6 Ways to Stay Healthy Naturally

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There are several ways we can stay healthy naturally, and do our best to keep sickness from entering our homes and bodies. Waiting until you think you might be getting sick is not the time to figure out how to keep from getting sick though.

6 in 10 adults in the US have chronic disease. 4 in 10 adults have 2 or more chronic illnesses.

Heart disease, cancer, lung disease, diabetes, kidney disease, stroke and Alzheimer’s disease, are some of the top diseases that are the most common.

The biggest cause of these diseases are lifestyle. Lifestyles that regularly use tobacco, excessive alcohol, poor nutrition and are sedentary, are the lifestyles that can cause the above mentioned diseases.

Lifestyle choices effect our health for good and for bad. To try to avoid getting the common cold, the flu, or even more life threatening diseases it is good to follow a healthy lifestyle of wellness.

This is not to say you will never get sick, but the healthier you live your life, the less likely you will be to catch something, or for it to hang around long, if you do!

“Older adults and people who have severe underlying medical conditions like heart or lung disease or diabetes seem to be at higher risk for developing more serious complications from COVID-19 illness.” Center for Disease and Control and Prevention.

If we take care of our bodies and keep them in great shape, we are living a lifestyle of health, strength and wellness.

HEALTH BEGINS FROM CHILDHOOD

Mental, physical and spiritual health all starts when we’re kids. How we are raised shapes our future.

When we take control of our own health as adults, or even as teens, we can alter our health destiny by changing how we live our lives, and the lifestyle choices that we make.

One of the top lifestyle choices that can alter our wellness and health is our nutrition.

SET YOUR CHILDREN UP FOR SUCCESS

If you have kids, what are you doing to set your own children up for success with a healthy lifestyle?

Are they eating fruits and vegetables or mostly sweet, fast or fried foods? What are they drinking? Have you been able to get them on an eating schedule loaded with a rainbow of colorful fresh foods?

As a server, I have personally witnessed parents sitting down to eat with their children. I’ve seen these parents order junk for their kids, while they sit there and have a salad.

Children can eat salad, too. If their taste buds are used to good, wholesome food from the very beginning, they will love healthy foods.

I’ve got 5 of my own children, and from the first time they ate food until they were in their pre-teens, they never tasted a soda, any kind of meat, any sort of pastry or pre-packaged food. I made everything from scratch, whole grain and vegan, and that is what they ate, and still prefer. (Mostly).

What is the future of your children? As an adult, what habits will they have developed from childhood?

BREAK THE CYCLE

Parents raise their children the way their parents raise them. It is a cycle that goes on for generations and it can be a set up for success or failure, depending on the habits taught and developed from childhood.

I am extremely blessed. I was raised a vegan and I am 40 now and have never once had meat.

I’m very grateful for how my parents raised me. And I remember as a kid, them catching a lot of flak for it, too. It wasn’t easy! Especially in the 80’s. I had juice on my granola because soy milk wasn’t readily available.

I feel lucky though, because I never had to give up anything on my plate or change my diet to lose weight or combat years of health problems.

My mom set me up for success, and because of her and how I was raised, I have never had to deal with excessive weight or health problems.

This is what we do for our children when we set them up with healthy habits starting at babyhood.

As adults, if we were not raised with good habits, and want to be healthy, we have to change our lifestyle habits and it will not be easy.

I know that not everybody knows what to do or where to start to make lifestyle changes. And that is why I am here. I want to be there for you as you start your healthy lifestyle journey!

(See below for beginners guides on how to start your healthy adventure!)

1. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH WATER

Water cleans us out on the inside. If you leave the inside “unwashed”, the likelihood of getting sick is higher. For best results, drink at least 8-12 glasses of water a day. Not fluids. There is a difference. This needs to be actual water.

Let me just give you a quick example of a few health problems that can be turned around with just 96oz of water in your day: Kidney stones, fatigue, lack of energy, bad breath, poor sleep, urinary tract infection, dry splotchy skin, lackluster hair, sore muscles, muscle cramps, elongated sickness, digestive problems, weight gain, and so many more pain in the butt problems, can be kept at bay simply by drinking plenty of water.

If you think drinking 96oz of water a day is impossible, I’ve got a few tricks for you right here! How to Drink 96oz of Water a Day. And if you don’t like water and can’t stand the taste, here’s a little help with that, too. Five Ways to Yummy-Up Your Water.

I am not a doctor, and of course, as always, if you’re not sure, it never hurts to ask your doctor what he/she advises for your daily water recommendations.

2. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH HERBS

“Herbs such as milk thistle, bilberry, hawthorn, evening primrose oil, garlic, Siberian ginseng and ginkgo are some of the most powerful food grade items medicine has ever seen. These herbs and others are entirely safe and very effective.” Dr. Agatha Thrash M.D. Preventive Medicine.

For more details on why these herbs are so good and how to use them read her article Designer Foods, Herbs & Disease Prevention

When I was in high school, I lived in a dorm, and for some reason this one particular year, I remember getting sick. A lot. Unusually often. One thing that the dean always made for us girls when we got sick was the shot of death. I hated it, but now, I use it for my kids.

It is a combo of grapefruit juice, fresh cloves of garlic, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, honey, and ginger. You blend this up into a shot, and literally shoot it. It burns, but it will take away a sore throat fast.

I grew up on herbs, they do actually work, and a lot of times, in my past experience, are a lot less invasive than going to a doctor and work even better.

It is important to be well educated when using herbs. I suggest doing a lot more reading on the use of herbs if it is something you want to use more of.

3. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH NUTRITION

One of the best ways to stay healthy is to eat a lot of fresh foods. Not just when you’re feeling yucky, and not just here and there. This needs to be a daily habit.

The saying prevention is better than cure is one I take seriously. And nutrition is the best way to put that saying into action.

Green, leafy veggies are on the top of my list, which is why I have “Green Drink Sunday” almost every Sunday! Habits like this make green things easy, fun and tasty. Even when my kids have friends over, they all get green smoothies or juice. It’s just how we roll!

Stay away from sugary foods like pastries, candy, ice cream, sodas, sweet tea, etc. (This doesn’t include fruit).

Sugar kills white blood cells which are our disease fighters. Increase fresh foods like citrus fruits, red and green bell peppers, kale, broccoli, kiwi, pineapple, spinach, etc. because they are high in vitamin C and they also help to increase production of white blood cells.

5. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH SLEEP

Proper sleep is essential to keeping your immune system strong and healthy. As soon as you start having late nights, disrupted sleep schedules, and then over sleeping, you’re creating the perfect playground for viruses to grow.

Getting too much sleep and not enough sleep are equally bad for your body. An adult should get at least 7-9 hours of rest per night.

For more on how to get better sleep, read 8 Steps to Improve Your Quality of Sleep. And, 7 Things That Ruin Your Sleep.

6. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH WEIGHT CONTROL

I realize this is no quick or easy fix, but it has to be done for healths sake.

Weight control goes hand in hand with exercise, nutrition, and wellness. People that are overweight are more likely to have heart disease, strokes, diabetes, cancer, and depression. These are some of the very same diseases I listed in the beginning of this article.

Excessive weight causes so many problems. Aside from disease, it is hard on your joints, your mental health, and your ability to enjoy life.

I have written articles specifically to help you begin your weight loss journey. They show you how to lose and maintain weight naturally and healthfully. Here are a couple articles for starters: Lose and Maintain Healthy Weight with Carbs and How to Maintain Healthy Weight After Dieting.

Sometimes weight loss is just something you need a little extra help with, alongside your nutrition and exercise program. I highly recommend the PhysIQ System, in combination with the Nrf2. I am a vegan so I myself won’t use the whey protein in the PhysIQ System package, but you can purchase the Fat Burn and Prebiotic separately and replace the protein with the Nrf2 for a complete package!

7. STAY HEALTHY NATURALLY WITH EXERCISE

Getting exercise has to happen. Exercise keeps us younger longer, keeps our weight in check and presents aches and pain. It can also help keeps us healthy from disease, depression, and many other things that nobody should ever have to deal with.

“As exercise is increased, degenerative diseases of all kinds are decreased, life span is extended, various minor infections such as colds are reduced . . .” Agatha M. Thrash, M.D. Preventive Medicine

When you exercise, you’re breathing deeper and this helps to flush out your lungs and helps make you more resistant to respiratory infections. Do this outside and it is a win-win!

Exercise also increases white blood cells. Remember earlier how I said white blood cells are our disease fighters?

Exercise balances out our hormones. Including stress hormones. Stress makes us more susceptible to disease. So exercising brings us to a better, balanced state.

Below are some resources for beginners on how to change your lifestyle to one of wellness and health.

Beginners Guide to Healthy Living

Beginners Guide to Weight Lifting and Gym Life

What is a Vegan

Fat Burning Techniques

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read our disclaimer for more info.

Fat burning techniques go deeper than dieting or cardio. Fat burning comes from a balanced lifestyle; it is essentially a lifestyle that should be lived daily, even when you’re not trying to burn fat.

A healthy, balanced lifestyle sets you up for an amazing future of health for your mind, body and soul as well as emotions.

When one part of our health gets off kilter, the rest will spin out. Eventually we’ll have to start over. But that’s okay, starting over is better than abandoning ship completely.

Losing weight can often feel like an uphill battle. I have many friends that have struggled with weight for years and come to me for help.

The number one thing that I have witnessed as a downfall to success, has always been the lack of true commitment.

The decision has 
to be made.

Once you make the decision to lose weight and commit to it, that’s when things happen. Until then, talking and wishing and doing temporary diets and partial exercise programs for a week, (yes I say a week because I’ve witnessed this over and over) nothing will change. Weight comes off 5-10 pounds in, then the commitment somehow goes away and the pounds come piling back on. I have had many texts and phone calls from friends, crying about the fact that the weight went back on and ask what to do to fix it.

Nobody can help you if you do not help yourself first.

Making the commitment and a solid decision, is the number one and most important thing to tap into, for true fat burning results.

FAT BURNING WITH WATER

Over half of our bodies are made up of water. To stay hydrated, we need to drink 8-12 eight ounce glasses of water per day.

If you grab a bottle of water instead of tea, coffee, juice, coke, etc., you’re saving yourself (about) 2.6 tablespoons (39 grams) of sugar per can. 8 cans of coke = 1 cup of sugar. This is double the amount of sugar in 1 slice of angel food cake. This in turn is a lot of calories and “fat” that drinking water will completely eliminate from your daily diet.

For a little more in depth on why sugar makes you fat, there’s a good article written by Dr. Jason Fung, a Canadian nephrologist. He’s a world-leading expert on intermittent fasting and low carb, especially for treating people with type 2 diabetes. He has written three best-selling health books and he co-founded the Intensive Dietary Management program. Check out his article about sugar here.

FAT BURNING WITH NUTRITION

I talk a lot about how amazing the vegan diet is. The number one reason I recommend the vegan diet is because it is a balanced diet that does several things all at once. If done right, it can help you maintain healthy weight, while keeping your heart healthy, giving you energy, making you feel less tired, foggy and groggy, as well as the obvious; you’re saving animals. There are many reasons why a vegan diet is the bomb diggity.

You can maintain healthy weight a lot easier on a vegan diet, plus, it is a “diet” that you can continue to maintain after your “dieting” process is over. Since this diet is not a temporary fix, it is a permanent, healthy, lifestyle that can be maintained form birth to old age.

FAT BURNING WITH EXERCISE

Just 30-60 minutes of exercise a day can take off roughly about 8-10 pounds in a 3 month time frame. The more you sweat, the more rigorous your exercise, and the longer you do your cardio, will determine how much weight
comes off and how quickly.

When exercising to lose weight, the best thing to remember is that muscle weighs more than fat. So, if you are weight training while losing weight, you may not lose as quickly, simply because you are gaining muscle while losing fat.

FAT BURNING WITH SUNSHINE

There are new studies that show that sunlight may actually burn fat. It was accidentally discovered and is still being studied. It’s speculated that this could partly be a reason why we pile on extra weight in the winter months when there is less sun exposure.

Sweating on the other hand, is not a calorie burner. Sitting in the sunlight sweating away is only dehydrating you. Once you drink water after sweating, you rehydrate, your weight is right back to where you started. So don’t confuse sweating in the sun with calorie burning.

Sunlight also tends to suppress our appetites making us less likely to eat as much.

And then there’s always the vitamin D factor we get form being in the sun, which is a plus, so don’t skip out on your time in the sun!

FAT BURNING WITH REST

Sleep before midnight is twice as beneficial as sleep after midnight, as growth hormone (useful in adults for repair and healing, cheerfulness and a strong mind) is produced mainly during the hours before midnight, and only when one is sleeping. . . It is better to sleep between 6 and 9 hours daily, as persons who sleep less than 6 or more than 9 hours tend to live shorter lives than those sleeping 7-8 hours. Weight gain increases sleep needs. Weight loss decreases sleep needs.

With good sleep comes good energy and positive thinking which is a fantastic for an energetic exercise routine. When I wasn’t sleeping well, I really struggled to get the energy up to work out regularly. I did it, but it was so painful. It was 75% pure will power. Even then, I felt like my workouts were lacking. It was one of those, “any workout is better than no workout” days, but 3 times a week!

When I started taking Nrf2 my afternoon fatigue vanished and 3 months in, I was sleeping through the night every night! My workouts, my recovery, and my energy has just been through the roof, which has resulted in gains I haven’t seen in years.

I highly recommend this nutritional supplement if you’re having trouble sleeping! It’s anti-aging, gluten-free, natural, and vegan!

FAT BURNING WITH MEDITATION

Often times we don’t really give downtime the credit it deserves. Whether you meditate on a higher power or on the sound of your own voice, or repeat a weird mantra, it is important to find time to be grateful. When you stop to be grateful for your life, the people in it, and love yourself, it helps put your mind in a positive place. Positive thinking removes the need for emotional feeding, and makes it easier for you to say no.

For more on meditation for beginners, click here!

FAT BURNING WITH FRESH AIR

Fresh air technically doesn’t burn fat. If you were to go outside and breathe in some fresh air, you can’t expect to drop 10 pounds. But, getting outside to work in the yard, walk, meditate, sunbathe, and play with the dog or the kids, is something that takes your mind away from eating for no reason. And a lot of weight is gained simply from eating out of boredom.

FAT BURNING WITH MODERATION

Be mindful of the amounts you eat, and how often you eat.

Fasting – or not snacking – between your meals is a huge weight loss trick that is so simple it’s hard to believe. 5-6 hours should go between your meals with nothing in between but water! Not even a single cracker or grape.

Eating backwards does amazing things for weight loss! Switch your meals around. If you want to eat 3 meals, have your typical dinner for your breakfast, and your breakfast for dinner. Most Americans tend to eat their heaviest and highest calorie meal at night. It should never be this way.

FAT BURNING WITH TWO MEALS A DAY

Vegan powerlifting champion, Jim Gurtner, says that eating or skipping dinner determined his weight gain and/or loss, depending on what competition he was going to be in and what his goals were.

For me, when I want to lose my extra little tummy quick or shed a few pounds fast, I always skip dinner. My last meal will be around 3 or 4pm and that’ll be it. This isn’t bad for your body and it doesn’t slow your metabolism. Fasting and giving your digestive system a break actually helps you lose weight and also increases your chances of having better health.

GET RID OF EXCUSES

Nothing kills goals, puts on weight, prolongs bad habits and keeps you from moving forward more than excuses.

Identify them. Get rid of them.

FAT BURN AND NEVER DIETING

Dieting is temporary and once your diet has run it’s course of 4-6 weeks (give or take) your bad habits step in to take the lead again. Dieting is a ticket for a rollercoaster ride of weight loss and gain and loss and gain. If you’re wanting to ride a rollercoaster, you’d do better going to 6-Flags.

For more on weight loss, read Principles of Weight Control here.

I would love to answer any questions you may have or hear about your weight loss journey! Please stop by and follow me on my social media so we can be friends! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life, so wherever you like to hang out best, you can find me!

September 18, 2019October 14, 2020

Why is the Vegan Diet one of the Best Diets?

There are all sorts of diets that claim many, many things. So why is the vegan diet one of the best diets for you?

Many fad diets do what they claim. The problem with fad diets is, they’re not balanced and are very unhealthy and cannot be maintained. For example, many weight loss “diets” are labeled “the 30-day diet”, etc.

So, what happens after you’ve followed one of these fad diets for 30-60 days, got results, but the diet has timed out? Where do you go after that? This is where people often end up gaining back their weight and feeling defeated. They don’t know what to do after the diet ends.

My goal is to help you find a balanced diet that lasts for life, maintaining your results, and makes you feel amazing!

The vegan diet is, not only healthy for life, but also balanced and can provide you with all the nutrients your body requires, to be healthy.

One of the reasons the vegan diet is one of the best, is because you can reach any goals on this diet, and do it healthfully.

Bodybuilding, powerlifting, weight loss, weight gain, muscle building, and competitions can be done on a vegan diet. Also, pre-wedding body contouring, modeling, pregnancy and breastfeeding are also attainable on a vegan diet. Simply maintaining a healthy, normal, weight, can be achieved on a vegan diet.

The vegan diet is not an extreme diet that cuts out or adds anything in access to gain quick results. It is a diet that puts the balance in your daily menu and can help you gain results at a healthy pace.

As I talked about in, What is a Vegan, I briefly went over ways to grocery shop, the importance of reading labels, and gave a list of what to eat. But I didn’t say why it was such a good diet.

Vegan eating cuts out all animal products, which immediately cuts out the disease that is so prevalent in meat and dairy products.

There’s no guaranteed way to prevent or cure diseases. There are, however, ways we can prevent and cure common diseases, and the vegan lifestyle is that.

Some diseases that can be prevented and/or cured on a vegan diet. To name a few: diabetes, heart disease, cancer, high blood pressure, menstrual difficulties, UTI, bowl irritability, heart burn, obesity, bad breath, acne, fatigue, and high cholesterol, etc.

The vegan lifestyle is the ideal way to be in the best place you can be, to maintain optimal health.

I have been a vegan for 39 years. For me, the benefits have really become apparent once I hit my 30’s. I have aged slower, started my period later as a teen, I never had acne, and don’t have stretch marks from my pregnancies. I’ve never had heartburn, digestion problems, food poisoning, kidney stones, weight problems, and have never been on medication. I also have a lot of energy and and sleep great.

Unfortunately, I did inherit high cholesterol, but by cleaning up my dairy intake and adding cardio to my workouts, I haven’t had to be on medicine. (I say “clean up my dairy intake” because I did start eating dairy for a short amount of time).

The trick to being a healthy vegan is to maintain balance in what foods you put on your plate and how much you eat.

I have known vegans who eat large amounts of fried foods, sugars, simple carbs, and very little to no rabbit food, that have struggles with their health.

Raw foods are very important for a balanced diet, regardless of dietary preference. You can be unhealthy on a vegan diet just as any other diets, so maintaining that balance between fresh and cooked foods, less sugar, more veggies and fruits, and less pre-packaged foods, is very important.

A balanced, vegan diet consists of:

Nuts and seeds (healthy fats)
Veggies (calcium, vitamins and minerals)
Fruits (healthy sugars)
Legumes (protein)
and whole grains (fiber, protein).

These foods offer way more than what I stated in the parentheses, but that just gives you an idea of what these foods offer.

I hope this helps, if you have questions, please ask!

And of course as always, please enjoy my blog by sharing it with your friends and family! If you have any questions, please reach out to me! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

September 11, 2019October 14, 2020

What is a Vegan?

The vegan diet is one of the best diets out there, but what is a vegan, and how would one do a vegan diet? Some of you don’t even know what being a vegan means, so I am going to briefly tell you what it means, what you can eat, then I’m going to show you what to look for when shopping for groceries, and how to manage going out to eat!

What does it mean to be a vegan?

WHAT IT MEANS:

Veganism is a way of living that excludes all forms of animal exploitation and cruelty, from food, clothing or for any other purpose.

In the diet alone, vegans refrain from dairy, eggs, or any other animal product, in addition to meat.

Vegan’s choose to live this lifestyle either for ethical, environmental or health reasons, or possibly for all reasons combined.

WHAT TO EAT:

Fruit
vegetables
nuts
seeds
whole grains
legumes
herbs

These foods used in recipes can give you everything you need for fun, nutritious, delicious meals!

When you cook at home, which is the best thing to do if you’re truly wanting to be a vegan that doesn’t starve, you can use the above items to make pizza, casserole, burgers, meat substitutes, bread, salads, muffins, cakes, cookies, pies, cheese, sauces, mayonnaise, etc.

Being a vegan doesn’t mean you are giving up your life of yummy food experiences. It just means you are putting something better in the place of something unhealthy. The something better will have less unhealthy fat, zero cholesterol, a ton more vitamins and minerals, just the right amount of protein, fiber, calcium and deliciousness to satisfy your cravings.

GROCERY SHOPPING:

Always read labels to everything when grocery shopping!

I just want to say real quick, that I choose veganism primarily for health reasons. This is why I personally don’t include honey in my “don’t eat” list, but a lot of vegans won’t eat honey, either! I use honey a lot, in place of traditional sugar, though sugar itself is vegan.

It isn’t always easy to be a strict vegan, but it is possible, and it gets easier over time. It becomes second nature. If you’re not used to paying attention to labels, you’d be surprised by how many “natural foods” actually have animal products in them.

Most grocery stores have healthy alternatives, but look online for health food stores near you. Whole Foods, small health food shops, and Amazon all have great alternatives if you’re looking for meat, cheese and milk substitutes.

THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR:

The following items often have dairy and animal products in them when you wouldn’t expect them to!

Bread (milk and or eggs)
Beans and rice at Mexican restaurants (cooked in animal fat and chicken broth)
Natural, herbal supplements (often encased on capsule made of gelatin which is ground up animal bone)
Peanut butter (has mono and diglycerides in it, which is an emulsifier that helps blend oil and water, generally made from animal fat, but also can be made from vegetable fat as well. I prefer to buy natural peanut butter because it is simply peanuts and salt.
Crackers (mono and diglycerides)
Soups (creamy has milk, vegetable has chicken, or animal fat)
Boxed cereals (milk)
Pre-packaged oatmeal (milk)
Trail mix (yogurt covered raisins or m&m’s)
Spices (ground beef, etc.)
Ramen noodles and other pre-packaged soups (ground meat)
Vegetarian meat substitutes (egg whites)
Canned vegetables (meat chunks or broth)
Desserts (eggs, milk)
Drinks (milk)

And there are a lot more. If you notice, the common pattern here is “pre-made” not “homemade”.

Making your food at home is the key ingredient to ensuring that your food is 100% vegan!

The number one most important habit to get into, regardless of dietary preference, is reading labels! If you don’t understand what a word is, either leave the product on the shelf, or Google it to be safe.

GOING OUT TO EAT:

Depending on where you live, going out to eat can range from being super easy to being impossible!

When I visited California and the UK, vegan options were abundant while places in Texas and Louisiana are lost in time and don’t seem to understand the word vegan. Sadly, even a salad can be difficult to come by in these areas, and the best thing to do is do your research way before you go out to eat.

Ask your server. I used to be a server, and we don’t get offended or upset when you alter and modify your order. Ask as soon as you sit down, what options there are for vegetarian or vegan foods. Some servers know exactly what you mean and are very accommodating, others may not know and can find someone else to help.

As a vegan going out to eat, you have to get in the habit of modifying your food!

If your server doesn’t know much about the menu or what vegan means, my first go to is burgers. A lot of places now carry veggie burgers. Second is pasta dishes. Most of the time meat can be taken off of any salad or pasta dish. Next is pizza. Pizza is an easy fix if it’s not pre-made. Ask for marinara sauce. . . extra! And lots of veggies, with no cheese. Lastly are sides and salads because they’re not as filling, so I try to find something a little more filling than salad and a side.

Also, add-ons are great for vegans who have to take meat off. Sometimes it costs extra, but a salad with extra tomatoes or cucumbers, mushrooms and avocado really makes all the difference, and typically doesn’t cost extra if it already comes with it.

I am not allergic to dairy, I have made the decision to be a vegan for health reasons. So, if I am out to eat (which is rare – I make my food from scratch every day!) at times I will bend the rules and just make sure to ask that no cheese be added to my food, and of course I leave off the meat. Always. This way, it’s “mostly vegan” and I don’t have to nit-pick the heck out of my food. I feel at this point, it’s an okay compromise. But again, I rarely go out to eat. If I went out regularly, I’d suggest finding true vegan restaurants and making it a regular in rotation during the week.

Fast food: Know your fast food options. There are four main fast food restaurants I pick from: Subway, Taco Bell, Burger King and Moes. All of these have vegetarian options and leaving the cheese, sour cream and other dairy items off, is an easy fix.

COOK AT HOME:

The best option for saving money and following a true, healthy, vegan, lifestyle, is learning how to cook at home, from scratch.

I make my own granola, muffins and pancakes for breakfast, I make beans and rice, burritos, casserole, burgers, pizza, lasagna, etc. for lunches, and I also make crackers, soups, salads and parfaits, etc. for light dinners.

I was married to a meat and potatoes guy who hated vegan food, so I had to rise to the challenge of imitating the taste of regular foods in my vegan cooking.

The trick to vegan cooking is to utilize herbs, spices, natural oils and nuts for flavor!

Food has to taste good! The biggest mistake most people make when they go vegan is, they cook super bland. Also, they tend to leave out the legumes, nuts and seeds, which makes it like leaving the meat out of the meal. These foods are what gives your meals density and filler! Without them, you’ll be starving all the time.

Balance out your food groups, find good cookbooks, start pinning vegan recipes on Pinterest, gather your grub and make it happen! I have managed to fool many meat and potato eaters with the right use of ingredients. They didn’t even know they were eating vegan food!

I know you will probably have more questions about why a vegan diet is better than all the rest. That’ll be for another blog, and I’ll get there, I promise! In the mean time, check out my FREE list of 8 healthy snacks (below)! They’re vegan!

Please enjoy my blog by sharing it with your friends and family! You (and they) can explore balance8life anywhere! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life.

August 7, 2019October 14, 2020

Why Shouldn’t You go Gluten Free? Part 2

Why Shouldn’t You go Gluten-Free? Part 2

If the gluten free diet is so popular, why shouldn’t you go gluten free, too?

Last week I wrote about gluten free dieting and how popularity has attracted a lot of people to this diet. People have adopted the GFD thinking they are attaining a healthier eating lifestyle.

Only less than 1% of the population is actually allergic to gluten, which brings up the question . . .

Why do so many people go gluten-free? The simple truth? It’s popular.

So let’s take a look at what gluten-free means before we go too much further.

The gluten-free diet (GFD) is a diet that strictly excludes gluten, which is a mixture of proteins found in wheat, spelt, gamut, and triticale, as well as barley, rye and oats.

I actually just learned about the oat thing myself. Apparently, there’s a lot of controversy pertaining to oats being, or not being, gluten-free because of cross contamination in agriculture. (insert the I don’t know emoji here haha)

So basically that is the WHAT in a nutshell. (Above)

Celiac disease is one disease that true gluten-intolerant people have. Going on a GFD is absolutely necessary in this case.

But. . . celiac disease has not risen in numbers, although the number of people that have gone gluten-free has tripled, though the disease itself has not increased at all.

On foodnavigator-usa.com an article written by Elaine Watson said:

“According to a June 2013 survey of 2,000 adults commissioned by Mintel, 247 people said they ate gluten-free foods for reasons other than celiac disease or gluten intolerance.

Of these, 65% said they do so because they thought gluten-free foods were healthier, while 27% did so because they felt gluten-free foods assisted in weight loss.” (To read the whole article, click here)

Remember part 1 of this blog post last Wednesday, we talked about gluten being a protein, not a fat? Going gluten-free isn’t healthier and doesn’t encourage weight loss.

“Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Coeliac UK, which represents people with a coeliac, an autoimmune disease, admits that the industry has a problem with higher fat in gluten-free bread and bakery products.” ~ the dailymail.co.uk

A 2013 study found that 65% of American adults think gluten-free foods are healthier. 27% choose gluten-free products to aid in weight loss.

Although the gluten-free diet has been claimed to aid in weight loss for those with celiac disease, it may actually cause weight gain.

Weight gain has also been found in children on a gluten-free diet. A study of children on the gluten-free diet for at least 1 year found that the proportion of overweight children rose from 11 to 21%.

People think gluten-free eating is healthier. It’s difficult when everything we see on social media and TV promote health and gluten-free dieting all in the same place.

Manufacturers are appealing to consumers who identify the GFD (gluten-free diet) as natural and healthier.

With the market capitalizing on these false assumptions, there’s a huge market in providing gluten-free foods. These foods are typically found in health food stores and on the health food isle. Unfortunately, this leads to the common beliefs that these foods are healthier.

The fact is, there is zero research that affirms the beliefs that gluten-free foods are healthier.

75% of consumers who do not have celiac disease or sensitivity to gluten simply eat these foods because they think it’s healthier, despite the lack of scientific research to confirm the validity of this theory. (Also bits and pieces quoted from above article by Elaine Watson.)

It makes sense that women like the GFD idea if they believe it promotes weight loss. Most people that are gluten free are women ranging between 20-39 years of age, but interestingly enough, the average age of gluten allergy diagnosis ranges between 40-60. (Yeah, I just found this out today. Kinda interesting!)

As far as overall health goes, aside from the fact that it’s not a weight loss thing, gluten-free dieting isn’t that healthy!

As a result of so many people going gluten free, there has been a rise in vitamin and mineral deficiencies and a rise in other diseases now because of the imbalanced diet.

Gluten-free processed grain products (e.g., breads, cereals, and crackers) are often lower in fiber, iron, zinc, and potassium. The gluten-free diet also may increase the risks for nutritional deficiencies, especially in B vitamins, iron, and trace minerals.

A 2005 survey by Thompson and colleagues did studies that showed that many gluten-free foods are not enriched and may be deficient in several nutrients, including dietary fiber, folate, iron, niacin, riboflavin, and thiamine. Other studies evaluating the nutritional composition of processed gluten-free products have demonstrated higher levels of lipids, trans fat, protein, and salt compared to their gluten-containing counterparts. (Ref. here)

In fact, gluten avoidance may be associated with adverse effects in people without proven gluten-related diseases, including the possibility of coronary artery disease. (But I will add that this is still being studied and is non-conclusive from what I have found).

It was also stated that there has been an increases in total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, fasting glycemia, and body mass index in a gluten-free diet.

The authors also found a greater-than-2-fold decrease in protein content of gluten-free products across more than 50% of all food categories.

In 2016 an article published by the US National Library of Medicine, National Institute of Health, said that there was a group of 82 people that were self-proclaimed celiac intolerant and had been “gluten free” for 6 years. They were asked to take a questionnaire to identify 17 common foods that should be avoided. Most of them (55%) reported strict adherence. No participant correctly identified the gluten content of all 17 foods.

I just want to remind you that I am not talking directly to those of you who are gluten intolerant or allergic. This is primarily written to point out that the gluten-free diet is not for the general population trying to find a healthier better lifestyle, or to lose weight.

. . . There are better, safer, healthier ways to feel better and lose weight. Gluten-free dieting isn’t the answer.

For those of you who are on a GFD and are allergic and now aware of the imbalance of nutrients in these foods, I want you to know that there are ways to still be healthy. If you are allergic and have to be on a gluten-free diet, carefully choose foods that can go along with your GFD that make up for the lack in the GFD.

A good sources of fiber in the gluten-free diet include fruits, vegetables, beans, and gluten-free grains, in particular buckwheat, quinoa, millet, sorghum, and teff.

Also, as a side note, people with diabetes who inquire about adopting a GFD should be informed about the potential nutritional risks of the diet for those who do not absolutely require it for the treatment of celiac disease or NCGS.

At the end of the day, if you are really wanting to go gluten-free, you should not experiment with the GFD without proper testing to rule out celiac disease. Talk to your doctor and educate yourself on how to have a balanced diet within your restrictions.

A GFD alone is not balanced.

balance in all things is key to success.

If you are gluten-intolerant, and have to be on a GFD, be sure you’re eating a balanced diet that includes what I mentioned above. (Fruits, vegetables, beans, and gluten-free grains).

If you are not allergic, I strongly suggest looking into what a balanced lifestyle really is. Read my articles; I will be giving some pretty good balanced diet suggestions for a healthy lifestyle and weight control, as well as mental and spiritual health. (We haven’t covered everything yet, but stick around, it’s coming!)

If you have comments or questions on this topic, or anything else, reach out! I am on Facebook, Instagram, E-mail, Twitter, Pinterest and balance8life, so wherever you like to hang, you can reach me!

July 17, 2019October 14, 2020

A Vegan’s Story

Vegan Mac n cheese — Vegan macaroni and cheese, cauliflower, sprouted, whole wheat bread, and salad with vegan nut-based cheese.

A Vegan’s Story

“You’re a Vegan?!” Her eyes bulged uncontrollably as a huff slipped from her gawking mouth. “What do you eat? ” She sneers. “Where do you get your protein?!” Her gaze slips away from my face and over my 100-pound body as if she’s searching for part of me to be abnormally … off. “Well, you look good,” she turns up her nose. “And you have 5 kids!? How!? Are they all yours?”

What am I supposed to say? No, I stole them so I could keep this body and have kids, too. “Yup, they’re allll mine,” smiles awkwardly to fill the gap.

“But how?” She’s serious!

I feel kind of guilty for being tiny, but only for a second. Then the feeling shifts into, I could show you how, if you want me to.

“I exercise regularly and I eat healthy…” Vegan style.

She crosses her arms and stares at me for 5 seconds before her expression softens.

“Yeah, I need to eat better.” She turns and flips her hair over her shoulder and I swear I see her trying to turn her wine into water. But I wish you could have seen her face. I couldn’t tell if it was judgment or doubt, or concern, or maybe a little of all three.

“What do you eat though? Lettuce?”

I get asked this alllll the time. “No. I eat everything you eat, just a healthier, homemade version of it. Pizza, lasagna, casseroles, burgers, ice cream, cake, steak (gluten steaks), chili, salad… tofu –”

Her expression is priceless. Her nose wrinkles and her lips pucker like she just ate a rotten tomato. “I can’t do tofu! But that’s great; you look amazing! I wish I could look like you, and to think you have so many kids! I only have one and look at me!”

There it is. She wishes, but she can’t do…

It’s over. We part ways and we will probably never see each other again.

I have conversations similar to this all the time. People cannot understand how I have so many kids, look so healthy and fit, and am a vegan. It blows their mind.

THEY’RE ALL SECRETLY THINKING: “WHERE’S THAT PROTEIN? SHE’S PROBABLY MALNOURISHED.”

First, if you really, truly, want to be healthy and look good, stop saying, “I can’t.”

It’s about what your priorities are. If you really, truly want to look and feel amazing you can! But you cannot have your cake and eat it too, and expect not to be fluffy. (Haha, see what I did there?) Some things will just have to go, and in the same way, some things you’ll just have to add. Even if you don’t love it…. right now.

Yes, I am a vegan. I’m fit and healthy. Annnd, all 5 kids came from this body. No, I don’t just eat lettuce.

YES, I GET MY PROTEIN.

Along with this woman, and everybody else that asks me this question, protein seems to be the number one concern.

So where do I get my protein?

Honestly, this is the easiest thing in the world to answer. It’s in some veggies, some fruits, all nuts and seeds, and beans, and whole grains are loaded to the hilt with protein.

In all actuality, it’s easy to get enough protein because, for one, our bodies don’t need as much as most people think, to be healthy. And two, it’s not just in meat.

The dietary reference intake for protein is 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight per day (USDA, 2010). In fact, the recommendation is that only 10-35% of our daily calorie intake should come from protein.

That’s not a lot of protein. I’m about to drop a load of wisdom on your heads right now. Protein isn’t the “be all end all”, for good health. It is easy to get enough. It’s easy to get too much, too, if you are not a vegan; and too much, is toxic to our bodies!

So don’t stress. If you eat a balanced diet of nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes and fresh fruits and vegetables on a daily basis, you’ll be getting enough protein. Period.

In the next few blog posts coming up, I’ll be going into this topic in much more detail and I will help you along the way. This is just the beginning of the vegan journey. It’s simpler than you think. You won’t have to start eating the grass growing in your lawn or get an extra fridge to store your lettuce. All you’ll have to do is take the things you eat now and substitute a few of them for healthier, vegan, options.

Now that I’ve debunked a couple of the “normal” concerns that I have heard time and time again, when you think vegan, what comes to mind?

I am really excited to launch into this new series on health and fitness (coming soon!). We’re going to dive a little deeper into what it means to be a vegan, how to be balanced on a plant-based diet, and how to see amazing gains in the gym even if you’re a vegan!

I’m also so incredibly stoked right now, because I’ll be featuring special guest, Jim Gurtner, who won championships as a bodybuilder on a vegan, plant-based diet. This is going to be super-duper inspiring, so click the link below and sign up for my emails to be the first to know when his story hits Balance8Life!

By the way – if you’re new to the thought of being healthy, but don’t know where to start, look no further! Setting goals is a good place to start. You can also go to my blog and explore my articles. If you start at the bottom and work your way up, I introduce each of the 8 methods for balancing a healthy lifestyle. I then show you how to set goals, make them last, and be consistent with them.

If you have any questions, please reach out! I love hearing your stories and questions! You can follow me on Facebook and Instagram, too, for daily motivation and healthy tips.

Happy balancing! See you soon!