Food Combining for Better Digestion

How healthy is your digestive system? Do you find yourself bloated, sluggish and heavy after eating? Maybe you're like me and have low HCL production that requires supplementing and a specialized diet. Maintaing a healthy digestive system is so important to ones health. It's not just about avoiding indigestion but about promoting optimal nutrient absorption and waste elimination.

Give these guidelines a go and see the difference proper food combining can make on your digestive system. If you're brand new to the rules, try following them for at least a week and see how you feel.

Fruit is the food that will go through you the quickest on an empty stomach. Your body can digest it with ease and benefit from its cleansing properties when eaten alone. If you eat fruit mixed with other slower digesting foods then it ends up sitting in your stomach and fermenting causing bloating, heaviness and gas! The exception to this rule is smoothies, everything's already all blended up and will digest well in the belly.

This may be really far from what you're used to but here's the deal: Proteins require an acidic environment in you stomach for optimal digestion, while starches require a more alkaline environment. Mixing these foods can effect your digestive system in a suboptimal way making digestion slower and less efficient. 

Eating a healthy dose of colourful and/or leafy vegetables will help your digestive system move along heavy or stagnant foods. Think of veggies as your freebie food when planning your meals - great to eat alone, with a starch or with a protein.

Staying hydrated is a key component to good digestion, but drinking a bucket of water with your meal can have the opposite effect. Water can dilute the strength of your digestive juices making it more difficult to break down your meal. Save your 8 glasses a day for between your meals.

There's just three more super easy and attainable good digestion tips I try to live by. 

The first being, drink peppermint tea. I LOVE this stuff! It's the only tea I like without sweetener or almond milk and I don't even mind it after it's cooled to room temperature. Peppermint tea is a natural digestion enhancer and can relieve gas, bloating, constipation, headaches, sinus problems and menstrual cramps {to name a few}. If by some chance you or someone you know suffers from benign migratory glossitis then peppermint tea will become their best friend.

My second tip is to practice yoga. Exercising and staying active is definitely a key component of good digestion but yoga takes it to another level. Yoga is extremely beneficial in stimulating, revitalizing and balancing the digestive system. It is detoxifying and cleansing and can relieve a multitude of digestive disorders both chronic and acute.

Lastly, a super duper supplement to add to your diet is a quality probiotic. Probiotics help to digest food, prevent gas and bloating, prevent bad bacteria from developing in the stomach and also aid in preventing constipation. This is an especially good supplement for those of you who are unable to digest dairy properly.

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10 Tips on Beating the Blues

If you've ever lived up North you've likely experienced the Winter Blues. Our Winters have a tendency to last sometimes up to 7-8 months. It can be absolutely exhausting; that is why so many of us try to sneak away down South for a mini vacay to soak up some vitamin D during the season.

But by no means do you need to live up North to know what it's like to experience random cases of the bluuuues.

So here's 10 tips I will use to drag my sorry ass out of its funk so I can get back to feeling myself again!

1. Go Outside
Take a good stroll in the forest or wander up and down the alleyways in your neighbourhood. The fresh air will do ya good!

photo c/o Tumblr 

2. Have a Bubble bath
Bust out the lavender or eucalyptus bath foam and soak it out.

DeStress Yoga Flow from jayemef on 8tracks Radio.

3. Listen to something Relaxing
Whether it's relaxing ocean sounds or your favourite band, put in the headphones and go have a lie down.

4. Laugh or Dance like crazy
Put some awful 80s tunes on and bust a move in the kitchen. Or simply start laughing and don't stop!

photo c/o Etsy

5. Create a Gratitude list
Sit down and make a list of all the things you're grateful for in your life. This can be very humbling. Maybe even look into making your own or purchasing a gratitude journal.

photo c/o Living the Healthier Life

6. Eat Mood enhancing Foods
Bananas, sunflower seeds, dark chocolate, berries, green leafy veggies, fish, walnuts, eggs, and lean meats. All these foods contain many amino acids, vitamins and omega fatty acids which have positive effects on your feel-good hormones and your chemical brain messengers, so eat em' up! Avoid those nasty blood sugar spikes and get the digestive tract flowing smoothly. Don't forget to drink plenty of water daily!

7. Exercise
Roll out the yoga mat, go for a run, head to the gym or just chase your kids around for a half hour. The endorphins and hormones your body releases when active will perk your mood up whether you like it or not.

photo c/o Solothais

8. Take a Shower
Hot shower, cold shower, just wash the blues away! Maybe have a little cry?

9. Be Social
Meet up with the bestie for a coffee, head to the beach with friends, or just call up a bud to chat. Talk out your problems or just get your mind on someone else's issues.

10. Do something you're Good at
Go dig out your sketchbook or notebooks and get scribbling, painting, or creating!

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What I've Learned So Far About Aging Gracefully

I'd just had the oil changed in my truck and they'd given me a new window sticker to indicate when I'd need to bring the truck back in. As I was parking at home in the back alley like always, I stole a glimpse up at the sticker and noticed it read a date for January.

January already! My birthday is coming, I thought. Which led me to think about turning another year older. Which led me to think about this grand theory I have about aging and all of the sudden I felt a huge urge to blog about it and literally ran into the house, kicked off my boots throwing snow everywhere and went straight to my desk to start writing out a few key notes.

I don't know why, but I feel very strongly on this topic. But I'm going to try to keep things as straight to the point as possible so this doesn't become a total rambling mess!

I believe that to age gracefully we must fully embrace getting older, this means the good and especially the bad. The absolute heart of my theory lies in the power of positive thinking. You must get excited about wrinkles and grey hair. You have to welcome saggy boobs with open saggy boob arms.

If you spend your adult years complaining, worrying, thinking, stressing and being negative in general about your aging physical appearance or physique you will only make it worse, on the outside and on the inside. But if you can keep a positive outlook on getting older I truly believe that you will age gracefully not only physically but mentally as well.

If you've ever read anything about the power of positive thinking and thought manifestation you know that our thoughts become our reality. If we're constantly negative then we attract negativity. Think about those days when you wake up and stub your toe and then think "Oh it's gonna be one of those days," and then go on to experience a total shit day. Surprise, surprise.

If you can be positive and joyful then you're more likely to attract good things into your life. If you can embrace turning another year older the way you did as a child, then you're more likely to not only start off this next year of your life on a pleasant note, but you're also inviting happiness and abundance into your life.

The trick behind this theory is forgetting all the embedded beliefs in our minds that aging is something to be dreaded. From a young age we are taught {subconsciously} that wrinkles are unsightly, grey hair should be covered up with hair dye and when you're old things start to fall apart and quit working and you become a used up version of your old youthful self. 

This is where the saying "Fake it 'till you make it" comes in.

Some time ago, whenever I came up with my theory, I had to convince myself that aging was something I was looking forward to. When I would have this conversation with people I would lie and say "I'm looking forward to my hair turning grey" or "I can't wait to be a bad ass old granny rocking a half sleeve of tattoos." Ok, that last one wasn't a lie, but you see what I mean.

Eventually, like today, I realized I actually am excited to experience getting older and I've actually tricked myself into releasing my old notions about growing old and replaced them with a total positive outlook that I can carry with me as the years progress.

I think it's so important to use your thoughts and your body wisely starting from a young age. This means being kind and forgiving to yourself, not putting your body down or calling yourself names. This means nurturing your body with healthy food and clean water and getting enough exercise, yoga or meditation to sustain adequate nutrition and a healthy mind and healthy body weight, especially as you age. Taking responsibility for your emotions and your own thought patterns, and being in charge of your life and the way you want to live it.

Growing old is a privilege denied to so many and we should never regret or fear it. We should embrace it wholeheartedly, remove the ego and happily accept the inevitable with a big ol' dentured smile.

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What I've Learned So Far About the Oil Facial Cleansing Method

So what is this Oil Facial Cleansing Method jibber jabber and how does it work?

Step 1: Massage oil into face
Step 2: Steam face with hot cloth
Step 3: Rinse
Result: SO CLEEEEAN

At first you might think, Ew my face is oily enough I don't need to be lathering more on to it.
But consider your high school science teachings for a moment. What dissolves oil? ...

Oil!

Likes dissolves likes and that is one of the beauties about this method of facial cleansing. But what kind of oil you might wonder? Well I was just about to get to that.

The main ingredient in the Oil Cleansing Method is Castor Oil
This is the oil that will do all the dirty work. Castor oil, being an antibacterial oil, has strong cleansing properties and helps to clear dirt and debris from the skin and pores.

The second main ingredient in this method is the Carrier Oil
This is where it gets personal. Because castor oil is so thick and strong we need to dilute it with another oil {ex: Sunflower, Olive, Grapeseed or Jojoba} depending on which is going to work best for your skin. Consider the following:

Oil Skin - 30% Castor 70% Carrier mixture
Normal Skin - 20% Castor 80% Carrier mixture
Dry Skin - 10% Castor 90% Carrier mixture

I personally use Sunflower oil with a drop or two of lavender oil. You can add other essential oils as well to really customize the mixture. Add a few drops of tea tree oil if your skin is acne prone.

The Method {with a few more details}

Step 1: Massage the oil mixture all over your face for a couple minutes, enjoy it.

Step 2: Soak a soft wash cloth under hot water.

Step 3: Tilt your head back and lay the cloth over your face. Allow the steam to do its magic until the cloth is just warm-ish.

Step 4: Repeat step 2 and 3, but this time when the cloth has cooled down, give your face a good wipe {no need to scrub}

Step 5: Repeat steps 2-4 about three or four more times and then use a clean towel to pat the face dry.

So soft right?

I use this cleansing method about every other day, and just use warm water between washes.

Seriously, I haven't gone back to using soaps and facial cleansers since I found this method over a year ago. I recommend it to everybody, especially my friends with extra sensitive skin or acne prone skin.

Like a week after I started using it, some guy at my work told me my complexion looked really nice and asked if I was doing something different. No joke!

And you want to know what else I've learned? Castor Oil, before it was discovered in plants, it was extracted from beavers groin... {???}

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the What I've Learned So Far Collection

In an effort to share my wealth of knowledge {so far} about a variety of different topics both intriguing and useless alike I've created a new series known as ...

Each week I'll dedicate a post to writing about a specific topic or subject that I can share some light on. I will do my best to keep them interesting, maybe enlightening, but I can't promise they'll always make you feel smarter.

Responses, comments and retorts are encouraged! I'm still young, I don't claim to know everything, nor do I wish to. I'd simply like to share my thoughts, opinions and lessons learned with the intent to encourage and inspire others, and invite thoughtful conversation to an array of subjects.

You can find the entire What I've Learned {So Far} Collection under the label Learn in the left side menu. 

Enjoy.

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What I've Learned So Far About Careers

The first and likely most important lesson learned since quitting my day job, is being happy in what you do for work is something you simply shouldn't compromise on.

I wake up every morning still, and think this is too good to be true. Coming from someone who used to wake up between 4 and 6 am to leave for work {sometimes a 40 min - 1.5 hr commute} and then spend 13 hours at a desk or sitting inside a vehicle waiting for bad things to happen, I'd say I'm in heaven.

Eventually the glamour will fade and this will just become the norm for me, but it's a normal that I'm prepared - and excited - to live with until I retire. I was just recently talking to my best friend about her job and the issues she's been having. Loves the work, hates the company; she's treated like shit and discriminated against for being a young pretty girl in a truck driving industry dominated by men.

I gave her the same advice I'd give anyone unhappy with their jobs - quit. There's something better out there, you just need to find it. Whether it's a different company or different work all together, find a job that you want to wake up to; where your time is valued and appreciated, and the hard work you put in is recognized. Find a job that doesn't feel like work and you'll never have to work another day in your life!

We spend the better part of our lives working, so why wouldn't you want to make that time count? If you're young and you can figure out what you want to spend you life doing, then follow that path. You're already ahead of the game. If you're already working for a living, ask yourself if you're really happy with what you do. Could be you be happier? Is there something you've always wanted to make happen, like open a cafe, teach art, or go back to school? Those dreams should be your priority, and you should follow them until you make them a reality.

Anyone can find happiness in their work life, you just need to seek it.

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