Juice, Water, Healthy Food and a Cocktail or Two
What we place in our bodies as fuel affects how we feel today, tomorrow, and in the future. Eating vegetables and drinking water….how fun is that? What makes this hard for most of us is to make or stick to any extreme changes.
Well, maybe the answer to becoming more healthy for some of us is finding our middle ground. The idea is to improve the quality of our life… right?
To not feel sluggish, boost our energy, feel more vital longer, sleep better and give ourselves the best chance at remaining healthy or dealing better with an illness. Instead, try a little something different each day.
With movies out now like Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead or Super Size Me, we learn more about the effects of food and how maybe a few better choices can help us feel better right now. Food directly affects our mood, health, creativity and energy levels. I’d rather have a happy dose of extra hormones like dopamine to get me through rush hour traffic or get me through a difficult situation.
Here are some ideas we have collected from many in our island community:
Try to incorporate a fresh green juice or green smoothie somewhere into the day…best time is in the morning. Even if I’ve decided to have a piece of pizza later…the nutrients in the powerful green juice will help my body at least be better equipped to deal with the pizza and whatever else my body might need. Adding a green juice to your day or a green smoothie (see recipe) is a super booster to your day. Just stay away from all those sugary smoothies…too much sugar just makes us plain crazy. Add green juices and smoothies to your diet and see how you feel. In time, maybe cut out one hamburger lunch and have a salad with chicken in it and a green juice instead.
Add some veggies to whatever you are eating in the form of a salad or if all else fails, just steam some broccoli…which is fantastic for us by the way.
Carry a refreshing looking bottle of water with you all day. Let’s face it, when it looks refreshing, it helps us want to drink it. Throw some lemon, mint and/or cucumber in it and keep it filled with nice, clean water all day. Drink it please. This keeps us hydrated and the extra stuff in there does the body good. Staying hydrated is great for brain function to conjure up all those brilliant ideas we’ll be needing to navigate life with.
If you like to wind down in the evening or relax on the weekend with a cocktail, learn to mix some of the new cocktail recipes out there. When you add real fruit and veggies to your cocktail…it’s way better than drinking some dense, syrupy mix from a bottle with a dash of liquor in it. Try something like this recipe for a Fresh Watermelon Jalapeño Mojito…. It has vitamins and spice to rev up the metabolism.
Try to buy organic. Thank goodness, most grocery stores…even Walmart Superstores are getting on the organic bandwagon making it available and affordable to all. If you can’t buy all organic, just do the best you can. On a site called the Daily Green, they go over the most important items to buy organic and why….
Have a good attitude about what you are eating. There are lots of studies out there about our mindset and the effect it has on our body. Maybe replace “I hate healthy food” with “Thank you for this food, I know it’s doing wonders for me” may be a good start. Bring the body and the mind will follow.
These are just a few ideas among many. Just remember too, when making new choices with the food we eat, unless there is a serious health issue that needs big change right now, the process can be gradual. It really is about Progress, not Perfection. No one is going to grade you on this…this is just for you.
You are a brilliant, deserving miracle of life.