August is National Wellness Month!

Did you know that August is National Wellness Month?

Recently I read this statistical picture of the average person:

• Overweight

• 6 colds per year

• Chronic mild depression

• Constipation

• Lethargy

• Dentures by age 45

• Chronic illness by age 60 with 6 different daily drugs needed

• Death in the 70s from heart disease or cancer

Yikes! That’s a pretty dismal picture right? I don’t think anyone wants to be a statistical average person. August is National Wellness Month and it is a great time to slow down, focus on self-care, and create healthy routines.

Did you know that seven of the top ten causes of death (the things that are lowering our life expectancy) are caused by lifestyle? They are heart disease, cancer, COPD, stroke, Alzheimer’s, diabetes, and kidney disease.

Here are four main areas that you can focus on to improve your health and wellness

1. Eat more whole, plant-based foods. The standard American diet is literally killing us. Stop relying on processed food (especially sugar), meat, and dairy products for nourishment – these diets shift our microbiomes away from health and toward disease. Shift toward a diet that includes plenty of fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans, peas, and lentils), whole grains, and nuts & seeds for a host of health benefits, including a longer life.

2. Make exercise a part of your daily routine. Exercise is crucial for every system in your body. Exercise keeps you fit, helps you maintain a healthy weight, and also improves your mental health. Include aerobic exercise as well as resistance training and you will benefit from greater flexibility, strength, and healthy circulation.

3. Learn healthy ways to deal with stress. There are so many things in our lives today that can cause stress. Negative effects of uncontrolled stress include anxiety, depression, impaired immune function, impaired attention, increased inflammation, weight gain, increased blood pressure, and disturbed sleep.

4. Get a good night’s sleep. Sleep is a necessary biological function for almost every living organism. Lack of restorative sleep can lead to poor health, decreased immunity, poor mood, lack of focus & attention, decreased coordination, diabetes, stroke, headaches, and weight gain. A good night’s sleep can restore both your body and your mind. Seven hours of restful sleep seems to be the sweet spot. Beware of sleep medications as they can prevent you from entering the deep, restorative sleep that you need.

Each of these four pillars of health – nutrition, sleep, stress, and sleep – can have a huge impact on your health. Are you eating well? Is exercise a part of your daily routine? How well do you deal with stress? Are you sleeping well? I hope you take the opportunity this month to develop habits that promote your wellness.

Your challenge this week is to evaluate your overall wellness challenges.

What areas do you feel you need to work on?

Post in the comments below and let me know.

Be sure to hit the LIKE button 😊

Need help developing a plan

to improve your wellness?

Want accountability? Let’s chat.

Click here to schedule a time, send me an email at Michelle@sarandwellness.com, or call me at 865.268.5312

Bad Habits

Your Monday Challenge:

So half of the year has passed now. Did you make any resolutions this year? How’s it going?

44% of us resolve to lose weight and 45% of us resolve to eat better. This week I’d like to help you get back on track Here are five things to consider if you are having trouble staying on track:

1. Using oils in dressings and when cooking. Contrary to what most people think, olive oil does not have some magical quality that makes us healthier when we consume it. What olive oil, and other vegetable oils, do have is 120 calories per serving (1 Tablespoon) with no added nutritional value. Oil is fat, pure and simple, and when we eat or cook with oil we are unnecessarily adding nutrient poor, calories to our diet. Its easy to cook without oils or fats when you learn how to steam fry your foods.

2. Eating Out. Did you know that chain restaurants actually have scientists working in menu development? Their job is to figure out how to make foods taste so good that we crave them and want more. They usually accomplish this by adding salt, oil, and sugar to the recipe and the cooking process. Next time you have a “healthy” meal from a restaurant, take a moment to consider what you are really eating. Does your entrée come with a sauce or dressing? Chances are good that its loaded with sugar and salt. And the entree is likely cooked with plenty of oil and other types of fat added after cooking. These calories add tons of flavor to our foods without providing nutrients. They are highly palatable – meaning we really, really like them and then we eat way too much. Make it a point to cook and eat at home more. Plan ahead and bring your lunch.

3. Drinking your calories. Does your coffee or tea only taste good with syrup or sugar? Take a look at the amount of sugar in a large sweet iced tea from the ever popular Chick-Fil-A and you’ll see that you are washing down your salad with 43 grams of sugar. This means that cup of iced tea has 10.75 teaspoons of sugar. OUCH! Watch out for soda, flavored waters, energy drinks, and even fruit drinks which are all loaded with sugar with no nutritional value. Keep away from sugar substitutes like aspartame and sucralose – not only can they be toxic but studies have shown that using these no calorie sweeteners just make us crave more sweets. Wean yourself off the sugar laden beverages and start drinking more water and herbal teas.

4. Skipping breakfast. Do you skip breakfast or have just a quick bite? You’re probably doing yourself a disservice. A recent study observed two groups of people eating the same amount of calories throughout the day (both had 1400 calories daily). The first group had breakfast as their biggest meal of the day (700c), followed by a good lunch (500c), and a light dinner (200c). The second group had a light breakfast (200c), a good lunch (500c), and dinner was the biggest meal of their day (700c). The group that consumed the larger breakfast lost 2.5 times more weight than the larger dinner group and lost over four more inches around the waist. That’s worth a try, right?

5. Eating Processed foods. Eat foods whole (as they are found in nature). Eat the whole grain not the bread made with flour processed from the grain. Eat the orange, skip the juice. Swap in brown rice or quinoa for white rice. Whole foods are nutrient dense which means they are filled with intact fiber, water, protein, fats, vitamins, and minerals. There is a synergy in the way nature creates food which benefit us tremendously.

Your challenge this week is to identify a bad habit that is keeping you from your goals and work on changing it this week.

Do you have any of these habits? Or any others that are holding you back from your goals?

Post in the comments below and let me know.

Be sure to hit the LIKE button 😊

Healthy in a Hurry

Coming soon - 3 Ways to Tofu & Let’s Get Saucy

Our cooking classes are a great way to learn skills, tips and tricks, expand your menu, and have fun!

Summer Treasures

Your Monday Challenge:

Summer Treasures

🍒🍑🥭

I get so much joy when I open that sales flyer and see cherries and peaches on sale. When these fruits are in season they truly are summer treasures. I have been known to down a whole bag of cherries in one day 🍒 oh my.

Stone fruits, also known as drupes, get their name for the pit or “stone” in the center. Stone fruits also have thin skins that can be fuzzy or smooth. The most popular stone fruits are peaches, nectarines, plums, cherries, apricots, dates, and mangoes. Did you know that olives are also considered a stone fruit?

Rich in vitamins A, C and E, as well as fiber, potassium and antioxidants, stone fruits pack a potent nutritional punch. Here are just a few ways these juicy fruits can benefit your health:

• The antioxidants in stone fruits give you an immunity boost. Vitamin C, for example, helps you build a strong immune system to fight infections and prevent viruses. One 28-day study found that those who ate just under two cups of cherries per day had significant reductions in several markers of inflammation including C-reactive protein (CRP). High levels of inflammatory markers, such as CRP, has been associated with an increased risk of certain conditions, including heart disease, neurodegenerative illnesses, and type 2 diabetes so reducing inflammation is important for your health.

• The potassium in stone fruits is essential for keeping your nerves and muscles in good condition – a deficiency in potassium can cause fatigue, irritability, and increased blood pressure. Trade in your banana for a couple of peaches for a potassium rich summer treat!

• Orange colored stone fruits like peaches, apricots, and nectarines are a wonderful source of carotenoids (a type of anti-oxidant that can help strengthen your eyesight, skin membranes, and immunity). Enjoy these fruits cooked to increase carotenoid bioavailability.

• Stone fruits are a delicious way to get your fiber which helps your body to digest food efficiently and smoothly, keeping you feeling full for longer. Fiber has also been shown to benefit diabetes, blood cholesterol levels and weight. Apricots are especially helpful to relieve digestive issues. A study in 1,303 people with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) found that those who ate apricots daily experienced improved digestion and significantly fewer GERD symptoms, compared to those who did not. Chronic constipation? This study shows that eating about 2 cups of mango daily improves stool frequency and consistency and reduces intestinal inflammatory markers.

You will know your stone fruit is ripe if the flesh is slightly soft. For mangos🥭, the greenish skin should have turned mostly orange. If you buy peaches🍑 when the flesh is still firm, place them upside down on a towel outdoors to ripen. They’re ready when there is some give in the fruit when you very gently squeeze it. Apricots ripen quite quickly be sure to eat them before they get too mushy. Cherries🍒 are ripe when harvested so you can eat them right away. Store ripe stone fruits in the fridge.

I think the best way to enjoy stone fruits is to simply savor them on their own – they are the ultimate taste of summer. You can also add stone fruits to oatmeal and smoothies or as a tasty addition to your salad. I love to mix peaches with soy yogurt - peaches & cream - for a healthy, yet delicious breakfast, snack, or dessert.

Your challenge this week is to enjoy stone fruit while they’re in season - improve your overall health while satisfying your sweet tooth.

What is your favorite stone fruit?

Post in the comments below and let me know.

Be sure to hit the LIKE button 😊

Healthy in a Hurry

Coming soon - 3 Ways to Tofu & Let’s Get Saucy

Our cooking classes are a great way to learn skills, tips and tricks, expand your menu, and have fun!

Summer Squash

Your Monday Challenge:

I recently saw a Kroger ad that said “cherries are now at their cherriest”🍒

Does that mean my “squash are now at their squashiest”? 🤣

If you have a garden (or a neighbor with one) then you are likely facing an abundance of summer squash right about now. Did you know that a single summer squash plant can produce up to 25 pounds of squash? No wonder gardeners are eager to give them away!

Summer squash includes chayote, patty pan, yellow straightneck, yellow crookneck, and zucchini. Yellow crookneck and zucchini are the most common and can usually be found in your market year-round.

Zucchini, also known as courgette, has a deep green skin and soft white flesh and is often mistaken for cucumber. Yellow crookneck squash differs slightly from zucchini in shape - it usually has a fatter bottom end and tapers toward the neck. They can be used interchangeably in most recipes.

Here are some fun facts about summer squash that you’ll be happy to know just in case you’re gifted a good amount:

The word “squash” is an adaptation from several Native American words meaning “something eaten raw.” Summer squash are tender enough to eat uncooked and are a pleasant addition to a veggie platter or salad.

The orange-colored blossoms are edible and contain many of the same nutrients found in the squash. Slice up raw blossoms to garnish your pasta dish or your soup, or add them to your salad.

Summer squash are about 94% water, making them one of the lowest calorie vegetables. One cup of raw sliced summer squash has less than 20 calories.

Summer squash are a great source of fiber, beta carotene & lutein, vitamin C & K, folate, potassium, and manganese. So, if you’re watching your weight, keep sliced summer squash at the ready to fill you up and keep you hydrated but don’t peel them because you’ll lose some of the nutrition.

Squash can grow quite large - The biggest zucchini recorded was 7 feet 10 inches! I find larger squash to be spongy and bitter. Pick or buy them when they’re 6-8inches for the best flavor.

There are several ways to enjoy your garden fresh summer squash:

• Eat them raw in a salad or with a healthy dip. Try using different shapes like shredding, spiralizing, or cutting into thin ribbons for variety.

• Spiralize them and serve, hot or cold, with pasta sauce and tomatoes.

• Roast or grill them to include in a nourish bowl (with a grain, green, and bean).

• Add diced or shredded yellow squash to stews, casseroles and soups

• Use them in baked good like breads and muffins. Zucchini bread anyone?

• Add them to your morning smoothie to boost up the nutrition.

Your challenge this week is to enjoy summer squash. Experiment with different ways to prepare it.

What is your favorite way to prepare squash?

Post in the comments below and let me know.

Be sure to hit the LIKE button 😊

Healthy in a Hurry &

3 Ways to Tofu

Our cooking classes are a great way to learn skills, tips and tricks, expand your menu, and have fun!

Garden-Fresh Herbs

Your Monday Challenge:

There is now ample evidence that spices and herbs possess antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antitumorigenic, anticarcinogenic, and glucose- and cholesterol-lowering activities as well as properties that affect cognition and mood. - https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30651162/

I love this time of year because it’s the time we enjoy our fresh garden herbs. Our herb garden includes cilantro, scallions, garlic, dill, lemon balm, mint, oregano, basil, parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme. Whew! Yeah, the husband has quite the green thumb.

You’ve probably heard about the medicinal and healing power of herbs and spices. Many of them are used very effectively in alternative medicine. Herbs were around long before pharmaceuticals so maybe most of the pharmaceuticals we use today should be labeled “alternative.”

When you add herbs to your food prep and cooking you increase the healthfulness of that food. Garden-fresh herbs give you more flavorful foods so you just may want to eliminate some of the salt and sugar you might be adding. Herbs can also rev up your metabolism and boost your immune system to help keep you healthy.

You can store fresh herbs, from the garden or from the store, in containers with water to keep them fresh. Put them on your windowsill or counter and you’ll be more likely to add them to whatever you’re preparing. Be sure to change the water from time to time to keep it fresh.

You can even have fresh herbs for breakfast! I love to add fresh mint leaves to my morning oats for a delightful boost of flavor. Lemon balm leaves are great in a smoothie or your morning tea.

For a super tasty treat try adding 1/4 cup packed mint leaves to a high speed blender with 3 frozen bananas, 4 teaspoons of cacao nibs, and a splash of plant milk. Blend well for a very healthy take on mint chocolate chip nice cream!

Veganfest 2021

Visit me at Veganfest 2021 on Sunday, June 27 at the Knoxville Expo for a chance to win a free potted herb.🌿

(while supplies last)

Your challenge this week is to try fresh herbs in at least one meal per day.

What is your favorite fresh herb?

How do you like to use fresh herbs?

Post in the comments below and let me know.

Be sure to hit the LIKE button 😊