Tips to Help Us Gently Detox Our Lives This Spring

 

Spring is an opportune time to embark on a gentle, all-inclusive cleanse to refresh our emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual

well-being.

Why Not Set the Intention to:

Release toxins from mind, body, and spirit

Increase energy and vitality

Relax nervous system and calm the mind

Reset one's natural state of balance

Make choices that promote optimal health and well-being

Spring clean our eating plans as well as our bodies, minds, homes, offices, closets, and spirits. 

With some research and planning, self-discipline, and a little elbow grease we can add more whole food choices to our meal plans and set aside adequate time for additional self-care. 

Then as we dust, scrub, and organize our living space, even tiny steps along the way help us feel more self-empowered.

Be mindful to shop for and/or grow foods that refresh, heal, and enhance wellness and make us glad to be alive. 

For best results, eat more fruits and vegetables and less animal products, sugary foods, fried foods, and highly processed foods. 

Feature salads and dishes that include cleansing ingredients including celery, parsley, beets, avocados, spinach, garlic, onions, cucumbers, broccoli, berries, and dark leafy greens that are in-season and local. 

Look for the freshest produce, the kind that's brightly colored, organic (not sprayed with toxic chemicals or comes from seeds that are genetically modified), and hasn't spent days or weeks coming to us from distant lands. 

Fresh fruit and vegetables are powerful foods that improve our outlook as well as satisfy hunger. Read additional tips to help us discover wholesome foods that elevate mood . 

Reserve time each week to look inward. Deep breathing, tai chi, or other meditative arts calm our minds, soothe our nervous systems, and reduces information overload that builds up and contributes to our stress. 

Develop and maintain a meditation practice, as it helps reduce negative thoughts, detox our being, and improves energy over time. 

Unplug from electronic devices, email, phone, and other distractions for a set period of time each day. 

This is a direct, uncomplicated way to improve mental and physical well-being, focus attention on our priorities, reduce stress, and allow for better sleep and relationships.

Look at less TV and use that time for relaxing activities like walking or hobbies. Time spent with loved ones, engaging in physical or social activities, and in learning new things, does much to enliven living.

Fit movement and exercise into each day. Reap benefits of physical activity including improved cardiovascular health, better flexibility, weight management, enhanced mood and cognitive function, and reduce the risk of chronic diseases. 

For ideas read Benefits of Walking Every Day and Phenomenal Reasons Yoga Enhances Health.

Create healthy outlets for emotional expression. Use journaling, art, yoga, dance, or music to help us get stuck feelings (energy) out.

Be proactive and participate in leisure activities that restore balance or shift our focus to something positive and calming. 

Remember there is no one-size-fits-all detox method. We need only try ones that appeal to us.

Aim for 7-8 hours of quality sleep per night to support our body's natural detoxification process. For motivation we can read this article from WebMD, How Much Sleep Do I Need?

Get a dose of sunlight (Vitamin-D), exercise, and fresh air in the morning hours, as this combo stimulates feel good hormones, lifts our mood, and gives us more energy throughout the day. 

Stay hydrated. Water helps flush out toxins, supports the body's natural detoxification processes, and aids in maintaining proper organ function, especially the kidneys and liver.

Check-in with our body, mind, and spirit at some point during the day (I like to take a few minutes at the end of the day to do this) to review the day's learnings, insights, and areas where we still need work. 

Use this check-point to note our progress, and discover how we are  responding to the changes we're making. Then we can adjust our approach accordingly.

When we are trying out new behaviors, struggling to overcome something, or working on improving self-care routines, treating ourselves with self-compassion is essential. 

Self-compassion means being kind and understanding, especially when we face challenges or setbacks, rather than being critical or judgmental.

Make it a point to acknowledge the positives

in our lives by writing out a daily gratitude  list and counting our blessings often. 

Note: The information in this blog post is shared

for entertainment and educational purposes only.It is not intended as medical advice. If you seekmedical attention, consult with your health careprovider.

Have you thought about doing a spring detox

this year?

Which of the tips resonate with you?

Please comment below. Feel free to mentionpractices that help you detox.

Please don't put links in your comments.  I will not be able to publish them that way.

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Color Health and Safety Tips for Seniors

 

How often have you used your sense of color to navigate through your day, and not been conscious of your actions? 

This post presents ideas about color characteristics and how being color savvy as you age, can improve the quality of daily living. 

Learn how your color choices help you stay out of danger, create a mood, safeguard health, and encourage you to get back on track.

1.    Red is an energetic color, one that attracts attention.

Research indicates that red is a color that’s most easily seen by everyone, even from a long distance away. Stop signs, curb edges, and red clothes are just three of the ways red can attract attention. 

Play it safe. Keep a red night light on in a darkened room, including the hallway and bathroom. Red light is easier to see, than white light.

When you look at red, it speeds up reactions, and stimulates the appetite. Fast food restaurants choose it for their logos and feature it in their décor. 

If you need to put on a few extra pounds, decorate with red accent colors in your kitchen or dining room, because it increases your desire to eat more food. 

See additional information about how to Use Color Ideas to Cultivate Happiness.

2.   Yellow is a happy, easy to see color.

Yellow is the color of essential road signs, like a no passing zone or a warning sign that signals an obstacle or curve in the road. 

Yellow is a lively color, but when you focus on this color too long, it can cause eye strain. This happens because light is reflected by bright colors, resulting in excessive stimulation and irritation of the eyes. 

Lighter shades of yellow create a sense of cheerfulness and ease, and creamy yellow painted walls create a restful atmosphere. Soft yellow paint applied to walls in a small room makes that room appear larger. 

Yellow is the color most often associated with the solar plexus chakra. Learning how to use its color energy can empower you.

3.   Color is an important clue to consider for food freshness and safety.

When you prepare, serve, and eat a food product, notice its color. 

Fresh produce is vibrantly colored, so shop for or grow fruits and vegetables in an array of colors including red, dark green, yellow, orange, and purple. 

Set the intention to let the food you eat provide essential nutrients, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and fiber, rather than try to get nourishment from supplements.

Eat at least 5-7 servings of a variety of colorful fruits and vegetables a day, as it’s money in the bank for disease prevention, maintaining strong teeth and bones, and providing energy to work and play. 

If you’re ill or out of commission from a fall or other injury, remember it’s especially important to eat the rainbow to heal. 

A study from the National Institute of Health (NIH)  indicates why increasing fruits and vegetable consumption improves muscle strength in older adults (for that matter, anyone of any age).

4.   Certain colors warn of danger.

Molds are microscopic fungi that live in plant or animal matter. Unless you know for sure that a mold on food is intentionally grown, like those on blue-veined cheese such as Roquefort or Gorgonzola or the white mold on Camembert cheese, don’t eat it. 

When you suspect a food is spoiled, return it to the store for a refund or discard it. That old adage ─ it’s better to be safe than sorry applies here. 

Several types of food mold can make you feel queasy, produce allergic reactions, or respiratory problems.

5.   Contrast helps colors stand out from their background.

 

As you age, the ability to recognize the differences in color shades may diminish slightly. Compensate for this by remembering not to put yellow, blue, and green in close proximity. These colors may become increasingly difficult to tell apart. 

If you arrange clothes in your closet or dresser by color, put contrasting colors next to each other.

MedlinePlus at the NIH advises seniors. “As you age, it gets harder to tell apart blues and greens than it is to see the difference between red and yellow."

Read details at MedlinePlus to discover possible ways vision can be affected as you age.

                       

                                🍁💙🍍🍆🎀

Notice how often your color choices support, protect, relax, delight, or excite you. Take advantage of each color’s unique characteristics to help you lead a more colorful, satisfying life!

 

***This post is offered for entertainment and information purposes only, and is not intended as health or safety advice.***

Please comment in the comment section below.

What is your favorite color? When you see it, how does it make you feel?

Are you mindful about the way colors affect your sense of enjoyment?

I welcome comments, and read every one. Just be aware that if you put a link in your comment, I won't be able to publish it that way.

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Love Pistachios-It's Healthy and Makes You Happy

 

Pistachios are a delicious snack and colorful, healthy ingredient in salads, desserts, and casseroles. This green food packs a powerful nutritional punch.

Pistachios are rich in lutein and zeaxanthin, two important antioxidants for eye health.

Pistachios are loaded with Vitamin B6. Vitamin B6 helps several bodily functions including blood sugar regulation and the formation of hemoglobin, a molecule that carries oxygen in red blood cells.

Pistachios contain healthy fats, protein, fiber, and antioxidants. The fatty acids and proteins in pistachios can trigger the release of dopamine in the brain, which can create a feeling of happiness and sense of well-being.
 

Read 9 Health Benefits of Pistachios for additional health benefit details.

The pistachio (Pistacia vera) is technically called a “drupe,” a fleshy tree fruit that contains a shell-covered seed. With pistachios we discard the fruit flesh for the tasty seed within. The opposite is true with other drupes including stone fruits like peaches, cherries, and apricots.
 
The pistachio belongs to a group of drupes called “culinary nuts” that include cashews and almonds.
 
Pistachios in America were mainly imported until the mid-1970s, when our domestic production found its feet. This was mainly accomplished by the efforts of botanist William E. Whitehouse, who began importing and experimentally planting pistachio trees in the 1920s.
 
Today, California, where those original plantings were established, is responsible for 99 percent of our domestic production, with the other 1 percent coming out of Arizona and New Mexico.
 
The U.S. now produces over 800 billion pounds of the nuts per year, enough to fulfill our domestic market and export this tasty green product around the world.

Without further ado here's a fabulous way to use pistachios. See “Orange and Kale Salad with Pistachios” from Eva at Captain Bobcat Blog. Although this dish is simple to put together, the colors are bright and it tastes sublime. As an added bonus, it's gluten-free and dairy-free.

Photo Credit Eva at Captain Bobcat Blog

Please visit Eva and Damien at Bobcat Blog to comment on this recipe and share some social love.

Important Note: When you purchase pistachios, please select unsalted or dry roasted, unsalted pistachios. Read every label as packages of flavored and/or pre-roasted pistachios often contain excessive amounts of oil and/or salt.

 

Pistachios are a nutrient rich, flavor-packed plant-based food you may want to consider eating more often. 

A 1 oz. serving of unroasted, unsalted pistachios contains about 160 calories, 13 grams of fat, and 6 grams of protein.

This post is intended for information and entertainment purposes only, and not intended as medical or nutrition advice. Check with a health care professional for nutrition and health guidance.

Do y0u include pistachios in your menu planning? Do you like their taste and what foods do you combine them with? Please share in the comments section below.

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