Megan Rand

Author: Ginger Newtrition

  • My Favorite Life Hacks

    My Favorite Life Hacks

     

    There is one thing that I am more obsessed with than health and nutrition. I bet you didn’t think that was possible! Although I have a health blog and am always talking about nutrients, hormones and functional lab work, I absolutely love to research life hacking.

     

    My definition of life hacking is finding the most stress-free and streamlined process for everything that you do during the day. What’s makes you feel the best and operate the most smoothly? What allows you to produce specific focused results without entering a state of stress? What helps you have the time left over in the day to be with the people that you love or take time to refuel with a good book or a jog.

     

    When I work with busy moms, one of the most life and health changing concepts (once actually taken to heart and put into action) is scheduling time for themselves first. It is easy to end up last on the list and sometime this is even worn as a badge for the good mom award.

     

    The problem is that, as the stewardess will gladly remind you, if you don’t put the air mask on yourself first you aren’t going to be much help to your children. A hormonally imbalanced, overtired mom who is constantly battling the kid’s latest cold is not going to be able to bring their best self to their family, their job or their passion.

     

    Here are some of my favorite life hacks.

     

    Schedule time for yourself: I schedule everything that is important to my health. I schedule my exercise first. Having an appointment with a trainer also adds the accountability factor. I schedule time for grocery shopping, time for meal prep and time for cooking. I also schedule time with my family and friends. My hours to work are 9-4 (with the occasional evening call or webinar) and then I am done. I even schedule time for social media, time for clients and time for working on bigger projects that require a block of time to focus.

     

    Technology Blackout: When you are working on a project, turn off your phone or put it in airplane mode. Turn off the ding that notifies you that you have a new friend or a new comment. Pick a time (that is on your schedule!) to use social media or surf the web and give yourself a limit. After that, remove yourself from the addictive drip of social media.

     

    Multitasking: Don’t do it. Enough said. You don’t know how excited I was to finally be reading books and research about how much time we lose in the process of switching from one task to another. I have never been a good multi-tasker and had always seen it as a flaw but now I have a different view.  In The One Thing by Gary Keller (I highly suggest this book if you haven’t read it!) he says that “multitasking is a lie”. He later goes on to explain how we think that we are doing two things at once but that our brain is actually bouncing back and forth between the tasks, “people can actually do two or more things at once, such as walk and talk or chew gum and read a map; but, like computers, what we can’t do is focus on two things at once.  Our attention bounces back and forth.”  And as Steve Uzzell says “multitasking is merely the opportunity to screw up more than one thing at a time.”

     

    Batching: Batch activities together that are similar and do them all at once. If you get emails that you need to answer every 20 minutes save them until the end of the day and answer them all at once. This also applies in relation to food and cooking. When you return from the grocery store, try washing and preparing your vegetables all at once before you put them away. Cook double or triple batches of staples in your house and then keep some in the freezer to easily pull out in a pinch.

     

    Streamlining & Upgrading: I have to thank my old supervisor (well he isn’t actually old at all but you know what I mean) for insisting on constantly improving the process flow of our design work. We were required to take 10-15 minutes at the end of each project to upgrade something for the next time. We used an excel spreadsheet and checklists so that if one engineer made a mistake or learned a lesson we would be sure to pass that knowledge onto the others. When you find yourself doing something more than once it is time to look for a system. How many times have you sent a similar email or make the same grocery list? Create a template that you can pull from and update or personalize as needed.

     

    Everyday I am changing my workflow to see what is most efficient. It is a never-ending process of upgrading and tweaking that I really enjoy. Finding your flow will leave you energized at the end of your day or project instead of depleted. When we feel unorganized and pulled in many directions we are living in a state of dis-ease.

     

    I would love to hear what tools and strategies that you have found work best. Please share them in the comment section!

  • Tongue Scraping and Clues to Health

    Tongue Scraping and Clues to Health

     

    Today I have my first guest post on my blog by Alex, founder of Dig Primal. I love Alex’s take of health because she has an amazingly detailed understanding of the body since she is anesthesiologist in training, but also has a passion for looking at health from a holistic standpoint.  By combining her traditional medical training with her own journey to find the root of her chronic health conditions she has the tools to help others really find optimal health. I participated in her Nutrient Bootcamp last month and I LOVE the concept.  We focused on adding in a certain number of diverse nutrients per day instead of focusing on what we couldn’t have.

     

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    Check out today’s guest blog post by Alex —>

     

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    I got a tongue scraper a while back and I was super excited to use it, but it hasn’t been that satisfying.

     

    How come? I’ll explain that in a minute.

     

    First, I want to talk about why tongue scraping matters.  You can just use a brush, right?  Meh, I guess you can theoretically,  but it’s kind of like using paper towel to push the dirt around on your floors when a good old-fashion mop and pail clean so much better.

     

    What’s the idea behind tongue scraping?  The tongue is another source of toxin removal from the body.  Although this is not commonly discussed, your tongue is simply a part of the digestive tract. As we know, our digestive tract functions to collect and expel waste from the body.  In addition to toxins, the tongue collects food debris, bacteria, and the byproducts of metabolism. (A collective “ew” on the count of 3?)  Whether it’s our gut, kidneys, our armpits, or our feet, our bodies have ingenious ways of collecting expelled waste and getting rid of it in a safe way. The tongue is simply one of the venues.

     

    The problem with the tongue is that in order to rid the body of the toxins that it has collected, often these toxins are re-swallowed in hopes that the gut and liver will get rid of it.  In an ideal world, we would have a minimal toxic load entering the body and a robust GI tract that would make this process smooth like butter…but let’s face it, that’s not most of us.

     

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    I’ve recently become some a huge fan of tongue scraping because it is an easy resource to help your body function optimally.  It is a metal or plastic object that costs about $6 on average, takes up virtually no room in your bathroom, and is widely available.

     

    As a bonus, when you’re talking about removing toxins, fighting bad breath (halitosis is one of my top 10 favorite medical words), and promoting good gum and dental health, using a tongue scraper for 1 minute a day seems like a pretty high-yield thing to do for your health.

     

    But this post is about more than just tongue scraping and really about how we can become an amazing health detective by learning to watch for changes and signs.

     

    The very helpful, albeit sometimes frustrating, thing about the body is that no processes are ever without signs.  There is almost always something visible that manifests when an inward process is happening.  If we are paying enough attention we can use that information to intervene and make a difference in our health. The downside to these clues is that it takes effort.  It is so much “easier” to wait until we develop overt diseases and try to band aide a solution together later (of course, this rarely works).

     

    There are many ways that our body can clue us into what is going on inside the body.  A lot of the long-term manifestations are ones that we talk about all the time, things like fatigue, changes in bowel habits, acne, sugar cravings, etc.

     

    What I wanted to touch upon today are the changes in our bodies that we can observe in the short-term.  It’s like getting a quick snapshot into our health right now.

     

    Turns out, our mouths can be a really good source of quick feedback. (Of course, our mouths can tell us a lot in the long term as well as evidenced by the links between gum disease, dental carries, and cardiovascular disease…but that’s for another post.)

     

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    Here are My Top 4 Oral Cues to Monitor for Your Health:

     

    1.) Tongue Coating. First, and in the context of talking about tongue scraping, it makes sense that we address the coating on our tongue.  Traditional Chinese Medicine focuses on this quite heavily (this is a particularly comprehensive article on the subject).

     

    I tend to break it down much more simply: is a coating there or not?

     

    I’ve noticed that when I’m in a healthy state, the coating on my tongue goes (or nearly goes) away. This is why I said above that tongue scraping has been a bit unsatisfying lately. My efforts with maintaining major nutrient support through Nutrient Boot Camp, detoxing, maintaining good gut health, and managing stress levels have all been been paying off.

     

    On the other hand if I get exposure to a little bit of gluten at a restaurant, get majorly stressed out at work, or skimp on sleep a couple nights and drink too much coffee to compensate, my tongue always shows me that something is going on. Since I use my tongue scraper every day, regardless of what my tongue is doing, I’m forced to pay attention to what that coating is telling me.

     

    2) Check Your Tongue Veins. Next, I’ll check out under the hood of the car, so to speak. There are two big veins that run along the underside of the tongue that can often become swollen when there is an acute process happening.  It can mean a myriad of things but traditionally, the engorgement of the veins has been viewed as a sign that the liver isn’t functioning optimally.  Personally, I have found this to be true and I use it as a barometer for my general detoxing efforts.  (Next time you choose to imbibe, if enjoying a few drinks is your thing, check out under your tongue the next morning and see what you find.)

     

    I have also found that allergen exposure in my food will trigger this effect.  This is extra helpful because since I get both acute and delayed reactions from certain foods, checking out under my tongue is a quick way to see that something I’ve recently eaten is bothering me.

     

    3) Tongue Swelling.  This is a less common sign but can still be a good tool to keep in your arsenal.  I check this when I’m tongue scraping so it really isn’t any more work to keep it on my radar.  I’ll notice that my tongue gets swollen because I can see the indentation of my teeth along the edges.

     

    For me, this is usually a sign of stress. Now, most of us know when we’re stressed…but it’s so easy to lie to yourself and ignore what’s going on. A physical manifestation can be a kick in the pants reminder that the stress you’re pretending to ignore is not going unnoticed by your body.  Even if the stressor can’t be removed, a good session of troubleshooting about how I’m dealing with the problem(s) goes a long way for me.

     

    4) Cracks in the corner of the mouth. Lastly, cracks in the lips and corners of the mouth can be a marker of internal health.  For some, this can be a long-term manifestation but I’ve found that when I’m having a problem with malabsorption of nutrients (example: if I had a gluten exposure and it killed off a whole bunch of my intestinal villi), my lips definitely let me know pretty quickly.  When I see this, I jump wholeheartedly into my go-to gut healing protocol, complete with tons of homemade bone broth, l-glutamine, gelatin and probiotics.

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    Let me make clear that this list is just a few signs that that our oral health can show us about our current state.  You may have some, all, or none of the above signs…but it is my hope that by thinking through some of the thing that I’ve noticed for myself, you can begin to pay attention to what your body is signaling to you and use it to improve your health overall.

     

  • My Two Favorite Recipes for Chia Seeds

    My Two Favorite Recipes for Chia Seeds

     

    I see chia seeds everywhere now. They are in drinks, in the bulk aisle, in cereals and baby foods. But, it wasn’t always like this. When I was first introduced to chia seeds by my running coach in Hawaii it was not available in the local stores yet and I would order it online. At the time I had to order 20lbs of it in bulk! That is a lot of chia seeds.

     

    Luckily among our running friends chia was a hot commodity. The book Born to Run inspired this love for chia seeds since we all wanted to be able to easily run 50-100 miles like the Tarahumara. Chia was a dietary stable of the Tarahumara, the Native American people of northwestern Mexico who were known for their long-distance running ability.

     

    I can’t say that the chia seeds made running a marathon easy, but I was munching on chia during my one successful marathon in Honolulu. I was enjoying the chia seeds, but my running partner wasn’t quite as pleased since she had the “ch-ch-ch chia” tune in her head for the last 15 miles! Hey, whatever you have to do to stay distracted, I think I might have done her a favor.

     

    If you aren’t convinced yet, here are the top reasons why I love chia seeds:

    • According to Dr. Andrew Weil, chia is very rich in omega-3 fatty acids and provides fiber as well as calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, manganese, copper, iron, molybdenum, niacin, and zinc.
    • Great for travel. They don’t need to be ground, so you can pack them in your suitcase and have them readily available to make chia pudding for breakfast or a snack in your hotel room. You can also pack travel size containers of almond milk (if checking luggage), as well as nuts and just pick up fresh fruit in your destination city.
    • Hangover Cure. Had a little too much to drink? 1-2 Tbsp of chia seeds in a glass of lemon water before going to bed does the trick for me. Not only are you rehydrating, but the chia seeds help absorb and flush out the extra alcohol.
    • Can help pull excess estrogen out of the body. You can read more about the anti-cancer effects of chia (and flax seeds) here by Dr. Furhman.

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    My Basic Chia Water

    For 1 serving:

    • 2 cups water
    • 1 tablespoon chia seeds
    • ½ lemon, lime or tablespoon Cranberry Concentrate

     

    Add water to a large glass first and then chia seeds. Stir or shake (I like to use a jar with a lid) the mixture until the chia seeds are fully hydrated. When fully hydrated they will be evenly suspended throughout. This should take about 10 minutes. Add your lemon, lime, Cranberry Concentrate (or all 3!!) and enjoy!!

     

    Not sure that you want to drink this? Chia seed pudding is also a good option and is much more delicious than it sounds!

     

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    Chia Pudding Recipe

    For 1-2 servings:

    • 1 cup coconut, almond, or hemp milk
    • 2-3 tablespoons chia seeds
    • 1 banana
    • ½ cup strawberries (frozen are OK)
    • Handful of almonds or walnuts, if desired
    • Cinnamon, to taste

     

    Mix all the ingredients together and let them sit in the refrigerator for a few minutes. Stir after a few minutes, as the chia seeds are “gelling” into a pudding-like consistency. Let it sit in the refrigerator about 20 minutes or until ready to eat.

    If you find the pudding too thick, you can add more milk or a little water. If you find the pudding too thin, add more chia seeds or any of the other ingredients to make it thicker. You really can’t go wrong with chia pudding, which is why I love making it so much.

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    Are you singing ch-ch-ch-chia right along with me?

     

    What are your favorite recipes for chia seeds? We’d love to hear!!

  • The Adrenal Cocktail Creamsicle

    The Adrenal Cocktail Creamsicle

     

    Adrenal dysfunction is a very popular topic right now.

    I have recently been working with Hayley at Primal Palate to support her on her health journey (you can read about that here). We are making small upgrades and tweaks in her life to try to support her adrenal health and hormone balance and one of the additions to her life is a daily Adrenal Cocktail.

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    When she posted a picture of her Adrenal Cocktail on Instagram it spread like wildfire. It has affectionately been named the “dreamsicle” and the instagram community has already started upgrading the recipe by adding carrot, tangerine or ginger to the juice as well! The Feisty Kitchen even used her fabulous photography skills to make this look like the most appetizing drink there is!

    Here is a little bit of background about this recipe.

    I learned about the Adrenal Cocktail from my mentor Christa at The Whole Journey. Her recipe is a slightly modified version of the traditional Adrenal Cocktail (the original recipe is orange juice, cream or tarter & Himalayan pink salt).

    When I was in the depleted phase of adrenal dysfunction, this dreamsicle saved me! I drank the Adrenal Cocktail every morning for about a month while I was balancing my hormones. The most notable difference was my energy and the ability to finally regulate my blood sugar. I found that I wasn’t crashing mid afternoon, craving sugar or getting light-headed as much as I used to.

    Adrenal Cocktail recipe:

    • 4-6 oz OJ (fresh squeezed or cold pressed like Evolution brand)
    • 2 Tbsp raw cream (or coconut cream)
    • 1 Tbsp Collagen
    • Himalayan pink salt as much as you can stand

    Blend it up into a delicious creamsicle and drink 1-2 times a day an hour before or after food.

    Benefits of the Adrenal Cocktail: 

    • Fresh squeezed OJ gives liver the glucose it needs to regenerate
    • Perfect balance of fat/carb/protein ratio for adrenal health and blood sugar balancing
    • Collagen is loaded with the amino acids and building blocks for health
    • Himalayan pink salt has 84 essential minerals that the adrenals need to function properly (very different from iodized table salt which can be harmful)

    This might not be for everyone.

    You always need to consider your personal situation when implementing a dietary or lifestyle change. I have had clients try the cocktail and feel horrible because of an issue with bacterial overgrowth!!

    What else can I do?

    Drinking a daily creamsicle is just one of the many life changes that I made and by no means a quick fix for your adrenal glands. You can find some other steps to start taking here.

    If you have been “diagnosed” with Adrenal Dysfunction (often called adrenal fatigue) don’t stop there.  Start digging for the root cause.  What caused the imbalance?

    Adrenal Dysfunction is an imbalance of hormones.  The problem is very rarely actually the adrenal gland itself, but instead there can be a breakdown anywhere in a complex relationship between the Hypothalamus Pituitary Adrenal (HPA) axis.  Anything that helps “restore the adrenals” is really just a way of helping to balance hormones and blood sugar, and therefore puts let stress on the thyroid, detoxification and every other function in the body.

    In the meantime, while you are doing the deeper work, you can replenish your body with this cocktail.

    Cheers!

     

    Do you feel like you need a group for guidance and support on your Adrenal balancing journey?

     

    The Healthy Hormones Group Program starts September 15th!!

     

    This 12 week program will get you access to the hormone and neurotransmitter labs and a customized protocol.  With biweekly videos, emails & support in your inbox we will go step by step through how to support your adrenals and balance your hormones.

     

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/Ginger-Newtrition-Group-Coaching-Program.png” raw=”true” alignment=”center” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ link=”http://gingernewtrition.com/work-with-me/” target=”_parent” width=”900″ height=”360″]

     

    Photo credit: The Feisty Kitchen – check her out for her fabulous recipes!!

  • The BEST Guilt-Free Honey Sweetened Chocolate

    The BEST Guilt-Free Honey Sweetened Chocolate

     

    I am not a stalker usually… but last week I was.

     

    I overheard a mom with three children explaining to someone else at Whole Foods that she makes her own yogurt and her children follow a pretty strict Paleo diet. As she was speaking, one of the children was asking “mom does this have corn in it?”

     

    We needed to be friends.

     

    As a health coach mom with a child who is gluten free, dairy free, soy free, corn free and junk free, sometimes our restrictions can be alienating. Meeting another family able to keep up with the lifestyle with THREE kids… I was impressed to say the least.

     

    As we walked away I whispered to my daughter “Lily, those kids eat like you do!” She quickly turned and said “I want to meet them!!”

     

    The good news is that when you become a mom, stalking someone in a grocery store because your daughter wants to meet them is a little more acceptable than without children.

     

    I am very glad that we were stalkers that day because as it turns out Julie was one of the founders of Pure 7 Chocolates and I have fallen in love with their chocolate and their story.

     

    After visiting Julie & Carrie, the co-owners of Pure 7 Chocolates in their local kitchen I asked if I could interview them to share their story. Check it out!

     

    Q:  As 2 busy moms, what prompted you to want to start your own chocolate company?

     

    A:  When we first started our company together, we had 7 children ages 8 and under.  Our youngest were still toddlers so it was a very busy and crazy time to start any new project, let alone a start-up company.  But, we are both driven to feed our families healthy and nourishing food and we saw a need in the market (and in our families) for a healthy chocolate.

     

    Q: Why not just eat the healthy chocolate already out there?

     

    We needed a chocolate that was honey sweetened with no additives or fillers.

    When Julie’s son was diagnosed with autism she went through many different iterations of a healthy diet to support her son. A gluten free, dairy free diet showed huge improvements but she soon realized they were still addicted to the Standard American Diet (SAD) just without the gluten and dairy.

    The SCD diet came next with even better results as his eye contact and presence returned. After about 6 months they switched to the GAPS diet and this made the most drastic difference!  Julie’s son & daughter both stopped stimming after 2 weeks on the diet.  They stayed on the GAPS diet and followed the stages with a GAPS practitioner for 2 years.  They currently follow a Paleo type diet now.

    (For more details about their journey and GAPS you can read Julie’s blog here)

    Although they were able to follow their plan consistently, they missed CHOCOLATE!  Chocolate is allowed on the full GAPS diet but nobody was making a GAPS legal chocolate and Julie was a strict follower of the diet.  All the chocolate at the stores were filled with sugars, fillers and artificial flavors!

    That is why we started making Pure7 Chocolate!

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    Q:  What was the biggest hurdle or hardest part about starting your own business.

     

    A:  Everything was hard in the beginning.  We first had to figure out how to make honey sweetened chocolate which we were told over and over could not be done.  It literally took us a year of research and experimentation in the kitchen until we finally figured out the exact recipe and how to temper honey-sweetened chocolate.  Once we had a product, we had to figure out all of the other details of starting a business from the ground up.  We just networked and took notes and relied on advice from people who were in start-up food businesses.

    If you have a product that you love and you can stand behind 100%, I think people can see that and success happens organically.

     

    Q:  What makes your chocolate so awesome?

     

    A: We make handcrafted Raw, Organic & Fair Trade honey-sweetened chocolate. Our bars are unprocessed, unrefined and free of chemicals, dairy, soy, gluten and refined sugars.  Just Pure!

    Because our bars are sweetened with honey, the texture is smooth and creamy…almost like a milk chocolate in its texture.  Our bars are all 85-87% cacao…but because they are sweetened with honey, they are not bitter like a lot of other dark chocolate.

    Pure7 Chocolate has been a HUGE hit for the Paleo, GF, DF, SF & raw diets!

    We believe PURE ingredients are naturally nutritious and simply taste better.  That’s why we are committed to hand making our bars in small batches without the use of chemicals, dairy, soy, gluten and refined sugars.

     

    Q:  Where can we find your product?

     

    A:  We are in gourmet/specialty stores in New England and New York City as well as Whole Foods in New England but you can also purchase our chocolate online.  We are expanding quickly so for a list of all of our most up-to-date locations, check out our website at www.pure7chocolate.com.

     

    This is what I hope you take away from this post:

    • If you have children and are struggling with getting them the best food for their situation, know that you are not alone. Keep it up and know that you will be setting them up for a lifetime of health.
    • If you see a need for a product in the market that can help families live healthier, happier lives… go for it!!
    • Go get some chocolate!! This stuff is delicious and supports fabulous people! pure7chocolate.com

     

    Are you following us on Instagram? Check us out: gingernewtrition.   We are doing a giveaway soon of this fabulous chocolate.  I don’t know about you, but I would hate to miss free chocolate!!

     

  • How to Stay Healthy While Traveling (Especially If You Have Food Sensitivities)

    How to Stay Healthy While Traveling (Especially If You Have Food Sensitivities)

     

    I once burst out crying in a restaurant over an acai bowl. The only thing on the menu that I presumed was gluten free, dairy free and egg free arrived to the table for my daughter and turned out to be a big bowl of yogurt!

     

    A seemingly simple task of nourishing my child became a daunting obstacle when traveling. 

     

    When traveling for work or for a family visit during the holidays, set yourself up for success before your next trip. Whether you have food sensitivities or know that the conference you are going to will have horribly unhealthy choices, being prepared will make a world of difference.

     

    Here are my favorite travel tips:

     

    • Look up restaurants in the area ahead of time. Use an app like Yelp or Urbanspoon to scout out the restaurants in the area. I like to search for farm to table, organic or gluten free. This gives me a good idea of the restaurants that might be accommodating
    • Don’t be afraid to ask. We often try so hard not to be high maintenance, but a simple question to the waitress about the acai bowl would have helped avoid my meltdown.
    • Pack digestive enzymes. Taking digestive enzymes with your meals can help avoid the bloating and belly aches that may occur from eating foods and oils that your body isn’t used to.
    • Find fresh green juice or smoothies. You can find a juice bar almost anywhere nowadays! Find one that is vegetable based.
    • Ginger root. You can easily find hot water at a hotel to make yourself ginger tea. Ginger tea is a soothing way to start the day, or can help with discomfort felt after overeating. Ginger can also help with motion sickness if you find yourself in turbulence or on a swaying ferry.
    • Have an arsenal of snacks. Avocados, almond butter, fruit, seaweeds snacks, veggie sticks, sweet potato chips, hard-boiled eggs & nuts (whichever of these that you aren’t sensitive to!). Having a small snack with balanced fat, carbohydrates & protein in the morning will help set your blood sugar up for a stable day.
    • Get your greens in. If you end up overindulging in too much sugar or processed foods make sure to replenish your minerals. Bringing a greens powder with you while traveling is an easy fix.
    • Chia seeds! A small bag of chia seeds can go a long way. Headed out for a work cocktail hour? Premix a water bottle with 1-2 Tbsp. of chia seeds and make sure to rehydrate before bed.
    • Bring a selection of teas. On my last trip I brought a mixture of teas. Nettle to replace the minerals that were stripped from a high sugar or high processed meal, dandelion root to support the liver after bombarding it with restaurant additives & preservative, and fenugreek for digestion.
    • Need to sweeten your tea or coffee? Keep sweetener in your purse. Coconut sugar packets or liquid stevia are small enough to carry with you.   Upgrade your hotel coffee or tea by avoiding refined sugar.

     

    Happy Travels!! I hope some of these tips keep you from crying at breakfast.

     

    Have any other ideas? I would love to add them to the list.

  • Top 10 Reasons Why My Dad is a Health Rockstar at Almost 70 Years old

    Top 10 Reasons Why My Dad is a Health Rockstar at Almost 70 Years old

     

    My dad, Steve Rand, is about to turn 70 next month but you would never guess it. On a recent visit to NH I had an interesting encounter with a family friend. She asked “What has your dad been doing in the last 6-9 months? He looks and acts 10 years younger. I want to know what tricks he has up his sleeve.”

     

    What changes has he made lately?

     

    We started off the summer with a so-called “cross-country cleanse” when he joined me and my 3 yr old on a drive from Arizona to Chicago. This involved a drastic cutback on his coffee intake, no gluten, and a lot of ginger green juice. He ended the summer following the official Ginger Newtrition 15 day elimination plan, finding exactly what foods do and do not work for him.

     

    Is it his diet that makes him so healthy? Nope.

     

    As much as I would love to take credit, the truth of the matter is that the lemon water, coconut oil and green smoothies are really only a small piece of the puzzle. Here are the real reasons that my dad is such a healthy guy at 70 years old.

     

    1) Exercise. When my dad turned 67 he ran his first 10K and now runs consistently 3-4 times a week. When he is not running, he is golfing, hiking or swimming. Finding movement that you love helps maintain a healthy weight, regulate your sleep and gives you some extra endorphins to boost your mood.

     

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Ginger-Newtrition-babysitting-Lily-219×300.jpg” raw=”true” alignment=”left” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”8″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ width=”219″ height=”300″]2) The Power Nap. Want to have enough energy to take on a new project mid afternoon? 20 minutes is all it takes. The trick is to sit upright in a chair so that you aren’t too comfortable, otherwise you might enter deep sleep and end up feeling groggy.

     

    3) Community & Volunteering. Recent research shows a strong correlation between volunteering and health: those who volunteer have lower mortality rates, greater functional ability, and lower rates of depression later in life than those who do not volunteer. My dad is so involved in the local community that some people like to call him the Mayor of Plymouth. He is always working on a new project in town, from the local Rotary, Historical Society, Christmas Parade to raising money for the Youth Center.   I believe, that the strong connection he has to his town and many organizations is the biggest secret to his health.

     

    4) Master of the Tuck and Roll. Being able to fall and not hurt yourself is an important strategy in my dad’s long term health.

     

    5) Laughs a lot. Like father, like daughter. Laughter is fun and infectious but also has deep health benefits such as relieving stress, boosting the immune system and increasing blood flow to help protect the heart.

     

    6) Tries New Things. Can’t teach an old dog new tricks? Not true here. At 67 my dad started running races and now at 70 he is taking up sculling. How many almost 70 year old men do you know are willing to try their daughter’s hippy new-age detox? Being flexible and adventurous in life keeps the brain active and you feeling and looking young.

     

    7) Eats the whole plant. My dad takes eating the whole plant to the next level. When eating an apple finishes the entire thing off, core and all! (note: I am not suggesting anyone start eating the whole apple!)

     

    8) Social Connection. I am not talking about Facebook. My dad has strong ties with many groups of very different types. Every other Monday you can find him hosting a men’s group at his house, discussing philosophy or religion, and on Sunday he is out bonding with his golfing buddies. Social capital is an important predictor in health and longevity, especially as we enter the senior age. Stay connected, in person.

     

    9) Laid Back Attitude. He is a go-with-the-flow kind of guy. Oops, we are driving the wrong way down a one-way street? He won’t let that mess with his mood or cortisol output. Since I routinely check my client’s cortisol levels, I can attest that being uptight and stressed out daily will lead to hormone imbalance and most likely chronic diseases.

     

    10) Family & Love. My dad has a lot of love for his family and his family has a lot of love for him. Having a partner that motivates him to stay healthy, try new things and just be the best that he can be keeps him young and happy daily.

     

    Bonus secret weapon? He had a ginger mother AND has a ginger for a daughter. Being surrounded with that much red-headed love has to be good for you!!

     

    What do you think is the biggest predictor of living a long and healthy life? We would love to hear your ideas!

  • My Favorite Uses for Lemon, Lavender & Peppermint Essential Oils

    My Favorite Uses for Lemon, Lavender & Peppermint Essential Oils

     

    I started using doTERRA essential oils a few months ago and still continue to be amazed at the number of applications that they have. The Intro Kit, around $26, includes Lemon, Lavender & Peppermint. By far, these are the 3 oils that I use the most.

     

    The essential oils were a savior during our cross country road trip from San Diego to NH. With a 3 yr old in tow, you never know what you might get into! They came in handy for bug bites, sunburns, clogged sinuses and to make lemon water on the go.

     

    Here are my favorite uses for the basics trio:

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Trio.png” raw=”true” alignment=”center” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ width=”476″ height=”400″]

    Lemon

     

    Warm Lemon Water in the morning. When traveling, carrying a bag of lemons for your morning lemon water is pretty darn inconvenient. Although inconvenient, this is often when we need to support our liver and digestion the most.  Add 1-2 drops of Lemon oil to warm water in the morning.

    Eradicate Undesirable Smells. Wish your bedroom didn’t smell like the salmon you made for dinner last night? Diffuse Lemon oil to neutralize odors.

    Pick-Me-Up. When you lack motivation or energy, try rubbing a drop of Lemon oil on your hands, the back of your neck or even through your hair. You’ll be amazed at the power of the lemony aroma!

    All-Purpose Cleaner. Mix 5-6 drops Lemon essential oil with water and vinegar in a spray bottle to cleanse and purify surfaces. Use to clean kitchen counters and stainless steel appliances. For stainless steel, mix Lemon essential oil with olive oil for best results.

    Get Rid Of The Sticky Stuff. Lemon essential oil is excellent for removing sticky tree sap, sticker residue and permanent marker. It even gets gum out of hair!

    Super Study Powers. Diffuse with Peppermint in the classroom or during homework time to help the kids stay awake and focused.

    Preserve the Fruit. Use Lemon essential oil in a spray to keep your cut fruit fresh until serving.

    Refresh Bad Smelling Washcloths. When your kitchen washcloths smell foul and could use a boost, add Lemon oil to your detergent, soak overnight, wash, dry and your kitchen will smell so much better!

    Nourish Your Leathers & Furniture. Preserve and prevent leather from splitting with a Lemon oil soaked cloth. Also, a few drops of Lemon essential oil combined with a few drops of olive oil makes a great furniture polish.

    ‘Lemonize’ Your Laundry. Instead of dryer sheets, try adding a few drops of Lemon oil  to a damp washcloth in the dryer with the rest of your laundry. Be sure to set the dryer to a low temperature cycle, as high heat will lessen the effects of the oil.

     

    Lavender

     

    Take A Lavender Bath. Drop a few drops of Lavender essential oil along with Epsom salts or magnesium oil to your bath water for an ultra-relaxing experience. This is my favorite use!

    Sleeps Best Friend. Rub on the bottoms of the feet for a more restful sleep. A few drops of Lavender placed on a pillow will help a restless toddler (or adult) fall asleep and stay asleep. (Lily’s requests lavender every night!)

    Bug Bites. Rub Lavender oil on your bugbites in the evening when they start to itch like crazy. This worked really well for my daughter this summer who was eaten alive in NH!

    Quick Fix. Mix three parts fractionated coconut oil with one part Lavender essential oil in a small spray bottle or roll on to help clear up skin irritation associated with chafing. Great for little ones!

    Enjoy A Fresh And Clean Mattress. Sprinkle a mixture of 1 cup baking soda and 10 drops of Lavender essential oil over your mattress. Allow the mixture to sit for at least one hour then use the vacuum hose to clean it up. You can combine with drops of Eucalyptus, Peppermint, Clove, or Rosemary as well.

    Ouch! That’s Hot! The next time someone doesn’t realize the iron or pan is still hot, apply Lavender oil to the affected area to soothe skin irritation, relieve redness and ease swelling.

    Homemade Aftershave. Use after shaving to soothe and soften skin and to lessen the redness and burning caused by razor burn.

    Take the “Ouch” Out. One drop of Lavender will help relieve the pain and sensitivity of occasional sore gums, dry or chapped lips, occasional scrapes and abrasions, or after too much sun.

    Clear The Mind. Apply Lavender to the temples and back of the neck to lessen the effects of stress and anxiety and to promote mental clarity.

     

    Peppermint

     

    Stuffed up Sinuses. Dilute a drop of Peppermint oil combined with fractionated coconut oil and place under your nose to support open airways and help you breathe easily.

    Peppermint Smoothies! Peppermint makes a delicious addition to all things chocolate. I add a drop into a cacao nib smoothie and I feel like I am having a mint chocolate chip milkshake. YUM!

    Bad Breath? Use a drop of Peppermint with Lemon in water for a healthy, refreshing mouth rinse.  It freshens breath and builds confidence in your close encounters.

    Take a Deep Breath. Inhale deeply to invigorate lungs and increase alertness.

    Stressed? Apply to neck and forehead with Lavender to relieve tension and pressure.

    A Joint Effort.  Peppermint is a great way to cool joints without taking an ice bath. It helps to soothe occasional soreness in muscles and joints.

    Tummy Calmer. Rub on the stomach or take internally for occasional digestive discomfort.

    Out on the Open Road. Don’t fall asleep at the wheel! Inhale Peppermint from a handkerchief or straight from the bottle to perk up on long drives.

    Approaching Deadlines Mean Long and Late Hours. Rather than grab a Snickers to revitalize you as you ‘go the extra mile’, deeply inhale Peppermint to feel revitalized and ready to go.

    Un-Block Writer’s Block. Peppermint can support blood circulation and leave you feeling rejuvenated to keep those creative juices flowing. Simply spritz peppermint on child’s shirt before study time for improved concentration and alertness.

     

    What else do you use your essential oils for?  We LOVE learning new tricks.  Share with us!

    Check out all the amazing oils available from doTERRA here.

     

     

    Adapted from: http://www.doterraeveryday.com/150physiciankituses/

     

  • Asparagus, Beet and Carrot Hash

    Asparagus, Beet and Carrot Hash

     

    (Makes 2-3 Servings)

     

    1 tablespoon coconut oil

    ½ cup chopped beets (use small beets)

    1 large carrot chopped small

    3 to 4 asparagus spears, chopped

    1 small onion, thinly sliced

    1 sweet pepper, chopped

    ½ teaspoon garlic powder

    1 teaspoon raw apple cider vinegar

    Sea salt to taste

    Black pepper to taste

    For top: Egg, Chicken or 1/2 avocado

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/IMG_4263-860×573.jpg” raw=”true” alignment=”center” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”1″ width=”750″ height=”500″]

     

    Chop the vegetables. Wash and peel your beets (be sure to use small beets as these are easier to cook and have a sweeter taste). Chop into bite-sized pieces. Chop your carrots. Chop your asparagus, making sure to remove the tough, woody ends. Chop your onions and sweet peppers.

    Sauté the vegetables. Heat a saucepan over medium high heat. Add the coconut oil. When the oil is hot, add the chopped beets and carrots. Sauté for 5 to 7 minutes until tender.  Add the asparagus, onion, sweet pepper, garlic powder, apple cider vinegar, sea salt, and black pepper. Sauté until the onions and peppers are soft.

    To top it off: Add an over-easy egg, chicken breast or 1/2 avocado.

    To save this for later Pin it here:

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Write-your-text-here-573×860.png” raw=”true” alignment=”center” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ width=”573″ height=”860″]

  • What is the Perfect Diet?

    What is the Perfect Diet?

     

    “I eat really healthy food.”

    I hear this a lot. Depending on who I am talking to, this could mean they follow a Paleo, Vegetarian, Atkins, The Zone, Body Ecology, Vegan diet or it could mean their meals consist of low-fat or sugar-free products.

    So what is “healthy” anyway? The only person who knows that is you. Your perfect diet will be different than your neighbor’s. It depends on your genetic makeup, where you live, the time of year, season of your life and the amount of stress you are under. Your perfect diet might be different in 6 months than it is now.

    The key to optimum energy and ideal health is to listen to the clues that your body is telling you. Do you eat “really healthily” but can’t seem to lose weight, have a horrible sleep cycle or have depleted energy? If you have a food intolerance or your body doesn’t know how to digest a food that you eat daily, no matter how healthy it is, this food could be a constant source of inflammation. Pay attention to your body.

    As I was traveling all over the US this summer and eating with many different kinds of people, it was very apparent to me that there is not one perfect diet for all types of people. That said, there are some basic concepts that everyone could benefit from. These are included in the following “Back to the Basics” principles:

    Ginger Newtrition’s “Back to the Basics” Principles for Healthy Eating:

    1)   Eat fresh, whole fruits & vegetables in their natural form. Local is best. Choose organic produce if it is on the dirty dozen list. If organic foods aren’t in the budget, get a veggie wash to reduce exposure to the pesticides.

    2)   Soy is not a health food unless it is fermented. Miso, tempeh and tamari are all fermented and are the best choices if you are going to consume soy. Soy is one of the top 5 food intolerances and it is highly genetically modified, so watch for reactions. One of my clients recently figured out that the soy yogurt she was eating daily for a year was the cause of her incredibly painful face acne.

    3)   Fat-free is never a good choice, unless it’s a naturally fat-free product. Let’s face it, pull the fat out of something and it tastes bad. The blah taste of Fat Free products is often covered up with more sugar.

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Ginger-Newtrition-Egg-Yolks2-300×281.jpg” raw=”true” alignment=”left” margin_left=”0″ margin_right=”8″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ width=”210″ height=”197″]4)   Eat the Yolks. If you eat eggs, then make sure you are eating the whole egg. The majority of the nutrients are in the yolk, they are delicious, and they yolk contains lecithin, a fat emulsifier which helps your body break down the cholesterol in the egg.

    5)   Partially hydrogenated oils such as margarine or Crisco shouldn’t be consumed… EVER. We have all heard that trans fats are not good for us and the majority of that comes from partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. A product can claim NO trans fat as long as it has less than 0.5 grams. Look at the ingredients for partially hydrogenated oils instead of the claims on the front of the can or box.

    6)    Lose the blue, yellow & pink packets. Artificial sweeteners are also hiding in “light” products such as yogurt.

    7)   Food dye is not a necessary ingredient in any food. If you want to know what effect food dye can have on a person, come over to my house an hour after my daughter is given blue jelly beans. It… is…. Scary. Before you chalk your child’s unstable behavior up to genetics, make sure you have removed the dyes, additives and chemicals from their food.

    8)   MSG (monosodium glutamate) can wreak havoc on your neurotransmitter balance. Yes, this is still in foods & restaurants and it can be especially detrimental to children.

    [image url=”http://gingernewtrition.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/Ginger-Newtrition-Good-Fats1-300×209.jpg” raw=”true” alignment=”right” margin_left=”6″ margin_right=”0″ margin_top=”0″ margin_bottom=”0″ width=”225″ height=”157″]9)   Eat more good fat. Think nuts, avocado, fish, coconut, olive and flax oil. Did you know that you need dietary fat in order to make all of your hormones?

    10)   Avoid all fried foods especially with seed oils, canola oil, or in a restaurant where they are reusing the oil. If you really have a craving for a fried food, make it at home in coconut oil.

    11)   Drink more clean water.

    12)   Eliminate white sugar and sweeteners.

    13)   Limit alcohol.

    14)   Gluten, Corn, Dairy, Eggs & Soy are the top 5 food sensitivities. Make sure you test how these foods make you feel by removing them for 1-2 weeks and slowly adding them in one at a time.

    15)   Eat something fermented daily. For example sauerkraut, kimchi, yogurt, kefir, miso or kombucha (if it agrees with you!).

    So instead of sticking to this diet, that plan, or believing that this food is good and that food is bad, remember the basics. Try something and see how it works for you. Keep what works, throw away what doesn’t. Your perfect plan will always be evolving.