Feel Good Friday: 5 Simple Things You Can Do Right Now For Your Health

1. Drink More Water – You should drink half your weight in ounces of water a day. For instance if you weigh 200 lbs., you should be drinking 100 oz. of water a day. 

One thing I do to get this accomplished, is fill up on water first thing in the am. To prevent nausea, and because it is awesome for your digestive system, I drink warm water. It may seem counterintuitive, but try you might be surprised. 

2. Eat Your Colors – Different colored foods provide different nutrients. Try to get as many colorful things on your plate as you can!

 Not friends with veggies, yet? Add them to a smoothie. I promise you, the benefits are amazing, and they are delicious. Don't be scared! 

                                                      [Source: Healthy Times Blog]

3. Shop the Perimeter of the Store – All of the fresh foods in the grocery stores are along the perimeter. Stay out of the aisles and you will be less tempted to get processed food.

Start by ditching boxed foods. These things are usually very high in sodium, and they are just not good for you. Plus, nothing from a box tastes as good as the real thing. I used to love boxed jambalaya, that was until I learned to cook it from scratch. There is no substitute for fresh food. You're saying, okay, but I don't have the time. Try using a crockpot. There is nothing better than coming home and having dinner already done and waiting for you!

4. Give Gratitude to Your Food- Saying grace or giving thanks honors your food. It has given you its energy (calories = energy) be grateful! 

My Blessing is: Creator thank you for the blessing of this food. I give thanks to all the living beings that gave their energy so to that I might use it. Also please bless anyone and everyone who had a hand in bringing it to my table. Let it nourish my body and my soul. Amen!

5. Cook!! – We all know home cooked is best!! You control the quality of ingredients. Processed foods always have more sodium and sugar than you would put in your food yourself.

Plan ahead so you know what you are cooking. Again pull out that crock pot, if you're short on time. Don't know how? The web is full of info on cooking.

Or you could try cooking with this guy:

Small Changes Count!!

XOXO, 
Riss

Feel Good Friday: National Reading Month

So, March is National Reading Month, what does that mean? It means: READ A BOOK this month. If you don't read any other month you simply must read in March, and hurry there are only 11 more days! Even if you just take the time to read to a child in your life, read. It is a gift to be literate, and you should not take it for granted.

I teach reading at a community college and on one of the beginning of the semester survey's a student wrote, "I hate reading, I don't like reading, I hate reading", but even he is reading during National Reading Month thanks to his persistent overbearing professor.

I am currently reading two books: The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver with my class, and Queen Sugar by Natalie Baszile. I had already read The Bean Trees, but rereading it with my students has been fantastic.

 Now, on to Queen Sugar. I really like this book. I am currently on chapter 17, and didn't want to put it down to write this! Please join the book club if you haven't yet. I couldn't wait to the end of the month to talk about it, so I have added a post to the forum: http://hella-natural-forums.62808.x6.nabble.com/Queen-Sugar-f13.html. Chime in!

That's all for now, I gotta go read!

XOXO,
Riss

I truly believe books to be transformative. What books have you read that have shaped you or changed your perspective? 

Feel Good Friday: Laughter is the Best Medicine

     When I was growing up, my mom subscribed to Reader's Digest. She did this because she hoped that one day Publisher's Clearinghouse would come bring us a big check. Well they never came, but faithfully every month Reader's Digest would show up.  I would snuggle up with the mag, so I could read a feature called Laughter is the Best Medicine. Those jokes would crack me up!

      So today, as an ode to Reader's Digest, I present Laughter is the Best Medicine Hella Natural Style. Watch this video, and try not to laugh. Then, comment with your corniest joke.




XOXO,
Riss

P.S. What does a nosey pepper do?
Get's jalapeno business!