Summer is a busy time of year with travelling, flying, parties, BBQs, or family gathering. It is easy to slip off the wagon and compromise our health goals. I have some life-saving tips for you!
It is the season when we enjoy light cooking, salads, grilling, and gathering around food with family and friends... or eating out while exploring new places.
How do you stay healthy when eating out?
• At the restaurant, opt for simple foods: side of vegetables, salads, soups, grains, grilled protein. Ask for low sodium, half dressing or on the side. Stay away from the bread, butter, dips, sauces, fried foods and drinks. To reduce portions, share a dish and bulk up with side dishes or salads. My kids often share a dish for two. Take leftover food home for your next meal.
• When going to a party, eat a light snack before heading out such as fruit or raw vegetables dipped in hummus, so you are less inclined to raid the buffet. Offer to bring a dish. At least there will be one healthy option you can have! Go for light and simply prepared dishes, such as raw vegetables, fruit, salads, side vegetable dishes, grilled protein, legumes and whole grains. Stay away from anything drenched in mayo, fried, sugar-ladden or processed. Choose red wine and sparkling water, over cocktails and sodas to reduce sugar consumption.
• When on the go, stock up on healthy snacks like cut-up vegetables, fresh and dried fruit, hummus, nuts, seeds, granola bars, and crackers. Pack your food in non-leaching containers like paper, glass, china, or stainless steel to avoid toxin exposure.
• When travelling by plane, bring all your snacks and meals. The meals they offer on the plane are dead food, full of unhealthy ingredients, refined carbs, fats, sodium and sugar that can only make you feel bloated and tired, while lengthening your jet lag recovery. I usually pack fresh fruit and chopped vegetables in ziploc bags, trail mix, oatmeal, lentil salad and hard-boiled eggs, as well as tea bags.
• Stay hydrated! We often confuse hunger with thirst.
Generally, locate the local health food stores or farmers markets before arrival and plan your trip accordingly, so you don’t have to give in to the fast food restaurants planted everywhere.
When you are dealing with food sensitivities, aside from wanting to eat clean foods (think organic, non GMO, no additives), do your homework and research ahead of time. Check the menu online, call the restaurant and verify that they know how to handle food sensitivities and cross-contamination. Nothing worse than spending money on a meal that will make you sick for days on.
My favorite search for restaurants and other businesses is Yelp. I type in my criteria: organic, gluten free, price, location, etc. and select a place based on the reviews, menus and photos. A picture often speaks louder than words! I am pretty active on Yelp, so feel free to check my 100+ reviews under my personal Yelp profile: Alexandra Le Ny
Hopefully these tips will help you stay healthy when traveling and leave you with a positive experience!
For more information, please consult with me.
Alexandra Le Ny Certified Health Coach & Yoga Instructor 925 858 2133 “Empowering individuals to reclaim their health and happiness and regain balance in all areas of their life.” http://alexandraleny.com/health-coaching/Home.html https://www.facebook.com/healthcoachingalexandraleny https://instagram.com/alexandraleny/ http://www.pinterest.com/alexandraleny/ http://www.yelp.com/biz/alexandra-le-ny-health-coaching-san-ramon
Despite all the precautions I take when eating out by choosing restaurants who pride themselves in using local, organic, sustainable ingredients and offer gluten-free options, I recently suffered from gluten exposure. I got "glutened" through cross-contamination at one of my favorite restaurants. Aside from the immediate reaction (tongue swelling, bloating, cramping), I also endured various side effects (headache, acne, fatigue, insomnia, etc.) for many days afterwards, which lowered my immunity to the point of catching a nasty cold days later that I am still recovering from.
Looking for summer recipes that will help you cool down on hot summer days?
Aim for ingredients that have a cooling energy such as celery, coconut, citrus, cucumber, mint, strawberry, tomato, watermelon, etc. Prefer raw foods over cooked foods and definitely stay away from hot, fried and spicy foods.
Here is a list of my favorite summer recipes (from my website):
BREAKFAST
Blueberry Muffins
Chia Pudding
Coconut Yogurt
Seed Bread
STARTERS
Eggplant Dip
Hummus
Kale Chips
Pesto
ENTREES
Cauliflower Rice
Citrus-Herb Chicken
French Lentils Salad with Beets & Fennel
Frittata
Greek Salad
Mediterranean Zucchini stuffed with Beef
Mexican Quinoa Salad
Pasta with Pesto & Zucchini
Polenta with Basil & Sundried Tomatoes
Quinoa & Chickpea Salad
Quinoa Sushi-style
Salmon Tartare
Sardines & Grilled Vegetables
Shrimps, Kale & Shiitake Asian-style
Spiralized Zucchini
Tabbouleh
DESSERTS
Banana Ice Cream
Berry Chia Jam
Berry Crumble
Chocolate Mousse
Raw Almond Balls
Raw Bites
DRINKS
Berry Smoothie
Carrot Juice
Chocolate Shake
Green Juice
Hemp Milk
Lemon Water
Tropical Smoothie
Stay cool :)
Alexandra Le Ny Certified Health Coach & Yoga Instructor 925 858 2133
“Empowering individuals to reclaim their health and happiness and regain balance in all areas of their life.”
I am not a smoothie kind of girl. It may shock you to hear it from a Health Coach, but I prefer to chew my food and drink my liquids.
In my culture, we sit down at every meal and make it a ritual. It is a social thing, a time for ourselves or to connect with other human beings. We don't drive, work, phone, text, read or watch TV while eating. Besides distraction interferes with digestion. When you practice mindful eating, you feel satisfied, satiated and you digest well. For optimal nutrient absorption, foods are always best eaten in their whole form and well-chewed, so they can be processed by your digestive enzymes.
I only use my Vitamix to make a berry smoothie to sneak other liquid or powdered supplements such as chlorella and spirulina powders (since they taste gross alone!) and to get my daily dose of high-antioxidant berries, especially when they are hard to find in the winter. I typically buy them organic to avoid pesticides and frozen since they are more economical. I also like to make occasional treats like a tropical smoothie on a hot summer day or a decadent superfoods hot cocoa in the winter.
Unless you are always on the go, skip meals (which is a terrible “no” for blood sugar and weight loss) or don't eat enough vegetables & fruit, there is no need for a daily smoothie. If you do, be careful if you like to mix fruit & veggies together, they are not the best food combination, and can often lead to bloating, gas and discomfort if your digestion is sensitive. Fruit should be eaten alone or they will ferment in your digestive tract and you can imagine the rest. When sweetening your smoothie, stick to fresh or dried fruit.
I just saved you $400 from buying a fancy blender or from grabbing a daily smoothie to work that you can now invest in coaching sessions ;)
Our skin is our largest organ and we need at least 6-8 glasses of water daily for our body to perform optimally. The problem is that our “clean water” is infused with chlorine (or chloramine, depending on where you live), fluoride, heavy metals, and VOCs, which are known to cause disease including cancer, Alzheimer, Parkinson.
If you want to optimize your health and prevent disease, you need to reduce your exposure to toxins. These are essentially found in our food supply, our hygiene products, our house cleaning products, household items sprayed with fire retardants, silver amalgams, EMFs, and the air we breathe.
The water you use for showering, bathing, washing dishes, cooking, and drinking is likely to be contaminated with pesticides, herbicides, and other toxins (heavy metals, chlorine, fluoride, VOCs, etc.). If you suffer from thyroid issues, it is especially important since chlorine and fluoride block the absorption of iodine by the thyroid. The same goes for Alzheimer and Parkinson diseases, since heavy metals are known to interfere with brain function.
I recommend investing in a good water filtration system (carbon filter or reverse osmosis) that is NSF-certified for your home to ensure that you are drinking the purest water possible. You can choose a whole-house filtration system. A less invasive and more affordable option would be a counter or under-counter system for your kitchen sink.
Did you know that we absorb more water by taking a shower or bath, than through the water we drink daily? Consider installing a shower filter, because once these toxins found in your tap water are heated and become airborne in your shower, they cause more damage to your body through your skin and lungs, than from drinking unfiltered water.
Water is essential for our body to function optimally, so aim for 8 glasses of filtered water daily either plain, or with a squeeze of lemon or lime, a dash of fruit juice, some cut-up fruit to infuse the water, or in the form of herbal teas. Take a metal water bottle everywhere you go and set an alarm on your cell every hour as a reminder to stay hydrated.
Do you feel like you have lost control over your health & happiness and lost balance in your life? Health issues start creeping in that prescription drugs cannot seem to tame. You are cruising through life, without really feeling alive nor happy.
My name is Alexandra Le Ny. I am a certified Health Coach & Yoga Instructor. My work is that of a Nutritionist & Life Coach. I help my clients reclaim their health and happiness, by making realistic and sustainable changes to their diet and lifestyle, so they can regain balance in all areas of their life: body-mind-spirit.
I have a holistic approach to health, taking into account diet, lifestyle, exercise, work, relationships, and personal growth. I draw from my knowledge in nutrition, supplements, herbs, aromatherapy, and homeopathy to support their healing. I go down to the root cause of health problems, which are often connected to the heath of our guts, to eradicate them once and for all. I provide all the necessary lifestyle tools to help my clients transform and balance their life so they can thrive. When you are in a state of balance, there is no disease nor dissatisfaction.
My goal is to empower my clients so they are no longer a victim. As a Coach, I put the power back in your hands so you can heal yourself. I would love to talk to you! Contact me through my website at www.alexandraleny.com.
Alexandra Le Ny, CHC & Yoga Instructor 925 858 2133
I have been speaking at a few public events lately and each time my audience asks me how they can improve their health and happiness, despite their busy life.
First and foremost I am sorry to break it to you, but there is no magic pill. You have to do the work and commit to yourself. Nobody else can do the work for you. Take your power back and take charge of yourself. Only you know your body best, so stop giving your power away to prescription drugs that come with a slew of debilitating side-effects, to your doctor, to the media or the latest fad diet and eventually blaming them for your shortfalls. Educate yourself, empower yourself.
I also recommend that you surround yourself with a system that is supportive of your health goals. You can achieve it by reading health news, subscribing to online programs, signing-up for a form or exercise you enjoy, finding a like-minded accountability partner like a family member, friend or coach, and work your way up from there. Start somewhere, anywhere, one baby step at a time.
Now if you want lasting results, you need to approach your health from a body-mind-spirit perspective, taking into account diet, lifestyle, exercise, but also prevention and self-care, because everything is connected. You can't merely count calories when you are trying to lose weight. You want to look at your exercise regimen, stress levels, body image, emotions, toxicity and the health of your guts.
In order to succeed, always keep your eyes on the WHY you are doing this. Are you trying to lose weight, age gracefully, stay disease-free, or reduce pain? Whatever it is, it will keep you motivated. With every decision you make, ask yourself: "Is this decision supportive of my health?".
To your health and happiness!
Alexandra Le Ny, Certified Health Coach & Yoga Instructor
A lot of people begin the New Year by making resolutions. We've all been there. We take a vow to lose weight, exercise more or spend more time with our family. We start the year with great intentions, but then we quickly relapse into old habits. Why is it so hard to stick to those New Year's resolutions?
Here are some ways you can make your intentions a reality this year:
Write down your intentions and keep them in a visible place, like taped to your bedroom mirror or the dashboard of your car. Get to the source of whatever is keeping you in a rut. Are you in a stressful relationship that causes you to eat a pint of Ben & Jerry's every night? Are you stressed at your job and feel too tired to exercise after work? If you don't tackle the root of the behavior, it will be much harder to accomplish your goal. Be clear about what your life would look like once you achieve your goal. If you resolve to go to the gym more, how will this benefit you? Get connected to the result of your action, and you will be more likely to stick with your plan. Share your resolutions with friends and family. Hold each other accountable for achieving your goals. If you want to go to the gym more, have a friend call you two or three times a week to check on you or invite them to join you.
Reward yourself with every little accomplishment. If your intention is to lose weight and you lose 1 pound a week, pamper yourself with a massage.
Big changes do not require big leaps. Permanent change is more likely to happen gradually than through one big restrictive plan. Allow yourself to climb the ladder one rung at a time.
• Do you want to maintain a healthy weight without counting calories and constantly stressing over what you eat? • Do you want to enjoy your family and friends fully without losing yourself? • Do you want to celebrate without the side effects?
In this practical class, I will give you all the necessary tools to avoid gaining weight and keep your sanity despite all the commitments during the holidays! You will regain control over your life, enjoy delicious foods without the side effects nor the guilt, and stay zen in the midst of the frenzy.
You will learn to:
• Establish healthy eating and lifestyle habits • Eat like the French • Control your cravings and overcome emotional eating • Establish safe boundaries while celebrating • Find balance
Cost: $50, early bird registration: $45 before November 1st. Space is limited!!
Register NOW by signing-up online www.theyogacompany.com
WHEN: Saturday, November 14TH from 2:00pm - 4:00pm
WHERE: The Yoga Company, 2410 San Ramon Valley Blvd #129, SAN RAMON, CA 94583, 925.838.9642