cleaner appetizers with healthy fats, such as crudité with a portion of hummus. 5. Set your sip limit. Give yourself a drink maximum before the meal begins. Remember to sip slowly and choose lower-calorie and low-sugar options such as vodka and seltzer or wine spritzers. 6. Exercise! An hour spent burning calories will also motivate you to make healthier choices later in the day. 7. Control your portions. This includes veggies. Unless you’ve prepared them, they could be loaded with sneaky ingredients such as margarine or sugary sauces. (Here’s a handy portion control hack for you to try.) Don’t let desserts derail your healthy lifestyle either. Slice your own pie so you can control the size. And skip that crust. 8. Listen to your body. Stop eating once you’re slightly satisfied. Period. You’ll have much better memories of a meal enjoyed than a meal overindulged in. Focus on your family and friends, not food. 9. Drink plenty of water. Drinking adequate water promotes what’s known as a thermogenic state, which increases your metabolic rate. This will help to keep you from overeating and help you feel full, so you don’t actually stuff yourself full. 10. Enjoy your day. And here’s a bonus tip for you. When it comes to Thanksgiving or any gathering of family and friends, don’t forget to enjoy your day. Consciously and wisely (with the tips here) indulge in your favorite foods and have a very happy Thanksgiving. Take Your Hunger for Nutrition and Wellness Knowledge to the Next Level If you love learning about the best foods, drinks, and lifestyle habits for total wellness, think of how awesome it would be to learn and share this life-changing info as a side hustle… or even your full-time job. Our Become a Nutrition Coach certification course gives you a solid foundation in nutrition science, plus techniques for coaching clients and growing your new business—all within a community of passionate, like-minded friends. It’s the perfect way to inspire the next generation of healthier people all across the globe. Request a sneak peek of the Become a Nutrition Coach program here and see how you can put your passion for wellness to work. (Images: Shutterstock)

3 Quick and Healthy Lunch Box Ideas

Some days, it can be hard enough to figure out what you want for lunch, never mind your kids. And, let’s face it, sometimes healthy and exciting lunch box ideas can be hard to come by. You know you need to pack a nutritious lunch for your kids in order to keep them sharp and help them power through their day. But whatever you put into their lunch box better also be tasty, or they won’t give it a second look and will gladly munch on their friends’ extra cookies and crackers instead. So, what’s a time-pinched, busy mom with school-aged kids who need to eat healthy, delicious meals to do? Check out our three simple lunch box ideas, of course! 3 Quick and Healthy Lunch Box Ideas for Kids Peanut Butter & Jelly Old school processed peanut butter and sugary jelly squished between white bread is a nutrition nightmare. However, this lunchtime staple can be transformed into a nutrition powerhouse before you can say YUM! Here’s how to make over this old standby:  Upgrade the sugar-heavy processed peanut butter with a natural peanut butter or other nut or seed butter (think almond butter, cashew butter, or even sunflower seed butter).  Swap ultra-processed white bread for whole grain bread, Ezekial bread, or high-fiber crackers.  While you’re swapping, why not switch out a store-bought, sugar-filled jelly with freshly sliced strawberries, an all-fruit spread, or even dehydrated fruit for a little crunch? Dehydrated fruit pulls out a bunch of the sugar and takes nutrition up a notch with vitamin C and fiber. Just be sure to watch for added sugars in store-bought varieties—if you can dehydrate the fruit at home, that’s even better. Rice & Beans It’s challenging to improve on rice and beans, but even the most devoted legume and whole grain lover has to admit that cooking time is a factor in making this perfect pair. Not only that, but white rice and your same ole beans deserve to be leveled up a notch.  If your modern self doesn’t have hours to labor over those beans, whip up some quinoa in the 20 minutes it takes to help your daughter decide on her outfit du jour and pair it with faster-cooking legumes, like lentils or peas, for a delicious balance of fiber-rich, nutrient-dense flavor. In a real time crunch? Lean on BPA-free canned lentils. They’re just as delish, and it doesn’t get much faster than opening up a can. Top your concoction with avocado, salsa, sriracha (if you have a daring kid!) or sour cream to turn it into a meal. While this speedy-prep option is a time saver, it also offers all the fiber, B vitamins, and nutritional benefits of the classic version, so you’re not losing a thing by taking a shortcut.  RELATED: Try These 5 Healthy Snack Ideas that Require NO Skills Milk & Cookies While nothing could possibly replace the taste and comfort of this yummy duo, nutritional improvements are easy to sneak in with no loss of flavor. Small swaps and substitutions go a long way, and your kiddos will never notice the difference. At the very least, make your cookies at home versus leaning on store-bought varieties. This small trick alone is a major healthiness upgrade.  Halve the sugar in your cookie recipe. Spoon in some flax meal and replace all-purpose flour with almond flour.  Upgrade your milk by making it organic or switching to unsweetened almond milk.  Ready to take things a step further? See if you can get your kiddos on board with Three-Seed Energy Balls and a beautiful green Iced Almond Matcha Latte for a combo full of plant-based protein, fiber, antioxidants, and healthy omega-3 fatty acids. Sweet, satisfying, and healthy—sounds like a win to us!  If you’re looking for a smarter, faster swap for traditional packaged snacks, Sunnie Snacks is a game-changer. These on-the-go snack kits bring together real, wholesome ingredients with kid-approved flavors (think pizza dippers and hummus plates). They skip the refined sugar, seed oils, and mystery ingredients you don’t want in your child’s lunchbox while still delivering the convenience every parent needs.  While not every lunch box idea will be a home run, we bet these three options will end up on regular rotation. Here’s to happy, healthy kiddos… and happy, healthy mamas!

Healthy Eating 101: How to Eat Healthy in College

For those headed to college, it can be a nerve-racking time of change. New housing, new friends, new classes—essentially a new start. I may not be able to help you decide which sorority to rush, or if he is really into you, but I can definitely help you avoid the freshman (or sophomore, junior or senior) 15. I want to give you a little gift that I hope will keep eating healthy high on your priority list since your brain is bound to be overloaded with many other things. Really, you’ll come to find out that being prepared is 90% of what you do in life. So, if you’re prepared to eat well and know where healthy foods are always available, the follow-through will come easily. The same lesson can be applied to your schoolwork, but I’ll let your parents point that out to you. Here’s how to prioritize your well-being in order to thrive in college this semester. How to Eat Healthy in College 1. Eat breakfast, even if you wake up at lunchtime. Even if you get up at noon, begin every day with a healthy breakfast that includes a high-fiber carbohydrate (fruit and/or whole wheat toast, for example) and a lean protein and/or healthy fat. Not only will it help to rev your metabolism, stabilize your blood sugar, control your hunger and boost your energy, but studies have shown (over and over) that students who eat a healthy breakfast do better in their classes. Even if you don’t have time to sit down for  breakfast, keep healthy items in your dorm room for on-the-go breakfasts. For example: Single-serve oatmeal (easy to pop in the microwave and add your own berries and spices). Try Quaker Original, 365 Everyday Value Original. Feeling adventurous? Add some protein to your oatmeal for a fulfilling breakfast. Individual containers of milk (or almond milk) Natural peanut butter (also try packets of nut butters) Fruit (grab a piece from the dining hall to save as a snack later) Healthy, hot cereal cups, such as Wildway (you can always find some hot water!) Greek yogurt Individual hummus containers.  Individual portions of cheese. Try Cabot Seriously Sharp Cheddar Snack Bars Hardboiled eggs (can buy pre-cooked or hard boil a big batch in your dorm’s kitchen at once) Individual chia seed packs Nuts (such as individual packets of raw cashews, almonds and walnuts).  For makeshift breakfast ideas, try: Hard boiled eggs, cheese stick and a piece of fruit Oatmeal, packet of nut butter Apple, piece of cheese Yogurt, nuts and chia seeds 2. Navigate the dining hall with healthy finesse. When you head to the dining hall, think of a meal game plan. Are you headed to the salad bar or the sandwich station? Are you going for the hot entree or the soup?  Whichever you choose, prep yourself before you walk in and stick to the game plan. Treat this like you are prepping to write a paper or studying for your chemistry test. It’s just as important and definitely more fun! Some tips for whichever way you go: Eat grilled: Ask for grilled chicken (or burger or veggie burger) with a whole wheat bun or bread. Add some veggies from the salad bar and a side of brown rice. These healthy, fiber-filled carbs will keep you satisfied while providing more nutrients than other options like white bread or white rice. Add extra veggies: Add extra vegetables, such as beets or roasted peppers, from the salad bar to an open-faced turkey sandwich or wrap. This will make it more filling without loading up on empty calories. Eat the rainbow at the salad bar: See how many colors you can throw on top of your leafy greens and pair it with a good protein source. Keep this tip in mind if you have an exam after lunch! Foods like leafy greens, avocados and blueberries are great for helping you stay focused and boosting brain function. Avoid the rich sauces: If the hot entree appears uber-loaded with some buttery sauce, then skip it. Grab the hot veggies instead and add lean protein from the sandwich station to your plate. Control your portions: Pour cereal in a small coffee cup instead of those family-sized bowls and couple it with protein. It’s hard to judge how much to pour when cereal is served in huge, self-serve dispensers. Better yet, go for hot cereal like oatmeal, which is a better choice than most of the cold cereals. Choose seltzer over soda: Always choose seltzer instead of sodas and juices from the drink dispensers. Hydrating with water is also super important; it makes up 60% of our body, but can also help beat that seasonal slump in the colder winter months. Don’t hang in the dining hall. Use it to eat. Lingering can cause you to eat more than you need just because you are there.  Don’t forget to look around and assess what is really available. Often there are many options that are baked, broiled, steamed, roasted, or grilled. This will make it easier to avoid foods that are fried, sautéed, breaded, crispy, creamed, batter-dipped, or buttered. 3. Make sure you take exercise 101. When you plan your semester and know your schedule, plug in where and when you’ll exercise, just as if it were a class you couldn’t miss. That’s right, treat physical activity in your schedule with the same importance as your classes, study sessions, group meetings, social events, and other appointments. Whether you go to the gym, walk to class, join an intramural sports team, take a fitness class for credit, or set up a workout corner in your room, daily exercise can improve your mood, help relieve stress and anxiety, increase your energy, promote better sleep, and help you maintain your weight. 4. Keep your caffeine in check. While 1 to 2 cups of coffee per day are fine, don’t depend on soda, coffee or energy drinks as a substitute for sleep. This can actually backfire and cause

The Fastest Way to Lose Weight This Week

You’re searching high and low for the fastest way to lose weight this week. You’re stressing. You’re kicking yourself for eating pizza over the weekend and missing your Sunday morning hot yoga class because you were hungover. Whether it’s for a date with the hot new guy at the office (our lips are sealed), that tropical vacation you’ve been waiting on for months, or as a jumpstart to your weight loss plan, you need to drop a few pounds stat. We’ve all been there. If you want to look amazing in your LBD but the zipper is way tight and you can’t quite sit down in your favorite jeans at the moment, read on for the fastest way to lose weight in a jiffy. And no, starving yourself is not the answer. The Fastest Way to Lose Weight This Week 1. Eat Empowered Eat real food. Often.  Stop worrying about what extreme diet you need to start. Stop counting calories and start thinking about the real food you’re going to eat. Eat breakfast, lunch and dinner—and at least one snack a day (no skipping meals!)—consisting of whole, real foods. I’m talking loads of veggies, lean protein such as grass-fed steak, chicken, fish and eggs, and healthy fats as in cashews, pecans, olives, avocado and coconut. Ditch the packaged and processed foods—especially anything that includes added sugar. If you need an exact plan, I’ve got you covered here. Begin your day with breakfast and eat every few hours or when you feel slightly hungry and stop when you feel slightly satisfied. Not sure what that feels like? Check out this hack . Eating real food combined with listening to your body is your new winning combo. Fact: Eating real food makes you feel better and that alone can make you look better. If you’re skimping on nutrients or need a way to boost your protein, check out our Nutritious Life-developed Life’s Abundance Greens Blend and Life’s Abundance Vanilla Plant Protein. It’s the fastest way to up your nutrition game. RELATED: Sugar Cravings: 4 Reasons They Happen and How to Stop Them 2. Sweat Often Get 45 minutes of movement in—every day this week. I’m a fan of mixing up exercise. This might mean getting in HIIT workouts one day, long bouts of cardio or a hike on another, and pilates and yoga on other days. But, most of all, I’m a fan of being consistent with exercising and moving, in whatever way, shape or form makes you feel your best. The fastest way to lose weight means sticking with whatever movement makes you feel good. When you feel good, you’re more likely to be consistent. Also, when you feel you good, you eat well and you sleep well which, guess what … helps you eat well again. This intertwined cycle is what a Nutritious Life is all about. This week, I want you to focus on being consistent with your exercise and doing it daily. You don’t even need to hit a gym to get it in. Here’s a quickie workout I do just about anywhere. Five-mile run sound good? Do it. Spin class right up your alley? Get that in. Hike in the hills all you want to do? Go for it. Fact: Yes, you’ll shed pounds by burning calories when you exercise, but exercising also increases blood flow. This helps with circulation and gives your skin a healthy glow. Exercise can also help reduce stress, which will help you sleep better. Both exercise and sleep are needed to calm your nerves. RELATED: Quick 5-Minute Full-Body Workout You Can Do Anywhere 3. Sleep Deep Aim for 8 hours of sleep a night, settle for no less than 7.  For some reason, sleep is still one of those things that we give up in order to fit everything else into our busy schedules. Many of us still feel like we should get a gold star when we triumphantly go without sleep to log more hours at a bar chatting it up with friends or burning the midnight oil at our desk. Unfortunately, no medals awarded here. Sleep should be a top priority. It’s right up there with what we put into our bodies, especially when we want to be looking and feeling our best. This week, practice good sleep hygiene by picking a bedtime and sticking to it. Allow yourself 15 minutes of winding down time before your head hits the pillow. Fact: They don’t call it “beauty sleep” for nothing. While we sleep, our body’s natural antioxidant and sleep hormone, melatonin, fights off free radical invaders. If you’re not getting enough sleep at night, you’re reducing the amount of time that melatonin gets to fight off wrinkles, and those bags under your eyes will only get worse. By getting enough sleep at night, you not only look and feel well-rested, but your immune system will be strengthened. RELATED: Sleep Procrastination: What It Is and How to Stop Doing It, Pronto! 4. Drink Up Drink eight glasses of water and two cups of green tea a day. For two days before your special occasion, drink one cup of dandelion root tea as well. Trust me, this one is important. Being properly hydrated is linked to metabolism, energy and skin health. Fact: It might sound counterintuitive, but drinking water throughout the day, helps you to reduce bloating, flush out toxins, hydrate your skin to achieve a healthy glow, and keep your digestive organs in good working order. On top of that, green tea has been shown to boost metabolism and dandelion tea will help flush you out, further reducing toxins and any bloating. RELATED: Do I Really Need to Be Drinking Water to Lose Weight? 5. Nurture Yourself No time or money to book that expensive facial? Have no fear, your DIY cleansers are here. Give these easy homemade facial cleanser and mask a try. You’ll almost be able to feel the antioxidants and nutrients seep into your skin making it soft, smooth

2 Farro Salad Recipes You NEED in Your Life

Kale salad, check. Three berry fruit salad, check. Cucumber salad, check. Farro salad? Hmmmm. You’re eating clean. Getting in those greens. Drinking your tea. And, chowing down on nuts and avocado. But, you still need a little substance. Something solid as a side dish (or even a main meal) when salmon and spinach alone don’t do the trick. Rice? Pasta? No, thank you, refined starchy evildoers. Quinoa? Been there, done that. Enter your new friend farro, also known as emmer or “true farro’. Sometimes this ancient grain gets confused with spelt, worthy of praise too, but different in taste, texture and nutrients than the real deal variety. When you need a hearty side dish that you can feel empowered eating, give this really retro grain a try. Farro is a whole grain loaded with vits and mins, fiber and a little protein. Its also your new grain friend-with-benefits; it’s lower in calories than brown rice and quinoa, and higher in fiber. Queue the mic drop. Here are two of my fave go-to farro salad recipes for you to give a try:   Fresh Mozzarella Farro Salad – Get the Recipe!   Asparagus Farro Salad – Get the Recipe!    

2 Reasons to Have a Healthy Sex Life

Q: You’re a nutritionist. Why in the world do you talk about sex? A: Having a healthy sex life means different things to different people. So when I ask my clients about theirs, I’ve seen more than a few jaws drop in my days. Why am I digging into this topic? As part of a whole person and Nutritious Life approach to wellness and weight management, it’s important to look at what’s happening between my clients’ sheets. But the dirty deets aren’t what I’m after. Scientists have linked feel-good hormones with achieving and maintaining a healthy weight. We all have stressors and stress hormones that build up in our systems and act like toxins in our bodies. But there are also hormones that do exactly the opposite – they make us feel good. These hormones deserve just as much attention, which is why I’m chatting it up about your sex life.   2 Reasons to Have a Healthy Sex Life   1. Oxytocin Oxytocin is well studied for its calming effects. It’s released from the pituitary during orgasm, hugging, touching, breastfeeding, bonding, and feel-good moments. It floods the body with relaxation messages and lowers anxiety and the brain’s natural resistance responses. It’s also associated with increasing feelings of trust and generosity. Why is this so important for anyone trying to live a healthy life or eat a healthy diet? Because we all know there is so much research linking stress to weight gain. So if having a healthy sex life increases your oxytocin which lowers your stress, it can help you actually lose weight! Boom.   2. Endorphins Endorphins are linked to feelings of well-being. They are naturally released from the brain and spinal cord during sex, exercise, physical activity, positive thinking, and emotional stimulus. They’re also associated with lessening feelings of pain and depression by triggering positive feelings and reducing feelings of stress. Why is this so important for anyone trying to live a healthy life and eat a balanced diet? Again, that stress and weight gain thing. Having a healthy sex life releases endorphins, which lowers stress, which helps you lose weight. Double boom. So there you have it. Having a healthy sex life in this case has nothing to do with Rated R details. It has everything to do with hormones, and it’s one of the best ways to lose weight. Oxytocin and endorphins stimulate a metabolic process to reduce the intake of calories, reduce hunger and slow the digestion of fat. The more you feel good, the greater your health, weight management, and wellness benefit, the smaller your pant size, the more you want to have sex…it’s a cycle that just keeps on going! Now go get busy…  

How to Eat Healthy Without Getting Bored

So you either already learned how to eat healthy, or you’re now learning to eat healthy, but you can’t possibly eat another carrot stick or suck down another green juice and don’t even get you started on scrambled egg whites for breakfast every.single.day. Sound familiar? Ever wish you could just invent new foods? It’s something I hear about often from my clients. They are b-o-r-e-d with their healthy routine. After a few weeks or months of following various diet plans, it’s easy to lean too heavily on the same few healthy foods and meals. (Your refrigerator just called, and it’s really tired of yogurt, too!) So while I can’t conjure up a variety of broccoli that tastes like chocolate or transform salad greens into pasta or create a new fat burning food, I do know there are hundreds of tricks to put new zing in your old healthy eating standbys. Learning how to eat healthy doesn’t have to be the most boring thing you’ve ever done, and staying healthy doesn’t have to be an exercise in monotony. How to Eat Healthy Without Getting Bored Shake up your yogurt routine Make it savory: Instead of adding fruit, cinnamon or honey to your yogurt, add ¼ cup of chopped cucumbers, ¼ cup of tomatoes, ½ teaspoon of olive oil, and a dash of red wine vinegar for a tangy, Mediterranean-inspired snack. Pair it with raw veggies. Make it dessert-worthy: Add 1 tbsp of natural peanut butter and 1 tsp cocoa powder for a peanut-buttery chocolate treat. Note: you can do this with oats too! Make it tea-licious: Green tea doesn’t just belong in a mug. Sprinkle in 1 tbsp of matcha powder and stir some antioxidants right into your bowl. Add sex appeal to sandwiches Try something richer: Spread on a little healthy fat, from hummus, mashed avocado or a nut butter. Crunch it up: Sprinkle sliced almonds, finely chopped walnuts, or cashews on turkey or grilled chicken wraps. Make it ethnic: Mango chutney or spicy salsa can give your sandwich some flavor pizzazz.   Un-blah food with more flavor Turn up the heat: Cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, wasabi or hot sauce make so many dishes more interesting, from your morning eggs to your evening chicken breast. Diet food does not mean tasteless food. Remember this always. Rediscover zest: Add fresh lemon or lime juice, white balsamic vinegar, pomegranate champagne vinegar or ginger rice vinegar to kick up the flavor profile of savory dishes, especially fish. Make it earthy: Add mixed mushrooms (shitake, Portobello, Oyster) to tomato sauce, stir fries or tacos for a woodsy, hearty flavor, or if you’re sick of lettuce wrapped turkey burgers try portobello mushrooms with the turkey burger in between.  

Why New Year’s Resolutions Fail

It’s new year’s resolutions time! Again. Sigh. Is your resolution this year the same one you had last year because you kinda fell off the wagon some time in, oh, February? Well, then, my advice to you is to scrap the whole resolutions thing altogether. You heard me right. Scrap ’em. I’m obviously not a fan of resolutions. Mostly, they just set you up to fail, and they’re right up there with the concepts of willpower and guilt-free eating in my book. Big thumbs down all around. I actually cringe when I hear clients vow to “never eat chocolate again” or “give up carbs forever”. Most of these types of new year’s resolutions are broken or forgotten before Valentine’s Day because they’re too extreme. You may know you want to try a no carb diet, or that chocolate is your downfall, but focusing on the end point, rather than the process is why most resolutions fail. {Tweet this} In other words, change your mindset from “I’m gonna lose 10 pounds” to “I’m gonna learn how to eat healthy.” And c’mon, chocolate is way too delicious to never eat again. The trick is to learn how to enjoy a conscious indulgence. As far as eating carbs? Your body needs them! Don’t give them up, rather learn which are the healthy kind and and how to incorporate them into a healthy diet. Wanna really pull out a knockout you this year? Don’t buy into fads or try something you don’t want to do forever. Instead, take the time to acknowledge your diet history and figure out what didn’t work in the past, so you don’t keep repeating the same diet mistakes. (If you’re frustrated in this department, check out my ebook Why Can’t I Drop the Weight.) Learn to listen to your body, rather than that infomercial promising a brand new you in two short weeks. Specifically, I’m talking about Hunger Quotient (HQ). Everybody has one at all times, and it’s a tool that may be one best ways to lose weight. Nutritious Life is rooted in 8 pillars of health and wellness that lead to the healthiest you that you can build. I always say, it’s not just about the food. If you ignore your stress levels, no matter how hard you’re dieting you’ll still probably gain weight. If you’re skimping on sleep, your body is going to be craving those carbs you vowed to give up and you’ll eventually begin throwing in the towel for a bagel every morning. If you aren’t taking time to keep your desk clean, chances are your pantry and fridge will also suffer. All of these things that have nothing to do with food affect your healthy eating efforts, and eventually, well, affect everything about food. Instead of un-doable resolutions this year, begin to improve a little with small goals, resolutions, and intentions that are guaranteed to bring out the best you. For example, if you’re already into healthy eating and feel your balanced diet is super strong, bring it up a notch by trying to get 2 cups of dark green leafy’s and 5 – 7 servings of veggies each day. If you’re weak in the sleep department, set yourself up with a sleep hygiene ritual to improve your shut eye. You’re already fabulous, no matter what dress size you are. Use the Nutritious Life pillars as your foundation this year and you’ll be ringing in next year in whatever dress size you want.