The Best Healthy Gifts to Give this Year

Shouldn’t every gift you give help your loved ones live their most Nutritious Lives? We think so! That’s why our official 2016 Nutritious Life Gift Guide is filled with unique, healthy gifts for everyone on your list. Help your foodie sister-in-law stock her kitchen with tools for eating well in 2017 (organic artisan spices?), for example, or your fitness-obsessed BFF recover faster (the best foam roller!). Here are the healthy gifts everyone will be excited to unwrap—whether they’re already committed to a wellness-focused lifestyle or you’re giving them a friendly holiday nudge in the right direction. Healthy Gifts: Eat Empowered The Well Necessities Subscription, $40–50 A seasonal delivery of functional foods and lifestyle essentials that protect and promote your health, curated by dietitian Lisa Hayim, MS, RD, a graduate of The Nutrition School. (You can gift one delivery or set someone up for the whole year.) Organic Artisan Baking Spices in Magnetic Jars, $140 Art Basel meets Food Network: These good-for-you spices look like a piece of art and are super functional at the same time, since they stick right onto the fridge for easy access. Brass Spoon Rest, $32–110 The home cook and hostess will love this chic piece for resting spoons while whipping up a feast or putting them out for serving at a dinner party. Life’s Abundance Plant Protein Chocolate Powder, $55 Something for a smoothie-lover’s stocking? This plant-based protein powder is made with the highest quality, clean ingredients (I should know—I helped formulate it!). The Hemsley + Hemsley Spiralizer, $17 For the pasta lover who’s trying every strategy to cut back on carbs, this veggie noodle tool—made by cool food bloggers Jasmine and Melissa Hemsley will transform meal time. Healthy Gifts: Drink Up S’well Water Bottle, $25–45 S’well’s bottles keep water cold for 24 hours and, in cool patterns like Dark Forest, are super chic. They come in multiple sizes (the small nine-ounce is great for kids to throw in their backpacks), and gifting one also means giving back, since the company helps provide clean drinking water to kids around the world. House of Matcha Gift Set, $89 Matcha’s position as the trendiest tea isn’t budging in 2017, and that makes us happy, given its health benefits and taste. This gorgeous gift set comes with the highest quality matcha. Healthy Gifts: Sleep Deep Thrive Pillow, $88 A fun, cheeky reminder for the most overworked in your life that getting enough sleep is essential when it comes to getting ahead. Healthy Gifts: Sweat Often Withings Activite Steel, $150 Finally, a smartwatch the stylish dude in your life will actually wear, with a sleek design and effective fitness tracking. Monrow Oversized Camo Basic Legging, $135 A fun print on a blend of cotton/spandex fabric makes these the perfect option for the woman who likes to wear her leggings from barre class to brunch. Nike Air Zoom Pegasus 33 Shield, $125 A great pair of sneakers is really all anyone needs to get in a workout wherever they are, and this sleek new design from Nike comes with a bonus: a weather-protective coating that will keep the runner on your gift list comfortable (AKA dry feet) on slushy, winter runs. Sweaty Betty Escape Sweater, $160 The perfect cute-and-cozy piece to layer over leggings on the way to yoga or on a long, cold-weather run. Healthy Gifts: Nurture Yourself Lauren Roxburgh Aligned Life Foam Roller, $15–45 A good foam roller can literally change an active person’s life. I use mine daily, and my kids love it, too—so you can consider it a family gift, really. Jiva Apoha Personalized Body Oil, $200 For the person in your life who needs a little pampering: order this for a friend and Jiva Apoha will have them answer questions before creating their perfect treatment oil with ultra-pure, high quality essential oils chosen to facilitate healing and promote well-being. Healthy Gifts: Love More Buddha Charm Disc, $210–990 Engraved with a Buddha motif symbolizing “Enlightenment,” this handmade charm acts as an all-day, close-to-the-heart reminder to focus on and project love and kindness. Healthy Gifts: Live Consciously Awair Air Quality Monitor, $200 This smart device tracks toxins and chemicals in the air and gives personalized recommendations for your giftee to create a healthier space at home. Glass Straws, $32-38 For the family member who’s constantly sipping smoothies or has kids that love to use straws, these reduce the use of plastic and minimize waste—and they look pretty, too. Univers Series Office Set, $760 OTHR’s high-design products are 3D-printed to order, eliminating all production waste. And this desk organizer will add a little Zen to any workspace to promote focus. Healthy Gifts: Stress Less Meditation Mala Necklace, $240 Handmade in London using natural, recycled materials, this spiritual jewelry pick is made with one-of-a-kind gemstones that are said to still the mind and promote peace and tranquility.

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.