Winter is Here & How you can flow with this water element
What's Good for the Body (your skin)
What's Good for the Spirit (helpful recipes to make your mornings easier)
What's Good for the Mind (reflection & forecasting for 2022)
Nutritionist Corner (Are you getting enough Protein).
What's good for the Holiday

Winter is covering the World

As the days get shorter and temperatures dip lower there is this natural inclination to slow down, rest and warm by the fire. To move inline with this season, it is time to go inward and reflect. Take stock of what you have, reserve your nourishment to endure the harsh elements (and harsh viruses and bacteria). Building your energy during the winter months until you can reemerge in spring renewed with a greater sense of self and purpose.

Winter is the beginning and ending of life, the baby in utero not yet ready to be born. The seeds soaking up rich nutrients from the cold, wet and fertile soil. It's this life ability to rest and restore that allows beautiful blooms in the spring. This seasonal element is water, which is rich within us all. It's our natural abilities and talents, our creativity and desire to dream, it gives us a sense of ourselves, the one that doesn't need anyone else's approval or validation.

Like water does, it wants to flow. But often the human condition and experiences, like rocks in a stream can cause blockages that prevent this natural; the flow of energy. You can tell if you might have an imbalance if you are a person that is feeling overly fearful, lacks trust in your relationships or in your intuition. You feel lonely or that no one really knows who you are, Physically you could have manifestations in your kidneys, bladder or urinary tract, reproductive organs, or hormones imbalances. Perhaps you're prone to joint or low back pain.

What can you do to maximize this time and enhance your inner water?

1. "Be" and not "Do" - taking time to do what this season calls for and rest. Take a nap during the day, Not mindlessly scrolling social or getting engulfed in a new series. It's intentional time to just be with yourself. I can share that this, quieting myself, has been one of the hardest to overcome. In my awareness I could see how I distract myself. do another load of laundry, shop, workout or organize a closet, I do whatever I can to NOT do the very thing that would make me feel better, Just sitting down and allowing time to be, not do.

2. Spend more time with Water - Soak in the tub, go swimming or get near the ocean. For us in the NorthEast I'm pretty sure skiing counts, snow is just frozen water after all.

3. Practice free flowing activities - Don't make a list at the store and just wander around letting curiosity take you on a fun adventure. Go for a walk without any particular destination in mind. Or if your life is full of strict schedules, take a moment of freedom and escape the routine for a day.

4. Create water in your environment - Black is the water color and adding more to your wardrobe or home can be supportive (after the holiday decor has been taken down of course, no one want to decorate with coal). Also dimming the lights or having dimmers in your home can help enhance the winters darkness.

5. Eat for the Season - Since most land is cold and dry we want to consume warm, heavy, oily foods to replenish our moisture. A diet that is high in rich proteins and high in quality Fat. Think avocados, beets, winter squash, nuts, meats, olives and oils. We also want foods that are sweet, salty and sour. Salt helps to heat up the body and brings nutrients into our body tissues,. Sweet foods (like yams or sweet potatoes) open, calm and pacify the body. Sour foods, oranges and grapefruits, to heat, add moisture and aid with digestion.

Foods to avoid:

Dairy - it is highly congestive and we don't want to block nasal passageways.

Beans- are highly absorptive in our digestion reducing our water/hydration

Coffee - Coffee is highly acidic and also a diuretic causing us to eliminate our water reserve.

~ Good for the Body ~

What are you putting on your skin?

Did you know > “your skin absorbs 60% of what you put on it,” and “anything you put on your skin is absorbed into your bloodstream within 26 seconds,”.

Did you know > The US FDA only bans 9 chemicals from use in personal care products and does not require pre-market testing for safety.

Did you know > The Average Woman Puts 515 Synthetic Chemicals On Her Body Every Day Without even knowing it

Sharing these facts to bring your awareness to what you are putting on your skin/body and how the buildup of potentially hazardous compounds could be an underlying cause of inflammation or metabolic disfunction. If your body ingests a chemical that's it doesn't have an ability to metabolize is then it's a toxin. These toxins are the precursors for the majority of damage inside the body. It comes not just from the food we eat but the "food" our skin eats.

For me, I was always cautious of what I put onto my body but I didn't exactly know the names of the chemicals I wanted to avoid, formaldehyde rings a bell, but what did that look like on an ingredient label.... I had no clue. What did I do thought was shop for products that were marketed as "Natural." You know the ones like Aveno, Neutrogena, Dove, those all seem natural and safe to me. Am I right?

What I have learned is that "natural" is merely a marketing campaign. There is no definition of the term natural in the eyes of manufacturing law. And when I started to take a closer look, the what I found was quite shocking. Wanna dive deeper - Click to read my exposé Let's dive deeper!

The following are the top personal care brands available across the globe.

L'Oreal Paris - Colgate - Gillette - Lancome - Nivea - Garnier - Clinique - Dove

- source

L'Oreal Paris has an annual sale of various colour cosmetics, hair care, sun care, skin care and fragrance products of about $27.2 billion dollars and is regarded as one of the most ethical companies in the world.

Doing a quick search in the EW.org database provided over 511 L'Oreal Paris Products and of those;

only 13% were given scores in the green/low exposur range

the remaining 87% received scores of moderate to high toxicity risk!!!

Looking at one random product:

L'Oreal Paris Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation, 104 Golden Beige

The ingredients of concern are:

PHENOXYETHANOL

• Allergies/immunotoxicity (low)
• Use restrictions (moderate)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)
• Irritation (skin, eyes, or lungs) (high)
• Occupational hazards (high)

DIMETHICONE

• Use restrictions (moderate)
• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (moderate)
• Ecotoxicology (low)

PEG-10 DIMETHICONE

• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)
• Contamination concerns (ETHYLENE OXIDE and 1,4-DIOXANE)

BIS-PEG/ PPG-14/ 14 DIMETHICONE

• Non-reproductive organ system toxicity (low)
• Contamination concerns (ETHYLENE OXIDE and 1,4-DIOXANE)

So why? Knowing that an ingredient might cause a potential for harm, why would they use it?

the unfortunate answer is because they can.

They can use these harsh and toxic ingredients because the FDA and our government don't stop them. They can use the crappiest cheapest most toxic ingredients possible and no one would be the wiser.... unless the public starts reporting after effects and makes the FDA look into it.

These companies care about their bottom line, not about our populations safety. They care about revenues, not about your aunts breast cancer. Not about your infertility, not about your thinning hair, mood swings, adrenal insufficiency, not about you at all.

You are a blip on the screen to them. Not even 1-1000th of cent.

And despite this, people still choose to shop and buy these products. Cuz it was "on sale" or cuz their friend had good results so why not try it.

Not me. Not anymore and defiantly not for my family.

I deserve better

My family deserves better.

YOU deserve better.

I hope you know it's because I love you that I am sharing this with you. We have met, I see you, I know you, you are in my heart like family and with loving kindness, I want better for you.

I also know you are going to do as you please, but maybe next time you make a purchase, run the product ingredients thought https://www.ewg.org/skindeep/ to see if its worth it.

You only get one set of skin.

Okay, that's enough of the tough love for one newsletter Mar 🤟

~ Good For the Spirit ~

Easier Mornings with Make Ahead Breakfast Recipes

The days are shorter and with the dark mornings, the doesn't seem to be enough time to make a healthy Breakfast. There’s something so magical and satisfying waking in the morning to something that was made in advance that is ready to eat quickly (with enough time for the kids to catch the bus). To help save time, I like to make a few make ahead breakfasts each week. Here’s are some of my favorite go tos:

~ Good for Your Mind (and your Spirit too) ~

Reflection

Taking the time to look back on the year and all the accomplishments and learning opportunities, all the highs and lows, all the struggles and all the snuggles.

I attended a reflection and goal setting workshop provided by my sister, Pineapple Yogi, and it was really special. Normally I get so caught up in my mom duties that I don't make the time. Sure I may lay in bed at night reminiscing, wanting to do better, thinking of how I will focus on something more, but it usually only gets that far. I wont take the time to actually make a plan of attack for the New Year. I work on the defensive, responding to life as it comes my way vs. taking the offensive and carving the path I want it to go.

And if my business and personal growth has thought me anything, intention is everything and action is the magic that makes it happen. It's not just setting a goal, its making a plan transforms your intention into actualization. Using the universal law of attraction WITH the universal law of action. We can have all the the best hope, dreams and intentions in the world, but if you don't but action behind them, they are just wishes.

Taking the time to think about my past year, what were the things that worked for me? And asking myself what I would like to accomplish in this next year, allowing the space to even think about it! I can carve and actualize 2022, not just hope for the best.

For example, having the intention to eat healthy. That sounds great but what does that actually look like? What is it going to be? What is a small goal I can make in my daily consumptions that overtime add up to make a "Healthy Me?" This is where having a good guide (😉Nutrition Coach) to break down some steps comes in. Or say I want to reach a larger audience with my message, one way could be to set the intentional goal to increase my newsletter distribution by 25% by the second quarter. Or maybe you want to travel more, have better communication with your family, feel more connected to a community, get a better handle on finances, or any one of a million other things we humans can do to improve our overall wellbeing.

Point is, without taking the time to think about it and make a plan, all you're doing is dreaming. So I would like to invite you to take some time to reflect, consider and plan.

If you're like me and need some prompts for questions to ask yourself, to open up areas you might like to focus on and make some incremental and actionable goals, then I'd love to offer you an opportunity to make these wishes reality.

~ Nutrition Corner ~

Are you getting enough Protein?

I was listening to one of my favorite podcasts, The Model Health show, and a recent guest Dr. Gabrielle Lyon was sharing her recent research on the power of dietary protein, why it’s being demonized in our culture and what can we do to optimize consumptions for longevity.

Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is the world’s leading expert in Muscle-Centric Medicine, a revolutionary approach to improving muscular health through a protein-rich diet, exercise, and lifestyle shifts. Her protocol, LyonProtocol 2.0 teaches muscle optimization for body composition, vitality, and overall long-term health.

I have ben a long time proponent on the importance of not only obtaining adequate protein but also knowing quality (clean) sources of protein. This conversation on our muscles/skeletal tissue reaffirmed my practice framework of stressing proteins importance in achieving optimal health and wellbeing. In the discussion, they point out that our current diets are 70% Carbohydrate dominant and how citizens are underutilizing this macronutrient resource AND underutilizing our bodies as a means for health.

Lets Look Closer

How many grams of protein would you say you consume on average? _____________.

For reference, the current US Dietary Guidelines for recommended intake is 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight or 0.36 grams per pound (divide kg by 2.2 to get pounds). That is the level of intake needed to survive and ward of any nutrient deficiency. It's the absolute lowest not considering any physical activity, which is referred to as a "sedentary"

For a sedentary female that weighs 140 lbs, target protein = 50.4g/day.

For a moderate active (1-3x/wk), the recommendation is consume between 1.5 - 2.0 kg of protein (.68 - .9g per pound). So for a 140 female that would be 95.2 - 126 g of protein per day.

In the Muscle-Centric approach, Dr Lyon suggests 1g of protein for each pound of your ideal weight. So if you'd like to be 125 lbs, you should consume 125 g of protein per day. I love that her math is easier but the protocol doesn't stop there, the type of protein matters too. But for now let's keep our focus on the quantity.

Did you figure out how much you normally eat per day yet?

In a survey of Americans spanning from 2001-2014, the adult average daily intake was 88.2 ± 1.1 g/d (adults aged 19-30 y). Which is up from previous decades.

That's a big variance, 88 g to 125g. A whole 37 g difference, a whole meal of protein lost (since most meal targets are 25 - 30g of protein per meal).

How does your intake compare? Do you need more?

What about this whole "quality protein" thing.

**This chart highlights which protein sources are rich in these amino acids.**

.... how long is this newsletter already? For me "Quality Protein" is those from sources that are wild and eating what nature intended. Sources that aren't given a diet of commodity crops covered in pesticides, GM's, additives and hormones. That means Grass Fed Cows, Pasture Poultry, Heritage Pork, Wild Fish and Seafood. Also Organic plants.

The caveat that Dr Lyon highlights in the episode is quality protein is rich in specific and muscle centric Amino Acids (remember those from Biology? They are the building blocks of protein). The Amino Acids necessary for optimal muscle protein synthesis, connective tissue synthesis (to make collagen), hormone production, fatty acid oxidation (helping immunity) and production of DNA (which every cell we make does) are Leucine, Lysine and Methionine.

Nutrition Take Away

Are you getting enough protein?

Are you engaging in activities that promote muscle building/strength?

Are you consuming enough "Quality Protein"?

Me, I'm an active female weighing ~124 lbs. My needs protein needs are 120 g/day.

I just calculated my intake breakdown from yesterday (an average/typical day).

Carbs - 117g (27%)

Fat 99g (51%)

Protein 96g (22%)

Okay, not too bad.

I'd like to credit my #mughug and also those protein balls for snack but I did not realize I was under my protein needs. Looking at this data opens my eyes to where my consumptions are and where I could focus to improve / optimize my health for the longevity I seek.

I would like to work with you to target macros

~ Good for the Holiday ~

Phew You’ve made this far!!!

This newsletter sure was a doozie. AND I'd love to go on about protein and why increasing it helps increase our satiety, the mechanisms for hormone signaling and the best methods of preparation for optimum amino acid digestion and utilization....maybe that's something to look forward to in the future or I should do a whole workshop on Proteins.

For now, let's enjoy this holiday time and the best I do this is by making sure I am getting what I want for Christmas. #shopformyself Maybe you wanna get yourself some luxurious gifts or stocking stuffers that are going to support your beauty, vitality and wellness!

.......psst..... Arbonne has the best gifts to do just that!

That’s all Folks!

See you next year 😆

What's Good December

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