Month: December 2017

Eat Healthier and do it Sensibly

Inner Pearl Wellness15 Comments on Eat Healthier and do it Sensibly

Often people feel as though they can’t eat healthy because it is too expensive.  Sometimes it can be, but it doesn’t have to be.  You can eat healthier and do it sensibly.

save money

Allow me to tell you about some of the many stores where you can find healthier eats.

  1. Wholesale Warehouses (Samsclub, Bj’s, Costco’s) – These businesses sell products in bulk at very reasonable prices.  You can find value packs of high-quality meats/seafood and large packages of fresh vegetables/fruits.  They have gallons of healthy natural oils, large containers of herbs/spices, and nuts.  Be sure to visit their frozen foods section and grab some of their vegetables and fruit which cost less per portion and stores longer than fresh would.  This is also a great place to grab your vitamins/supplements as well in large quantity.  While at your wholesale warehouse, you should also check out their reasonably priced appliances which can make this health journey a little easier.
  2. Walmart – You can normally find the same items in a Super Walmart that you can at Samsclub, but a smaller quantity.
  3. Aldi’s – If you’ve never been to Aldi’s, check them out as soon as possible.  They have a gluten free products, a large amount of fresh/frozen vegetables and fruit as well as grass-fed/pastured/organic meats.  They are frequently adding more healthy products.
  4. Trader Joes & Whole Foods – These two stores not only have the high-quality meats and fresh fruit/vegetables but have lots of other allergen-free products.  Trader Joes has definitely been more reasonable but Whole Foods prices have reportedly decreased once Amazon took over the company.  Whole Foods also has a larger variety than Trader Joe’s.
  5. Hmart or Your Local Asian Market(s) – These markets are great places to find any type of fresh vegetable, fruit, and herbs which you can purchase as you see fit. You could buy 1 or 2 of an item or as many pounds as you’d like.
  6. Local Supermarkets (Wegmans/Shoppers/Weis/Giant’s/Safeway/Etc) – Just keep an eye out for their sales and drop in and grab your treasures.  Stack up during that sale.
  7. ThriveMarket – Online Health Market.
  8. Amazon – Make sure to compare prices.
  9. Buy from Local Farmers or Farmer’s Markets when in season.
  10. Don’t forget the frozen vegetables/fruits.  (This bears repeating.)

There are plenty of ways to save money while eating healthy.  Here are some tips:

  • When purchasing in bulk…you can find a family member or friend to go half with you.  You can also meal prep by cooking large batches and either store meal portions in the refrigerator to eat within a couple of days or freeze meal/portions to consume within the next 1-3 months.  Depending on the product, use what you want now and put the rest in the freezer.
  • Purchase whole foods.  They will often be cheaper than processed foods.
  • Purchase vegetables and fruit when in season.
  • Purchase the cheaper cuts of protein.
  • Drink water but stop buying bottled water.  Get a Brita or other type of water filter for your tap water.  Use fruit, vegetables, and/or herbs to infuse your water for drinking instead of soda or fruit juices.
  • Clip coupons.
  • Stop eating out.  Prepare your own food and bring your breakfast/lunch/dinner, snacks and drinks from home.  You can also just eat before leaving home if you won’t be gone for too long.
  • Grow your own food.
  • Before going to the market/store, be sure to have a list and eat at home first. While there, stick to your list.
  • Buy cheaper proteins like eggs, ground meats, liver (yes liver), chicken thighs; etc.

Hopefully, some, if not all of these tips will help you spend a little less in your journey of increasing your health.  Feel free to comment your favorite ways below.

What is your most economical way of eating healthy?

 

 

 

 

Need a Reset for 2018? Start with the Whole30 Challenge & Reset Your Health.

Inner Pearl Wellness2 Comments on Need a Reset for 2018? Start with the Whole30 Challenge & Reset Your Health.

2018 begins in a few days and you want a healthier you. What better way to accomplish that then starting on the inside? Start the process of healing your gut and brain, balancing your hormones, and clearing up your skin. Those who are interested in losing weight…yes, that will probably happen too.

Try the Whole30 approach which eliminates chemicals, preservatives, antibiotics, and foods/drinks that may cause inflammation, gut/skin issues, brain fog or allergies as a result of food intolerances/sensitivities.

Many “diets” exist promising all types of results. There is Paleo, AIP (Autoimmune Paleo), Keto, DASH, Mediterranean, Weight-Watchers, Plant-based are just a few. The truth is, some may work for some yet not for others. That’s because everyone is different and there is no one fix for all. If your main goals are losing weight, healing your gut, or/and reducing nagging symptoms; it is best to up your nutrient density while eliminating the foods/drinks that are known to wreak havoc in most humans.

I'm Not Telling You It's Going to be Easy

Whole30 is a perfect way to get started and to reset. You can do it for 30 days and see how you feel but you don’t have to stop there. After the 30 days, you can choose to do it again or gradually add back other foods selectively but be sure to take notice of symptoms and how you feel. You can also go right from the Whole30 into another healthier eating protocol of your choice.

How do I get started on the Whole30? I’m glad you asked!

Prepare to eat only nonprocessed, nutrient dense foods…basically lots of vegetables, some fruit, meats, seafood, eggs, natural fats, herbs, spices, and selective nuts.

Do NOT eat:

  • Added Sugar (real or artificial)
  • Alcohol (any form)
  • Grains (oats, barley, rye, wheat, quinoa, starch, bran; etc)
  • Legumes (all beans, peas, peanuts, soy)
  • Dairy (Cow, sheep, and goat’s milk products such as cheese, ice cream, butter, sour cream, yogurt)
  • Baked goods, junk foods, or substitutes. (cakes, cookies, chips, donuts, pancakes, waffles, biscuits, brownies; etc.)
  • MSG, carrageenan, sulfites.

Whole30 Rules

A few exceptions from the above “do not eat” list:

  • Ghee or clarified butter (it’s stripped of the milk proteins)
  • Fruit juice (as an ingredient or natural sweetener in some recipes)
  • Certain legumes (green beans, snap peas, snow peas)
  • Vinegar-most forms except for malt vinegar
  • Coconut Aminos (even though it says “nectar”). Great substitute for soy sauce.

Choose the best quality eggs/meat/seafood possible. Grass-fed/finished red meat, organic, pastured pork/poultry/eggs, and sustainable, wild-caught seafood. If you can’t find or can’t afford the grass-fed or organic protein, find the leanest cuts available and remove the skin and fat before eating. The skin and fat of the animal stores the bulk of the chemicals, steroids, antibiotics that cause issues in the human body.

If you decide to join us, we don’t want you to stalk the scale. If you choose to, weigh yourself the day or morning before you start the Whole30. Do not touch that scale again until those 30 days have ended. You should also start a food journal/dairy just to keep track of any physical changes. As long as you follow the rules and do not cheat, there will be changes.

So who’s with me? Are you ready to jumpstart your health? There are a few more days left in 2017. Commit yourself to beginning January 1, 2018. You can start now if you like.

Go ahead and plan your market stop. The shopping list is simple:

  1. Meat (best quality you can find or/and afford)
  2. Vegetables
  3. Fruit
  4. Natural Oils (Olive, coconut, avocado, macadamia nut, ghee; etc)
  5. Herbs
  6. Spices

In future posts, I will teach you how to work with what you have and I will also be sharing recipes.

I’m sure the Whole30 concept may sound daunting to you if you’ve never done it before. Fortunately, it is possible and I already know that you can do this. It will take discipline and effort but it will be worth it. No cheat days allowed. Things will change for the better. Just do it…watch…and take note of the results.

Are you ready??? Let’s do this!!!

Join us here for support, directions, and tips!