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ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy eating, healthy living, stress reduction, Uncategorized

Power Up Your Smoothie!

There’s a lot to love when it comes to delicious, healthy, healing and filling smoothies, especially when you are trying to lose weight. Smoothies can be used as a fabulous start to the day or a healthy snack or meal during the day. They’re fun to make and a tasty way to get more protein, fruits, and vegetables into your diet.

I have specific recipes for my clients depending on what they’re wellness goals are. I would love to share with you some tips for making smoothies that I share with them when it comes to making smoothies. Smoothies can be made with juice, water, yogurt, almond milk, coconut milk, soy milk or any of the other milk alternatives, they can contain veggies, fruit, supplements, herbs and spices. I suggest combining 1 cup of fruit or vegetables with 1 cup of liquid and two to three ice cubes. Adding a teaspoon of a spice like cinnamon or ground ginger can add an exotic taste plus a boost of phytochemicals.

Any fruit or vegetable can be mixed together, some are better than others when it comes to taste and nutrition. Here are some of the suggestions that I have.

Avocados add creaminess and thickness to smoothies. High in potassium and Vitamins A, C and E, avocados are also rich in essential fatty acids.
Bananas add a thick and creamy texture to smoothies. They offer a high level of potassium and help boost the immune system.
Dates add thickness and sweetness along with vitamins A, B1, B2, C and D.
Spinach contains fiber that can help clean the digestive tract of free radicals.
Strawberries provide vitamin c and cleansing actions for the liver. They also have antiviral and antioxidant properties.

To add a boost to your smoothie try adding one or more of the following to your smoothie for extra benefits including enhanced energy, joint repair, and toxin removal.

Cacao is a mineral- rich super food that offers energizing and anti-aging properties. It makes a smoothie taste like dessert!
Chia seeds have been consumed for energy for centuries. They make an excellent thickener for a smoothie when it’s left to chill for about half an hour after being blended.
Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil contain omega 3s that help the joints avoid the absorption of toxins.
Hemp seeds provide a nutty flavor, omega 3s and omega 6s, fatty acids, and protein.
Wheatgrass offers antioxidant, anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory properties.

Once you start making smoothies you will love them because the process of making them puts you in charge of what you get to take into your body and that my friends it powerful within itself.

Wishing you peace, wellness & tranquility!

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

Host of Blissful Living Show

ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy eating, healthy living, stress reduction, Uncategorized

Master Your Bad Craving Habits

In my last article, Master Your Cravings, (Master Your Cravings) I realized that not only do we have cravings that can wreck havoc on our waistline but also we have habits that help us to hang on to these cravings. This made me take a look at what I do when I get challenged by my cravings that add to the enticement of the craving. What I discovered is that there are certain habits that naturally fall in line with our cravings. So what I decided to do is to discuss how you can get rid of these bad habits that may be keeping you hostage to your cravings.

How many of you fall into this bad habit of Late-Night Snacking? What this actually may mean for you is that you are overtired and are using the “snacking” to keep you awake. Hunger hormones like ghrelin, leptin and cortisol can all be affected by the lack of sleep. If there’s an imbalance it can change your satiety levels, causing you to crave carbs. Or hey, you just might be bored at night or looking to reward yourself after folding laundry or you feel you should have a treat as you watch your favorite TV show. I discovered that this was a major issue with many of those that I work with however most people were unaware that they even did this or why they did it.

To curb this bad habit is that when you feel yourself getting tired go straight to bed. If you truly can’t fall asleep, create distractions that don’t involve food. Try playing with your pet or doing something that keeps your hands busy. If you absolutely must have a late night snack try, warm unsweetened almond milk with a little cinnamon, nutmeg and clove. To rewire your brain pathway to eliminate this bad habit make your breakfast to set yourself up for success before bed. Having a morning meal with at least 35 grams of protein may lead to less snacking on high-fat foods at nighttime, compared with starting the day with a low-protein breakfast, like cereal or skipping it altogether.

The other bad habit that seems to be a major problem for people is what I like to call “ Bad Days” or “Pig Out Days.” There are reasons for this. When you eat comfort foods, you get a boost of serotonin and dopamine, feel-good neurotransmitters that act like antidepressants. To curb this bad habit simply do something like order healthy takeout. You can call ahead to your go-to sushi spot and grab it on your way home. It ‘ll feel like a pick me up and help you to control what you’re eating. To rewire the brain pathway for this bad habit remember that your food is medicine and should be treated as so. Instead of eating something, change your clothes right away and go for a jog or do yoga. Or take a hot bath and sip a glass of your favorite healthy beverage while you get lost in a good book or podcast.

Lastly, if you must submit to a bad habit craving, take the time to make the thing that you are carving, as healthy as possible.

Wishing you peace, wellness & tranquility!

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

Host of Blissful Living Show

ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy eating, healthy living, stress reduction, Uncategorized

Master Your Cravings

Cravings are a huge problem for many of us. I have even had to rebalance myself to master my cravings this year, which is a first for me. So when I was going through the struggle of getting my cravings in check, I realized for the first time that this is what many of those that I work with struggle with on a daily basis and it can be extremely tough to refrain from your cravings if you don’t know what to do.

So I decided to share some wisdom on how you can successfully master your cravings. Check this out, whether it’s your sweet tooth, which was my problem, or your woe-is-me-mood nudging you toward the goodies, there are some things that you can to get the urge in check, without depriving yourself. If you’ve ever been called to the cabinet by a bag of chocolate chip cookies or better yet enticed by a bag of Oreo cookies and if you are hormonal, it could be a bag of Lay’s potato chips, just know that you are a normal human being. Even the most disciplined people can’t help surrendering to food cravings. To simply put it, a craving is just a habit that you have scored into your brain pathway. For instance, if you tend to eat when you’re anxious or at a certain time of night, the behavior just continues on as part of your lifestyle. What’s worse is a lot of people turn to mindless super snacking when they’re really looking to comfort themselves or just find a distraction.

So here’s the deal, don’t beat yourself up because of your succumbed to your cravings, just follow the suggestions below to get yourself back on track.

Salty Cravings ~ This can be a sign of dehydration or a mineral or electrolyte imbalance.

To curb this craving reach for the spice rack Adding spices like turmeric, rosemary, basil, cayenne smoked paprika will help curtail this craving.

To rewire and kill the cravings keep yourself hydrated divide your weight in half and drink that many ounces of water per day. Fill your diet with foods that are rich in potassium, like avocado and sweet potato. Potassium will bring water to your cells to hydrate you.

Sweet Cravings ~ Sugar is physically addictive, the more you eat of it, the more you want it.

To curb this craving grab a piece of fruit. Fruit contains natural sugar and carbs that are balanced out by fiber and other nutrients causing less dramatic blood sugar spikes.

Sweet Cravings ~ To rewire and kill this craving try going cold turkey on traditional sweets, for two weeks. Then over the next two weeks eat less of the not so obvious “sugar monsters,” like high sugar yogurt. By the end of the two-week cycle your sweet urges will be greatly diminished and by the fourth week your cravings will be dramatically reduced or none at all.

Here’s some more scoop for you, most cravings pass after about fifteen to thirty minutes so you also have the option of just waiting for them to pass. A great way to distract your brain from the craving is to go for a walk, turn on some music and sing at the top of your lungs or dance around like there’s no tomorrow.

Wishing you peace, wellness & tranquility!

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

Host of Blissful Living Show

ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy eating, healthy living, stress reduction, Uncategorized

Deep Listening For Success

Every successful individual that I know or have worked with has gone through life with intention and a clear sense of purpose. I have also come across those individuals that say they don’t know what their intention or purpose is. I tell these people that often the reason individuals don’t know their intention or purpose is because they simply haven’t spent enough time listening to themselves, carefully and in silence. I often get that look like “What????”

Deep Listening is a practice of stopping and listening without judgment or advice. All you have to do is sit down, rest your mind and ask yourself in silence: What do I really want? What is my life for? And if you go deep enough, intention will emerge. I would definitely call this a form of meditation. In fact I would say it is a must for success, no matter what you want to do.

With Deep Listening, you have an opportunity to honestly evaluate yourself. When you’re reflecting on a habit or an action, such as something you perceive as an obstacle or something you think you’ve accomplished, take the time to ask yourself, “ Am I being deceived or is this really happening the way it seems to me?” This helps us on our path to Bliss because when you listen to yourself, you put yourself in a better position to listen to others.

When we listen deeply, we can observe and investigate a habit or action without being identified with it and without pushing it away or pulling it in. This puts us in a position to be able to observe and then ask ourselves “What would happen if this is true?”

Deep Listening is not just for the mind and spirit; it’s also perfect for the body. This is something that I like to emphasize. The body is always talking to us and many of us fail to listen to the whispers of our body. Here is what I suggest that you do: stop and listen to your body, surrender to being with what is. Ask yourself: “What is my body trying to tell me? What should I be paying attention to here? Have I been overdoing it? Have I been going too hard or too long?”

Your body is like a broadcasting station. Learn to listen and to trust that still, small voice inside, the voice of self- knowing, and the voice that will never lead you astray. You may slow down for a little while but in the long run it will keep you healthier and active.

As you learn to practice deep listening to yourself and your body, you will find that you’re listening skills get fine-tuned and allows you to listen to others better. When you are able to listen to yourself without judgment, you are able to listen to others without judgment and really hear what that person is trying to say to you. This my friends, is a true key to success in life.

Wishing you peace, wellness and tranquility!

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

Host of Blissful Living Show

ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy eating, healthy living, stress reduction, Uncategorized

Healthy Ways to Stop Headache Pain

Did you know that almost a fifth of the people presenting to the emergency department go there for headache pain and for women between the ages of 18 to 44, I jumps to a third of the visits. Wow when I read this it was mind boggling to me. You see severe headaches and migraines can leave you in agony, but even mild headaches can be painful enough to negatively affect your life. And stress, hormones and life can play a major part in bringing a headache on.

Instead of focusing on the headache pain and causes, I am going to focus on natural treatments for your headache pain.

The first remedy that I would like to talk about is the Boswellia tree. This ancient tree contains a resin that has potent anti-inflammatory properties. This tree resin has been included in studies treating people with cluster headaches, which occurred over the course of weeks, month, or even years. Cluster headaches are so intense that they have often been called the “suicide headaches.” The wonderful thing is that the Boswellia tree resin has been shown to provide long –lasting pain relief and has also been shown to decrease the intensity and frequency of these headaches.

Next there’s Butterbur. This is a perennial shrub and has been used to treat pain relief and headache prevention. This beauty has been shown to prevent migraine headaches, in clinical research studies. Butterbur taken twice per day has been shown to decrease the frequency of migraine headaches. Please note that some Butterbur contains pyrrolizidine alkaloids, which may cause liver damage, so be careful when selecting your supplement to ensure you get a supplement that’s free of these harmful compounds.

Lastly, I want to share this goody for decreasing headache pain and you are going to flip when you find out. Ready? Well it is the good old vitamin B complex. B vitamins have become a popular treatment for the reduction or the severity of migraines and headaches. B vitamins contain riboflavin that has been deemed effective for the prevention of migraines. In addition vitamin B-6 has been shown to decrease headaches associates with the menstrual cycle. Vitamin B-6 may even help decrease headaches associated with oral contraceptives.

All of these are available as supplements at your natural health stores. It is always suggested that you check with your healthcare provider for the correct dosage to take for you.

Wishing you peace, wellness and tranquility!

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

Host of Blissful Living Show

ayurveda, blissful living, health and wellness, healthy eating, healthy living, stress reduction, Uncategorized

Immunity Boosters

If you’re in the mode of stockpiling face masks, hand sanitizers, chicken soup, cold and flu medication, I would like for you to consider this: Your best protection against common airborne illnesses starts within. When you build a strong immune system from the inside out, and don’t sabotage your healthy status with habits that hinder your body’s ability to fight off infection and illness you are able to maintain a state of well-being during the most challenging times. Of course its also very necessary for you to wash your hands as often as possible with good old fashion soap and water.

During this time of year there’s a lot of talk about the Immune system and keeping it healthy and well. But you may be wondering just how do I do this. What do I need to do to keep myself and my family health and well? Do the “things” I hear about movement, herbs and all that natural stuff really work?

Here’s the deal…

Sitting around and doing nothing AKA lack of physical exercise can reduce immunity in two ways. It can interfere with getting a good night’s sleep and can lead to obesity. Now if you are someone that sits at a desk all day, this lack of movement can leave you and your immune system feeling sluggish. But wait here is a simple solution; regular, moderate exercise will make a difference and you will feel the effects immediately. It is best to aim for a daily brisk walk of 30 minutes a day. If you can’t get 30 minutes at one time, you can break this up into 3 10- minute walks. And if you can’t get out for a walk do 3 sets of 10 jumping jacks every 1 ½ to 2 hours. Exercise is great because it increases leukocyte levels in the body and these are the cells that fight infection and keep our bodies healthy and well.

It’s also a great idea to eat as much whole foods as possible, especially organic fruits and vegetables. Choose fruits and veggies for their antioxidants components and their nutrients that protect the cells from free radical damage. Free radical cellular damage has (www.youtube.com/rochelemarielawson) been implicated in heart disease, atherosclerosis, cancer, and arthritis. Free radicals can also interfere with your immune system causing you to be more vulnerable in both the body and mind. Another benefit of eating whole foods… They help you manage your weight.

Short-term stress may initially boost immunity but chronic stress does the opposite. Chronic stress depletes your immune system exposing your body to a floodgate of stress hormones, cortisol and adrenaline; which causes havoc on the body and the mind. Learning relaxation techniques, perhaps through yoga, meditation www.meditationsforbliss.com or tai chi, can also boost your immune system and improve your sleep too.

Namaste,

Rochel Marie Lawson, RN,AHP,CMS

The Queen of Feeling Fabulous

Host of Blissful Living Show