Nearly ten years ago I was in the midst of transitioning from corporate health and wellness to a career in nursing. With all the expected changes, one thing I didn’t account for was the relationships I had built with clients to follow me and help me shape the vision for Enlighten Life…
I am in the ‘camp’ that doing something is certainly better than nothing. However, following a program tailored to your goals…well we call that, working smarter not harder. A personalized program is a simple way to track progress, test not guess, and see results.
Our food has changed tremendously in the last several decades. In the United States, this isn’t as much of an availability issue as it is a agricultural, quality, and sourcing issue. Learning to read a nutrition label, understanding what ingredients you are actually consuming, the farm to table route its taken, and knowing what your body needs as fuel is all part of the equation.
Daily habits or lack thereof can make or break the best workout routine. Recovery, sleep hygiene, personal products you use, EMFs, stress, hormones, relationships, etc. are just a few of the numerous puzzle pieces to your environment. Controlling the controllables can go a long way to improving overall health.
The preservation of health is easier than the cure for disease.
B.J. Palmer
SUNNY SOUTHWEST
Perhaps one of my favorite parts of living in Arizona is the number of sunny days per year we get to enjoy. Nearly 300 sunshine filled days allows for plenty of outdoor adventures from laying by the pool to mountain biking any of the numerous trails nearby. The opportunity to soak up Vitamin D is very high. Being outside, allowing your eyes, and skin to absorb sunshine is one of the best ‘biohacks’ there will ever be.
The benefits of sunlight are not limited to just Vitamin D levels. I am huge advocate to incorporating some sort of movement outside for mental health, proper syncing of circadian rhythms, and getting out from under the fluorescent blue lit work spaces and gyms we immerse ourselves in. Optimizing circadian rhythms has a cascade effect and will transform how you feel. Sunlight, florescent light, blue light, red light/near infrared light and our natural sleep wake cycles is its own topic for a separate post!
FOOD
There’s a phrase: eat the rainbow…and it holds a lot of weight. Color, in relation to fruits and vegetables has a strong correlation with different benefits. Vitamins, polyphenols, carotenoids, and antioxidants in fruits and vegetables often correlate with their color.
The benefits and amplification that herbs and spices give is also quite impressive! Turmeric, black pepper, cloves, cinnamon, oregano, saffron, sumac etc…just to name a few…are now more commonly known for their health properties. Flavor makes food fun and exploring different cultures foods and popular dishes ensures you are broadening your taste buds and palate.
hello fall the month the seasonal clients return… Two of my in person clients returned this month and that naturally helps me enjoy a better hospital-life balance. As I have been gearing up for their return it felt like a good time to finalllllllly revamp Enlighten’s website. Its been fun getting the creative juices flowing…
Soup szn Lemon Chicken Rice Soup This soup is somehow equally light and bright in taste, but incredibly fulfilling and does not leave you unsatisfied. A thicc soup if I do say so myself ? I almost exclusively make soups with bone broth in lieu of vegetable broth or stock because of the increased nutritional…
This has been heavy on the rotation of quick breakfast prep pre-hospital this month! It takes less than 5 minutes to blend up and throw in a pan while getting ready for work. Pair it with some chicken apple sausages and it has been the perfect high protein breakfast to enjoy when I sit down…