DIY Wednesday: Turmeric Paste and Golden Milk

February 10, 2016February 10, 2016 / ktbuchs87

If you have been following my blog for any length of time you know two things. I like spices and I’m usually talking about the benefits of turmeric.

Any chance that I can slip turmeric into the conversation, I will. If you’re sore from a really tough lifting session, I’ll probably tell you to use some turmeric in your next meal because it has anti-inflammatory properties. If you’re at a high risk for heart disease, I might mention that turmeric can help lower your risk. If you’re feeling depressed, worried about Alzheimers or cancer, I’m going to tell you that turmeric can help with all of those things.

I’m like the annoying friend who goes on a juice cleanse and it fixes everything from her weight to her crippling debt and she just won’t shut up about it. You’re welcome.

But seriously, turmeric is SO good for you and you should really start including it in your diet. It isn’t that expensive and you can find it in most grocery stores (if you shop at Whole Foods you can get it in their bulk spice section). It’s also really easy to use and slip into a bunch of different meals. But there are a few things you should know to get the most out of your turmeric:

Take it with black pepper
Take it with a fat

Why do you need to add these two things to your turmeric? Turmeric’s main component is curcumin (this is what makes it so potent and beneficial) and curcumin is fat soluble. In simple terms, in order for your body to absorb and use any turmeric you ingest it needs fat to break it down.

Black pepper enhances turmeric’s bioavailability which means it makes it easier for your body to use and distribute. This is a good thing and what you want your body to do with anything that enters your digestive system.

You can use turmeric in so many different things like soups, curries, stir fry, smoothies, and sprinkled over vegetables or meat. One of my favorite ways to use it is to toss some broccoli with a little coconut oil (fat), and then sprinkle garlic powder, turmeric, pepper, and a little sea salt over the broccoli and roast at 400 for 20 minutes.

Another great way to enjoy turmeric is to make Golden Milk which sounds expensive and fancy, but it’s really simple and easy to make yourself. I like to make a turmeric paste and keep it in a jar in my fridge and then scoop out what I need to make the milk.

A few pointers when you’re making your turmeric paste: Don’t use any utensils, pots, or jars that stain easily. Turmeric is amazing for your health but can stain plastic bowls, containers, or utensils. Glass and stainless steel work best and keep your kitchen tools looking nice. Also, turmeric does have a very earthy smell and taste so it might be off-putting at first. Use it in ways that you can sort of mask the taste at first and then start to slowly use it more prominently.

Ok, enough talking about turmeric and how good it is for you, time to actually use it!

Turmeric Paste

1/2 cup turmeric powder
1 1/2 tsp black pepper (fresh ground if possible)
5 tbsp coconut oil
1 cup water

Place everything in a pot and whisk until it is completely combined. Heat over medium-low heat for about 10 minutes until you have a thick paste. Make sure you keep stirring and don’t let it scald.
Pour your paste into a glass jar or container and let it cool completely. You can keep it in the fridge for up to two weeks.

Golden Milk

1 cup coconut milk (or any other non-dairy milk you like)
1/2 tsp turmeric paste
1 tsp cinnamon
honey or maple syrup, optional

Place the coconut milk and turmeric paste into a saucepan and heat over low heat, whisking to combine.
Heat until it is just warm and then remove from oven. Add the cinnamon and honey or maple syrup if you would like it a little sweeter and whisk to combine.
Pour into a mug and let it cool a little before drinking.

You can also use the turmeric paste in other things like soup or curries. It adds a nice shot of turmeric along with the fat and pepper it needs so you can get the most out of it. Along with my jar of roasted garlic, I’ve started keeping this paste on hand for whenever I need it! DIY Wednesday: Turmeric Paste and Golden Milk | Life Healthfully Lived

Do This One Thing To Lose Weight and Be Healthier

February 8, 2016February 8, 2016 / ktbuchs87 / 1 Comment

Stop looking for one thing to lose weight and be healthier. There is no one thing. Do This One Thing To Lose Weight and Be Healthier | Life Healthfully Lived

No one diet.

No one exercise.

No one magic pill.

No one superfood.

No one philosophy.

No one anything. Do This One Thing To Lose Weight and Be Healthier | Life Healthfully Lived

The path to being healthier is not a straight and narrow path. In fact, it’s rarely just one path at all. There will be twists and turns, changes and modifications, things your body needs now but won’t in a year, and there is never an end point. Do This One Thing To Lose Weight and Be Healthier | Life Healthfully Lived

That’s right. This doesn’t end. I don’t tell you this to discourage you but to let you know that making the decision to be healthier is an ongoing process, day in and day out. You get to wake up each morning and make a choice. Are your actions going to further your healthy goals or not? You’re not a horrible person if they don’t nor have you failed. You just made a decision in the moment and now you get to move on.

Losing weight and your health are going to be a series and combination of things that will ultimately bring you to where you need to be. Do This One Thing To Lose Weight and Be Healthier | Life Healthfully Lived

You’ll experiment with different ways to eat and adjust to what you need.

You’ll try a bunch of different exercises and workouts and fine tune what works for you.

You’ll sample lots of different foods and see what your body wants and uses.

You’ll start making up your OWN healthy life and figure out what it means to be the best version of you. Do This One Thing To Lose Weight and Be Healthier | Life Healthfully Lived

And it will change and grow and develop over time and that’s good! We all change and grow and develop. I’m not the same person I was in high school (thank goodness) and I hope twenty years from now I won’t be the same person I am today. Why should you expect what you do to keep yourself healthy to stay the same? Do This One Thing To Lose Weight and Be Healthier | Life Healthfully Lived

So stop looking for the ONE thing because it isn’t there and you don’t need it. All you need is what works for you and what makes you shine from within and feel the best you can.

DIY Wednesday: Sports Drink

February 3, 2016February 1, 2016 / ktbuchs87

DIY Wednesday: Sports Drink | Life Healthfully Lived I would say that sport’s drinks like Gatorade, Propel, and Powerade are some of the most controversial products when it comes to hydration. You have the people who are firmly in the water-is-the-only-hydration-you-need camp and then you have others who are firmly in the you-need-to-replenish-your-electrolytes-after-activity camp. Then you have those in the murky middle ground who believe sometimes you need sports drinks and sometimes you don’t. It can be very confusing.

I am somewhere in the murky middle ground. It all depends on the activity you’ve been doing and how long you’ve been active for. The vast majority of us don’t do enough work or exercise that will require anything other than water to rehydrate. There is no need for a Gatorade after a 20-minute workout or to hand out sports drinks after a kids soccer game. There are a few instances where you do need to replenish your electrolyte levels with something other than just water.

People who run/train for marathons, triathlons, Ironman competitions, or any other grueling endurance sport are probably going to need something more than just water. That is because they are asking their bodies to work at full capacity for a long period of time. Anything more than a 90-minute workout session is going to probably warrant a little extra attention to your hydration levels. DIY Wednesday: Sports Drink | Life Healthfully Lived

Now, here is my other sticking point: I think that commercially sold sports drinks are NOT the way to replenish your fluids and electrolytes. They’re full of sugar and other ingredients that actually make you thirstier than you were before. How else would they sell their product? If one drink made rehydrated you, you wouldn’t need another. Plus you’re getting way more calories than you need from a drink.

Lucky for you, it’s easy to make your own sports drink that will rehydrate you as well as replenish your electrolyte levels without the calories, sugar, or any other possible weird ingredients. You can make these in advance of a tough workout or activity and have them ready to go when you’re done. You can play with the levels of citrus and natural sweetener to suit your tastes.

You can play with the levels of citrus and natural sweetener to suit your tastes and if you don’t want or can’t find coconut water, regular water works just as well. And yes, I know there is salt in here and you’re going to tell me that is ridiculous because we all know that salt makes you thirstier. Yes, BUT, you also need the proper amount of sodium levels in your body to rehydrate and absorb minerals like potassium. If you’ve been sweating like crazy, then you have been losing a lot of sodium as well and need to replenish those stores. So don’t skip the salt (and make sure you use sea salt NOT regular table salt), it won’t make you thirstier and you won’t be choking down a salty drink.

Sports Drink

1 cup coconut water or regular water (make sure it’s just plain coconut water, no added sugars)
1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1-2 tsp fresh lime juice
1 tsp honey or maple syrup (less or more to suit your taste)
pinch of sea salt

Put everything into a blender and blend for a few seconds. Taste and adjust things as needed.

Keep this drink stored in the fridge up to 2 days before you need it. You can also double or triple this recipe to make sure that you have enough on hand for when it’s needed.

Subtraction Vs. Addition

February 1, 2016February 1, 2016 / ktbuchs87 / 2 Comments

Don’t worry, this isn’t going to be a math lesson. Trust me, you don’t want me teaching you math. Anyone who knows me will back me up on this one (right, Mom?).

No, this is going to be a comparison of two different mindsets when it comes to living a healthier life. I find that there are two approaches to changing bad habits, the subtraction approach and the addition approach. I’ve actually taken both approaches myself and in my experience find one is definitely better than the other. Because I want you to be successful in living a healthier life, I wanted to share the tiny difference between these approaches that can make a huge impact on your success.

The Subtraction Approach

I am going to be healthier by taking away all of the bad things in my life.

This is a common way to look at things, and technically it’s what you want to do. In with the good out with the bad, right?

Almost. This immediately sets up a feeling of deprivation and an “I can’t have/do that anymore.” It makes you feel like you’re losing a part of what was your daily routine and that can make you feel a little uncomfortable and maybe even sad.

You keep trying to tell yourself that it’s good, you’re getting rid of what made you unhealthy. You’ll be happier once this process is over. So, you start subtracting:

The “bad” food you used to eat
The lazy habits you had formed
The time you used to sit around instead of exercise
The social settings where you maybe weren’t the healthiest
The friends or family who don’t fully support you

You might start to see a change in your health doing this, of course. You might lose weight, start to develop a regular exercise routine, but it still feels like you’re depriving yourself of things that once made you happy. Even if they weren’t good for you. You can start to pine for the way things were, especially since they are “off-limits” now. Subtraction Vs. Addition | Life Healthfully Lived

And this can set you up for the relapse. A night of binging. A week of no exercise. Cheat meals/snacks/days. You know you’re being “bad” but you can’t seem to help yourself. And then you can’t help feeling guilty once it’s all over. It’s a vicious cycle and it’s no fun. Trust me, I’ve been there.

Let’s look at the other approach.

The Addition Approach

I am going to be healthier by adding good things into my life to crowd out the bad.

This might seem counterintuitive. You want to put more stuff into my life so that I’m healthier? How can I do that when most people/diets/health systems tell me I need to get rid of the bad?

It’s simple. Start thinking of things to add to your day that make you feel better than your older habits. You’re going to crowd out all the things that you used to do or eat so that you no longer have time or energy for those. Subtraction Vs. Addition | Life Healthfully Lived

Now your days feel full and like you’re actively doing things to turn your habits around. You’re not taking anything away, you’re adding things like:

More fruits and vegetables to each serving, crowding out the overly processed
More activity in your day, life short walks, crowding out the time you used to sit around
More friends and family who like the same healthy things you do
More time focusing on what makes you feel good instead of what you used to do that was “bad”

At a glance, these two approaches might look similar. And to be honest, you’re doing a lot of the same things but by telling yourself that you’re adding to your life not subtracting from it makes it easier and more fun to keep making changes. Subtraction Vs. Addition | Life Healthfully Lived

It’s just a tiny switch, but it makes a big difference. I’m not forcing myself to get rid of my entire life, I’m adding to it and changing things for the better. As you go, soon you’ll realize that the good has overtaken the bad and your lifestyle is healthier and happier. Subtraction Vs. Addition | Life Healthfully Lived

So don’t focus on subtracting as much as you can to be healthier, add in as much good as you can and your health will follow suit.

What can you add to your life to be healthier?

In A Diet State Of Mind

January 25, 2016January 25, 2016 / ktbuchs87

In A Diet State Of Mind | Life Healthfully Lived I debated writing about this topic because I feel it can be a little bit like beating a dead horse, especially if you’ve been reading my blog for any amount of time. But I decided to do it anyway because it’s an important message and it’s January.

What does January have to do with eating? Well, turn on your TV and watch any channel. The majority of the commercials are going to be about some diet or weight loss system. January is the month of resolutions and the beginning of many diets. Gyms have major discounts and are usually packed the first few weeks of the new year. Supplements, vitamins, pills, and all other weight loss tools/systems/plans are everywhere you turn. People and companies in the health and fitness realm know that you’re going to spend your money and they want to make sure that you spend it on their plan or product.

There are so many diets to choose from and it can be overwhelming to decide which one you are going to follow. All claim to have amazing results and some even tell you it can be done with minimal effort. It’s hard not to be drawn in with the before and after pictures, hoping that soon you can have your own beautiful after photo. So you dive in and pick a diet that you feel is going to give you the results you want.

I don’t want to rail against all the diets out there. That’s been done and I don’t feel the need to add to that noise. But I do want to tell you one thing that might sound a little contradictive to that sentiment.

Don’t diet.

To be more specific, don’t approach the new year with a diet frame of mind. A diet typically has a starting and an ending point. Once you reach your goal weight, you stop your diet and return to your regularly scheduled program. But if you return to the way you were eating before you lost the weight guess what’s going to happen? You’re going to regain that weight.

Which is why I want you to approach weight loss and this new year not with diet at the top of your list but a lifestyle change instead. If you’re truly serious about losing weight and getting your health on track, this is going to be a life long thing. This isn’t a 30-day program or a two-week transformation. This is going to be your day in and day out. When you look back on what you used to be and do, it should look completely different from the here and now. In A Diet State Of Mind | Life Healthfully Lived

Don’t let this frustrate you or dissuade you. I don’t want this to make you feel defeated before you start. I want you to feel empowered and ready to face what’s ahead. There are going to be tough days and there are going to be easy ones. There are going to be meals where the only thing you want to see on your plate is a Twinkie and there will be meals where you can’t wait to eat a whole heap of vegetables. And you know what? That’s life and that’s how being healthy goes. It’s a balancing act, a yin and yang, give and take. In A Diet State Of Mind | Life Healthfully Lived

So if you are starting this year with the goal of being healthier and losing weight, please don’t think of it as a finite time. Don’t approach your goal in the “diet” frame of mind. Focus on these three little things to help big change:

Small changes. Gradually change your habits so that you aren’t overwhelmed. Once you feel you’ve got one change down add another one. Keep doing this until you have completely turned things around.

Add not subtract. Instead of thinking of all the foods you don’t eat anymore, focus on all the new things you get to eat. New fruits or vegetables you’ve never tried or different recipes than the one you’re used to can make your new lifestyle feel fresh, fun, and exciting.

Know your why. Have a definite reason that you’re doing this and remind yourself of that often. And don’t worry about your reason. If it’s so you look good at your high school reunion this year or in order to fight heart disease, as long as it keeps you motivated, that’s all that matters. In A Diet State Of Mind | Life Healthfully Lived

Those three things can help you when the going gets tough and trust me it will. But that doesn’t mean you have to give up, it just means you need to put in a little more effort until you get to the easy parts again. And those easy parts will come, I promise.