I heart the sun

Love this photo taken from Pure Nourishment.

I heart the sun more than you can imagine.  Growing up near the beach, I'm outside pretty much year round.  Next week both of my girls are out of school for spring beak which means lots of fun in the sun.  So when I asked my "go to" esthetician, Kim Fisher, about the "healthiest" kids and moms sunscreens, she told me about the Environmental Working Group's website, Skin Deep.  You have to check out this site!

There's even an EWG hall of shame, which lists sunscreens marketed for kids that include hormone-disrupting chemicals (such as oxybenzone), sunscreens that may boost skin tumor risk (retinyl palmitate), and those convenient aerosol sprays may actually cause serious inhalation risks.  The EWG also recommends that you avoid sunscreens with higher than 50 SPF.  It's better to reapply sunscreen more often.

The favorite sunscreens in our family include Alba Botanicals and Badger.  As for my own face, I apply my La Roche Posay Anthelios tinted sunscreen throughout the day.  Best part about this site is that you can research any product before applying.  Have a great spring break!

Arbonne Essentials

Here's a photo of the Arbonne essentials protein shake.  I was in such a rush this morning that I tore it open!

Not sure how mornings go in your household, but mine sound a little bit like this…  First, I try and ground myself by meditating or at least taking a few deep breaths before the madness begins.  Then it's time to prep breakfast for my girls, finish up lunches, get my little one dressed while convincing my big one it's time to get dressed, brush out hair/ teeth and the list goes on. Often times I find myself forgetting about my own breakfast.  This morning I remembered about the protein shake Arbonne Essentials rep, Rachel Galant gifted me.  I popped the package in my VitaMix Blender (which is my savior) with half a frozen banana (always keep them in my freezer for smoothies and shakes) and some water.  It tasted good and tied me over all morning! Rachel gave me a few other products to try as well,  They have an entire skin care line.  It's a pretty remarkable company, you should check them out!

Lucky Feet

Photo taken from online.

When my friend called to see if I'd skip our workout for an hour massage this week, I got super excited.  For some reason I've been exhausted lately so the thought of actually laying down for an hour after dropping off the kids at school sounded like heaven.  Then she mentioned the price...  $25 for an hour massage.  Before parking she warned me that it was a hole in the wall and a little "random".  I wasn't quite sure what that meant until I walked into Lucky Feet Spa in West LA.  Once we got past the language barrier, soaked our feet in hot water and buried ourselves under towels, the hour of relaxation flew by.  This is a must for busy moms and people whose schedule changes all the time.  There's no need for an appointment so you can drop in at any time for a mommy break.  Pampering yourself is always heart healthy.

Storing Greens

Good Life Organics dropped off this fresh cilantro, collard greens and kale.

Now I've tried pretty much every way of storing greens.  I put a damp paper towel around them, I've just put them in the produce drawer of my refrigerator but they barely seem to last.  I hate throwing out food, it's a huge pet peeve of mine, especially since we no longer have a composter outside (waiting til we move and if anyone has any good recommendations please let me know).  So I finally found a way for my greens to last longer in the refrigerator.  I put them in these mason jars with water.  That way they're easy to grab when I'm cooking or prepping green drinks and they last way longer.  Still trying to figure out what to make with that cilantro.  Yum!

Carrot Ginger Smoothie

Trader Joes has great frozen fruits.

My kids and hubby all love smoothies in the morning.  While mine are typically green, this morning I switched it up a little.  The farmer, Good Life Organics, brought over fresh carrots yesterday so I decided on a pineapple, mango, carrot and ginger smoothie this morning.  It was delicious!  Since there's already so much sugar and fruit in it I used water for the liquid.  The whole fam loved it.  Oh, and Trader Joes has great frozen fruits.  Just remember when buying fruits (frozen or fresh) to always choose organic if they're part of the dirty dozen.

Yoga and the Heart

Love this shot of survivors practicing breathing while focusing on their hearts!

When I was initially diagnosed with heart failure, I was told I couldn't work out anymore.  My cardiologist suggested yoga.  I was a spinning instructor, and worked out all the time so the thought of shifting my hard core workout routine to restorative yoga was tough.  But the minute I tried it, I was hooked!

Last night Kristin Epley came to our WomenHeart of West LA support group and taught us survivors about opening our hearts through yoga.  Her tip for the night...  Lay on your back with one hand on your tummy and the other over your heart.  Fill your breath all the way to your diaphragm. This is also called diaphragmatic breathing or belly breathing.  Let your breath sit in your abdomen area for a few beats.  Then take the breath all the way to your chest and heart.  Take a few moments concentrating on the breath in your heart area.  Not only are you taking the time to relax, but you're also getting yourself more in tune with your body and heart.  Thanks Kristin!

Just as a side note, Kristin also teaches yoga and swimming to kids.  She's coming over to our house next week!

Addicted to Sugar?

Photo taken from Dr. Weil's Blog

Now if you know me, I love my green juices and salads.  Being a heart coach, I advise that everyone who's looking to get heart healthy follows the mediterranean diet (check out the photo above).  That means eating mostly plant based foods - fruits, veggies, nuts, legumes while limiting red meat intake, processed foods, salt and sugar.

While this is how I typically eat, I think it's important to divulge my weakness for sugar...  Sprinkles cupcakes are my favorite, along with Victor Bennet cookies, Sees chocolate Scotchmallows and the list goes on!  When I'm eating super clean, the cravings aren't strong, but it's hard to pass up treats especially when you're a mom.  What about you?  Are you borderline addicted to sugar?  Dr. Robert H. Lustic, M.D. wrote a book called "Fat Chance: Beating the Odds Against Sugar, Processed Food, Obesity and Disease," and says the more labels you're reading the more junk you're eating.  It's about eating real food.

Some food for thought today!