 Detox is vital in this toxic world. For so many years as a health coach, I focused simply on digestion because I do believe that good digestion leads to a healthy life. But then one day I realized that in order to have good digestion, you must be detoxing properly. The light went off in my head. Detox for a better digestion because good digestion leads to less inflammation and less inflammation leads to less disease in this world. Let me say it again: decrease the inflammation and prevent disease. Hippocrates said it best, “All disease begins in the gut.” So, if this is true and disease begins in the gut, aka your digestive system, then having a healthy & strong digestion is key. But let me share one secret: when the body is toxic, your digestive system is weak. So even if you eat “clean” and only buy organic and hormone-free foods, you are still breathing toxicity in this world. We live, eat, and breathe toxicity everyday. Look around your home and think of the paint on the walls, the rugs, the pesticides sprayed on your green grass, the exterminator to get rid of the bugs, and even if you are chemical-free in your home, is your makeup chemical-free? Even if you are totally chemical-free and using make up that is aluminum- free plus other non-toxic chemicals, we are still living and that means eating, breathing, and sleeping in a toxic environment. Unless you feel that are ready to live in a bubble or a hyperbaric chamber, then it is time to wake up to what I call “daily detox”. Now detox is not a curse word or anything to be scared about; instead, it is exciting to think about your body & cells actually functioning. I do not tell people detox has to be living on juices, water only, smoothies, or just salad or soup. Detox is about lessening the toxic load in your body. As I say, “Taking out the trash.” See, when we are toxic our body cannot perform its job. The body cannot metabolize properly, detox properly, absorb nutrients and minerals, or stay hydrated. It is a vicious cycle. See detox is necessary to be healthy, happy, & free of disease. We all have some low level inflammation because, again, we breathe but, even more, so we stress in this busy world. So, every time we stress, we create acid in our body, and our body is forced to pull mineral to buffer the acid wase, and then our liver, lymph, and kidneys begin to work hard to filter out the toxic load but what happens when the body is tired and clogged. When your digestive system is not working and cannot break down these foods, it cannot focus on getting RID of TOXINS, and that means you cannot get rid of bloat and fat and skin breakouts and all that jazz that keeps you tired. TOXINS => INFLAMMATION => WEAK DIGESTION => •Difficult weight management •Constipation/Diarrhea •Gas/Bloating •Headaches •Low energy •Low sex drive •Bad skin •Heartburn/Reflux •Moodiness/Depression Get where I am going with all of this? By detoxing, YOU will improve digestion and therefore free your body of inflammation and toxins. The foundation of this detox is NOT to ever feel deprived or starved. Thegoal is to help YOU do what I have learned to do in my own life: learn how to EAT CLEAN and learn what foods are IRRITATING your body. Eating clean is a way of life, not a diet. So, we begin to eat whole foods that promote detox in a safe and natural way. No, you do not have to only drink juices, or soups, or smoothies, or go on a grapefruit- eating-only diet; instead, you need to eat foods that are not irritating your digestive system and clogging it up. Is this making sense? So here are my tips for staying healthy & detoxing n aturally: 1. Upon waking, drink warm or room water with lemon an d 1 tsp raw apple cider vinegar (if tolerated) and add a dash of cinnamon or cayenne. 2. Start your day by being positive. Find a daily affirmation that gets you fired up. I love Louise Hay, Geneen Roth, Gabrielle Bernstein, and Marianne Williamson. 3. Try getting quiet without yourself, even just for o ne minute, and say, “I release what does not serve me.” Hold your heart as you say this out loud and scream it if you want. Own that power. 4. Drink fresh, green juices or make your own green juice with 1 tbsp chlorophyll and lemon and lime and water. 5. Aim for one meal that is super easy on your digestion per day. Try a smoothie, green juice, or soup to give that digestion a rest. 6. Get moving & shaking. Yes, exercise is one of the best ways to detox your body. 7. Drink plenty of water & add lemon, lime, or grapefruit to flush the toxicity. 8. Skin brushing is my favorite way to support the liver and get rid of those toxins. 9. Tongue Brushing. 10. BE Happy & grateful for life. Free copy of 5 vital steps to optimal health here
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Cravings happen even to the healthiest of us. Often, when a craving hits
in the afternoon or the evening after dinner, we get the urge to snack. Snacking can be a bad habit to get into, because the snacks we choose are often junky, not nutritious, and high in calories, sugar, or fat. The trick to snacking without piling on the pounds is to find healthy alternatives to the regular snacks you might normally reach for. Usually, when we get a craving it is for either something sweet (chocolate!), savory (potato chips!), creamy (ice cream!), or crunchy (crisps!). Obviously, my examples are foods you shouldn’t eat all the time if you want to be trim and healthy. But that doesn’t mean you have to fight your cravings for the rest of your life. Instead, you just need to substitute. 
Next time you get a craving for something sweet, why not try:
For your savory cravings, try these healthy alternatives:
Recipe 1 medium zucchini 1 tablespoon olive oil ½ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon sea salt Preheat oven to 225. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper, and set aside. Using either a mandolin or a knife, thinly slice the zucchini. The thinner the slices, the better they'll crisp up in the oven . Once sliced, place the zucchini on sheets of paper towels and sprinkle the tops of each lightly with salt. Use no more than ¼ teaspoon total for al l of the slices and allow the slices to sit for about 10 minutes. This will help draw out the liquid so they'll cook faster and help them become crisper. Your creamy cravings can be met by eating:
Spicy Guacamole
2 avocados, halved, pitted ½ red onion, diced ½ teaspoon garlic powder ¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper Juice from 1 lime 1 tablespoon parsley, chopped Sea salt In a large bowl mash avocado with a fork, and combine with red onion, garlic powder, cayenne, lime juice, and sea salt. The Key is Whole, not processed foods. Health concerns? Questions? Weightloss? Ask me, I would love to help 
 All fresh fruits and vegetables contain magical powers when it comes to shiny hair, clear skin, and strong nails. However, the ones I’ve chosen below are perhaps not as well known for their powerful beauty benefits. Try and include these foods into your diet if you want to look your best without the need for botox or other unnatural remedies. 1. Red Peppers. All red and orange colored foods contain beta-carotene, a powerful antioxidant. Red peppers are particularly beautifying due to the minerals A, C, and K. Vitamins A and C can help prevent cell damage that leads to premature ageing, and they can also reduce inflammation, which can cause a puffy- looking face. Pepper also has Vitamin K, which is an excellent property for protecting our cells from damage. 2. Spinach. All leafy greens are actually very powerful in terms of being a beauty food because of the chlorophyll they contain. There are also loads of other phytochemicals and fiber in spinach that help build blood that is super clean and which will show through in your skin. 3. Turmeric. This yellow-colored, Indian spice has a load of powerful antioxidant qualities. Turmeric assists in protecting our cells from free radical damage and also contributes towards cleaning up metabolic waste in our systems. It is also great as a liver flusher to get rid of any poisons and chemicals which are stored there. 4. Pumpkin Seeds. Wow, these really are powerful. What don’t pumpkin seeds have in them?! The humble pumpkin see d contains high levels of zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and vitamins B, C, and E. Pumpkin seeds are also a great source of amino acids and omega-3 fatty acids, all essential for healthy cell maintenance. Make a handful of pumpkin seeds a regular part of y our diet, and you will definitely notice a change in your appearance. 5. Parsley. Next time your plate is garnished with parsley, don’t push it aside. This is a pretty powerful herb when it comes to anti-aging, as well as purifying and cleansing the body. It contains vitamins A and C as well as anti-oxidizing flavonoids that protect our cells from free radical damage. Parsley also helps to purify the blood, kill bacteria, aid digestion, and cleanse toxins from the liver. The best thing is that all these foods are easy to incorporate into your diet. Add turmeric to juice and combine the other foods with some other fixings to make a great, beautifying salad. Who said that beauty was hard to keep? 
I wanted to share some tips with you for when you a
re really busy but still want to eat healthy, because it makes you feel GREAT to keep eating healthy, right?! And we aren’t going to let “being busy” stop us from feeling great, right?! Well, I have some tips for ya on what you can eat to stay healthy when you are busy! Smoothies .So fast, just pour some coconut water, rice milk or hemp milk into the blender, then throw in your fruits AND some veggies(spinach, cucumber, romaine lettuce, just to name a few). Add some protein if you like (hemp seed or chia seed, or maybe a scoop of hemp protein powder) and some healthy fats (avocado, coconut milk. or the proteins I mentioned before which also have you covered on the healthy-fat front!). For extra flavor, add some vanilla extract or dash of cinnamon. Immune Boost Smoothie 1 ½ cups dairy free milk 1 cup kale ½ cup parsley ½ red pepper 1 tablespoon ginger root 5 drops stevia or 1 teaspoon honey 
Salads
. Chop up a bunch of lettuce – romaine or red leaf – an d add some spinach. Pile on some other veggies – tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots, radishes, sliced beets, bell peppers, onions.. whatever you like. Add some protein. Choose pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, cooked organic chicken breast, kidney beans, sprouts, a hard-boiled egg, salmon or tuna. Make a quick dressing with stone-ground mustard, olive oil, and a couple sprays of Bragg’s Amino Acids (or just a bit of sea salt if you don’t have Bragg’s or can’t find it). Toss it all together and eat. If you chop the veggies in bulk you can make a couple salads at a time, don’t add the dressing to them yet, and they usually last a couple days. Simple Detox Salad - serves 2 2 cups arugula or greens of your choice (dandelion, watercress and endive are great for spring detoxing) ½ cup red onions, sliced thin 1 cucumber, chopped ½ cup carrot, chopped ¼ cup radish, sliced thin 1 avocado, cubed Juice from one lemon Sea salt and pepper to taste ¼ cup of sunflower seeds Chop vegetables and mix in a large bowl. Top salad with avocado and sunflower seeds. Drizzle with lemon juice and sprinkle with sea salt, pepper. Know where you can get healthy take -out . This could be from a nearby restaurant (I love my local Vietnamese restaurant and it’s really close and inexpensive) or you could find a place like Snap Kitchen in Austin, Texas, which I recently explored and am now in love with. They prepare healthy food to go. I stopped by this morning and picked up a couple dishes to tide me over the next few days. They have organic and locally-sourced produce, organic chicken, and free- range grass-fed beef and bison. Their portions will keep you on track but you can also get a medium or large size meal if you want to have extra leftovers. No, it’s not quite as cheap as buying and preparing it yourself, but if you are a busy person (OR you just don’t enjoy cooking) and would just spend the money on junky fast food or pizza delivery, the n it’s a much better value. It’s always the small habits that add up. Don’t let yourself fall back into old habits that cause you to not feel so great! I’d love to hear from you, too: What do you like to eat when you are really busy? Comment below. Instant Access to 5 Steps to Vital Health here
One of the most basic and primary essential oils you should have on hand
is lavender oil. This magical oil has numerous amazing benefits and will definitely come in handy if you have little ones to watch over. The aroma from lavender oil is heavenly and is great to diffuse in your home; you only need about 3-4 drops. You can also apply it to your hands, wrists, chest, neck, and feet. Some people find it best to dilute 2-3 drops of the oil with 1-2 drops of water when applying directly to the skin. You can also apply some to your hand, then cup both hands around your mouth and breathe deeply. Inhalation of lavender essential oil can be very therapeutic. One of my favorite ways to benefit from lavender oi l is from tea. Pour a couple of drops into your tea or brew a lavender blend for a wonderful relaxing treat. Using these methods of application, lavender essential oil can: 1. Help You Sleep. Lavender oil has a soothing aroma that can ease ins omnia and help you get an overall restful sleep at night. 2. Relieve Anxiety. Using lavender oil can have a calming and relaxing effect that eases tension from stress, nervousness, and anxiety. 3. Ease Pain From Minor Burns. Putting a few drops of lavender oil on a minor burn can help ease the pain from the burn, lower swelling, and even help guard against blistering. 4. Moisturize Your Skin. Get relief from dry, chapped, sunburned, or eczema skin problems with the smoothing and moisturizing effects of lavender oil. 5. Clean and disinfect minor cuts/wounds. Lavender oil helps to stop bleeding of minor cuts and scrapes. It is also an anti-bacterial so it will clean and disinfect these wounds as well. Apply 2-3 drops to the infected area. Want to learn more aboutessential oils? All oils are not created the same learn why Grab your free mini detox with doTerra Essential oilshere. Only a few more days to catch the Early bird special for my Spring Detox. Early bird price of $77 (including a free bottle of Lemon DoTerra Essential Oil), ends midnight on April 19. Detox will start as a group on April 27.
The “fight or flight” syndrome – you’ve heard of it, right? Accompanied with the image of the saber-toothed tiger dashing after a hunter, getting ready to attack. You often get into this situation, don’t you? In modern times, we’re not literally in that frantic position, but our bodies are often reacting as if we were fighting for our lives. Our adrenal glands, located on top of each kidney, are forced to work overtime in an effort to deal with stress from all sources: injury, disease, work, family, finances, environment, etc. 
It’s hard to imagine these small endocrine glands, essentially the size of a walnut, responsible for the manufacture and secretion of vital hormones such as cortisol, estrogen and testosterone. The cortisol production is crucial for the body to combat stress. Whereas thousands of years ago the stress was a finite amount of time – you either outran the predator or survived or you were eaten – nowadays, stress seems to be a state of being for so many people. Although not getting along with a boss or missing a bill payment are not life-threatening like the saber-toothed tiger, our bodies react to the stressors in a similar fashion. The body starts to feel unsettled. More and more cortisol is produced because the body believes it needs massive amounts of energy to run for its life. This happens over and over again throughout the day: getting the kids ready for school and getting yourself ready for work, traffic, spilling coffee on your new suit, your assistant calls in sick and you’ve got to send out 20 packages today, the babysitter is late picking up the kids from school and taking them to soccer practice, your late afternoon meeting runs over and you leave the office late so family dinner becomes you eating leftovers alone. And all this is going to happen again tomorrow! Here’s the problem: chronic stress can overload the adrenal glands to the point of exhaustion. For some, the fatigue will become overwhelming and the adrenals will no longer function properly to provide the energy and resources the body needs on a day-to-day basis. When someone is exhausted, a natural suggestion is to get more sleep. That’s not always easy with adrenal problems because insomnia is a common symptom. There are, however, steps you can take to prepare yourself for sleep, which is certainly one of the best ways to refresh and rejuvenate your body, mind and spirit. For better sleep and to heal your adrenal glands: 1) Go to bed at the same time every night between 10-10:30pm. 2) Avoid stimulants such as caffeine and sugar in late afternoon/evening (or remove them completely from your diet to avoid any rollercoaster-like blood sugar surges). 3) Keep a gratitude journal near your bedside. Every night, list five things for which you are grateful. Remind yourself that even though you may feel fatigued, there are wonderful aspects of your life and many reasons to heal. 
More info on how to stay Healthy? Grab your free copy of 5 Steps for Optimal Health here.
Before I get started......grab your free copy of 5 Vital Steps for Optimal Health here! Can I tell you something? There’s something that I didn’t realize when I first started working one-on- one with people who want to make their health and wellness a priority, people who are sick of feeling less than amazing, and people who are confused about who to listen to for advice. Here it is: Most of us already know what we need to be doing to improve our health! There is a lot of information (and mis-information) when it comes to the foods we eat. Just look at the variety of books in the ‘diet’ or ‘health’ section of your local bookstore. But when it comes down to it, we still know the basic things we should be doing to improve our health. In fact, when I ask my clients “What are three things you think you could be doing, to improve your health?” I get similar answers each time: 1. Be more active 2. Stop eating _______ or stop drinking ________ (or stop smoking!) 3. Eat more vegetables. We intuitively know how to make ourselves well. But when it comes to following through? That’s where we fall apart. I know!! I have done it, too. I still do it. I might be a health coach, but I’m still human! I eat chips, I drink wine, and sometimes I don’t eat as well as I know I can. For the next week, I’d like you to think about the obstacles that are stopping you from living your healthiest life. Think about it, journal about it, reflect on it. What obstacles are standing in your way? Maybe you work long hours and cooking a healthy meal seems too time-consuming , or maybe you feel that the price of healthy food is too high. Perhaps you will discover that you aren’t sure if you really deserve to feel amazing. Your job for the next week is to simply think, reflect, and journal on these obstacles. Knowing your obstacles, habits, and patterns will help you figure out how to work around them! I would love to hear your comments below. Tell me what is stopping you! Let’s work it out together! 
Did you know that food has vibrations that allow it to create change in
our bodies on a cellular level? Food that is alive and from the earth will energize and invigorate you, while processed, pre-packaged, dead food will leave you feeling lethargic and uninspired, like a light that has fizzled out. Makes sense doesn’t it? Dark green leafy vegetables are full of chlorophyll, which is basically liquid sunshine. It is the substance in plants that allows them to absorb light from the sun and convert it into usable energy. When we consume raw dark green vegetables such as kale, broccoli, and Swiss chard, we fill our body with the equivalent of the plant’s life blood – the very thing that allows a seed to flourish and take form. Chemically, the blood of the plant, chlorophyll, is very similar to our blood and, when consumed, it helps us to oxygenate and bre athe life into every cell. Pretty cool, huh? Chlorophyll is also extreme ly cleansing and detoxifying.
Here are some other high vibrational foods for you
to try: 1. Tree Fruits – try apples, pears, bananas, coconuts, avocados, nectarines, peaches, plums, apricots, oranges, lemo ns, limes, mangos, pomegranates, blueberries, cherries, and ol ives. 2. Non-green veggies 3. Raw Cacao – chocolate in its pure form has over 1,200 phytonutrients. It contains nutrients like magnesium, iron phosphorus, zinc, copper, and manganese. It also c ontains phenylethylamine, which are the feel good character istics, and theobromine which dilates the cardiovascular system to allow all the benefits to come in. 4. Goji Berries – packed with antioxidants, which can help minimize free radical damage to our cells. 5. Cultured and Fermented Foods –a great source of probiotics, which will help your digestion stay on track. I firmly believe in the old saying, “You are what you eat.” Junk in = feeling like junk, and rich, living, nutrient-dense food =much happier body and mind. Don’t just take my word for it. We’ve all tried the junk in, junk out experiment, so don’t you think it’s time to rock your body and mind with some fresh and fabulous food? By eating food that vibrates at a higher frequency, we increase our life-force energy and feel more radiant inside and out.
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