By learning how to prioritize nutrient-dense foods, you can fuel your body with essential vitamins and minerals, support long-term health, and even manage your weight effectively. Let’s break down what nutrient density is, why it’s so important for women over 40, and how to incorporate this approach into your daily life.

What Is Nutrient Density?

Nutrient density refers to the amount of essential nutrients—like vitamins and minerals—a food provides per calorie. In other words, it’s all about getting the most nutritional bang for your caloric buck. Think of it like smart shopping for your body, where you’re getting the most nutrition from every bite you take.

Foods with high nutrient density, such as leafy greens and lean proteins, pack a lot of nutrients into relatively few calories. Conversely, foods with low nutrient density provide a lot of calories but very little nutrition.

My boys and I used to get into this all the time. In fact, there’s probably no statement that sends my husband ducking for cover more than, “But a calorie is a calorie.” 

Let’s take almonds and cookies as an example, both at 100 calories. The almonds pack protein, healthy fats, fiber, and minerals. The cookies? Mostly sugar and simple carbs. That’s a big difference! In fact, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans make it clear that nutrient-dense foods are those that “have no or little added sugars, saturated fat, and sodium.” ¹

Smart food choices become easier when you understand nutrient density. Instead of just watching the number of calories you’re eating, focus on foods that offer the most nutrients per calorie. Your body will thank you with better energy, stronger muscles, and easier weight management.

Nutrient Density vs. Energy Density

Before we go much further, I want to clarify something. Many people get confused about the difference between nutrient density and energy density. Energy-dense foods are those that have a higher number of calories per serving. Whether a food is nutrient dense or not depends on the number of essential nutrients that it has per calorie. Both energy-dense and nutrient-dense foods can be part of healthy eating, but you’ll need to be more aware of even healthy foods high in calories (that have high energy density). 

Your Body After 40: Why Nutrient-Dense Foods Matter

Your body speaks a different language after 40. Remember when you could eat anything and bounce right back? Now your metabolism takes its sweet time, muscles need extra convincing to stay strong, and hormones dance to their own tune.

Here’s what happens: estrogen levels start playing hide and seek, making your body store more fat around your middle. Bones become pickier about holding onto their density. Sound familiar? Many women tell me they feel these changes but don’t know why their usual eating habits stop working.

Your Body Needs More Support Now 

Let’s start with your muscles. Think of them as becoming a bit hard of hearing after 40. They don’t catch protein signals as easily as before. That’s why picking the right protein-rich foods matters more than ever. Your digestion gets pickier, too – it wants nutrients served in the most absorbable way possible.

The good news? Nutrient-dense foods work like your body’s best friend. Unlike those tempting highly processed snacks that leave you hungry an hour later, these foods keep you satisfied and energized. No more afternoon energy crashes or desperate snack attacks!

Your body’s repair crew needs better tools now, too. From supporting your immune system to helping cells rebuild, nutrient-dense foods provide exactly what your body craves. Think of them as premium fuel for your changing needs – helping you feel strong, energized, and ready for whatever comes next.

Smart Ways to Spot Nutrient-Dense Foods

Let me share some practical tips to help you choose the most nutritious foods. Once you know what to look for, picking nutrient-dense options becomes second nature.

Must-Have Nutrients After 40 

Your body has specific needs now. Keep an eye out for foods rich in:

• Protein – keeps muscles strong
• Calcium and vitamin D – protect your bones
• B vitamins – boost your energy
• Omega-3 fats – support brain health
• Fiber – helps digestion and fullness

Read Labels Like a Pro 

If you’re eating processed food, food labels tell an important story. Look at nutrients first, then check calories. The best foods pack lots of good stuff into fewer calories. Watch portions though – even healthy foods need limits!

Understanding the ANDI Score: A Helpful Tool

Have you ever heard of the ANDI score? It stands for “Aggregate Nutrient Density Index,” and it’s like a report card for foods. Created by Dr. Joel Fuhrman, this score ranks foods from 1 to 1000 based on their micronutrient content per calorie.² The higher the score, the more packed the food is with micronutrients. 

Here’s why it’s great: The ANDI score makes it easy to spot nutritional superstars. Kale, collards, and watercress? They all score a perfect 1000! It’s a quick way to compare foods and make smarter choices.

But remember, it’s not the whole story. The ANDI score doesn’t prioritize healthy fats or protein, which are crucial after 40. So, while it’s a handy guide, don’t rely on it exclusively. I always tell my clients to use it as one tool in their nutrient-dense toolkit, not the only one.

Quick Ways to Choose Better Foods 

While ANDI scores are a great resource for judging the nutritional quality of a food based on micronutrients, I prefer to keep things even more simple. 

1. Pick whole foods over processed ones
2. Choose colorful fruits and vegetables
3. Look for foods that spoil quickly (they’re usually more natural)
4. Shop the store’s outer edges where fresh foods live

Remember the rainbow rule – brighter colors often mean more nutrients. Red peppers, dark leafy greens, purple berries – they’re all nutrition superstars! These simple tips help you pick foods that keep your body strong and energized after 40.

Easy Ways to Add Nutrient-Dense Foods to Your Meals

The kitchen becomes your health headquarters when you know how to prepare nutrient-rich foods. Since no one food does it all, combining individual nutrient-dense foods, each with its own superpower, into nutritious meals throughout the day is what gives you the total package of important nutrients that your body needs.

For my clients who tell me that cooking feels overwhelming, these simple strategies make it easier.

Quick and Tasty Meal Magic 

Start your morning strong with a rainbow smoothie – I love mixing berries, greens, and protein powder for a perfect breakfast boost. Busy days call for simple solutions. Try these tested favorites:

• Morning: Fruit, greens, and protein powder smoothie 
• Lunch: Greek yogurt power bowl with nuts and berries
• Dinner: Colorful wrap with lean protein and veggies

Shopping Made Simple 

Here’s my tried-and-true shopping strategy – stick to the store’s outer edges. Fill your cart with:

• Rainbow fruits and vegetables
• Lean proteins and fresh fish
• Whole grains and legumes
• Smart fats from nuts and seeds

Keep Those Nutrients Working

While both raw and cooked foods have their place in a healthy diet, it’s important to understand the effect of cooking methods on overall nutritional value. That’s because cooking can help with digestion and promote better absorption of many nutrients³, but it can also affect a food’s nutrient profile. 

Knowing how different cooking methods can impact nutrient content helps to empower you in the kitchen. 

• Watch out for boiling. It can wash away those precious water-soluble vitamins – especially vitamin C.^4,5
• Steam your veggies to save the good stuff. This method preserves between 85-91% of nutrients.⁵
• Microwaving works wonders too. Microwaving food generally takes less time than it does to cook in the oven or on the stovetop. This can make a big difference because, according to Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D., Editor-in-Chief of the Harvard Health Letter, “the longer food cooks, the more nutrients tend to break down..”⁶

Another tip is to keep vegetable peels on when cooking, and use just enough water to get the job done. These simple tricks help your body get exactly what it needs after 40.

Weight Management Wins with Nutrient-Dense Foods

Smart food choices make weight management easier after 40. Let me share what works for some of my clients who struggle with the scale.

The Weight Loss Connection

Your body responds differently to nutrient-rich foods. They fill you up faster and keep you satisfied longer – thanks to fiber and protein working together. While my clients may feel like they’re eating more for their meals than they’re used to if they’ve tried “dieting,” they usually find that they naturally eat less overall when their plates are filled with foods packed with lots of beneficial nutrients. 

Beyond the Scale Benefits 

Nutrient-dense foods work double-duty for your health. Picture this: while they help manage your weight, they also:

• Keep muscles strong
• Balance shifting hormones
• Fight belly bloat
• Boost daily energy

All of that from choosing foods that provide plenty of the good stuff – no deprivation needed!

Common Myths About Nutrient-Dense Foods

Let’s clear up some confusion about nutrient-dense foods because I’ve heard many misconceptions that need straightforward answers.

Low-Calorie Doesn’t Always Mean Healthy 

Here’s a truth many don’t want to hear – just because something has few calories doesn’t make it good for you. Diet sodas might seem like a smart choice, but they offer nothing your body needs. Compare that to creamy avocados – sure, they have more calories, but they help balance hormones and keep muscles strong.

Too Much of a Good Thing? 

Yes, you can overdo healthy foods! Many women learn this lesson with nuts – they’re packed with nutrients, but those calories add up fast. Try these portion control tips:

1. Use smaller plates
2. Practice mindful eating
3. Load up on leafy greens
4. Watch portions of healthy fats
5. Measure nuts and seeds
6. Watch fruit portions
7. Listen to your body’s fullness signals
8. Stop before feeling stuffed

Here’s the best part, though – you’re still not going to need to count every calorie if you follow these tips and focus on filling your plate with nutrient-rich foods instead. Many women tell me that this helps them finally feel in control of their weight without strict dieting rules.

Bottom Line on Nutrient-Dense Foods

Remember this: feeding your body well isn’t about following strict rules. It’s about choosing foods that help you thrive after 40. When you fill your plate with nutrient-dense foods, you’re not just managing your weight – you’re building a foundation for feeling strong and living well. 

If you feel like you need more support in making these changes, let me know. Sometimes we all need a helping hand to figure out what works best for our unique bodies. That’s why I offer 1:1 health and nutrition coaching – to help you create your perfect path to feeling great again. If you’re ready to get started? Reach out to me, and let’s see if we’re a good fit! 

Sources

1. Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 
2. Dr. Furhman. ANDI Scores. 
3. Carmody RN, Wrangham RW. Cooking and the human commitment to a high-quality diet. Cold Spring Harb Symp Quant Biol. 2009;74:427-34. doi: 10.1101/sqb.2009.74.019. Epub 2009 Oct 20. PMID: 19843593.
4. Yuan GF, Sun B, Yuan J, Wang QM. Effects of different cooking methods on health-promoting compounds of broccoli. J Zhejiang Univ Sci B. 2009 Aug;10(8):580-8. doi: 10.1631/jzus.B0920051. PMID: 19650196; PMCID: PMC2722699.
5. Zeng, C. (2013), “Effects of different cooking methods on the vitamin C content of selected vegetables”, Nutrition & Food Science, Vol. 43 No. 5, pp. 438-443.
6. Anthony L. Komaroff, M.D. Harvard Medical School. “Ask the Doctor: Microwave’s Impact on Food.“

The post Nutrient Density: Make Your Calories Count with Nutrient-Dense Foods appeared first on Peppermint Tea.

Challenges Faced by Parents When College Students Come Home

Here’s a look at some of the most common challenges parents face when college students come home beginning with what is often the hardest. 

Understanding what the definition of home means

It may warm your heart to hear your college student say on the phone from school, “I can’t wait to be home!” But then, when they get home, you hardly see them – especially if the visit is just for a few days. Here’s the thing. While I’m sure your student misses you and wants to see you, the word “home” doesn’t just mean their nuclear family. It may also mean the house they grew up in, their bed, and almost certainly their high school friends who may be home for a visit as well. 

All of these are components of their vision of home, so as much as you may want it to be, their visit isn’t going to be just about seeing and spending time with you. You are going to have to share them. 

Adjusting to a different routine

When college students come home, it can be challenging to adjust to having your child back in the house and to accommodate their needs and schedule. If this is your only child, you’ve probably grown accustomed to having a quieter, more organized household, and now you have to readjust to having another person at home. This means dealing with more noise, more mess, and more demands on your time and attention. 

If you’ve had younger children at home, you’ve almost certainly adjusted your routine to fit their needs. Adding another person back into the mix can throw off that new balance. 

You also have to shift your daily schedule and responsibilities to take your college student into consideration. This can be difficult, especially if you’ve grown used to a certain level of freedom and flexibility in your own routine. If their visit is an extended stay, such as being home for the summer or for winter break, it may take some time to find a new rhythm that works for everyone and to navigate the changes in your household dynamics. 

Balancing independence, expectations, and rules

We send our kids off to college to hopefully become independent, free-thinking adults. That’s a good thing – right? The catch is, that doesn’t get put on hold just because they come back home. Instead of having parents and young children under the same roof, there are now parents and adults-in-training who still walk in the door with a hamper of dirty laundry. 

College students may have grown used to living independently and may have different expectations for their freedom and responsibilities. They may have also have quite simply changed and are developing different values. We, as parents, have to navigate these changes and how to enforce rules and expectations to preserve family life while also allowing our children the independence they have gotten used to. 

Mediating sibling relationships

When college students return home, it can often trigger a change in dynamics with younger siblings. Brothers or sisters may not understand why their college sibling is acting differently. On the flip side, your college student may not recognize that their siblings are changing as well. In addition, younger siblings may not understand if the college student doesn’t have to do household chores or follow house rules while they’re home. All of this can strain family dynamics, and it’s up to you, as the parent, to help ease the transition and try to maintain harmony. 

Giving college students space

While being away at college is fun and of course educational, it can be a lot. A lot of people and new experiences ALL the time. Your college student probably has a roommate and is learning how to live with someone else in a tiny space. If they live in a dorm, they probably have to share a bathroom – potentially with a lot of people. Mealtimes are often communal experiences involving many people. In addition, figuring out who they are and adulting is hard work. It can all quite literally be sensory overload. 

When your college student arrives home, they may simply need some space. While you may want to spend every moment possible with them when they’re back at home, they may just need some time alone. 

Tips for Parents to Help Make College Student’s Visit Home a Success

Here are some tips to help make your college student’s visit home a success.

Open Communication

Encourage open and honest communication with your child. Let them know that they can talk to you about anything, including their college experiences and any challenges they may be facing. Try to avoid hitting them with a barrage of questions, but don’t be afraid to ask them about how things are going as well. 

Respect Their Independence

Understand that your child has gained independence at college, and allow them the space to make their own decisions while at home. While you may expect them to spend time with the family, help out around the house, and adhere to certain rules, such as a curfew because of work schedules, it’s crucial to balance these expectations with understanding and flexibility. 

Support Their Well-being

Be mindful of your child’s mental and emotional well-being. Offer support and understanding if they are dealing with stress or other issues. Sometimes, the most loving thing you can do is let them decompress and enjoy the comforts of home. Once they’re back in their familiar setting, they may feel more comfortable opening up. 

Quality Time

Make an effort to spend quality time together as a family, but also respect your child’s need for downtime and spending time with friends. It’s important to acknowledge their newfound independence while also maintaining a sense of family connection. Remember, just as when they were in high school, sometimes the best way to make sure that you have time together to catch up is to camp out in the kitchen. Cleaning up, fixing food, or simply sitting and drinking a cup of coffee often provides a natural way for conversations to take place.

Prepare them ahead of time for changes at home

Just as your child is in a new phase of their life, you may be making changes as well. Students often return home expecting everything to be exactly as they left it only to find that their room has been converted to a home office or that the basement or bonus room is now a workout space or hobby room. This is perfectly fine and natural, but it’s only fair to let them know that ahead of time. While it may still take them some time to adjust to the change, there’s no reason to surprise them with it when they return home. 

Set Realistic Expectations

While it’s natural to have expectations, be flexible and open-minded. Your child may have different priorities and interests now, and that’s okay.

If your college student is home for an extended time, such as summer break, you will definitely need to set expectations upfront. Here are some of the things you may want to consider discussing when they come home for the summer.

• Is there a curfew?
• Will the college student be expected to help around the house?
• Are there regular times each week when spending time with the rest of the family will be expected?
• Are family dinners expected or optional?
• If family dinners are optional, is the student responsible for cooking their own meals or will you still do that?
• If there are any issues around money that need to be discussed. 

The Bottom Line on When College Students Come Home

The bottom line on when college students come home is that it’s a time of adjustment for both you and your child. By understanding the challenges, setting realistic expectations, and offering support, you can help make the transition back home a positive and enriching experience for everyone involved.

Remember, the parent-child relationship is constantly evolving, even when children are older. If you need support in dealing with issues surrounding parenting college-aged children, we’d love to have you join the Empowered Health and Wellness for Women Over 40 Facebook group!

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The Importance of Diet During Perimenopause

What we eat during perimenopause is important because food affects all of the systems and processes of our body. This is especially true with how our hormones are produced and how they function¹. During this time, the level of estrogen – which is the main female hormone – fluctuates unevenly, and the level of progesterone – the hormone that is key for menstruation and pregnancy – decreases.

While all of this is going on, our bodies can get to be a hot mess – literally – if we don’t provide it with the right information through the food that we eat. It helps our hormones work themselves out in a healthy way and supports the other changes that are going on. That’s where a perimenopause diet comes in by helping to make this transition go more smoothly and a little easier.

What to Eat as Part of a Perimenopause Diet

When thinking about food or diet, it’s always better to think in terms of what we can eat as much as possible. The good news is that there are a number of foods that actively support our bodies during perimenopause.

Soy

Whether you eat a plant-based diet or eat animal products, one thing that proponents of both ways of eating generally agree on is that eating soy helps to reduce the symptoms of perimenopause and menopause. That’s why I’m diving a little deeper into this must-have in a perimenopause diet.

A study by the North American Menopause Society published in the journal Menopause found that women who ate a low-fat plant-based diet rich in soy reduced moderate-to-severe hot flashes by 84 percent – from nearly five per day to fewer than one per day. The study’s results were based on participants eating ½ cup of cooked soybeans every day for 12 weeks².

Other research echoes the effectiveness of soy during perimenopause or menopause. According to the Mount Sinai Health System, in clinical studies, “Women who eat high amounts of dietary soy protein (20 to 60 g per day) generally have fewer and less intense hot flashes and night sweats than those who eat less soy.”  

Good sources of soy that can be incorporated into your diet regularly are edamame (the whole soybean), tofu, tempeh, miso, soy milk, and soy yogurt.

Lean protein

Eating lean protein is another healthy way to support all of the changes that are taking place during perimenopause. According to Dr. Jeffrey Bland in his book The Disease Delusion, studies conducted at the Functional Medicine Clinical Research Center show that lean protein from chicken and fish help to improve the metabolism of estrogen during this transition⁴.

In addition to all of the hormone changes that are taking place, studies also show that perimenopause and menopause can contribute to women starting to lose muscle mass³. Making sure that we’re eating plenty of protein throughout the day can help to offset that so our muscles stay strong and can support our bodies in doing the things we want to do.

Besides chicken and fish, other good sources of lean protein are eggs, tofu, tempeh, edamame, lentils, and beans.  

Other foods to support perimenopause

Dr. Bland says that other foods that have been shown to help lessen night sweats, hot flashes, and mood swings associated with perimenopause and menopause are fiber-rich vegetables and beans and cruciferous vegetables. These kinds of vegetables include broccoli, kale, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, and arugula just to name a few. Just like with lean protein, these foods have been shown to improve the metabolism of estrogen⁴.  

It’s important to note that if you’re taking a blood thinner, you’ll want to talk with your doctor before increasing the amount of cruciferous vegetables that you eat.

It’s also important to keep in mind that if you eat a plant-based diet and are over 40, you should be supplementing with vitamin B12. You should really be doing that anyway if you eat a plant-based diet, but it’s critical during perimenopause and menopause because our bodies need more of it during this time⁵.

Foods to Limit on a Perimenopause Diet

While it’s better to think about what we can eat than what we can’t, when it comes to a perimenopause diet, the following foods should be minimized because they may actually contribute to the frequency and intensity of hot flashes, night sweats, memory and concentration symptoms, and moodiness.

1. Sugar-rich foods and drinks⁴
2. Caffeine⁶
3. High-fat foods⁷
4. Ultra-processed food⁸

As if experiencing perimenopause and menopause symptoms in the moment isn’t bad enough, research shows that women who experience intense levels of these symptoms are at higher risk for developing heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes^9,10,11.

Bottom Line on a Perimenopause Diet

The bottom line on a perimenopause diet is that at a time in our life when our bodies are transitioning to a new phase, we can use food to gain at least a little to even a lot of control over how we feel now and in the future. Add that to regular exercise and mental health habits, and you have a powerful framework to support you.

If you want to learn more about what you can be doing to help yourself feel good now and in the future, be sure and take advantage of the special price that I’m offering to readers of this blog post for my Healthy Over 40 on-demand workshop. Or, if you have any questions about how to individualize a perimenopause diet to fit your needs, feel free to reach out to info@peppermint-tea.com.

Sources

1. Marks V. How Our Food Affects Our Hormones. Clin Biochem. 1985 Jun;18(3):149-53. doi: 10.1016/s0009-9120(85)80099-0. PMID: 3888442.
2. Barnard, Neal D. MD, FACC; Kahleova, Hana MD, PhD; Holtz, Danielle N. BS; del Aguila, Fabiola PhD; Neola, Maggie BS, RD; Crosby, Lelia M. BA, RD; Holubkov, Richard PhD. The Women’s Study for the Alleviation of Vasomotor Symptoms (WAVS): a randomized, controlled trial of a plant-based diet and whole soybeans for postmenopausal women. Menopause 28(10):p 1150-1156, October 2021. DOI: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001812.
3. Ko J, Park YM. Menopause and the Loss of Skeletal Muscle Mass in Women. Iran J Public Health. 2021 Feb;50(2):413-414. doi: 10.18502/ijph.v50i2.5362. PMID: 33748008; PMCID: PMC7956097.
4. Bland, Jeffrey, PhD, FACN, CNS. The Disease Delusion. 2014. Page 305.
5. Milart P, Wo?niakowska E, Wrona W. Selected vitamins and quality of life in menopausal women. Prz Menopauzalny. 2018 Dec;17(4):175-179. doi: 10.5114/pm.2018.81742. Epub 2018 Dec 31. PMID: 30766465; PMCID: PMC6372850.
6. Plumbo, Ginger. Study Suggests Caffeine Intake May Worsen Menopausal Hot Flashes, Night Sweats. 2014.
7. Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine. A Natural Approach to Menopause.  
8. Noll PRES, Noll M, Zangirolami-Raimundo J, Baracat EC, Louzada MLDC, Soares Júnior JM, Sorpreso ICE. Life habits of postmenopausal women: Association of menopause symptom intensity and food consumption by degree of food processing. Maturitas. 2022 Feb;156:1-11. doi: 10.1016/j.maturitas.2021.10.015. Epub 2021 Oct 29. PMID: 35033227.
9. Cagnacci A, Cannoletta M, Palma F, Zanin R, Xholli A, Volpe A. Menopausal symptoms and risk factors for cardiovascular disease in postmenopause. Climacteric. 2012 Apr;15(2):157-62. doi: 10.3109/13697137.2011.617852. Epub 2011 Dec 5. PMID: 22141325.
10. Thurston RC, El Khoudary SR, Sutton-Tyrrell K, Crandall CJ, Sternfeld B, Joffe H, Gold EB, Selzer F, Matthews KA. Vasomotor symptoms and insulin resistance in the study of women’s health across the nation. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2012 Oct;97(10):3487-94. doi: 10.1210/jc.2012-1410. Epub 2012 Jul 31. PMID: 22851488; PMCID: PMC3462945.
11. Lee SW, Jo HH, Kim MR, Kwon DJ, You YO, Kim JH. Association between menopausal symptoms and metabolic syndrome in postmenopausal women. Arch Gynecol Obstet. 2012 Feb;285(2):541-8. doi: 10.1007/s00404-011-2016-5. Epub 2011 Aug 19. PMID: 21853251.

The post The Perimenopause Diet: Foods to Eat and to Limit appeared first on Peppermint Tea.

Citrus

Some of the most common citrus fruits are oranges, lemons, limes, grapefruits, and tangerines.

Rich in vitamin C, potassium, fiber, antioxidants, and other essential vitamins and minerals, they are a powerhouse of nutrients¹. The vitamin C² and other antioxidants¹ in them help to protect your body from the damage caused by free radicals. In addition, citrus fruits support collagen production³, help to reduce inflammation¹, can boost and maintain a healthy immune system⁴, and even help to reduce the risk of some cancers¹.

It’s important to note that some citrus fruits – especially grapefruit – can interfere with the body’s ability to process certain medications. If you’re taking medications and eat grapefruit or a lot of citrus fruits overall, be sure and let your doctor know.

Berries

Berries are among the top 5 healthiest fruits because they’re another great source of antioxidants, essential vitamins, and minerals. In fact, some experts consider them to be the healthiest fruit because of their high antioxidant content⁵. How healthy are they? They “average nearly ten times more antioxidants than other fruits and vegetables⁶, which can be seen through their bright, vibrant colors.

Berries are also low in sugar and high in fiber, which can help keep your digestion healthy and regular⁷ and promotes healthy blood sugar levels. When buying berries, be sure to look for the ones that have the brightest, deepest colors (blueberries are my personal favorite!)

Apples

Apples are the unsung all-stars of the fruit world. They’re not always the flashiest, but they are always there as a good healthy standby – ready to get the job done. They are a good, portable whole food that can be easily packed and taken anywhere. The key is to eat the peel because it contains high amounts of insoluble fiber, which helps to regulate bowel movements. Then clearly, you want to eat the inside of the apple, which provides soluble fiber that can lower blood sugar and slow down food passing from the stomach to the intestines⁸.

Stone fruits such as cherries and plums

Stone fruits get their name because their seed is protected by a hard pit⁹. Cherries and plums fall into this category and are among the non-berry fruits with the most antioxidants per calorie¹. In his book How Not To Die, Michael Greger M.D. cites research that shows that high-antioxidant fruits and vegetables, “have been found to douse systemic inflammation significantly better than the same number of servings of more common low-antioxidant fruits and veggies⁵.” In fact, tart cherries are so ani-inflammatory that tart cherry juice is often used as part of the treatment for arthritis and other inflammatory-related conditions¹⁰ as well as for exercise recovery by many athletes.

It’s important to note that the amount of tart cherry juice that has shown to make a significant difference in helping to relieve arthritis symptoms is 16 ounces a day^{11, 12}. Just like any fruit juice, tart cherry juice has high amounts of natural sugar. That means that if you’re going to drink it, you want 100% juice with no added sugar. It’s also best to drink it with a meal or a snack that has protein and fiber, which can help mitigate the effect that it will have on blood sugar levels.

Pomegranate

The edible seeds of pomegranates, called arils, are where the good stuff is. Used for thousands of years to treat many diseases and to support health, pomegranates are no fly-by-night health fad. They are packed with antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber and are being studied for potential brain and heart health benefits as well as helping to protect against some types of cancers¹³. A half cup of arils is considered to be a serving of pomegranate. 

If you’ve never eaten a pomegranate, the Spruce Eats offers a great guide for easily getting to those nutrient-dense seeds.

Serving Sizes for Fruit

The key for eating fruit is being aware of the serving size. If you have 2-3 servings in one sitting, you need to consider it as such and not just as one serving.

• ½ cup fresh or frozen fruit
• 1 cup cut-up fruit
• 1 medium-sized fruit
• ¼ cup dried fruit
• ½ cup berries

How to Eat Fruit

When it comes to incorporating any of these fruits into your diet, there are a variety of options. You can add them to your salads, smoothies, juices, or even use them as a topping for your oatmeal or yogurt. If you’re drinking tart cherry juice, it’s delicious to add to seltzer water.

The same tip for offsetting the natural sugar in tart cherry juice also holds true for other fruits as well. If you’re having a serving of whole fruit, be sure to also have something with protein and fat in it to help lessen the effect on your blood sugar. For example, apple slices and two tablespoons of peanut butter, or berries and a ¼ cup of raw pumpkin seeds.

Bottom Line on the Top 5 Healthiest Fruits

The bottom line on our top 5 healthiest fruits is to eat a variety every day. As we’ve seen here, they all contain numerous nutrients that when combined, can go a long way toward supporting an active and healthy lifestyle.

If you’re interested in learning more through one-on-one  coaching about the fruits and other foods that might support your individual health needs, feel free to contact Robyn at info@peppermint-tea.com.

Sources

1. Lv X, Zhao S, Ning Z, Zeng H, Shu Y, Tao O, Xiao C, Lu C, Liu Y. Citrus fruits as a treasure trove of active natural metabolites that potentially provide benefits for human health. Chem Cent J. 2015 Dec 24;9:68. doi: 10.1186/s13065-015-0145-9. PMID: 26705419; PMCID: PMC4690266.
2. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements. Vitamin C. Fact Sheet for Consumers.
3. Gref, R., Deloménie, C., Maksimenko, A. et al. Vitamin C-squalene bioconjugate promotes epidermal thickening and collagen production in human skin. Sci Rep 10, 16883 (2020).
4. Fung, Teresa, RD, ScD. Are Certain Fruits Healthier Than Others? Harvard Health Publishing. Harvard Medical School. Jan. 31, 2022
5. Greger, Michael, M.D., FACLM. How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease. 2015.
6. Carlsen MH, Halvorsen BL, Holte K, et al. The total antioxidant content of more than 3100 foods, beverages, spices, herbs and supplements used worldwide. Nutri J. 2010; 9:3.
7. National Institute on Aging. Healthy Eating As You Age: Know Your Food Groups.
8.  Cleveland Clinic. Improving Your Health With Fiber. 
9. Okie, W.R. 2008. Minor Prunus spp.–stone fruit. In: Janick, J., Paull, R.E., editors. Encyclopedia of Fruits and Nuts. Cambridge, UK: CABI. p. 727-733. Encyclopedia of Fruits and Nuts. https://www.ars.usda.gov/research/publications/publication/?seqNo115=154359
10. Arthritis Foundation. Nutrients in Tart Cherries Can Help Fight Arthritis Pain.
11. Du C, Chapman SC, Kwon YH, Vijayagopal P, Juma S. Impact of Tart Cherry Juice on Joint Flexibility and Pain in Individuals with Self-Reported Knee Osteoarthritis (P01-030-19). Curr Dev Nutr. 2019 Jun 13;3(Suppl 1):nzz028.P01-030-19. doi: 10.1093/cdn/nzz028.P01-030-19. PMCID: PMC6574019. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6574019/
12. Schumacher HR, Pullman-Mooar S, Gupta SR, Dinnella JE, Kim R, McHugh MP. Randomized double-blind crossover study of the efficacy of a tart cherry juice blend in treatment of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Osteoarthritis Cartilage. 2013 Aug;21(8):1035-41. doi: 10.1016/j.joca.2013.05.009. Epub 2013 May 31. PMID: 23727631. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23727631/
13. Akbar M, Song BJ, Essa MM, Khan MA. Pomegranate: An ideal fruit for human health. INT J Nutr Pharmacol Neurol Dis [serial online] 2015 [cited 2023 Feb 16]; 5:141-3. Available from https://www.ijnpnd.com/article.asp?issn=2231-0738;year=2015;volume=5;issue=4;spage=141;epage=143;aulast=Akbar

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The need for fast healthy meals is real. If you ask most people why they eat out multiple times a week, they will usually say that they need food that is fast, cheap, convenient or just doesn’t take any effort because they’re too tired to cook. I get it! We all have those days at least every now and then. While planning for busy days ahead of time is ideal, it’s simply not always possible. That’s why it’s so important to have the ingredients for fast healthy meals on hand so that you can pull something together right in your own kitchen quicker and more cheaply than you can go through the drive-thru. 

Basic Convenience Ingredients

Here’s a look at some of what I call “basic convenience ingredients” that I always try to keep around. Having these items on standby makes fast healthy meals a snap.

Please Note: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through some of the links included in this post. You can read my disclosure policy here.

• Amy’s Organic Refried Black Beans – (affiliate link) After having tried many different brands of refried black beans, I firmly believe that these are the best canned version out there. 
• Tortillas – I highly recommend Mission Foods Carb Balance Tortillas (Flour, Whole Wheat or Spinach Herb)
• Frozen vegetables – Especially corn, peas and green beans
• Fresh vegetables – Red peppers, spinach, kale, broccoli, mushrooms, onions, carrots, cucumbers, cherry tomatoes and sweet potatoes (bake ahead of time and keep for when needed in the refrigerator)
• Salad mix – Spring mix is my favorite
• Salsa
• Beans – Canned or pre-made and frozen (black, garbanzo and dark red kidney beans are my staples)
• Quinoa – Pre-make and keep in the refrigerator
• Brown rice – Pre-make and keep in the refrigerator
• Guacamole single serving packs
• Baked or grilled chicken – Pre-made 
• Lentil or whole wheat pasta
• Tofu
• Tempeh
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Walnuts
• Green and/or kalamata olives

Examples of Fast Healthy Meals 

Here are ideas for some of the fast healthy meals that these basic convenience ingredients can make. 

Pre-Made Bowls (5 minutes) 

• Pre-made brown rice
• Black beans
• Corn 
• Protein (other than beans) – Baked or grilled chicken, tofu or sirloin steak
• Salsa
• Toppings – The sky is the limit! Possibilities include guacamole, sour cream or plain yogurt, shredded cheese and Chipotle Mayo Sauce

Pasta with Vegetables and a Protein (10 minutes) 

• Lentil or whole wheat pasta
• Stir-fried vegetables in olive oil – Possibilities include broccoli, mushrooms, red peppers, onions and carrots
• Protein – Baked or grilled chicken or tofu (cooked with vegetables in olive oil)
• Lemon juice and olive oil for flavoring
• Pinch of sea salt

Vegetable and Protein Wrap (5 minutes)

• Baked or grilled Chicken or tofu (cooked with vegetables in olive oil)
• Stir-fried vegetables in olive oil – Possibilities include red peppers, mushrooms and wilted spinach
• Tortilla
• Green olives (added after everything has been put on tortilla)

Rice and Beans (Less than 5 minutes)

• Pre-made brown rice
• Red kidney or black beans

Salad with Protein (5 minutes)

• Salad mix
• Cucumber, cherry tomatoes, mushrooms and carrots
• Baked or grilled chicken, pan-fried tempeh, garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or kidney beans. ***Note, if I’m putting tempeh in a salad, I put it in the Delish Knowledge marinade from The Great Big Vegan Salad before pan-frying it. This can be cooked ahead of time. 
• Lemon juice and olive oil dressing
• Other potential toppings include pumpkin seeds, kalamata olives or sunflower seeds

Black Bean and Spinach Quesadilla (5 minutes)

• Tortillas 
• Refried black beans
• Spinach
• Guacamole to spread on top

Smothered Sweet Potato (5 minutes)

• Pre-baked sweet potato (re-heated in microwave)
• Black beans
• Salsa

Warm Kale and Quinoa Salad (5 minutes)

• Kale
• Quinoa
• Walnuts
• Lemon juice
• Olive oil
• Pinch of salt

Bottom Line on Fast Healthy Meals

These are just a few examples of the healthy convenience ingredients that you can have on hand as well as the fast healthy meals they can make. All of the ingredients except the fresh vegetables and pre-cooked meat and grains can be kept for a while and used when needed. Since Thursday night is usually leftover night in my house, if I have any fresh vegetables, or pre-cooked meat or grains that haven’t been used by that point, we’ll use them then.  

The bottom line is that all of these meals can be made in less than 10 minutes, which is usually faster than you can drive to a fast-food restaurant and go through the drive-thru. On top of that, these healthy options taste delicious and cost much less. 

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Holiday Gift Giving and Stress

Now that the holiday shopping season is here, it’s easy to get caught up in all of the “deals,” excitement, and checking things off your list. That’s certainly understandable, but one major cause of stress this time of year is overspending on gifts. Bankrate cites a recent report by The Harris Poll that shows “as much as 65 percent of Americans feel ‘anxious and stressed’ as we approach the holiday season due to inflation.”

Feeling this way for sustained periods isn’t healthy for us mentally or physically at any time of the year, but we definitely don’t want to do that to ourselves during the holidays. While there are many things that we can’t control this time of year, not putting ourselves in a bad position moneywise isn’t one of them.

5 Tips for Sticking With a Holiday Budget

Here are 5 tips to keep in mind as you shop this year:

Develop a holiday budget

Creating a holiday budget is best done in a spreadsheet. You’ll want to start by making a list of all of the people that you have to buy gifts for. Then make a list of all of the extra but predictable expenses that you need to plan on. These can include such things as decorating, extra food, and baking, special holiday events, etc. Next, determine the amount of money that seems reasonable and comfortable to spend on each item. Once you have your total, review it to make sure that it seems realistic and doable. If it’s not, go through and determine areas where the amounts can and should be less.

Be real, in a gentle way, with your kids

If your kids are asking for things that are beyond your budget, ask them to choose their top 1-3 items as long as those things fit within your limits. If they don’t, then ask them to narrow down more or honestly tell them that those things cost too much. You can tell them that your family is focusing on making sure that each person gets 1-2 really special things this year, and you’re limiting it at that. We have done a version of this with our boys and everyone was fine.

Even Santa has limits

In our house, even Santa had limits because we wanted to make sure that all the children were able to get something really special. It also sets the tone for helping them to understand what the holidays are really about for your family and that it’s not necessarily just a time to throw the doors wide open for them to get anything and everything they want. That’s an unrealistic expectation for any point in life, even for kids.

If you have young kids, consider buying gently used or secondhand items

There is absolutely nothing wrong with this and as long as the items are in good condition, your children are not going to even notice. This practice helps to keep you from going over budget and helps to extend the life of perfectly useful items that still have a lot of joy to give.

Focus on Intentional Gift Giving

Intentional gifts are creative and meaningful and help you to give joy while creating it for yourself as well. While you still have to keep your budget in mind, intentional gifts make sure that you’re actually putting some thought into the gift-giving process and are getting the most joyful bang for your buck.

Looking Ahead to Next Year’s Holiday Budget

If you really want to prevent money from factoring into your holiday stress, planning your holiday budget early is key. I’m talking about starting in January and setting aside money each month in savings. You simply determine what a reasonable total amount is that you think you’ll need to spend for the holidays the following year and divide that by 12. That gives you the amount that you will need to deposit into your holiday savings each month.

Having this money building up throughout the year not only prevents you from having to come up with a large amount in November and December but also gives you the flexibility to take advantage of deals as they happen at other times. In addition, it allows you to buy throughout the year if you see the perfect gift for someone on your list.

This process should ideally be done as you develop your larger annual budget. That way you know whether the amount that you’re planning on for your holiday budget is realistic or not. It also helps in making decisions about other larger purchases throughout the year since you know that you need to allow for the fixed holiday amount each month. If you do have to use your holiday money one month to pay for an unexpected, necessary expense, be sure to make it up the next month or divide the missed amount throughout the remaining months. The main thing is to try to not have to come up with the entire lump sum at the end of the year.

The Bottom Line on a Holiday Budget

Remember, extended times of stress are unhealthy. Holiday gift-giving shouldn’t add to that. The best gift that you can give others this holiday season is a healthy, happy you.

Great Gift Reminder!

Don’t forget that if you’re looking for an inexpensive, but thoughtful gift for the women over 40 in your life, be sure to consider a 6-month (or longer) membership to the Empowered Health and Wellness for Women Over 40 Facebook Group. If you have any questions about how it works, feel free to reach out to info@peppermint-tea.com.

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Freezing Leftovers

Leftovers truly are one of the biggest culprits for this. How many times do we have just a little bit leftover? “Not really enough to do anything with,” we often think. But what if we started freezing leftovers and later on find a dish that we could make by combining all of the “just a little bits” from several meals? Or declare one night of the month “frozen leftover” night and just let everyone take a little of this and a little of that to make their meals. Better yet – if you plan to do this on a night when you know you’re going to be short for time, you’ll not only use the food that you’ve already paid for and made, you’ll more than likely save yourself the added expense of grabbing something on the go. 

Freezing Leftover Fruits and Vegetables

This doesn’t even take into account the fruits and vegetables that we don’t use before they go bad. Freeze them! All of those bananas that go bad?  Freeze them! But take them out of the peel first. Smoothies are actually much better with frozen bananas than fresh ones. If you need more information on freezing leftovers when it comes to fruits and vegetables, be sure to check out this article from allrecipes. 

Freezing Leftover Meat

If you have meat that you didn’t use when you had planned, don’t let it go bad. Freeze it! You can always thaw it two days later, but if you don’t know when or if you’re going to use it, err on the side of freezing it so that you have the choice of using it later. 

Pro tip

Always keep FREEZER baggies or reusable freezer-safe bags on hand for freezing leftovers and other food. These must be freezer bags and not storage bags. I suggest having both quart and gallon size so that you have what you need when you need it. I also recommend using the kind that close with a slider as opposed to the press seal so that you can be sure it’s properly sealed. 

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Let’s be real here, life can sometimes simply get to be too much. We’re not talking about the periodic overwhelm we all feel from time to time when things get too busy or when there’s too much work and not enough time. Those can be real problems, but they usually can be dealt with simply by cutting things out or by calling in outside help. What I’m talking about here is when really serious, potentially life-altering/damaging things completely outside of your control happen to yourself or those around you. Especially when two or more things are going on at once, and they each deserve and need your full attention.

For most of us, when times like this hit, we can’t completely stop everything that we’re doing and devote ourselves to the issues at hand. We still have to work, we still have to pay the bills and for many of us, we still have to be a parent. So how do we handle these times when life, by anyone’s standard, is just simply too much? I happen to have some first-hand experience in this area – both by watching my very strong parents deal with seemingly unimaginable circumstances multiple times and living through those times myself and by dealing with a couple of potentially crumpling times with my own family. Fortunately, I had my knowledge of mental and physical wellness to guide me through the most recent times. That’s why this topic is very important and very real to me and why I wanted to share my eight steps for coping with this type of overwhelm with you.

• Do the bare minimum (prioritize). While this may seem obvious to some people, others try to plow right through and keep going as if nothing is different or wrong. While you can’t stop everything, whether it’s at work or at home, focus on the things that absolutely have to be done. That’s about as much energy as you need to be expending on anything other than dealing with whatever big things are going on in your life. If the house was semi-cleaned last week, is it so filthy that it really needs to be cleaned again this week? If you’re assigned to extra projects at work or if you have things that are a couple of months down the road, can someone else do them or start them or is it really going to hurt anything if no one works on them at all for a couple of weeks? Plowing through and trying to act like everything’s business as normal is more than likely only going to end in needless mistakes. Figure out what absolutely has to be done, do those things to the best of your ability and save your energy for what’s most important.
• Don’t make any major life decisions. You can’t put things on hold forever, but while you’re in the midst of a crisis is probably not when you should decide to change careers – unless part of the crisis is that you’ve lost your job. If you’ve lost your home for some reason, maybe that is the time to make a move if it’s something you’ve been considering anyway. Otherwise, major life decisions are best made when your thinking is clear.
• Eat foods that are nutritious and that nourish you. I recognize that times like this are when we most want “comfort food” – whatever that happens to be for you. In many cases though, these foods tend to be full of unhealthy simple carbs and unhealthy fats (think pizza, macaroni and cheese, ice cream, and chocolate cake just to name a few). While some of this is fine if it helps you to feel a little better, don’t make the mistake of only eating those types of foods. This is when you need all of your energy, this is when you need to be thinking the most clearly and this is when you don’t need to be distracted by not feeling well physically. Fueling yourself with nutritious food will make sure that you keep running well so that you can deal with whatever life is piling on.
• Exercise (if possible). While this may not be possible in the first days of a crisis, please try to find a way to work it into whatever routine you can establish. Even if it’s just getting out and walking vigorously for 15 minutes or finding a way to do some yoga stretches throughout the day, movement and exercise will be good for your body and will help you clear your mind.
• Meditate. Whether you’ve meditated before or not, this is an incredibly helpful practice to have when life gets to be too much. Taking even just a few minutes to stop and go inside or outside of yourself (whichever is best for you) helps to give some balance when it may be in short supply otherwise. During a recent very intense, very serious situation, one of my sons asked me “How are you so calm?” My answer to him was “This is too big to scream and yell. I need to be able to be heard.” Fortunately for all of us, I had meditated that morning and was feeling a genuine calm that even I was amazed by even though I also felt like I was being ripped apart on the inside. Because I was able to respond like that, I was able to listen and talk in a way that helped us to navigate the situation in what I believe was about as positive a way as was going to be possible. If you need some suggestions for resources for meditating, feel free to check out 7 Recommended Meditation Resources.
• Lean on friends. Some things really are just too big to handle by yourself or even with your spouse if you’re both involved. That’s where really good friends come in. Lean on them. Vent if needed, talk things out, ask their advice if it would be helpful, but mainly, just have at least one other person there to support you, no matter what is going on.
• Do something fun or at least find something to laugh about. To say that the year that I was 7 years old was fairly intense in the life of my family would be an understatement. My younger brother had been born earlier that year with significant heart defects, had undergone multiple surgeries and was not expected to live for very long. That would have been enough in and of itself, but when he was nine months old, our house burned to the ground. Instead of looking at that time as the absolute bleakness that it could have been, much of what I remember is the laughter. My parents were very good about making sure that no matter what was going on, we all found something to laugh about and that we had fun together. While the stress of that time was evident, they made sure that we all, including themselves, didn’t lose the joy. Finding some way to have fun or to find something to laugh about even when life is darkest is vital for the mental wellbeing of everyone involved.
• Seek professional help if you need it or have feelings of extreme despair. Again, some things are just too big to handle by yourself. There is absolutely nothing wrong with needing and seeking outside help. While whatever is going on may be big, enlisting the help of a professional counselor can help you look at it in different ways and break it off into manageable chunks. Please do this if things are feeling larger than what you can handle by yourself! Don’t try to go it alone.

There’s no doubt about it. Life can get to be too much sometimes. It can be overwhelming. While the steps listed here won’t necessarily solve whatever it is that you’re dealing with, they will help you to tread a little more lightly as you get through the worst of it and get to a point where you can start to see light again.

Lean on Your Community

How do you cope when life gets to be too much? Please share in the comments section below so that we can all benefit from our collective wisdom.

The post What to do When Life Gets to Be Too Much appeared first on Peppermint Tea.

Grabbing something to eat, running through the drive-thru and throwing something together. All phrases that certainly reflect our lifestyles and all too often, our approach to food. While doing any of these every now and then is fine and can even be done in a healthy way, letting these phrases describe our overall attitude toward food means that we could be missing out on some of the huge benefits of what the food we eat can really do for us.

Transformational and Energy Medicine Specialist Jean Atman works with people on aligning their energy in every facet of their lives, including through the food they eat. In this Q&A, she explains how eating with intention can change your entire relationship with food and how its energy can fuel you.

Peppermint Tea & Me: What does eating with intention mean?

Jean Atman:I think it’s a mindfulness practice, you know. To really think about what foods you’re putting in your body and how they affect you as you’re consuming them. Basically, we get kind of caught up in the busyness of things, and so we don’t take time to even think about what we eat. We just sort of go to our defaults. I think eating with intention is increasing the mindfulness practice of thinking about “What do I feel like I want, what do I feel like I need, and then how do I feel after eating this?”

PTM: Why is it important that we eat with intention?

JA: We’re all made of energy. So, what we’re eating is either going to increase or decrease how we feel, how our body functions, and how our life works. If we’re congesting our energy field with a lot of processed foods, we’re going to feel more stagnant in our lives, and we’re going to be less able to proceed forward in achieving our goals and desires and dreams. We don’t have that free flow of movement and momentum that we can build as easily. So, it’s really vital to consider what we’re putting in our bodies and how we’re feeling based on it. If we’re eating something that makes us feel bad, we’re not going to be as inspired to do anything else in our lives. It really does start with what we’re putting in our bodies.

PTM: What is the role of energy overall in our bodies and in our lives?

JA: We’re all just millions of particles of energy that put together creates this form. We feel solid, we look solid, but in reality, we’re really not, we’re just a lot of moving parts. That’s why it’s really vital to focus on what we’re creating within our energy. If we’re eating something processed without a lot of life force energy, we’re putting that in our bodies and that becomes part of us. So, it’s not a real efficient product that we’re creating.

It’s everything that we put into our body, all the experiences that we have, how we respond to those experiences, and then we kind of have a set vibration based on all those moving parts. Whatever vibration we’re at, we’re going to automatically attract other things of that vibration. If our vibration is of a lower scale, you know we’re going to attract experiences that reflect that. Lower vibrational experiences mean more struggle, more hardships and more hard work to accomplish anything. Kind of trudging through mud knee deep to get to where you’re going, as opposed to skirting on top of it.

PTM: What do you mean when you talk about our vibrational scale?

JA: To test people’s energy, we use the Hawkins Scale of Consciousness. Based on that, anything under 500, you’re dealing with jealousy, hate, envy and other lower vibrations. So, if you’re eating foods of a lower vibrational scale, they’re vibrating within that same frequency.

PTM: Where does processed food fall on the scale, and how does that make us feel?

JA: Foods that have a life force of their own, like fruits and vegetables, grow from the earth, they’re nursed from the earth, and they’re nourished from the sun and water that’s created within the earth. It’s all this beautiful synergistic creation which is grown from life force, and that gives us life force. Lower vibrational foods, like processed foods, are stripped. Anything that’s put in these processed foods is stripped down so far that it has no life force of its own.

While these foods might fill us, you know, physically, they’re not nourishing our energy, our bodies, our spirits, our minds. We’re not gaining any energy to uplift our vibration from eating those foods. They really can cause depression. When people are depressed, it is actually just energy that is depressing the field, so they carry a lot of heaviness within their energy which makes them feel heavy mentally, physically and emotionally. When you start to recognize that “When I’m eating this food, I feel a little bit lighter and a little bit better,” you actually clear through some of that depression energy by eating something that’s more nourishing, that’s more life giving, that increases the feeling of being lighter.

So those things are really, really important to choose wisely, especially if you suffer from something that just feels chronic that you can’t seem to break free from, and you’re wanting some relief. A lot of times when people are sad or depressed, they’ll reach for the comfort foods: the donuts, the ice creams, the cakes and the cookies. But again, with the law of attraction, like attracts like. If you’re already feeling that way, you’re going to be more drawn to those types of things, because they vibrate there. But if you know that, and you can make a conscious decision and say, “I’m feeling kind of low today. I want to uplift my energy and I’m having a little bit of a struggle doing it emotionally right now, so I’m going to reach for something that’ll help support that movement. I’m going to eat a salad. I’m going to eat an apple.” Things like that. It can help.

PTM: Which foods give us the most energy?

JA: Anything that’s made from the earth, that’s nourished from the earth’s elements will give us a lot more energy. Even if you’re going to eat an orange versus orange juice, even things like that. Foods in their most complete form are made specifically to nourish us in the best possible ways. So even by keeping an orange fully intact and eating it that way can offer more energy than an orange juice could. That’s not to say that you can’t eat cooked whole foods. You can because your body knows what to do with that and how to break it down.

PTM: How do we gauge what types of foods we need or energy we need from our food?

JA: They say that if you’re craving something sweet, that you’re actually craving more sweetness in your life. And if you’re craving something salty, you’re searching for something more grounded. You’re wanting to be more grounded within your life. So, our cravings will give us a lot of information about what we’re actually needing energetically and emotionally. It’s learning to translate what the body is saying into giving us a direction of where we can go with it.

 PTM: If someone is just starting to connect with the energy of their food, what are some ways that they can do that?

JA: What works for one person is not going to work for the next person. It really is coming back to the mindfulness practice of how foods make you feel. There are a couple of ways that you can do that including approaching it from a beginner’s mind and taking a week to eat clean and cut out dairy, gluten and processed foods and see how you feel. Then add things back one at a time and make a note of how you feel then. You can also journal each day, or if you really want to learn about yourself, journal each meal. Think about “What did I eat? How did I feel after this? How was my energy after that meal?” Really tune in to how you feel. Also, if you’re trying to lose weight, ask yourself before you reach for anything, “Is this really serving my highest good?” Think about the kind of energy that you want to have and whether that particular food would serve as fuel for that energy.

Additional Resource

Jean is happy to offer you a copy of her free e-book called How to Energize Your Life. Through it, she shares information, insights, and “Mindfulness Practices” to better assist you in creating not only what you want in life, but to release what that you don’t.

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