Top Foods to Reduce Brain Fog and Boost Focus

Nutrition and its effect on the body and brain are very complex. What we know for sure is that the condition and health of the gut, along with nutritional deficiencies, can directly affect how our brain functions.

By understanding and respecting that the brain, the digestive system, the metabolic pathways, and the immune system are all deeply connected, we can see improvements in better attention and focus, improved digestion, and improvements in sleep patterns when we focus on filling our bodies with the right nutrients!

And with the fast-paced hectic schedules and constant multi-tasking that seem to be the norm for most of us these days, we can all use a bit of help when it comes to our focus and concentration…

Below are some KEY nutrient-dense and brain-stimulating foods that can help

 So add some of the above foods to your diet every day and you should begin to notice an improvement in your attention, your focus, and your digestion!

Do you need a boost to your energy levels and your immune system right now?

Here’s a simple list of detoxing foods that you can try to incorporate into daily meals. They will help to energize you, boost your immunity, and flush out and remove toxins that have built up in the system, especially after some of our indulgences over the holidays.They will also help to wake up that metabolism and jump-start a bit of weight loss.

When focusing on detoxing foods it is always wise to also make sure that plenty of water is being consumed to help with the flushing process.

Cycle through the list and find ways to add these into smoothies, soups, sauces, tacos, and casseroles. Or juice them and then add them to sauces and soups after they are done cooking (as to not heat and destroy the raw enzymes).

Survival Tips To Stay Healthy, Guilt-Free, and Fit This Season

I’m having a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea that the holidays are literally around the corner.

It means that starting next week, we’ll be bombarded with a month or more of constant treats and amazing meals…

This is the perfect time to put that 80-20 rule into full effect. If we are able to stay on track with healthy food and exercise choices at least 80% of the time, we should be able to keep up with our current health and fitness levels. The remaining 20% should be used with discretion.

Use that 20% to treat yourself to something that you may only have during this time of year…like Mom’s special gluten-free Stuffing with that Secret Ingredient, or Grandma’s Creamed Corn (my personal favorite), or my Gluten-free and Dairy-free Salted Caramel Apple Pie, or Dad’s famous gluten-free and dairy-free Crustless Streusel Pumpkin Pie.

Whatever those special treats are that you look forward to at this time of year, allow yourself to enjoy them. These special meals are what help create the traditions and memories of this season…just do it with some discipline.

 9 survival tips to get you through this season:

• Be Realistic – The holiday season is filled with many temptations and time restraints. Setting goals is important but do not set yourself up for failure. Determine a goal that is challenging but doable. Aim to maintain your current weight. Don’t aim to lose 20lbs by January 1^st. Performance goals are also great this time of year. Saying you will exercise 24 times by the end of the year or will be able to do 2 more push-ups by December 31st are excellent examples of challenging, but doable, goals.
• Plan Ahead – Failing to plan is planning to fail. This is not the time of year to fly by the seat of your pants. Making grocery lists, planning what you will take to the holiday party, and packing healthy snacks for a long day of shopping will go a long way in maintaining fitness during the holidays.
• Eat the Christmas Nuts – Peanuts, almonds, walnuts, sunflower seeds are great snacks. Don’t believe the hype that they are “too fatty.” The fats in these types of foods are healthy and they help with reducing hunger pains. Natural nut butters are great as well.
• Stick to Lean Meats, Nuts, Beans, and Eggs – Getting quality protein is important. Lean meats and eggs provide the best source of protein to help with a variety of functions not the least of which is helping you feel fuller longer. Because protein takes longer to digest, it stays in the digestive system longer, limiting hunger. This is important when we are staring at the homemade pies that Aunt Sally made. If you are a vegetarian, get your proteins from beans and nuts.
• Drink Up (and not the booze) Start each party off with 2 or 3 glasses of water with lemon slices. Water helps with energy levels, digestion, and hunger. It also has no calories. The water will keep you feeling full, keep you hydrated and quench your thirst. It will prevent you from over-indulging in higher calorie, less healthy choices.
• Eat Your Protein 1^st – consuming your portion of lean protein first, followed by your vegetables and fruit will help satiate your hunger and you will be far less likely to eat the junk food available.
• “Mingle” All The Way – Make it a point to socialize with others at the party. Talk to some old friends. Ask Aunt Jane about her health. Ask Cousin Tom about his new job. Listen to your boss tell his favorite story. Talking and mingling during the party is a great way to build community and relationships and it also keeps you away from the buffet table.
• Eat The Good Stuff – Fill your plate with healthy favors and appetizers. Some good lean gluten-free choices would be foods such as shrimp, salmon, unsalted nuts, fruits, vegetables, salsa, whole grain chips and low-fat cheeses.
• Just “Bring” It –Take a healthy clean gluten-free option as your offering for the next party. This way you know there will be at least one good option for you to eat. And, of course, this magazine issue is packed with good choices for you to bring to your next gathering.
• Snack Before the Party – Going to a holiday gathering on an empty stomach will cause you to over eat in no time. 30-60 minutes before attending the party, grab a clean and healthy snack like an apple and a handful of nuts. The snack will curb your hunger and help you from over-indulging.

Snack ideas to munch on before you hit those holiday parties:

• 1 Can of Light Tuna in Water mixed with Olive Oil Mayonnaise on Cucumber Slices
• Handful of Cashews and Walnuts
• Pumpkin Seeds and Raw Carrots
• Sliced Hard-Boiled eggs on Cucumber Slices
• Nut Butter on Celery Sticks
• Handful of Almonds with ¼ Avocado
• Hard-Boiled Egg and Berries or Peaches
• Gluten-Free Organic Beef Jerky with Carrots
• Kale Chips with a handful of Almonds
• Pumpkin Seeds and Cucumber Slices
• Organic Hummus with Carrot and Cucumber Slices
• Handful of Pistachios and apple slices
• Homemade Trail Mix

Now’s the perfect time to get a head and start the season off right. If you want a bit of guidance and some done-for-you meal plans, shopping lists, cookbooks, and workouts, then you can also check out this 10-Day Challenge that will put you ahead in your holiday health and fitness and leave you ready to have some fun this season!
 
You can check out the 10-Day Challenge HERE. It is full of immune-boosting nutrition and meal ideas to get you through the holidays.
 
It’s time to enjoy the season and all of the fun that comes with it…just keep these survival tips in mind and you will be ready to have your pie and be able to eat it too!
 

What To Eat and Not-to-Eat To Heal the Gut?

Anyone who has followed me for a while knows that one of my favorite topics, and what I believe in the most, is the importance of a HEALTHY GUT!! It is also what I work the most on with all of my clients, no matter what they are seeing me for. Here is my proven theory:

HEALTHY GUT = Happy Body = Focused Brain = Strong Immunity = Reduced Illness = Reduced Depression = Happy Mind = Youthful Energy = TRUE HEALTH

When our guts are out of balance, we end up with inflammation throughout our bodies and many underlying health issues that throws the whole equation above OUT OF BALANCE! But if we put our focus on healing our guts, we can reduce the inflammatory and immune processes involved in so many different diseases and put ourselves onto a path to health!

By focusing on eating the right foods, we can see HUGE health improvements.

• Most vegetables—Asparagus, spinach, lettuce, broccoli, beets, cauliflower, carrots, celery, artichokes, garlic, onions, zucchini, squash, rhubarb, cucumbers, turnips, watercress, and others.
• Bone Broth made from the bones of grass-fed and organic poultry and beef
• Fermented foods—Sauerkraut, kimchi, fermented cucumbers, coconut yogurt, kombucha, and water kefir that have been homemade.
• Meats—Fish (wild caught), chicken (organic, pastured), beef/lamb/bison/organ meats (grassfed)
• Coconut—coconut oil, coconut butter, coconut milk, coconut cream, coconut flour
• Organic herbal teas
• Herbs and spices—basil, black pepper, cilantro, coriander, cumin, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, mint, oregano, parsley, quercetin, rosemary, sage, sea salt, turmeric, thyme

You should avoid these because they add to inflammation:

• Corn
• Fermented cheese
• Wine and alcohol
• Refined carbohydrates of any kind, even if they are gluten-free- including white bread, pasta, cookies, cakes, crackers, potato chips, sugary drinks, dried fruits and all juices
  
• Artificial sweeteners
• All real sugars and sweeteners, even agave and raw honey
• White potatoes
• All grains
• Soy including all soy products like soy milk, tofu, soy sauce, tempeh, and soy protein
• Processed or canned foods
• Farm raised fish of any kind
• Sodium nitrite
• Monosodium glutamate (MSG)
• Hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils (which includes trans fats)
• Any preservatives or artificial flavors, even if they say “natural flavors”
• Carrageenan
• Any foods that have been tested as allergic or sensitive to
• NSAIDs (Non-Steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drugs)
• Vegetable oil and canola oil except for olive oil
• All dairy products

If you have symptoms such as chronic bad breath, sinus congestion, are depressed or anxious, have fatigue and/or low energy, bloating and gas, brain fog, any autoimmune disease, reflux, heartburn, or even chronic stress, then you can benefit from a healing diet!

Focus on eating the right foods and getting rid of the wrong and you really can discover a whole new world of health!

If you are looking for some good meal plan ideas and recipes to heal your gut, here are some of my absolute favorite gut-healing recipes, supplements, and meal ideas focused on HEALING THAT GUT!!

When we heal our guts, we can discover a whole new life.

Printable 4-Step Formula to Perfect Smoothies

It is so hard to believe that my kids only have 35 days left of summer. We are cramming as much fun in as possible before it is time to hit the books again. We are also cramming in a whole lot of smoothies these days since our weather has been so hot.

So today I thought I’d share my favorite fool-proof method to creating perfect fuel-packed smoothies! This mix-and-match smoothie-building formula will show you that the combination of possibilities are endless…

Smoothies are a wonderful nutrient-dense way to start your day. You can pack them full of a variety of produce and protein for a quick cool breakfast that is easy to take on the go or sip slowly while enjoying your lazy summer mornings. They are also perfect for those especially warm days when you are craving something nice and cool.

By picking and choosing one or more choices from each of the following steps, you can come up with endless combinations. Your morning smoothies never have to get old and boring. You may also surprise yourself by finding a new combination to enjoy that you would never have thought up before.

Smoothies are also a great way to help detoxify and cleanse your body. If you are looking for some good detoxing cleanse recipes, go check out my favorite 2-day cleanse. It is packed with whole foods, amazing smoothies, and fresh produce.

It only takes 2 days and is jam-packed with whole, pure, detoxifying foods. At the end, you feel renewed, rejuvenated, full of energy, and even lighter.

It has some wonderful simple recipes for detoxifying smoothies, soups, salads, and juices.

It also gives you the entire shopping list with everything you need, tips on how to be successful with it, and is full of whole fresh detoxifying foods!

This one will NOT leave you hungry… I promise you that.

How can it possibly be summer already?

8 Allergy-Friendly Tips to Get in Shape for Summer:

1. Start every day with 8 ounces of water mixed with 2 teaspoons of Raw Apple Cider Vinegar – Great for digestion, boosting the metabolism, and cleansing the system.
2. Eat REAL FOOD only from the perimeter of your grocery store. Think fresh vegetables and fruits, lean meats, poultry, and seafood, raw seeds and nuts, beans, etc …
   
3. Ramp up on eating those greens – in addition to salads: juice them, throw them in smoothies, add them to soups and sauces, and even dehydrate them and sprinkle them on everything
   
4. Take a quality probiotic or eat fermented foods every single day. Good examples are sauerkraut, kimchi, pickled ginger, fermented cucumbers, coconut yogurt, kombucha, water kefir, etc.
   

5. Make One Small Change — And Stick To It. Make one goal for yourself at a time. Maybe it’s removing soda from your lunch or moving for five extra minutes a day. Just make it attainable and commit to it. Once you master that first goal, you can add another to it, and so on. When you do what you say you’re going to do, the scale will follow.

6. Take 15 minutes each evening to plan out your meals for the next day. This simple task of planning ahead can help you stay right on track to reach those goals.
7. Learn to LOVE Burpees. They may be tough but they target every muscle group and they get that heart rate up. Set a goal to do a certain number two times every day. Then try and increase that number. This is a great metabolic boost to your day.
8. Try Interval Training. You can do it from home and it can be as simple as doing 10 sprints up and down your block. It is a great way to rev up your metabolism and your body will continue to burn more calories for the rest of the day.

After a holiday weekend of indulging in some delicious food, I was ready to lighten up our meals this week and do a bit of detoxing from the last few days.

This gluten-free and dairy-free Chicken and Avocado Detox Salad with Lime and Cilantro is a favorite simple dish around here. It is quick to throw together and is a perfect lighter meal as the days are starting to warm up.

It also has a number of ingredients that are wonderful for our health AND for cleaning out our systems after maybe a bit too much of that holiday candy!

Here are a few health benefits of some of the ingredients in this salad:

Cilantro: contains powerful natural cleansing agents. Cilantro has strong antioxidant activity, has been shown to have anti-anxiety effects, and is also a surprisingly good source of Vitamin K.

Juice from Limes and Lemons: contain unique flavonoid compounds that have antioxidant and anti-cancer properties. Lemon or lime juice helps stimulate and regulate the digestive tract and therefore helps with constipation, heartburn and gas. All of the antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins present in these citrus fruits help to loosen toxins in the digestive tract and also flush out water retention by increasing urination, thereby eliminating toxins at a faster rate.

Avocados: contain in excess of 25 essential nutrients, as well as fiber, healthy fats, protein, and beneficial phyto-chemicals. They can also help to regulate blood sugar levels, protect against cancer, and help fight free radicals.

These ingredients have so many other benefits as well, but I will leave you with the few that I like the most.

I know that these two little ones will be chowing down on this salad this week… After all the Easter fun, they also need a bit of a reset to their diets.

Hmmm…maybe I should also offer this Detox Salad up to our little egg-hunting pup. He probably could use a good cleansing of his system after stealthily finding some of those eggs that the Easter bunny so carefully hid so that he wouldn’t.

If you look closely at his face, you will notice how, when a dyed Easter egg is chewed on by a dog, the said dye does not technically remain on the egg.

And unfortunately, this picture does not do any justice to what the dye also did to his paws and belly.

If you are needing something a little bit heartier to clean out your system and get you on track for the upcoming summer months, here is a quick 2-day detox that is packed with WHOLE FRESH FOODS.

These recipes will get you on track to feeling healthier, looking leaner, and jump-starting that metabolism as we all get ready to pull out those shorts and sundresses for summer!

Right now Get Lean Gluten Free is offering this 2-Day Cleanse with the shopping list, recipes, and everything you need for only $7.95. Just enter code SUMMER20 at check out and you are good to go!

Gluten-Free Strawberry Streusel Oatmeal Cake

Easter morning is always busy around our house. The Easter bunny still has some creative energy left in his egg-hiding skills and the kids are up and at ’em very early around here that morning to see if that darn bunny is going to outsmart them this time.

All that activity never leaves much time to spend whipping up anything too fancy for breakfast.

So… what I love to do is to throw together one of my favorite make-ahead Brunch Recipes the night before. Then, all I have to do in the morning is turn on my oven and throw it in. I can cut up some fresh fruit and serve it along side the cake and all of those hard-boiled eggs we’ve so carefully decorated. And boom. Easter brunch is done.

The kids love love looove this cake because it tastes so decadent. I love love love it because it really isn’t. Plus, it is packed with healthy goodness that you can feel good about the family eating… especially when they’re going to be hopped up on all of that Easter candy.

This special breakfast cake is subtly infused with fresh flavors of strawberries. It is simple enough for the kids to help assemble the night before, up to the point of baking it. In the morning, just pop it in the oven and you will have a beautiful cake for your table. I originally created this recipe because I wanted something that would impress my guests without all of the fuss in the morning. This has become one of my most requested breakfast recipes and is loved by the kids and adults in our family. 

And stay tuned because next week I have a more savory make-ahead brunch recipe coming for you.

This post is linked to Gluten Free Wednesdays!

Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Lemon-Berry Muffins

It has been March Muffin Madness over at gfe-gluten free easily this month.

Shirley is talking all things muffins and Giveaways.

Everyday she is posting a new gluten-free (and other allergen-free) recipe from one of the many amazing allergy-friendly food-bloggers that we have in this awesome community.

Today is my day to contribute to this muffin madness.

Shirley is sharing my:

Gluten-Free and Dairy-Free Lemon Berry Muffins

So head on over. Grab the recipe. Leave a comment. Get entered in her huge giveaway. Earn the chance to win some BIG prizes.

You can have a chance to win one of the prizes pictured below … including a Grand Prize of a Blendtec All-in-One-Kitchen-Appliance with a Wildside Jar!

As for me… Spring Break is making it’s stop at our home this coming week. I am really looking forward to some down time to just hang with the kiddos. After co-chairing our school’s HUGE Silent Auction Gala (which we knocked OUT OF THE PARK, by the way), I am in desperate need of a break!

Happy March!

Now that it is OFFICIALLY Spring, go on and make some of my favorite Springtime Muffins!!