Healthy Tip

I just read this tip and wanted to share:

Wake Up with Water
“Before you put coffee, tea, or food into your body, it’s best to first break your fast with a glass of water with lemon,” says Ashley Koff, RD, a nutritionist in Los Angeles and founder of ashleykoffapproved.com. When you sleep, Koff says, your body isn’t just abstaining from food but from water too. “Because many vitamins are water-soluble, having a glass before you eat will help your body better absorb nutrients from food.” The acidity of the lemon helps rebalance your digestive tract by making it alkaline, allowing “good” bacteria in your intestines to thrive and facilitate optimal nutrient absorption.

The first days ...

A week and a half ago I was in my hometown of Marquette, MI. I have been there for every 4th of July since I left. Usually we (my brother and I) go to the bar and the lower harbor festival, and see all of the other people that are home for the weekend. I leave exhausted but I feel like I have made some connections. But THIS YEAR I realized that I rarely keep in contact with those people, and I have missed out on all of the beauty of the city.

So this year was different ...

THIS YEAR I enjoyed nature. I went kayaking with an elementary school friend (thank you Jessica!), and I found a spot. My spot. Do you know what Im talking about? That spot where you sit down and you just don't want to leave. It was on the end of the black rocks on Presque Isle. I closed my eyes and listened to the waves that were crashing 3 feet from me. I breathed in the fresh air, and listened to the seagulls. I smelled the water, and the hot rock, and the seaweed. I was far enough away that I rarely realized anyone else was there. It felt so good that I did that every day. I sat there until I felt it was time to leave.

So THIS YEAR I realized that the life I am living doesn't fit me anymore. I spend too much time at the bar and with people that aren't a priority. People that I don't have real conversations with. That I need to reconnect with earth. I need to garden, and kayak, and swim, and hike, and all of the things that gives me that deep-down energy you just can't get anywhere else. That although it takes a little bit more time and energy, I need to hang out with the people that MATTER.  The people that challenge me and teach me and make me laugh.  I came home full of energy and ideas. Changing my life isn't going to be easy, but Im the only one that can do it. And I believe my life is going to see some amazing things as I go through my transformation.

This blog will cover my transformation. Activities and learning such as: gardening, hiking, kayaking, making good friends a priority, composting, recycling, farmers market, cooking, wellness, my internship in cardiac rehab, yoga, exercise, nutrition, appreciation, reiki, integrative medicine, decorating, energy, family, and rain.