Healthy Endeavors: Developing Healthy Eating Habits for Life! » Body Cleansing

Get in the Water Zone – Drinking to Your Health

Wendy — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 16:33:02 +0000

It’s not like I don’t know I should drink more water but that’s got to be my biggest daily health challenge. I get so immersed in my work that I have a hard time focusing on it. Ring a bell for you at all? Are you a water guzzler or are you as dry as the desert?

But drinking water is such a profoundly simple way to get and stay healthy. Its helps prevent a bevy of diseases and is one of the key factors in kick starting weight loss.

Take a listen to this week’s audio tip about the power of water to impact our health and three simple tips to get you drinking more (and me too).

What’s your biggest obstacle to drinking more water and work helps you stay on track?

Why is a Spring Detox So Important?

Wendy — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 18:51:53 +0000

You may have read my prior posts about juicing, and doing a detox goes hand in hand with juicing fresh vegetables and fruits. The truth of the matter is that most of us simply don’t eat that well. It’s not that we don’t know what to do, it’s really that we don’t make healthy eating a priority. It’s often one more thing to do on our list and can easily get lost in all the other things going on in our lives.

The reality, however, is that everyday we ingest a variety of different toxins that slow down our system and have us feeling less than our best. Take a listen to today’s audio tip to learn about why detoxing our body is so important and necessary.

Have you ever done a detox before? What was it like? One of my favorite experts is Dr. Elson Haas. He has numerous years of experience with detoxification and healing the body naturally with foods. Check out his book, The New Detox Diet for more information and inspiration on simple ways to get started. And share your thoughts below on how you’ve used detox diets to help you feel your best.

Spring Cleaning

Wendy — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 18:22:13 +0000

With winter behind us and more bright, warm days ahead, it’s natural to think about spring cleaning in many parts of our lives. What’s more satisfying then successfully tackling a closet you’ve been meaning to clean out for quite some time or the delight you feel when you have multiple bags of “stuff” to give or throw away? Clearing out cluttered spaces helps up think more clearly, increases our energy and invites in new possibilities.The same can be said for doing some spring cleaning with our bodies. During the winter months we often eat heavier, more warming foods that help keep us fortified against the cold. For some of us that might mean more meat, for others root veggies and soups. These foods can give us long lasting energy but can also be congesting, slowing down the efficiency of our digestive system.

But with spring comes more activity, feeling lighter and brighter and often the desire to “shed some pounds.” To spring clean your body, give it a break from rich and complicated foods by either cleansing or fasting for a short period of time. Cleansing means paring down your food to just simple fruits and vegetables, lots of water and perhaps whole grains. Fasting means limiting most foods and drinking lots of water, fresh vegetable and fruit juices, teas and soups. Without much energy going towards digestion, more energy is available to the rest of your body and mind. Cleansing and fasting can sharpen your concentration, help you gain insight and promote spiritual awareness. It can also lead to improved immune function, better digestion and better absorption of nutrients.

The beauty of cleansing or fasting is that it doesn’t have to take a lot of time or money, but rather, some basic preparation and a desire to make some changes. What’s the best way to approach it? Here are a few ideas:

choose simple low stress foods that don’t require a lot of preparation
choose a week when your schedule is less busy and you can focus on enhancing your health
buddy up with a friend or spouse to do a cleanse or fast, supporting each other in getting healthier
be open to all the possibilities that exist as a result of lightening your load

Taking the time to slow down, reflect and do some spring cleaning – whether in your home, your heart or your stomach – can give you a new perspective in many aspects of your life. Just like spring, why not start anew?

Sweet Potatoes Are a Natural Comfort Food

Wendy — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 01:27:07 +0000

Sweet potatoes are on everyone’s mind this season. They seem to go hand-in-hand with the holidays, but eating these and other sweet vegetables needn’t be limited to this time of year. Cravings for sweets can be greatly reduced by adding sweet vegetables, such as sweet potatoes, yams, parsnips, beets, squash, turnips and rutabagas, to your daily diet.

Sweet potatoes elevate blood sugar gently, rather than with the jolt delivered by simple refined carbohydrates, so there’s no energy crash after you eat them. Much higher in nutrients than white potatoes and especially rich in vitamin A, sweet potatoes offer a creamy consistency that is satisfying and soothing. They are healing to the stomach, spleen, pancreas and reproductive organs and help to remove toxins from the body. They can increase the quantity of milk in lactating women and can lessen cramps and pre-menstrual symptoms. If you don’t have any sweet potatoes in your kitchen, go out and buy some (organic and local if possible).