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6 Ways to Embrace A Vegan Diet

November 23, 2022 0

While you’re searching for delicious vegan winter meals, you might wonder whether it’s time for you to embrace veganism to its fullest. You may have dabbled here and there, and you don’t eat meat with every meal the way you used to. Still, going vegan can be a significant lifestyle change and if you want to make it stick, you need to know how to do it properly to ensure you get the health benefits and start making positive changes to the environment. 

Find the Perfect Meat Substitutes 

Most people are scared of a vegan diet because they aren’t sure about good meat substitutes, but this is far from the truth. Just looking at this quinoa recipe collection from foolproofliving.com is proof that you can put together a range of exciting and traditionally meat-based dishes without going anywhere near pork, beef, or chicken. If you’re concerned about protein intake, many of these foods pack plenty of protein that will help keep you energized and build muscle if you want to bulk up over the winter. 

Know What to Look For On Ingredient Lists 

Even if you feel dedicated to veganism, you may not know enough about ingredients that could affect your journey. Some brands try to include sneaky non-vegan ingredients in the food you can purchase at the supermarket or restaurants. Knowing what to look out for will help you maintain your veganism and keep you from making continuous missteps that go against everything you’re trying desperately to avoid. 

Remove Food You Won’t Miss 

If you’re taking it slowly, you can start by getting rid of food you won’t miss. Everyone has some foods they only eat out of necessity or even peer pressure, so if you feel you can live without turkey breast or pork chops, you don’t need to worry about this. Likewise, you can replace milk with almond milk, and don’t ignore the benefits of seasonings and how they can transform dishes that seem bland. 

Make It A Gradual Change 

No one is expecting you to become vegan overnight and some people end up suffering from health issues their bodies cannot cope with under such a rapid adjustment. Furthermore, the more changes you make in a short period, the less likely you are to stick to your new diet. There is likely to be some food you’re not ready to give up yet, so take it easy and gradually remove non-vegan food from your diet until you feel ready. 

Don’t Beat Yourself Up 

Everyone makes mistakes and one slip-up doesn’t ruin everything, but it can teach you an important lesson about what you’re ready to do. You shouldn’t feel like you’ve betrayed veganism just because you accidentally consumed meat or you felt the cravings were too much. Still, use this as a learning opportunity. Consider why you consumed meat and ask whether any triggers encouraged it.

Embrace It

If you feel ready to take on veganism in all its glory, there is no better time than right now. However, you don’t need to make wholesale changes overnight. If you want your vegan habit to stick, take it one step at a time to protect your health and keep you motivated which will boost your chances of success.

5 Eco-Friendly Ways To Care For Your Garden

November 9, 2022 0

Gardening is a great way to get outside, enjoy fresh air, and dirty your hands. But it’s also important to be mindful of the impact that gardening can have on the environment. There are a lot of small things that you can do to make sure that your gardening practices are eco-friendly. Here are five easy tips to get you started.

1. Use Organic Fertilizer

One of the best things you can do for your garden is to use organic fertilizer. This means avoiding synthetic fertilizers that can contain harmful chemicals. Instead, opt for natural options like compost or manure. If you’re unsure of the best organic fertilizers, you can contact your local lawn service company to attend to your garden. This way, you can be sure that whatever is being used in your garden is safe for the environment and your plants. 

2. Use Native Plants

Another easy way to make your garden more eco-friendly is to use native plants. These are plants that are naturally found in your area or country and don’t need to be imported from somewhere else. They’re also more likely to be resistant to local pests and diseases, which means that you’ll need to use fewer pesticides and herbicides. Native plants also support local wildlife, as they provide food and shelter for birds, bees, and other animals.

3. Mulch Your Garden Beds

Mulching is a great way to reduce weeds, conserve water, and insulate your plants. There are many eco-friendly mulches that you can purchase to use in your gardens, such as wood chips or straws. You can also try using biodegradable options like grass clippings or fallen leaves. Just make sure that whatever you use is biodegradable so that it doesn’t end up in a landfill. You also need to ensure that you don’t over-mulch your garden, as this can lead to the suffocation of plants and other issues.

4. Collect Rainwater

Rainwater is one of the best things for your plants! It’s free and naturally soft, so that it won’t harm delicate plants like flowers or vegetables. Plus, it’s really easy to collect; all you need is a rain barrel. Set one up near your downspout and watch as the water collects over time. Then, when you’re ready to water your garden, just hook up a hose and let the rainwater do its magic. Collecting rainwater is also great for saving on your monthly water bill and conserving overall water usage.

5. Avoid Plastic Gardening Tools

Just like with anything else in life, it’s important to avoid using unnecessary plastic whenever possible. This includes the garden. There are all sorts of eco-friendly options for gardening tools these days, so there’s no need to buy those cheap plastic ones from the hardware store. Instead, invest in some good quality metal tools; they’ll last longer and won’t end up in a landfill when you’re done with them.

Gardening is a great way to enjoy some time outside while also doing something good for the environment. By following these simple tips, you can ensure that your garden is as eco-friendly as possible!

5 Tips For Improving Mental Wellness Through Diet

October 26, 2022 2

Mental wellness is something that matters a lot, and more and more people are now focusing their attention on it. So if you want to aid their mental wellness and start doing more to improve your mental health, your diet will need to play a part in that. As strange as it might sound, there are lots of ways in which your diet can impact your mental well-being, and that’s what we’re going to explore today, so read on.

#1: Share Food Around the Table with Friends and Family

First of all, you should think about the way in which you generally consume food. When you sit down and eat alone, you don’t have the interactions or the social aspects of dining with family or friends. So that’s why you should try to eat together with others as often as you can, especially if you live in a household with other people. Make it a shared experience.

#2: Try to Keep Your Blood Sugar Balanced

When you eat a lot of foods that are high in sugar, you’ll experience a sharp rise in your blood sugar levels when you first eat those foods. The problem with that is that your blood sugar level will rise and then crash, which can impact your mood and mental health. So eating a more balanced diet with fewer high-sugar foods is definitely a good idea.

#3: Get More Organic Broccoli Into Your Diet

If you don’t currently have much broccoli in your diet, that’s something you should certainly think about changing. Broccoli offers a lot of nutrients you want as part of your diet, and on top of that, it has lots of helpful anti-inflammatory properties as well. Simply adding some broccoli to the dishes you eat already will help your body and your mind function better.

#4: Try Using Organic CBD Gummies

It might be a good idea to try using some CBD gummies if you feel like stress is a part of your life and it stubbornly lingers over you. There are lots of good options out there, such as Delta 8 Gummies, that can offer the stress-relieving properties that you’re looking for. Integrate them into your routines and diet to feel the benefits. And start slowly if you’ve not used them before.

#5: Eat Plenty of Salmon for Omega-3

Omega-3 is very important for the health of your brain, and as such, is important for your mental health as well. So if you want to get more omega-3 into your diet, you just need to eat more foods such as fish and salmon in particular into your diet. They contain omega-3 fatty acids that your brain and body need.

As you can see, there are plenty of ways in which you can aid your mental health through your diet. The ideas above will help you to do that. Just a few simple changes in the right areas can make a real difference to your life and your mental health outcomes going forward.

What Is The “Healthiest” Form Of Exercise?

October 14, 2022 0

Achieving good health goes beyond watching what you put in your mouth. Sure, you can follow a brilliant diet full of superfoods, anti-inflammatories, and antioxidants, but that doesn’t guarantee you’ll actually be healthy. Alongside a good diet, you need to exercise! 

Regular exercise is amazing for your body, though there is one question that might play on your mind a lot. What form of exercise is the best – or “healthiest” for you? When we define “healthiest” we’re talking about exercises that provide you with the most benefits and have the least side effects. 

So, which ones should you be aware of? 

Swimming

Swimming has always been seen as the ultimate form of exercise. You’re immersed in water, so there’s plenty of resistance for your body to fight against. As such, you pretty much work your entire body. The best thing is, you don’t have any heavy impacts on your joints. This is why swimming has been used for decades to treat a lot of injuries – it’s also highly recommended for older people as it keeps them fit without harming their joints or aggravating back pain. 

Nowadays, a lot of people are installing swimming pools in their gardens, which could give you easy access to one of the healthiest forms of exercise out there. If you already live somewhere with a pool, perhaps it’s time to give this a go. 

Walking

That’s right, good old-fashioned walking is a very healthy way to exercise your body. This is why we are often encouraged to walk 10,000 steps a day. Walking burns a lot of calories while toning your legs at the same time. It does a good job of building leg strength, which is super important as you get older. 

Much like swimming, walking is a low-impact activity. As such, it’s included here instead of running, which can have a high impact on your joints and cause all sorts of pain and injuries. Try to aim for 10k steps a day and it will improve your health. 

Yoga

Lastly, you have yoga. This is a form of exercise that has been around for generations and largely focuses on stretching your muscles and holding different poses. Consequently, it is fantastic at keeping your body in a state of balance. Stretching helps to prevent injuries and alleviate muscle soreness. At the same time, holding yoga poses requires strength, so this exercise is great for building your strength naturally. 

Once more, it isn’t overly impactful on your joints and has a low degree of risk involved. Yoga is suitable for just about anyone of any age, so give it a go. 

So, what is the healthiest form of exercise? The three mentioned here are wonderful for your health & well-being. They provide a range of benefits, improving your fitness and strength at the same time. But, the key thing with each form of exercise is that they don’t present any long-term concerns. Things like running or weight lifting are definitely good as well, but they may cause injuries and problems in the future if you’re not careful. 

6 Healthy Back To School Lunchtime Snacks

August 15, 2022 0

 

Fall is right around the corner, and that means it’s back to school for children, teens, and young adults across the country. For parents, that means it’s time to handle getting lunches packed, balanced breakfasts on the table, and sleepyheads out of bed!

I always get a wonderful nostalgic feeling from the end of summer, back-to-school time. It always reinvigorates me and makes me excited to try new things and make changes in my life, even though my own schooldays are long past. I think part of this has definitely been from raising Eben! 

Watching him go through the process of starting a new grade each year has been so rewarding and inspiring (and now, he’s applying to Graduate School, can you believe it!) I always want to support him and his efforts at school, and part of that means making sure he’s well fed and properly fueled so his brain can do all that learning each day (at least until he leaves us!)

One of the things I like to try and do each year is come up with new types of healthy snacks. Kids always seem drawn to any kind of single-serving snacks and fun foods—just think about those awful packaged varieties that your kids have probably begged you to buy while shopping. Packing the same things all the time gets boring and doesn’t offer much variety in terms of vitamins and minerals, which only eating a broad diet can do.

If you’re stumped for new ideas when packing lunches, here are some of our favorites, which I’m sure your kids will love, too:

  • Fruit Skewers: Use whatever fruits you have on hand (melons, apples, clementines, grapes, etc.) and stick bite-sized chunks onto wooden skewers or reusable plastic or metal skewers if you want to be extra eco-conscious. These colorful snacks are fun to eat and easy to share with friends at school!

  • Justin’s Chocolate Hazelnut Butter & Pretzels: This fun, dippable snacks make eating healthy nut butter a breeze. Eben loves these so much he had already gone through the package of them before school started! Like a healthier version of Nutella, these snacks feel like an indulgence, but they’re made from high-quality, all-natural ingredients with a focus on sustainability. Definitely a winner!

  • Fruit and Vegetable Chips: Whether you choose to make these in the oven, dehydrator, or buy them from your local health food store (such a variety is available these days!), fruit or vegetable chips are a great way of making healthy eating fun and delicious for kids. The possibilities are endless: apples, sweet potatoes, kale, zucchini, eggplant, all with any combination of flavored salts, herbs, and spices.

  • Stonyfield Organics YoKids Squeezers: This squeezable yogurt is both healthy and tasty. Eben loves the Cherry and Berry flavor pack, and they never come home uneaten when I pack them in his lunch! As with all of the Stonyfield products, they are organic certified by the USDA and made with pasture-raised milk.

  • Nuts and Seeds: I buy organic nuts and seeds in bulk at Costco and pack them in Eben’s lunch every day. They are the perfect snack to grab right before a big test or for an after-lunch pick-me-up!

  • Homemade Granola Bars: Unlike their store-bought counterparts, when you make granola bars at home, you don’t need to add any processed sugars and can control exactly what goes into them. There are endless healthy granola bar recipes online, and I guarantee at least one of them can be made with whatever you have in your cupboards right now!

What about you? Do you have any favorite back-to-school snack ideas that your kids devour? Or any packing secrets or life-changing products you can’t do without? I’d love to hear about them—the more inspiration, the better!

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