 Looking for a healthy living cheat sheet? Our resident health expert serves up her 20 health and nutrition tips that everyone should know. Enjoy!
1. Non-fat or “skim milk” has a surprisingly high amount of sugar. Most brands have about 12 grams per cup – this is almost half the amount of total sugar that is recommended you ingest each day! 2. When you eat protein, you lose 20-30% of those calories to digestion. This means if you eat 100 calories of protein, you only absorb about 70 of those calories. 3. Wheat raises your blood sugar higher and faster than any other carbohydrate including table sugar. 4. Matcha is an excellent source of antioxidants, or “polyphenols,” which protect the body from harmful free-radicals and cellular damage. 5. Cold pressed juice is considered to be more nutrient dense compared to traditional centrifuged juice. This is because centrifugal juicers generate heat which can destroy enzymes, and also force in air which can compromise nutrients. 6. Cooking tomatoes drastically increases its lycopene content. Lycopene is a powerful antioxidant that decreases risk of heart disease and cancer. 7. Cheeses with the lowest amount of lactose are those that have aged the longest. The lower the lactose, the lower the chance of stomach upset from intolerance to lactose. 8. Fiber slows down digestion and makes you feel fuller longer. Healthy adults should aim or 25 grams of fiber per day. 9. Tuna is an excellent source of Vitamin B12, selenium, Vitamin B3 (niacin), and protein - about 20 grams of protein per 3 oz serving. 10. Fish with lowest amounts of mercury include salmon, black sea bass, scallop, shrimp, skate, tilapia, cod, oyster, and crab. 11. Getting enough magnesium may help prevent migraine headaches. Good sources of magnesium include almonds, spinach, and avocado. 12. Foods that are an even greater source of potassium than bananas include sweet potatoes, white potatoes, beets, and butternut squash. 13. Vitamin C helps to boost your immune function and protects against free radical damage. Good sources of Vitamin C include oranges, red peppers, and broccoli. 14. If you are sensitive to dairy products but you love butter, try clarified butter which is pure butterfat with the milk solids removed. 15. Tropical fruits are high in sugar. These include bananas, mangoes, and pineapples. Stick to a ½ cup serving when eating this type of high sugar fruit. 16. The best source of Vitamin D comes from the sun. The second best source is a supplement, and the third and lowest source are foods such as fatty fish, egg yolks, and beef liver. 17. An 8 oz cup of coffee can have between 95-200mg of caffeine. It is recommended to not exceed 400mg of caffeine per day for most individuals. 18. Studies have found that just short bursts of exercise during the day can help with attention and focus. Aim for a fifteen minute walk at lunch to increase your energy for the afternoon. 19. Clutter can trigger your stress response. Avoid clutter in key areas such as your desk, your car, and in your bedroom. 20. A negative emotional state can express itself on your face as breakouts, dullness, and wrinkles. Practice being in the present for a happier emotional state and a better complexion. **At The Mindful Tech Lab, we develop and market apps that are easily ingrained into your daily routine to deliver positive results. We are most known for our Facebook Messenger chatbots that help you live your best life, you can check them each out by clicking on their links: MotivateBot, MeditateBot, Daily FitBot, HealthyBot, Eat Clean Bot, StoicBot**  When we think about mindfulness, the act of being mindful in our daily lives, we often refer to it as the state of being completely in the present moment. This means no mind wandering about the past or the future. It's difficult, but important if we want to reduce stress and start to build that inner power to resist future stressors - which really do carry a negative impact on our overall well-being. Here are 15 quotes to help get you into that mindful state and living in the present moment. Really take some time to think about each and apply them to your day. 1. "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." -Buddha 2. "Every morning ask 'if today were the last day of my life, would I want to do what I am about to do today?" -Steve Jobs 3. "It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." - Sir Winston Churchill 4. "Time is a created thing. To say "I don't have time", is like saying, "I don't want to"." -Lao-Tzu 5. "Thousands of candles can be lighted from a single candle, and the life of the candle will not be shortened. Happiness never decreases by being shared." -Buddha 6. "How soon, not now, becomes never." -Martin Luther 7. "Nurture your minds with great thoughts. To believe in the heroic makes heroes." -Benjamin Disraeli 8. "Often he who does too much does too little." -Italian Proverb 9. "A great attitude does much more than turn on the lights in our worlds; it seems to magically connect us to all sorts of serendipitous opportunities that were somehow absent before we changed." -Earl Nightingale 10. "The shorter way to do many things is to do only one thing at a time." -Mozart 11. "Peace comes from within. Do not seek it without." -Buddha 12. "When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." -Marcus Aurelius (get more great Stoic quotes on StoicBot) 13. "At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want." -Lao-Tzu 14. "What you focus on expands." - Buddha 15. "Meditation is exercise for the mind." -Chade-Meng Teng Remember, you can meditate daily for free in MeditateBot, give it a try! **At The Mindful Tech Lab, we develop and market apps that are easily ingrained into your daily routine to deliver positive results. We are most known for our Facebook Messenger chatbots that help you live your best life, you can check them each out by clicking on their links: MotivateBot, MeditateBot, Daily FitBot, HealthyBot, Eat Clean Bot, StoicBot**  Inspirational quotes just deliver so much great knowledge to think on without taking too much time out of our daily schedule (no offense to books)! But remember, quotes are just plain old words if they aren't acted upon - so really take some time to apply these quotes to your daily life this week. The results will come.
Here are 20 quotes to inspire you into an amazing week, enjoy! 1. "Continuous improvement is better than delayed perfection." -Mark Twain 2. "In reading the lives of great men, I found that the first victory they won was over themselves... self-discipline with all of them came first." -Harry S. Truman 3. "If you're proactive, you don't have to wait for circumstances or other people to create perspective expanding experiences. You can consciously create your own." -Stephen Covey 4. "The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." -Michelangelo 5. "Nothing will work unless you do." -Maya Angelou 6. "The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle." -Steve Jobs 7. "With self-discipline most anything is possible." -Theodore Roosevelt 8. "The best way to predict the future is to create it." -Abraham Lincoln 9. "The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." -Eleanor Roosevelt 10. "Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life." -Confucius 11. "At the center of your being you have the answer; you know who you are and you know what you want." -Lao Tzu 12. "I'm a great believer in luck, and I find the harder I work the more I have of it." -Thomas Jefferson 13. "Your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing." -Abraham Lincoln 14. "Life without risks is not worth living." -Charles A. Lindbergh 15. "Nurture your minds with great thoughts. To believe in the heroic makes heroes." -Benjamin Disraeli 16. "It is a mistake to try to look too far ahead. The chain of destiny can only be grasped one link at a time." -Sir Winston Churchill 17. "The aim of life is self-development. To realize one's nature perfectly - that is what each of us is here for." -Oscar Wilde 18. "You must be the change you wish to see in the world." -Mahatma Gandhi 19. "I am only one; but I am still one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do the something I can do." -Helen Keller 20. "Take a chance! All life is a chance. The person who goes the furthest is generally the one who is willing to do and dare." -Dale Carnegie **At The Mindful Tech Lab, we develop and market apps that are easily ingrained into your daily routine to deliver positive results. We are most known for our Facebook Messenger chatbots that help you live your best life, you can check them each out by clicking on their links: MotivateBot, MeditateBot, Daily FitBot, HealthyBot, Eat Clean Bot, StoicBot**  Here at The Mindful Tech Lab we love quotes, if that wasn't already obvious ;), because they are such simple and quick ways to help improve our mindset. Below are 10 quotes handpicked to help motivate you today, enjoy!
1. "Do not wait; the time will never be 'just right'. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along." - Napoleon Hill 2. "An enterprising person is one who sees opportunity in all areas of life." - Jim Rohn 3. "First say to yourself what you would be, then do what you have to do." - Epictetus 4. "The purpose of life is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experience." - Eleanor Roosevelt 5. "You see, in life, lots of people know what to do, but few people actually do what they know. Knowing is not enough! You must take action." - Tony Robbins 6. "When you arise in the morning, think of what a precious privilege it is to be alive - to breathe, to think, to enjoy, to love." - Marcus Aurelius 7. "Your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other one thing." - Abraham Lincoln 8. "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." - Buddha 9. "It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, It is because we do not dare that they are difficult." - Seneca 10. "A great attitude does much more than turn on the lights in our worlds; it seems to magically connect us to all sorts of serendipitous opportunities that were somehow absent before we changed." - Earl Nightingale **At The Mindful Tech Lab, we develop and market apps that are easily ingrained into your daily routine to deliver positive results. We are most known for our Facebook Messenger chatbots that help you live your best life, you can check them each out by clicking on their links: MotivateBot, MeditateBot, Daily FitBot, HealthyBot, Eat Clean Bot, StoicBot**  Figuring out how to choose a healthy protein bar can be very tricky and I get the question all of the time about how to choose a good one. I always advise reaching for whole food first, but sometimes when you are desperate and starving, having a protein bar on hand can be great. However, most protein bars are full of chemicals and sugar and are no better (or might be worse) than eating a candy bar, yikes!
Here is a cheat sheet of how to choose a healthy protein bar: Sugar Look for a bar with less than 5 grams of sugar (ideally 0-2 grams), and definitely do not grab a bar that has anything over 12 grams of sugar. Even if the label says something like "sweetened with dried fruit" or "natural sugars" bottom line is that sugar is sugar, certain types of sugar may be a little less bad for you, but sugar by any name is still not good for you. Net carbs Ideally there will be less than 10 grams of net carbs in the bar - lower the better. Net carbs are the carbs that impact your blood sugar, more sugar in your blood means greater insulin response, and greater insulin response means greater amount of sugar funneled into your fat cells (insulin is the fat storing hormone). You can calculate net carbs by subtracting the total fiber from the total carbohydrates listed. This is because your body does not process calories from fiber and they will not raise your blood sugar. Protein Look for a bar with plenty of protein because this is what is going to help to keep you full and help to keep your muscle mass. Protein is the hardest macronutrient for your body to breakdown, meaning it will take longer to be digested which will keep you fuller longer, AND you will burn calories just from the digestion of protein (because it takes energy to break it down). Aim for at least 15 grams of protein in the bar. Fiber More fiber the better, this should be at least over 5 grams. As discussed above, fiber is not absorbed by the body but your body will still work very hard to try and break it down! This means digestion is slowed down when you eat fiber (keeping you fuller longer) and more calories lost from the energy your body puts in to trying to break down fiber. Fat Fat will help to keep you full and satisfied because it takes a longer time to digest and will not raise your blood sugar at all - meaning no insulin response, yay! It will also make the bar taste better - be weary of any "fat free" protein bar, this usually means there is added sugar to make it taste better. Aim for at least a couple grams of fat. Ingredients This might be the most important aspect of the protein bar because most bars are full of chemicals which can throw off hormones and may even cause you to gain weight. Ideally there will be under 10 ingredients on the list, you will be able to pronounce all of the ingredients, there will be no chemical names, and all ingredients will be from whole food source such as almonds or coconut. Good luck! Sarah-Kate Rems, NP Co-founder, The Mindful Tech Lab - Check out all of our amazing apps to help improve your life here  Patients come into my office everyday for stomach issues (gas, bloating, constipation, etc) and believe that gluten must be the sole culprit. Yes, gluten certainly can wreak havoc on the body, but another factor could be an intolerance to one or more types of FODMAPs. FODMAPs are short chain carbohydrates found in virtually all gluten containing food products and can cause the same undesirable gastrointestinal side effects as gluten. FODMAP stands for “fermentable oligosaccharides disaccharides monosaccharides and polyols" and include fructans (wheat, pastries, pasta), galactans (chickpeas, lentils, beans, soy), lactose (all dairy products), fructose(honey, apples, pears), and polyols (sugar alcohols such as sorbitol and stone fruits such as as avocado). Foods range in their amount of FODMAPs, some having very low amounts that are unlikely to cause stomach issues, to foods that have very high amounts which are most likely to cause problems. FODMAP containing foods may only cause side effects when eaten in large amounts (i.e. the American diet) so just because your favorite food is on the high FODMAP list does not necessarily mean it needs to be completely eliminated from your diet. Figure out if you have sensitivity to FODMAPs by cutting out FODMAP containing foods for a few weeks and then slowly re-introducing them back into your diet one at a time, and/or pay attention to how you feel after eating FODMAP rich foods. Below is a list of FODMAP containing foods - from low amounts of FODMAPs to high amounts.  Sarah-Kate Rems, NP
Co-founder, The Mindful Tech Lab - Check out all of our amazing apps to help improve your life here  You should be wearing sunscreen every. single. day. to prevent damage of your skin - everybody knows that. But here are some more tips and recommendations that you may not have heard and to keep in mind every time you are exposing your skin to the sun.
Here are 11 tips to help you stay safe in the sun: 1. Apply sunscreen before getting dressed This will prevent you from missing areas that were semi-covered by your clothing or undergarments, and also gives the sunscreen time to sink in - most sunscreens needs 30 minutes or more to sink in to give you optimal coverage. 2. Sunscreen spray should be sprayed a maximum of 4-6 inches from your skin You want to make sure you are getting concentrated sunscreen on your skin, spraying from farther distances means less sunscreen on your skin and more lost in the air. 3. Rub in sunscreen after spraying Your skin should have an even sheen after spraying and you need to make sure to rub this in to ensure coverage - don't miss this crucial last step! 4. Wear sunscreen of at least 15 SPF and no more than 50 SPF Don't worry, you will still get some color even if you are wearing sunscreen at this level. Studies have shown that SPF above 50 really doesn't give you much more protection - but will cost your more money - so no need to go above this. 5. Wear clothes Clothing is your first line of defense. Clothing does not give you 100% protection but it still definitely helps protect your skin from damaging sun rays. 6. Wear a hat The best would be a wide-brimmed (3-inch or greater) hat to give your face complete coverage, but even a baseball cap will help, just be sure to always apply sunscreen to your ears and nose. 7. Wear sunglasses Sun rays can damage the eyes, eyelids, and the thin skin directly surrounding your eyes. It is important to protect your eyes year-round because even overcast sky can be harmful and cause damage to the eyes. Your best choice includes large frames that wrap around to prevent light penetrating from all angles. 8. Zinc oxide This is the safest and most effective sunscreen agent because it sits on top of the skin and provides full spectrum coverage by reflecting UVA and UVB rays away from the skin. Another great thing about zinc oxide is that it starts working immediately once applied - no need to wait for it to sink in like chemical sunscreens. Look for the zinc oxide percentage to be over 10%, the greater percentage means greater the coverage. 9. Reapply sunscreen This means after getting out of the ocean or pool, toweling off, after exercise where you are breaking a sweat, and/or every 1.5 to 2 hours. This is especially true of chemical sunscreens, zinc oxide will give you a little more leeway, but regardless you need to make sure you reapply if you are directly in the sun. 10. Aim for shade 10am-4pm The suns rays are the strongest between 10am and 4pm, so good idea to stay in the shade during this time - along with wearing your protective garments and sunscreen :) 11. Your body needs a shot-glass full of sunscreen Most individuals do not apply enough sunscreen to fully protect their body and face. At least a shot-glass, or two tablespoons, of sunscreen is needed for adequate coverage. Sarah-Kate Rems, NP Co-founder, The Mindful Tech Lab - Check out all of our amazing apps to help improve your life here  A ketogenic diet means that most of your calories are coming from fat, you are eating a moderate amount of protein, and keeping carbs low - around 50 grams net carbs. In my opinion, when done correctly this type of diet is best for controlling and preventing chronic disease - most notably diabetes and obesity - and can make you feel awesome! Note: I advocate for a little more protein and a little more carbs than the traditional hardcore ketogenic diet (i.e. carbs under 20 grams) and I am a proponent of a cyclical ketogenic diet which means carb refeeding 1-2 days per week - more on this below and in a future post.
Here are some things to know before starting a ketogenic diet: 1. You need to increase your salt intake When you are in ketosis your body will rapidly be shedding electrolytes, most notably sodium, from your kidneys. Unless you have a medical condition by which you are forbidden to eat salt, add sea salt or Pink Himalayan Salt to your meals, and opt for bouillon balls and/or bone broth as other ways to get salt into your body. 2. You need to increase your fluid intake Water follows sodium, so as your kidneys are shedding off more sodium you are going to lose more water as well. Carbohydrates also hold onto water, so eating less carbs means less water stored in your body, and that you need to increase your water intake. Shoot for 2-3 liters of fluid per day at least. 3. Don’t eat too much protein It’s hard to eat too much protein, but it is still good to know that yes, you can have too much. Too much protein can cause your body to convert the excess amino acids to sugar, and sugar triggers the release of insulin (fat storage hormone) which can lead to fat gain. A rough estimate of how much protein you should be getting is 0.7-1.0 grams per pound of body weight. More protein is needed for an individual who exercises hard daily, because more amino acids will be needed to repair the muscle that has been broken down. 4. Expect the keto "flu" As your body switches from sugar burning to fat burning for fuel this can cause what is known as the “keto flu.” It means you may feel lethargic, foggy, and run-down. Do not worry - this will not last long but does happen when switching to this type of diet. 5. Stick to healthy fats Ketosis does require most of your calories to come from fat, that being said, you want to stick to the good non-processed, grass-fed, natural fats. These include eggs, fatty fish, coconut oil, olive oil, full-fat dairy, avocado, and nuts. Things to definitely avoid include processed meats and processed cheeses. 6. Consider increasing carbs one or two days a week I am a huge fan of a cyclical ketogenic diet which means you are increasing your carbs 1-2 days per week, or having a "carb-refeed." Individuals working out hard everyday or few days a week will burn through their glycogen stores faster, and may need to increase their carbs twice a week or more. The hormone leptin which helps to regulate appetite, can also become low on a ketogenic diet and is boosted up when you eat carbs. Women are especially susceptible to leptin changes and should definitely be re-feeding carbs 1-2 days a week at least. Probably the only group of individuals who may not see a benefit from increasing carbs once a week are men who do zero exercise - which hopefully fits the description of no one reading this because exercise is great for your body and mind! 7. You might develop dry eyes This happens when you are eating very low carbs for a long time because tear production requires some glucose. This symptom actually happened to me long before I understood a keto diet could cause this, and can be very irritating and even lead to more severe eye problems. When your eyes are getting very dry this may mean you need to up your carbs a little more daily, and increase the number of days you do a carb-refeed. Look for an upcoming most where I will go over all the benefits of a cyclical ketogenic diet :) Sarah-Kate Rems, NP Co-founder, The Mindful Tech Lab - Check out all of our amazing apps to help improve your life here  Stoicism, which spread throughout the Roman and Greek world until around the 3rd century AD, is a type of philosophy that focuses on personal ethics and how you can live your best life. Alongside the positive trends of mindfulness and self-awareness, many of the principles of Stoicism have come back into relevance as of late.
The Stoics (most well-known being: Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, Epictetus) spent their time trying to find answers to the two major life questions below: 1. How can we lead a fulfilling, happy life? 2. How can we become better human beings? Here are 3 of my favorite Stoic quotes (without commentary) that help serve as a guide to these questions: “If it is not right, do not do it, if it is not true, do not say it.” - Marcus Aurelius “Failure to observe what is in the mind of another has seldom made a man unhappy; but those who do not observe the movements of their own minds must of necessity be unhappy. - Marcus Aurelius “The bravest sight in the world is to see a great man struggling against adversity.” - Seneca Want more Stoic quotes to help you answer some of the biggest life questions? Add StoicBot to Facebook Messenger and get words of Stoic wisdom sent daily. Eric Rems Co-founder, The Mindful Tech Lab - Check out all of our amazing apps to help improve your life here  Enjoy and have a think on this old Zen parable about living in the present moment...the only time that really matters:
One day while walking through the wilderness a man stumbled upon a vicious tiger. He ran, but soon came to the edge of a high cliff. Desperate to save himself, he climbed down a vine and dangled over the fatal precipice... As he hung there, two mice appeared from a hole in the cliff and began gnawing on the vine... Suddenly, he noticed on the vine a plump wild strawberry. He plucked it and popped it in his mouth... It was incredibly delicious, the best strawberry he ever had! Mindful Tech Lab Quick Takes:
Eric Rems Co-founder, The Mindful Tech Lab - Check out all of our amazing apps to help improve your life here |
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