Organic foods are one of the things that fall into the ‘pay for not it now or pay for it later’ categories for me.  Eat the rainbow of fruits and veggies a day and make sure you get ample protein.

All carbohydrates are not bad carbs, so make sure you know the difference between complex and simple carbs.

Stay away from processed foods (shop the perimeter of the grocery store) and foods that contain HFCS (high fructose corn syrup).  Once you become a label reader you’ll notice how they sneak sugar into almost everything. 

We’re on a mission to share the immense hope we found in hemp. After observing the healing power of this medicinal plant, we instantly vowed to pass on the goodness. Then, we uncovered a jarring truth: Not all hemp is created equal – not even close – The GreenCompass Promise

Part of the Cannabis family, Hemp is made up of over 140 different cannabinoids, as well as terpenes, flavonoids, fatty acids, and more. According to the 2018 Farm Bill, hemp is legally required to contain no more than 0.3% THC. Compliance with this law assures that legally grown hemp products do not contain enough THC to have psychoactive properties. 

The endocannabinoid system (or ECS) is how cannabinoids like CBD offer their benefits. It is our bodies own natural cannabis system! It provides homeostasis, or balance, in our body for health and wellness. It is quite possibly the most important physiological system in establishing and maintaining our health. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has stated that it “may have therapeutic potential in almost all conditions affecting humans”. 

There are SO MANY therapeutic benefits of hemp that I’ve become a true believer after having been on this regimen for several months now.  Learn more or shop now – just click the link below!

LEARN MORE ABOUT ORGANIC HEMP PRODUCTS HERE!

You can juice most fruits and vegetables and it’s a great way to incorporate this into your vitamin intake. Fresh, organic produce is key for maximum absorption. I’ll post some recipes for you to try – it’s delicious and a great way to build your immunity.

Here’s an easy one to start:

Immunity shot

• Juice of one lemon
• Juice of one orange
• 1 tsp juiced ginger
• 1 tsp juiced turmeric
• Dash of cayenne or black pepper

Most of us walk daily to get to and fro our destinations in our home or to our mode of transportation.  Intentional walking, or getting your steps in, has recently come to the forefront of an easier way to improve health.  There are some that say 10,000 steps are ideal, but really anywhere from 8,000 to 12,000 is beneficial.  If you’re tracking your steps on a device, remember that intentional walking, getting out and getting sun and fresh air, is the most important of steps you can take.

What are 5 benefits of walking daily?

• Maintain a healthy weight and lose body fat.
• Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, cancer and type 2 diabetes.
• Improve cardiovascular fitness.
• Strengthen your bones and muscles.
• Improve muscle endurance.
• Increase energy levels.

There’s something about walking in nature that’s good for the soul, but did you know it’s good for your health, too?  There’s a thing called forest bathing, which is the English translation for the Japanese terms called “shinrin-yoku”.  You not only breathe in fresh air, but you’re also inhaling some of the spores from plants that give life.

Going barefoot is good for you, too, and grounds you from all of the devices we use on the daily.   Grounding (touching the earth without shoes) appears to improve sleep, normalize the day–night cortisol rhythm, reduce pain, reduce stress, shift the autonomic nervous system from sympathetic toward parasympathetic activation, increase heart rate variability, speed wound healing, and reduce blood viscosity. 

If you fall, you want to be able to get up.  Keeping your muscles strong and flexible are key to prevention.  Lift some weights, do some squats and lunges and also keep your core muscles strong.  

Strength training may enhance your quality of life and improve your ability to do everyday activities. Strength training can also protect your joints from injury. Building muscle also can contribute to better balance and may reduce your risk of falls. This can help you maintain independence as you age. 

We don’t really pay attention to our breathing on the daily – it just happens.  Most of us don’t breathe in a beneficial pattern – it’s slow and not deep enough.  

Deep breathing, into the belly, can stimulate your lymphatic system and also increase oxygen levels.  Breathwork isn’t a new thing as it’s been practiced in yoga for centuries, but it’s another modality that has come to the forefront as something we should be paying attention to.

A growing number of studies show that breathing techniques are effective against anxiety and insomnia. These techniques influence both physiological factors (by stimulating the parasympathetic nervous system) and psychological factors (by diverting attention from thoughts) 

Yoga is life!  You can do it at a studio or you can find a good series on YouTube or wherever  you stream. 

According to the National Institutes of Health, scientific evidence shows that yoga supports stress management, mental health, mindfulness, healthy eating, weight loss and quality sleep. 

There is a vast amount of benefit that comes from being on the mat.  You can achieve strength, flexibility, centeredness, calm.

Personally I feel that doing a group yoga class is more beneficial as you have the guidance and instruction from your head yogi and it’s fun seeing people of all ages do their best, because that’s all that yoga asks of you.  That’s why it’s called a yoga “practice” because no one achieves perfection!

You know the gasp you take when the shower isn’t quite hot enough? Cold water strains your body — it goes into “survival mode,” working hard to maintain its core temperature. This stimulates your body to increase blood flow circulation. “Increasing circulation redistributes blood and delivers freshly oxygenated blood to areas of the body that need to recover.” Go ahead, turn the cold water on when you’re done with your shower and feel the flow!

Ommmmmmm

Meditation can be done for a minute or an hour so whatever time you make for it, it’s there for you.  Close your eyes, pop those “bubbles of thoughts” coming into your head and focus on your breath..  Focus on the present, envision happiness provoking moments, be self-aware, bring positive light into your heart and soul.

Meditation is a great way to re-set your current mood or situation.  

During yoga would also be a good time to incorporate the breathwork that was mentioned in another modality.  

I love this method of ancient Toltic wisdom, brought to the forefront by don Miguel Ruiz

• Be Impeccable with Your Word
• Don’t Take Anything Personally
• Don’t Make Assumptions
• Always Do Your Best

It took me a while to fully comprehend these broad statements, but they have truly helped with self-limiting beliefs and I now abide by them to the best of my ability.

If you’ve ever taken a dive into the chemicals we put ON our bodies, you would be amazed at what the US allows to be used as ingredients.  The US has banned only 30 ingredients (to put into context, the EU has banned over 1,400) while the others are known to have long lasting negative impact on our health (endocrine disruptors and more).  I encourage you to do your own research at www.ewg.org and scan in some of your more commonly used items (and foods) to see how they’re rated by the Environmental Working Group.  In 2004 EWG launched a unique online consumer datebase called SkinDeep that assesses and compares the safety of personal care products.  

Being an advocate for clean skin care products for men and women has been a lifechanging lesson and changed up my daily routine as well.  There are many companies that promote clean, chemical free skincare products for your face, hair and body! I do my research on EWG Healthy Living (they have an app for that!) – or you can source products from your local small businesses that create and sell their very own line of organic products. Farmers Markets have more than just local produce, meats, eggs, cheese and flowers, there are vendors of all kinds – you can feel comfortable knowing where the ingredients are sourced and who makes (notice I didn’t say “manufactures”?) the products you intend to use.