Natural Health Items You Need Now – Top 5

Everywhere you look there are articles telling you that this is natural and that is healthy. With so many recommendations where do you even start? I’m going to map out the healthy you natural starter kit to jumpstart your healthy lifestyle!

Getting started is the hardest part

You’ve decided that it is time to get your shit together and focus on getting healthier. Awesome, that’s fantastic, you will NOT regret it! Deciding is the first step to your new healthy life. Changing your habits can quickly feel overwhelming regarding where to begin. I’m here to help because I have been there. In my experience traditional doctors don’t really have much to say if it doesn’t require a prescription. You should eat fruit, don’t eat carbs, but no red meat. Exercise daily, exercise three times a week. Drink juice, fruit juice is sugar. Ummm, WTF?! The “expert” recommendations are often conflicting and confusing.

Let’s check out the natural fab 5!

natural medicine, plant based health, chia seeds, ACV, CBD, raw honey, coconut oil
CBD fluid, raw honey, coconut oil, chia seeds, and apple cider vinegar are quick and painless additions to your natural plant based medicine cabinet!

I will go through why you need each of the fab 5 in your healthy arsenal but first let’s introduce them! Have you have heard of apple cider vinegar, chia seeds, local honey, coconut oil, and CBD fluid? Each item provides different health benefits and has various uses so we should check them out!

Natural Apple Cider Vinegar

Apple cider vinegar can be very useful around the house and in your body. Look for the type with the “Mother” in it. Mother strands are simply colonies of beneficial bacteria. ACV has been proven to lower blood sugar. Lower blood sugar has numerous health benefits in itself but it can also improve insulin sensitivity so that your body utilizes insulin better! When you maintain a healthy blood sugar level it can also help with weight loss. Super great! ACV has also been shown to reduce cholesterol levels and prevent infections. You can also use it in cooking and as a disinfectant for small cuts, scrapes, and even possibly acne! There are various ways to ingest ACV, some just do a one ounce shot before eating, others prefer to mix it with some water first. It just comes down to personal preference.

Chia Seeds

Chia seeds are magic little gems that can have a couple of great effects when added to your diet regularly. They bring additional fiber, protein, calcium, omega-3s, and antioxidants to your body. Just one tablespoon can easily be sprinkled into soups, smoothies, yogurt, or even just added to your drink! Chia seeds expand and become gelatinous in liquids. This helps them create a feeling of fullness which can help you control your intake. The extra fiber and gelatinous coating can have a benefit in the bathroom too.

Natural Local Raw Honey

Natural honey has a long history of a lot of health benefits. However, the processed stuff that we buy in the stores usually has all the nutrients processed out of it. Nowadays local raw honey can be found at just about any farmer’s market or local specialty shop. Local raw honey has so many micronutrients in it. Including folate, several other B vitamins, copper, calcium, iodine, selenium, potassium, some zinc, sodium, iron, magnesium, phosphorous, and manganese. There are antioxidants and phytonutrients present that aren’t in processed honey.

Many believe that local honey helps reduce seasonal allergy symptoms. It can also aid with digestion, be used as a burn salve, and makes a great cough suppressant! With so many uses for this health food phenom feel free to search for recipes specifically for the use you are looking for. *Remember to never give any honey products to children until 12 months of age.

Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is another health food power house with more uses and benefits than you can shake a stick at. You can use coconut oil in cooking and it tastes delicious. It has been shown to improve your good cholesterol numbers too. Use it sparingly though as you would any other oils for cooking.

Coconut oil is also great for your hair, moisturizing and helping it grow long and lush. It is able to penetrate the hair shaft to protect and prevent drying out. Coconut oil can be applied to the hair like a mask and allowed to soak before showering. You can massage it into the scalp regularly to help with dandruff too.

Coconut oil can also be used topically for a variety of skin conditions. It contains high amounts of antioxidants, anti-inflammatory, and antibacterial properties. Coconut oil can be very helpful in reducing eczema and psoriasis symptoms. It is beneficial for wound healing, as a skin moisturizer, and can provide relief from burns as well.

Whole Flower CBD Fluid

CBD is the hot new acronym right now. However, it is actually based on centuries of knowledge from the herbal and natural communities. CBD or cannabidiol is the component responsible for the majority of health benefits from medical marijuana. Only without the accompanying high. Although CBD usually carries with it a trace amount of THC, the part that is psychoactive. Full spectrum CBD fluid contains less than 0.3% of THC. This minimal amount helps provide the entourage effect for the rest of the beneficial components. It isn’t enough to register as psychoactive in the brain or as a positive on a drug screening.

CBD has been shown in numerous clinical studies to have benefits for anxiety, depression, and insomnia. It can also boost the immune system, improve digestion, and reduce chronic inflammation. Thousands of people depend on CBD every day to stop migraines, and seizures in their tracks. CBD has been claimed to reduce inflammation including allergic reactions, chronic pain, and inflammatory skin conditions. Whole flower water soluble CBD fluid can be a great addition to your daily routine or a wonderful supplement when needed.

Check out my experience with CBD and depression that was featured on the Brizo Pure blog! https://asleepbynine.com/nature/cbd-my-experience-with-depression/

Need more healthy ideas? Check out my Beginner’s Guide! https://asleepbynine.com/self/beginners-guide-to-getting-healthy-your-first-5-easy-steps/

Want to try full spectrum CBD for yourself? https://asleepbynine.com/CBD

Beginner’s Guide to Getting Healthy – Your First 5 EASY Steps

Healthy Lifestyle Habits are Easier than You Think!

Me in 2016 – running daily

Do you want to get healthy but unsure of where to start? Does it feel like an overwhelming challenge so you don’t even begin? It’s possible for anyone to improve their health and feel more confident by making just a few small changes. In fact, not only is it possible it is a lot easier than you think! You just have to be committed to yourself and HONEST because you can lie to your calorie counter but your hips know the truth!

Unfortunately for me, but fortunately for you, I have had to get back into shape a few times in my life. I’ve had four pregnancies (including a set of twins) all delivered via c-sections. Then a couple times where, to be honest, I just let myself eat cookies instead of dealing with stress properly.I really hope I have learned my lesson regarding dealing with stress and that cookies don’t fix anything! Does that sound familiar to you? Yeah, I thought it would. So obviously, I have had the opportunity to pull myself out of the cookie jar and strap on my gym shoes several times in my life! Now let’s talk about the first few changes that help get the healthy lifestyle ball rolling!

2018 after I let stress derail my healthy habits

I am ready to get back to running again but the extra weight is really a drag! So I am going to have to crawl before I can walk. Now I want to share with you how I am getting started and just how easy it is to begin.  Here is my beginner’s guide to healthier lifestyle habits.

Your first 5 EASY steps that you can take to start living a healthy lifestyle or regain your previous one!

First step – For one or two weeks start tracking where you currently are regarding activity and calorie intake. That’s it. You don’t have to hit the gym yet or eat salad every day (unless you already are doing that then for God’s sake don’t stop!!) You just want to get your baseline by using a pedometer, activity tracker, whatever you want to track how many steps you are taking every day compared to how many calories you are taking in. Sometimes just seeing this information in front of your face will be motivation enough!

Second step – Now that you know how much you are eating compared to how active you are, let’s try to get those numbers a little more even. Add a 10 minute walk into your daily routine at least 3 times a week for two weeks.

Third step –  Now let’s increase the walk to 15 minutes 5 times a week for two weeks. Be honest, everyone has 15 minutes to give to themselves every day.

Fourth step – Assess your diet. Is it on point with your goals? Your health has more to do with what you put on your fork than how far your shoes travel every day. Follow the 80/20 rule. 80 percent of the time eat healthy and exercise so that the 20 percent of treats and rest won’t derail your efforts!

Fifth step – Assess how you are feeling! You have been doing these small steps for over a month! Keep up the good work and continue to build on your new healthy habits!

Please remember that weight didn’t get there overnight and it won’t go away overnight either. You are going to have to be patient and consistent. If you are honest with yourself and your efforts, then it will be a lot easier than you think to get into the healthy lifestyle habit for good!

I also want to note that not once did I mention getting on the scale. That number is not something you should focus on. If that is your only guide then it will be very easy to become discouraged with your efforts. Instead, you should focus on how you feel with these changes! How do your pants fit? How much more energy you have? Are you sleeping better? How is your growing confidence!? I know that these small changes really don’t seem like much at first glance. You will find it is so much easier to make small changes and build on them rather than trying to become an organic vegan/marathon runner overnight. Making small changes and building on them is more likely to be successful in the long run.

Here’s to a healthier you!! Congrats!! You are doing this for you and you are going to kill it!

 

Ready to join some like minded women like you? https://asleepbynine.com/jenny