As a thank you gift to you we spoke to certified Integrative Nutrition Health Coach Crystal Perreira. Crystal had been sick most of her life (IBS, asthma, gluten intolerance, allergies, and more). She took dozens of different medications over the span of her life that didn’t seem to really help. In 2017 she decided to take a holistic approach to her health, and it changed her life forever. All of her ailments disappeared, and she went off of all her medications. After finding her own healing, she went back to school to the Institute of Integrative Nutrition so she could help others on their healing journeys.

 3 QUICK TIPS FOR GETTING HEALTHIER:

 

  1. Drink water. If you take your weight and divide it in half, that is about how many ounces of water you should be drinking per day. So if you weigh 160 pounds, you should be drinking 80 ounces of water each day, thats about 10 cups. If you can, make sure to drink natural spring water, or use a filter that not only filters bacteria but also filters heavy metals and chemicals like chlorine and fluoride. Tap water is not clean water!

  1. Eat wholesome foods. Avoid food that is packaged or no longer looks like its natural self. The food on your plate should look close to the same as it does on the farm. You can divide your plate into 4 quadrants to get the best nutrition: fruits, veggies, grains, and proteins. At least half of your plate should be fruit and veggies for every meal! And grains and protein can be so much more than rice and chicken. Don’t forget about yummy nutritious grains like quinoa, cornmeal, buckwheat, oats, and millet. And proteins like chia seeds, hemp seeds, nuts, tofu, and beans. There are so many options to explore to have a healthy plate full of variety.

  2. Manage stress. Managing stress can look different for every person. But most of the time, if we take the time to think about it, we know the things that make us feel relaxed and happy. Making sure to set aside time that has no productivity required is vital to our health. Stress is one of the main contributing factors to disease in America, so taking a day off is not something you should feel guilty about. It is something you need. Managing stress may look like taking time off for a movie night every Friday night? Maybe it looks like going for a run in the park every Saturday morning? Or maybe it looks like yoga? Or maybe its a weekly brunch date with your three best friends? Or maybe it's taking that watercolor class you have always wanted to take? Life is too short to not be having fun and relaxing. You are not a robot and your body, mind, and spirit need rest on a regular basis. I would recommend taking a small amount of time each day like 30 minutes to an hour, and then a longer amount of time per week, like one whole day or half a day to rest/have fun. This will help you feel a lot less stressed.

Follow Crystal on Instagram at @holihealthcoach or email her directly at crystal@holihealthcoach.com