Tag: Nutrition

5 Simple Habits That Will Totally Change Your Life

So it’s the beginning of a brand new year! As you know, I absolutely try to avoid making New Year’s resolutions. I feel like I set myself up for failure when I set goals that are too specific to withstand the changing demands of life. I do try to form a basis for my year by setting flexible goals that I hope become part of my daily life. The idea is to cultivate healthy habits so that they just become routine. My mantra is this: Start small if you have to, but make sure, at the very least, that you start! Here are 5 simple habits that I’ve found totally changed my outlook on life. Fa realz. Little things can have a huge impact on your day to day. Cheers to new beginnings!

1. Make Your Bed Every Morning

When you start your day by making your bed, you’re essentially setting a productive tone for the rest of your day. Since it’s probably the largest piece of furniture in your bedroom, making your bed every morning also gives the overall appearance of your space a tidy, put together look.

2. Stay Hydrated

Socrates, Plato, Aristotle… and Zoolander. This should totally go without saying: Wetness is the essence of beauty. You should make it a habit to drink at least 8oz of water as soon as you wake up in the morning. Seriously, keep your water bottle on the nightstand and then carry it with you throughout your day. Water is key to a healthy lifestyle.

3. Get Moving

2 Yogis You Need to Follow on Instagram

Even the busiest person in the world can spare 5-15 minutes a day. Out of the 1,440 minutes in a day, there’s ample time for you to get into a fitness routine. Just find an exercise that you love (biking, swimming, walking, yoga, whatever) and no matter what, do it!

4. Pamper Yourself

Soothing Honey Lavender Face Wash

It’s no secret that I love spa days at home. As important as diet and exercise are to a healthy lifestyle, so is taking the time to relax. Make sure to take a relaxing  Ginger Detox Bath, or give yourself a soothing Honey Lavender Facial, or try any of these DIY beauty recipes.

5. Plan Your Meals

It’s always tough to break unhealthy eating habits. We all prefer the quick fix and more often than not, the quick fix is loaded with empty calories and over-processed yuck. Planning and prepping meals ahead of time allows us to really think about nutrition and what our bodies need. Meal planning can also drastically reduce the amount of money we spend on grocery impulse buys. Take a look at some of these infographics to plan your course of attack. Remember, you can always start small. Just plan one healthy meal at first, and then build from there!

Do you make New Year’s resolutions? What are some of your lifestyle goals for this year?

Homemade Switchel---The Home Remedy Tonic You've Never Heard Of

Homemade Switchel—The Home Remedy Tonic You’ve Never Heard Of

I’m kind of a history nerd. I love stories about tradition. How was this thing used or how did this thing get it’s name? That’s exciting stuff. So when I read a brief history of switchel, or haymaker’s punch, I was totally fascinated. Switchel is a traditional drink popularized in colonial New England. It was often given to farmers to quench their thirst during harvesting time, hence the nickname, haymaker’s punch. I totally geeked out over that story, and when I saw the recipe I was completely sold on trying it out for myself.

Homemade Switchel

Switchel is probably the best kept herbal remedy secret I’ve seen in years. This homemade tonic is an immune system-boosting, probiotics boasting, electrolyte-replenishing powerhouse of a drink! This is the perfect home remedy to alleviate the symptoms of anything from acid reflux to the flu. You probably have all of the ingredients you need right now! Check it out!

Homemade Switchel

Homemade Switchel

Ingredients

  • 1 (4 inch) piece of ginger, grated
  • 2 tbsp raw honey
  • 1/3 c apple cider vinegar
  • 1 lime, juiced
  • 4 c filtered water

Directions

  • combine all ingredients in a glass carafe
  • let stand overnight at room temperature
  • serve hot, or at room temperature, or over ice, or add some seltzer water!

Image Credit: StephaniePollard

Arsenic & Old Place Celebrates National Honey Month---Recipes, Homemade Beauty, and More!

Celebrating National Honey Month!!!

September is National Honey Month! An entire month celebrating the wonderfully diverse gift of nature that is honey! No joke, I’m crazy excited about it. I use honey not only for cooking, but also for everything from treating my allergies to homemade beauty products to home decor (seriously, is there anything prettier than honey jars on a shelf?!). Talk about a superfood! Honey is amazing! Throughout the month of September, I’ll be sharing with you some of my absolute fave honey recipes, products, and home remedies.

In the meantime, check out this super informative article detailing all the glorious facts and nutritional properties of honey!

Don’t forget to share your own honey recipes and tips on social media using the hashtag #nationalhoneymonth

Try This—DIY Instant Noodle Cups

Try This---DIY Instant Noodle CupsTry This---DIY Instant Noodle CupsTry This---DIY Instant Noodle Cups

When I was in junior high school in East New York, Brooklyn, we had exactly 30 minutes to get our lunch and eat it before we went back to our classroom. It was a tiny school with no cafeteria so you either had to bring your own lunch, or take your chances running to the crowded corner store for something to eat. There wasn’t enough time to get a hero (sandwich) and the only other options were typical, junk-food-corner-store fare.

One day, while I was perusing the aisle for twinkies, or snickers bars, or anything to keep me from passing out from hunger,  I picked up a cup of noodles. Remember those instant ramen cups that all the corner stores carried? Yeah, well I picked one up and begged the cashier to fill it with hot water from his coffee/ tea station. He charged me 30 cents for the ramen and 5 cents for the hot water. Just like that, I had a pretty hearty meal for under a buck!

Times have changed. I’m more aware of the food I eat and while I still love the idea of cup of noodles, the toxic aftertaste of over-processed dehydrated foods is repulsive to me. I am so stoked that as a grown up I can DIY a healthy alternative to my beloved ramen cups. This is the perfect recipe for back to school, back to college, or back to work!

You must try this recipe from the kitchn!

What You Need

Ingredients for each noodle cup

  • 1 to 3 teaspoons flavor base — soup stock paste (like Better Than Bouillon), miso paste, or curry paste
  • 1 to 3 teaspoons flavoring extras, optional — chili-garlic sauce, soy sauce or tamari, coconut milk, sesame oil, Sriracha or other hot sauce
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup filler ingredients — frozen corn, frozen carrots, frozen peas, diced tofu, leftover cooked meat, dried or thinly sliced mushrooms, thinly sliced spinach or other hearty greens, kimchi, soft-boiled or hard-boiled egg
  • 3/4 to 1 cup noodles — cooked udon, cooked yakisoba or ramen, cooked soba noodles, cooked spaghetti or fettuccine, cooked rice noodles, cooked shirataki noodles, dry vermicelli or maifun noodles
  • 1/4 to 1/2 cup fresh ingredients — fresh herbs, sliced green onions, bean sprouts, sliced lime or lemon

Equipment
Pint-sized widemouth glass jars with lids, or other heatproof containers
Measuring cups and spoons
Chopsticks or a fork, for eating

Instructions for Assembling the Noodle Cups

  • Place flavor base and flavor extras in the bottom of the cup: If it’s a paste, like soup stock or miso paste, spread it around a little so it dissolves more easily once you add the hot water. Also add any flavoring extras.
  • Top with filler ingredients: Scatter your filler ingredients over the top of the paste. It’s OK if they get mixed in with the flavor base and extras.
  • Add the noodles: Pack the noodles down so they’re fairly compact. It’s fine if they stick together — they will un-stick once you add the water.
  • Finish with the fresh ingredients: If you’d like to keep these from getting mixed into the hot soup, pack these into a baggie that can be removed just before you add the water.
  • Seal and refrigerate: Place the lid on the container and refrigerate for up to a week. Use a dry-erase marker or masking tape label to write the contents of each jar so you can easily grab whichever combo of ingredients you want that day. (It’s best to keep the jars refrigerated until you’re ready to eat, but it’s OK to stash them in your bag for up to two hours.)

Instructions for Cooking the Noodle Cups

  • Top with hot water: When you’re ready to eat, unscrew the lid and pour enough boiling water over the top of the noodles to cover.
  • Cover and steep: Place the lid back over the container. Let the soup steep for 2 to 3 minutes. The ingredients should be warmed through, but the soup is still nicely hot.
  • Stir thoroughly: Reach your chopsticks or fork deep into the cup and stir everything around thoroughly to mix the flavor base into the water and mix the filler ingredients into the noodles. (Alternatively, you can pour the soup out into a bowl and mix everything there.)
  • Eat right away! If you kept your fresh ingredients separate in a bag, scatter them over the top of the soup before eating.

Source: How To Make DIY Instant Noodle Cups — Cooking Lessons from The Kitchn

Try This—How To Build Your Own Nourishment Bowl!

Looking for some lunch inspiration? Make a nourishment bowl to provide you with all the essential food groups to feel great, think clearer, and nourish from the inside out.

I like to cook up some of the veggies for that added bonus of hot food in my salad. Sauteed vegetables are the star of the show when it comes to a delicious nourishment bowl!

Source: How To Build Your Own Nourishment Bowl! – Move Nourish Believe