- I started taking this ginseng (Panax ginseng with other adaptogenic herbs) about two weeks ago and it gives me a noticeable energy boost shortly after. It’s used for energy, focus, memory, stress, immune support, blood sugar regulation, sexual function, and inflammation. For an extra in-depth about – “Panax ginseng is perhaps the world’s best-known herb. Popularly employed to increase energy and stamina, it has been used medically in Asia for more than 5,000 years. In China, ginseng is more valuable than gold due to its seemingly miraculous properties of restoring health. The name panax is related to the word panacea, which means “cure-all.” Scientists in the West have confirmed ginseng’s efficacy in various traditional uses. Commonly considered an “adaptogen,” ginseng enhances body functions and the immune system to help people adapt to the negative effects of physical and environmental stress. Ginseng helps improve coordination and reaction time as well as increase endurance and decrease fatigue. It boosts energy gently, rather than stimulating the nervous system, as coffee does. There is also strong evidence that ginseng can help the body fight off infection, protect liver and heart health, normalize cholesterol and blood sugar levels, regulate the function of hormones, and improve memory and cognitive functions.”Dr. Mao Shing Ni As always when I share supplements, do your own research to see if it’s right for you.
- For another natural energy boost, I have been having Kimberly Snyder’s Glowing Greens Powder shaken in a 32 oz jar of water many days. I also add it to my green smoothies for a touch of sweetness when I’m not adding fruit. I bought it for travel, but find myself enjoying one scoop more days than not. It gives me an energy boost shortly after and makes it extra easy to drink more water. I think it has a nice taste and easily dissolves in water. It’s also great in a big jar of cold herbal tea. It tastes like sweet iced tea (it’s sweetened with monk fruit). I only buy it when I can get it on sale for around $30 and stock up. I can justify $1 per serving for it, but not more.
- Another thing I’ve ordered from Kimberly many times over the years are her digestive enzymes. She’s the one that actually got me started on the plant-based lifestyle years ago. I go in major spurts of not taking any and then taking some, but I do feel a difference when I do take them. If you like digestive enzymes, I would check them out for sure.
- Food/meals have been looking extra simple for me lately. I feel like it’s always like this mid-summer when things are busier and I’m on the go more. With this said, I’m also making an effort to sit down and slow down with eating meals. I’m trying to be more mindful to eat slower, chew more, and be present with my meals. Some things on repeat:
- whole fruit breakfasts – mostly papaya with a lime or lemon squeezed in. When those are not ripe, I’ll eat berry bowls with ceylon cinnamon – raspberries, wild blueberries, sometimes banana, and sometimes kiwi
- drinks – lemon water, herbal teas, chicory with cinnamon and sometimes almond milk, aloe lemon shots or ginger lemon shots, green juices (I share on YouTube), extra filling green smoothies for lunch, snack, or even dinners on occasion – spinach, zucchini and/or frozen cauliflower, flaxseed, with whatever mix I’m feeling with it. I’ve been keeping it a high green, vegetable smoothie with little to no fruit. I’m eating my fruit vs blending it for the most part right now.
- Almond milk chia pudding with raspberries – I add ceylon cinnamon and cardamon to it
- Zoodles (spiralized zucchini noodles) with sauce – various homemade sauces or Aldi’s Tomato and Basil sauce with oregano, cayenne, raw onion, and raw garlic added in
- Coconut wraps with avocado, spinach, tomato, red onion, and a squeeze of lemon.
- Broccoli or cauliflower dipped in doctored up avocado mash or guacamole.
- I’ve been having so much raw lately, but I’m now in the mood for some cooked too. I plan on making steamed veggie quinoa bowls and veggie soups to add to this mix.
- My body got out of balance weeks ago. I started craving more carbs and sweets all while eating a lot of cold sweet Japanese potatoes and fruit. Besides the carb and sweet cravings, I noticed a whiter tongue and skin symptoms. The imbalance surfaced shortly after I stopped taking my probiotics for a couple weeks too. I was solely having the Coconut Cult yogurt as my daily probiotic. That did not work for me. Live and learn. While fermented foods feed good gut bacteria, they also feed yeast/Candida (this is my belief through my past experience with Candida/yeast overgrowth and tons of research – it is a largely conflicting topic). Anyways, I still feel good as it’s lower overgrowth; I am not having the die-off symptoms that usually comes with getting yeast back in check. I’ve just been doing things to get my body back in balance including taking Candida specific probiotics, Candida Balance, and OxyPowder. Some key foods I eat: extra garlic, aloe, lots of greens, cruciferous veggies, onion, papapa with some of its seeds, ginger, cinnamon, coconut, herbs like oregano, thyme, etc. I initially was doing some things like eating more fruit since fruit sugar didn’t cause a problem for me in the past when eaten alone on an empty stomach with Candida, but I realized low fiber fruits like watermelon which I usually eat often did not do well for me. Those sugars were affecting me and the skin on my butt/back of legs reacted like crazy. I realized I needed to pivot for a bit and stick to certain high fiber fruits and focus on the greens and veggies. It’s opened my eyes to different insights with internal yeast overgrowth. Instead of feeling negative towards any of it, I feel more empowered and grateful since I’m learning even more tips for healthy living as well as what not to do. Living a healthy lifestyle is an ongoing active thing. We must continue to do, learn, and tweak along the way as our bodies change and imbalances happen. It’s a lifetime journey. Also, imbalances don’t happen overnight or from one specific thing generally, so when our bodies do come out of balance give it some time. We are not going to heal faster if we stress about healing. A calm, grateful state will help the most. Stress is the enemy for healing.
- It takes effort to be diligent about eating a healthy anti-inflammatory diet, especially in the beginning. We can make all of the excuses about why we don’t do something, but the truth is, if we want it badly enough, if it’s important enough to us, we will do everything in our power to make it happen. And on the flip side, don’t aim for perfection. We want to enjoy life and not worry about every little thing. A healthy mind is equally or arguably more important than a healthy body. Consistency is where it’s at.
- I look at walking all over the house while picking up, laundry, being in the kitchen etc. as a big part of my daily movement. While I don’t count steps, the more movement the better. When parking, I don’t drive around to get to the closest spot in the parking lot, I park wherever. The further the better most times; it’s more movement. My point is, don’t forget to move a good amount for better health. And of course, once we’ve moved, soak up the rest. Rest is equally important.
- During these hotter summer months, I try to get outside for my walks before 10 and after 3 when I can help it. If I’m out during the day, then I’m more faithful to put sunscreen on or cover up more. The sun is such a tricky one. It can be both healing and damaging. I recently read this and thought it was so well written at describing the two ends of the spectrum. “Sunlight as we know, can be either helpful or destructive to our health, depending on our exposure level. The ultraviolet rays of the sun are a natural steralizer, killing bacteria and fungus on the skin as well as promoting the production of vitamin D, a substance essential for bone health. It can also stimulate the immune system, raising the levels of natural killer cell activity. Too much sun exposure, however, can cause skin damage and more serious conditions such as skin cancer, heat stroke, dehydration, and suppressed immune function. To maximize benefit from the sun, limit direct exposure to thirty minutes or less daily, within two hours of sunrise or sunset.” Dr. Mao Shing Ni Direct exposure to me means without sunscreen, hats, covered clothing, and/or shade. So by all means don’t stay inside cooped up in summer, just be smart about using protection in whatever form you prefer.
- OSEA is having a travel size bundle promo. Pick any 6 travel size products and get 10% off + a FREE vegan leather travel bag. My 10% off code herhealthystyle10 can also be stacked with this for an additional 10% off. Exclusive minis are only available for a limited time. I use my minis and travel bag often on the go this summer.
- Some Amazon Prime Picks:
- Magnesium Bath Flakes – you can also do a foot soak with these too!
- Seventh Generation dishwasher tabs
- Beekeeper’s Bee Pollen
- Beekeeper’s Superfood Honey with Royal Jelly – I was reading about royal jelly recently so this honey now tops the list of honey’s for me. In nature, the queen bee is fed only royal jelly and lives 5-7 yrs as opposed to the worker bees who live around 7-8 weeks are not fed the royal jelly.
- Cocokind – Ceramide Barrier Serum, Oat to Milk Cleanser, Polypetide Cream, Texture Smoothing Celery Cream
- Airdoctor 3500, 5500
- Dyson Vacuum
- Vitamix Blender
- Neck Masager
- Neck and Shoulder Pillow – the cover is cotton and polyester so I just use a silk or 100% cotton pillowcase over it. – looks wonky, but it works.
- Wonder Oven
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