Hey everyone!
I am so excited to take you on this next journey with me! 21 days to true health with just one small habit change every day. The idea behind the 21 days comes from a self help book first published in the 1970’s called the “Psycho-Cybernetics.” Although the evidence supporting the theory is empirical, or based on experience, not clinical, or based on controlled experiments, the idea here is to start incorporating some beautiful new rituals or habits into your lifestyle that will get you looking and feeling awesome:)
The thing about habits is that they tend to become unconscious and you start to do them without even realizing it. Your brain starts to associate certain times of day, for example, with a specific habit. Having a coffee to avoid the 3pm crash, having something sweet right after you eat, staying up too late to watch TV, these are all habits that your body becomes accustom to and can lead you down that rabbit hole of adrenal fatigue, unhealthy weight gain and hormonal imbalance.
I’m all about taking baby steps to achieve optimal health, so I’m going to be posting 21 days of healthier habits on my Facebook Page community. Some as articles, some as wall posts and some as short couple of minute videos. I will be revealing some of the healthiest ways to find true health and some much healthier substitutions for the common culprits that impact our health in a very negative way.
To start you off right, here are the top tips to help you incorporate healthy habits into your life and say goodbye to some health depriving habits:
- Take baby steps. It’s not about ALWAYS and NEVER. Allow yourself time to get used to your new habits. Ex. Instead of “I will never eat sugar again”, try “I will try healthier sugar alternatives such as stevia and coconut sugar.
- Focus on the outcome rather than the actual habit change. Ex. If you decide to give up coffee for a few weeks, focus on the feeling of being energized without the overstimulating caffeine kick. Think about what it would feel like not to be dependent on coffee, to wake up feeling happy and energized.
- Make a plan and write it down. If you want to try a new yoga class, for example, look up a class schedule, write in in your calendar (or schedule it into your phone) and make a commitment to yourself. No excuses!
- Repeat the behavior you’re aiming for as often as you can. The more a behavior is repeated, the more likely it is that it will become “instinctive.” Ex. If you want to get better sleep to improve your hormonal health, incorporate the same ritual to your nightly routine by setting the mood with calming essential oils and a relaxing tea.
- Find a healthier replacement habit. For example, if you want to break the habit of eating a sugar filled muffin every time you go to a meeting at a coffee house, bring your own homemade muffin.
The 21 Healthy Habits is FREE and starts today (June 23, 2014) but you are welcome to join at anytime!
BONUS incentive: Everyone who actively follows along by commenting, liking, and using the hashtag #21healthyhabits will be entered to win their choice of online programs ($79 value) Winner will be chosen on July 10!
PS. you can use hashtags on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
Healthy habit #1
Start using cayenne pepper daily. Easy peasy.
If you use black pepper daily, make the simple switch to cayenne pepper. Here is why: black pepper can be a source of food sensitivities, which can hinder your digestion and cause discomfort. Capsaicin, the compound responsible for their pungent heat in Cayenne pepper and other chili peppers, on the other hand, has loads of health benefits:
- Helps the body detoxify by clearing mucus from the lungs and boosting your lymphatic system which helps to eliminate toxic waste.
- Improves digestion by stimulating saliva, peristalsis (bowel movements) digestive tract (which increases enzyme production and gastric juices) increasing the body’s ability to to metabolize food. It also helps to relieve intestinal gas.
- Capsaicin is thermogenic, which means it increases the temperature of your body and kick-starts yourmetabolism. Research suggests that after consuming foods with capsaicin, the body’s metabolic rate (aka energy use) can increase 15 to 20% for up to two hours! This means more calories burned and shedding the extra weight:)
- Capsaicin also helps you maintain and achieve a healthy weight because the amount of insulin required tolower blood sugar after a meal is reduced if the meal contains chili pepper.
- Helps to prevent prostate and lung cancer due to the high capsaicin content which stops the spread of cancer cells through a variety of mechanisms as well as helps to reduce pain from conditions such as arthritis and fibromyalgia (can be applied topically as well).
Steamed Kale with Citrus + Chili Flakes
Adding healthy oils such as camelina, flax, hemp or olive oil to greens is essential for vitamin and mineral absorption. Healthy oils rich in omega 3 fatty acids and capsicum from red chili flakes will also help to boost your metabolism! This delish salad is great for a detoxifying main meal (just add a protein) or a super quick side dish for fish or chicken.
- 1 small bunch Green Curly Kale
- ¼ lemon, 1 Tbsp juice + ¼ tsp zest
- 1/2 orange, juiced (3 Tbsp juice)
- 1 Tbsp camelina or olive oil
- ⅛ tsp red chili flakes (or to taste)
- Pinch cayenne pepper
- Pinch sea salt
How to make:
Remove kale leaves from the tough stems by running your hands along the spine of the kale.
Slice kale into thin strips.
Steam kale for 3 minutes.
Zest and juice lemon into a mixing bowl. Juice orange and add to bowl. Add sea salt, chili flakes, cayenne pepper and oil. Add in kale once cooked and mix well.
Makes 2-3 small side dishes or 1 main side dish
