How to Support Your Immune System and Get Sick Less

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It happens every year. The weather gets colder. The holidays come. We spend more time going out, eating poorly, drinking alcohol, and sleeping less. Our healthy habits fall by the wayside. And then, we get sick. From a holistic health perspective, its not at all surprising. Of course if we don't rest, eat crappy, and drink a lot, we get sick. When we aren't supporting our bodies and especially our immune system, it just can't do its job effectively.

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Eating for Energy

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While there are a variety of reasons and health issues underlying why we may experience low energy, there are some simple things we can all do to address the foundations of energy. Clearly, getting adequate sleep is essential, as is exercise, stress management and simply just learning to say no. These are all very important issues, and could each easily make up their own blog topic. For the sake of brevity, this post will focus on the nutritional requirements and advice for giving your body what it needs (and eliminating what it doesn’t) to run optimally and provide us with the energy we want to live life to the fullest!

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Boosting Flavor and Nutrients - Health Benefits of Everyday Herbs

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Boosting Flavor and Nutrients - Health Benefits of Everyday Herbs

I was putting together some information on using herbs for a client, and thought, “Everyone should know this.” So, I decided to share it here on the blog for all to see. 

Herbs (and spices, but that's for another time) are not only a wonderful way to flavor your food, they are really nutrient dense, offering great health benefits in a relatively small package. Unless you make your own food at home, you may not be getting many herbs in your diet. Yet another reason why cooking your own food is a good idea. Whether you choose to use fresh or dried herbs depends on the recipe. Most often, the flavor and health benefits will be higher in fresh herbs, but using dried is better than none at all if that's all you have. We grow a lot of herbs at home, but I always have dried herbs on hand as well, and try to incorporate them into our food as much as possible. Just remember when using fresh herbs, they can lose some of their nutritional benefits if overcooked, so add them to a recipe toward the end and avoid a lot of heat.

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Rise and Shine - 5 Quick and Healthy Breakfasts

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Rise and Shine - 5 Quick and Healthy Breakfasts

Looking for quick and healthy breakfast ideas? I got you covered. 

I know that trying to make a quick, healthy meal in the morning and still get out the door on time can be tricky.  So I've put together my top 5 quick and healthy breakfasts for you. These are not meant to be "On-the-go" meals, as I encourage you to eat mindfully, sitting and enjoying rather than taking rushed bites in your car at red lights.  Instead, treat yourself to a few extra minutes in the morning to nourish yourself before the busy day takes over. Try it for a week and see how you feel! 

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Spring Cleaning

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Eating with the seasons is a great way to support your health. Traditionally, spring is a time to shift the diet from the warming, heavier foods of winter to lighter, more cleansing foods. This means more fruits and vegetables, and less heavy or oily foods.  According to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian system of maintaing a healthy body and mind, spring is a great time to cleanse, allowing the body to release some of the heaviness of winter. This doesn't have to be an extreme fast, but can be accomplished by eating simply with vegetables, grains and legumes, allowing the digestion to rest a bit. Foods with bitter or astringent properties are also recommended, such as onions, garlic and bitter greens like arugula or dandelion greens. Spicy foods like chiles, and spices like turmeric and ginger are great too, and provide a number of anti-inflammatory benefits. 

Especially in the spring, eating organic, local and seasonal food is one of the best ways to hit the reset button on your digestion and support your health. That means shopping at one of my favorite places - the farmer's market. If you visit a farmer's market at this time of year, you'll notice new produce coming into season.  Check out this great guide to the seasonal produce in Los Angeles. Asparagus, artichokes, avocados and grapefruit are some examples of what we'll be seeing now, and can help serve as inspiration for your spring meals.  

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