Mind Games and Food - A visit from The Wellness RN

We were thrilled to welcome Heather Ratliff, The Wellness RN to our FUEL discussion.  Heather is a Registered Nurse and Health Coach. Heather is passionate about helping people dig through all the information and discover a what healthy lifestyle really looks like... and how to get there.

In our "Mind Games and Food" discussion, Heather talked about the barriers we are up against when it comes to eating healthy.  We have printed handouts at Just Move or if you contact us, we will email you the PDF.

Some food for thought from Heather Ratliff:

• The most sacred thing you do for your health is go to the grocery store.  (think about that for a minute - Wow!)
• About 8 hours of your day should be getting good sleep, 1 hour should be spent on food preparation, about 30 minutes should be exercising and 30 minutes on mindfulness/stress management.  That leaves 14 hours left in your day!  How are you spending your time?
• Four keys to a healthy lifestyle:  1) 80-90% of your food should come from a plant - this includes nuts, whole grains fruits and veggies.  2) Move - exercise every day!  3) Sleep - consistently getting 6-8 hours every night  4) Stress management - find ways to practice mindfulness and relieve stress
• Food as a form of entertainment is a very recent change - just in the last 40 years.  Many of our grandparents ate the same things every week.  How does that impact the choices we make now?  Our bodies haven't adapted well to this change...
• Healthcare statistics are staggering...  75% of healthcare dollars are spent on health related diseases!

We left the discussion feeling empowered to make healthy decisions about our food.  It's not easy, but it's very affordable and achievable with a little extra effort!  We'd love to talk to you more if you feel like you want to make changes in your food choices.  Or, check out the resources below.

Additional resources:

• Contact Heather Ratliff, The Wellness RN at TheWellnessRN@gmail.com or 269-303-0847 or visit her web site at www.TheWellnessRN.com
• Eating Well - www.eatingwell.com
• 100 Days of Real Food - www.100daysofrealfood.com

Want even more?  The Organic Gypsy and The Wellness RN are partnering up for an educational Detox Workshop on Monday, March 10th from 5:30 - 7pm.  There will be dinner included and a presentation on a step-by-step process for detoxification using whole foods.  There will also be a juicing demonstration and tasting.  Class and dinner cost:  $35  Register at:  www.TheOrganicGypsy.com

On-The-Go Snacks: Fueling Up Without the Drive-Thru

 Eating right on the go can be difficult if you're not well prepared. This week, we take a look at some of our favorites....and even sample some! On the table above, from left to right...

• Kind Bars (Maple Pumpkin Seed)- big hit
• bananas- for obvious reasons
• Go Picnic's snack pack- there are many variety's. Amanda likes the sunflower seed butter one and Sara likes the black bean and plantain chips.
• A dry oatmeal pack- can be used in a pinch for something hearty and warm, just stop somewhere where they'll give you hot water).
• Planters cocoa almonds- great if you're looking for something sweet. 
• Trail Mix- your favorite blend or mix your own at home. 
• LaraBars: These two flavors are big hit's with Sara's two kiddos.

• Cliff bars: Pictured is the White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Bar.
• Applesauce pouches- great after a workout when your blood sugar is low.

Hope you find this helpful! Have any of your favorites you'd like to share?

What's In Your Instructor's Gym Bag?

Our instructors are asked often about our favorite brands, tips, tricks, etc. It's high time you are in the loop! We thought we'd share a few of our favorite things or the things we can't go without. Keeping it simple, everyone's gym bag should include the basics:

• Ideal shoes (see previous post on that)
• A water bottle, 16 ounce and up
• A towel

Find a great bag that suits your needs. Some are more ventilated than others, larger in size, straps, zippers, etc. Some of our instructor tips when looking for a bag are:

• Look for a side exterior pocket for a water bottle. 
• Look for one that has a small pocket for keys/phone or consider a bag insude a bag for the small stuff you need right after a workout. 

Instructor Spotlight:
Amanda never goes anywhere without her: 24 ounce insulated water bottle by hyroflask.
 "I love this water bottle because of the small twist off top but it comes with the sip or straw kind as well. I love that it will keep things cold forever (even with the lid off overnight, ice stayed as ice) and it will keep things warm, too, but I haven't tried it. It doesn't have an alluminum taste like other cheaper bottles and it is leak proof. We went looking for water bottles we could use while traveling through Italy and were reluctant to spend $30 per bottle but I haven't regretted it once!" http://www.hydroflask.com/

Instructor Spotlight:
Sara never goes anywhere without her: FRS chews.
"I chew one of these if I'm going to teach a class and I'm drained of energy. They say to chew 2 but 1 is enough for me. It provides me with that quick energy boost so I can be at my best." http://www.frs.com/shop/healthy-energy/healthy-energy-soft-chew.html

Instructor Spotlight:
Leigh ever goes anywhere without her: Face and body wipes by Dickinsons. 
"I use to clean up a bit after sweating in a class. This brand in particular is great on my skin, especially on my face. These babies are life savers!" The other instructors went crazy over these as well, some of us use just baby wipes, but this would be great for sensitive skin. We all wipe the sweat off where we can after classes, especially when leaving to teach another. http://www.amazon.com/Dickinsons-Witch-Hazel-Formula-Towelettes/dp/B00027CFHW

What's the one thing you don't want to be without? See you all next week!