Top 5 Foods that boost FEELINGS!

A simple list today, yet the power behind our food choices is HUGE!  Emotional Eating is challenge to many Humans and these 5 food choices support the positive aspect of it. 

Follow the Link:  Wellness Hero's Top 5 Mood Enhancement Foods

Hope you enjoy and Live Enthusiastically,

Wellness Hero!

TOP 5: Maintain., NOT Gain during Holidays.

Wellness Hero’s Top 5:  Ways to maintain, NOT gain this holiday season.


 1. Daily Food Plan -Know your food plan for each day, don’t let circumstance dictate what you have to eat, verses your choices that could be pre-planned.  Going to a holiday gathering is great, but knowing ahead of time your food strategy for putting energy (calories) in your body can improve your control.

 2. Portion Control - Measure out what you plan to eat, use a small plate and do not stand/sit near the food.  Each feeding should have a variety of color & moderation.


3. Emotional Eating - Whether it is pure JOY or anxiety over seeing family with the time of year, be understanding of the way you feel.  Have a coping practice in play that doesn’t involve food. 


4. Mindful Eating - When you eat, challenge yourself to enjoy each bite.  Count your chews, savor the flavor, start the digestion process off on the right break down.  The idea is to slow down & be conscious of what you are eating.  Eating in front of technology can really take away from a food expereince. 


5. Water, water, water...drink it constantly all day, especially when you first wake up.  Hydrating consistantly creates a balance in many aspects.  Not only does it support digestion, but regulates hunger (as it is possible the body just needs water, but you feel hungry). 

Mindful Eating & Vitamins/Minerals Facts.

What is mindful eating?
Part of successful long term weight management is minimizing deprivation and eating foods that you enjoy on a regular basis. Deprivation or avoidance may work in the short-term, but usually leads to feeling out of control, self-criticism, and eating more.
It is helpful to adopt a more healthy and balanced approach to eating.

VITAMINS
Vitamins are a group of organic substances (made by plants or animals), that are essential for normal cell function, growth, and development.
There are 13 essential vitamins, meaning they are needed for the body to function. They are grouped into two categories:
Fat Soluble Vitamins:    A, D, E, & K
•    Small amounts needed to maintain good health
•    Stored in the body’s liver and fatty tissue
•    High doses can be toxic and lead to health problems
Water Soluble Vitamins:
B-complex group & Vitamin C
•    Not stored in the body and must be replaced each day
•    These vitamins are easily destroyed or weakened during food storage and preparation
•    Citrus fruits are a good source of vitamin C
MINERALS
Minerals are substances that come from the earth (soil and water) and are absorbed by plants. Humans absorb minerals from the foods that we eat. These are important for optimum health. There are two kinds of minerals:
Macrominerals
•    Includes calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium, chloride, and sulfur
•    Body requires large amounts
Trace Minerals
•    Includes iron, manganese, copper, iodine, zinc, cobalt, fluoride, and selenium
•    Body requires limited amounts
WHY ARE VITAMINS AND MINERALS IMPORTANT?
Vitamins and minerals have many functions that help the body carry out different processes. Vitamins and minerals assist the body in the following ways:
✓ Protects arteries
✓ Produces healthy skin
✓ Boosts your immune system
✓ Balances hormones
✓ Energy production
✓ Proper functioning of your brain and nervous system
✓ Slows down the ageing process ✓ Protects against certain cancers and heart
disease

FACTS TO CONSIDER
•
• •
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Vitamin and mineral supplements are considered dietary supplements, not drugs, so they do not have to be tested in order to prove their safety or effectiveness before they are put on the market. They are considered safe until demonstrated
by the Food and Drug Administration to be dangerous.  Gees, play the guinea pig or russian rulette with your health & wellness.  Key is to do your research.
The American Medical Association has stated that it is acceptable for a healthy adult to use a multi- vitamin/mineral supplement.  I say first try to get V & M from a food source.

Go to www.usda.gov for a list of recommended daily allowances for other vitamins and minerals.

Top 5 Foods to AVOID!!!

Focus on what you do is always my motto, don’t sweat what you didn’t do.  Yet, I do sometimes focus on what not to do in order to support my health.  Avoiding specific types of food can yield a positive experience within the body.


Wellness Hero’s Top 5 Foods to Avoid and Why....


  1. Microwavable food - Many reason’s can support this and the biggest is that the microwave itself is a destroyer of actual nutrition, whatever goes in it, well the food comes out with less nutrients automatically.  The idea is that store bought frozen meals/snacks are usually made with the lowest quality ingredients possible.  Sodium levels are usually through the roof and the idea of just focusing on calories or another category of the Nutrition facts can be miss leading as many GMO ingredients are lurking.  Just remember it is likely the lowest quality type of food in the store and is NOT considered health food. Of course their are some that can support health, just such a small percent...


2.  Non-Water Beverages - It’s not complicated, if its not water it likely has little benefit.  A smoothie of locally grown fruit or veggies is acceptable in moderation.  We are a nation of drinking way to many calories.  Fruit is mean to be eaten not juiced.  With all options every where, its best to avoid anything that isn’t 100% H2O. 


3.  Ingredients You Can’t Pronounce

Does ferrous sulfate, thiamine mononitrate or partially hydrogenated soybean oil sound appetizing to you? Follow this rule of thumb: if a food product is made of stuff you need a course in chemistry to comprehend – or —if you can’t pronounce the first 5 ingredients, don’t let it near your cart.

Stay focused on buying whole foods comprised of only 1 ingredient. Instead of snacking on neon-orange cheese curls, slice up some carrots or celery sticks. Invest in an air popper and enjoy fiber-rich popcorn. Make homemade veggie chips: cut up kale, thinly slice beets, sweet potatoes or yams, sprinkle them with herbs and a little olive oil and bake in the oven.

4. Fake Health Foods

Fake health foods are those deceptive foods, billing themselves as “low in fat”, like Cheerios which has GMO ingredients and certain cookies, salad dressings or yogurt brands. Look closely at their labels. To make up for flavor, these items are inevitably high in sugar or salt. Other tricky foods include packaged breads and crackers with labels stating “contains whole grains.” This often translates into considerably less fiber than 100% whole grain products. Mulit-grain is a fake health term as well.

Again, choose real foods as much as possible. If it’s a sweet tooth you need to satisfy, buy tasty dried fruits, such as apricots or mango. A spoon full of honey can work too!

5. Canned Foods High in Sodium

Eighty percent of our sodium intake comes from processed and canned foods. In fact, many canned foods are so chock full of salt, they contain half or more of your daily recommended intake. A diet high in sodium is dangerous since it can lead to high blood pressure and many other heart related problems.

Instead of buying canned soups, try making your own simple versions, like a healthy cream of carrot soup or hearty lentil. If you don’t have the time to cook, purchase canned soups low in sodium.

Food Video by the Wellness Hero:
Food Matters Video

TOP 5 Ways to Lose Weight, WITHOUT a Diet.

Wellness Hero’s Top 5 Easy ways to BURN FAT (AKA lose weight).


Our bodies only want to maintain an ideal weight, a balance in body composition (which is 1 of 5 components of health-related Fitness).  Body composition is made up of Bone, Organs, MUSCLE (tissue too) and FAT.  We need it all, an we function optimally when it is in balance.

Here are some of my favorite tips for losing weight without out ever going on a diet. Of course a diet is just what a person consumes over the course of a day, so we are always dieting :)

1. Drink water.

Sounds simple, but let’s be honest: how much water are you currently drinking? If the answer is anything less than clear pee coming out of you, your body is telling you with Yellowish (apple juice) color pee that dehydration has started.  Plus, if you're active, it should be drinking even more than that. So here’s what you need to do: drink lots of water and cut back on things like soda (even diet!), alcohol, and sweetened beverages. You won’t notice a difference, but your body will thank you. How much to drink?  Everyone is different & the answer I have posted previously it worth your time to know, check out that post!  Hydration Basics  & How much to Drink?

2. Load up on vegetables.

You may not be the biggest fan of vegetables, but I promise you can learn to like them. Vegetables fill us up, and they're loaded with fiber, energy, and vitamins. Plus, they're low in calories, meaning you can eat a ton of them without gaining weight. Add vegetables to every meal and you’ll be sure to see a difference.  Raw is the most valuable way to MAX the benefits!

3. Don’t fear the fats.

Fats do not make us fat. In fact, they do quite the opposite. They help us absorb vitamins, give us glowing hair, skin, and nails, and even keep us more satiated, meaning you'll stay fuller longer and be much more satisfied with your meals when you add a little fat. Consider adding things like olive oil, avocado, coconut oil, sunflower seeds, or flax seeds to your next meal. You’ll be surprised at how full you'll feel!

4. Move in a way that you love.

We all know that exercise can contribute to weight loss, but what if you hate it? The key here is to actually move in a way that you enjoy. This way, you'll be more likely to stick to it in the long term. Chances are, you’re not going to want to get up at 5am for a run if you hate running, but if your alarm goes off at 5am for your favorite dance class, I bet you’ll be way more likely to make it there. Remember diversity of exercise or more specifically do things to support each component of fitness:  Muscular Strength & Endurance, Flexibility, & Cardio style movements.

5. Don’t label foods "off limits."

We want what we can’t have, so once you label something off limits or not healthy, it's going to become more appealing. Whenever I used to say I was going to cut bread from my diet, it would be all I could think about for a week until I finally caved and ended up eating an entire loaf because I couldn’t take the torture. Sound familiar?  I LOVE BREAD!

Now that I allow myself bread if I want it, I don’t crave it nearly as much and those intense cravings I once felt have totally disappeared.

So there you have it, 5 simple things you can change about your eating habits today without ever going on a diet. Still struggling with this concept? I want to help you ditch the diets for good so I invite you to contact me for support.  I specialize in POSITIVE BEHAVIOR CHANGE, find out how you can benefit from this simple lifestyle change.

Top 5 MOOD Enhancing foods!

Wellness Hero’s Top 5 MOOD Enhancing foods!

Do you like feeling good?  Sometimes adding specific nutrients to your body's systems creates reactions that boost emotions and the way a person can feel.  If a person eats something heavily processed like fast food, so much unhealthy CHEMICALS start to be absorbed by the body, which in turn effects the mood as well.  I recommend eating them raw or combined in something you are already eating to enhance that food choice with a MOOD Booster!

1.  Avocado - can elevate your spirit!
(Avocados contain serotonin, a type of feel-good neurotransmitter)

2.  Raw Cocoa - High in magnesium and contains significant quantities of the essential amino acid Tryptophan, which is crucial for the production of the neurotransmitter, serotonin.

3.  Spinach - Nutrient dense and a powerful health - mood and illness prevention food. Spinach is full of vitamin B9 (folate) which helps the body maintain normal levels of the mood-enhancing neurotransmitter serotonin. Low levels of folate are often associated with depression. RDA is around 400 micrograms. *Some other folate rich foods include asparagus, beans and broccoli.

4.  Chia Seeds - A potent vegetarian source of omega 3 and packed with amino acids.

5.  Sunflower Seeds - Their richness in vitamin E - Selenium and Magnesium all contribute to improving your mood! (also rich in selenium)