How to energize your day!

The Lean and Green Body® Triple Play is my favorite way to start my day!

If I happen to miss a day I feel sluggish, fatigued and even dirty inside…my body literally craves this routine every day.

If we haven’t worked together yet, I’m about to let you in on one of my trade secrets!

The Lean and Green Body® Triple Play is a sure fire way to energize your body, gently detox your system, and flood your body with nutrients all before you’ve even had your morning coffee.

My coveted Triple Play morning routine is something I typically share with my nutrition clients during our first or second appointments, and now you can experience all the benefits too!

The Lean and Green Body® Triple Play is my morning routine…let’s break it down!

First thing in the morning when you wake up…before you put anything else into your body, drink these three things…

First, 8 oz of room temperature water with the juice from 1/2 an organic lemon…sip it!

Then, add 1-2 TBSP of Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar to 4-8 oz of water (you MUST add to water, do not drink ACV on it’s own)…drink it down!

Followed by, our morning greens! My current favorite greens are the Amazing Grass greens OR the Garden of Life Perfect Food Raw Greens. I love both of these brands and rotate between the two! You’ll mix one scoop of your greens with 8-10 oz of cold water (I like to use a blender bottle), shake and drink!

Then you can have your coffee and breakfast!

So why do I encourage you to drink all that first thing?!? Let me fill you in on what each drink does…

Each morning we wake up and our bodies are so dehydrated from working on overdrive while we sleep. The room temperature water with an organic lemon works to rehydrates your cells, energizes your body, and helps to pull out toxins. I get this question almost daily…and yes, it’s essential that the lemon is organic! An organic lemon is alkalizing, where a conventional lemon is acidic. This was literally mind blowing the first time I heard this...a food is either alkalizing or acidic based off what it does inside our body. A conventional lemon will never be alkalizing because of the pesticides and chemicals sprayed on it…sorry but you can’t wash them off. The lemon water responds almost like coffee to the body, and provides a boost of energy without the jittery feeling associated with caffeine.

Next up, the Apple Cider Vinegar comes in to helps neutralize the body. When we wake up our bodies are in an acidic state, the Apple Cider Vinegar helps to increase the pH of the body creating a more alkalizing state. We want to keep our bodies in an alkalizing state as much as we can since this is an undesirable place for cancer, disease and illness to thrive in. (Disease thrives in an acidic environment.) Apple Cider Vinegar, Bragg’s particularly, is one of my favorite holistic remedies because it performs hundreds of benefits to the body. Just be sure to mix it with water, and never drink it straight. (do not take ACV if you have an ulcer or symptoms of an ulcer)

We round up our Triple Play with our greens! Probably my favorite part of the Triple Play. Both of the green supplements I recommended above contain approximately 34 raw greens that have been juiced first and then dried. This is very important because we are not cows, and it can be very difficult for our bodies to digest and breakdown grass and some greens. Having the greens juiced first helps our bodies assimilate and utilize the greens and nutrients much easier. You will mix your greens with about 8-10 oz of cold water, I like to use my blender bottle and shake them up! When you drink your greens on an empty stomach (no food) you allow the nutrients to be absorbed and utilized by the body right away, it takes away to need to digest them and this giving your digestive system a break. Greens will help to boost your immune system, keep you energized, gentle detox the body, and help to balance blood sugar levels!

That’s it! It may seem like A LOT at first, but I promise it gets easier and eventually it just becomes part of your morning!

My husband and I love to travel and I always bring all 3 parts of this morning routine with me when we travel. To read more about my travel tips click HERE

As a Certified Holistic Nutritionist I am very cognizant of what I put into my body, what I give my family and what I recommend to my clients. I do extension research on all products I recommend, but I always recommend doing your own research to see what you feel comfortable with.

Gentle reminder…you should always consult your Naturopathic MD or Certified Nutritionist before adding a supplement to your routine. If you are pregnant or nursing I would recommend eliminating the ACV portion of the morning routine, and simply doing lemon water and greens!

To learn more or to work with me, please email me at jennifer@leanandgreenbody.com

Photo By Jontel Chere

Detoxing on a Budget - part II

The ‘Detoxing on a Budget’ series is back! In our first part of this series (HERE) we discussed the first (and cheapest) steps you can take to begin detoxing your diet today.

Now we are going to discuss the next steps you can take to further detox your pantry. In part one we discussed eliminating all processed foods and really anything that comes in a box or a bag. Time to let that shit go! Your body deserves better. 
In part two today we are going to discuss how to incorporate a morning routine. 

A morning routine is a great way to add a daily detox into your life…and the results are unbelievable! What you choose to do in the morning sets the tone for your entire day. By starting your day on the right foot you are literally setting yourself up for success. 

When you start your day by flooding your body with nutrients, vitamins, minerals, hydration, and really fueling your body and mind properly…you are more likely to make better choices throughout the day. 

I have discussed my morning routine HERE and it has definitely evolved over time, but remains very similar. 

I’m a true believer in the triple play. To read the full benefits of the triple play click here

The idea is to hydrate your body first thing (our bodies get so dehydrated when we sleep because they are working so hard)… so hydration is number one. Start your day with 8 oz of room temperature water (super important because we do not want to shock the system) mixed with the juice from 1/2 an organic lemon. 

Next I like to come in with a gentle detoxer…kinda scrub the wall of the intestines… and seriously energize the body… it’s like a shot of espresso (minus the caffeine). That’s right I’m talking about APPLE CIDER VINEGAR. If you have been following me for awhile now, you know I’m super into ACV. Check out my full post on ACV here 

I’m so passionate about this product that when I was the keynote speaker for my alma matar Springfield College last year, I started my talk by serving up shots of ACV to the entire crowd. Yep, that’s right! We were all awake and ready to go!

There are two important things to remember when taking ACV… first always mix it with water. I prefer to mix it with 2-4 oz of water, but I know some individuals who like a full 8 oz, up to you! The second thing is to make sure you are buying high quality ACV, my favorite brand (#notsponsored) is Braggs ACV. I’ve been talking about this brand for years now, and have gotten hundreds of people nationwide taking it every morning. I love this brand because it contains “the mother”, the cloudy questionable stuff at the bottom of the bottle…that’s the good stuff. Make sure you shake up your bottle before pouring. Any ACV with “the mother” would be acceptable…and ACV without “the mother” is simply a salad dressing ingredient. 

Many people worry that the ACV will make their acid reflux (and other symptoms associated with an acidic diet) worse… honestly, in my research, education and my work with clients it has made it much better… and is actually know to alleviate the symptoms  all together. 

Lastly, my final step in my morning are greens!! Honestly, probably my favorite step, hence the name LEAN AND GREEN BODY®. The greens come in and provide a second layer of gentle detoxification, boost your immune system, and provide you with natural (caffeine free) energy. Many of my friends and followers wonder how I last 12 hour work days without coffee… it’s all in the greens, natural energy! Honest. 

Here are the two brands I’m currently loving for greens! HERE and HERE

I could drink just about anything for my health, but these 3 steps in my morning routine are essential…and I think they all taste pretty good! Okkk Okk the ACV is definitely an acquired taste, but I promise the benefits outweigh the flavor. 

The Lean and Green Body® Morning Routine #TRIPLEPLAY

8 oz room temperature water with 1/2 organic lemon

1 TBSP of ACV with water

8-10 oz of water mixed with greens 

Happy Detoxing!

How I maintained my weight during the holidays

The holidays can be a tricky time for those struggling with their weight. This year I was able to maintain my weight during the holiday season … Thanksgiving - New Years … and I’m sharing all my secrets with you!

The holidays tend to be a crazy busy time. We take our already jam packed schedules and amplify them to meet everyones needs. We attend all the parties, bake all the cookies, and host all the gatherings. Pretty much living in sympathy “fight or flight” mode all holiday season. Well that’s no fun, and leaves you completed drained by the New Year. Not to mention this extra stress causing an increase in your cortisol, which will pack on a few extra pounds around your midsection… your stress will literally make you fat. So how’d I manage the stress and ‘all the things’ this season …. I prioritized myself and my self care. Remember self care is not selfish, it’s something that many of us have to relearn but it’s so important. Each day I prioritized my “me time” … I literally wrote it in my planner and refused to cancel on myself. I used this time to meditate, do yoga, hit the gym, read, take a bubble bath…whatever I needed that day. This helped me to manage my stress and actually enjoy the holidays. 

The next thing I did was hydrate! I can not stress this enough… hydration is everything. The average individual requires a minimum of 64 oz of pure water each day - plus 8 oz per every cup of caffeine or alcoholic beverage per day. Take a second and add up what your body needs today…. It’s a lot more than 64 oz. Then factor in your workouts… unless you are a high intensity athlete and working out for hours per day your body can hydrate on pure water alone. Consider your workouts…and add in another 16+ oz of water. This adds up to some serious hydration throughout the day! This hydration can help us from over eating, keeps our skin glowing, helps our digestion system run smoothly, and hydrates our cells. Water is everything. Let’s all have a sip right now!

Mindful indulgences. This can be tricky around the holidays especially with all the holiday gatherings. If you have 2 glasses of wine and 2 cookies in the same evening, your glucose levels will be through the roof, but also you have just consumed approximately 500+ extra (empty) calories. That’s substantial. When I say mindful indulgence I simply mean … indulge mindfully. Think about what you are eating and/or drinking. Is this really what your body wants? Or perhaps it’s craving sugar because you didn’t eat a substantial lunch. 

Mindful indulgences really helped me navigate the holiday parties with ease. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it! Whenever I go out, or we host at our home, I always have a relative plan in mind. Am I going to indulge? What will be my indulgence? If it’s wine, how many glasses? For instance, we went out with friends for an early New Year’s Eve happy hour, I knew going in I was going to use my mindful indulgences for wine that evening. I also knew going in I was only going to have 2 glasses. Having this plan in place ahead of time prevented me from over indulging. Of course there are times when I have not indulged mindfully, and have gone beyond… I am human, just like you. That’s why if the focus is on mindfully indulging most of the time there is room to play. 

Another example of mindful indulgences would be Christmas cookies… I LOVE baking Christmas cookies! This year my Mama and I made two different recipes. My favorite part about baking cookies is the actual baking, the creating and the recipe testing. I love to bake for the ones I love; cooking and hosting is definitely one of the ways I show my love for those around me. This year from Thanksgiving - New Years I only consumed approximately 5 cookies. That’s astonishing! I did not count, and frankly did not even notice until it came time to write this blog post. We had cookies on hand for several weeks, but for some reason this year I did not gravitate towards them. I enjoyed tasting each one we made, but never over indulged. 

One of the tricks I use for mindful indulgences is “out of sight out of mind”. If the cookies or the wine is sitting on the counter, and you see them every time you pass by you are going to crave them. If they are hidden away, or simply stored out of sight, they will not be on your mind and you may choose another (healthier) option. 

The last thing I did that helped me to maintain my weight this holiday was to move every day. Whether it was a power yoga class, a weight training session, or a long walk with my dog I got up and moved daily. This got all the stale energy moving, and typically inspired more movement throughout the day.

These are just a few of my tips and tricks I used this holiday season to maintain my weight. Comment below and let me know what worked for you!

Looking to Lose Those Last Few Pounds?

You’ve tried everything, but still have the last 5, 10 or even 20 pounds to lose?

Here are some tips on what to eat to achieve your ideal weight.

When we talk about losing weight, I always want to make sure that we are discussing it in a healthy manner, no crash diets, no diet pills, none of the craziness. Weight loss is more about what you are adding versus what you are restricting. Weight loss and a healthy diet really comes down to how are you fueling your body. Are you setting yourself up for success or destruction?

How you start your day is crucial. Its sets the tone for the entire day. Eating healthy in the morning has proven to aid in making healthier decisions as the day progresses.

Always start your day with my morning routine.

Starting your day with warm water and lemon, Bragg’s Apple Cider Vinegar and greens really set the tone for the day.

Once your morning routine is complete you may finally have your coffee or tea … let’s try and kick that sugar habit once and for all. Either enjoying your beverage black or with a simple milk. What do I mean by simple? Limited ingredients…pure and preferably organic.

I love breakfast because it starts my day off right. Do you want to have waffles or a frozen breakfast sandwich and crash an hour later? Nope. My days are way too busy to deal with any mid-morning crashes. I need sustained energy to get me through until at least noon. Can you relate?

My favorite breakfast smoothies are packed with nutrients, enzymes, vitamins, and loads of energy boosting ingredients.

When making your smoothie it is important to focus on these three areas: protein, healthy fat and fiber. Check out my blog on “What to Focus On When Making Your Smoothie” for a deeper explanation as to why these three are so crucial in your morning smoothie.

Having a healthy breakfast will set you up for success for the rest of the day.

When lunchtime comes try to remember to fuel your body. It may be tempting to go out with your co-workers and indulge, but think about how that will feel around 2pm when you are downright dragging and watching the seconds tick by on your clock.

Food is fuel.

Lunch is a time to refuel your body. Consider having greens or a large serving of vegetables, protein and fiber. These three together will keep you going - and keep your energy consistent - through the afternoon. Limit the number of traditional carbohydrates at lunch - avoid if possible. Having a big bowl of pasta or a turkey sandwich on white bread will ultimately lead to a sleepy and sluggish afternoon.

To really boost your weight loss add an extra shot of Bragg’s apple cider vinegar (mixed with water) before lunch. Always drink prior to meals for optimum benefit.

Keep the format for your dinner similar to your lunch, keeping in mind protein, greens and fiber.

Always choosing to look at food as fuel.

Water is a key component for weight loss. It not only rehydrates our cells but also aids in elimination by flushing toxins out of our bodies.

When you are trying to lose weight, it is important to eat regular meals, and not to skip meals hoping to boost your weight loss. Skipping meals will ultimately lead to binging and over eating later in the day.

Move. Weight loss is very much connected to what we eat, and how we choose to fuel our bodies. However, it always comes down to calories in vs. calories out. Make sure that you move every day, walk at least 10,000 steps per day, and get active.

For more ways on how to get active in your community check out our online schedule of classes and events here.

Boost Weight Loss With These Foods

Citrus fruit

The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition has published studies that show that individuals who consume more vitamin C have lower waist-to-hip ratios. The University of Arizona researchers discovered that those with higher levels of vitamin C in their system oxidized 25 percent more fat during cardio sessions. 

Cucumbers

Cucumber are 95% water and are loaded with vitamins K and C, potassium and silica. The nutrients in cucumbers help to build and maintain connective tissue. 

Celery 

Celery only contains about 6 calories per stalk! This low calorie vegetable contains one third of your recommended daily intake of vitamin K per cup. Celery is also high in vitamin A, fiber, folate and potassium. This nutrient dense food contains phthalides which have been shown to lower blood pressure. 

Apples 

An apple a day can help you to maintain an ideal body weight. The apple skin is packed with fiber, which helps to boost our metabolism, and ursolic acid, which helps prevent unnecessary weight gain. 

Kelp 

This sea vegetable is loaded with vitamin K, helping to keep bones strong. Newcastle University in the U.K. found that kelp contains alginate, which has been shown to block fat absorption. 

Asparagus 

Asparagus contains just 20 calories per one half cup, and is packed with vitamins A, B and K. Asparagus may help to regulate blood sugar levels and decrease your chances of developing type 2 diabetes, due to the high concentration of vitamin B, which helps break down starch and sugar in the body. 

Cauliflower 

One half-cup of cauliflower contains just 14 calories, and is packed with vitamin C. Use mashed cauliflower in place of mashed potatoes for your next holiday gathering. Check out our recipe here (include link to blog post). 

Red chili peppers

Chili peppers are packed with capsaicin, which has been shown to increase your metabolism and help your body burn more calories. 

Green tea

Green tea contains high amounts of the antioxidant ECGC, which will boost your metabolism, burn more calories and eliminate stubborn belly fat. 

Water 

Consuming enough plain water daily is critical for your health. Water helps to keep your body running smoothly and keeps us alert throughout the day. Consuming 8 oz of plain water prior to your meal will help you to eat less, and control your portion sizes. 

Benefits of Cucumbers

Energy Boost: Cucumbers are an excellent source of B vitamins. Trade in your afternoon coffee for some cucumber slices.

Hydrating: Cucumbers are 95% water, they help to keep the body hydrated and assist in the elimination of toxins.

Reduce risk for cancer and cardiovascular disease: Cucumbers contain three lignans (pinoresinol, lacriciresinol and secoisolariciresinol) and a critical phytonutrient (cucurbitacins) used to fight cancer and heart disease.

Reduce Inflammation: Cucumbers are rich in four flavonoids (quercetin, apigenin, kaempferol and luteolin) all of which have been proven to reduce inflammation. Adding more cucumbers into your diet could help to prevent and protect our bodies from inflammation conditions like arthritis and colitis.

Relieves Bad Breath: Cucumbers contain phytochemicals which will kill the bacteria in our mouth causing bad breath. Simply place a slice of cucumber in your mouth for 30 seconds, pressing it towards the roof of your mouth.

Aids in Weight Loss and Assists in Digestion: Cucumbers are a great snack for those looking to lose weight due to their high water content and fiber, aiding in the elimination of toxins from the body.  Cucumbers are an excellent addition to the diet for individuals suffering from constipation or irregular bowel movements.

Regulates Cholesterol and Blood Pressure: Research shows that the sterols found in cucumbers may help to reduce and regulate cholesterol levels. Cucumbers are rich in fiber, magnesium and potassium which all aid in regulating blood pressure.

Hangover Cure: Cucumbers are rich in B vitamins, electrolytes and many essential nutrients. These nutrients will assist in eliminating the effects of a hangover. Due to their high water content, cucumbers will also help to rehydrate you after a night of drinking. Simply eat a few slices before bed!

The secret to having a flat stomach

One of the best ways to lose belly fat is to strengthen your core. The first step to having a strong core is good posture. Proper posture allows all of the muscles, not only in the front and back of the core, but the entire body to work together in all planes of motion. Correct posture and form helps to keep muscles at their proper length, allowing them to work together and reduce risk of injury.  Good form and alignment will help you achieve results much faster. A strong core and good posture helps your body maintain a good form while performing exercises. 

The secret to having the flat stomach you are looking for is combining cardio exercise with abdominal strengthening exercises. This will speed up your metabolism and burn more calories and fat. 

Reduce your belly fat with this workout:

1.       Jog in place for 60 seconds

2.       Lunge with twist for 30 seconds

3.       Squat jump for 30 seconds

4.       30 second plank follow by 30 second mountain climber

5.       Superman back extension for 30 seconds

6.       30 seconds of burpees

7.       30 second side plank (each side)

8.       60 second run in place

Take a 20 second rest in between each exercise

Take a 60 second rest between each set.

Perform 3 sets of this routine 4 times per week for 1 month

Let us know your results!

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