Plants Changed My Life

“Our faster than ever evolution has resulted in our undermining certain incredibly important aspects of humanity—like our sleep.” ― Pawan Mishra

Put the hustle & grind in timeout; today we have eight tips to power your body, mind and spirit with good sleep. Find out why and how you can improve your sleep in Step 12 of our Spring Into Ultimate Wellness Series. Just click the play button above to listen.

This week’s resources:

Don’t forget to stop by the forum and tell us how you’re doing in this week’s challenge!

How many hours of sleep are enough?

Effects of light on human circadian rhythms, sleep and mood

Get Morning Sunlight and You’ll Sleep Better

Micronutrient Inadequacy in Short Sleep

Essential Oils For Sleep

The Nap Ministry

“Movement is a medicine for creating change in a person’s physical, emotional, and mental states.” – Carol Welch

You have the power to grow stronger and improve your overall quality of life in the present, and future by moving your body today.  In step 11 of the Spring Into Ultimate Wellness series get motivated to challenge yourself and keep your body moving — no matter what age or stage of life you are in.  Just click the play button above to listen.

This week’s resources:

Don’t forget to stop by the forum and tell us how you’re doing in this week’s challenge!

Click here to get 24 ideas on how to move more.

We’ve all heard of “beer belly.”  But is it true that beer, or other forms of alcohol, form beer bellies?  Is alcohol good or bad for us?  Who are we to believe?  We’re talking all about this alcohol thing in step ten of our Spring Into Ultimate Wellness series.   Just click the play button above to listen.

This week’s resources:

Visit the forum and tell us what steps you’re taking to change up your alcohol consumption, or if you’ve done it already, tell us how it has made a difference.

How much alcohol is really in your drink? How many calories? What’s the cost to you per week, month, or year?

Evaluate your drinking, decide how to make a change, and find tools to help.

Caffeine is a big part of our daily lives, not just in America, but all around the world.  Especially coffee, it is ingrained into the cultures of many of us.  From Africa to the Americas, the growing, roasting, and drinking of coffee is part of our social construct.  The problem with caffeine is that it comes in many forms that we love: chocolate, coffee, teas, and sodas.  The issue with these are that the forms that we love are often packed with excess sugars, fats, artificial caffeine, and other artificial ingredients.  Not only is the caffeine addictive, but the other ingredients are also addictive, so we easily fall into harmful daily dosages of these ingredients.  Today in step nine of the Spring Into Ultimate Wellness series we are going to take a look at caffeine and how a few changes in our choices of beverages and snacks can improve our energy and focus in a more healthy way.  Just click on the play button above to listen.

This week’s resources:

Visit the forum and tell us what steps you’re taking to make the switch.

See how to make your own healthy and easy chocolate bars here and here.

Learn more about Teechino, chicory root coffee, and roobois tea.

Get some ideas for making your own natural energy drinks.

DIY Soda ideas.

Did you know that our bodies as adults are approximately 60 percent water, and our blood is approximately 90 percent water?  Think about that for a moment.   We all know that we are supposed to drink water everyday and that water is important for us, but are we really getting enough?  Today we are going to give you five quick reasons why you will want to make this a priority, and four easy ways to make it happen.  Click on the play button above to listen to step eight in our Spring Into Ultimate Wellness series.

This week’s resources:

Click here to share your thoughts on our community forum.

Get inspired by these infused water ideas.

There’s an adage that says: “Keep your friends close and your farmers closer.”  Food is critical to life and we place a lot of trust in the people who create and handle our foods. That trust is very often blind and unconscious.  Prior to the 1970s many of our experiences with food and products were close to home.  The food acquisition experience included the milkman, the local farm stand or mini market up the street— or even closer, the family’s farm or garden.  America made a big shift around this time to a culture of convenience rather than a culture of care.  It’s time to get back to our natural roots of eating foods that originate close to our homes.  Today, in step seven of our Spring Into Ultimate Wellness series, we are sharing exactly how you can make it happen.  Just click the play button above to listen.

This week’s resources:

Click here to join our community forum.

Gardening 101: Growing your own food

Find local food in your area with Local Harvest.org

USDA local food directories

Food coop directory listings

Learn more about inhumane labor conditions for: Factory Farm Workers and Produce Workers

Center for Food Safety on food irradiation

Food irradiation Q and A

Houston Gardener Shares Seeds of Wisdom So Others Can Flourish

How many of us have loved ones who have suffered with cancer, heart disease or diabetes?  –Maybe you’ve had to battle cancer, diabetes or heart disease yourself.  There are a lot of factors at play when it comes to overall wellness, but one of the biggest is the food that we eat.  The ads for fast-food chain Chick-fil-A feature black-and-white spotted cows who plea: “Eat Mor Chikin.”  Today we are here with our own simple plea: Eat More Plants.  A plant-based lifestyle has been shown to reduce your risk for cancer, heart disease, stroke and diabetes.  We have tips on how you can easily get started in step six of our Spring Into Ultimate Wellness series.  Just click the play button above to listen.

This week’s resources:

Click here to join our community forum.

Get an idea of some of the foods that should make up your daily plate.

Check out some of our other resources on getting started with a plant-based lifestyle.

An animated summary of Dr. Michael Greger’s How Not To Die.

A few quick tips to spice up your plant-based life.

Get some plant-based meal ideas here and here.

In a society where it’s all about the hustle 24/7, time seems more scarce, convenience rules, easy options are abundant, fast food is calling, and the choices might be cheap — but they are not without cost and consequences.  The spread of cheap, highly processed foods has been linked to rising obesity rates and heart disease not just in America, but around the world.  What we eat has a lot to do with our culture, family traditions and memories.  But for the sake of reversing the chronic ailments that are impacting us and killing our dearest loved ones, it’s critical that we stop and rethink some of our food choices.  Learn how you can do just that in step five of our Spring Into Ultimate Wellness series.  Just click the play button above to listen.

Do you have more to add?  Share it in the comments below or click here to join our community forum.

This week’s resources:

Check out these simple snacks you can easily make at home

Here are seven weeks of meal prep ideas curated by The Kitchn

Pandora’s Lunchbox: How Processed Food Took Over the American Meal

See how the food gets us addicted to highly processed foods in Sugar, Salt, Fat, by Michael Moss.

Are ultra-processed foods associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease?

Need a better understanding of exactly what is processed food?  Check out this guide to see the levels of processed foods.

Have you ever had a food product that you just couldn’t stop eating?  It could be the carefully orchestrated work of a food scientist.  There are over 3,000 additives found in processed foods on store shelves, and perhaps in your pantry.   In 2018, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration banned seven artificial flavorings known to cause cancer in lab animals.  But the agency did not make that move until a coalition of leading health groups filed a lawsuit.   The problem is, the FDA is not proactive in looking out for consumers.  We have to be proactive and protective of ourselves.   Today we have three simple steps you can take to eliminate the mystery that could be lurking in your shopping cart and pantry.  Click the play button above to hear step four in our Spring Into Ultimate Wellness series.

Don’t forget to drop by the forum. We look forward to seeing you!

Chemical Cuisine: A List of Banned Additives

Check out the EWG’s Dirty Dozen Guide to Food Additives

Diacetyl: When “Buttery Goodness” Breaks Bad

Food Additives Promote Inflammation, Colon Cancer in Mice

Natural Flavors vs Artificial flavors: What’s the Difference? 

Did you know that Americans eat 10 times more sugar than all other food additives—except for salt?  Sugar is a pervasive ingredient, so it shows up even outside of desserts.  Excessive sugar consumption doesn’t just make your waistline wider; it is also associated with developing type 2 diabetes, arthritis, heart disease, cancer and depression. The good news is: we can break this cycle.  Learn five simple steps you can take to break up with the standard American diet’s chronic obsession with sugar.  Click the play button above to hear step three in our Spring Into Ultimate Wellness series.

This week’s resources: