Learning to Reconnect

Learning to Reconnect

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We often walk through our days with a task list in mind of all of the things we need to get done. Whether it's a grocery list, kids to pick up, meetings to attend or bills to pay, this constant  list is a reminder of our life's persistent consistency and the ritual habits we all have. Some of us consider this "adult-ing" or participating in the activities that separate youth from adulthood. But when do we make time to step away? To stop our nearly programmed and robotic responses and reconnect? 

Too often the answer is not enough. We prioritize the requirements of being an "adult" but don't prioritize ourselves. Society has created a façade that to be an adult is to give up on youthful ambitions, dreams and activities. That we must all adhere to our work day grind and submit ourselves entirely to the societal standard quo. But what is that? Depending on where you live and who you are it can vary largely. However, we're all connected in the foundation of what we perceive to be responsibility and how that is achieved. 

For a moment I'd like to clarify that this isn't me saying step away from your responsibilities like paying bills or taking care of your loved ones. What I am saying is to learn how to find balance. How to reconnect to yourself in a way that reignites your childish enthusiasm and dreaming while maintaining a gentle yet firm foundation in reality. 

Childlike Enthusiasm

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Reigniting your childish enthusiasm is about re-engaging with the simple joys in life. If you have kids or have spent time around kids they're entertained by the simplest things like bubbles and running barefoot in the grass. They live and love life with true abandon. So what does this mean for adults?

Embrace the opportunities to do or appreciate simple things. Like walking barefoot in the glass or spending time with close friends and family that make you feel good from head to toe. Fill your life and free time with things that make you smile. Life is too short to not live joyfully. 

Recommendation? Things that make you laugh. Laughter is truly the best medicine and has numerous health benefits like stress reduction. 

 

 

Appreciating the Small Things 

Take a running leap or a baby step, but either way make some kind of movement forward towards gratitude and appreciation. This is your key to renewing your perspective on life and opening up the doors to joy. This can be as simple as being grateful for your family and friends, appreciating the flowers blooming, or even as challenging as appreciating the difficult life lessons you've been facing.  

Recommendation? Start looking for things that you enjoy and appreciate. Go the extra mile and say your appreciation out loud. Acknowledgment is powerful! 

How to Find Balance 

Finding balance is often like walking on a balance beam. It isn't always constant and it takes work. But the experiences we gain trying to find balance is what teaches us how to maintain it. It's all of the swaying and falling off that give us the know how to staying on that beam. Don't worry about all of this missteps, it's part of the process. 

Recommendation? Find an inspirational quote, picture or phrase (something that is encouraging) and place it on your bathroom mirror or a place you'll look every day. Remind yourself that you're worth it and that believing in yourself is a beautiful step towards freedom and joy. 

Reconnect 

Reconnecting with yourself starts with some much needed you time. Yes, you read that right. You time is centered around you and what you need and/or want. In our busy lives we often forget to do things that help us be healthy and happy. We focus so much on everything and everyone else that we practically, if not completely, ignore ourselves.  

 But what does you time mean? It's all of the things we tell ourselves we'll make time for but get distracted or make excuses for not doing. And even more importantly, it's the things we've told ourselves that we have to give up in order to be accepted and loved. 

 Recommendation? Start small and re-engage with the little things that make you smile, relax and breathe a sigh of relief. 

Desperate for Fresh and Clean Air? Grow it!

Say Yes to Fresh and Clean Air!

Allergies driving you nuts? Let's talk for a moment about clean air, and we mean high up in the remote mountains, nothing in sight, CLEAN air. The kind that you probably don't even know exists because the chemicals we're constantly surrounded by is normal. So normal that we actually think that it's "clean".

For a second, reflect back to the summer 2008 Beijing Olympics and all of the smog surrounding the city to such an extent that our athletes wore masks off the plane. We won't get into the politics and history around it all, the point is what a big deal pollution and air quality are. Clean air is crucial to healthy lungs and breathing. Without clean air, devastating diseases like COPD, emphysema, allergies and asthma are suffocating people.

According to the Washington Post, the top 10 most ozone-polluted cities in the US are:

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  1. Los Angeles-Long Beach, California
  2. Visalia-Porterville-Hanford, California
  3. Bakersfield, California
  4. Fresno-Madera, California
  5. Sacramento-Roseville, California
  6. Houston-The Woodlands, Texas
  7. Dallas-Fort Worth, Texasand the Oklahoma Metropolitan Statistical Area
  8. Modesto-Merced, California
  9. Las Vegas-Henderson, Nevada and the Arizona Metropolitan Statistical Area
  10. Phoenix-Mesa-Scottsdale, Arizona

But before you get too excited about not seeing your city's name on the list, you can check out the American Lung Association to see how your county/state rate for air quality. -- Click Here to Find Out the Quality of Your Air

So what can I do to improve the air quality I'm breathing you might wonder? Quite a few things! Your lungs will thank you and you'll be feeling better too!

Here's three easy ones to start with:

  1. Start using Green Cleaning in your home to reduce chemical use.
  2. Use public transport, carpool or even bike whenever possible.
  3. Grow your own fresh air with indoor plants!

To help you with number three, here's 8 powerful indoor plants to help you grow fresh air in no time! You can also check out Kamal Meattle's TedTalk video about how to grow fresh air.

1. Acera Palm – “The Living Room Plant” -  This plant is a daytime oxygen factory and Meattle recommends having 4 shoulder height plants per person.

2. Mother-in-Law’s Tongue is “The Bedroom Plant” – This plant is an evening oxygen factory and Meattle recommends having 6-8 waist-high plants per person.

3. Money Plant is “The Specialist Plant” – This plant is the filter that removes formaldehyde and other volatile organic chemicals from the air.

4. The Purple Waffle Plant (Hemigraphis alternataa)

5. English Ivy (Hedera Helix)

6. Variegated Wax Plant (Hoya cornosa)

7. Asparagus Fern (Asparagus densiflorus)

8. Purple Heart Plant (Tradescantia pallida)

Of the 28 plants tested, number 4-8 were effective at reducing levels of a number of common household VOCs, including benzene, toluene, octane, alpha-pinene and TCE. The work, funded by the University of Georgia’s Agricultural Experiment Stations, was published in the August 2009 issue of HortScience.

Ready to grow your own fresh air? NASA studies recommend that you use one good-sized houseplant in a 6 to 8-inch diameter container for every 100 square feet of your home. Though, additional research is being done to identify exactly how many of each type of species is necessary for remediation (as in Meattle’s work). You should also be sure to keep the foliage clean and dust free (so the leaves can do their job). And, keep the top of soil clean and free of debris, as in some cases, that’s where the bulk of the filtering is taking place.

The healthier your plants, the more vigorously they’ll grow, and the better they’ll clean the air for you.

Ditch the Diets Today!

Ditch the Diets for Good!

We are excited to announce that we're teaming up with our partner and mentor Elizabeth Finch, a dedicated and certified health coach, to bring you Ditch the Diets! It's a program that is focused on creating a healthier lifestyle while losing weight.

What do you get when forces combine? A powerful combination of experience, passion and motivation to helping you achieve your weight loss goals.

28 Days of Delicious Balance

Ditch the Diets is a 28 day program designed to help you get your body back into balance and lose weight for good. You will learn everything you need to know about weight loss and creating new, healthier habits that will keep you on the right path for the long run.

No more deprivation, no more fad diets, no more juice only cleanses and no more mystery around healthy eating and lifestyle habits.

Instead, you eat five delicious snacks and meals a day, you have a group of people cheering you on, your personal navigator sends you loads of information around creating new healthy habits and reaching your weight loss goals, and you know what to do to finally lose the weight for good — and keep it off. You feel happier and healthier, more radiant and sexy, more energized and balanced, than you have in a LONG time.

Sound too good to be true? It’s not! We created this weight loss program to teach you the eating and lifestyle habits that will help you reach your goal weight and maintain it, increase your energy levels throughout the day, eliminate your cravings for sweets and high-glycemic carbohydrates, improve your nightly sleep and most importantly, learn to actually ENJOY the process of changing your habits. It’s not just about the food, and we are diving deep into all the crucial components of weight loss.

This is not another fad diet. You’ll learn the exact steps to getting to your ideal weight, cutting carb and sugar cravings and choosing the healthiest, best tasting foods and recipes that fill you up and make you feel great.

This program will give you tons of information about how to actually lose weight the right way, and you’ll learn new concepts, too. We aren’t talking about major lifestyle changes all at once, but instead small shifts in your everyday habits that will change the way you think about weight loss and overall health, but will add up HUGELY. Think healthy food and simple (but effective!) lifestyle changes around managing your stress, improving your digestion and making sleep a top priority.

Even if you don’t have weight to lose, the Ditch the Diets program will teach you lifelong healthy habits around better nutrition, managing stress, improving digestion and fully benefiting from better sleep and self-care. Don’t know what self-care is? That’s a sure sign you need more.

Want to Learn More? -- Click Here!

Discover Wellness & Dark Chocolate Truffles

Discover Wellness Event

Yesterday, Treasure hosted a nutrition talk at Wellness Revolution for their "Discover Wellness Event." The event was a great success with a highly nutritious sit down dinner and a private nutrition talk covering topics and tips such as: Nutrient Rich Foods, Cooking & How To Tips, Portion Control, Healthy Digestion and Sleep. To support the information given on antioxidant rich foods, which dark chocolate falls into, Treasure brought Superfood Vegan Dark Chocolate Truffles. (A recipe from our beautiful mentor, Elizabeth Rider.) The truffles are a MUST TRY! We can't decide which we love about this recipe more: the divine creamy chocolate texture or just how easy they are to make. See below for the recipe. 

The food provided by the staff of Wellness Revolution (and 1 recipe from My Core Wellness) was absolutely delicious! We would love to share our recipe with you - Superfood Vegan Dark Chocolate Truffles! 

I’M IN LOVE!

Our beautiful mentor, Elizabeth Rider, created these truffles as an alternative to the typical truffles you find made out of heavy cream and loads of sugar. And you know what? I think they’re even BETTER!

The texture of these truffles is divine, and they’re loaded with antioxidants and nutrients with the superfood combo of coconut oil and dark chocolate.

Coconut oil has amazing health benefits and dark chocolate is extremely high in antioxidant power and very low in sugar, making it the perfect special treat that’s also perfectly good for you.

I’m not sure which is the best part about this recipe – the amazing flavor & texture or the fact that they are so easy to make.

This recipe makes 8 truffles, but can easily be doubled, tripled, or even quadrupled. Elizabeth wrote this recipe with a lot of detail to help you along with the process, but don’t be overwhelmed with the length–they’re quite easy and quick to make.

SUPERFOOD VEGAN DARK CHOCOLATE TRUFFLE RECIPE

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 3 hours (includes time to set)
Yields 8 truffles

Ingredients:

·         1 organic vegan dark chocolate bar, at least 70% cocoa (3.2-3.5 ounces)

·         3 1/2 tablespoons organic, virgin coconut oil

·         1 tablespoon raw organic honey (at one time I used agave, but switched to honey)

·         1 1/2 teaspoons organic prepared coffee

·         1/2 teaspoon organic pure vanilla extract (preferable Madagascar vanilla)

·         1 small pinch fine sea salt, such as Real Salt

·         Organic unsweetened dark cocoa power for sifting, about 1/4 cup

·         Chia seeds (optional, for coating truffles)

Tip: Use the best quality organic ingredients you can afford. The best quality chocolate will produce the yummiest truffles.

Recipe: Prepare a cup of coffee and reserve 1 1/2 tsp of the coffee (or save 1 1/2 tsp from your morning coffee.) Create a double-broiler with a small pot and glass bowl.* While you’re waiting for the water to boil, cut the chocolate into very small pieces using a sharp knife to help it melt easily. Once the water in the double-boiler is boiling, add the chocolate and stir often with a wooden spoon until it’s melted; this should take about 3 minutes. A double-boiler is recommended instead of a microwave to prevent overcooking the chocolate. (This process is called tempering and prevents the chocolate from seizing; the chocolate should remain shiny the entire time. If it starts to look dull or matte it’s overcooked.)

Once the chocolate is almost all melted, add coconut oil and keep stirring until the mixture is well combine and smooth. Once smooth, remove the glass bowl to the counter and add the rest of the ingredients to the bowl. Stir well, another 2 minutes, until all ingredients are well combine and smooth. At this point, the mixture should be cool enough to taste – but be very careful not to burn yourself. Taste the mixture to check your flavorings.

Put the bowl in the refrigerator for about 1 hour (more if needed) until the chocolate is set. It will be firm but easily scoop-able – a.k.a. the texture of a truffle. If it becomes too firm, just set it out at room temperature for 10 minutes. Scoop teaspoon size balls from the mixture and set on a parchment-lined baking sheet. A melon baller works perfect for this, or use a teaspoon and your fingers to shape the balls for a more rustic look. Coconut oil melts on contact with your fingers so using your hands and fingers might get a little messy – just be sure to work quickly so the truffles don’t melt too much.

Once all truffles are on the sheet, dust them all with the unsweetened cocoa powder using a sieve. (If coating with chia seeds, roll them in chia seeds before sifting.) Place the truffles back in the refrigerator at least 2 more hours to set and keep in the refrigerator until served. They will start to melt after about an hour at room temperature so it’s important to keep them in the refrigerator until ready to serve. They’ll keep in an airtight container in your refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

*Create a double-boiler by placing a tightly-fitting tempered glass bowl on top of a pot of boiling water. The water should not touch the bowl; the steam from the water will heat the bowl and melt the chocolate. It’s important to use tempered glass so it doesn’t shatter.

Happy Cooking!

 

You can read more about my mentor, Elizabeth Rider, and find more of her delicious recipes here: http://www.elizabethrider.com/category/recipes/

Are Toxins Lurking In Your Home?

What kind of elements are you exposing yourself and your family to on a day-to-day basis?

Have you ever wondered what kind of toxins you could be exposed to in your home? The answers may surprise you! Here is a video from the founder of our trusted product partner, USANA Health Sciences, at the Health and Happiness Summit with Dr. Oz, demonstrating what kind of toxins to look for in your bathroom, kitchen, bedroom, and living room and some simple solutions you can employ to make a safe environment for you and your family. 

 

 

You Can Do It! Just Visualize!

The Power of Visualization

What if someone told you that they have the power of making their dreams into a reality? That by merely focusing on their dreams or goals, and seeing it's success, it came true? No this isn't a new super power, this is the power of your mind. We all have the ability to harness the power of our minds and achieve our goals. Numerous successful people from various professions all have contributed their success to visualization. People like Michael Jordan, Ellen DeGeneres, Oprah Winfrey, Will Smith, Jack Nicklaus, and Chuck Norris (just to name a few) are all people who use visualization and contribute it to their success.

Visualization is about focusing on a dream or goal you want and then mentally seeing it occur. The more vivid and detailed the mental image the stronger the visualization. You can use visualization for all sorts of things (i.e. losing weight, getting a raise at work, achieving a long set goal, etc.). The key is to continue visualizing your goals every day. This will not only help you stay focused on what you want to achieve but there are also numerous health benefits!

  • Stress Reduction
  • Inspiration to Get Out There and Start Accomplishing
  • Self Confidence Booster
  • Happiness and Mood Booster

So how can people like you and me start?

  1. Take a moment to clear your mind. Clear away any negative thoughts and focus on the positive and happy things that arise in your mind.
  2. Once you're in that peaceful place, begin to let yourself dream of things that are important and matter to you. Things you want to achieve.
  3. Hold in your mind one of the things you want to achieve.
  4. Keep focusing on it. See yourself accomplishing this goal and how you're going to accomplish it. How will it feel when you accomplish this goal?
  5. Create a physical reminder for yourself of this visualization. This makes it from just being in your head to being physical, real, and present.

Some popular ways to create a physical reminder of what you want to achieve is through making a vision board. Check out Ellen's below!

Ellen's Vision

Ellen's vision didn't just occur one night and then Oprah called. It was a 5 month crusade of "O, Yes I Can!". She made many unsuccessful attempts to reach Oprah at Harpo studios, unveiled a series of mock O covers, and implored all of her fans to reach out to Oprah.

Success! Ellen's people called Oprah's people and here is the result of their photo shoot.

“That’s why, a few days after our photo session, I give Ellen a call—to talk about the balance she’s obviously achieved in her life, and to get the story behind the glimmer in her eye. ”
— Oprah

What's even more amazing though is that this opportunity didn't stop with just a photo shoot. Oprah loved Ellen's energy and she invited her back for an interview! -- Read the Interview Here!

Better yet, Ellen's vision board didn't stop with Oprah!

Pixar recently announced last year that they're going to make Finding Dory, the sequel to Finding Nemo. 

Turning into a believer of the power of visualization?

Even if you're still skeptical and aren't sure if this is for you the worst thing that can happen is that it won't work. But what if it does? Imagine all that you could achieve and all that you could gain. Isn't that a beautiful thing worth trying for? 

“Enthusiasm is contagious. Start an epidemic!”
— Unknown

We think so.

Come share your vision boards with us on our Facebook Page. We can't wait to hear and share about what you're dreaming about!


Hello Spring! Hello Nature!

Hello Beautiful Weather!

The weather is getting warmer here in Little Rock and I am so excited for multiple reasons. I love warm weather and all of the opportunities it provides for getting outside and enjoying all that nature has to offer. What makes it even better, is that there are multiple ways to enjoy being outside that can reach anyone at any age. So here are my top things I can't wait to do outside this spring:

Spending Time in Two Rivers Park

When I moved to Little Rock last year I found this gem ofa spot and have been hooked ever since. My personal favorite thing to do is to go running in this one mile spot that smells of flowers from around March to April (it's about half a mile or so from the parking lot and over the bridge). It lasted for about a month last year but it was flower scented heaven every breath of my run. I literally ran back and forth in that little stretch because I loved it so much. You don't have to run to enjoy it though. Bike, walk, skate, or any other means of transport you have. Feel free to even bring a friend or loved one to make it fun. Remember, sharing is caring!

Gardening

Spending time in nature has shown MULTIPLE health benefits and gardening is no different. Making a garden and maintaining it is a peaceful and rewarding past time for quite a few reasons:

  • Picking flowers or plants you personally like versus being surrounded by ones already chosen for you.
  • The joy of watching your hard work grow into blooming and colorful flowers.
  • Getting to use fresh herbs from your garden in dishes and drinks (believe me, this is a big one! Fresh herbs elevate dishes and drinks to a whole new level in cooking).
  • The serenity of spending time in your little oasis (read a book, sit and sunbathe, enjoy a tasty beverage in a chair, or chat with friends/family).

I personally love to plant flowers and herbs; this year I plan on tackling some vegetables on my patio garden (more to come later). Whatever type of gardening you decide to participate in, even if it is just one pot, you'll be able to experience the joys of gardening.

Grilling

Grilling not only makes delicious food but it's also a great way to spend time with friends and family while reaping the benefits of being outside. 

Outdoor Activities

A great benefit of living in the natural state is all of the outdoor activities we have access to (especially with warm weather). Here's a few ideas to get you started:

  • Hiking in any of the State Parks
  • Canoeing on the Buffalo River
  • Biking Around Little Rock or the Big Dam Bridge Area
  • Boating, Water Skiing, etc.
  • Swimming and Relaxing by a Pool
  • Climbing Pinnacle Mountain
  • Taking a Picnic Outside

Festivals

Warm weather means it's festival season with a variety of events and fun for all ages. Check back for a post coming soon about fun festivals around the Little Rock area to attend this season.

We'll See You Outside!

 

Wake Up Energized, Tame the Beast & Be Out The Door On Time!

How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? Groggy, cranky, or just that you desperately want another 10 minutes to sleep? I'm sure you've taken that extra 10 minutes numerous times and know that will leave you running out the door without an ounce of food in your belly and leaving the beast (aka your hungry belly) to take control. What if you turned the tables and had a quick, fulfilling fix as you ran out the door? How do you think your day would be different? How do you think your approach in dealing with other commuters on the road to work, interactions with coworkers, and focus on the job would change?

You've heard time and time again that breakfast is the most important meal of the day (which is true!), but there are some morning you just can't possibly fit in the time. Being prepared and having just a couple of options ready will save you time, energy, and focus (and calm the beast in the process)! All you need is a blender and 5 minutes. *To save even more time, invest in a single serve blender (like the Ninja or Magic Bullet) that can be blended and taken with you on the go. You can find some blenders as low as $20 and trust me it will be one of the biggest investments you make. You're worth it!

Here are a couple of very inexpensive and minimal ingredient smoothies for those on the go mornings:

Strawberry Banana 

Blend together all ingredients:

- 1 C. liquid (water, almond milk, cashew milk, or coconut water)

- 1 handful baby spinach

- 1 Tbsp. chia seeds (or 1/2 of an avocado)

- 2 pitted dates (or 1/2 tsp. honey), optional for sweetener 

- 1/2 C. frozen unsweetened strawberries

- 1/2 frozen banana

- Optional: add 1/2 C. of plain yogurt (for added protein)

*If you like your smoothie thinner, add water or more coconut water.

 

Avocado Surprise

Blend together all ingredients:

- 1 C. liquid (water, almond milk, cashew milk, or coconut water)

- 1 handful baby spinach

- 1/2 of an avocado

- 1/2 C. unsweetened frozen blueberries (or your choice of fruit) 

- 1/2 frozen banana (peel & freeze the night before) 

- 2 pitted dates (or 1/2 tsp. honey), optional for sweetener

- Optional: add 1/2 C. of plain yogurt (for added protein)

*If you like your smoothie thinner, add water or more coconut water.