Health Redesigned Blog

Green smoothies: Gross or Great? You Decide!

This month is all about fad busting and myth busting. We’re going to shut down some of those crazy ideas out there in terms of things that we think are good for us. Maybe they aren’t so good.

This blog post is all about green smoothies. Green smoothies are the latest fad or trend and they’ve been kicking around for a while now. We think that smoothies are really good for us, especially green smoothies. To start let’s look at how to make a delicious green smoothie with 13 simple ingredients and then let's talk about it.

**Disclaimer** Please read this post through before attempting to make this smoothie!

Start out with a blender with two cups of water, then add your desired ingredients. --For this smoothie I’m going to start with half an avocado.

-Add broccoli and kale for lots of green, lots of nutrients in both of them. You need to make sure that you have lots. I’ll also added frozen kale from my garden so it’s extra nutritious.

-To keep...

The Top 7 Tips For Delicious Calorie Reduced Libations

In the last post we went over the top 5 treats that you might be adding to your waistline. If you missed it, click here. Bethany’s story of weight gain during the summer is not unique. I’ve worked with many women who struggle with summertime weight gain.

By making some simple changes, Brittany was able to create refreshing drinks that she enjoyed. She became much more aware of the hidden calories she was consuming. Best of all, Brittany stopped her cycle of weight gain and was able to maintain a steady weight year round.

Here’s 7 options to make delicious, calorie reduced libations:

Liquor and Soda

Keep it simple. Trade in your fruit juice or tonic for a soda. Same fizzy mouthfeel. None of the calories.

Flat or Sparkling water

Libations don’t need to be full of calories. Use flat water or sparkling water to mix with your alcohol of choice.

Lemons and Limes

Don’t underestimate the benefit...

The Top 5 Summer Treats to Avoid

It’s summertime!

That means it’s patio season. And lots of libations. You’re more willing to enjoy seasonal treats that cool you off. Things like ice cream, popsicles, and cold drinks. The guilty pleasures you only get to enjoy for a few months each year.

Those tasty treats are here to sabotage your success and spiral your weight in the opposite direction. If you’re the kind of woman who gains weight in the summer, you’re not alone.

Bethany was starting to hate summers. She gained weight every summer and then had to lose it in the winter. This same cycle kept repeating year after year.

Bethany loved being social- going out for drinks a few times during the week. On weekends she’d be out and about, enjoying patios, campfires or any social event that came up. She would graze on snacks, hardly having a real meal and sipped a few cocktails at each event.

Without even knowing it, Bethany was drinking more...

The Last Diet You’ll Ever Need

There’s long been a debate about what the ONE perfect diet is. Traditionally a diet was simply the way that you ate. Over time it has evolved to mean, “restricting your current intake of food to lose weight.” Regardless of which definition you prefer, there is one perfect diet that does both.

The perfect diet is out there, but not in the way that you think. There is no one perfect diet that works for every single person on this entire planet. That’s impossible. Each person has a different set of nutritional requirements to keep them healthy. Many diets will sustain you or keep you alive. That doesn’t mean that they are good for you long term. Your perfect diet should not just keep you alive, it should help you thrive. It should give you the best possible intake of nutrients to allow your body to be as healthy as it can be.

Rather than one universal diet, there is a set of principles...

Real Food, Real Nutrition- an Old Concept

After spending over 10 years in the fitness industry and then working as a nurse, I’ve done more than my fair share of experimenting. I’ve tried many different diets to achieve my best health and performance. I’ve followed Canada’s Food Guide, The Zone, and Eat for your blood Type, to name a few. I have also done many “cleanses” but nothing touches eating “real”, “good”, food. This style of eating is also referred to as whole food nutrition or Holistic Nutrition. It covers the basic premise: drink pure water, eat lots of vegetables, lean cuts of meat and good quality fat. For variety, include fruits that are low in sugar, nuts, and seeds in small doses.

Eating produce and meat that’s “in season”, may reduce your body’s resistance to certain foods. It may also decrease food sensitivities and allergic-type reactions to food. A rotational style of eating is not only easy to follow,...

How to Raise a Healthy Child

Kids are impressionable. They want to be like their role models. They also love to learn- if taught the right way. When kids have poor eating habits their growth and development is fueled by a lack of nutrients. That means that they aren’t getting the appropriate fuel to help them grow. Their brains need a variety of nutrients. This includes lean protein, unprocessed carbohydrates vitamins, minerals and lots of high-quality fat.

It’s easy to thrust our chosen diet on our children. But sometimes that’s not the best choice. Children do not thrive on low-fat diets. They need protein to build their muscles. When we deny our children these essential nutrients during their development, we can inflict permanent damage to them.

Compare this scenario to a seed potted in poor quality soil. It may grow but not develop to it’s fullest potential. The plant will lack strength and durability against stressors. It will...

The Top 5 Kitchen Gadgets Every Foodie Needs

It’s that time of year when you start thinking about what to get for that hard to buy someone on your list. Here’s a list of must have’s for anyone who’s a foodie or anyone that wants to make an effort at eating better. Click the image to bring up the Amazon link for purchase information.

Vitamix 5200 Blender

This Blender is just what you need to do almost everything. It blends, chops, stirs, mixes, and grinds. I use mine just about every day. It can make smoothies, soups, sauces, spreads and probably some other “s” words. I like this model because it’s got enough features to adjust the blending speed without being overly complicated. The size is perfect- you can blend small or large amounts. My favorite thing about this blender is the durability. I literally choked when I saw the price of it the first time. However, when I consider that I was burning through other brands every year, I’ve actually saved money by investing in a Vitamix....

Tricky Treats- Four Ways to Control Your Cravings this Halloween

It’s that time of year again. When the candy producers pull out all their marketing tricks to make you want to buy more treats. It’s all in the spirit of Halloween, but it’s gotten out of hand.

To start off- who’s got leftover candy from last year? Raise your arm high. Shout out loud and proud. I know you’re out there. What I want to know is, how much candy did you start with if you still have candy left over? And what do you plan to do with all of that candy? If you haven’t already bought your new stash for this year, consider giving it all away. Or throwing away your stale candy. But does it really go bad? Probably not for many years.

Consider that every treat or candy that you buy is just that. A treat. It’s not meant as an everyday indulgence. It’s not meant to be eaten all year. And what are you really eating? Wax. Food coloring. Sugar. Definitely not part of a healthy diet. Don’t be fooled by words like natural, fruit juice...

Thinking of Going Vegetarian? Think Again!

An article on the Forks Over Knives website talks about becoming a vegetarian. I couldn’t resist going through it. It’s called Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Meat. It describes the seven amazing benefits that you get when you give up meat. Read it first and then pop back here! At least once a week I hear someone say, “I’m giving up meat to be healthier.” I love trying to understand why women are ready to give up meat forever, in the interest of better health. I’m going to offer my thoughts about their comments in favor of a vegetarian lifestyle.

At least once a week I hear someone say, “I’m giving up meat to be healthier.” I love trying to understand why women are ready to give up meat forever, in the interest of better health. I’m going to offer my thoughts about their comments in favor of a vegetarian lifestyle.

1. You’ll reduce inflammation in your body.

This point suggests that you will...

10 Ways to Get More Fiber in Your Diet

You’ve probably heard that you need to eat more fiber but you may not even know where to start. How much do you need? What foods have fiber? What is fiber? There’s so much to know! Let me help clarify things for you:

What Does Fiber Do?

Decreases blood cholesterol, slows glucose absorption (keeping blood sugar lower)
Eliminates waste products
Keeps the “trains” running on time. Just make sure that you drink plenty of water with your increased fiber load or you’ll end up even more constipated. Think of what happens when you put only a bit of water into cement- it forms a giant, solid plug. Fiber is the same way. Thin it out with lots of water!

Types of Fiber:

Soluble Fiber: Dissolves in water, broken down in digestion/absorbed (eg. Legumes, fruit, vegetables)
Insoluble Fiber: Attracts water, adds bulk to the stool (Eg. Bran, beans, flax)

How Much Fiber Do You Need?

Men: 38g/day
Women: 25g/day
Many people only get less than 10g/day (That’s not...

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Health Redesigned Blog

Here’s 7 options to make delicious, calorie reduced libations:

Liquor and Soda

Flat or Sparkling water

Lemons and Limes

It’s summertime!

Vitamix 5200 Blender

1. You’ll reduce inflammation in your body.

What Does Fiber Do?

Types of Fiber:

How Much Fiber Do You Need?

Affiliate Disclosure

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