Living Well — healthy living

15 Quotes About Healthy Living to Help You Through the Day 0

5 Yoga Poses to Start Your Day 0

10 Daily Affirmations to Live By 0

Many find that filling their mind with positive, self-assuring thoughts can start their day in the right direction. Here are some positive daily affirmations that we can all use in our lives to make taking on the world a little bit easier.

1. I am in charge of how I feel and today I am choosing happiness.

2. Amazing opportunities exist for me in every aspect of my life.

3. I freely give up what is no longer serving me, and release it to create space for what inspires me.

4. I either have control or I don’t; worry is wasted energy.

5. I choose to fully participate in my day.

6. I am at peace with all that has happened, is happening, and will happen.

7. I am a powerhouse, I am indestructible. I am conquering my problem and defeating it steadily each day.

8. I am a better person for the hardship I have gone through.

9. I feel safe in the rhythm and flow of ever-changing life.

Vegan vs. Vegetarian 0

These days we hear about a huge assortment of diets--raw, paleo, primal, etc.; it’s easy to get confused or assume they’re all variations of the same thing. There are many factors that can lead people to switch to a diet like this, whether its for a lifestyle change, health reasons, or ethical reasons, but changing your diet can be the first step to changing your life for the better.

The two most popular diets today are vegan and vegetarian, with over 7 million people falling into these categories. We hear a lot about vegan or vegetarian diets or lifestyles in the media, but there’s still a lot of confusion about what really defines each one. Let’s look at each individually, and see if you can determine whether this is a lifestyle change that would benefit you.

By definition, vegetarians avoid eating all animal flesh products. This means any meat, poultry, or fish. Within this group, there are three sub-groups of vegetarians that differ based on their decision to eat cheese or eggs, as they are animal byproducts. Lacto-ovo vegetarians eat dairy and eggs, lacto vegetarians eat dairy but avoid eggs, and vegan vegetarians avoid animal products altogether. Most vegetarians still use animal-derived products in other aspects of life, such as wearing a leather belt or a sweater made of wool. Of course, many vary in how much they adhere to these guidelines based on their own individual perspective.

As we previously stated, vegans are technically a sub-group of vegetarians that adhere to a much stricter diet, but in addition to avoiding food products, they carry the avoidance of using animal-based products into other industries, such as clothing or cosmetics.

Vegan diet restrictions include the exclusion of animal flesh products (meat, poultry, fish), or animal byproducts like eggs, dairy, gelatin or honey. A vegan diet consists of staples like fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts, with many vegans using tofu as a substitute for meat.

While veganism does refer to diet, many that fall within this group view it instead as a lifestyle.

While some change their diet for health reasons (vegan diets are usually high in fiber and low in fats), the overwhelming majority of those who go vegan do it for moral and ethical reasons. Vegans are against the exploitation of animals for use as food or products by humans, and note the cruelty of the meat, poultry and dairy industries as major factors. Some make this change because of the questions about food safety concerning meat and other animal products, and some also go vegan for environmental or religious reasons.  

Vegans also refrain from using any non-food products that come from animals, or are tested on animals. So no leather belts or wool sweaters. If that skin product was tested on animals, it will also be avoided by vegan users.

Vegan and vegetarian food has become much more accessible. In the past most thought of these foods as somewhat boring, plain, and undesirable tasting. Today there are a multitude of options for those that follow these stricter diets that allow people to truly enjoy what they’re eating and get the health benefits they want out of it, with many health food stores specializing in these types of diets. With around 7% of the population identifying as vegan or vegetarian, options are surely growing (and tasting better!)

Some studies even suggest that those who stick to a strict vegan or vegetarian diet may have a lower risk of cancer or heart disease. However, there are some downsides to these diets that you should be aware of when changing your eating habits. Vegan diets often lack essential nutrients that come from meat, and in order for these components to find their way into your diet, you may need to take B12 and amino acid supplements. Vegan diets are also low on iron and vitamin D, and it is necessary to find other sources for your diet.

Some view a vegan or vegetarian diet as the first step to improving your health and adopting a better lifestyle. Both have their benefits and show great health improvements, but we’d recommend consulting a doctor or nutritionist before you decide to switch over!

The Fear of Success 0

We’ve heard this phrase many times before - so how does this apply to your health and wellness goals? Whether it’s your goal to do one thing - like drink more water, or a more complex one, like lost 30 pounds, we need to realize what it is that might be holding us back in any of these scenarios. Most of the time, we know what we need to do, or we can find out what we need to do, i.e. get the help of a nutritionist. We may think that we simply don’t want it enough, otherwise we would have already done something about it and achieved this goal. However, that’s not the case. Even if you consider yourself a risky person, it can be the fear of taking the risk to achieve your goal and failing. An irrational fear, even, that is holding you back.

What do we mean by this? Well, we know now that simply having a 51% chance or more at succeeding at something is not nearly enough to get us to do it. The odds must be much greater, and when we don’t see the chances as being good, then we’re much less likely to follow that workout plan. Because we have a lot of doubts that it’s not going to work. These may not even be rational - in fact, they are probably irrational fears and reasons as to why we might fail. Nevertheless, they are real to us and keep us from trying to achieve our goals.

The best way to work through this? Help ourselves to realize that the outcomes that can be achieved are worth it to take that risk. This is done by breaking down what we deem to be the risks and what we would like to gain from this experience. Basically, what things are you willing to give up by not achieving your goal and what things you are willing to risk to get there - this can be anything from money, psychological or physical well-being, career, time with family and friends, etc. The point here is to realize your priorities and what matters to you. Plus, taking the time to actually write out or verbalize your fears and possible outcomes may bring you to the realization that this is worth the risk, and sooner than you thought.

Before and After Foods: What Should You Really Be Eating Around Your Workout? 0

There are two things we need to discuss: why it’s better to eat something before your workout and the confusion between what’s good to eat before versus after. Many people think it’s best to not eat anything at all before exercising, but we need to view (healthy) food as fuel for our bodies. With this perspective in mind, we want to have enough energy so we can get through our workout. So let’s take a look at how you should be fueling up your body to make the most out of your exercise routine:

When choosing a snack to have before your workout,  by before we don’t mean you’re swallowing your last bite just as your begin to do sprints. Generally a good rule of thumb is to eat 30 minutes before you begin your routine. Another key point to be aware of is that this is not the time to experiment with new foods. You want something your body is familiar with so that it can be easily digested and used as fuel. The last thing you want is your body trying to figure out what to do with that foreign substance in your stomach and getting sick while you’re trying to start your jumping jacks.  It’s also great to add liquids to your pre-workout snack, which is why we love the idea of having a protein smoothie - add some spinach, banana, berries, almonds, and water to a blender. You can get really creative with this - the point is to have simple and complex carbs, and an amount of protein to fuel your workout. Other options we like are a piece of whole wheat toast with almond butter, a sliced banana, and some cinnamon - or try out some crackers with hummus if you want something a little more savory. Additionally, to keep it simple, slice up an apple and add some almond butter!

So now that you’ve busted your butt and ran through all of your energy during your workout, we want to give you something that will not only replenish your body but act as a recovery method to all the muscles you just worked out. As we focused on the carbs with some protein before the workout, we now want to consume more protein with some carbs added to the mix. Again, eat your post-workout meal within a half hour (to an hour) after you’ve finished your routine. We’re going to add a protein smoothie to the list of options again - except this time around, up the protein intake by adding a scoop of your favorite powder. Additionally, other great choices are fish (salmon) over a bed of greens or some quinoa with steamed veggies. You can get really creative with options here, but again, the most important takeaway is that you definitely do want to eat pre- and post-workout.