What I Ate Today

Hi everyone! I apologize for my lack of blog posts lately; school keeps me very busy! Now that I am on December break I have a second to breathe. I am excited to have these few weeks off to relax and not have to worry about any school work.

I have found that one of the most common questions I am asked is “what do you eat in a day?” To fulfill everyone’s curiosity, I am going to start a new segment on my blog called “What I Ate Today”! Stay tuned for my weekly posts!

When I first woke-up I drank a glass of water. It is very important to hydrate in the morning. This starts your metabolism, wakes up your cells, and prevents dehydration.

Breakfast 

I started my day with a smoothie from one of my favorite places called Naked Fuel. Naked Fuel is a trendy, health-conscious juice bar in West Bloomfield. Everything they offer is dairy-free, gluten-free and refined sugar free. I ordered the “creamsicle” smoothie which has orange, pineapple, mango, and almond milk.  I asked them to add spinach, gotta get your greens people!  I typically make my own smoothies at home but I had a gift card from my mama that I was very excited to take advantage of.

Lunch

For lunch I made a salad with chopped romaine lettuce, steamed zucchini, quinoa, chickpeas, tomatoes and sprinkled nutritional yeast on top. Nutritional yeast is a deactivated yeast that has a cheesy, nutty flavor and is abundant in b vitamins (I literally put it on everything). I made a homemade dressing with balsamic vinegar, garlic powder, pepper, and a drop of olive oil. I usually do not use oil when I cook but once in a while I have it in a salad dressing.

Snacks

For those of you who didn’t know this about me, I am an obsessive tea drinker. I love, love, love tea. Before meals or in the morning I will most likely be drinking green tea, and after meals I will typically have peppermint tea to ease digestion. My other favorites include vanilla chamomile, raspberry, and dandelion root tea. Starbucks has two of my all time favorite teas which are “Youthberry” and “Jade Citrus Mint” made by Teavana.

Aside from green tea, I stick to drinking caffeine-free, herbal teas. Each kind of herbal tea has unique benefits and serves a different purpose. For example, ginger and peppermint teas can be used to ease digestion and reduce nausea, while chamomile tea is more of a calming, sedative tea that can be very helpful for insomnia. I love dandelion tea due to its cleansing properties. Dandelion will help the liver to regenerate and function at a higher capacity.

However, this afternoon I changed it up a bit and sipped on some Yogi brand, lemon ginger tea. I added a little agave: an all natural, low glycemic sweetener. Agave is a great alternative to honey as it tastes similar but is cruelty-free! A few hours after lunch I enjoyed a ripe juicy mango, a pear, and a handful of pistachios.

Dinner

For dinner tonight I went to Chive Kitchen, a cute all vegan restaurant in downtown Farmington and got a Mexican style bowl that had roasted zucchini ribbons, pinto beans, brown rice, lettuce, salsa, cashew sour cream, and toasted pumpkin seeds! So yum! I might have also had a few bites of some banana espresso cake.

***Keep in mind that I usually am cooking more than I eat out at restaurants!

Questions?

Email me at daniellejkeith@gmail.com

Want to jumpstart a healthier lifestyle, lose weight, and detox your system? Download my eBook using this link! https://payhip.com/b/U7AB

 

 

10 Things that Happen When You Drink Lemon Water in The Morning

Why Lemons?

Lemons are a powerhouse citrus fruit. They are packed with B vitamins, vitamin C, calcium, magnesium, iron, potassium and fiber. Keep in mind that the acidity of the lemon can be hard the enamel of your teeth so it is recommended that you dilute it with water – preferably warm water. Drinking lemon water first thing in the morning before your breakfast is when you will benefit most.

10 Things That Happen When You Drink Lemon Water

1. Aids Digestion

Lemon juice will help rid your body of toxins and will also relieve symptoms of indigestion like heart burn, and bloating.

2. Detoxes

Drinking lemon water will cleanse your entire system and will keep your digestive track clear of toxins. It will also prevent the growth of infection and disease-causing pathogenic bacteria.

3. Clears Skin

The anti-oxidants in lemons will help diminish blemishes, prevent acne + wrinkles, age spots, and scars. Lemon juice also detoxes your blood which keeps your skin looking radiant!

4. Supports Immune Health

Lemons are FULL of vitamin C. When you stress, your vitamin C levels are the first the plummet. If you do this every morning, it will help prevent you from getting sick.

5. Excellent Source of Potassium 

Lemons are also filled with potassium. Potassium is an essential mineral that we need for proper nerve and brain function as well as heart health.

6. Metabolism 

Drinking a cup of lemon water in the morning will help to jump-start your metabolism which aids in weight loss over time!

7. Reduces Inflammation 

If you begin drinking lemon water on a daily basis, it will remove uric acid from your joints – which is a main cause of inflammation.

8. Fresh Breath

The acidic content in lemons prevents the growth of bacteria which in turn, prevents bad breath.

9. Regulates High Blood Pressure

Lemons assist in keeping blood vessels soft and pliable which causes blood pressure to be reduced.

10. Weight Loss 

Because of the fiber content, detoxification and metabolism boosting properties, drinking lemon water on a regular basis will promote healthy weight loss.

How much?

Squeeze the juice of 1/2 a lemon into 1 glass of water.

Picture source – http://thespiritscience.net/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/lemon-water.jpg

Diet Coke Addicts: Here’s a Solution that Won’t Kill You

I know both friends and family who can’t go a day without guzzling down their beloved Diet Coke. They tell themselves its okay to drink because it’s calorie free and has the word “diet” printed across it’s label. Just because Diet Coke does not contain any “real” sugar, it doesn’t mean that artificial sweeteners won’t have the same effect on your body.

Artificial sweeteners are chemicals that just like sugar, trigger your insulin, sending your body into fat storage mode which leads to weight gain. A study conducted at Mississippi State University found that by drinking just one diet soda a day, you increase your risk of type 2 Diabetes by 36% as well as your risk for metabolic syndrome. Metabolic syndrome includes a myriad of conditions like high cholesterol, high blood pressure, large waist circumference and elevated glucose levels. All of these things put people at risk for heart disease, type 2 diabetes and stroke.

Diet Coke is FILLED with harmful chemicals, so why do we allow them into our bodies? The diet soda addiction is a real one that is killing us slowly.

I recently have found a drink that I fell in love with. It is called Kombucha! Kombucha is simply fermented tea. It is bubbly, sweet, and especially refreshing when chilled! Most brands of Kombucha have no added sugar and are not made with artificial sweeteners or harsh chemicals. My favorite brand is called GT’s Kombucha (my favorite flavor is either guava goddess or trilogy). Because it is fermented, it does contain trace amounts of alcohol (less than 1%), this gives it almost a beer flavor. Kombucha contains yeast and bacteria that initiate the fermenting process. After it becomes fermented, this beverage contains essential b-vitamins, probiotics and enzymes that aid in:

• Weight Loss
• Improved Digestion
• Increased Energy
• Cleansing and Detoxification
• Immune Support
• Reduced Joint Pain
• Cancer Prevention

You can find Kombucha at almost any grocery store. They range from $2-4 dollars a bottle, but I assure you, it is worth it! If you’re craving a drink other than water, Kombucha is the way to go. Instead of harming your body, it will show your body some love!

picture source: http://healthblog.dallasnews.com/files/2015/02/img-thing1.jpg

5 Foods You Think Are Healthy (But Really Aren’t)

There are so many foods out there that we perceive to be “health” foods but between the media, advertisements, the food pyramid and commercials, we as a society have become confused about what foods are TRULY healthy. I am here to help you out a little bit!

1. Fish
   

I think the number one food people believe to be healthy is fish. Hate to break it to you but it’s not. Let me explain. Fish contains zero dietary fiber, it is high in fat + cholesterol, and it is highly toxic. There are two kinds of fish: factory farmed and wild caught. Farmed fish are raised in similar conditions to factory farmed animals. Their enclosures are filled with feces which leads to parasite and disease outbreaks. In order to keep the fish alive in these horrible conditions, chemicals, pesticides, and antibiotics are poured into their tanks. Wild caught fish are better but not still not great. They still contain an astronomical amount of mercury, the second most toxic element on earth. A word of advice from me to you, skip the fish!

2. Granola

Store bought granola is advertised as being quite the health food, I know I used to think it was a great breakfast option. However, when you buy granola from the store instead of making it yourself, it will most likely be high in added sugar, fat, oil, and artificial ingredients. Just because it comes in a pretty box that says organic across the front does not mean it is good for you. Try making your own granola at home instead.

Healthy Granola Recipe: http://simpleveganblog.com/oil-free-granola/

 

3. Bars

Fiber, protein and energy bars appear to be a great healthy grab-and-go snack but most of them are pretty close to the nutritional profile of a candy bar. For example, a Nutrigrain bar contains 11 grams of sugar and has a laundry list of unrecognizable, artificial, unhealthy ingredients.

Healthy bar option – Lara bars are by far the healthiest out there! They contain just a few, all natural ingredients. Although they are a little higher in fat, it is healthy fat coming from nuts.

4. Yogurt

Yogurt is another one of those foods I used to eat all the time thinking it was good for me. Turns out I was very wrong. Yogurt contains dairy, and dairy is very harmful to the body (causes inflammation, creates weaker bones, high in cholesterol + high in fat and pus). Yogurt is also filled with TONS of added sugar. Having this much sugar is like the equivalent of eating a bag of candy. Along with sugar yogurt also contains artificial ingredients that do not belong inside our bodies.

5. Brown Sugar

Brown sugar has always been thought as being a healthier sweetener alternative simply because its brown! We know that eating brown (whole grain) bread is better than white bread so we probably applied that same principle to brown sugar. I’ll let you in on a secret. Brown sugar is just white sugar mixed with molasses. Forget the brown sugar and use sweeteners like coconut sugar, maple sugar or date sugar!

If you have further questions feel free to email me at daniellejkeith@gmail.com

Healthy Living: The Key to Staying Motivated

Avoiding the junk food when you’re on a diet seems almost impossible! It takes a lot of will power to say “no” to the desserts at a birthday party, the bread at Italian restaurants and dipping into the candy bowl on Halloween. Throughout my health journey, I have come to a certain realization.

If you are going to dedicate yourself to living a healthy lifestyle, you cannot rely on will power.

You have to BELIEVE in what you’re doing. Your body deserves the best care; why would you fuel it with garbage? Why would you put something into your body that would only cause it harm? Self-love means asking yourself what you need everyday, then making sure you receive it. Eating healthy and staying active are the greatest forms of self-care and self-love. I truly believe health is the greatest gift you can give yourself. One of the best parts of eating healthy foods like fruits and vegetables is the fact that these foods LOVE you back!

When you start making healthier choices you will not only see physical results, but you will begin to feel results from the inside out!

Once you get in the habit of eating healthy, you will believe in what you’re doing more and more. Do some research on your own, educate yourself! Knowledge is power. Find out why certain foods are bad for you and why they cause harm to your body. Most people would never smoke a cigarette because they know it causes lung cancer. If you knew eating animal products like dairy, meat and eggs caused diseases like cancer, type 2 diabetes and heart disease would you stop eating them?

I heard this quote and while back and it really motivated me to eat clean and start living a healthy lifestyle. I thought I would share it with you.

“Take care of your body, it is the only place you have to live”

If you’re interested in living a healthier lifestyle and want to learn more, feel free to email me at daniellejkeith@gmail.com

Get Fit With Me: 10 Simple Steps

Follow these 10 steps, and you’ll be on your way to being more fit, healthy and toned!

1. Replace all beverages with water! Skip the chemical laden soda and sugary fruit juices, drink your H2O. Make sure you’re drinking a minimum of 64 ounces of water a day. This will flush out unwanted toxins, hydrate your cells, and energize you!

2. Say goodbye to bleached, refined flour! Try buying whole grain pasta, as well as whole grain bread. Make sure all your grains are “whole” grains. For example, this means eating brown rice instead of white rice. When a grain is refined it is stripped of its nutrients, fiber and minerals. Refined grains digest quickly therefore instead of using this food for energy, your body stores it as fat.

3. Replace dairy milk with non-dairy milk. Milk is high in saturated fat, cholesterol, and a bunch of other junk that does not belong in our bodies! There are so many options out there like almond milk, cashew milk, hemp milk, soy milk, rice milk, etc. I personally use unsweetened vanilla almond milk! It has 50% more calcium than dairy-milk.

4. Sleep. Sleep. Sleep. The fat burning process actually happens at night when you’re asleep so if you’re lacking in sleep, don’t expect optimal fat burn. Sleep is also vital for proper brain function, repairing cells and providing energy.

5. Skip the oil in the kitchen! Steam your veggies, don’t sauté. Oil is pure fat and it is highly refined! Instead of pouring fat all over your food, use alternatives like low sodium veggie broth or water!

6. Start your morning with a metabolism boosting breakfast. Smoothies are the perfect way to do this. My favorite smoothie is using almond milk (your preferred amount), 2 bananas, 1 cup frozen mango, 2 cups raw spinach and 1 tbsp ground flax.

7. Eat snacks – you never want to slow your metabolism down. Choose healthy snacks like a bowl of fruit, veggies with hummus, or whole grain toast with avocado spread!

8. Cut out the sugar. Try to limit yourself to only having naturally sweetened food like fruit. Read the labels of the food you buy! Sugar is in everything from bread, to marinara sauce to chips. There are so many sugar alternatives out there like coconut sugar, date sugar or maple sugar!

9. Limit your animal product intake (dairy, eggs, meat). Animal products are filled with unhealthy fats, cholesterol, and toxins. All of these things are proven to be linked to heart disease, cancer, type 2 diabetes, and obesity. Try to incorporate as many whole, plant foods as possible into your diet.

10. Get your heart pumping. Getting physical activity is so important to keeping your heart healthy as well as your entire body. My advice would be to find something you LOVE doing. I started lifting weights and I absolutely love it! Go for a bike ride, take a yoga class, go for a hike!

Have questions or need further help changing your lifestyle? Email me at daniellejkeith@gmail.com

picture above: @teatannedtoned on instagram

How to Lose Weight and Actually Keep it Off

Did you know that 95% of people who go on a diet experience failure and regain their weight lost within 1-5 years? The majority of people eat unhealthily on a regular basis, and on occasion they will try to eat healthful meals. Wouldn’t it be much more logical for us to eat healthy all the time and then treat ourselves once in a while?

Most Americans are not receiving proper vitamins and nutrients due to lack of eating fruits, vegetables, complex carbs, etc. The standard American diet contains way too many simple carbohydrates, refined sugar, sodium, saturated fat, and trans fat (the list goes on). People who are over-weight are over-fed but are still considered to be nutritionally starving.

For the past 6 months, my main goal has been to create for myself a long lasting healthy lifestyle. I use breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks in between as opportunities to nourish my body with the nutrients it needs to function properly.

The main issue with dieting is that it is temporary. I know so many girls my age will want to go on a 3 day juice cleanse to prepare their “bikini body” but then will continue eating unhealthy afterwards. Diets like Nutrisystem that deliver meals to your door is very convenient, but let’s be honest, you are not going to have every meal pre-packaged and delivered to you for the rest of your life. Liquid/shake diets are also setting you up for failure. Simply put, it is not realistic to be on a shake diet forever. It is impossible for your body to receive all the essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals from a shake.  You need to be eating a variety/an abundance of healthy foods in order to fuel your body with everything it requires. Weight watchers is another one that is difficult to maintain for the long-term. Although all of these diets may very well help you lose weight in the short term, they are extremely unrealistic to maintain for the long term.

So, do you want to lose weight and actually keep it off for good?  What I am about to tell you is actually quite simple and is definitely no secret. Instead of “dieting” for short periods of time and then going back to your old ways, try making a new lifestyle for yourself.

In the beginning of my health journey, I knew in order to be truly successful I would have to make eating healthy a habit. You know when smokers are trying to quit they always talk about getting over that 3-day-hump? Well, you can apply that same principle to healthy eating. Once you make a habit out of eating healthy, it will become your normal. After you have made it into a lifestyle, of course you can treat yourself once in a while. However, I do have to say, there are plenty of ways to make healthy desserts, and healthier ways to make your favorite comfort foods.

When you actually change your lifestyle, you change the whole course of your life. You set yourself up for success instead of failure. When it comes to healthy eating and working out, most people abuse the phrase “I’ll start tomorrow”. Why start tomorrow when you can start right now! Changing what you eat for a week is not going to help you lose weight and keep it off. Changing what you eat for life will.

Need help getting started? I am now offering health coaching services! Email me at daniellejkeith@gmail.com so I can help you begin your journey to a healthier, happier you!

BEST COOKIE RECIPE EVER (these are guilt-free and healthy) – http://detoxinista.com/2014/07/the-healthiest-cookies-ever-paleo-vegan/