Tag Archive for: non-dairy

Every January people panic over what type of detox to attempt or foods to eliminate and by the third week, the old bad habits are usually back with vengeance. No need to fall off the wagon before February! So this year we decided to implement healthy choices all year long not just for January. We all know that the key to success is moderation. Instead of trying to quit every bad habit cold turkey, we are going to change it up on monthly basis. Every month we will decrease or eliminate an unhealthy habit. Below are a few tips and tricks to get the year started right!

Limit alcohol intake to once a week. If your job requires a lot of socializing try to drink 1:1- one water to every one alcoholic drink. This will help ward off dehydration.

Limit sugar intake to once a week. The trick with sugar is getting out of your system. Sugar is the devil and really the worst thing for your body. Start reading labels and thinking about what is in the food you eat. Hidden sugars will derail a healthy diet.

Switch dairy to a non-dairy choice. There are so many dairy alternatives available now. Soy, coconut milk, rice milk, and almond milk (which comes in many varieties). First and foremost milk is for baby cow consumption not human consumption. Dairy causes inflammation and is acid forming in our bodies. After pasteurization, all enzymes, proteins and vitamins are destroyed and therefore milk provides no real health benefits.

A fibrous diet is a happy one. If you suffer from constipation or lack of regularity, add a cruciferous vegetable to your diet. Broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, Brussels and Kale all contain phytochemicals, vitamins and are very high in fiber. They are all also crunchy and easy to cook with.

Drink as much water as possible. Eight glasses always sounds like a lot, but it really does help the entire body. Your eyes and skin will be clearer and your body will function at a higher level when hydrated.

Try fasting. Fasting has been proven to help lower blood pressure, lose weight, lower cholesterol, improve insulin sensitivity and improve brain function and clarity. There are many types of fasts. The 5:2 has been written about a lot in the press. The ‘5:2 diet’ is eating normal 5 times a week and the other two days restricting calories to 500. Intermittent fasting consists of fasting everyday for at least 16 hours and then eating in an eight-hour window. Even fasting 24 hours once a week will deliver benefits.

 

 

 

 

 

Every January people panic over what type of detox to attempt or foods to eliminate and by the third week, the bad habits are usually back with vengeance. No need to fall off the wagon before February! So this year we decided to implement healthy choices all year long not just for January. We all know that the key to success is moderation. Instead of trying to quit every bad habit cold turkey, we are going to change it up on monthly basis. Every month we will decrease or eliminate an unhealthy habit. Below are a few tips and tricks to get the year started right!

Screen Shot 2016-01-12 at 3.00.29 PM

Photo via Byrdie

Limit alcohol intake to once a week. If your job requires a lot of socializing try to drink 1:1- one water to every one alcoholic drink. This will help ward off dehydration. Drinking extra water will also create the feeling of fullness.

Limit sugar intake to once a week. The trick with sugar is getting it out of  your system. Sugar is the devil and really the worst thing for your body. Start reading labels and thinking about what is in the food you eat. Hidden sugars will derail any healthy diet. If you have a sweet tooth reach for the dark chocolate. Dark chocolate is a good sugar to eat in moderation and you bypass all the gross chemicals in junk food candy.

Switch dairy to a non-dairy choice. There are so many dairy alternatives available now. Soy, coconut milk, rice milk, and almond milk (which comes in many varieties). First and foremost milk is for baby cow consumption not human consumption. Dairy causes inflammation and is acid forming in our bodies. After pasteurization, all enzymes, proteins and vitamins have been destroyed and therefore milk provides no real health benefits.

A fibrous diet is a happy one. If you suffer from constipation or lack of regularity, add a cruciferous vegetable to your diet. Broccoli, Red or Green Cabbage, Cauliflower, Brussels and Kale all contain phytochemicals, vitamins and are very high in fiber. They are all also crunchy and easy to cook with.

Drink as much water as possible. Eight glasses always sounds like a lot, but it really does help the entire body. Your eyes and skin will be clearer and your body will function at a higher level when hydrated.

Exercise is the best cure for the winter blues, a few extra holiday pounds and overall wellness. Exercise allows us to sweat out toxins(salt, sugar, alcohol), increase circulation, increase blood flow and release endorphins. Endorphins make you feel good!

 

It’s often said that “we are what we eat” and with countless studies to substantiate these claims, we are now more than ever, aware of all the consequences to our daily diet. We’re breaking down for you the most potent food culprits that leave pure skin anything but glowing. There are easy ways substitute these foods with healthier skin-friendly alternatives, as featured below.

Alcohol: All in moderation and if possible try to stick to red wine. Alcohol contains a ton of sugar which can cause glycation (the breakdown of the proteins in skin (collagen and elastin), ultimately causing skin to sag and age. Glucose also causes cells to be malformed and irregular thus creating free radicals.

Substitution: Drink 1 – 2 X per week!

– White Sugar: Leading the cause glycation breakdown, this is a big one to stay clear of. Try adding non-processed sugars or fruits into your diet.

Substitution: Cinnamon can also be substituted and it helps with inflammation! Honey and/or Cacao are great alternatives to actual sugar and they are both super foods.

– White bread: Contain extremely high glycemic levels. Foods that have a high glycemic level raise blood sugar and can cause inflammation. This can cause a puffy look to the skin and face.

Substitution: Look for breads listed as low glycemic. Our favorite is Ezekiel bread!

Fried foods: Fried foods also have high glycemic levels and can be full of preservatives which can cause bloating.

Substitution: If you are cooking with oil, try and use olive oil or coconut.

Soda: Whether it is the sugar or the artificial sweetener, stay away from drinking soda. Soda causes bloating and can dehydrate the skin.

Substitution: Kombucha or Sparkling Water

Preservatives:  can cause inflammation. Inflammation inside the body is a very bad thing and looks pretty bad our your skin too. Preservatives are in many foods. Stay clear of deli meats, pre-packaged snack foods and try cooking from scratch instead of reaching for the chines food.

Substitution: When cooking at home use natural ingredients buying processed food. Use ingredients to season food like garlic, tumeric and ginger. All three are extremely healthy and aid with inflammation.

Meat: All meat if not organic will contain hormones that the animal has been fed. Hormones can need to eat organic in order to not ingest hormones the animal has been fed.

Substitution: Aim for fish instead. Salmon, arguably the most healthy food, is the best because of omegas.

Dairy: Does nothing but cause inflammation.

Substitution: There are so many dairy alternatives including almond and coconut derived non-dairy products. For a complete listing see here: Non-Dairy.

Our “IT” List: Water, oily fish such as salmon and sardines, avocado, berries, citrus fruit, nuts, seeds, green vegetables, red wine in moderation, green tea, rooibos tea, garlic, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, and plain yogurt.