Food as Medicine: Fighting depression with Holistic Nutrition

Did you know that antidepressants are some of the most prescribed medications in the world (and the most popular psychiatric medication)?

WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT? Because I am convinced that in many cases (that are not SO severe), there are many “natural” holistic tools that one can apply to feel better and avoid taking anti-depression meds - and these tools help treat the root cause, and come with no side effects!

Additionally, in the cases where medication is absolutely necessary, there are many lifestyle and diet factors that can support your depression treatment to make the results more effective (and hopefully help you become less reliant on the meds).

READ MORE FOR 5 NUTRITION TIPS TO HELP YOU BEAT THE BLUES AND SUPPORT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH.

IMPORTANT NOTE: I am not a doctor, and depression can certainly be a serious medical condition that requires medical attention. So if you suffer from depression, please call your doctor for a diagnosis and a treatment plan that works for you.

Read More

In Need of Gut Healing? 5 Foods to Avoid, 5 to Minimize & 5 to Enjoy

When our gut bacteria is out-of-balance, when we have more “bad” bacteria than “good” bacteria (to put it simply), this can cause issues for our overall health and wellness.

Taking care of your GUT HEALTH can help improve the health of your skin, your mouth, your genitals, it helps improve the health of your immune system, nervous system and brain!

What can you do to start?

Make a few tweaks to your diet to crowd out the bad bacteria and encourage the growth of the beneficial bacteria. Below I list top 5 foods to avoid, 5 foods to minimize and 5 foods to enjoy.

*And if this works for you, I encourage you to keep up with these dietary changes as a longer term LIFESTYLE (at least to a 90% degree) to avoid gut issues from recurring.

Read More

Magnesium Supplements: What You Need to Know

Often times, the root cause behind many of our health issues (such as trouble falling asleep, energy dips, constipation, etc.) is linked to a nutrient deficiency in your diet. It can be that simple.

One common nutrient that is often lacking in our diet (that is keeping us from feeling 100%) is MAGNESIUM. Increasing our magnesium-rich foods is key, but often not enough.

That being said, there is a WIDE range of magnesium supplements, and taking the right one can be a huge help to your health.

READ MORE for a quick 101 on different magnesium supplements, to help you find what may be right for you.

Read More

GREEN SUPERFOODS 101: BENEFITS & TIPS

You’ve probably heard of some of these green superfoods like Moringa and Spirulina and maybe seen them in your local health store. But with so many “superfoods” these days, it can get confusing. What are the different kinds? What are their benefits? What are the differences / which do you need? How/when should you take them?

Today I’ll go through the differences/benefits of these TOP 5 GREEN SUPERFOODS (and some additional tips):

  1. Moringa

  2. Chlorella

  3. Spirulina

  4. Wheatgrass

  5. Barley grass

Read More

An Easy, Probiotic Mask for Clear, Hydrated, Glowing Skin

Natural DIY face masks are a great "facial" option that can work wonders on your face in just minutes, and are especially helpful when you can't make it every month to your facialist. Plus, you can do them while multitasking!

Today I wanted to share one of my favorite face masks – great for all skin types - that will help you keep a healthy skin microbiome and restore a healthy glow in your skin. I've been doing it a lot recently and am always AMAZED by the instant boost I see in my skin.

This mask is soothing, refreshing and cooling (hello yogurt!), moisturizing, helps balance your pH, remove dead cells, brightens your overall complexion, and fights off any blemishes, leaving your skin feeling baby soft and CLEAN.

Read More

Did you know? ... Harms of PLASTIC and how to cut back

In honor of Earth Day, I wanted to write about something I consider super important - something that I try every day to implement in my life, and a topic that many people still have limited knowledge about: the danger of excess PLASTIC.

Read more to learn what you need to know about the dangers of plastic, and 10 easy, actionable steps you can start implementing now to cut back on plastic in your life.

Read More

12 Holistic Tips for Healing Anemia

Its crazy how many women suffer from Anemia, and how unaware most people are of what their particular cause is, and what natural tools they can apply to bring their body back into balance – beyond taking iron supplements (which is just a “band-aid” that might not address the root cause and often has side effects).

While my number one recommendation would be to eat more iron-rich foods, there are many other influencing factors to consider. There are many things that may be inhibiting your ability to absorb iron and other nutrients you need to sustain healthy iron-levels and red blood cell count/flow. 

Read more to better understand all the likely causes of your anemia (and/or iron-deficiency and/or low hemoglobin) and 12 Holistic Remedies you can begin to apply now. 

 

Read More

Did You Know...? Importance of B-Vitamins

The 8 B-vitamins - B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12 (referred to as B-complex) - play a very important role in keeping our bodies functioning properly. These essential nutrients help convert our food into fuel, giving us energy. They're also KEY for hormonal balance, a happy mood, strong and healthy hair, for proper detoxification, and more!

READ MORE to learn where we get these nutrients, what are signs that we're deficient, when we should supplement (and why!)

Read More

A Valentine's Day Libido-Boosting Smoothie

A healthy, balanced diet will not only help you LOOK better and FEEL more confident (important for sex drive), but also delivers key nutrients to keep your libido high.

In the past Valentine Days, I’ve shared a red beet smoothie, as well as healthy chocolate recipes. This Valentines, I’m giving you a recipe to BOOST YOUR LIBIDO (for both you and your partner)!

Read More

Did You Know....? Dangers of Dryer Sheets

I recently discovered how bad laundry DRYER SHEETS are, so i wanted to share with you some info to make you more aware and help you reduce the toxic load in your life.

READ MORE to learn healthier alternatives that will leave your laundry clean and soft without affecting your health!

Read More

16 Smoothie Boosters for a Exceptionally Nutritious Smoothie

A smoothie is an awesome way to get a shot of nutrition for breakfast, and can serve as a fully balanced meal that will boost your metabolism, give you tons of energy while keeping your blood sugar stable.

Read more for my favorite 16 healthy additions to your morning smoothie (all of which I use!), that will make your smoothie more anti-inflammatory, immune-boosting, hormone balancing and gut-healing.

Read More

6 Fat Burning Foods

Burning fat is about much more than exercising and cutting back on fat. What you eat and how you eat are extremely important, and actually, cutting back too much on fat and over-exercising can backfire.

When it comes to the food-part, most people think burning fat is only about cutting back on certain foods and “dieting”. But actually, there are many foods that you can ADD to your diet, that have awesome fat-burning qualities which can help you a lot more than starving yourself. Plus, eating “fat-burning foods” can help you stabilize your blood sugar (so helping to prevent diabetes) and boost energy levels.

Read More

OMEGA-3’s 101: Benefits and Best Sources

Surely you’ve heard about the wonderful benefits of Omega-3 fatty acids. You’ll see it in marketing of nutrition labels, and you’ve probably read about it in my blog and Instagram, where I always try to include omega-3-rich foods in my meals.

But maybe you've wondered, WHY ARE THEY SO IMPORTANT? What exactly are they, and should you really care?

I wanted to address this topic because, YES, you should care. Omega-3's are extremely important for your health. And being informed on the topic is important because not all omega-3 foods are equal, and it's good for you to know why, and which ones you need to consume. 

Read More

8 Tips for Relieving Headaches

Do you ever get bad headaches? Maybe you had too much wine last night? Maybe its “that time of the month” or you’re going through hormonal changes? Maybe you’re detoxing from sugar and coffee (or other addictions) and you’re feeling the effects with a pulsing headache? Maybe you’re not sure what it is, but come mid-afternoon, you get an annoying headache….?

Many of us are used to just popping a pill and praying it subsides. However, as most of you know, I’m no longer a fan of popping a pill because you’re not addressing the root cause and that headache will keep coming back. Plus, all pills have side-effects. Instead, I’d like to share with you some more natural tips when you’re suffering from headaches.

Read More

5 Reasons Why I Eat Ginger Every Day (+ recipes)

Luckily for me, I naturally love spicy foods, and I’ve found that a lot of the spices/ herbs/ condiments that I love most are also awesome for my digestion. One of these miracle digestive spices is GINGER.

Ginger is a widely used condiment, that’s part of the same family as turmeric and cardamom, all of which are great for our health. And like turmeric (which most of you know is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent if you read my blogs), Ginger also anti-inflammatory properties, in addition to to tons of other benefits (beyond digestion!). 

Read below for 5 BENEFITS OF GINGER (as well as recipes and tips on how I use ginger in my daily diet).

Read More

How (and Why) I Use Coconut Oil Every Day

Last week I wrote about why I still LOVE coconut oil despite the controversy on saturated fats. Today I wanted to share with you many of the fabulous ways that I use coconut oil.

Here are 14 ways in which I use coconut oil on a regular basis (7 in the kitchen and 7 in the bathroom & bedroom):

Read More

Is Your Toothpaste Safe?

Did you know that your regular toothpaste may be doing more harm than good?

WATCH MY QUICK VIDEO to learn one surprising ingredient you should avoid in toothpaste, and get my easy HOMEMADE TOOTHPASTE RECIPE. 

Read More

10 Tips for Eliminating Cellulite

Unfortunately, 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 More

My Basic Guide to Essential Oils

Many people have asked me about my “DIY” recipes for self-care, and about what I do to stay “clean” (i.e. minimizing my toxic exposure) on a daily basis. And for me, both of those answers are centered around Essential Oils. So I figured it would be worth it to share with you a bit more info on Essential Oils and why I’m such a huge fan.

READ MORE to learn WHAT essential oils are, what they're used for, where you can buy them, and how I personally use them in my day to day to support my healthy, balanced lifestyle!  

Read More

5 LIFESTYLE TIPS TO HELP COMBAT HORMONAL ACNE

I am a big believer in treating problems from the inside out - addressing the root cause of your issues, instead of just covering them up with a temporary solution or medication. Of course there come times when medication is needed, but even then, I suggest accompanying the treatment with holistic remedies aimed at healing the root cause, that will help you both in the short and long-run. And that applies to hormonal acne, too!

Last week I dove into the key triggers related to hormonal acne, and wrote about healing hormonal acne with FOOD. If you haven’t read it yet, read it now!

Read More