Body In Balance

During this past Christmas and holiday season, I did my best to maintain an active schedule that included yoga, cardio and weight training. Despite my best efforts, I over-indulged and neither my waistline nor my body was too forgiving. However, now that I am back to a busy schedule and with a lot of self control, following my own advice and back to my daily rituals I am finally getting back to a balanced lifestyle.

Do you also find yourself running into road blocks on the way toward treating your body right? Do you feel a bit lost as you try to find a new outlook on healthy living?

There are a number of viable options and choices you can make. In developing some of the routines described below you can eventually eliminate some of the more harmful habits.

We all want to start the New Year on a healthful note. The number one resolution on most people’s list is weight loss. One way to jump start this process and to make a fresh start is by maintaining a healthy body from the inside out. We can do this by paying strict attention to our digestive system. If you have been over-indulging, I suggest letting the organs rest a bit in order to rid the body of all the toxins that have built up from the over-processed foods, the alcohol, caffeine, and sugar.

One of the first steps in making healthy changes is to cleanse the palate. If you have been consuming caffeine, alcohol, lots of sugar, and rich foods you will likely experience discomfort or cravings. These cravings can be severe and if you dive right into a rigid diet plan it could send you right back to the same eating patterns – which in effect will make you feel as if you have failed.

However if you go more slowly eventually your body’s load will feel lighter. Once you feel that you are maintaining a more regular routine, I urge you to find the proper exercise plan, diet and eating habits that suit your lifestyle and keep you motivated to complete your goal. Keeping both body and mind in balance is all about daily rituals. Below are some suggestions to jump start your fitness and experience the benefits of increased energy, an enhanced mood, stress reduction, and the enjoyment of a sound night’s sleep. Clean plumbing such as proper digestion and regular bowel movements will ultimately lead to weight loss, clearer skin and mental clarity.

For the best results, all of us can truly benefit from a unique and specifically laid out diet, an exercise program that specifically fits our needs and guidance on lifestyle and health issues. The path to an individual tailored regime is to schedule an appointment with me or any holistic health professional.

Suggested Daily Rituals:

• Upon waking in the morning, prepare a warm cup of water with the juice of half a lemon and a dash of cayenne pepper. Drinking lemon juice regularly will aid the bowels in eliminating waste more efficiently, control constipation thus creating a more alkaline state in the body.

• For breakfast try a smoothie or protein shake (I use Syntha -6) blended with almond or rice milk. Add a banana and a handful of fresh or frozen blueberries/ raspberries.

• Drink water throughout the day.

• Reach for Herbal Tea or Drink. My favorite is Kombucha Synergy Drink. I usually drink this tea 3-4 times per week in the late morning or early afternoon for a natural boost of energy. Forget the RED BULL and grab a Kombucha which is loaded with probitiocs, live active enzymes, tons of antioxidant benefits and a RAW food. By “raw” I refer to unprocessed, uncooked, and un-pasteurized. It is the closest state any food comes to the way nature intended.

• Juicing is the key to radiant skin and health. Also referred to as cellular cleansing, juicing is preparing and drinking fruit and vegetable juices. The many health benefits of juicing far exceed those of eating solid fruits and vegetables. At the most basic level, juicing gives us the opportunity to add far more vegetables to our daily diet. Juicing allows us to up the amount of raw food we consume which gives the body energy and boosts the immune system and the body’s cleansing process. Green juices contain lots of chlorophyll which is significantly effective in detoxifying our bodies. Chlorophyll can help make our bodies strong by detoxifying the liver. This detoxification will purify and help to rebuild our blood cells, remove mold, parasites and myco/exotoxins from the body. Many studies have shown that green juices containing chlorophyll can help prevent and remove cancer cells. 
  

Pressed for time? All the aforementioned recipes take only minutes to prepare. However if you are still trying to figure it all out  but still want to get all your fruits and veggies in try using “Greens Balance” from CosMedix: This energizing drink  serves up a blend of 44 fruit and vegetable extracts and 67 trace minerals in one wholesome option. Loaded with powerful antioxidants, this
pH-balancing “super greens” formula helps to neutralize oxidative stress and acid imbalance for better digestion and radiant skin.

“Restore,” another CosMedix product, is an essential fiber colon cleanse that detoxifies and literally “restores” the good bacteria in the colon.Promotes regularity and encourages a healthy inner environment. “Restore” is an invigorating blend of herbs and probiotics that work to improve immunity and nutrient absorption, which results in increased energy and healthy glowing skin.

Work it out:

There is no getting around the fact that exercise is an essential part of shaping up. Exercise stimulates the neural peptides in the brain, which help the brain make changes, such as growing new memory cells.

As we all know, the greatest challenge is sticking with an exercise plan. The key to staying motivated is having fun and making sure to mix things up. Try a variety of physical activities. Group classes always seem to get me motivated. Try yoga a few times per week while at the same time fitting in some cardiovascular type of exercise: running, hiking, cycling or dancing. More is better, but even as little as 30 minutes of exercise a week can make a difference! So get moving, and remember that a sedentary lifestyle will age you faster than those who are active!

Lower that white flag of surrender and up the flag that says “take action!” With so many reasons to stay healthy and the benefit of looking great as the years go by should be quite motivating. Remember to exercise, eat right, avoid too much sugar, consume quality whole foods, lighten up, spend time with others, and laugh. All these suggestions will work to diminish anxiety and depression, encourage sleep, and improve happiness. A perfect recipe for a healthy mind, body and spirit!

Love & Light,

Claudia

Tagged as: balanced life., clear skin, exercise, fitness, healthy eating, juicing