Category Archives: Fun

The Beauty of Butterfly Pea Tea

0 Comments

This spring I went to a mocktail event at the Thyme Herbal Apothecary in Worcester. They taught us to make several delicious, healthy, and beautiful mocktails with different herbs. The star of the show was the Butterfly Pea Tea because of its dazzling blue hue (although sometimes it’s a gorgeous purple like in the picture).

As a nutritionist, I know that those natural blue and purple pigments are extremely healthy and not that easy to come by in our regular diet, so I eagerly bought a package of the dried Butterfly Pea flowers to brew up at home.

I told one of my friends about it and we both started drinking it daily. Within one month, we both noticed a notable lack of interest in sugar. Cravings had just vanished even when around our favorite things. My friend had been eating sugar throughout the day so this was a minor miracle for her.

Then, one month after that, she showed up looking like a new person. She had lost 25 lbs and was feeling so light and joyful, like “a deer prancing in the woods” as she described! Her routine bloodwork confirmed that she is no longer prediabetic.

Yet another bonus – we both notice that our hair has become thicker and healthier. Since this all happened, we’ve been telling our friends about our experiences, and they in turn are also delighted with the effects of drinking it daily. Some friends have reported a reduced need to pee all the time and dark spots on the skin fading. Of course it’s possible this is all coincidence because of the small size of our unofficial “study” but I do believe that there really is something profoundly healthy about this tea.

The Science

  • The scientific, Latin name of Butterfly Pea tea is Clitoria Ternatea.
  • The rich hue in butterfly pea tea is due to a class of antioxidants called anthocyanins which have numerous health benefits.
  • One published review reports that Butterfly Pea has “diuretic, nootropic, antiasthmatic, anti-inflammatory, analgesic, antipyretic, antidiabetic, antilipidemic, anti-arthritic, antioxidant, and wound healing properties.”

A Few Tips

  • You can get Butterfly Pea Tea from Thyme Herbal Apothecary or Mountain Rose Herbs. If you choose another supplier, just be sure that the flowers are organic.
  • We make a big batch of the tea once a week by adding about a half cup of the dried flowers to a saucepan of water. Depending on the size of the flowers you get, you may need more or less, depending on what color tea you want (blue or purple). You can’t go wrong. Let it simmer for about 5-10 minutes, and then let it cool. Once cooled, strain it into a bottle and store it in the fridge.
  • The tea has a unique earthy flavor. You can add enhancements to the tea like a little lemonade, fresh lemon juice, or lavender.
  • Don’t ruin your tea by adding artificial sweeteners!
  • Have a cup consistently every day and see what happens in a month or two.

I hope that you also have amazing results from your Butterfly Pea experiment. Please let me know how it goes!

The Best Relationship Advice I’ve Ever Heard

0 Comments

This isn’t usually the website where you find relationship advice. BUT our marriages, careers, hobbies, friendships, etc do feed us, and are sometimes referred to as “primary food”.

“Primary food is more than what is on your plate. Healthy relationships, regular physical activity, a fulfilling career and a spiritual practice can fill your soul and satisfy your hunger for life. When primary food is balanced and satiating, your life feeds you, making what you eat secondary.”

  The Institute of Integrative Nutrition  

I’ve had a few friends say in exasperation, “My marriage is making me fat!” And maybe there is truth in it! Relationships certainly can affect how we feel and look, and even our risk of chronic disease. So it’s vital to be proactive in addressing issues before they show up in your body in some way.

Whether you’re married, divorced, looking for a new soul mate, I think you will find tremendous value in this TED Talk. It’s not only insightful, but entertaining. I’ve listened to it three times already!

Get RAWsome this Summer!

0 Comments

Summer is DA BEST! We’ve got vacations, beaches, parties, cookouts, a more relaxed pace, sunshine and warmth… It can be downright blissful! And we’re so happy it’s here.

The only downside that we’re aware of is that by the end of August, previous cleansers are usually emailing us in droves asking when the fall cleanse is. Now, don’t get me wrong, we LOVE to hear from you all and love that you love our cleanse. But we’ve come to conclude that the summer is worse in terms of diet and weight gain than the holiday season. Who would’ve thought?

Imagine having an amazing summer and actually going into fall feeling more fabulous than ever before? You can!

In order to support you better through the summer, and share a way of eating that is actually thrilling, we have a totally RAWsome summer option for you! We’ve been low key about introducing it, because the whole program is low key in terms of structure and “rules”, but it is pretty spectacular in terms of how it can make you feel.

It is our Raw Rejuvenation program!

The goal is to introduce you in a very laid back way to the amazing, delicious, and life changing world of raw cuisine. Stay with me… It’s not carrots and celery sticks! It’s an extremely creative {and easy} way to prepare food without heat to better maintain the vibrant flavors and intense nutrition of your produce.

Raw food contains significantly more nutrients and is gentler on the body than cooked food. And you can really feel the difference.

When I am mostly raw, I have:

  •     More energy than I know what to do with
  •     Weight loss with out deprivation
  •     Glowing skin
  •     Unexplained joy
  •     A sense of aliveness and vibrancy
  •     Digestion perfection

And this is what most people experience, which is why raw foodists get a little fanatical. We won’t get fanatical in our program though. Our Raw Rejuvenation eBook provides easy to read background information and many simple delicious recipes that mostly don’t require any special equipment. We also send just one email per week for the summer, and daily support through our private Facebook group and email.

We’ll provide info, inspiration, and recipes to gradually up your raw quotient, and you’ll feel better and better the more you do. You choose your level of exploration. There are no rules or quilt. You just add some new delish dishes to your weekly repertoire, enjoy the parties and usual beverages the whole time. When you’re eating lots of raw food, the other “indulgences” don’t seem to detract from your well being as much. So really, it’s a perfect approach to feeling amazing without being strict or missing out on your favorite stuff. Also, it’s usually a smaller group than the regular cleanse, so the whole thing feels more intimate and relaxed.

We would truly be honored to introduce you to this dietary approach. It’s only $49, and you can start any time. Click here for more info and to register.

Image credit: Wuzy Pego

Happy, Healthy Father’s Day!

0 Comments

Wishing a very happy, healthy Father’s Day to all the dads in the crowd, and to everyone celebrating the wonderful dads in their lives! Keeping dads healthy is a special mission of ours, since we both lost our dads to preventable chronic disease way too early.

One thing we really admire about the men who have cleansed with us, is that once they decide to feel better, they don’t procrastinate or dwell on what they must forego (with the one possible exception of beer). They jump right in with both feet and usually have fast, impressive results! Even the guys who are just eating the cleansing meals their wives prepare lose 15 lbs, stop snoring, and feel fantastic! It makes us so happy… and also a little jealous.

The Preventable Silent Epidemic Affecting Dads Everywhere

You guys carry a lot of weight on your shoulders, and as a result, are often under pretty significant stress. Stress isn’t some benign, slightly unpleasant feeling that wakes you up sometimes or gives you acid reflux. It is a biochemical dynamic that can impact everything about your health – your blood pressure, blood lipids, blood sugar, hormone levels, digestion, nervous system, etc – and can predispose you to a cornucopia of chronic disease. According to WebMD, 75 to 90% of all doctor’s office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints. It is a significant factor in five out of the six most common chronic diseases, including top killers cancer and cardiovascular disease.

This is HUGE! Imagine if we got on top of that? How much suffering we could avoid, how much happier we could be, and how much money we could save? Turns out, the US could save an estimated $1 trillion in medical related expenses if we simply reduced our stress.

Many years ago, when my stressed dad’s blood pressure started going up, he said he’d make dietary changes, but drew a hard line at meditating. Back then, meditation was a little too “out there”. Thankfully, now it has widespread societal and medical acceptance as a very effective strategy for stress reduction.

But the current problem is that most people aren’t prioritizing it even though they know it could help. They’re just too busy. As the saying goes, “You should meditate for 20 minutes every day. If you’re too busy, you should meditate for an hour each day.” And as any experienced meditator can tell you, meditation practice actually saves you time because your brain is more organized, focused, and creative.

Think of it as strength training for you brain – it helps you to quiet all those stressful thoughts that end up wreaking havoc on your body. If you traded one hour of your physical workouts for a few meditation “workouts” each week, you’d benefit more.

We hope we’re not stressing you out about stressing! Our intention is to inspire you to take it seriously and motivate you to take action. Some tools we recommend include:

  • The life changing Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction program.
  • Online 21 Day Meditation Experiences by Oprah and Deepak Chopra. These are offered free a few times a year (get on their list!) and you can purchase them as well. We especially liked “Hope in Uncertain Times” and “Making Every Moment Matter”.
  • Headspace
  • Yoga classes near you (a meditative practice with many benefits for body and mind).
  • Taking breath breaks – a few times each day, taking a break to breathe deeply. Our YouTube channel has several breath videos. Full yogic breath is the basic one you can do anywhere, while the Alternate Nostril Breath is especially stress relieving. It’s like a horse tranquilizer!
Take that “jump in with both feet” attitude and just do it! Your kids, grandkids, and even great grandkids will be so happy you did!

 

Image credit: Ben Minor

Happy Global Wellness Day!

0 Comments

This day, all across the planet, is dedicated to wellness! The goal is to reflect on how we can all live better lives, individually and as a global society. Even for just one day per year, www.globalwellnessday.org encourages us to:

  • Recognize the value of our lives
  • Be free from the stress of everyday city life and bad habits
  • Make peace with ourselves
  • Raise awareness about living well and increase motivation, not just for today, but for the remaining 364 days of the year

The Global Wellness Day manifesto includes simple but profoundly effective suggestions such as walking for an hour, drinking water, not using plastic bottles, eating organic produce, doing a good deed, having a family dinner, and going to bed by 10 PM… All wonderful ideas to strive for most days of the week.

Since 2012, Global Wellness Day has been celebrated on the second Saturday of June in more than 100 countries!

We are grateful to have played any role in your wellness, large or small.

BE WELL!

Image credit: Lisa & Rachael Mair

Our Ultimate Gift Guide!

0 Comments

Hats off to any of you who are DONE with your gift shopping already! What a wonderful way to avoid all that stressful last minute scrambling, stay relaxed, and actually enjoy the season. You are an inspiration to the rest of us procrastinators! And for the rest of us – here are our best ideas for gifts and holiday shopping. In general, we gravitate towards experiences over material possessions. Memories can fill you with warm feelings for a lifetime and don’t take up any space. If you are going to gift a material possession, let it be one with good karma and something that can be used instead of stored.

Our Best Ideas

  • Massage. Massages not only feel amazing, but have numerous health benefits, including improving muscle tone, circulation, and reducing stress. Who doesn’t need some of that? Just be sure that the recipient actually likes massages. There are actually some puzzling people out there who don’t.
  • Facial. I am now a convert since I got some rejuvenating facials at the Whole Body Spa! Cheryl uses all natural products that smooth and nourish your skin. Sun spots actually got lighter! She also has a microcurrent instrument like they use in PT that stimulates facial muscle tone, resulting in an uplifted look. Check out her platinum facial here. Friends help friends look younger!
  • The Ultimate Rejuvenation Cleanse. If you’ve got a friend or family member in need of support and inspiration to start eating in a more healthful way, our cleanse covers all the bases and has been life changing for many people. We’ve never offered this before, but graduate cleansers can apply their discount for up to 3 New Year cleanse gifts. If you’re a grad and want to do this, contact us for the special link. Friends who cleanse together have exponential success!
  • Meditation. We’ve been doing the Oprah and Deepak meditation series for years now, and they are wonderful. In each 21-day series, both Oprah and Deepak share some wisdom, and then you meditate with a mantra and soothing music for about 15 minutes. After every single meditation, I feel more at peace and centered. These two are our favorite: Hope in Uncertain Times and Making Every Moment Matter. There are CD and streaming (through their free app) options. Friends who meditate together have really excellent conversations! Seriously though… we often text each other something along the lines of, “Day 5! OMG!” And then we discuss.
  • Yoga/Pilates/Fitness gift certificate. Regular exercise and diversity of movement are one of the pillars of excellent health, feeling great in your body, staying young, and a positive mental outlook. There are so many styles and classes available to suit every need and preference. If you need help choosing a location or class, comment below for suggestions. We can recommend many wonderful studios, teachers, and class types.
  • Comedy show tickets. In terms of importance, laughter is right up there with healthy food, mindfulness, and movement! Many of us could use a few more belly laughs. Find a comedy show and go with your friend or loved one.
  • Danielle LaPorte candle. If you are partial to candles, these are probably the best I’ve ever tried! I really can’t believe how wonderful they smell. They have no toxic synthetic fragrances or lead in their wicks. Instead, they scent the candle with essential oils, which have beneficial effects on your health and emotional state. Get one for yourself too!
  • Gift baskets with goodies from health food store. Instead of one of those premade baskets filled with sugar, rancid fats, and chemicals, why not fill a basket with your favorite healthy goodies? You could do a theme or just an assortment of your favorites. Some ideas that everyone should have in their cupboard: Super healthy teas (we love Throat Coat, Oolong, and Matcha), Dulse flakes, Organic, free trade, dark chocolate (what’s a food basket with no good quality chocolate?), vitamin D drops, Vega smoothie mix with some smoothie recipes, hemp seeds, ground flax seeds, Brazil nuts, almond butter, pure maple syrup, local honey, organic, cold pressed olive, coconut, or sesame oil in a glass bottle, probiotics, nontoxic personal care products, nontoxic candle…). We talk about the benefits of these products (and more) in our cleanse. But if you need some background info, comment below!
  • Nourishing body oil. Ayurveda teaches us that daily self massage with high quality oil is one of the keys to staying healthy, balanced, and young! We love this oil from Sarada. You can even use organic cold pressed olive, coconut, sesame, or jojoba oil.
  • Juice Plus. Most people find it difficult to get the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables every day, including my family. So I was thrilled about 10 years ago when I found out about Juice Plus, which is concentrated fruits and vegetables in capsule or a chewie – kind of like “Jetson” food! Juice Plus is made with the juice powders from 17 fruits and vegetables. What stood out to me about Juice Plus compared with other supplements are the 30+ published medical studies that demonstrate the many ways it improves the markers for cardiovascular health, immune system, skin, and more. It’s also guaranteed to be free of pesticides and other contaminants, which is a major concern in the supplement world. Check here for more information and contact Lisa if you’d like to learn how to get a free supply for a child (aged 4-college age).
  • For anyone struggling with eating healthy meals, how about healthy food delivery or personal chef services? We love the food from our very own Charlotte Ott, TB12, and Purple Carrot.

Bonus Tips for Shopping

As we say in yoga, “It’s not what you’re doing, but how you’re being.” Let’s transform the usual hectic shopping trip to moments of generosity and peace.

  • Smile and thank the person who helped you in the store. In an interview I recently heard, customers tend to unload all of their stress and frustration on the people ringing them up! Let’s truly embody the spirit of the season, even as we shop. Every moment and interaction we have is an opportunity to practice being more authentic, compassionate, and joyful.
  • Let go of attachment to a close parking spot. Go to the outer edges of the lot, and take the first spot you find. With this approach, you get a few more “steps” in, feel more peaceful, get some more fresh air, and save gas.
  • Breathe and relax. Take many pauses throughout the day to center, take a few deep breaths, and let go of accumulated tension, in your face, jaw, neck, belly, and mind.
  • Shopping while dehydrated and low blood sugar is no fun and you definitely increase your chances of being unpleasant to the staff and other shoppers. Be sure you have water with you and eat a healthy meal or snack before you go.

Well, that’s our list! What are your favorite gifts to give or receive?

Image credit: Honey and thread on flickr.com