The Hardships of Being 5

#StyleMeJuly challenge Day 27: a la me at 5- y/o

The Hardships of being 5 

Healthy Tip: Eating at 5 isn't easy.  The world is full of so many delicious choices!  Delicious and incredibly unhealthy!  Unfortunately, parents can't put a stop to junk food marketing geared toward children and can't monitor what's going into little Suzie's mouth at school, birthday parties or on play dates.  What you can do is set up good nutrition habits at home.  As a general rule, don't have anything in your home that you wouldn't want your child eating.  How fair is it if you are noshing on cookies at night when they are expected to eat carrots?  Lead by example and set up healthy eating habits early.  It's going to shape their minds (and bodies!) for the the rest of their lives.

Fashionista Wannabe: Dressing at 5 isn't easy either.  When I was 5, I idolized (and still do) my sister who was 9 yrs older and a true child of the 80's.  Her hair impressively filled the entire frame of her 11th grade picture.  Meanwhile, I was stuck in animal prints, neon bright cutesy dresses and forced to sport uncool, flat hair. For today's fashion challenge, I wiped out the blazer, chunky necklace, denim shorts and Ked-like Toms to give me a blast back to the cool big sister style I dreamed of pulling off at 5.

In Molly Ringwald loving health,

Joanie   

Joanie Johnson, CHC

Motivated Nutrition

www.motivatednutrition.net

814-442-5311

Toxic- Free Summer Feet

#StyleMeJuly challenge Day 26

Toxic-Free Summer Feet 

Healthy Tip: Personally, I hate the look of my "naked" toenails.  When we're in the sandal days of summer, I like to dress them up in bright colors.  Before you go coating those adorable tootsies in this season's hottest palate, stop and make yourself aware of the chemicals you could be exposing yourself to.  Many polishes contain a harmful trio of toxins: Toluene- an eye, throat and lung irritant, Dibutyl phthalate (DBP)-which can cause reproductive harm, and Formaldehyde- a known carcinogen.
Opt for a non-toxic, earth and people loving products instead! Priti NYC, butter London, and Scotch Naturals are three to try. 

Fashionista Wannabe: Floor burns, bruised and missing toenails, callouses, broken toes: "fashionable" feet just don't happen when you're a dancer.  My feet spend a majority of their days (in all seasons) either bare or rockin' out in my hot pink and black Nike kicks.  I'm TRYING to be a fashionista...really I am.  

In brightly colored, non-carcinogenic health,

Joanie   :)

Joanie Johnson, CHC

Motivated Nutrition

www.motivatednutrition.net

814-442-5311

Regulations on Sugar and Ratty Tee's

#StyleMeJuly challenge Day 25

Whiteout: Regulations on Sugar and Ratty Tee's

Healthy Tip: We all know the unhealthy effects of over-indulging in alcohol.  No one is going to argue that an alcohol induced "blackout" is harmful to our bodies.  It's about time we start viewing a sugar "whiteout" with the same seriousness.  New research published in the scientific journal, Nature, states the sugar is toxic to our systems and should have regulations similar to alcohol.  Sugar alters your state of mind, metabolism, hormones, blood pressure and in excess over time leads to obesity and liver disease.*  (*Read it to believe it).  I know what you're thinking, "That would never happen to me. I don't eat that much sugar!"  Unless you live on a 100% whole, living foods diet, you're probably consuming A LOT more sugar than you realize.

What's a super sweet tooth to do?  Get more natural sweeteners into your diet to control your cravings.

• Eat fruits and sweet vegetables
• Drink seltzer with a little juice instead of soda
• Chew grains thoroughly for a sweet taste
• Make your own cookies, treats and baked goods using natural sweeteners like honey, maple syrup, agave, or molasses. 

Fashionista Wannabe: I'm working from home today and getting lots of writing done.  I used this as an excuse to dig my favorite ratty Tee out of the "get rid of" pile to wear just this one last time.  (I have said this on more than one occasion.)  How about this?  I promise never to wear this shirt out in public again if you promise to consume less sugar and eat more natural sweeteners.  Deal? 

In naturally sweetened health,

Joanie

Joanie Johnson, CHC

Motivated Nutrition

www.motivatednutrition.net

814-442-5311

Ring me Up...but wait until after I've had my coffe

#StyleMeJuly challenge Day 24

Ring Me Up...but wait until after I've had my coffee

Healthy Tip: A soothing cup of coffee is the first thing I think about when my feet hit the floor in the morning.  While shopping for my latest batch of beans I began to wonder what all the confusing claims on the packages meant.  Like all of the food I purchase, I like to be an educated consumer.  I got to the bottom of it and here's what I found.

100% Arabica vs Robusta:  Arabica- more robust flavors, harder to grow and more expensive, used by small roasters.  Robusta- used by most commercial roasters, big body, not much flavor, inexpensive. 

Fair Trade Certified: The company pays their workers honest living wages.  However, "honest living wages" are still open to interpretation.  

Organic: The coffee has been grown and roasted without the use of herbicides or pesticides. This makes it better for the environment and some will argue this but I say better for YOU.

"Shade grown", “Bird Friendly”, “Rainforest Alliance Certified” :  This means the farmer hasn't wiped out the entire rainforest in order to give you a cup-o-joe in the morning. "Shade grown" isn't strictly regulated so look for "Rainforest Alliance Certified" to insure regulation or best yet "Bird Friendly" because they are also organic

Blends: This means your beans have come from 2 different regions.  Sometimes rosters use a blend to cover up the taste of flawed beans.  A real coffee connoisseur won't tolerate it and prefers single origin beans. 

Fashionista Wannabe: My younger sister made this ring out of bendable wire and it's one of my favorites.  I "borrowed" it from her dresser last time I visited.  (Jen, can I keep this please?  And maybe have 3 more while you're at it?)  

In caffeinated health,

Joanie

Joanie Johnson, CHC

Motivated Nutrition

www.motivatednutrition.net

814-442-5311

Black & White: The basics of a healthy diet

#StyleMeJuly challenge Days 19 and 20

Black & White: The basics of a healthy diet

Healthy Tip: If only knowing what to put into our bodies was as simple as black and white.  The food industry makes it near impossible to do simple things like TRUST what they are advertizing, read and UNDERSTAND food labels, and promote healthy foods instead of government subsidized products like dairy, beef and corn.  The solution?  Incorporate as many whole foods as possible into your diet.  WHOLE as in found in mother nature in it's natural state.  Make a consistent effort to not eat anything that has come out of a box, bag or can.  It's easier than you think.  Our bodies don't recognize ingredients like chemicals, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, and everything else on the label that you can't pronounce as real food.  That means our bodies don't exactly know what to do with it.  This leads to excess fat, low energy and leaves us prone to disease and illnesses.  EAT REAL FOOD!  Throw away the junk and get back to the basics. 

Fashionista Wannabe: Ok, so I'm cheating.  I'm combining day 19 and 20, black and white with a long necklace.  A wonderful friend of mine gave me a gift certificate to Anthropologie and this dress was my special purchase.  I love getting gift cards that force you to buy clothing!  My necklace is a piece from another friend with a jewelry line, Lyndsay Skeegan Designs.  I'm lucky to have such wonderful amigos! 

In whole food health,

Joanie

Joanie Johnson, CHC

Motivated Nutrition

www.motivatednutrition.net

814-442-5311

Bangles that feed the soul

#StyleMeJuly challenge Day 18

Bangles that feed the soul

Healthy Tip: You can't help but experience happiness when you are surrounded with things you love.  May that be your job, your clothing, family, the foods you eat, the friends you hang out with, your coveted time to focus on yourself at the gym.  These are what I call the primary foods in our lives.  The food that we eat is only secondary.  What really nurtures our spirit and feeds our soul is our primary food and the experiences we have every day.  What primary food are you lacking in your life?  What can you do to "eat" more of what you need?

Fashionista Wannabe: These bangles are a souvenir from my time in India.  I spent 5 weeks traveling throughout northern India with my boyfriend and LOVE that I have these as a memento.  India was a difficult country for me to handle.  I found the energy, the culture, and the people overwhelming.  But within all the chaos the country has so much serene beauty.  Wearing these bangles reminds me to find peace within life's chaotic energy. 

In "eat more primary food" health,

Joanie

Joanie Johnson, CHC

Motivated Nutrition

www.motivatednutrition.net

814-442-5311

Daydream Vacation: Life's a Peach

#StyleMeJuly challenge Day 17 

Daydream Vacation: Life's a Peach

Healthy Tip: When was the last time you took a mid-workday "vacation" to re-energize your brain?   I had 15 minutes between teaching classes today and rushed to the nearest NYC green spot I could find to kick off my shoes and munch on the juicy peach I'd been dreaming about in my bag all morning.  Did you know that taking a "brain break" will increase your productivity?  Next time you think you are too busy to kick off your shoes, eat lunch in the park, take a walk or do jumping jacks in your office, remember that you will get much more done once your brain waves kick back into action.  You'll return to your work with much more focus, clarity and motivation.  Tell your boss I said so.  :)  And eat peach while you're at it.  It's good for you.  

Fashionista Wannabe: Do bare feet count as fashion?  They do today.  Life's a peach.  Kick off your shoes, scrunch your toes in the grass and take a 15 min "vacation".  

In daydreaming health,

Joanie

Joanie Johnson, CHC

Motivated Nutrition

www.motivatednutrition.net

814-442-5311