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5 steps to a new you in 2016!

As 2015 comes to an end many of us are contemplating the year ahead and planning for the positive changes we want to create in our lives. Resolutions are flying through our minds and change is in the air!

According to the Statistic Brain Research Institute, 45% of Americans make New Year's resolutions with the number one resolution being to lose weight.

Top 10 New Year’s resolutions

1. Lose Weight

2. Getting Organized

3. Spend Less, Save More

4. Enjoy Life to the Fullest

5. Staying Fit and Healthy

6. Learn Something Exciting

7. Quit Smoking

8. Help Others in Their Dreams

9. Fall in Love

10. Spend More Time with Family

Yet even with all the intention and optimism, only 8% of people are successful in achieving their resolutions. This method of change seems to be a set up for disappointment year after year. I believe it's totally possible to achieve your goal just by changing your mindset. When we tell ourselves “I want to lose weight” in 2016, the intention is that weighing less is the end goal. Most people deprive themselves by eating less calories, which will result in the scale dropping, right? This logic is outdated and unrealistic. Calories are not your enemy when they are coming from real food and are part of a health-supportive lifestyle.

What we really need to look at is the big picture! By turning your frame of view around and setting the end goal to become healthy, the consciousness shifts and creates a lifestyle that nourishes the mind and body on a cellular level. By changing the mindset, you create a way of life and not a short-term diet fail; then all you have to do is follow the path to wellness and the weight loss is the by-product of becoming a balanced person.

When you remove the option of eating donuts and pizza from the framework of your health-supportive lifestyle, space is created for so many delicious fulfilling choices which easily lead you down the path where chronic conditions heal themselves and the aches, pains, headaches, and brain fog you thought were part of getting older, simply go away.

This lifestyle doesn’t come in a secret book you have to follow or a complicated diet plan. It only requires you to be aware of your body, how you move, and what you put into your mouth. Here are some of the basic tenets for making real change for 2016.

1. Taste the Rainbow

Eating a wide variety of fresh, wholesome foods packed with powerful vitamins and minerals is truly the first step on the path to health. Vitamins A, B6, C, and E and the minerals zinc, iron, copper, and selenium are critical for maintaining strength and immunity. Make sure that your diet consists of a rainbow of fruits and vegetables to ensure that you are getting all of the necessary nutrients. I recommend avoiding gluten, soy, dairy, corn, and sugar. This cuts out nutrient-poor foods that are inflammatory. Being responsible for your health requires you to give up the prepackaged “fake food" and choose real nutrient dense food, organic whenever possible. Aim for food that looks like it did when it was growing in the field and is least processed. Always read labels. You won’t believe the junk that’s put into these foods! Keep it simple, lots of veggies at EVERY meal, raw and cooked, a small amount of high-quality animal protein, lots of good fats (olive oil, raw nuts, coconut oil, avocado oil), and bit of fruit.

When we created Three Leaves Foods our intention has always been to help people eat well within their busy lives. We work hard to source, plan and create meals that are delicious and are full of the fuel the body requires.

2. Sleep On It

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for the health of our body. It’s when we heal and recharge. There is no way around it, and you can never make it up. An overly fatigued body doesn’t have the necessary strength to fight off infections, repair the immune system or detox the liver. Lack of sleep will tax your cortisol (stress hormone) which leads to mid-section weight gain. Everyone needs a solid 8 hours of sleep a night so your body will be ready to face a new day. Many people have trouble sleeping. As you change your diet, clean up your life and start to feed your cells, your body will find its natural circadian

rhythm.

3. Detox Detox

In our modern world, toxic substances find a way into our bodies through the air we breathe, the foods we eat, the water we drink, and the products we use to clean and beautify our bodies and our homes. This overload wreaks havoc on our immune systems and our ability to be healthy. A good detox protocol is crucial to building a strong, healthy system. There are many simple ways to gently detox your body on a daily basis. Start every day drinking warm water with the juice of one fresh lemon with 1 Tablespoon of raw apple cider vinegar. Eating dark leafy greens and blending or juicing is a great way to get lots of greens in. Drink lots and lots of clean, filtered water. Tap water has so many chemicals that add to our toxic load. It’s worth investing in a good water filter. Brita just doesn’t cut it.

I like and use Pure Earth Technologies filters, http://www.pure-earth.com/water-filters.html.

There are also many other wonderful, healthy and safe detox methods if you want to take your detox routine to the next level. They include liver flushes, coffee enemas, colon hydrotherapy, IV therapy, Far Infrared Sauna, and a host of supplements that can be

beneficial.

4. You’ve got to move it

Exercising for 30 to 60 minutes 3-4 times a week can give you the extra kick for your weight loss goals. I know personally that exercise too often falls by the wayside in my busy life. Kids, work, household chores all seem to take forefront to exercise. The truth is, when I take the time to move, I feel better which makes me a better wife, mother and business partner. Exercise is a great way to reduce stress and its harmful effects on the immune system. It has been estimated that 90% of illness and disease is stress related. But don’t overdo it! Too much exercise can be stressful to the system. Keep it simple and realistic. The simple bouncing movement of walking drains the lymph glands which is essential for detoxing the body.

5. Soak it up

Sometimes called the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is produced in your skin in response to sunlight. Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin in a family of compounds that include vitamins D1, D2, and D3. It can affect as many as 2,000 genes in the body. Vitamin D has several important functions. Perhaps the most vital is regulating the absorption of calcium and phosphorous, and facilitating normal immune system function. Getting a sufficient amount of the vitamin is important for normal growth and development of bones and teeth, as well as improved resistance against certain diseases. If your body doesn’t get enough vitamin D, you’re at risk of developing bone abnormalities such as osteomalacia (soft bones) or osteoporosis (fragile bones). Many lifestyle and environmental factors can affect your ability to get sufficient amounts of this vitamin through the sun alone. These factors include pollution, use of sunscreen, spending more time indoors, living in big cities where buildings block the sunlight, not exposing bare skin to the sun 20 minutes daily, living in a place where the sun doesn’t shine throughout the year.

Foods that contain vitamin D include:

  • egg yolk

  • wild salmon

  • sardines

  • raw milk

  • grass fed butter and ghee

  • wild shrimp

  • raw yogurt

  • pastured liver

  • fermented cod liver oil

This year make your New Year’s resolution to live a healthier lifestyle. Invest in yourself and change your mindset for success. Not only will you feel great, but just think of what you can do with all of those unused sick days! Maybe go somewhere where you can soak up some vitamin D! Stay tuned for even more exciting ways Three Leaves Foods will be able to assist you in meeting and surpassing your goals in 2016!

As this year comes to a close Jeff and I want to thank you deeply for choosing us as your partner for healthy living.

www.threeleavesfoods.com

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