Picnics, beach days, adventures in the park and vacations often = a bad eating day or two or three. While, I do believe in “sometimes foods,” “sometimes snacks” and “sometimes days,” I still think a little bit of planning is key. Rather than feeling bloated and fatigued from eating tons of processed and sugar-laden foods, eating well nourishes your body providing energy and a feeling of being toned. Recently, I spoke about eating clean and being active on vacation, and now with school out I’m focused on healthy living with staycations and adventures near home.
Easy Healthy Summer Snacks
Inspire Kids to Eat Veggies with Gardening Fun
When I was a little girl I used to garden aka pick weeds out of our vegetable patch. The constant swarming of mosquitos around my head on humid days in the garden made me less than a fan. It took years for me to ever consider growing my own plants, let alone food. Almost three years ago, I started researching the role nutrition plays in healing and preventing disease and found that my clean eating role models all garden. I wanted to try it again. However, I knew I needed to figure out growing food on my terms. My goal was to make it fun and not time-consuming so that my son would be inspired to eat more vegetables.
Creative Ways to Exercise with Kids on WTNH
Remember the days when you slept until noon, grabbed lunch mid-day, and leisurely headed to the gym or social activity?
Or how about the years when your schedule revolved around “must see tv.”
I’m laughing at myself, knowing that life was much easier for me back in college or earlier in my career, yet I still made excuses why I couldn’t exercise. Some of them included:
Green Beauty: Spring Clean Your Beauty Routine
Do you jump out of bed, brush your teeth, shower with shampoo, conditioner and then spray perfume throughout your hair? Let’s assume you use several products in the morning and throughout the day. What if these items contained a few toxic chemicals? Studies have found that cosmetics ingredients such as phthalate plastics, paraben preservatives and triclosan (a pesticide) are common pollutants in the human body. Many of these chemicals are potential hormone disrupters. Just like the food we put IN our body, the products we put ON them seep toxins into the blood stream. This is why after I was diagnosed with my second round of breast cancer, that I over-hauled my personal care regimen and cover green beauty on the blog. This morning, I spoke to Teresa Dufour on CT Style and shared a few tips.
Eating Clean: How to Grocery Shop
I love to shop anywhere: small boutiques, big malls, online specialty sites and grocery stores. Over the past few years, with a focus on healthy living, I’ve found that I approach shopping differently. I plan (a little) more, occasionally pay (a little) more and focus (a little) more. The results…I now actually LOVE wholesome food and eating clean. Who would have thought that this former Diet Dr. Pepper, Hostess Snowballs and gummy cola bottle addict would snack on carrots and crave avocados?
Healthy Gadget Girl: Mindfulness Apps
Through most of my life, I’ve been an optimist. I’ve always chosen to find joy in the little things…a scribbled picture from a loved one, an episode of Days of Our Lives or a goofy gesture from a friend. It was these simple items or acts that originally helped me be present, smile and find the calmness in my life. When my cancer returned, filling days with stress and uncertainty, I sought out Zen practices. I thought about how I needed to find peace from within, rather than relying on these acts/items to provide it. In the last few years, I’ve found small tools that not only increase positivity; they have also helped me find peace and calm during stressful situations. Yesterday, I spoke about this and my favorite smartphone apps that focus on mindfulness on WTNH-TV’s CT Style.