Detox The Holidays Away
By Rachel Zeskind
Most of us (myself included) can have a tendency to gallop off the reservation nutritionally this time of year. It's a season for giving, sharing time with those we love and of course...eating! Food and the holidays become interwoven as eating, drinking and being merry is a huge part of our culture. I think it is an important part of our culture as well. There was a time in my life when I stuck to my organic healthy meal plan 100 percent of the time, holiday or no holiday. I was so strict and so disciplined with what, when and how I ate that it negatively impacted my ability to enjoy friends, family and life's celebrations. Now, after a few seasons of yo-yo wellness (swinging from strict and regimented to lax and sloth-like) I believe more than ever that the key is ALL THINGS IN BALANCE! Being that strict and regimented was actually not healthy and certainly not balanced.
That being said, hopefully you, like me, decided to indulge in a few cookies, buttered breads and yummy meals (where you didn't ask or care if it was cooked with butter) and even some wine! I'm praying you enjoyed your holidays and those you love fully, in wellness and balance...meaning you didn't restrict yourself to much or over indulge or binge. Either way, 2012 is coming to an end and it is time to clean out the system and start the year a new!
So all the refined sugars, additional sodium (salt), carbohydrates, preservatives and fatty foods have left you a wee bit more toxic, dehydrated and flat out bloated then before the holidays hit. Most people make a huge mistake, they feel crappy so they jump on the scale (usually when they have food and excess liquids in their system making them even heavier versus the more acute first morning weigh in) in order to validate their negative feelings about their post holiday bodies. Ok, STOP! Fist off, that serves no one and nothing positive. We all know by how we feel that we need to clean out and reset...what we do not need to do is weigh in and make ourselves feel bad!
The first step is to stay away from the scale for 3-5 whole days! Give yourself a chance to flush the junk, release water retention and let your body readjust to a more healthy intake of nutrients before trying to determine how much weight you need to lose.
Here are some weight stats that may even help you avoid the scale (and the self abusive thoughts) completely...
If you decided to splurge straight through from thanksgiving through the new year you most likely have gained 5-10 pounds in water retention and somewhere in the neighborhood of 10-15 pounds. If this is you, ok...next year you may decide to make a stronger, more loving choice, as for now...MOVE FORWARD TO THE SOLUTION!
If you approached the holidays with a bit more balance and indulged in a few holiday meals, deserts and cocktails while returning to healthy eating in between you may not have gained any weight at all, you may simply be retaining 3-5 pounds of additional water weight from that added sodium and carbs. In which cases, good for you, hit 3 days of cleansing and get back to your regularly healthy balanced nutrition and fitness plan.
If you were more like the average person, you fell somewhere in the middle. The average weight gain I tend to see in people I have worked with and coached has been about 3-7 pounds of weight gain and about 1-5 pounds of water weight gain from water retention. Again, there is NO NEED TO ABUSE YOURSELF OR PUNISH YOURSELF! Life fluctuates a bit and so does our waist line, so we need to go with the flow. Move towards and grow in your mastery of healthy balance. YOUR VALUE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH YOUR BODY. In fact, my experience competing on a national level in fitness is that my body can be the outward best version of itself while my inside (mental and spiritual condition) is at its worst version! That combination is absolutely not the best version of myself! We must find that healthy balance from the outside in and the inside out. We need to have a healthy mental, emotional and spiritual condition as well as a physical condition in order to be the best us we can each be! Please remember that!!!!
So if you feel like a balloon, follow the cleanse below for 3-5 days and then get yourself committed to a healthy BALANCED fitness, nutrition and wellness plan that serves you creating or developing the best version of yourself....from the inside out and the outside in!
3-5 Day Cleanse
Eat more green veggies then you normally do in addition to a well balanced CLEAN diet! AVOID REFINED SUGAR, DAIRY, GLUTEN, PROCESSED FOODS & ALCOHOL.
During the detox write in your journal. Keep track of how you are feeling. Notice your mood, energy, bowel movements, sleep, etc.
Things you will need:
1. Psyllium Husk powder or capsules
2. Bentonite Clay
(Take the Psyllium Husk and Bentonite clay at the end of the day with water as directed on the labels).
3. Organic Lemons (4 lemons for every 1 gallon of water)
4. Dandelion Root Extract
5. Milk Thistle
(Mix lemon juice in water, take dandelion root extract and milk thistle 3X per day or mix directly into the jug of water that you will drink through out the day. READ THE LABELS ON ALL INGREDIENTS & NEVER EXCEED RECOMMENDED DOSAGES ON THEM!!!)
6. Candisol (Gets rid of all that nasty yeast that builds in your system...especially from refined sugars! Dosages vary so follow the directions on the label. You will dramatically increase the release of dead yeast if you follow up with a colonic.)
7. BPA Free Water bottle (I recommend getting a 1/2 gallon one).
Drink your body weight in ounces of water each day. Mix in a packet of electrolytes for every half gallon. Don’t buy the electrolyte packets with sugar in them!!! Drink Alkaline or Kangen water, it’s the best!
Sweat as much as you can during the cleanse. Cardio, walking in the sun wearing sweats, sauna, hot pilates or hot yoga. Always remember to stay hydrated!
Colonics are recommended in addition to the cleanse in order to completely clear you out and give you a fresh start! Your entire intestinal tract and colon will thank you...bye bye butt monkeys!
My recommendation is to use Psyllium Husk Capsules versus the powder. The powder will start to expand in the glass and have to be consumed very quickly, not everyone loves the texture of it so capsules are a huge win!
The lemon, dandelion & milk thistle 3x a day can be found in liquid drops, so we would take them like a shot OR mix with a days worth of water in one large container and drink through out the day. Also if you find bag/loose leaf of both the milk thistle and dandelion root extract, you can mix them in with hot water for a tea.
If Alkaline or Kangen water is not available, you can purchase PH balancing Alkaline tablets or drops at a place like Whole Foods.
For more extensive cleanse:
*Do a normal 3-5 days, then and do a colonic & stop the clay & husk capsules & dandelion & milk thistle for 7 days, then take clay & husk capsules for the 3 final days. Also do a second colonic two weeks after the first one. I know it doesn't sound fun but then again neither does colon cancer. We must take care of the plumbing that takes care of us!
Friday, December 28, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
Getting Your Back Back In Action...Support Your Spine To Support You
Getting Your Back Back In Action...Support Your Spine To Support You
By Rachel Zeskind
Our spines hold us up and carry around a lot of weight and stress through out our days, weeks, months and years. Many of us don't even think about how to care for that part of our bodies until it causes us pain.
If you wait for the pain caused by wear and tear or an injury to get back care to be a priority you will have a harder time than if you take a preventative approach. One orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Tang told me that if you were over the age of 21 most likely you had one or more herniated discs. Some cause pain, others do not. Whether you are in pain or taking a preventative approach, back care is actually quite simple.
Some Statistics (from American Chiropractic Association)
* 31 million Americans experience low-back pain at any given time.
* One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.
*Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.
* Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain—and that’s just for the more easily identified costs.
* Experts estimate that as many as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in our lives.
Positive Posture
The way we sit in the car, in front of a computer or even at the dining table tends to put the spine into a forward folding or compressing position. Posture is formed out of habit and is also corrected out of habit. Get intentional!
Practice the following:
Seated position, gently roll shoulders back and align your chest directly over your hips, inhale your chest upward by taking a deep breath and encouraging your body to fully follow the natural raising motion of the rib cage, elongate the entire torso, elongate neck and draw in the core...hold the posture this way. Repeat this numerous times until it becomes a habit. It will naturally encourage the spine into proper alignment.
How Can I Avoid Back Pain?
* Build a strong core....don't ignore the core!
* Strengthen the low and mid back
* Build muscle to support the weaker areas of the spine
* Practicing positive posture
* Proper bend and lift. Never bend and twist! - I know, you may be thinking this is for old people who are broken down....well how do you think they get broken down?!? Preventive maintainable will bless the quality of your life!
How Can I Get Out Of Pain?
Unless (and many times even if you do) you are diagnosed with a severe back injury or degenerative disorder many times building a support system of muscles around weakened spine areas and the core can be 100 percent effective in reducing back pain. In my case I went from a severe level of pain daily to zero pain daily!
Exercises To Stand By
I like incorporating yoga and Pilates poses as well as traditional weight lifting and swimming into a well balanced back and core workout!
For the back:
Supermans, Facedown arm & leg reach & raise, wide arm downward facing dog, roman chair extensions, rows and swimming (both breast stroke and overhand)
For the core (avoiding pulsing/crunching or leg raises which puts more pressure on the low back):
Plank, seated boat, static crunch
By Rachel Zeskind
Our spines hold us up and carry around a lot of weight and stress through out our days, weeks, months and years. Many of us don't even think about how to care for that part of our bodies until it causes us pain.
If you wait for the pain caused by wear and tear or an injury to get back care to be a priority you will have a harder time than if you take a preventative approach. One orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Tang told me that if you were over the age of 21 most likely you had one or more herniated discs. Some cause pain, others do not. Whether you are in pain or taking a preventative approach, back care is actually quite simple.
Some Statistics (from American Chiropractic Association)
* 31 million Americans experience low-back pain at any given time.
* One-half of all working Americans admit to having back pain symptoms each year.
*Back pain is one of the most common reasons for missed work. In fact, back pain is the second most common reason for visits to the doctor’s office, outnumbered only by upper-respiratory infections.
* Americans spend at least $50 billion each year on back pain—and that’s just for the more easily identified costs.
* Experts estimate that as many as 80% of the population will experience a back problem at some time in our lives.
Positive Posture
The way we sit in the car, in front of a computer or even at the dining table tends to put the spine into a forward folding or compressing position. Posture is formed out of habit and is also corrected out of habit. Get intentional!
Practice the following:
Seated position, gently roll shoulders back and align your chest directly over your hips, inhale your chest upward by taking a deep breath and encouraging your body to fully follow the natural raising motion of the rib cage, elongate the entire torso, elongate neck and draw in the core...hold the posture this way. Repeat this numerous times until it becomes a habit. It will naturally encourage the spine into proper alignment.
How Can I Avoid Back Pain?
* Build a strong core....don't ignore the core!
* Strengthen the low and mid back
* Build muscle to support the weaker areas of the spine
* Practicing positive posture
* Proper bend and lift. Never bend and twist! - I know, you may be thinking this is for old people who are broken down....well how do you think they get broken down?!? Preventive maintainable will bless the quality of your life!
How Can I Get Out Of Pain?
Unless (and many times even if you do) you are diagnosed with a severe back injury or degenerative disorder many times building a support system of muscles around weakened spine areas and the core can be 100 percent effective in reducing back pain. In my case I went from a severe level of pain daily to zero pain daily!
Exercises To Stand By
I like incorporating yoga and Pilates poses as well as traditional weight lifting and swimming into a well balanced back and core workout!
For the back:
Supermans, Facedown arm & leg reach & raise, wide arm downward facing dog, roman chair extensions, rows and swimming (both breast stroke and overhand)
For the core (avoiding pulsing/crunching or leg raises which puts more pressure on the low back):
Plank, seated boat, static crunch
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Your Life As A Bumper Sticker
If your life was a bumper sticker what message would it send? What does your life say? Do people leave your presence more blessed then when they entered it? Do you uplift others? What attitude do you wear on your sleeve the way a car wears a bumper sticker? Is it: 'I love God and I love you' or 'It's all about me-me-me'?
What message does your life send to others? Do you make a good ad or bumper sticker or a bad one? Do people bump into your life and think, wow, that's one unhappy, stressed out person? If so, you probably aren't experiencing the fruits of God...love, peace, and joy to name a few. Our life doesn't send out a bumper sticker message that isn't what we are experiencing. I know a lot of us think we can cover it up or keep it under wraps but we are not that good. What's happening on the inside always manifests on the outside.
It might not sneak out and rear it's ugly head all the time but think of the different bumper sticker moments in your life....
At work...
Driving in traffic...
What if a person looked in your closet
In your bank account transactions
Your credit card purchases
In your refrigerator
In your mind....
Would it be a bumper sticker for love?
What areas do you need to allow God to come in and clean up? We don't do it by our might, but God can and will if we FULLY surrender the area to Him. That also means that we have to be willing to follow Him, the nudging we feel in our hearts, the way we feel we are being led to make changes.
So again I ask, what message are you sending out there? I ask you to look at this so that you can get a clearer glimpse into your heart and see the areas you might need to get more hearing and balance within.
What message does your life send to others? Do you make a good ad or bumper sticker or a bad one? Do people bump into your life and think, wow, that's one unhappy, stressed out person? If so, you probably aren't experiencing the fruits of God...love, peace, and joy to name a few. Our life doesn't send out a bumper sticker message that isn't what we are experiencing. I know a lot of us think we can cover it up or keep it under wraps but we are not that good. What's happening on the inside always manifests on the outside.
It might not sneak out and rear it's ugly head all the time but think of the different bumper sticker moments in your life....
At work...
Driving in traffic...
What if a person looked in your closet
In your bank account transactions
Your credit card purchases
In your refrigerator
In your mind....
Would it be a bumper sticker for love?
What areas do you need to allow God to come in and clean up? We don't do it by our might, but God can and will if we FULLY surrender the area to Him. That also means that we have to be willing to follow Him, the nudging we feel in our hearts, the way we feel we are being led to make changes.
Let go & let God.
So again I ask, what message are you sending out there? I ask you to look at this so that you can get a clearer glimpse into your heart and see the areas you might need to get more hearing and balance within.
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Dietary Plan for Eating Out
Dietary Plan for Eating Out –
By Rachel Zeskind (copyright 2011)
When you are eating out there is a guarantee that your foods will have added salt, sugar and chemicals. For optimum health it is best to limit the amount of eating out by finding a routine that works with the demands of your life.
We are all busy, the way that I recommend to ensure that your nutritional needs do not fall by the way side of a busy schedule is to chose one day or evening a week and cook in bulk. Proteins and grains can be prepared and refrigerated. Vegetables however need to be eaten within 2 days of being cooked in order to retain their nutrients. Also veggies should not be reheated as it depletes vitamins and minerals. I recommend getting veggies that you can take with you easily (organic bagged salad, cucumbers, carrots) and also lightly steam a batch of broccoli, spinach, zucchini, etc. every few days. Then every evening simply make small servings up and pout them in Tupperware containers. Then you can easily grab your meals for the day and head out the door.
Since this may not always be possible we must find a way that this will work for you. When eating out, my recommendation is to try to limit fatty, high sodium and carbohydrate-based meals. When eating out (especially late in the evening) try to order foods that are primarily protein and vegetables (steer clear of any 'white' veggies/starches at these meals).
Ask the waitress to have foods prepared with out butter or salt, as a substitute ask for food to be prepared with olive oils. Most salad dressings are all sodium, fat and sugar so when eating salads out ask for oil and vinegar and lemon, it makes a refreshing and clean alternative!
Just to let you know fast food places like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Subway, etc. have vegetables that have MSG and many other dangerous preservatives. You may not think you have time to cook but I promise you that the time you invest in your health today will save you tons of time and money in health issues later!
IMPORTANT, drink PLENTY of water with your meal and after toxins. If you rarely eat out and are eating organic foods at home you may experience some ‘side effects’ from the hormones, preservatives and other fun toxins. If this is the case, the next day by increasing water by 1/3 gallon per day with one lemon squeezed into it – add electrolytes!
Hydration –
It is my recommendation that you begin drinking a MINIMUM of 1 ounce of water per day (one ounce per pound of body weight). To achieve this it is best to use a non-carcinogenic bottle and fill it in the morning with alkaline (PH balanced water). Carry this with you everywhere so it is easier to keep track of water consumption.
Also to ensure proper hydration/absorption while maintaining your levels of electrolytes please add 1-2 packets of all natural electrolytes into your water (Whole Foods sells a few good brands).
By Rachel Zeskind (copyright 2011)
When you are eating out there is a guarantee that your foods will have added salt, sugar and chemicals. For optimum health it is best to limit the amount of eating out by finding a routine that works with the demands of your life.
We are all busy, the way that I recommend to ensure that your nutritional needs do not fall by the way side of a busy schedule is to chose one day or evening a week and cook in bulk. Proteins and grains can be prepared and refrigerated. Vegetables however need to be eaten within 2 days of being cooked in order to retain their nutrients. Also veggies should not be reheated as it depletes vitamins and minerals. I recommend getting veggies that you can take with you easily (organic bagged salad, cucumbers, carrots) and also lightly steam a batch of broccoli, spinach, zucchini, etc. every few days. Then every evening simply make small servings up and pout them in Tupperware containers. Then you can easily grab your meals for the day and head out the door.
Since this may not always be possible we must find a way that this will work for you. When eating out, my recommendation is to try to limit fatty, high sodium and carbohydrate-based meals. When eating out (especially late in the evening) try to order foods that are primarily protein and vegetables (steer clear of any 'white' veggies/starches at these meals).
Ask the waitress to have foods prepared with out butter or salt, as a substitute ask for food to be prepared with olive oils. Most salad dressings are all sodium, fat and sugar so when eating salads out ask for oil and vinegar and lemon, it makes a refreshing and clean alternative!
Just to let you know fast food places like McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Subway, etc. have vegetables that have MSG and many other dangerous preservatives. You may not think you have time to cook but I promise you that the time you invest in your health today will save you tons of time and money in health issues later!
IMPORTANT, drink PLENTY of water with your meal and after toxins. If you rarely eat out and are eating organic foods at home you may experience some ‘side effects’ from the hormones, preservatives and other fun toxins. If this is the case, the next day by increasing water by 1/3 gallon per day with one lemon squeezed into it – add electrolytes!
Hydration –
It is my recommendation that you begin drinking a MINIMUM of 1 ounce of water per day (one ounce per pound of body weight). To achieve this it is best to use a non-carcinogenic bottle and fill it in the morning with alkaline (PH balanced water). Carry this with you everywhere so it is easier to keep track of water consumption.
Also to ensure proper hydration/absorption while maintaining your levels of electrolytes please add 1-2 packets of all natural electrolytes into your water (Whole Foods sells a few good brands).
Friday, September 7, 2012
What is Balance?
By Rachel Zeskind
Balance looks different for every person, every lifestyle and every set of goals within the season of your life. Finding it is a journey of self discovery and an artful practice of self love, nurturing and care.
The question is ARE YOU CARING FOR & TREATING YOURSELF WITH LOVE? Are you gently working on balance and self care, learning how to take care of yourself out of love instead of a need to fix yourself in order to be accepted, desired, approved or good enough? Meditate and pray about what balance would look like in in your life and then challenge yourself out of love to set some goals that can help bring balance and peace where there may be business or chaos. But remember, always act out of love which is the most powerful force for change!
Creating Wellness
Wellness and balance go hand in hand. You can not have one without the other. Find balance and you will find wellness and vice versa. But what is wellness? It has been a hot buzz word in the news and in magazine articles, but how would one describe it?
I describe wellness as the care and feeding of the mind, body and spirit. All things in balance, that is wellness!
Wellness includes balancing all areas of life such as family, work, healthy relationships, finances and health. Wellness needs a plan of action to facilitate balance in health in the following areas:
Nutrition
Learning about your body
Fitness and physical activity
Stress release
Spirituality
Wellness doesn't happen by accident. Wellness takes (daily) time, energy and intentionality! May you always choose to BE WELL!
By Rachel Zeskind
Balance looks different for every person, every lifestyle and every set of goals within the season of your life. Finding it is a journey of self discovery and an artful practice of self love, nurturing and care.
The question is ARE YOU CARING FOR & TREATING YOURSELF WITH LOVE? Are you gently working on balance and self care, learning how to take care of yourself out of love instead of a need to fix yourself in order to be accepted, desired, approved or good enough? Meditate and pray about what balance would look like in in your life and then challenge yourself out of love to set some goals that can help bring balance and peace where there may be business or chaos. But remember, always act out of love which is the most powerful force for change!
Creating Wellness
Wellness and balance go hand in hand. You can not have one without the other. Find balance and you will find wellness and vice versa. But what is wellness? It has been a hot buzz word in the news and in magazine articles, but how would one describe it?
I describe wellness as the care and feeding of the mind, body and spirit. All things in balance, that is wellness!
Wellness includes balancing all areas of life such as family, work, healthy relationships, finances and health. Wellness needs a plan of action to facilitate balance in health in the following areas:
Nutrition
Learning about your body
Fitness and physical activity
Stress release
Spirituality
Wellness doesn't happen by accident. Wellness takes (daily) time, energy and intentionality! May you always choose to BE WELL!
The Balanced Plate
By Rahcel Zeskind
A simple visual solution to the complex issue of a balanced meal. Create a plate with the correct portion and size for your specific daily nutritional needs that represents what each meal should look like. Then take a picture of it, this gives you an easy cheat sheet and a visual comparison. Next, simply recreate that same portion and size of each healthy carbohydrate, protein and fat (using the specific items in each category from your list).
The photo below represents a balanced meal that is around 40 % lean protein, 40 % clean carbohydrates that are low on the glycemic index, and 20% healthy fats (no additional fats or sugars are added through dressings or cooking oils in the plate below). The meal is 20grams of protein (4 oz) and 20g carbs (4 oz) and 8g of fats - this looks like around 250 calories total.
Copyright Rachel Zeskind 2012
By Rahcel Zeskind
A simple visual solution to the complex issue of a balanced meal. Create a plate with the correct portion and size for your specific daily nutritional needs that represents what each meal should look like. Then take a picture of it, this gives you an easy cheat sheet and a visual comparison. Next, simply recreate that same portion and size of each healthy carbohydrate, protein and fat (using the specific items in each category from your list).
The photo below represents a balanced meal that is around 40 % lean protein, 40 % clean carbohydrates that are low on the glycemic index, and 20% healthy fats (no additional fats or sugars are added through dressings or cooking oils in the plate below). The meal is 20grams of protein (4 oz) and 20g carbs (4 oz) and 8g of fats - this looks like around 250 calories total.
Copyright Rachel Zeskind 2012
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