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The Journey to Overall Wellness, a Plant-Based Diet

Adopt a Plant-Based Diet

Eating a plant-based diet is one of the best ways to improve your well-being both physically and mentally. A plant-based diet can reduce inflammation and help you feel more energized throughout the day while also decreasing your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and cancer. Plus, it’s good for the environment!

Consistent Exercise

Regular exercise has been proven to help with overall physical and mental health. Not only does it help you stay in shape, but it also releases endorphins which can make you feel happier during the day. Even just 30 minutes of activity a day can make a huge difference in your mood and energy levels.

Learning to Keep a Healthier Home

A clean home is essential for optimal health! Vacuuming daily helps to remove dirt, dust and other allergens that can trigger asthma or allergies. Using nontoxic cleaners ensures a safe and healthy environment when cleaning countertops and floors. Paying close attention to the air filters in your home can also reduce pollutants in the air – leading to improved air quality indoors. This is especially important if you or a family member suffers from respiratory problems. Keeping up with these types of tasks can give you peace of mind so you can enjoy a clean home, free from potential hazards.

Meditation

Meditation is one of the best ways to achieve optimal health and well-being. It has scientifically proven benefits such as improving concentration, reducing stress levels, and enhancing physical and mental well-being. Meditation helps build resilience against fatigue and anxiety, which can help improve overall physical health. In addition to providing restful sleep, it boosts our immunity by helping to regulate hormones. Regular meditation also allows us to experience a sense of inner calmness and awareness that can lead to improved self-esteem and emotional balance.

Embracing Self-Acceptance

Learning to accept yourself is one of the most important things you can do for yourself when it comes to improving your well-being. Recognizing that no one is perfect means that we can all strive for better while still loving ourselves exactly as we are right now!

Practicing Gratitude

Practicing gratitude every day has been proven to improve mental health by reducing stress levels, increasing happiness, and boosting self-esteem. Taking the time each day to think about what you’re grateful for helps put things into perspective so that we don’t take anything for granted.

Assessing Your Career Goals

Assessing where you want your career path to go is essential for achieving whole-body wellness through self-improvement. Setting realistic goals will help keep you motivated while also helping you recognize where you want to go in life with regard to education or career advancement opportunities.

Achieve Your Full Potential

Achieving whole-body wellness through self-improvement doesn’t have to be difficult or complicated; sometimes small changes like adopting a plant-based diet or taking 10 minutes out of each day for meditation are all it takes! Ultimately, learning how to accept yourself unconditionally while setting realistic goals will help make sure that everything falls into place in order for you to achieve your full potential whether you want to start your own business or just live healthier!

Hi, I’m Kelly Gibson! I am a Holistic Nutritionist and Certified Health Coach with a focus in overall wellness. I help women adopt a plant-based diet for weight loss and wellness.  If you’re looking for a vegan wellness coach or vegan nutritionist in Pittsburgh PA or an online nutritionist, definitely reach out! I bring the nutrition and wellness to YOU!

Join my free Health Esteem Challenge to get fit with me on a plant-based diet here.

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Diet Secrets for Longevity

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Becoming Your Best Self After 65

Guest Blog by Jason Lewis at Strongwell.org

Today, people are living longer. According to the CDC, life expectancy reached a record high of 78.8 years in 2012. In addition, people aged 65 can expect to live about another 19 years. But growing older brings with it a host of health problems such as heart disease, cancer, respiratory illnesses, and more. Read the full list of these increased health concerns at Everyday Health. That should persuade you to take steps to care for your health as soon as possible. Here’s what you can do to improve your physical and mental health right now.

Improving Your Physical Health

At the top of the list is improving your physical health. Even if you are not mobile at this time or experience pain or discomfort, there are some measures you can take to help yourself. Little by little, start these steps with your doctor’s oversight.

● Use your benefits.
It’s no secret that healthcare can be confusing. For that reason, many seniors don’t know or understand what their insurance plan covers. As a result, they don’t use all of their available benefits. If you are one of the 19 million Americans who have a Medicare Advantage plan, you may have added vision, dental, prescription, and fitness benefits that will pay for services not typically covered by basic Medicare plans.
● Get your exercise.
Even if you have limited mobility, work with your doctor to find ways that you can stay active and fit. The National Institute of Health recommends that seniors train with a mix of aerobics, muscle-strengthening exercises (if allowed), and exercises that improve flexibility and mobility, such as low-impact yoga.
● Eat a balanced diet.
Always eat in line with your doctor’s directives, but if he hasn’t given you any guidance, take your own steps to improve your diet. According to Amy Campbell, a registered dietitian and diabetes educator, don’t worry about a fancy fad diet. Instead, eat a nutritionally balanced meal. Avoid processed foods and sugar and limit your outside dining since much of that food is loaded with preservatives or MSG. Begin to eat more fresh produce, fibrous foods, and legumes.
● Drink more water.
The body needs water even more than it needs food. Dehydration is a serious problem that can impact both your physical and mental health. Drinking six to eight glasses a day is often recommended, but if that’s difficult for you, try increasing your water intake little by little. Read these seven health benefits of water from Healthline, many of which may be critical for you.
● Get enough sleep.
Don’t believe the myth that seniors only need a few hours of sleep. The truth is that all adults need at least seven hours of sleep, according to the National Sleep Foundation. While it’s true that sleep patterns do change for the elderly, poor sleep can also be attributed to pain, illness, or psychiatric issues. Talk to your doctor if poor sleep this has become a problem.

Addressing Your Mental Health

Depression is often a concern for elderly people. Common signs include loss of interest in activities that you would normally enjoy, loss of energy, change in appetite, and different sleeping patterns. Exercise can help improve your mental health, but you can add these activities as well:

● Take on a new hobby.
Hobbies can challenge your brain and keep you sharp. A recent study showed that seniors who learned a new skill actually had improved memory performance – and the more challenging the skill, the better the improvement. Now is the perfect time to learn something you’ve meaning to try for years.
Socialize.
Isolation can be a big challenge for seniors, especially after losing some of their mobility. Become more active in your community and seek out available transportation options for seniors. Find more places that are ideal to help you socialize at HowToBeMoreSocial.net.
Meditation.
Meditation can help calm your soul, ease your stress, and provide you a way to wind down for bed. Read more benefits of meditation in this article from the Huffington Post.

As a senior, it’s imperative for you to take control of your health to live your best life now! Focus on these steps and activities that improve your physical and mental health and you’ll start enjoying your life again.

For a Nutrition Lesson on Longevity or Cognitive Health, go here. Kelly Gibson is a Holistic Nutritionist and Personal Trainer in Chandler Arizona. She specializes in plant-based nutrition for wellness and weight loss.

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Best Oil for Dry Skin

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If you have atopic dermatitis, dry skin, or skin trauma you may want to switch to this topical oil.

Many people rely on chemical-laden lotions and medicated ointments to treat their skin problems. While these strong chemicals can work at healing the skin quickly, it can strip your skin of its natural oils. Losing natural oils and peeling away the top layer of skin can expose you to more outside irritants. This can be problematic leading to chronic inflammation or higher risk of disease.  Surprisingly, coconut oil is not the best oil for our skin (but it does come close).

And the Winner is... Sesame Oil!

Here are the top 5 health benefits of using Sesame Oil on your skin:

Fights Germs

Sesame oil acts like an antimicrobial.

Lowers Disease Risk

Its lignans are high in antioxidants.

Heals Wounds

Those with trauma experience less pain.

Protects Against UV

Protect yourself from UV ray exposure.

Chemopreventive

Protects against skin cancer with sesamol.

It is not only delicious in salad and stir fry, but sesame is the best oil for skin! Using it can help protect you from airborne irritants, in addition to being a great moisturizer.  Essential oils and dry flowers can even be added to your carrier sesame oil. I personally love the smell and effects of calendula flowers and lavender essential oils because they both aid in healing dry, cracked skin. You can infuse the flowers into the oil then add drops of lavender.

Sesame oil contains linoleic acid which has antimicrobial properties to fight germs. Lignans are a key component of sesame oil, which houses antioxidants that absorb easily into the skin. Sesame oil beats out other plant oils because it’s shown to have wound healing, anti-aging, and chemo preventive properties as well. View the reference link to compare numerous plant oils, then you’ll see why sesame is the best oil for skin. Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5796020/

Sesame Carrier Oil

Start with the best topical carrier oil.

Calendula Flowers

Infuse flowers in the oil.

Lavender Essential Oil

Add this healing essential oil.

Hi, I’m Kelly Gibson. I am a Holistic Nutritionist with a focus in natural remedies for health issues, like skin rashes!  I specialize in plant-based nutrition for weight loss and wellness.  If you’re looking for a vegan nutritionist who can educate you on skin health or plant-based diets, request a consultation today!  I work with customers as an online nutritionist. I also travel local to Tempe Arizona, Chandler Arizona, Scottsdale Arizona, Phoenix Arizona, Ahwatukee Arizona, Gilbert Arizona and Mesa Arizona. As an in-home nutritionist and personal trainer, I bring the nutrition and wellness to YOU! Get started here.

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