HEALTH TIPS BEGIN!
On April 28 the Connecticut chapter gathered together at Leishas Bakeria for a monthly group wellness meeting. It started off with some light yoga followed by fresh green smoothies. Hanna Schmittat, WFWP member and aspiring naturopathic doctor currently studying at the University of Bridgeport, shared some clean holistic tips for women to relieve stress and gain lasting energy throughout the day. Something we all crave.
There are some simple steps we can do to conserve energy. One simple solution is to schedule time for relaxation during the day. This is critical because sometimes it can seem like the whole world is weighing down on you, so it's important to take time out and relax. You can feel the difference in energy when you take time to do something that you enjoy. Whatever helps you reflect and breathe—whether it is yoga, meditation, prayer, or reading inspirational words—can help your mental and physical health tremendously.
Some basic nutritional habits to keep your body strong are as straightforward as making sure that every day you are getting three things: air, sunlight and water. Especially sunlight, this winter was particularly hard on many of us, so it's time to get outside and soak up that precious vitamin D! Sunlight affects your melatonin and sleep so spending some time outside is definitely beneficial. Of course if your schedule is too busy you can buy vitamin D supplements until you can get out into the sun more.
If you are dealing with long-term stress, such as while being a student, coffee and green tea are something that you should avoid! Think of it like instant gratification—the adrenal glands in your body push out high levels of energy for a moment but then you have to suffer with low levels of energy throughout the rest of the day. Similar to caffeine, sugar oxidizes and damages your tissues; cells are damaged because it hardens your blood cell walls and makes it difficult to pump out blood. Supplement your caffeine needs with wheat grass, which you can order on Amazon (don't forget to use the Amazon Smile tab on the WFWP website!).
Foods you should definitely stick to are fruits, dark green leafs (think kale), and root vegetables like carrots, turnips, and potatoes. These all are great sources of vitamin C and D, and they give your cells energy and can calm down the inflammation in your body. Red meats, bee pollen, and natural yeast are also great sources of Vitamin B-12, which helps cell energy.
So, basically, relax outside and treat yourself to a refreshing green smoothie as often as you can. That doesn't sound so bad, right? Try out the fast and simple green smoothie recipe below.
Keep on the lookout for more healthy ways to impact your spirit and body in upcoming newsletters! This is just the beginning!
Pineapple Banana Green Smoothie (Serves 2)
Ingredients
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 cups chopped kale or spinach
1 1/2 cups chopped pineapple
1 ripe banana, chopped
Directions
Combine the coconut milk, 1/2 cup water, kale, pineapple and banana in a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute, adding more water to reach the desired consistency.