Spring has sprung! Summer is around the corner. (ALREADY! Didn’t we just have Christmas) It also can be the time you spring clean.
But besides cleaning out the garage or setting your alarm clock ahead an hour, spring cleaning can also be applied to your diet (with amazing results). If you have fallen or gotten a bit off track since the beginning of the year or if you’re just looking for some helpful encouragement to help you reboot, here are some tips:
- Clear your cabinets. The holidays can make it easy to have unhealthy items in the pantry, fridge or freezer that are too tempting. Get rid of them! Unopened food can be donated to shelters or nonprofits. Just get it out of the house: Out of sight, out of mind!
- Stock up on plant-based essentials. Start with your pantry: Here’s our recommendations for the perfect plant-based pantry. Do you have certain grains, spices or beans you like more than others? Be sure to keep PLENTY in the house! That way in a pinch, you can toss together some beans, grains, greens in a bowl or wrap and have an instant, satisfying healthy / plant-based meal.
- Be very clear on what you’ll be eating and enjoying. By juicing and eating more plant-based many of you have gotten off or reduced your insulin, blood pressure medicine and have improved other chronic diseases (and losing a TON of weight!).
- Find a support system. Having a support group really can make a difference to share and hear from people who are chasing the same goals. This why our Faith Fit Life community is so vital! (Together. We. Can) It can be our life line. In addition, a support system of people who are also juicing and eating healthy/plant-based can be a huge help. If you haven’t already, join our group on Facebook: Faith Fit Life You’ll get ideas, advice, recipes, Scripture encouragement, and more.
Now that you’re equipped with some tips to help you spring clean your diet, take advantage of the nice weather and fill your body with juice and healthy eats!
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Instructions for Cleaning Vegetables and Fruits
When buying vegetables and fruits especially if they are not organic they need to be washed. I also put the organic produce in the pool with the other just to have all of the produce clean.
Fill the sink with water and add 1/2 cup of vinegar. Soak the vegetables and fruits for 30 minutes and then rinse.
Together. We. Can.
Pulp, Pulp and More Pulp
When we juice we have so much pulp that we have no idea what to do with and instead of throwing it out let’s get creative!
Before you throw away that pulp, how creative have you been to using the pulp?
A few suggestions for the pulp:
-Use the pulp in your bakery: Add a little vegetable or fruit pulp, to your cake, sweet bread, muffins, and other baked goods
- Mix some pulp in guacamole
- Add some of the fruit pulp to pancake mix
- Add fruit or veggie pulp to a healthy smoothie
- Make veggie burgers with the pulp
- Make a broth with veggie pulp
Make the best soup stock with your veggie pulp. Veggie pulp is an excellent as a base. Use pulp of tomatoes, onions, celery, carrots, and garlic for best results.
What other suggestions do you have for the pulp?
Together. We. Can.
Juice ON
Saltwater Flush
The truth is, unrefined salt is actually good for you. It helps to balance blood sugar, keep bones strong, regulate metabolism, boost the immune system and more. Natural salt provides a number of nutrients and minerals in a form the body recognizes and knows how to use.
Naturally filtered salt water gets its vital grayish color from more than 80 trace minerals. Its slight moistness keeps the salt and minerals in a form that the body can use efficiently.
You can find many kinds of unrefined salt in your neighborhood grocery store. Make sure to check the label. Some sea salts are still refined, so it must say “unrefined” on the label. You should look for Pink Himalayan Salt and Celtic Gray Sea Salt.
Instructions:
A Salt Water Flush needs to be done first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. This is perfect while you’re juicing.
Mix 16 oz. of warm water with 2 teaspoons of unrefined sea salt. (I use Pink Himalayan Crystal Salt.) Be sure it is not iodized table salt.
Shake or stir well, then drink the entire container of salt water. It may be hard to get it down but you will. (Follow by 16 ounces of room temp water) It could start working in 30 minutes. Gently massage your stomach counter clockwise to help move things along.
You may need to go to the bathroom more than once, in that case, only do the flush if you’ll be close to a bathroom.
The process many take up to one hour to flush through your body.
It feels so good, so cleansing with added energy when done.
How often should I do a Saltwater Cleanse? 7 days in a row. Then give yourself time between the next flush you perform. You do not want to cause an imbalance in your body, and you don’t want to rely on the flush to evacuate your bowels.
Take Your Before and After Pictures
Imagine you are following your Faith FiT Life for a few days and you’re already making progress! Speaking of progress, let’s talk about the importance of documenting when you begin. Take your selfies (you don’t even have to smile), measurements and weight.
Right now, you might be embarrassed or uncomfortable about doing this. You may not be pleased or you may even be disgusted with how you look now. Let’s get over that as best as possible. It’s important to document your progress in pictures. Why? Because it’s important to capture the beginning of your fitness journey. Sometimes, the scale doesn’t budge at all, yet your body is redistributing or adjusting and there are changes that you can see in a before and after picture. As you incorporate juicing, eating more plant based, training (exercise) — you’ll start seeing results.
As much as you might not want to do it right now, you’ll be glad you did later. Once “that” photo is taken, everything that follows is part of the “After” that you’re striving toward! Trust me you will be so happy when you see the difference and the progress you are making in your Faith FiT Life. Think about looking at that “after” picture to see yourself glowing, healthy, vibrant, alive thanks to your decision of improving your health.
I have “Before and After” pictures at different stages of my journey. Take after pictures often as it helps to journal your progress. You’re not just going to look amazing, you’re going to feel AMAZING! A picture is a worth a thousand words!
Urine Hues
Hydration is absorption combination with water. Dehydration is a state where the cells in our bodies do not have enough water. Our cells must have water for correct functioning, even lighter cases of dehydration can start causing our bodies problems.
Hydration is essential if you want to achieve and obtain health and keep every system in your body working well. The hue of your urine will tell you a lot about your health. Refer to chart from www.urinecolors.com for guidance.
How much water should I drink? Drink at least half of your weight and more is better! Example if you weigh 150 pounds divided by 2 = 75. A 150 pound person should drink at least 75 ounces of water and as I said more is better.
Together. We. Can!
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What Poop Says About You
Bowel movem
ent is a subject many do not like to talk about yet believe it or not, your feces may be telling you so many things about your health that you should be pay attention to.
As we already know, our bodies use a special language to inform us if something is not right, and it is about time to start taking these signals seriously before it is too late. Thanks to the bile produced in our liver, the stools are supposed to always be brown.
But, what if you see a different color down your toilet? Plus, are you aware of what each color may represent? It is time to stop taking our feces’ color for granted and be willing to check them out whenever we finish doing our “business”. I look at my bowel movements and urine always as they are indicators of my health.
Refer to the Bristol Stool Chart to help guide you in what you need to be looking for. We need to be aware of these things even if they are not pleasant to talk about.
Summer Traveling Tips for Faith FiT Life
1. Carry Your Juice or Snacks
When I am Juice Feasting I freeze my juices to take with me. I travel often with Southwest and I check them in. (Ask for more info on how to do it.) If you are eating as well, carry your healthy snacks with you, many hotels have refrigerators in the room for your use.
2. Do Your Homework
Plan before you go. Check out www.happycow.net. Happy Cow goes all over the world! Don’t put yourself in a position where you arrive somewhere tired, hungry and with no idea where to go. Make a list on your phone so you are set and ready when you arrive.
3. Stay Focused
Enjoy the trip! Relax! Have Fun! BUT don’t let a vacation throw you off from living a healthy lifestyle, with a little mental preparation and personal planning you can absolutely stay healthy while you’re away
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Shots! Shots!…AND Shots!
The “shots “of recommendation and that I do daily are Apple Cider and lemon and Cayenne Pepper. The first one in the morning the ACV and lemon on an empty stomach. I wait 30 minutes before putting anything else in my stomach as I want it to absorb in my system well. I will do the cayenne pepper sometime later in the morning and in the afternoon and evening. Dandelion shots when dandelions are in season. I will take a shot at about 4ish in the afternoon. That is what works for me. Work in the shots the way it best works for you.
Apple Cider Vinegar- Lemon Shots
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) is full of beneficial enzymes and bacteria. It helps to kill of harmful pathogens and bacteria. ACV is composed of acetic acid and therefore a shot of it can help reduce heartburn. (heartburn is actually caused by a lack of acid)
Because ACV is packed with beneficial enzymes and bacteria and can help kill off harmful pathogens in the gut and will boost the immune system. Roughly 90% of the immune system is in the gut, so when our gut is healthy – we are healthy. In addition, the acetic acid in ACV can help kill of candida, which can cause anxiety, depression, acne, fatigue, foggy brain, eczema, etc.
Lemon is full of vitamin C, which is good for the immune system and helps fight off sickness. Studies have shown the polyphenols in lemon suppress weight gain and fat accumulation.
Lemon helps the liver to produce enzymes as well as bile, which will aide in digestion and remove toxins from your system. Lemon is a diuretic, meaning it promotes urination – which is another way the body flushes toxins. Braggs Vinegar is the ACV I use.
Juice of ½ Lemon and top off the shot glass with ACV – Daily
Dandelion Shots
Dandelions are good for many different things, such as the ability to detoxify the body, kidney cleanse, helps the liver, stimulate urination, weight loss, and improve the strength of the immune system, fight anemia. Dandelions are also good in treating hormone issues like PMS, as they can help to balance hormones, and these flowers also deliver a healthy dose of minerals, antioxidants and vitamins
Dandelions are loaded with calcium, rich in iron, loaded with antioxidants, detoxification and cleansing, good source of copper, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and magnesium, complete protein, reduce the risk of cancer and multiple sclerosis, and an anti-inflammatory, bone health.
Juice a good bunch of dandelions with an apple. A shot in a shot glass. The rest store in a Mason Jar in the refrigerator to use until it is finished. – Daily when dandelions are in season
Cayenne Pepper Shots
Some of the benefits of Cayenne Peeper: Full of Vitamin A, which helps relieve pain, aids in poor circulation, helps speed up digestion, rebuilds the tissue in the stomach and the peristaltic action in the intestines, stops heart attacks within 30 seconds, boost circulation and increase heart action, fatigue and restoring stamina, enhance cardiovascular performance, stiff arthritic joints, low back pain, fibromyalgia, arthritis, nerve pain caused by shingles and sciatica, strengthen digestion, psoriasis
Mix ½-1 tsp with water in a shot glass. – Daily and up to 3 times a day
Seven Faith FiT Life Suggestions for Dinning Out
Eating out does not need to be frustrating and or something you don’t participate in. When you are eating healthier, and or plant-based and or juicing IT IS easier to eat at home for you know what is in the food or the juice being prepared and served. Yet I do enjoying go out to eat for it is a social time with family and friends that we can enjoy with a little preparation.
Some suggestions when eating out:
- Look at the menu ahead of getting to the restaurant this will give you a feel as to the options to make your decision. (Menus can be found on Yelp or online)
- Order first so not to be tempted in hearing what others are ordering.
- Ask for sauces and dressings on the side this way you are in control of what you use or not use.
- Questions, Questions, Questions! Ask them to help you make your decision. I find that many places will accommodate (within reason) as there is competition in restaurants to eat healthier.
- Water or unsweetened tea for your beverage.
- Avoid dessert as they are filled with fat and sugar that are not the best for the Faith Fit Life.
- Go for a walk after dinner it will help in digestion and get you moving which is always good!
Together. We. Can!