This One's For The Girls

I don't think I'm the only one that thinks eating (for good or for bad) = weight.  Whether that means I over-indulged over Thanksgiving and gained some weight OR hey, I worked out and ate great this week so maybe I lost some weight.  But the fact is, what we eat can also really impact our health including, our risk of diabetes, heart disease and cancer.  Yikes.  The good news is, with adding just a few things into your diet, reducing the risk of such diseases is possible!

Ladies! Women who eat green vegetables, mushrooms and green tea everyday can reduce their risk of breast cancer by 64%!  Obviously, it's not all in our control, but I will do anything I can to minimize my risk.  So, try to add in the following each day.

Green vegetables - kale, collard greens, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, mustard greens, brussel sprouts, asparagus, parsley... the list goes on and on.

Mushrooms - people either love them or hate them, I love them.  I would recommend if you're not sure about them, chop and mix them up with other veggies.  Also, they're always delicious sauteed with some olive oil, salt and pepper.

Green tea - I mean, this is easy.  It's flavored water that's really good for you!  They even sell it at CVS.  Oh, and reminder - this does not include the sugar-filled green tea flavored Snapple at CVS, this is the tea in a tea bag.  Drink it. Go.

So, the good news is, all that effort that you're putting into eating well is really killing like, so many birds with one stone!  (no offense birds)

Let me know what you add to your diet to help your health!

Love, Lizzie

What The Heck Is A Chia?

Is is it a pet?  Will it make me grow green hair?  The truth is, yes, chia pets come from chia seeds, but this little seed is way more than a funny plant to put on your windowsill.  A chia seed is something that is really easy to incorporate into your diet.  You can buy it at almost any grocery store, even my local Stop & Shop sells them.  Chia seeds are a great source of omega-3 fatty acids, which are the good fats your body needs and actually thrives on.  Omega-3's are an anti-inflammatory, which is the best way to keep your body in good health and critical to maintaining a healthy weight.  Anti-inflammatories positively impact blood vessels, joints and help keep weight down.  Lots of the foods we eat in a traditional diet cause inflammation - sugar and bad fats specifically - so it's crucial to balance that out with anti-inflammatories.

Many times people think of fish as a great source of omega-3's, which is true.  But being able to get them from a plant versus an animal product is even better.  Especially if you're a vegan, vegetarian or a part-time vegan/vegetarian like myself.  Also, chia seeds have a very neutral taste, so they're easy to add into almost anything.  Specifically, I add them to my yogurt every morning, but you can sprinkle them on a salad or an english muffin or even make a chia seed pudding.

Check out the chia seeds and let me know what you think!

Love, Lizzie

Instagram!

I'm now on Instagram!  Get some great pics and tips on one of my favorite apps.  Check me out @wholeheartnutrition

Follow me!

Love, Lizzie

Inspiring Today

This quote on Pinterest motivated me so much in the beginning of my "transformation".  When I didn't want to push myself, I realized nothing is more true than this statement.  Time to challenge yourself.

Hope it inspires you too!

Love Lizzie
xoxo

It's The Little Things

I found that changing my health and my life started with some small changes.  So, to kick off this blog, I want to share a few things you can do today to significantly improve your health. I promise, with a little faith and commitment - this is possible. No one died from not using Splenda in their coffee (trust me, I wondered):

1. Lose the soda - diet and regular, both are filled with chemicals and sugar - your body really doesn't need either.  The diet soda is just artificial sweetener (see below!)

2. Ditch the Splenda, Equal, Sweet & Low, etc. - chemicals, chemicals, chemicals.  It's proven that the chemicals in artificial sweeteners actually alter your hormones and trigger your brain to crave more sugar and ultimately be more hungry. Yikes!  Thanks for nothing.

3. Avoid fried foods - I know, I know... just don't walk past the chinese food restaurant on your way home from work. The wafts of crab rangoon are torture.

4. Eat fruits and vegetables at every meal!  Make it happen. Go.

When I realized what I was eating wasn't working for me, one of the first things I did was give up the Splenda in my coffee.  I'm not going to lie, that first week was tough - I found myself choking down my coffee. That being said, I love a cup of coffee, so I survived. Then before I knew it, coffee without a sweetener was my new normal. If I accidentally got the wrong coffee or had a sip of someone else's, all I could taste was sugar. It made me pucker up like I bit into a lemon.  Just have some patience, your body will adjust and you won't miss it.  If you don't believe me, try it.

I welcome feedback so please, if you try any of these tips, let me know how it goes! Sometimes you don't realize how bad you feel until you feel good.

Good luck!

Love, Lizzie

How I Got Here

Well, I am just about half way though my year-long nutrition course with the Institute of Integrative Nutrition.  I'm learning so much and I am so incredibly excited about becoming a certified Health Coach next June!  So, I thought this was the perfect time to create a little space for me to share my knowledge and hopefully help others that are fighting the good fight for health, happiness and balance.

I am always looking for inspiration, so I love checking out different blogs, seeing other peoples stories and picking up a new recipe.  So, I hope to pay that forward to all of you.  This blog is a place for me to share nutrition tips, wellness advice, maybe some recipes and I'll probably manage to slip in some of my favorite restaurants too.  I am a recovering concierge and life-long food lover, after all.  This blog wouldn't be mine if I didn't share the occasional splurge.

I believe life is about really living, having fun, finding balance and feeling good.  I hope to give you a little insight into how I do that and maybe a little inspiration of your own!

I look forward to this new adventure.

Love, Lizzie
xoxo

August 2013