Living wellness

Why I need to spend more time outside and you should too!

Three days have gone by and the sun has not touched my skin if not filtered through the glass of the windows of our home. The last time I got direct sunshine I was walking from my house to the car then from the car to the grocery store. Sounds alarming right?!

This is what M-F week may be like for me (we usually try to do family things outside of the house on the weekend). During the week, especially in the dreaded hot summers of Phoenix, AZ, the kiddos and I are indoors caught doing whatever we can till it’s rational to be outdoors again. If you’re a stay at home mom that still doesn’t have school aged kids and are also a homebody, you may be able to relate…but, We should make more of an effort to spend time outdoors because going outside can be helpful for your overall health and that of your kiddos! There are scientifically proven benefits outlined in many scientific studies and simplified in many online articles for spending some time in nature.

Spending dedicated time outside can have some wellness advantages like:

  • …improve your brain concentration, short term memory and help your mental fatigue. According to a study from the University of Michigan, being out in nature (even your neighborhood park) increased concentration of participants by 20%, as opposed to those spending their outdoor time in a city scape. In a different study, children’s concentration and focus who have ADHD improved after spending time outdoors compared to kids who have ADHD and spent their time indoors doing the same activities.

  • …help raise your vitamin D levels. One of the ways our bodies make vitamin D is it uses UV rays to kick start the process of turning the ingredients already in your body, used for the production of vitamin D, to usable vitamin D. Good vitamin D levels are necessary for calcium absorption and a strong immune system.

  • …decrease stress levels and anxiety. It’s not completely understood exactly how spending time in nature lowers stress and anxiety, but it has been noted that taking in the sights and scents of nature can lower your heart rate and make you feel more serene.

Now that you know and the season has shifted it’s a perfect time to take advantage and make a plan to go outside daily. If we are purposeful in scheduling our time out of the house for outdoor activities, we won’t be caught in a rut of indoor activity with the kids and the ongoing list of chores.

Here are some ideas of what I will be implementing during the week to help me get out. Please feel free to use these suggestions.

  • Go on a run/walk at least three times a week- you can do this early in the morning by yourself before your hubby goes to work. This is a wonderful way to start your day and have quiet time…or you can put your kids in a wagon or stroller for a walk or jogging stroller for a run.
  • Take the kids to the neighborhood park once a day- I plan to do it after breakfast on the days we don’t have errands to run. It doesn’t have to be for hours. 30-45 min should suffice.
  • Plan a family picnic once a week- when you put the word picnic in the mix it already sounds tedious, but it doesn’t have to be. Seriously pack whatever you normally make or buy for Lunch (even something as simple as PB&J) and a blanket and go sit in the grass somewhere. You can also cook dinner normally and opt to eat as a family in the backyard.
  • Spend time in our backyard. This one is pretty straight forward but with technology and all we have going on we forget that it’s perfectly ok to just let the kids play outside!

I feel like these are pretty simple and inexpensive ways to spend time outdoors. Do you have any other suggestions? I’d love to hear them 🙂

Sources:

Why smoothies?!

Labor Day has passed and everyone has pumpkin on the brain. I, on the other hand, am holding on to the last days of summer. Officially summer doesn’t end till September 22nd. Living in the desert helps my attempts considering it’s 109 degrees Fahrenheit outside! The fashion girl inside me would love to wear plaid scarves and down vests and brown leather riding boots while holding a pumpkin spice latte. If I try that here, I am pretty sure I’ll DIE of a heat stroke- even if I do it to pose for a picture! Hahaha

So getting to the point of holding on to summer…so all summer and spring I drink smoothies for breakfast. Why smoothies?! My life goal is to be a healthy glowing girl with long wavy locks and hold off aging, you know like Gisele. Just radiate wellness because you have the discipline to eat plants except nightshade veggies of course, and sometimes fish, all day everyday. (I know, I know I am a dreamer considering I am 5’2″ and look nothing like her haha)
But right now you are witnessing my journey. I keep fumbling to say the least. Some days I hand make some gluten free, plant based concoction like veggie burgers, lentil tacos, and Thai vegan peanut noodles. …and then other days I am like, “babe let’s go eat street food, pizza or at a little hole in the wall.” You see I love food! I don’t drink-I don’t like it. So trying new food is my vice! Plus I love experiencing culture through food.

I know I’ll get there. I don’t want to do it as a fad. I have learned about nutrition through my chiropractors and through my own research. I do my research. I’ve tried it before for the sole purpose of loosing weight. I know about Atkins, low carb and ketosis. I lost 26lbs eating low carb when I was a teen. I’ve tried paleo recipes, and read about south beach, the Mediterranean diet, being vegan, and watched all those documentaries on Netflix. I have tried being vegan, dairy free and all organic, natural and eating no grains at all. I know I feel at my best when I am plant based , gluten free and dairy free.

I will build this life, not only to lose the extra “baby” pounds, but more than loosing weight I want to build a life of wellness. I want to learn about food and its benefits, not just for beauty but for its healing properties. I don’t want to live with restrictions but with choices. I want my kids to appreciate and respect good food, where it comes from and even learn about cultures through sampling cuisine. I don’t want food taboos just education and understanding. I.e. Why instead of eating something with ingredients you can’t pronounce, you look for the real deal.

Breakfast has been that one place where I have been able to establish consistency. I know there are many options for what is healthy. I personally have decided that I like drinking smoothies for breakfast. One of the things I have learned is, for optimal digestion it is best to eat fruit on an empty stomach since your body digests it quicker than anything else…Hence smoothies in the AM. I can make a variety of smoothies for the nutrients I need- I blend it out, pour it in a cup and attend to my kids. It’s perfect for me.

My favorite smoothies usually contain power greens, flax meal, gluten free oats (especially for breastfeeding), banana for natural sweetness, berries, and hemp protein. As fall rolls around, I don’t drink them as much anymore. The fruits I prefer in smoothies are not in season or when it does cool off I rather eat something warm in the mornings, but I want to try more seasonal smoothies this fall. Stay tuned I will share recipes with you, and tips on nutrients and nutrition that I have learned as I build this wellness for myself and my family.

Here Goes Nothing

I spend much of my time on my phone googling something and everything. I am a research junkie especially for nutrition tips and natural remedies. For some time now, I have been reading about raw honey and it’s antibacterial, moisturizing, and antioxidant rich properties for your skin that can lead to smaller pores, a glow, reduce acne and slow aging .

I want all those benefits. My skin is all the things: dry, but oily and sensitive and sometimes I get tiny breakouts. So I want to use honey as a cleanser. A couple years ago I said I would add raw honey to my beauty routine and even had a conversation about it with a friend….I never did it for more than a handful of times. I still want to do it!! So I am doing it NOW.

I will use honey in place of a cleanser- I will commit to lather my face with honey leaving it on for one minute and then whipping it off with a warm washcloth for 21 days before bed and every morning. I will show you my results with before and after pics. Wish me luck! Cheers for science! Actually for beauty 😉