What would our world be if there was no such thing as carbs? No pizza and beer on a Friday night out with your friends. No Ben & Jerry's ice cream when going through a rough breakup. Not to mention, low blood sugar levels making an entire race irritable and fatigued. We would have no energy to go about our daily tasks.
Carbohydrates are our main fuel source and needed in large amounts to sustain our energy throughout the day. It is important to recognize the types of carbohydrates and how they can impact our blood sugar levels. There are three main types of carbohydrates:
Where to look for carb sources: Complex Carbs found in:
Simple Sugars found in:
What are some tips and tricks you use to swap out simple sugars for more complex carbs in your diet? Share below!
0 Comments
Hello my fellow Love Crystals,
I'm coming at you today from a different angle, hinging on my own personal experiences... There was a period of time where everything I did was at 125% effort. I constantly labeled myself a "perfectionist", and would do whatever it took so that everything I completed was perfect. If I completed a task and it wasn't deemed perfect by myself, I would beat myself up over it. I would constantly think to myself, "why am I so bad at this? How come I can't get this right? I will never get this right". Eventually, if there was something I knew that I couldn't succeed at, I just wouldn't do it. I was more comfortable with the idea of not doing something rather than facing the fear of failing at it. Why did I have these fears? And why did I let them, literally, take over my life? Was it a feeling of fear that I wouldn't live up to my own expectations? Or a feeling that I wouldn't live up to others expectations? Or even, that if I failed, how would I ever succeed again? If anything, I think it was a combination of all of these things. Unfortunately, I know that I was not alone in these feelings. I think we have all felt this way at a certain point in our lives. Eventually I gave up on asking why I was feeling the way I was. Instead, I started focusing on how I wanted to feel. I started to realize that by embodying a feeling of ability and acceptance, I could change that feeling into a state of being. To be empowered, not only because of my abilities, but also because I fully accepted myself regardless of my abilities. I believe that once we all learn to accept ourselves regardless of our abilities or what we have on the outside, we will finally accept everyone else as they are too. Because the more you start to think about it, we are all the same. And we all deserve to be accepted, because well, we're pretty damn near perfect. and to me, that might be just as good. I used to always resonate with the term "perfectionist". Simply put, "someone who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection". When you think about it like that, someone who is refusing any aspect of their life cannot be perfect, can they? Also, what is this feeling of a 'perfect' ideal? How can one judge what perfect may even be? I believe that we must accept anything that happens in our life, perfect or not. Once we learn to accept not only the things that happen to ourselves, but also accept our selves as a whole, we can move past anything that would even be deemed perfect. One time I was speaking with a friend, I explained to him how I had a 'perfectionist' mentality. And he said instead of resonating with the term 'perfectionist' a better term to resonate with is 'progressionist'. Or rather, someone who is constantly striving to progress thru life, always striving for something better, but without refusal for things that didn't always quite match up. The ability to accept the things that you cannot change, and be a better you tomorrow, than you were today. So now I have an understanding, that when I wake up in the morning- it's always on the right side of the bed. For, I know that no matter what life may throw at me, I can truly accept it for what it is. And to me that's all that matters ;) If you are a typical American, an average day may look like this:
In total you are spending a whopping 12-14 hours sitting down! Add in the average 6-8 hours we spend sleeping each night, we are spending a total of 18-20 hours sitting or laying down! The human body is not designed to spend such an extended amount of time sitting. There are numerous risks to spending all day sitting on our rumps, here are just a few:
If you work in an office, how do you add more movement into your day? What strategies do you utilize to prevent sitting constantly for 8 hours? Let me know by replying below! We all want to lose weight as fast as possible, right? Well, what if I told you that by doing five simple things today, you could jump start your weight loss for tomorrow? Five simple things you may ask? These are all tried and true tricks for prepping the body for rapid weight loss results- that you will not be able to deny! Even if you do not have any weight to lose, I encourage you to do these five things every day to keep the body clean and healthy.
1. Sleep it Off Plain and simple, get a full 8 hours of sleep a night! According to the Center for Disease Control (CDC) more than 35% of people are sleep deprived. Studies have shown that less than 7 hours of sleep a night can actually reduce and reverse the effects of dieting. "Metabolic grogginess" is a term coined for the way your body reacts after a few days of poor sleep. This is reflected by a disruption in the way your body processes insulin. Insulin is our major storage hormone, and after days of poor sleep, your body's insulin sensitivity drops by about 30%. When sensitivity starts to decline, there is literally fat circulating in your blood, pumping out more insulin. And unfortunately, this insulin is more likely to be stored in tissues such as the liver, which can eventually lead to diabetes. Sleep also helps to regulate cortisol levels, and keep them low. Cortisol is the number one stress hormone in the body, and as it increases, so does your risk for weight gain, heart problems, and even mental health issues. 2. Drink it Down You should be consuming at least half of your body weight in ounces per day. For example, if you weigh 150 pounds, you need to drink at LEAST 75 ounces of water a day. I personally drink my own body weight in ounces every day, and I would encourage a majority of people to do the same. Living in Colorado, where there is little to no humidity, I constantly feel parched! I always make sure I have my Glasstic water bottle with me to avoid stopping for water while I am out. Drinking water before a meal can also help to provide a sense of fullness and conquer over eating. One of the reasons it is so important to consume water throughout the day is its ability to help the body digest food properly and allow for proper elimination. I have seen statistics that say people can have between 10-15 pounds of impacted fecal matter in their intestines, mainly due to dehydration.. Which brings me to my next point... 3. Get it out No literally, get that crap out! Sorry to get personal but, how often do you poop? In my opinion, if we are eating three meals a day, shouldn't we be eliminating just as often? There are so many people that are chronically constipated, whether it be due to the food they are eating or the lack of water they are consuming. By increasing water consumption, we can help to soften the stool for more regularity. Increasing fiber intake by consuming lots of leafy greens can also help for improved bowel health. For even more regularity, incorporate a probiotic to your daily health routine. Probiotics are used to instill healthy gut bacteria and support a healthy bowel. 4. Move around Get up and moving! Seriously, this article is almost done, get up and do something! As a society, we are more sedentary than we have ever been before. We sit for 8 hours a day at work, and then go home and sit in front of the TV for hours. Humans were not meant to sit all day long! We are setting ourselves up for metabolic disorders, as well as back and joint issues. New research has come out saying that even if you exercise on a daily basis, sitting 8 hours a day can in fact negate the health benefits of exercise. It is important to keep moving throughout the day and not sit for extended periods of time. I personally try to stand up every 10-15 minutes while at my desk. If I'm on the phone for a long period of time, I will get up and do some squats or calf- raises to keep my body moving. Simple things such as parking your car in the back of the lot, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, and walking around the office in down time are easy ways to increase movement during your day. 5. Change your Mind I am a strong believer in mind over matter. Whether you call it the power of prayer, or conscious intent, either way I believe that it works. What has worked the best for me in the past is setting a specific goal/intention and really focusing on it. Taking about 10 minutes each night or morning to focus on my intention for that day or the next, allows me to really focus on what I desire. If I hit a rough patch and feel like sleeping in every morning, I know that my intention needs to be set to wake up early. So I will do a relaxed meditation practice in which I sit still and let my mind clear for a few minutes. I then just think about what my intention is, and focus on how it feels when it happens. Doing so allows me to focus on what really matters to me, and I know that I can accomplish what I set out to intend. What other things are you doing today to speed up your weight loss? Click reply and let me know! To all the Love Crystals out there...
In a world where one day eggs are good for you, and the next they are bad for you, it is hard to determine what foods are the best to eat and why. Proper nutrition education is vital to success regarding weight loss, and self love. While a majority of people are knowledgeable of what foods to eat, a lot of people are unaware of the reason why. I believe that not only do you have to understand the what, but you also have to understand the why. In order to be committed to your goals, and stay successful, proper education will be most important in your journey. I will take the time in other newsletters to explain about various nutrients found in certain foods and what they contribute to the body. Each week, I will touch upon certain topics that I think are beneficial in obtaining your goals. Some topics I will cover include:
So tell me: what are you most excited to learn about? Or are there specific things that you would like me to cover? Feel free to comment below so I can have something specific to you! Hello there, and welcome to the Love Crystals team! You are now on a journey to help spread love in a crystal clear way!
Let me start off by explaining some shocking facts, and how we can turn these statistics around. More than 50% of the American population is overweight, or obese. Some studies show that by 2025, that number will jump to a shocking 75%. It is predicted that for the first time in history, our children are not expected to live as long as their parents. If so many people struggle with weight loss, how can we conquer this? Common belief is that weight loss is as simple as calories in versus calories out. However, I believe that weight loss is not that simple and that it starts from within. OUR BODIES ARE ONLY AS STRONG AS OUR MINDS CAN BE, and it is with a strong mind that you can find success in weight loss. Unfortunately, we live in a society where from a young age we are told that we are too fat or too thin, too short or too tall. We are reminded by our parents, and mainstream media that we will never be good enough, smart enough, or pretty enough. But here's the kicker- none of that is true! You are always more than enough, and you are beautiful on the inside and on the outside. It is just up to you to see it. Now is the time to be truthful to ourselves. Like most people, there was a time I looked in the mirror and didn’t like the person staring back at me. Now, I believe that everyone deserves to love the person looking back at them. Ask yourself this very question; when was the last time you looked in the mirror and said I love you? Now think about how often you say I love you to your spouse, children, siblings, and even your animals. Why is this a sentence we reserve for everyone but ourselves? In order to be successful with any goals you may have, you need to believe in yourself, and most of all; you need to love yourself. Because truly, love is all you need! So, I challenge you, to join our mission in discovering the love within. Help us start the new paradigm shift of not only love for our planet and neighbors, but most importantly: love for ourselves. I urge you to wake up every morning, look straight into your eyes and say three simple words: I LOVE YOU!! Love Always, Jenna :) |
JennaDedicated to helping you realize your full potential. Spreading smiles and love everywhere I go. Archives
September 2016
Categories |