Category: Uncategorized

By Tracy Russel

One of my absolute favorite self-care activities is to start each and every day off with a freshly blended green smoothie!

I have enjoyed many health benefits from drinking green smoothies since 2008.

So have the thousands of readers who have taken my 10-day cleanse, and millions of readers on my website.

They are an easy way to get five or more servings of fruits and vegetables every day.

Green smoothies were instrumental in my 40 pound weight loss, and they helped me lose all of my baby weight after I have birth to my son in 2013.

Since drinking a green smoothie every day, my cholesterol dropped 45 points, my energy levels are through the roof, and my skin has a healthy, radiant glow.

Here are some of the top health benefits of green smoothies:

1) Natural Weight Loss

Just about everyone who drinks green smoothies loses weight. Most people in my 10-Day Green Smoothie Cleanse report weight loss, as well as participants in my Reset 28 Program.

Green smoothies help you lose weight in several ways:

First, replacing a meal each day with a green smoothie lowers overall calorie intake, while increasing fruit, vegetable, and fiber intake.

Secondly, green smoothies help reset your taste buds so that you want to eat healthy, and you actually start craving healthy foods.

Read more about how to lose weight with green smoothies.

2) Boost Fruit & Vegetable Intake (Particularly Greens)

The American Cancer Society recommends that we eat 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables each day to prevent cancer and other diseases. Green smoothies are a quick and convenient way to get your vegetables and dark, leafy greens without tasting them.

The fruit masks the flavor so even though all you taste is pineapple, mango, bananaor strawberry, you are consuming a healthy dose of spinach, kale, or any other vegetable that you put in.

The average green smoothie contains 3-5 servings (or more) of fruits and vegetables.

3) Increased Energy

Green smoothies provide a powerful boost of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other nutrients without bogging down your digestive system. Since you are eating natural, whole foods in the most optimum form for your digestion and nutrient absorption, you will have more energy to get things done and enjoy your day.

Green smoothies provide B vitamins and magnesium that help support energy metabolism.

4) Boosts Nutrition

Green smoothies are jam-packed full of nutrients.

The average green smoothie recipe on my website provides more than 100% of your daily value of vitamins A (as beta-carotene), C, and K. They also provide a good source of B vitamins (except B12), vitamin E, and folate.

As for minerals, green smoothies are an excellent source of calcium, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium, copper, and many other trace minerals.

Blending fruits and vegetables together breaks down the cells of plants and improves digestibility. Your blender unlocks the nutrients and maximizes their delivery to your body more than chewing any salad could.

Green smoothies are quicker and more convenient than preparing and thoroughly chewing a salad.

5) Strengthens Immune System

Increased fruit and vegetable consumption helps keep your body in optimum health. Vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, as well as some of the compounds found in certain foods help protect your body against disease.

Citrus fruits, cranberries, and ginger are the top immune-boosting smoothie ingredients.

Got a sniffle? Try these cold and flu green smoothie recipes!

6) Excellent Source Of Minerals For Healthy Bones

Green smoothies provide a rich source of minerals thanks to the dark, leafy greens. All of the bone-building nutrients are abundant including calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus.

Many of my green smoothie recipes on this website contain more than 200 milligrams of calcium, and many have more calcium than a glass of milk.

Here’s a green smoothie recipe with almost 30% RDA of calcium!

7) Excellent Source of Antioxidants

Green smoothies deliver a massive dose of health-protecting antioxidants and phytonutrients. Not only are you giving your body the best defenses aganst disease, you are ingesting a variety of natural substances that are essential for optimum health and fitness.

To get the most antioxidants in your blends, try making your green smoothies with blueberries, strawberries, cranberries, pomegranates, acai, and cacao (raw chocolate).

8) May Help Lower High Cholesterol

A healthy, plant-based diet that includes green smoothies may help lower your cholesterol.

When I was 23, my doctor told me that I would soon need to take cholesterol-lowering medication. My blood test revealed that my total cholesterol was at 199 (200 or higher is considered elevated). My LDL (the bad cholesterol) was flagged as “high”. I was falling in line with my family history of high cholesterol.

At age 30, my total cholesterol had dropped 45 points. My LDL had also fallen comfortably within the normal range.

Find out how green smoothies may help lower your cholesterol.

9) May Help Lower High Blood Pressure

Many fruits and vegetables have been studied for their ability to lower blood pressure.

As part of a healthy diet, green smoothies may improve your blood pressure, while also reducing some of the risk factors for cardiovascular disease.

10) Improves Mental Clarity and Focus

With a healthier diet comes greater mental clarity and focus. Green smoothies have replaced my morning coffee ritual.

I get more energy from a green smoothie, and there isn’t any afternoon slump, or caffeine-related side effects.

11) Supports Colon and Gut Health

Unlike juicing or drinking fruit juice, green smoothies contain the whole fruit and vegetable so that you get all of the fiber and nutrition.

Fiber is essential for good colon health. It feeds your beneficial gut microbes, supporting optimum digestion and a strong immune system.

12) Promotes Clear, Radiant Skin and Strong Hair & Nails

A lot of people say that their skin, hair, and nails look healthier and stronger while drinking green smoothies. This has certainly been my experience. Green smoothies give me a healthy glow, and they cleared up my adult acne.

I was looking at a group photo that I was in that was taken in the middle of winter. I looked like I had just been tanning even though I never really went outside.

13) Reduces and Combats Cravings

Green smoothies reduce cravings for junk foods, unhealthy sweets, salt, and fats. You will find that after a few weeks of drinking smoothies, you will crave healthier foods such as fruits, vegetables, and greens.

The sweet fruit in green smoothies satisfies cravings for sweets. If you crave chocolate, you can make green smoothies with healthy, raw chocolate (cacao).

14) Anti-Inflammatory

Most fruits and vegetables have anti-inflammatory properties, so green smoothies are an excellent food if you suffer from inflammatory conditions.

Many of my readers report that drinking green smoothies every day reduces inflammation.

Find out more about how green smoothies may benefit you if you suffer from arthritis and gout.

15) Green Smoothies May Help Prevent Chronic Diseases, or Even Provide Therapeutic Benefits

There have been countless studies on diet and nutrition. The overwhelming consensus in all of the peer-reviewed, scientific literature is that people who eat more fruits and vegetables have a lower risk of developing disease – including cancer, diabetes (type 2), obesity, cardiovascular disease, as well as many age-related medical conditions.

Specifically, green smoothies, combined with healthy diets, may provide therapeutic benefits for (or protect against):

• Allergies

• Alzheimer’s Disease

• Arthritis & Gout

• Cancer

• Diabetes, Type 2

• Fibromyalgia

• Lupus

• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)

• Parkinson’s Disease

• Stroke

16) Supports Eye Health & Protects Vision

Green smoothies are rich in beta-carotene, lutein, zeaxanthin, and resveratrol – four antioxidant compounds found in many fruits and vegetables.

Read more about how green smoothies can protect your eyes.

17) Specific Benefits For Women

Certain fruits and vegetables, as well as other smoothie ingredients, may help women who suffer from PMS.

Green smoothies can also support a healthy pregnancy.

Women going through menopause may also benefit from green smoothies.

18) May Help With Seasonal Allergies

While the medical data is limited, there are many, many reports of people who have reduced the severity of their seasonal allergies once they started drinking green smoothies.

I have experienced the same thing as I rarely get seasonal allergy attacks since I started drinking green smoothies back in 2008.

Learn more about how fruits, vegetables, and green smoothies may help your allergic symptoms.

19) Rich With Chlorophyll

Green smoothies are rich with chlorophyll which some natural health experts say enhances the immune system, purifies the blood, and rejuvenates the body.

While these claims are likely over-hyped, it doesn’t hurt to get potentially beneficial plant compounds in your diet. If you do wish to increase your intake of chlorophyll, then get it from leafy greens and skip the questionable supplements.

20) Alkalizing

Many natural health experts promote the alkalizing effects of green smoothies (or fruits and vegetables). This claim is controversial, however.

Promoters of the acid-alkaline “theory” claim that green smoothies help neutralize blood pH and prevent the body from becoming too acidic. The truth is that no food causes blood pH to change, and so green smoothies would have no effect in neutralizing blood pH since your body tightly regulates it (regardless of what you eat).

Green smoothies provide minerals that are used by your body to naturally maintain pH balance. The calcium, magnesium, and phosphorus in leafy greens helps keep your bones strong. If you are not deficient, your body doesn’t need to rob your skeleton of these precious minerals.

Also, many of my readers, myself included, have noticed that heartburn and indigestion disappear when drinking green smoothies.

In addition to these health benefits, green smoothies are:

• Easy to make and clean up after.

• Taste amazing.

• Will keep for a couple days in the refrigerator.

• Are fun to make and experiment with different fruit and vegetable combinations.

Green smoothies are life-changing!

This posture probably more than any other, divides Bikram yogis. Some love it – “my favourite posture!”  – while others find it a constant struggle simply to balance.

And there’s the word. Balance. The first thing I’d say about standing bow is to forget about the balance. The balance is the result of form, balance does not enable form.

So, here’s some magic tips about form to get the most out of this posture:

• The first thing to do in this posture is to grab your foot at the ankle. If you are newer to Bikram this can be tricky, be patient and keep trying. As your shoulder flexibility improves and your hips open through the 26 postures, you’ll get there.

• Make sure you GRAB, don’t just hold the ankle. Grip on for dear life. Because when you work out the kick, you’ll need to hold on or you’ll lose the foot!

• Now bring your arm up in front of you, chin close to the shoulder to stretch the arm up. This energises your entire spine ready for the posture.

So now you are ready. One more thing – knees together for alignment and balance. And don’t forget always the locked knee is your foundation.

Bow is really very simple. You have to kick back and stretch forward. Mastering these two aspects will transform this posture. Everything else comes from your honest attention to these 2 actions.

But I hear you say, kicking is HARD. Yes it is! Probably 90% of people in the room are not kicking, they are holding their foot and hoping they don’t fall out. When you get the hang of the kick, everything else truly starts to fall into place.

Second Problem? Falling out. Don’t be scared to fall out trying. Again, the goal is not to balance, the goal is to kick so your foot comes over the top of your head and your body is parallel to the floor, stretching your fingers forward as much as possible . When you fall out, you learn. If you are scared to fall out, you’ll stay in the same position for EVER.

Check that your weight stays evenly over your standing foot. Bring your body down so that your abdomen and chest are parallel to the floor, to encourage the kick and raise the heart rate. Getting your body down also encourages the weight to be evenly distributed rather than back in the heel.

Don’t just point at yourself in the mirror, charge your body forward towards it like you want to touch that mirror. If you are charging enough and kicking enough, you won’t fall out. In fact, you could balance there forever! How?

You have to try very hard to concentrate on kicking and stretching. Nothing else. Look at your standing knee to keep it locked and forget about balance. Building concentration is just as hard as building balance, and probably much more valuable in life, but we very rarely hear somebody say, “I need to learn to concentrate more.”  All balancing postures are about your concentration.

Think of this posture as a backbend/spine twist combo, that gives you a sense of what you are trying to achieve.

And always remember, as long as you are trying your best, you are getting your maximum benefit from the posture!

Benefits Of This Pose

• Creates natural irrigation of the circulatory system – transfers blood flow from one side of the body to the other

• Clears plaque off artery walls

• Helps to stimulate circulation through out the body

• Eases back pain through compression of the spine

• Improves elasticity of the spine

• Tones hips and buttocks

• Trims and strengthens the thighs

• Strengthens the ankles and knees

• Opens the shoulder joints, helps with frozen shoulder

• Helps alleviate carpal tunnel, arthritis, tennis elbow

• Helps with cervical spondylosis

• Good for prenatal recovery

• Stretches diaphragm and ribcage improving respiration (breathing)

• Flushes kidneys, bladder and urinary system

• Alleviates gas, constipation and clears digestion

• Improves balance

Energetic Benefits

• Releases shame, abandonment

• Resolves issues of self-worth, fear of betrayal

• Develops determination, patience

   

HOW TO START EATING HEALTHY AND WHAT IT MEANS

Health is more than wealth. A strong and healthy body translates to a fuller, happier life. So while switching to a healthier diet is not easy, the benefits are definitely worth it.

Healthy eating is not a diet. It is a way of living that does not require you to starve yourself nor to eat anything that you don’t want to. Healthy eating can become a habit, just like drinking your morning coffee or going to bed at 10 pm every night. It won’t be an easy ride, but once you manage to make it habit, it will come naturally.

Here’re the 5 most important things that you’ll need to pay attention to for turning healthy eating into your next best habit.

HEALTHY EATING CHECKLIST

1) PROCESSED FOODS: NAY, WHOLE FOODS: YAY

Whole foods means everything that is unprocessed or has gone through only a minimum level of necessary processing. You can think about them as foods that you could pick up from your little farm (if you had one) and put straight on the dinning table after cooking.

So things like vegetables, fruits and whole grains belong to the whole foods category. While your favorite cheat meals, like truffle fries or strawberry cheesecake most definitely don’t.

Processing usually diminishes the nutrient contents of food and increases ingredients that your body does not need, like sugar and sodium. Hence, as a general rule of thumb you should minimise processed foods in your diet and eat whole foods instead.

2) DON’T JUST COUNT YOUR CALORIES, BUT YOUR MACROS AS WELL

Counting your calories is a great start as it gives you an indication on how much you should eat. But you should not get fixated on calories.

Your macronutrients intake is just as, if not more important than calories. Because all calories are not created equally, 100 calories of chocolate won’t give you the same energy as 100 calories of broccoli.

Make sure you monitor your progress to stay motivated. Check out how in our Ultimate Tracking Guide.

First of all, the quantity of 100 calories of chocolate is a lot less than 100 calories of broccoli. Secondly, and most importantly, the quality of nutrients gained from broccoli highly surpasses that of chocolate.

3) DON’T DRINK EMPTY CALORIES

Sodas and pre-packed fruit juices are the sneakiest calorie and sugar sources. The reason behind this is that most people would be very surprised how much sugar and how many calories are hidden in a single glass of them. And of course it’s really easy to chug couple of glasses when you’re thirsty.

Plus we also tend to assume that the words ‘fruit’ and ‘healthy’ come hand in hand . Well, the said truth is that they don’t. Supermarket shelves are stacked with artificial fruit juices that are pumped up with refined sugars and other flavour enhancers. These obviously won’t do any good to your diet.

So my #1 health-conscious advice in this department is water. Water is the single best cure for thirst and the only liquid that comes with 0 calories and 0 unhealthy additives. And if you crave something with more flavour, go for a fresh pressed juice or a smoothie.

4) AVOID SNACKING

Snacks are just like sodas. You can easily get to a couple hundred calories by simply eating a little piece of this and that every hour or so. Because a handful of peanuts won’t do any harm, right? One might not, but when that one handful becomes 3 and then 5, the calories easily add up.

So instead of jumping on anything you see in the snack cupboard, be conscious about your snacks and prep something healthy in advance. Veggies, like carrots or celery are always a good choice. Low in calories, high in nutrients.

5) EAT SMALLER PORTION SIZES

Finally, portion sizes are another tricky issue, especially in the US. Packed food sizes, meal sizes in restaurants and even plate sizes tend to get bigger and bigger exceeding the recommended serving sizes by far. As your brain adjusts to these increased sizes, your body also gets used to eating more. And the end result of this little chain is overeating.

However you can say no to the excess calories and teach your body to get used to the recommended healthy portions. There are a couple of tricks to do this starting from using smaller plates and putting away the extra food to skipping appetizers when eating out. But the most effective method in our opinion is ‘Mindful Eating’.

Now that we laid down the basis, it’s time to look at how your body changes once you start eating healthy!

 

Whether you’re practicing Bikram Yoga or slowing it down with Hatha or Yin, a healthy diet is key to having both the energy and the focus to make it through your practice. It’s important that your diet is balanced and full of nutritious foods high in fibre, vitamins, healthy fats, and natural sugars to keep you satisfied and grounded.

Here are 10 great foods to support your yoga practice that will give you a boost without having you bouncing off your mat.

1. Dark Leafy Greens

From kale to collards, mustard greens to arugula, dark leafy greens are brimming with vitamins C, E and K, iron, fiber and calcium, and so much more. You know yoga is good for the whole body, and adding more dark greens to you diet can help to boost those benefits even more. Try them in a salad, a smoothie or sautéed as a side dish.

2. Raw Cacao

What’s better than chocolate? The superfood raw cacao. The main ingredient in chocolate, raw cacao is packed with antioxidants to fight disease, flavonoids to reduce the risk of heart disease, and magnesium to support emotional health. Yoga has been found to help people live longer, happier lives, and it looks like consuming raw cacao can help too.

3. Quinoa

Yogis need their protein for energy and concentration and the super grain quinoa is one way to get it. Quinoa contains all nine essential amino acids, iron for healthy blood, vitamin B2 to help with energy production in cells, and magnesium for blood sugar control. It can be eaten in place of a grain like rice, or even as a breakfast instead of oatmeal. Quinoa may be around for thousands of years already, but some consider it the super grain of the future.

4. Porridge

Porridge is high in fiber, low on the glycemic index scale and has been found to help lower cholesterol. On top of that, yogis with the Ayurvedic constitution vata can benefit even more from porridge’s warming qualities, especially when made with cinnamon or cardamom. Need another reason? It’s also easy on the digestive system and since it’s slow burning, it’s great for sustained energy.

5. Berries

Their bright colours are a strong indicator that berries are high in disease-fighting antioxidants, and they’re a wonderful addition to your smoothie. Since they’re also high in fibre, berries can help keep hunger at bay and keep everything moving. The natural sugar in berries will help you get through your practice without crashing like high-sugar snacks can do.

6. Lentils

They’re often called the fountain of youth for their anti-aging benefits. Lentils also have more folate than any other plant food. They’re also loaded with iron and protein to keep you energised throughout a demanding yoga practice. Try lentils in an Indian Dhal dish full of warming spices to help keep you grounded when life becomes too much and even your practice could use a little help.

7. Tofu

Yogis love their vegetarian diets, but anyone who follows a plant – based diet  knows the on-going dilemma – where’s the protein?

We all know you can get it from grains and vegetables, but another great source is tofu. Tofu is considered a complete protein because it supplies the 9 essential amino acids that our bodies can’t produce on their own. For every 100g of tofu, this low-fat, low-sugar soy product provides 17.19 g of protein.

8. Nut butters

Whether you fancy peanuts or prefer almonds, nut butters are a great way to satisfy hunger, boost your energy, and keep you powered up until it’s time for Savasana. Nut butters are super high in protein and contain the good fats to keep you healthy.

And unlike their whole selves, there are so many ways to enjoy nut butters. Spread them on rice cakes or brown rice tortillas, use them as a dip for apples or bananas, or if you need a little something sweet, remove the pit from a date and fill the center with almond butter. Yum!

9. Fresh fruit

Aside from being refreshing, delicious, and constantly changing with the seasons, fresh fruits are generally high in fiber, antioxidants and more. They’re good for your health and they are a great way to satisfy hunger during the day. Thanks to their natural sugar content, fresh fruit provides a boost of energy without the crash of refined sugars. Check out your local farmer’s market and have fun with all the fruits you can find.

10. Lemon and water

Put down the coffee and start your day with warm water with lemon. In addition to kick starting your digestive system the healthy way, warm lemon water helps to alkalize the body, which helps control the development and spread of disease. If you’re a fan of Bikram Yoga that really works the muscles, warm lemon water can also help keep the joints and muscles healthy.

What are YOUR go-to foods before and after yoga practice? Are there items you would add to this list? Feel free to share your thoughts below!