avatar by on August 30, 2010   •   27 Comments Self-Care You

Fruit vs. Roots: Do you make this big health mistake?

This guest post is written by health columnist Lisa Byrne of The Well Grounded Life.

Lately, I’ve been working on my upcoming online course, Designed for Wellness. I’ll share more about the course at the end of this post, but I wanted to talk a bit about how lasting change happens in our lives, and one of the biggest mistakes we all make when we try to make healthy changes.

The ways we experience our days and how we feel in our bodies are the fruits of our health.

Some seasons in life we feel energized; other times we feel depleted and drained. Some days we’re overwhelmed; other times we are transcendent. We may feel heaviness in our body, or lightness and strength. We may combat stress daily or know a reserve of calm.

The fruits of our health manifest in how we experience life.

To produce better fruit, focus on the roots

When we are facing chronic times of bad or uncomfortable fruit, we tend to reach for “fruit fixes”– surface, quick fixes in attempt to bring some kind of relief to the situation.

But what is needed for any sustainable, real change in our health and well being is a root cure.

Let me give some examples.

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avatar by on August 4, 2010   •   66 Comments food & drink

How To Get Your Whole Family On The Same Plate

The following is written by health columnist Lisa Byrne of The Well Grounded Life.

Before I became a mom, I swore I wouldn’t become a short order cook at dinnertime.

I had memories of my own experience growing up — we simply ate what my mom made for dinner, and I was never consulted as to what that would be.

It’s funny how much we think we know before we have to actually walk the talk.

I still feel strongly about having dinner as a unified family meal, but my desire to include my childrens’ preferences (to some degree) in the meals they eat, paired with our different food needs or restrictions, makes for a daunting challenge.

I needed a way to keep from literally making a different meal for each person sitting at the dinner table.

For example, in my family, my husband has taken dairy out of his diet, but my children and I still enjoy a bit of dairy.  But my husband has a much higher need for meat in his diet than I do. My children often won’t eat meals that are too spicy or “exotic” for them– and yet, my husband and I need to have more flavor and variety in our meals to feel satisfied.

I’m sure you can also list your family’s various requirements for a meal that everyone can enjoy.

There is also a sense of unity that comes from everyone eating the same meal at the same time, and family dinners are an excellent way to promote a strong family bond.

So… how to make it work?
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avatar by on June 23, 2010   •   21 Comments Self-Care You

20 Ways to Add Sweetness to Your Life

I’m on maternity leave from June 11 to July 16: The following is written by health columnist Lisa Byrne of The Well Grounded Life.

Last month I wrote about noisy foods and the impact they have on your body and mind.  As I read through all the comments, I was struck by how many of us struggle with feeling addicted to sugar.

I certainly don’t take a hard line on sugar and feel it should never pass your lips…  but I do believe we should feel in control over when and how much sugar we eat. If you know a certain food is not serving you well, but feel unable to stop eating it, it just may be time to dig a little deeper to really see what’s going on.
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avatar by on May 12, 2010   •   Giveaways Self-Care You

How Noisy Is Your Diet?

This giveaway is now closed. Check back soon for the winners!

De-cluttering means getting rid of the junk that trips you up. When we think of spring cleaning, we often think of the the rooms, closets, pantries and cupboards in our home.

But it is just as important to de-clutter our body as our physical home.

Our inner environment needs to be calm and tranquil if we are going to contribute calm and peace to our outer environment. Pollutant, stimulants, foods that are difficult to digest, and synthetic chemicals are all types of “noisy” foods that disrupt our systems and strain our detox organs.

When we eat whole, real foods, they filter into our body slowly and quietly. Noisy foods bombard our systems and senses, producing intense highs and lows, sending our blood sugar levels, water balance and hormones out of whack.

We all need a tune up from time to time to clear out these kinds of foods from our body.
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avatar by on March 31, 2010   •   120 Comments Self-Care You

11 tips for eating healthy on a budget

I completely resonate with the message to eat more fresh fruits and vegetables and to buy organic whenever possible.  When I buy meat for my family and myself I now choose grass fed, ethically treated meat and organic, free range poultry.

But what is often missing from this message are ways to make those purchases work within a budget.

There are great reasons to bring organic and fresh foods into your diet:

  • Purchasing organic produce lessons the toxic burden in our bodies, on the environment, and on farm workers.
  • Choosing to eat meat from animals that are ethically treated, raised in natural settings, and free from synthetic chemicals protects animal welfare and provides us with more nutritious, less toxic food.

But as my own shopping patterns shifted toward buying more fresh produce, organic choices, and ethically-treated sources of meat, it became obvious — these choices were pricier.

Most of us need to watch food costs as we manage our budgets while still prioritizing healthy, organic and fresh foods for our family.

Here are some ways to buy healthy while staying responsible to your budget.
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