Mariana's BLOG page with her best health tips & recipes
Balance with Mariana's blog page, The Balance Journal, provides unique and useful tips on healthy living and holistic nutrition, delving into topics of digestive health, hormonal balance, weight loss, making healthier choices, improving body image and more!
Mariana also emphasizes eating healthier (yet delicious), more balanced, plant-based meals, and provides easy and delicious recipes.
Our liver removes all toxins, clears medications from your body, breaks down our food so we can properly process it, and even helps us with hormone regulation - so it is absolutely crucial that we take proper care of this essential organ!
In this blog, I share my 10 most important steps to take to better care for your liver (via simple lifestyle and diet habits).
Read MoreIf this year, you’ve realized YOUR HEALTH is a top priority, you know you want to positively and definitively upgrade your health this year (in a way that does not require suffering nor excess restriction, and actually LASTS), but you’re not sure where to start, I’m here to help!
After a decade of experience as a health coach, I can share 7 key steps to embark on a successful health journey.
Read MoreWhile I am a big believer in an inclusive, varied and balanced diet, there are times when we are unknowingly consuming foods that are taxing our beautiful bodies and causing us to gain weight or just not feel our best.
For this reason, I am also a big believer in doing a periodic cleanse (like my 10 day detox) as a mini RESET, and an opportunity to check in with our bodies and see what might be affecting us.
The thing is, many of the foods we eat every day contain a ton of pesticides, and/or have an acidifying effect on the body, and/or are mucus-forming, and/or are simply difficult to digest. By avoiding these foods for 10+ days, you give your digestion a pause from these potentially inflammatory foods (while nourishing your body with an extra dose of superfoods, vitamins, minerals and proteins that help your body detox), and will be in a good place to re-introduce potentially triggering foods and see how they affect you.
LEARN MORE about what we eliminate and WHY (it’s useful info so don’t miss out!) in today’s blog…
Read MoreHappy Halloween!! This is such a fun time especially for the kids, but candies and sugary treats are floating around everywhere, and the sugar temptation is huge! It's once a year, so enjoy this funky spooky holiday... but make this year a HEALTHIER one - for both you and your family.
It CAN be done with just a bit more AWARENESS. Today I’m sharing TIPS on keeping your body healthy this Halloween, plus better alternatives to traditional Halloween candy (and more). Check out all my links, and please share with your family and friends so they can stay healthy, too!
The gut-brain connection is extremely powerful, which means that a huge part of having a healthy mind is having a healthy “gut”.
If you’ve ever felt butterflies in your stomach when nervous, or nauseous when scared, you KNOW your gut is sensitive to your emotions and stress. And the reverse is also true. The health of our gut has a direct effect on our brain and mood. Poor digestion from too much processed foods, bad food combinations, or poor elimination (ex. not pooping properly) can have a huge negative impact on your mood, energy levels, mental clarity (and more!).
SO if you want to have a healthy, happy brain, you need to start by having a healthy GUT! Here are 5 steps to get you started…
Read MoreNowadays, we are all experiencing some degree of oxidative stress in our bodies, which is keeping us from attaining our health goals. It can negatively impact our fertility, our ability to reach our ideal weight, our ageing process…. and more.
So what causes oxidative stress, and how can we decrease it?
In this blog, I lay out the key contributors to oxidative stress and 8 tips to reduce it in your day to day life.
Read MoreDid you know that we apply hundreds of chemicals on our bodies every day, of which many have been linked to increased risks of cancer, infertility, birth defects, hormonal issues (aka endocrine disruptors), and more?!
On top of this, we are exposed to many other toxins every day that also impacting our health, including: pollution, pesticides in food, chemicals in water, chemicals in cleaning products,Teflon on cooking pans, VOCs in paint, phthalates in plastic, and even our excess constant stress.
So what can we do?
I am a believer in avoiding fad diets. Instead, I believe in finding the eating style that works for you longer-term. One that helps you reach and maintain your health goals.
But on top of that, when you feel you need a short-term boost to your health (and waistline), food-based detoxes are optimal.
In the toxic world we live in, we can all benefit from a light cleanse here and there. While they may not be necessary if you already eat a very clean diet, I find that the benefits outweigh any negatives, for almost everyone.
And, if you do have a particular health concern, doing a longer-term detox – like a 30 day elimination diet – can be EXTREMELY beneficial. And that’s what led me to trying the Whole30.
READ MORE to learn more about the Whole30, my takeaways, recommendations, and lessons learned!
Read MoreWhen we're relaxed and tuned-in, our bodies find a way to stay healthy. While if we're stressed about that gram of gluten and obsessing over whether our belly is expanding, then our bodies react negatively; stress takes priority over digestion, and that's when we accumulate fat (not to mention the guilt overpowers our happiness).
Read MoreUnfortunately, it's extremely common to develop some cellulite on our bod, particularly on the booty, upper legs and abdomen.
And while we shouldn’t be ashamed, it’s still something that no one likes. Let’s be real, we all want it GONE.
First - what causes cellulite?
Cellulite is essentially fat deposits just below the skin, and it can be attributed to your diet, lifestyle, hormones, and partly also age and genetics. Usually it’s a combination of these things, but the first two (diet and lifestyle) are always at least partially responsible. Certain diet and lifestyle factors can lead to a buildup of toxicity in your body, and these toxins are stored in your fat, and help contribute to the “dimples” of cellulite.
So it is incredibly important to start detoxifying your body in a gentle way to get rid of these stored toxins, and then implement healthier habits in your day to day to minimize further accumulation of toxins.
On top of that, it helps to strengthen the connective tissue of your skin, and reduce fat overall.
Here are my 10 BEST TIPS FOR ELIMINATING CELLULITE:
Read MoreIt’s officially summer (for those of us in the northern hemisphere!) and I don’t know about you, but I’m excited for all my summer plans – both here in Miami, and a few trips abroad. But I admit that it’s always a challenge to stay healthy during the summer months. I just want to get a lot of sun (often a bit too much!), have some rose wine or cocktails by the pool, attend fun barbecues/beach parties, have friends over at my place, ETC., and it all adds up!
So of course, I have my mini plan of how to stay healthy this summer, and I’d love to share it with you!
Read MoreBased on my research and experience, I find that some degree of intermittent fasting can be highly beneficial to almost anyone. And I don’t mean fasting for 24 hours every week; I’m referring to a small degree of fasting, such as allowing a 12-16 hour break between dinner and breakfast.
I personally have suffered from both digestive and hormonal issues, but feel my best when I practice daily intermittent fasting, allowing 12 hours between dinner and breakfast. And about once a week, I may allow for 16 hours between meals.
Why is this so great for me (and most people)?
The key idea is that fasting gives your body a rest from digestion and allows your body to fully assimilate nutrients, getting rid of what it doesn’t need, and concentrate on healing.
Some benefits include:
Read MoreBalance With Mariana is a holistic Health Coaching practice that works with individuals looking to lose weight, overcome their food addictions and improve their digestive issues, by teaching them new healthy lifestyle habits that help them reach their specific personal goals. Clients of Balance With Mariana develop not only a better relationship with food, but also an overall more balanced and happy life.
Balance With Mariana | , Miami, FL
