Plant Health
- 10th March 2022 -
#Beauty
I am going to share some of the valuable tips I learnt from my consultation with Kim Wessels, Naturopath & Medical Herbalist for Lifestream products.
Being over 50 and having menopause always sneaking up, my daily life can be challenging especially as I am an‘always on the go’ person! I am always ‘ON’ and need every bit of energy I can muster. So, I know that I need to really support my body with good nutrition.
One of the key tips she gave me was to fill my plate with plenty of salad greens and vegetable (fresh, raw, and cooked). Vegetables contain the most amount of nutrients of all the food groups i.e., vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that are needed for energy, strong immunity, detoxing and anti-aging benefits. So, I eat those first to help fill me up and to reduce my desire to eat carbohydrate starch-based foods. The next tip she gave me was to eat myself 80% full. This is a very effective way of reducing our food (and calorie) intake to help us reach our goal weight without going hungry. Most of the time we don’t eat mindfully and serve up food portions we measure with our eyes, so it gets hard to determine exactly how much is just enough. I am learning to eat enough to be satisfied, and not full. At the same time avoiding refined or processed sugars and gluten. I have noticed my portion size has changed and I am eating less and feeling ‘cleaner’ yet have more energy.
I would normally drink around 7 drinks a week - I love a glass of red wine and if it’s a party I am a pig for cocktails and champagne and lots of them! This is not ideal for our health as it distracts our liver from performing all its other day to day duties which includes metabolizing fat, so it's not stored but used for energy. Just 1 glass is enough to relax our resolve and give in to eating foods that impact our weight. Alcohol also negatively affects energy and mood the next day. Cocktails have added ingredients and lots of hidden sugars as well. So, I am trying to make better choices here and buying organic red wine for the antioxidants and creating an aperol spritz cocktail habit which the Italians only drink as an aperitif to stimulate digestion. She advised me my goal should be 3 drinks a week, I can’t see that happening, but I am trying to do better. She also suggested I switch coffee for green tea, so my adrenals are not so activated. I love green tea so this can work for me
Lifesteam does a product called Brain Fuel Nootropics which I am loving! It supports our mental clarity and focus. It has lots of spirulina in it which I know my body loves. I am also loving their Aloe Vera for digestion and elimination. Aloe vera juice not only helps to soothe and support digestion and healthy bowel elimination it can also have a positive effect on supporting your liver to detox which will help clear a sluggish liver. Lifestream Aloe Vera has been sustainably harvested by hand and processed to ensure all its healing qualities are retained.
I hope you can find some healthy plant-based products to support your life journey from Lifestream