Organization Junkie

You may remember I mentioned that I’m an organization junkiea few months ago. I love setting goals, making lists, and I love using a planner to do so. I find that staying organized and writing things down is the best way to help reach my goals, whether those goals are for business, life, or work.

Be Healthy Every Day

Be Healthy Every Day: A Weekly Plannerby Maria Marlowe is the perfect planner to help stay on track with healthy living goals.

Each week of the planner has spaces to write down what you plan to do each day along with a space to write your goal for the week. There’s also a weekly progress tracker and spaces to write down your greatest accomplishment and greatest challenge. Weekly reminders, challenges, and new activities to try are included, too.

You’ll also find a weekly meal plan chart and shopping list in Be Healthy Every Day, which makes healthy eating easier. There are also charts to help you stay on track with your water consumption, track your mood, fill your plate, and keep an eye on your goal progress.

This isn’t a stuffy, nothing-but-business planner. Be Healthy Every Dayis full of cute drawings and whimsical layouts, which makes using it fun. It also comes with over 300 stickers to use throughout the book.

Not Just a Planner

Be Healthy Everyday isn’t just a planner. It’s also a guide to healthy living. as healthy living food and lifestyle tips and information is sprinkled throughout the book, too. You’ll find information on how to make smart food choices, how to stock your healthy pantry, and even how to build a salad in a jar. (Note that not all of the food mentioned in the book is vegan.)

Be Healthy Every Day will help you set goals and stay focused in the new year!

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Thankfully, there are lots of ways to fit exercise in without having to go to the gym every single day. Doing the same thing day in and day out can get boring, and habits we find boring aren’t habits we’re likely to keep up forever. I’ve put together a list of six great ways to sneak exercise into your daily routine. Each one is easily sustainable and will make exercise a lot more fun than those one-size-fits-all routines you’ve probably tried in the past.

Exercise Tips for Busy People

1. Rethink your seating. At your workplace, do you sit in a normal office chair? If so, consider shifting to a standing desk, which exercises your leg muscles much more actively than you would while sitting passively. Even sitting on an exercise ball forces your core muscles to activate, helping your body exercise to keep itself stable. It may not seem like much, but those efforts stack up to greater muscular strength over time.

2. Rethink your commute. If you’re in a position where you can walk or bike to work, that can be a start to your day that’s both active and you’ll walk into the office centered from the movement and time spent listening to your own thoughts. Even doing exercises based around sitting can add up. Some shoulder flexion action during the morning traffic jam can go a long way toward preventing stiffness and tightness in the body.

3. Do what you’re a fan of. Love watching Dancing With The Stars? Take up ballroom dancing or even Zumba. Building your dream team during spring training? Try a few drills that the players are doing next time you’re at the field. By building upon what you already love, you’re setting the stage to have a lot more fun than doing exercise you “have” to do.

4. Recruit your friends. Ever hear the saying, “The more, the merrier?” It applies to fitness, too! Grab a friend or two for a hike, jog, bike ride, or leisurely stroll. You’ll find that the time flies – and you might even find yourself looking forward to your next excursion!

5. Don’t punish yourself for low activity. The body adapts to activity levels, but it also loves resting. Even if you just stretch your body during commercial breaks, keeping your body from growing sedentary is a very good thing. So keep it going to see benefits! You’ll never regret exercising, even if it feels like “not enough.”

6. Join a competition. Do you consider yourself to be a competitive person? Then joining a competition could be the perfect option for you! Even if you don’t have the skills to compete in a league for your activity of choice, you can still challenge your friends or yourself to up your game.

How do you make sure you get enough exercise? How do you make your exercise work in your routine?

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Though we often think of supplements as colorful pills in a plastic or amber glass bottle, foods can be supplements, too. Some foods are ripe with healing potential, and adding them to your diet can help maintain or regain your health. While I don’t shy away from using high-quality herbal and food-based supplements in pill form, I enjoy the extra oomph that certain foods can provide to my diet.

I’ve rounded up just a few of my favorite foods that I use as supplements:

Turmeric – Containing inflammation-busting compounds, including curcumin which is the most widely studied, turmeric is the champion of anti-inflammatory foods. It’s healing potential has been lauded by conventional and holistic minds alike. It’s helpful when my body is under stress from things like viruses, lack of sleep, or even difficult life events. I add the powder to plant milk, smoothies, spicy lemonade, tofu scrambles, stir-fries, tahini sauce, and more. I also buy the fresh root and juice it along with carrots, ginger, and a small piece of lemon.

Chia, Flax, Hemp Seeds – Western diets, and even many vegan diets, can contain way too few omega-3s and way too many omega-6s. Consuming foods that are high in omega-3s can help to correct this imbalance. Fish oil is the most well-known omega-3 supplement, but with the fish oil comes various contaminants and heavy metals. It is also of course a byproduct of cruelty. Vegan algae-based supplements exist now, but chia, hemp, and flax will give you a healthy dose of omega-3s, too. My favorite way to use chia is soaking the seeds in plant milk to make a pudding. I sprinkle flax on salad, and I adore the nutty flavor of flax and quinoa together. Hemp seeds are fantastic bases for creamy and cheesy sauces.

Camu Camu and Acerola Cherry Powders – These fruits are extremely high in vitamin c. Additionally, because they are whole foods, they provide a range of other health-promoting nutrients. You can find acerola and camu camu powders at health food stores or online. These are handy when my immune system is feeling weaker than normal. I’ll add a serving of one of these powders to a glass of fresh green juice or my spicy lemonade. They are both relatively bitter, so it’s nice to add them into something sweet to make them more palatable.

Blackstrap Molasses – By no means a whole food like the others, blackstrap molasses is still one of my favorite food supplements. At just 11 grams of sugar and 42 calories, 1 tablespoon provides 20% of your daily iron and calcium respectively. Through yearly blood tests, I know that my iron levels are great. However, I sometimes use blackstrap molasses supplementally during my cycle to support my body and replenish nutrient losses. I like that I get a quick shot of iron (and calcium, yay!) in addition to my food-based multi-vitamin. Sometimes I eat it right out of the measuring spoon after my morning lemon water. But in the colder months, I love to incorporate it into breakfasts like pumpkin spiced oatmeal.

Along with a daily diet that is loaded with fruits, veggies, grains, and beans and other plant proteins, these supplemental foods keep me feeling my best. What are some of your favorite supplemental foods?

The post Beyond Pills: Supplementing with Food appeared first on Chic Vegan.

You may have heard the recent buzz about the show on VegNews or PETA, or maybe on Facebook or Instagram. But if not, here’s a video preview to check out:

Doesn’t Nafsika Antypas make it look fun to be vegan?

I got a sneak peek at episode 1 of the 12-episode series which will air on Wednesday mornings at 7:30 am on A&E’s FYI Network, and I was immediately hooked. Each episode will feature demonstrations with chefs, interviews with medical experts, and conversations with fashion gurus and celebrities.

For example, the first episode features Dr. Deepa Verma, M.D. of Synergistiq Integrative Health, Dr. Saray Stancic, M.D. of Stancic Health & Wellness, Jerolyn Morrison, anthropologist, archaeologist, and potter who is an expert on Minoan-style ceramic pots used for cooking, and Sugandh Agrawal of GUNAS New York handbags (my favorite!)  Honestly, I was amazed by how much I learned in a single episode!

Other guests this season include Simone Reyes, Jane Velez-Mitchell, Katie Cleary, Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart from Vaute Couture, Victoria Moran, Presidential candidate of the Humane Party, Clifton Roberts, Ken Spector from Happy Cow, a vegan rapper, vegan bodybuilders, and Adrienne Borgersen, Editor in Chief of LA Fashionista Compassionista magazine.

Nafsika trained in Greece to become an expert on olive oil and the Mediterranean diet. Her goal was to create a show about living a healthy and fun vegan lifestyle. I think with Plant-Based by Nafsika she has accomplished just that.

You can learn more about Nafsika and her new television series here. And don’t forget to tune in or set your DVR for Wednesdays at 7:30 am beginning July 27, 2016.

Who are you most looking forward to seeing on the show? Please let me know in the comments!

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An older child had convinced him that this snack was suitable for vegans. In accordance with his trusting nature, my son believed this to be true. When he found out that what he had eaten was in fact not suitable for vegans, he was very distressed and sad. I tried my best to reassure him that it was okay to have made a mistake. This, however, got me thinking about vegans and the mistakes that we can make, especially when it comes to choosing new food products.

All vegans make mistakes at some point: it might be that you were in such a rush that you failed to read the ingredients list properly. Or maybe you were misled, and basically tricked into thinking that something was vegan by a particular brand. Perhaps your friend accidentally sprinkled some cheese on your food at a dinner party, not realizing that vegans avoid cheese and dairy products. It could be that by the time Friday evening arrived, you were so exhausted that you forgot to check the origins of that bottle of wine.

There are so many things to get to grips with when you make such a fundamental change in your diet by becoming vegan. What’s more, there are an abundance of hidden animal products in many foods that appear suitable for vegans. At first, we’re bound to have a few slip-ups. The important thing is that we can learn from it and move on. If we learn something new from every mistake, then we will be wiser, more prepared, and less likely to make the same misjudgement next time. This is all part of the process of developing our own ‘vegan eye’ for spotting unsuitable animal-derived ingredients. After a while, spotting non-vegan ingredients becomes second nature, although you might need the help of a vegan food list to help you get there (check out Vegan Peace’s incredibly helpful ingredients list).

Also, look at your own attitude to being vegan. If you misread a food label because you were in a rush, resolve to slow down next time and check properly. What you are doing is a commitment, and you deserve to take the time to be check your food properly before you eat it. If you were fooled or caught out by a particular brand, then avoid buying any of their products next time you go shopping. If your friend, relative or loved one accidentally serves you cheese at a dinner party, then calmly explain to them that as a vegan, you do not eat dairy products. This is much better than torturing yourself at home afterwards in a paralysis of despair! Not everyone will understand the depth of your values: it is important to take a moment to explain to them what veganism involves, and why it is an integral part of who you are.

Whatever you do, do not torture yourself if you make a mistake! Show yourself the compassion that you would offer to other vegans if they were in your shoes. Take time to reflect on your mistake, but please do not dwell on it. Take what knowledge you can from it, and move on. If you punish yourself, then you will harm your sense of self worth as a vegan. As Peter Singer says, “Personal purity isn’t really the issue. Not supporting animal abuse − and persuading others not to support it ­− is.” (From Peter Singer, The Way We Eat: Why Our Food Choices Matter). Remember that by choosing to be vegan and promoting veganism, you are making a real difference to the lives of animals.

Main Image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons / Shayan
Second Image courtesy of Flickr Creative Commons / Rowena Waack

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Here are 5 tips to keep you healthy this season:

Get Enough Sleep  Even though there’s less daylight, many people tend to sleep less during the autumn and winter months. Sleep is essential for health and wellbeing. While we sleep, our bodies are hard at work, detoxifying, repairing and rebuilding. When we don’t get enough sleep, we’re denying our bodies the time it needs for these functions and we’re compromising our immune systems. Studies have shown that lack of sleep leads to weight gain, and we tend to eat more to fuel our bodies through our waking hours. Studies have also shown that sleep deprivation causes increased levels in cortisol in the body, which means we’re all walking around feeling stressed out.

Plan Meals Ahead of Time  When we’re busy, we tend to grab whatever food is available, which is unusually unhealthy fast food or boxed processed meals. Spending a little time preparing for the week’s meals pays off big time. Pick easy recipes, shop for the ingredients and then chop vegetables and as soon as you get home from the store. Plan on making extra food so you will have leftovers for lunch, or prepare several salads at once and store them in containers in the fridge. Planning ahead takes the guesswork out of meal time, and preparing ingredients ensures that you will be spending minimal time in the kitchen on weeknights, when you’re busy. If you have one, break out the slow cooker, which cooks while you’re at work and welcomes you home with a nice, hot meal!

Eat Seasonal Foods  Nature provides what we need, when we need it. Fall foods help cleanse the body and prepare it for the cold months ahead. Autumnal foods such as apples, Brussels sprouts, onions, winter squash and sweet potatoes are all packed with vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients as well as compounds that have been shown to reduce inflammation and lower the risk of developing cancer. And luckily, they’re all delicious!

Use Full Spectrum Light Bulbs  Shorter daylight hours can lead to Season Affective Disorder (SAD), which is a mild depression that tends to affect people during the winter months. Getting enough sleep, exercising and eating healthy meals can help combat SAD, as can using full spectrum bulbs, which mimic the sun’s rays.

Don’t Be Afraid to Say No  It’s common to take on too much at once, especially at this time of year. A lot of people, especially women, have a fear of letting others down, and end up juggling far too many projects and activities, and self care tends to get pushed to the back burner. Saying no isn’t always easy, but it gets more natural with practice. Self care is just as important as eating healthily, as we need to nourish our souls just as much as we nourish our bodies. Make sure you make time for yourself and the things you love.

What is your favorite way to stay healthy in the cooler months?

The post Fall Into Good Health appeared first on Chic Vegan.

I was never a big supplement girl. I always thought my diet was full of so many whole foods, that anything other than B12 was not needed. However, you would be surprised how much a few little vitamins and minerals that are very hard to attain in everyday foods can help out. Here are some things I take everyday and have found work incredibly well.

Maca

Oh maca! Where do I even start?  Although it as known as “Nature’s Viagra” (FYI: don’t ask 3 people at your local whole foods where they keep the Maca, unless you want some very strange looks) it actually has a whole host of benefits that can make you feel amazing almost immediately after you start taking it. Maca is an endocrine adaptogen. What that means is it helps regulate your endocrine system, which is responsible for producing all of the hormones in your body.  Maca creates a sense of well being unlike anything else. It increases your energy and endurance, regulates hormonal imbalances, reduces stress and anxiety, alleviates depression, speeds healing, enhances memory, improves complexion, is good for healthy bones and teeth, is a powerful antioxidant, and helps build muscle!
Maca is available in many forms. I would suggest the gelatinized form (not made with gelatin, 100% veg) because that is the only form that conclusive tests have been conducted on. It also comes in a liquid, capsule(most contain gelatin) and powder form.  I add it to my hemp protein shake along with  Udo’s oil to create a proverbial elixir of life!

Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) has been been documented as being used as early as 400 B.C. It is made from fermented apples and undergoes a rigorous and strict process to create the  final, vitamin rich product.  ACV contains a host of vitamins, beta-carotene, pectin and vital minerals such as potassium, sodium, magnesium, calcium, phosphorous, chlorine, sulphur, iron, and fluorine.  It is said that ACV helps lower cholesterol, regulate blood pressure, and helps your body absorb more calcium from the foods you eat. It is loaded with potassium which can help ailments such as hair loss, brittle  nails, hair and teeth, and sinusitis. ACV reverses damage caused by free radicals, helping one maintain firmer skin and a youthful appearance. It is also good for weight loss! It aids the body in breaking down fat and processing excess sugar.
ACV is available at all health food stores. The beneficial vinegar is brown and not clear. It will have funky stuff floating in it(the mother), but don’t worry, that is what makes it so good for you.  The most trusted brand is Bragg.  It is recommended to mix 2 teaspoons with water. I also mix in a teaspoon of honey or molasses (for the added iron and calcium).

Omega Oil with DHA

Why get nasty tasting oils from fish when you can just get them from the original source?  Did you know that fish get their beneficial oils from the algae they consume? Did you also know that most of the oil supplements available have already lost most of their nutrients through high heating, and improper packaging? Some contain added chemicals and are even refined and bleached!
Raw, pressed, essential fats are incredibly beneficial to the human body.  They can increase your endurance and stamina, strengthen the  immune system, improve brain function, aid in weight reduction, keep bones strong, ease PMS(yay!), and create beautiful hair, nails and skin.
I am not in any way being paid to endorse this company, but the only product I know of that creates oil in its purest form and is made from organic veg sources is Udo Erasmus‘s  oil blends.  I prefer the 3-6-9 DHA blend. Its a bit pricey but you can get it online for significantly cheaper. I put 2 tablespoons in my hemp protein shake every morning.

Chlorella

Chlorella is a natural green algae. Daily chlorella supplements are a great way to gently detoxify your body. It is considered “intelligent” because it only strips your body of toxins and not beneficial nutrients. It also boosts your immune system, aids in digestion, freshens your breath, and slows down the aging process by defending against free-radicals.  Chlorella is chock full of phytonutrient-rich chlorophyll which helps your body process more oxygen more efficiently, promotes optimal blood pressure, detoxifies your elimination systems, purifies your blood, and helps tissues repair and grow.

Broken cell wall chlorella is said to be the best because the process allows all of the beneficial nutrients to be readily available and easier to digest. It is available in pressed tablet and powder form.  If you choose the powder, I would suggest adding it to the shake along with the other goodies listed here (not the ACV, thats just gross).

Heres to a happy, healthy, and beautiful life!

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