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Mother's Day Gifts to Support Her Wellness

4/27/2021

Today's blog comes with permission to share and send to your significant other and children.
Mother's Day is approaching and it is the one day we take to recognize all the work you put into this 24/7/365 job.
There is a saying I try to embrace each day, especially when I am feeling the tank is running low.

Easier said than done, am I right?
Mom's are known to put their children and families ahead of their own health and well-being. You sacrifice your workout to bring the kids to practice, cook what you know the kids will eat instead of the healthy meal you deserve, skimp on sleep to finish housework or a project that was put on the back burner until you had a little peace and quiet. There is not enough caffeine in the world that will replace the essential benefits of taking care of your needs FIRST!

You are an Essential Worker

While recognizing first responders, the medical community and grocery store staff during this pandemic, let's add Mom to the list of essential workers. THANK YOU!
You have taken on many roles throughout this pandemic. If you are not taking care of your essential needs, you will burn out...and then you CANNOT take care of others. It is time to take on the role of SELF!
So, how do you keep your cup filled?

EAT healthy and mindful eating is crucial. The food you eat fuels your body to get that to do list done. Fuel your body with the right foods in the right portions during the right time of the day and your body will run smoothly. Feed your body junk and you will feel fatigued, experience mood swings and, if it continues long term, result in weight gain and illness.
MOVE 30 minutes of moderate to vigorous exercise a day is the minimum daily recommendation for adults. Moderate to vigorous means your heart rate rises, you break a sweat and it would be challenging (not necessarily impossible) to hold a conversation with someone. These 30 minutes can be consecutive or break them up throughout the day.
SLEEP 7-8 hours a night...that is all you need! But are you cashing on on these rest and recovery hours? Imagine there is a crew inside your body who, while you are asleep, comes out and cleans up all the waste, repairs damaged cells and muscles, and refills your tank so when you wake up you are 100% ready to go. Well, this is what your body does while you sleep. It takes at least 7 hours of restful, restorative sleep for the crew to get the work done. If you are sacrificing sleep to catch up on your day, you will not be fully recharged for the following day. I bet you plug your Smartphone in to wake to a 100% charged battery. Is your internal battery 100% too?

Self Care for Mom

Mother's day is here. You have worked hard. While the pasta necklace and hand print in clay is loved and appreciated, maybe a few subliminal hints to some well deserved gifts of appreciation that help fill your cup is necessary. I have created a list of 10 items I recommend that provide a mom with stress free, relaxing time, gadgets to make life easier and a few "Me Time" ideas. Feel free to print it out and leave in a conspicuous place for gift givers to see.

HELLO FRESH Healthy eating is a must, but who has time for all that shopping, prep and cooking? Hello Fresh to the rescue! This meal delivery company offers tastes for every pallet. Their prices are more than reasonable considering they do the shopping and prepping for you and their ingredients always arrive fresh. The meals are simple unless you want to go ahead and attempt a gourmet version. No grocery shopping and dinner ready in 30 minutes? What ever will you do with all that extra time?
INSTANT POT I'll admit I was a bit skeptical at first but now my Instant Pot makes a weekly appearance when meal planning, When I need a quick meal or side dish, I can dump everything (even frozen chicken wings) into this and dinner is ready in a half hour. Clean Up? Toss it in the dishwasher. Take back your night, mom!
FITBIT there are lots of choices when it comes to fitness trackers but, in my opinion, the FitBit has my vote for #1. With a variety of styles from simple tracker to Smartwatch, the platform for the FitBit makes heart rate monitoring, steps taken, calories eaten and hours slept easy to track.
RESTORATIVE YOGA If you are nervous about yoga or intimidated by tangled up, pretzel like poses and head stands, restorative yoga is a great way to introduce yourself to this amazing form of self care. Restorative Yoga "helps cultivate the skill of conscious relaxation, discover where we hold tension, creates conditions for the relaxation response to kick in and helps us face what we are avoiding" according to Yoga Journal. Each relaxing pose is held for long periods of time as you sink in and melt away stress. Paired with soft music and relaxing aromatherapy, don't be surprised if you find yourself fighting the urge to sleep (you would not be the first to doze off...speaking from experience). Check out Groupon for deals and discounts for new members and try different studios until you find a connection. Then schedule a routine practice and feel your cup begin to overflow!
ESSENTIAL OIL DIFFUSER "Aromatherapy is the practice of using essential oils for therapeutic benefit. Aromatherapy has been used for centuries. When inhaled, the scent molecules in essential oils travel from the olfactory nerves directly to the brain and especially impact the amygdala, the emotional center of the brain." (John Hopkins Medicine) By diffusing or massaging into the skin, these oils have been used for centuries to treat depression, fatigue, stress, headaches, nausea and a whole host of ailments holistically. Because these oils are highly concentrated, they are very powerful. It is important, especially with young children, pregnant women and pets to consult with an aromatherapist before using. I recommend Lavender, the most popular of all the oils, as it is generally safe for most to use. Diffuse for one hour and breathe in the calming scent at bedtime, at work or when stress begins to creep in. I LOVE Eden's Garden for their 100% therapeutic grade oils. They offer a variety of diffusers and create your own kits as well as kid friendly oils and delicious blends.
CALM APP SUBSCRIPTION While the free version of this popular meditation app is great, I recommend investing in a subscription to Calm. Whether a beginner to mindful breathing or a seasoned meditation expert, this app helps you focus and build a meditation routine. Adopting a meditation practice has many benefits including reducing stress, building resiliency, sharpen attention and prepare one to respond to stressful situations in a controlled and nonreactive manner. This app also provides master classes in mindfulness and meditation, music and, my favorite, sleep stories. I have yet to hear a whole 30 minute story as the relaxing voices of every narrator causes me to drift off within 5-10 minutes of listening.
BATH SALTS, SHOWER BOMBS AND BODY BUTTER Before bed, why not wind down with the therapeutic benefits of aromatherapy in your bath or shower? Bath salts made with muscle relaxing epsom salts and calming essential oils begins to relax the body for a restful nights sleep. Not a bath person or tub is cluttered with bath toys? Try a shower bomb instead. Follow up with a skin nourishing body butter in lavender to hydrate the skin during sleep and awaken soft, refreshed and ready to use your mom super powers!
JOURNAL, ADULT COLORING BOOK, and HERBAL TEA It is no secret staring into an illuminated screen just before bed interferes with your circadian rhythm or natural sleep cycle. Melatonin, the sleep hormone, is secreted when the eyes and brain register darkness. This powerful little chemical begins to shut the body down and prepare for restorative sleep. As soon as light from lamps, phones, computers or tablets enter, Melatonin thinks it is day time, stops secreting and the body enters "wake" mode. It may then take up to 90 minutes after turning these lights off to get Melatonin going again, quickly chipping away at restful and restorative sleep. Engaging in relaxing activities prior to bed that do not require a light shining in your eyes can help you unwind after a long day. Reading, writing in a journal or coloring in an adult coloring book is a wonderfully mindful, stress reducing activity that allows Melatonin to do its work. Add a warm cup of decaf herbal tea (especially lavender and chamomile) and you may find yourself unable to finish your thought before drifting off. (Don't forget your local honey) I love these personalized journals to write down each night what I am grateful for or download a printable Mandala coloring page and get creative.

Post may include affiliate links. I may receive compensation if a purchase is made through these links. This helps support me and my efforts to educate and inspire women to be their healthiest. I only recommend products and services I actually use or would purchase. Thank you for your support of my wellness business.

Self Care is NOT Selfish

One thought you MUST let go of is that self care is selfish...it is NOT!! In fact, it is necessary. If you have no gas in the tank, have depleted your back up energy and are running on fumes and caffeine, you are unable to give to your loved ones the care and love you want to give and they need. Even worse, you run the risk of burnout, adrenal fatigue and metal illness.
Put yourself first, mom.
Give yourself permission to love and care for yourself.
Mother's Day should be EVERY day!
You are doing a great job.
You are awesome.
In case you need reinforcement, give this a watch and then ask your kids what they think about you using these questions from iMom. I would love if you shared some of their responses in the comments below!

Happy Mother's Day

From one mom to anther, I want to wish you the happiest, self loving, most relaxing and memorable mother's day.
Be kind. Hug a lot and tell your kids you love them.
Health and Happiness
Liz

Sugar: How a Fat Free Idea led to Weight Gain (and how you can break your addiction)

4/24/2021

Sometime in the 90's, a miracle happened. My overweight, junk food loving self could suddenly get fat free cookies and cakes and wash it down with zero calorie soda. To a girl who could drink a 2 liter bottle a day, this was music to my ears. No longer did I have to feel guilty if I ate a whole box of cookies, as long as they came in a green box labeled "Snack Wells". Who needs to drink water when Diet Coke tasted better and had the same amount of calories? I could even douse my broccoli with butter that I could not believe was NOT butter!! The food industry had revolutionized diet foods and convinced America this was the new "Healthy". Surely "fat free" would keep Americans svelte and decrease the risk of heart disease and other obesity related chronic illness.

Hindsight is 20/20

Today, the rate of obesity is at a record high. Heart disease is the leading cause of death, adult onset diabetes has been renamed to Type II Diabetes since more and more children were getting diagnosed and the rate of childhood obesity went from 12% in 1990 to 23% by 2005.
Oops....maybe my fat free miracle wasn't such a miracle after all.
But how could this be? There was scientific proof that too much fat made people, well, fat. Doctors were telling patients to lower their fat intake. Nutritionists touted the food pyramid and recommended lots of grains in the form of bread and pasta (low fat) and limit meat, eggs and dairy as they were higher in fats.
We followed the recommendations...and we got fat!

Remove the fat...Replace with sugar

Turns out, when you remove fat from foods, they taste gross. In order to account for this, food manufacturers turned to one ingredient that would solve this problem...SUGAR. And guess what. Sugar is FAT FREE!!!
The makers of high fat treats found a way to make them fat free and taste good. So good in fact, the consumer would want..no need...more and more! Once "forbidden" snacks suddenly flew off shelves and filled kitchen pantry's and lunch boxes alike.
America would be thin again!

Do you know what happens to sugar when it enters the body?

When consumed, sugar, the simplest of all carbohydrates, is quickly converted to glucose. Glucose raises blood sugar and triggers the pancreas to secrete insulin, a hormone that help regulate blood sugar levels. This insulin informs the body to turn off fat burning in order to turn on glucose burning for energy. Any excess glucose not used up is stored as fat.
To summarize, the sugar used to create that fat free treat, once consumed, turns into FAT!
But that is not all...
The increase stress sugar places on the pancreas and body has been linked to high blood pressure, heart disease and diabetes...oh...and obesity of course! So much for my miracle!
Sugar also affects the brain in much the same way drugs do. Sweet foods result in a release of dopamine, a reward chemical that signals pleasure. The brain will seek out more of this "pleasure inducing" substance, resulting in the consumer not being able to "eat just one" cookie. Add to that the ability to build a tolerance, a sugar addict, like a drug addict, will seek more and more to reach the same level of pleasure as the first "hit".
Yes...sugar is ADDICTIVE!
Even with this knowledge, our society places such an emphasis on being thin, food manufacturers continue to perfect their craft of making "fatty" foods "healthier". Americans continue to fear the f-word (fat) and take drastic and often contradicting measures to avoid it at all costs.

Sugar in Disguise

The American Heart Association recommends adults limit their added sugar intake to 25 grams per day. Today, the average American consumes about 77 grams per day or approximately 60 pounds of sugar a year. More frightening, the average amount of sugar consumed by kids is higher at approximately 81 grams per day according to the American Heart Association! I wish it was as easy to recommend avoiding sugar on food labels, but there are now over 50 types of sugar that food companies have no problem using in order to deceive or confuse the consumer. Check out 52 different sugars here.
Some say sugar is the new tobacco, and I am inclined to agree. It was not long ago similar tactics were used to prey on the consumers ignorance using deceptive marketing and claims then placing the responsibility on the consumer if they get sick (heart disease) from their product. The company never made me buy and eat those cookies that eventually caused my obesity, but they did not make it easy to say no to them either.
Nicotine/Sugar...Tomato/Tomahto!

What can you do?

What I once thought was a fat free blessing from above became an addiction I continue to struggle with today. There is one thing I agree on with these big food companies, it IS MY RESPONSIBILITY to keep myself healthy. They clearly are not making any plans to change. It is up to you to educate yourself and change your habits. Take responsibility!
Here are six steps you can start today to begin tackling a sugar addiction:

1. AVOID High Fructose Corn Syrup

This cheaper and sweeter version of sugar made from corn gets absorbed by the body quicker and leads to inflammation. Studies have shown this chemically produced sugar may speed up the aging process, damage the liver, increase risk of Alzheimer's, lead to depression and damage the immune system in addition to increasing risk of obesity, heart disease and diabetes. In addition, HFCS has been shown to be highly addictive.
If this ingredient is lingering in your pantry, throw it out!

2. Nature's Candy

Fruits and some vegetables are naturally sweet because they contain a natural sugar that is more easily broken down during digestion. Fruits and veggies also come with a powerful punch of vitamins and minerals that support health as well as fiber that keeps you feeling full longer. When in need of a sugar fix, reach for berries or other fruits that do not spike blood sugar. Try and limit or avoid dried fruits, fruit juices or canned fruits as these are often made with added sugar. Roasting vegetables such as sweet potato, beets and onions brings out a natural sweetness as well.

3. Nix the Artificial Stuff

Those cute pink, blue and yellow packets may look sweet (and taste about 3x sweeter than real sugar) but they play a mean trick on your brain,. When your brain expects a sugar "hit" and you send in an impostor, the brain will get angry and start sending signals to get it what it wants. In other words, you will begin to crave more sugar and likely overeat, totally defeating the purpose of that fat free latte with sugar free syrup and three Sweet n' Low.
If you are going to sweeten a beverage or food, go with the real thing. Reach for raw sugar or, better yet, raw unprocessed honey or maple syrup. These sweeteners have trace amounts of minerals in them and have not been highly processed.

4. Peppermint to the Rescue

Studies have shown that the smell of peppermint can curb sugar cravings. Think about it...when was the last time you were craving anything right after brushing your teeth? Nothing tastes good after a swish of minty mouthwash. Try brushing your teeth or chewing peppermint gum during the hours you usually find yourself dreaming of a sugary treat. You can also use peppermint essential oil. Place a drop in some unscented hand lotion or carrier oil and rub into hands. Cup your hands over your nose and mouth and breathe deep. You could also use a personal diffuser or cotton ball.

5. Be a Detective

As I mentioned above, there are many secret identities to sugar. Start with the foods you have at home. Compare the list to the ingredients on prepackaged foods. You might be surprised to find hidden sugars lingering more than candy and cookies. Products such as salad dressing, ketchup, yogurt, soup and "healthy" granola bars.

6. Manage Stress and Get Your Zzzzz's

Stress and lack of sleep can cause a hormonal imbalance that results in an overload of hunger hormones. When these hormones are triggered, it causes you to go hunting for food, most often the sugary ones that will help give you that dopamine "high". Aim for 8 hours of sleep and include stress reducing activities into your daily routine.

FORGIVENESS

40 years ago, tobacco companies thought they had a brilliant new invention that would help people relax and unwind when they came up with the cigarette. History shows us sometimes we have to learn from mistakes. I do not blame tobacco companies for my grandmothers lung cancer or my grandfathers emphysema. There was no way of knowing the dangers of their decision to start smoking. Time would tell, and even today tobacco companies invent newer "healthier" alternatives that lure the uneducated consumer to buy their product.
Today, food companies are using the same unethical tactics to keep their pockets lined, only now the addictive substance is sugar, something that anyone, anywhere at any age can get their hands on. Like me, you may find it a struggle to reduce or even eliminate processed sugar. Addiction is real, whether to nicotine, alcohol, cocaine or sugar. To stop is hard.
Take a deep breath and start from where you are. Do not dwell on past decisions or try and place blame. With the right support, it is possible to break the sugar addiction! The first step is to recognize and acknowledge it.

Do you have a sugar addiction?

Do You Even Lift?

4/10/2021

Don't Ask for a Light Load. Ask for a Strong Back"
-unknown

You walk 3 miles a day, park in the furthest spot, take the stairs and achieve 10,000 steps a day on your tracker...but the scale is not budging! SERIOUSLY???
You could add more miles or increase your step goal, but a better strategy would be to pick things up and put them down...in other words, add some weight and resistance training to your routine.
Now ladies, before you get all "but I don't want to look all big and beefy", just know that you do not possess the hormones that would get you to this point. However, you do possess the ability to get chiseled arms. sexy shoulders and sleek calves.
Sound good? Keep reading!

Three Parts of a Workout Routine

To make the most of your time, and work as efficiently as possible, I recommend including cardio, strength and flexibility exercises to each workout.

CARDIO: by beginning each workout with a dynamic warm-up, you begin to bring some flexibility to the muscles and awaken them for what is about to come. Before grabbing those dumbbells, start with a few minutes of marching in place, high knees, butt kicks, jumping jacks, arms circles, punches and kicks. This will also begin to get the heart rate up . When doing circuits (I will explain in a moment) add in a heart pumping cardio exercise like jump rope or burpees.
STRENGTH: Once the muscles are warm and pliable, it is time to gran some weight. Body weight, resistance bands and dumbbells are an affordable way to get your strength training. I will share some of the recommended "must Haves" shortly. Using resistance against the muscles you are working causes tiny micro tears. If you are eating properly, your body will use protein to repair and build these tears, making them stronger. This explains the soreness you may feel after a good workout and why your muscles get bigger and stronger the more you train them. Adding strength to your routine each day is possible, just do not work the same muscle group two days in a row. Also...most importantly...ask a personal trainer to help you with form and technique to avoid injuries like sprains and muscle tears.
FLEXIBILITY: It is so easy after a tough and sweaty workout to skip this step. Please don't. Now that the muscles are nice and warm, they are more flexible. Taking the time to stretch increases flexibility and decreases the chance you will injure yourself when doing daily tasks like lifting a laundry basket or reaching for the top shelf.

Circuit Training

My favorite type of strength training is Circuit Training. This type of workout keeps you from getting bored and can be done in 30 minutes (but feel free to add a few extra rounds if you need more!)
A circuit is made up of 5-10 exercises that target both upper and lower body worked back to back. Each exercise is done for one minute with no rest in between each exercise. You can aim to complete a fixed number of rounds or do as many rounds in a set amount of time.
Include a day of circuit training 3 days a week in your rotation with alternating days of steady state cardio such as walking or bike riding as well as a day of restorative recovery such as yoga or meditation.
Give your muscles a day of rest in between strength training days (hence the steady state every other day) to allow for your body to repair and build and reduce your risk of adrenal fatigue and overuse injury.
Check out my sample week here.

Benefits

By including resistance and weight training into your weekly exercise regimen, you will begin to reap some pretty amazing benefits. Muscle has a much leaner appearance pound for pound than fat and it burns more calories while the body is at rest (boosts metabolism). Strengthening muscles also helps with functional, every day living including walking up and down stairs, bending and lifting and reaching overhead. With your muscles strong and flexible (because you ALWAYS stretch after your workouts) you will have less discomfort and pain when completing every day tasks and decrease your chance of injury as well.

Equipment

No fancy equipment or pricey gym membership is necessary to get a killer strength workout. A couple of sets of dumbbells or resistance bands and a yoga mat are really all you need. I recommend three sets of dumbbells, a light set (3-5 pounds) medium set (8-10 pounds) and heavy set (12-15 pounds) to accommodate larger and smaller muscle groups. Resistance bands in varying thickness can also offer the same variety for less cost.

Check Your Form

Before embarking on any fitness or strength training journey, check with your doctor for any underlying conditions and injuries you may need to modify for. I highly recommend working with a personal trainer or fitness professional who can check and correct your form.

Whatever your health and fitness goals are, including strength and resistance training will make a huge impact on your success. Make your circuit training a priority and I promise you will see and feel a difference.

Got a great circuit you love?
Share it with my readers so they can love it too!!

Welcome!

I'm Liz. Mom, wife, teacher, Health Coach. My passion lies in everything health and wellness. When new research and trends pop up, you can bet I am finding the best resources to information, weeding out the not so good and making the great easy to digest. From meal planning and recipes to exercise and mindfulness, wellness touches upon so many dimensions. Your path to optimal health is out there and I can help you find it.

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