health hacks Archives -

What is Manuka honey? The Benefits and Uses!

Not all honey is created equal! Manuka honey is one of the most unusual and beneficial forms of honey in the world, and that’s because it’s produced in New Zealand by bees that pollinate the Manuka tree. Most good quality honey contains some hydrogen peroxide. However, Manuka honey also has Methylglyoxal (MG), known for its antibacterial effects, which is in high concentration on the nectar flowers of the Manuka tree.

Benefits and uses of Manuka honey

Heals Wounds. Because of its antibacterial and antioxidant properties, Manuka honey is great for healing wounds, plus it helps maintain a moist environment and protective barrier from infection. When my dog Buddy accidentally bit my nose, piercing down to my nasal cavity, I used MediHoney Gel on the wound, and I was in awe at how fast it worked to heal the pretty deep gash. It is now a staple in my medicine cabinet! No wonder that in 2007 the FDA approved Manuka honey as an aid to wound treatment.
Soothes a sore throat. Manuka honey can provide relief when your throat is achy and sore, the antiviral and antibacterial properties in the honey will reduce inflammation and coat the lining of the throat, soothing your pain. Try this simple and easy, Natures Flu Buster if your coming down with a cold or flu.
Treats acne. Most often acne is caused by hormonal changes, but it can also be a reaction to poor diet, stress or bacteria growth. The antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties of Manuka honey, can help keep your skin free of bacteria and expedite the healing process.
Improves digestion. Irritable Bowel Syndrome includes constipation, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, and research has shown that the regular consumption of Manuka honey can decrease these symptoms. Research has also shown that it attacks the bacterial infection Clostridium difficile, which is what causes severe diarrhea and inflammation of the bowel.

Choosing Quality Honey

Because of industrialization honey is not what it used to be, unfortunately most products at your local grocery store are not much different then high fructose corn syrup. So it’s important to select quality Manuka honey, the higher the concentration of MG, the stronger the antibiotic effect. Manuka honey producers use the “Unique Manuka Factor” (UMF) scale for rating the concentration of MG. Obviously, the higher the number, the more antibacterial properties.

I prefer to purchase Manuka honey with a 15 UMF or higher, this makes it a little pricey, but totally worth it! Here is a link to a local New Zealand Manuka Honey that is exceptionally good! Overall Manuka honey is the best choice of honey when it comes to medicinal uses.

Love to hear from my followers, please comment below!

Why you need to Exfoliate!

No matter how great you treat your skin by cleansing, moisturizing, and protecting with sunscreen, if your not exfoliating your missing an important step! Whether you have oily, dry or sensitive skin, exfoliation is key in having glowing radiant skin!

What is Exfoliation?

Exfoliation is the removal of dead skin cells on the surface of your skin. You can physically exfoliate by using an abrasive scrub on the surface of your skin, or by using a chemical exfoliator that contains acids that dissolve and remove the dead skin.

Benefits of Exfoliation

It unclogs pores! When sebaceous glands produce oil it can get stuck under the dead dry skin, causing breakouts because theres no where for the oil to go. Getting rid of that dead and dry layer of skin prevents it from clogging your pores and causing white/black heads, and acne.
Makes your skin glow! As we get older our bodies take longer to shed old skin and regenerate anew, the old skin starts to pile up on the surface and it can leave our skin looking dull, rough and dry. Proper exfoliation removes the dead skin and uncovers fresh new skin cells below.
Evens skin tone! Dark spots, rough texture, hyperpigmentation, and acne scars can be reduced with exfoliation. It takes time but exfoliants can break down the dead skin, leaving your skin smooth and more evenly textured.
Reduces wrinkles! Sign me up! Exfoliating is proven to stimulate collagen synthesis, keeping the skin looking more plump, tight and young.

How Often Should You Exfoliate?

This is a tricky question because everyones skin is different! My best recommendation is to listen to your skin! Since I use the oil cleansing method daily, I exfoliate once a week. However, on occasions when I’ve been wearing a lot of make up or sunscreen, I exfoliate twice a week. If your skin is on the sensitive side you might want to start exfoliating once a week, where as normal skin could handle daily exfoliation. Feel it out and determine whats best for you!

What I use to Exfoliate

I have been using the oil cleansing method for a few years now, and I can not recommend it enough, it’s been amazing for my skin! Yet it’s still super important that I exfoliate regularly to prevent breakouts and remove the dead skin.

For my face, I recently started using Eminence Strawberry Rhubarb Dermafoliant and I’m totally hooked! This scrub is really nice because it’s very mild and doesn’t dry you out. I have used facial scrubs in the past that leave your skin feeling sucked of all moisture and dried out, but this one doesn’t do that, it leaves your skin feeling soft, smooth and supple. As a plus the bottle lasts forever! You only have to use a dime sized amount of the exfoliant, and you mix it with water. It takes a good year for me to get through one bottle, making it great for the money.

I would love to hear your thoughts on exfoliation and how it’s helped you, please comment below!

The Best Morning Habit Ever and its FREE!

If I told you all it takes is one small morning habit to fire up your metabolism, rehydrate, flush toxins, clean your colon (as in poop right away), and increase your level of alertness, what would you say? Sign me up right?! Well all it takes is starting your morning with a big ol glass of H2O. Yup water! I wanted to write a blog about this, because I am super passionate about it!

After waking up, brushing my teeth, and of course taking my dogs out, I immediately fill a large mason jar with cold filtered water and add a lemon slice. Sometimes I mix it up with lime or cucumber slices, you can get fancy with it if you want. Then I pretty much guzzle it, but you can take your time it doesn’t really matter, as long as your starting your day with at least 22oz of water (I drink a 32oz mason jar).

Check out these 5 ways it’s changed my life!

Pooping first thing! I had to start off with this one, because it’s helped me so much! Growing up I struggled with constipation (I know, i’m sorry TMI). My diet was definitely to blame (typical American diet of hot dogs and candy, ugh), but as I got older and changed my diet the pooping got better. However, its never been as good as it is now, after starting my day with 32oz of water! I literally drink my water and within 10 minutes head to the bathroom. Yay for pooping stories!
Increases your level of alertness! Did you know your brain is 75% water? WOW (I just learned this after a google search, haha). It makes sense then that when your not properly hydrated your brain wont function right, you will feel tired, moody and sluggish.
Fire up your metabolism! Drinking a cold glass of water after you wake up gets your metabolism firing. One study showed it increases your metabolism by 24% within the first 90 minutes! Which is great when you do a morning workout like me, you fire that metabolism for your workout.
Flush those toxins! It’s the kidneys job to rid your body of toxins, but it cant do its job if your not drinking enough water. Getting fluids into your body first thing in the morning will help your kidneys flush those toxins.
Rehydrate! Ok this one is obvious right?! But really after sleeping 7-8 hours all night, you might not feel thirsty, but your body needs fluids! You’ve probably heard it before, but when you actually become thirsty, your probably already dehydrated!

I hope these 5 facts will help you in starting your day right with some H2O! Along the lines of water, check out my blog on: The Best Purchase I’ve Made in a Long Time!

I love to hear from my readers, if you have any questions or comments, please do so below!

The Real Reason Your So Tired All The Time!

Do you feel tired all the time? You just don’t feel so great, your body aches, your minds foggy, and you have low energy? Trust me I’ve been there! Many people just accept the fact that not feeling so great is part of life and getting older, but that’s simply not the case! Yet studies have shown that 15% of women, and 10% of men are regularly exhausted. If it’s not just aging, whats making us so tired? Check out these 4 reasons why you could be feeling so drained and what you can do to feel re-energized!

Sedentary Lifestyle

Studies have shown that exercise acts on your central nervous system to increase energy and reduce fatigue. However, when your extremely tired, getting up to exercise is the absolute last thing you wanna do, I get it! But speaking from experience, when I’m tired and force myself to workout, It’s crazy how much energy it gives me! I leave my workout feeling so energized, alert and de-stressed!

However, don’t let all this talk of exercise freak you out, because you don’t have to do an intense workout to boost your energy! Even just moderate exercise for 20 minutes can help fight that fatigue. Start slowly by taking a short walk, swim, or bike, and feel the difference in your energy levels!

Poor Diet

The absolute best way to prevent fatigue is by eating a healthy balanced diet! We’ve all been there, we eat a big greasy meal, and we finish feeling stuffed, and exhausted right? The saying goes, “eat good, feel good”. To get adequate nutrition and eliminate fatigue, it’s important to eat a balanced mix of food that includes: vegetables, fruits, whole grains, legumes, nuts, seeds, and protein. Eating a plant-based, whole foods diet is the best way to do this! For more information on this check out, Why you should eat a plant-based diet!

You can also make positive changes in your diet my making some of these small changes:

Eat regularly. Don’t go for long periods without eating! Eat 3 meals a day, and have a healthy snack in between, such as fruits, vegi’s, or a handful of nuts.
Drink lots of water. Dehydration makes you tired, constipated, and moody! Drink at least 2 liters of water per day.
Don’t skip breaky. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day (we’ve all heard that before)! Seriously though, a healthy breaky gives you energy for the day, don’t skip it!
Eat less meat. Instead of having your meal centered around the protein, fill your plate with vegetables and fruits, with a side of protein.
Eat less dairy. There are a ton of dairy-free options out there, try switching the dairy in your morning coffee to coconut/almond milk, and skip the extra cheese!

Extreme Stress

In this world we live in, it seems really difficult to avoid stress! We encounter stressful situations at work, school, in our relationships, even driving in traffic. Some stress can actually be healthy and can help us to perform a task, and be more alert. However, extreme prolonged stress can cause us physical and emotional exhaustion, that can eventually lead to illness.

If you’re experiencing extreme stress, try these tips:

Exercise regularly. Physical activity is a huge stress reliever and gives you those feel good endorphins.
Identify the source of your stress. Find out whats causing you stress so that you can control it.
Learn to say no. This is a big one, often times we bring stress on ourselves by taking on too much. It’s ok to say no!
Avoid association with people who stress you out. If there is someone in your life that causes you a lot of stress, try to spend less time with them.
View stressful situations in a different way. Look at stressful situations more positively, sometimes its all in our attitude.
Accept the things you can’t change. Some things are unavoidable, we can avoid stress by accepting things the way they are.

If you feel you may have a medical condition causing your fatigue, please consult your healthcare provider. Has any of these suggestions helped your energy levels? I love to hear from you, please comment below.

Did you know having a dog also reduces stress? Check out 5 Reasons Having a Dog is Good for your Health!

Why you should eat a plant based diet, but you don’t necessarily have to a vegan!

A plant based diet is all the rage right now and thats because people are sick and tired, of being sick and tired! I hate to call being plant based a “diet” because it’s not one of those “fad diets” that many people will try in the hopes of dropping weight, but then fail to make it stick. Eating plant based is a lifestyle, one we should all live by that gives lasting results. Yet many people are hesitant to go plant based because they don’t want to give up meat, or are tentative to make the full on switch to a vegetarian or vegan diet. I totally get it, Ive been there!

Personally I am not a vegetarian or vegan, I confess I eat meat and dairy products every now and then. I would say I am 90% plant based, and I’m totally ok with that for now. My goal is to eventually be fully plant based, but I’m taking my time, and listening to my body. The more I eat plant based and substitute whole foods for meat and dairy, the better I feel. Ive maintained a healthy weight, have a ton of energy, my skin is clearer, and overall I feel great!

So what is a plant based diet?

A plant based diet emphasizes whole or minimally processed foods. This includes vegetables and fruits, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes. A plant based diet avoids or limits animal products, including chicken, fish and dairy products. In addition avoiding refined foods, such as added sugars, processed oil and white flour.

Is eating meat really bad for you?

Just recently the World Health Organization shocked the world when it announced that processed meats were a carcinogen, and consumption of it will lead to cancer. However, this goes beyond just processed meats. There is a ton of evidence proving that eating all kinds of animal products (including chicken and fish) is bad for you! Studies have shown it increases your chance for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimers, dementia, and the list goes on.

I wont go into all the deets, but If your really interested in the science behind it all, you have to read the book “how not to die” by Michael Greger MD. I cannot recommend this book enough, its mind blowing!

Baby steps towards becoming plant based

Good news, it doesn’t have to be all or nothing when it comes to eating animal products. Cutting back on your meat consumption (even just a little), will cut your health risk down. Take baby steps towards eliminating meat and focus on substitution rather then elimination. Sometimes when we focus on what were missing, its so much harder then just focusing on what were adding! Start by adding more fruits, vegetables and whole grains to your current diet.

Unlike the typical American diet that makes meat the main dish, try making whole plant based foods the main dish, and having a small portion of meat on the side. Take your favorite recipes and substitute the meat for a plant based option. For example, I took my favorite chicken enchilada recipe and made it a black bean quinoa enchilada, and my beef lasagna became a vegetable lasagna. Believe me this, I do not miss the meat at all! In fact my husband (a renowned carnivore), likes the enchiladas better meatless! Another option is to only eat one meal a day that includes meat. Have a small portion of meat at lunch, and go meatless for breakfast and dinner.

What ever baby steps you take towards going plant based, once you start it will get easier and easier. The best thing about eating whole plant based foods, is you can eat as much as you want, with no calorie counting! Just eat real food, mostly plants, and indulge guilt free!

Do you feel tired all the time, get sick a lot, and cant seem to lose weight? Check out: 8 signs you need a gut reboot!

Are you trying to go plant based? If you have any questions or would like to share your experience, please comment below. I would love to hear from you!

Tag: health hacks