Feed The Body What It Needs

I hear so many people mention how they don't think protein shakes/ smoothies or juices work for them in the morning, because the are starving just a few hours later. 
When you drink a smoothie or juice, you are giving your body nutrients that are readily available to your system. The nutrients are absorbed quickly because the body doesn't need to 'digest' anything.This has triggered your metabolism. Your smoothie/juice has been used up.  

Your body is telling you it needs more 'fuel' to keep you going and keep your blood sugar level. Don't fight your body, feed your body. This is a simple key to healthier living, STOP trying to fight against your body. If we simply listen to our body and make healthy choices when it tells us we are hungry, we can alleviate this sense of starvation or deprivation.

If you have a healthy smoothie or juice in the morning, within a few hours you will most likely feel those hunger pangs. A few small adjustments in your day can keep you feeling happy and full and no blood sugar crashes. 
Things to keep in mind when eating more frequently, keep it small and balanced. Remember to have a good balance of protein, complex carbs (yes, I said eat carbs), and fat. We have been led to astray to believe we must starve our bodies of carbohydrates and fats, when, in fact, these are essential to proper body function. It is key to make smart and healthy choices. 

When you need a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack, think light but filling:
A lettuce wrap filled with black beans and a slice of cheese topped with salsa
Cottage cheese in half an avocado
A handful of raw soaked almonds and an apple
An apple and slice of cheese
Half a sprouted wheat bagel with yogurt cheese spread and tomato slices

The purpose is to feed your body the fuel it needs to function. This will continue to trigger your metabolism. Small meals keep the body 'fueled' so it doesn't think it is going into starvation mode. When the body thinks it's being starved, it saves fat and uses muscle protein first. When you keep the body fueled throughout the day, it keeps the metabolism high and the body turns to those fat cells for more energy. 


A great tip is to always have healthy options in your car, purse or bag, at the office or at home:
Plenty of fresh water, preferably flouride/chorline free
Raw almonds - great protein and fiber source
Bananas
A high quality or homemade protien bar
An Apple 
Natural nut butter with apples or celery

When it comes to lunch and dinner, keep these same tools in mind. Your protein source should be no larger than your fist, around 3-4 ounces typically, complex carbohydrates about the size of your palm and greens/veggies the size of both hands cupped together. Remember to eat small amounts of healthy fats. Avocado, good quaility olive oil or unrefined coconut oil, hemp or flaxseed oil and high quality butter are good sources and our body needs them. The brain is predominantly made of fat.

If you keep these simple tips in mind and plan accordingly, those mid-morning munchies can be tamed with ease, without guilt or the blood-sugar crash.

Be Well-
Angela
Namaste

Lifesafeastllc.com

Easy Peasy Lemon Squeezy Natural Dishwasher Detergent

Of course, everyone likes to save a penny or two, which this recipe is great for. But I also love to not use chemicals to clean my dishes. So this recipe was sent to me by a friend and I had to give it a try. All of the ingredients I already had on hand, so that made it even better. I was already making a homemade powdered dish washing detergent, but I loved that these became cubes. Pop them in and turn it on.
You can't get easier than that!

So here is what you need:
Borax
Washing Soda (NOT baking soda but washing soda, sold in the laudry isle)
Espom salt
Lemon juice
Ice cube trays
Mixing bowls - 2 to be exact
Wooden spoon
Measuring cup
Measuring spoon

In a large bowl, place 1 cup of Barax, 1 cup of Washind Soda and 1/4 cup espom salt and stir well.
Once they are well incorporated, working in batches, take one cup of the mixture and place it into the other bowl and add 4 tablespoons of the lemon juice. It will fizz up a bit, so don't worry.

Mix well. You want a damp and sticky mixture, but not a soupy mixture. When it is done. it should look like this:

Now, lay out your ice cube tray and start with a small amount of mixture and press it into the bottom of the tray. You do not want any air pockets, so by adding a little but at a time and pressing it down, you get a nice, compact cube.

Continue until you fill your tray or run out of mixture. The repeat the process again. Logically speaking, this is done in batches, so if you fill your trays and have left of powdr, you can store it in a baggie or container, but once the lemon juice is in the mix, it will get hard as a rock! Lesson learned.

Once you have your tray or trays filled, set them in a dry location. I set mine outside, as it was a crisp and sunny day. Allow to sit until they are completely dry (timing depends on weather and temperature and humidity and such). When they are dry, pop them out of the ice cube trays and voila!

You really can't get much easier then that, now can you?
To store, I keep them in a ziploc bag. I use one cube per wash cycle.
Things you can add: Essential oils for extra disinfecting, like Tea Tree. Lavender for a soothing scent, anything you like. I add 20 drops into the mixture when I add the lemon juice.
For additional sanatizing and to help with spots on glasses, I add white vinegar to my 'rinse aid' compartment.
We also live in the country and our well watr is highly mineralized, so I need to use Lemi-Shine in my dishwasher as well.

Have fun and enjoy making a safe, natural and economical alternative to commercial detergents!

Life's a Feast!!