Monday, November 12, 2012

Staying Healthy, My Health Secrets

As most of you know I was sick last week and into the weekend, but thank goodness I am feeling better and on the mend.  Being sick got me thinking about my health and staying healthy.  Besides eating well and staying active I have a few go-to health tricks I swear by.  Below are a few things I used while I was sick that were a lifesaver and a few things I use on a daily basis which I swear helped me fight off my cold quicker.

This thing is amazing.  It is by the guy who created the Nettipot but this works so much better.  I was so clogged all weekend, like could not breathe out my nose at all and this really helps to clear and flush things out.  I will warn it is kind of weird at first but you get used to it.  You fill the bottle with a packet of the powdered saline solution and then mix with distilled warm water.  Tilt head to one side and shoot it up that nostril, it will drip out the other side.  Kind of crazy but it works like a charm.  I heard this is good to do on a daily basis even when you are not sick to combat germs.  I plan to continue using this regularly.
 

This stuff worked miracles on my dry chapped lips and crusty nose that was dried out from blowing it so much.  I slathered this stuff on several times a day.  It feels so good on dry skin.  I read an article where a famous plastic surgeon recommended Aquaphor to all his patients post surgery for healing purposes.  He told them to slather it all over their faces at night.    It is that good for your skin.  I am no where near getting plastic surgery but I may start to slather this on one night a week to help improve my skin.  I figure plastic surgeons know best, right?

My parents got me hooked on this probiotic.  Apparently I was the only one in the family not taking a probiotic.   This stuff is so good for your digestive system and helping to keep healthy bacteria in your body.   "Ultimate Flora Adult Formula contains 15 billion live cultures of 10 different strains of bacteria. The 10 different strains were carefully chosen for their proven health-promoting benefits and their prevalence in the healthy digestive tract." 
And if you are not regular, trust me this will help get things moving.   My parents good friend who is a doctor said everyone should take these daily to keep healthy bacteria built up in their body.  It will then help you when you do have an infection or get sick. I bought mine at Earthfare but you can find probiotics at most drugstores.


APPLE CIDER VINEGAR
For two weeks I religiously took 3 tablespoons of this everyday (mixed with 8 oz water) to try and shed the 5lbs I gained over the summer.  I did end up loosing 3 lbs- don't know if it was all from the apple cider vinegar but I think it helped.  I no longer take it everyday, it was starting to make me naseous,  but I do still take it occcasionally when I feel bloated.  I think this really does help to clear out your system and debloat.   It is also supposed to work wonders for your hair and skin as well.  It is important if you decide to do this to buy the organic kind pictured below.


I hate to keep preaching about the benefits of juicing but I am a strong believer that it is so good for you.  I have even gotten Matt on a juicing kick.  I won't say he enjoys the green juice but he does drink a glass with me every morning.  And I swear since he started drinking it he has complained less about feeling tired and worn out.  This stuff works wonders.  All the nutrients from the green plants are so important to keep us healthy. I  have the Breville Juice Fountain Plus and love it.  Not one complaint.  I received it last year for Christmas and have been hooked ever since.  Add this to your Christmas list you won't be disappointed.

My favorite go-to green juices are:
1) Kale, Spinach, Cucumber, Green Apple, Lemon, Ginger
2) Green Pear, Kale, Celery, Broccoli, Lime



 I know in my house it is next to impossible to get Sterling to eat a well balanced meal- unless you count canned mandarin oranges and ravioli as health food:)  I have my girl Caycee to thank for introducing me to these vitamins for kids.  They taste and look like fruit chews.
Technically Juice Plus+ is a capsule (or gummy) with the powders of 17 different fruits, vegetables, and grains.  No artificial anything, no pesticides, and most importantly, they are not man made synthetic reproductions of natural vitamins.   Caycee gave Sterling a few of these at her house and he devoured them.  The vegetable one is filled kale, spinach, cabbage, broccoli,  and lots of other veggies he would never touch normally.  Highly recommend these for kids:)


Those my health secrets, nothing ground-breaking but all things I swear by!
Tell me any health secrets you have?  I would love to hear them!
xoxo

30 comments:

Sadie + Stella said...

Ooooh I love your tips! Going to rush out and get me some of this stuff. I cannot force myself to do the Netti. Want to but can't. Wonder if I can handle this???

Amy Florez {Baby Mama Juice} said...

I was just talking about busting out my Netti Pot this weekend. I've used it in the past, but stopped after people were dying from brain infections. It is super important to use distilled water! Bottled drinking water is not distilled. I'm going to boil my water first to be on the safe side! I tried the vinegar thing. It was disgusting! I started to just do shots of it, minus the water, to decrease on the volume. It helped! I may make some juice this morning! I don't do it enough!

Kyle said...

Glad to hear you are on the mend! Oh my gosh...I almost fell over when I saw the Juice Plus. We are obsessed with it. You MUST try the Garden Blend capsules. If I am even flirting with a cold I take about 3-4 and repeat a time or two throughout the day. I swear it literally pushes it away. They also have the Juice Plus+Complete powders for smoothie mixes(choc and vanilla). They even come with recipe books for how you can design your own smoothies using the JP+complete powder. They are delicious and right around 200 calories. You have to try. My daughter loves them.

caycee said...

Glad you are feeling better mama!! So happy you are doing the juice plus that is awesome!! Now if I could get on the "real" juicing :)

Pink and Fabulous said...

I want that juicer. It is going on my Christmas list. Aquaphor is the best stuff ever! It's great to put on your feet and then cover with socks overnight. Makes them super soft! I definitely need to try the stuff you have on your list! Glad to hear you are feeling better!

Lobster Meets Peach said...

So happy to hear you are feeling better. I will have to look for the Juice Plus. Our middle is a picky eater and I am sure he would benefit from them.

Liz said...

Glad you are feeling better! I too love the benefits of juicing because you get the completely unprocessed version and it breaks down the cells of the fruit to avoid excess processing in the body. I take a multi-vitamin and Vitamin D everyday, and I swear by coconut water because of the huge amount of Vitamin B in it.

Pretty in Pink said...

i used to use that sinus rinse religiously until people started getting brain eating ameoba's and now i can't use it anymore. too paranoid!

Georgine said...

very cool to sleuth out your stealthy health habits!
I want to try the vinegar if only to perk up my skin. And the aquaphor I have got to try on my face and lips (so chapped) - I always think of it as just a hand cream. I have a juicer in the cubbord I haven't used in months- it is a pain to clean out and if I put it in the machine- tiny pieces of gunk get on my wine glasses (oh no you didn!). How do you clean up after juicing? Those gummies look delicious and I love a good saline swig up the sinuses too LOL.
Also, one of my tricks: I have elminated wheat- seriously you should check "Wheat Belly" out and it improved my regularity and decreased bloating immensely- makes me feel healthier overall.

katie stevenson said...

Fab post, as always Miss Thang!! Love getting tips on how to ATTEMPT to stay as healthy and fabulous as you! xx

Chassity (Look Linger Love) said...

So glad you're feeling better!!

Unknown said...

Great tips! I work in an ENT doctor's office and we recommend the Neil Med to a lot of our patients and they all love it!! And Aquaphor is amazing, my pediatrician told me about it FOREVER ago and I have been using it ever since. I haven't tried juicing but those drinks sound delish! XoXo

Alex {Things That Sparkle} said...

I wish I could stick to all of this. Such great advice!

Laura at Simply Lowcountry said...

I have been having horrible allergies/sinus problems for the past several weeks. I haven't tried the sinus rinse thing yet, but I've heard it's a miracle worker. ACV also helps for sinuses, but I can't stand the taste!!

Thanks for the email back about the boots :) I'm now debating between getting the stone and cognac.

Xo-L

simplylowcountry.blogspot.com

Gaby [The Vault Files] said...

If I had the kitchen space I would totally get a juicer, looove natural smoothies and juices, and I always love the recipes you share ;)

Unknown said...

Seriously so happy to read this post. I now have a big grocery list!

Chicago Mom (Heather) said...

I'm for sure trying those juice chews for my kids. I also need to try juicing again. We were on a huge kick last winter and I do think it keeps you healthy too. ;-)

The Peak of Tres Chic said...

Good tips! I will have to remember these items so I can try out a few myself.

Stilettos Stuck In Snow said...

I love aquaphor--a few times a week at night I put it all over my face and it doesn't make me breakout and you wake up with extra soft skin!...I'm definitly looking into the juicer you own, thanks for the suggestion as I have heard such great things about juicing! ~Brett

Unknown said...

This post rocks. I am so picking up those children's chews and the probiotics. Trying to bust out a morning green drink around here but haven't found an awesome one yet.

Taylor said...

I have been hooked on aquaphor since I was on accutane in high school and my entire body did not have one drop of oil in it as a side effect - I was just one giant dry flake - it literally is life saving. I have tubes all over the house and in every purse! I tried the nettipot bottle thing a month or so ago because my friend swore by it, but I ended up gagging over the sink and the water came more out of my mouth than the other nostril? I need to work on it again because it was quite the horrifying experience! hope you're feelimg better!

http://itsthelittlethingsblog.blogspot.com

Natalie said...

Ok I need that sinus stuff -- I have the worst sinuses on the planet. And I keep hearing the best things about apple cider vinegar, putting it on my next shopping list! Great tips, Nat!

April of Smidge Of This said...

I also rely on my Neti Pot and Aquaphor -- now, while I do have the Bragg apple cider vinegar in the fridge, I haven't touched it since my initial ACV-cocktail attempt ... ew. Maybe, just maybe, I'll try to do a shot version of it.

I've also read great health/beauty benefits of drinking hot water with juice from 1/2 of a lemon in it as the first thing you consume in the morning.

Pris said...

I swear by Aquaphor as well! I use it every night -- it is the best! I'm intrigued by the ACV bit so maybe I'll try that out, too!

Andrea Johnson said...

I just bought a juicer not long ago, kinda wish I bought the Breville! I am definitely going to try your green juice recipes. I love all your health tips!

Andrea

Melissa Blake said...

These are awesome -- thanks! xoxo

Cassie {Hi Sugarplum} said...

Glad you're feeling better! I finally caved and went to the dr yesterday...sinus infection and bronchitis. Yay me. I've done that apple vinegar before....naaaaaaaaaaaasty!

Ashleigh said...

Hi! I have never commented on your blog, but I wanted to let you know about the health risks of the neti pot if you don't use it correctly...I used to use mine religiously until I read this article:

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/09/03/rare-infection-prompts-neti-pot-warning/

I guess just make sure you use the right water :)

Ashleigh said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Mimi Dial said...

Hey Natalie - I LOVE your blog - I get so excited when I see you have a new post! :)
I have a question about your juice you make in the morning. I have the same Breville juicer and love it but can never get much juice out of leafy greens like Kale, how do you do it?? Also, do you just do a quick rinse with water to clean? I feel like there are so many parts to clean!
Thanks!!!
Mimi