I’ve learned that 80% of what you do on a daily basis dictates the life that you live later on. In a nut shell: Your healthy body is the culmination of daily habits compounded over time. Even small incremental changes can make all the difference in your energy and cellular vitality.
Woo Hoo! I am excited to announce my newest and 5th book: The Matcha Miracle! This book was so fun to create, from the researching the many health benefits of matcha green tea to taste testing fun and delicious recipes.
I started making water infusions five years ago when I came back from an incredible spa experience in Hawaii and had a tropical water infusion that knocked my socks off! I was sold. I didn’t know that water could taste so good. I have always liked water, but let’s be honest; water is water! It lacks flavor. Over the years I became pretty creative with my infusions and loved that fact that they were super easy to make!
Last year, I took my water infusion game to the next level when my publisher reached out and asked if we wanted to write a book on detoxifying water infusions. I loved the idea of researching the benefits of water with different healthy ingredients. I also loved the opportunity to experiment with lots of different seasonal fruits, herbs, vegetables and essential oils. Not all of our experiments were winners, but we were able to narrow down to a list of 75 amazing recipes. Read about the book.
In my research, I found that 70% of Americans are dehydrated and that chronic dehydration can lead to cellular dysfunction and eventually to things like brain fog, weight gain, mood issues and inflammation. YIKES! Luckily, this is easy to solve. We just need to drink more infused water and have fun with it!
When it comes to health benefits, infused waters offer a healthy, delicious alternative to beverages currently found on the market. Combining fruits, vegetables, herbs, spices, and essential oils in water provides crucial hydration to help the body fight inflammation and carry vital nutrients to tissue cells throughout the body. These types of ingredients contain an abundance of antioxidants, which help to fight free radicals produced by the body that lead to all sorts of health problems, including accelerated aging of cells and tissue. Many ingredients increase metabolic activity and promote detoxification in the body, which can assist with weight loss. The powerful combination of ingredients assists in cleansing the detoxification pathways of the body, including the skin, liver, and kidneys. Skin will take on a more youthful appearance, as hydration and antioxidants contribute to slowing down discoloration and the formation of wrinkles.
Water infusions help create healthy habits for the whole family. Kids love to help make the infusions, and it is fun to try the various combinations of fruits, veggies, herbs, and essential oils. The possibilities for combining ingredients are really endless, and kids can get very creative!
The best thing about water infusions is the ease of making them! I typically throw together a new infusion a couple times a week and it only takes me 5-10 minutes to make!
Always look for organic ingredients when possible. One of the reasons that homemade infusions are so healthy is because they’re not filled with preservatives, additives, or fake ingredients. However, much conventional produce is exposed to these types of ingredients during their growth and harvesting. Opting for organic ingredients helps to ensure the purity and quality of the ingredients used for infusions.
Reasonably-priced organic produce can be found at farmers’ markets, farm co-ops, and some grocery stores. Even Costco and other warehouse stores are now carrying organic produce. Buying what is in season will help keep the cost down, and several recipes have been designed specifically for use during certain times of the year.
Blending certain ingredients allows for the incorporation of a wider variety of ingredients, and increases the potency of the infusion. A high-powered blender is recommended for the smoothest blending. Running the blended mixture through a fine-mesh sieve will create an even smoother infusion. Blending ingredients also allow for easy absorption of healthy nutrients by the body.
Most of the infusion recipes call for a combination of fruits, vegetables, and herbs, and occasionally, an essential oil or two. Essential oils are natural aromatic compounds found in the seeds, bark, stems, roots, flowers, and other parts of plants. They offer potent smell, flavor, and health benefits to water infusions with just one to two drops.
Utilizing essential oils provides a greater health boost on a cellular level. However, not all essential oils are created equal, and most essential oils on the market are not safe for internal consumption! As such, I only recommend pure, therapeutic grade essential oils that have a supplement label on the bottle.
Feel free to reach out to me to learn more about the brand I use. Also, to learn more about how essential oils changed my life, check out my story.
All of the recipes have been written to be prepared in a 2-quart pitcher, and most will require some stirring. As such, pitchers and stirring rods are musts! It is recommended to have two to three pitchers in the kitchen so that multiple or big batches of infusions can be made. Glass pitchers are preferred, as plastic can leach impurities into its contents, especially when using essential oils. Also, glass pitchers will not alter the flavor of infusions as a plastic pitcher may.
A muddler is what master mixologists and bartenders use to mash ingredients for drinks. Breaking the skin of certain fruits, veggies, and herbs allows for their natural oils to come out, enhancing the smell, flavor, and health benefit of the infusions. Muddlers are simple to use: place your ingredients on the bottom of a glass or bowl and mash them with the muddler. The mashed ingredients are then ready to use for completion of the recipe. Muddlers can be purchased at stores like Target or Bed Bath & Beyond, and makeshift muddlers can be made from common kitchen utensils like wooden spoons or a thick handle of another utensil.
Although it’s fun to experiment on your own, it’s always nice when someone else has done the work for you! Our Water Infusions book focuses on healthy detoxification recipes from simple, two-ingredient recipes to beautiful, complex recipes perfect for holidays, BBQs, showers and parties. One of my favorite features of the book is the seasonal water infusions, designed to provide delicious recipes with the perfect seasonal ingredients. There are also infusions for boosting energy along with weight loss and detox infusions. If you really want to get fancy, check out the ice cube infusions. They are created to pair with some of our favorite water infusion recipes. The Water Infusions book is your perfect resource guide chock-full of everything that you need to dress up your water today!
Below is a sample of one of my favorite water infusion recipes with infused ice cubes. This is a perfect post-workout drink.
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The key to eating healthy starts with the source of your food, but navigating the grocery store can be challenging with so many competing options and every label claiming to have less fat, more protein, whole grains, etc. My goal is to help you keep things as simple as possible. If you’re going to the grocery store instead of eating out, where you don’t have complete control over what’s in your food, then you’re taking the most important first step. I want to help ensure that you are making the most beneficial choices for your body, and getting the most nutrient-dense bang for your buck! These are my top 5 simple tips for how to shop healthy:
This is one of the easiest options. Walk anywhere and everywhere you can. While safety is, of course, the first priority, in many cities, walking is the main form of transportation. Where I might elect to drive or take a taxi/Uber/Lyft at home, walking is a much more commonly used and more effective form of transportation abroad [I’m talking to you Europe].
Lunges. Squats. Push-ups. Situps. Stairs. You’re very familiar with the basics, regardless of what you do on a regular basis. These are all possible with zero equipment and very little knowledge or preparation. Try to focus on the core areas, and you’ll be surprised at what you can achieve and maintain. Here is an example of a quick fat-burning circuit that I can easily repeat on a daily basis anywhere I go. Repeat the circuit 3-5 times, depending on how much time you have, for a strenuous and workout. Modify the number of reps to meet your fitness level.
Similar to the above two suggestions, movement is key in whatever way you can achieve it. In almost every location I’ve ever traveled to, a morning or evening jog [Let’s be honest… vacations are normally in hot places, unless you’re traveling for business and don’t have a choice, or seeking winter sports (in which case you’re already active), so finding the cool time of the day and planning around it is often a small but very important detail] is way easier than you think. Challenge yourself to a run a mile quicker than your normal pace, or to do a quick couple laps within a smaller area. Running shoes take up extra space in the suitcase, but are worth it if you can fit them in, and can also double as walking shoes for longer walking days.
While a vacation may not always be the most convenient place to get your normal workouts in, simple routines involving yoga and stretching can make a big difference. You’ll most likely be walking more than normal, even if it’s just within airports and train stations, especially when dragging your luggage with you. This can tighten up any and all muscles, which makes staying limber even more important. Even just finding a quick moment to do a few yoga poses or stretch out will make a difference, but if you can get in a routine where you make some time daily, you won’t regret it!
If you are not familiar with the TRX suspension system, within your regular routine at home, in classes, or anywhere else, I can’t endorse it enough. Not only because of the effectiveness but especially because of the lightweight and portability. My best workouts are often achieved through this wonderful resistance-based workout system. You can modify the difficulty by simply adjusting the angle of your body in relation to the straps/wall, and can complete many different full-body workouts wherever you are, strap onto a door, a tree, or a wall-hook, if available. You can find some basic TRX workout information here.
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