Enjoy a Vibrant Life

If you wish to experience a more vibrant life, full of energy and joy, it’s important to realize that how you move your body, what you put on the outside of your body, and what you consume really does affect your overall well-being.

Here are 8 steps for improving your life!

1. Reduce Stress through Joyful Activities

When you increase your JOY, it naturally reduces stress, all at the same time. That's exactly what happens when you spend your free time doing things you love and bring movement to your body. Things like dance, massage, Tai chi, yoga, gratitude journaling, painting, or other artistic and athletic endeavors. 

The key word here is JOY. This planet is full of beauty and our communities have so much to offer. If you can't find something you enjoy in your community, create something and ask others if they'd like to join you. For it's through our connections that we experience more meaningful moments in life.

2. Movement vs Stillness

The health of your body requires movement. Instead of a one-hour workout, it's better to get your movement throughout the day. Walk as much as possible, stretch and move as much as possible, take the stairs instead of the elevator, take the long way instead of the short way. In a world full of conveniences, it's often best for your body in the long-run if you skip some of the convenience and do the work instead.

Remember this... when something becomes too still in the forest, decomposition quickly follows. Your body is like that. If you're too still, parts of your body stop working properly. The adage 'if you don't use it, you'll lose it' has never been truer than it is in the body.

3. Sitting is harmful for your health.

In the case of your health, chairs are your enemy. Sitting should only happen when you are exhausted, not for most of the day. If you must sit at a desk, set your timer to remind you to take a break every hour. Get up, walk around, stretch, and do some squats. If you must sit in your home or outside, try sitting on the floor/ground. Just the act of getting up and down is a great form of movement that can keep your joints and muscles more limber and fluid. If you're unable to get down on the floor, start a yoga class so you can regain more of your movement over time... After all, if you don't do something to regain it, the alternative is to lose it.

4. Eat to Live, Don't Live to Eat

Has anyone ever explained to you how much you should eat at each meal? Think about it like this... Your stomach is supposed to be the size of your fist. Take a moment to ball up your hand and look at your fist. This is the amount you should eat, approximately 4-5 times a day.  That's all! If you're eating more, you have stretched your stomach.

The good news is you can shrink your stomach! When you get hungry, slowly drink a full glass of water and then wait 30 minutes. If you're still hungry after 30minutes, slowly take 5+ bites until you are no longer hungry. As soon as you aren't hungry, stop eating and wait until you are hungry again. Then slowly drink a full glass of water and wait 30 minutes.If you're still hungry after 30minutes, slowly take 5+ bites until you are no longer hungry. Just keep repeating this process every day for a few weeks.

Your digestion system will function better when you slow down and enjoy eat bit. And, your body is quite remarkable! Over time you'll naturally shrink the size of your stomach back to around the size of your fist. To keep it that way means you never eat until you are full again. Instead, eat until you are 60-80% full. This way, once all the food gets to your stomach, you won't be 'stuffed'.

5. Make Better Food Choices

Make no mistake about it, synthetic ingredients damage and destroy your body on a cellular level. Your body rebuilds itself everyday from the foods you eat, so it's best to give it an abundance of nutrients and vitamins so every cell can be healthy and thriving. If your cells are happy, your body is healthy. Try to think of ways to nourish your body, instead of overstimulating it or stressing it with artificial ingredients.

Here are some things to avoid.

• Processed foods are full of synthetic chemicals (and many ingredients that aren't even considered food). Avoid them altogether - or use them as treats, not as food. This includes almost everything that comes in a box or can - cereals, pasta, prepared meal boxes, canned food with lots of preservatives, shredded cheese, chips, candy, cookies, etc...
• Sugars and artificial sweeteners wreak havoc on your adrenal glands. The American diet has too many sweeteners. If you want to improve the quality of your life, learn to go without all artificial sweeteners and processed sugars.
• Stimulates - Almost all stimulants, including energy drinks, coffee, and green tea stimulate your adrenals too much, causing hormone imbalances, and wreaking havoc on your body at the cellular level. If you struggle with any of those issues, reduce or eliminate caffeine. Also, if sleep evades you at night, do not consume sugar or caffeine after 12noon, as they can stay in your body for 12 hours.

Here are some good choices:

• Sweeteners with benefits - There are some natural sweeteners that also offer health benefits like honey, maple syrup, stevia, etc... Use them sparingly and preferably in the afternoon, so they don't mess up your sleep cycle or contaminate your high nutritional download at breakfast.
• Vegetables – Many vegetables contain high nutrients that can maintain and even restore balance to your body. Try to make at least 50-75% of each meal mostly of vegetables - lightly steamed, lightly roasted, or raw for the most nourishment.
• Foods high in magnesium. The other 25% of your meal should consist of foods high in magnesium... raw nuts and seeds, oats, brown rice, lentils, chickpeas, fresh beans, dark leafy greens, whole grains
• Healthy fats are important – If you don't cook with healthy oils, look for ways to pour it them over your fresh salads and meals... unrefined coconut oil, avocado, organic butter, sunflower oil, walnut oil, extra-virgin olive oil.
• Eggs, fish, and lean meats – Fabulous sources of protein and many other nutrients.
• Seasoning - herbs, vinegars, oils, black-strap molasses, salsa, and vinaigrettes are all great ways to season your food naturally without adding to your waistline. They offer delicious flavor to many meals.
• Water & Herbal Teas – Every organ in your body needs water to function properly. Just don't drink too much at mealtimes or it will cause problems with your digestion. Instead, drink it throughout the day. No less than 32-64 oz a day, depending upon your size.

6. FIVE Mealtimes:

Your goal is to eat smaller portions and eat more often throughout the day. Don't skip meals because choosing something healthy before you get hungry will help reduce your desire to go for the snacks, cakes, and ice cream box. Also, remove all large plates and bowls from your dinnerware and use only small items - like salad plates and cereal bowls. This will help keep your portions small.

1. Breakfast - Your body has been fasting all night and it's ready for some great nutrition. Start with a full glass of water so all the cells in your body can re-hydrate. Then, wait at least 30 minutes before eating breakfast. This way the water doesn't weaken the digestive abilities of your stomach. Also, skip all the cereals, sweets, & sugars (even natural ones like fruit) and instead choose nutrient rich foods to improve the quality of your day. Try unsweetened yogurt, nuts, and honey. Eggs and lentils...
2. Lunch - 75% vegetables / 25% grains or protein, but not both as they require a different combination of juices to digest them.
3. Teatime - Consider starting teatime every afternoon. It's a great time for fruit, snacks, and some nourishing herbal tea. Your body will thrive from all the great benefits herbal teas offer.
4. Dinner - 75% vegetables / 25% grains or protein, but not both as they require a different combination of juices to digest them.
5. Late Night Snack – It’s hard to sleep if you're hungry or if you feel like your stomach acids are eating you from the inside out. Eating something light and simple before can help encourage restful sleep and calm the stomach. Just remember to stay away from sugars, even natural ones, and choose something gentle on your stomach with low or no acid. A few slices of cheese, olives, nuts, celery, cucumber, bell pepper, etc... And as always, choosing something healthy, before you get hungry, will reduce your desire to go for the ice cream box.

7. Sleeping and Waking:

It's a miserable feeling when you don't sleep well, especially when this happens on a regular basis. Did you know your body has an internal clock that helps it know when to do certain processes like 'go to sleep' and 'wake up'? Unfortunately, this master clock is directly influenced by environmental issues and sometimes your clock gets completely confused. Our Recharge Gift Set is part of our Sleep Better, Feel Better program and it's designed to reset your Circadian Rhythm to help you sleep better and stay awake - at the right times.

8. Dermal Absorption of your Skin.

Just think about all the medical patches that slowly release ingredients through your skin. Most people don’t realize the importance of your skin, but as the largest organ of your body it will deliver all sorts of things into your body – all depending upon what it's exposed to. Unfortunately, everyone's skin has been exposed to too many harmful substances, for even the most natural body care products usually contain artificial ingredients that can be very harmful to your body.

When we design Alywillow products we take advantage of your dermal absorption, feeding your body nutrients every time you wash and moisturize, that can improve the health of your body on a cellular level. Since our products are made 100% of pure plants and minerals, instead of soaking up harmful ingredients, your body absorbs the goodness of nature with a plethora of nutrients and vitamins beneficial to the many systems of your body. This is why washing and moisturizing with Alywillow products can help improve your everyday experience.

For instance, if you're going through a rough emotional time washing and moisturizing with Sweet Magic or Butterfly gives your body the ability to create more of the hormones that make you happy. If you're dealing with menopausal issue, choose Seawillow instead. Our Lavender Fields and Dragonfly formulas just naturally support the function of your glandular system, so using them every day can help you feel better. Warrior and Wildwood help support your circulatory system (heart, blood, veins, arteries) and when those systems work better you're going to have more energy and feel more alive. And, Firefly enhances cognitive functions while defending against neurodegenerative diseases.

We have so much more. With over 150+ products designed to improve the health of your skin and body - we have much to offer and choosing the best formula for your morning, afternoon, and evening routines means you get assistance throughout the day - for less stress, more health, and a greater overall experience of more well-being. This is a much happier place to be than one of disease or discomfort.

We are here to help you! Just schedule a confidential consultation and let us develop a plan that will improve your everyday experience so you can enjoy a more vibrant life!