Thankfully Harmonious Eating has been achieving great success over the small amount of time that it’s been created. Due to this I believed that it was the perfect time to update and expand! Check out Harmonious Eating’s new website with its new domain name www.harmoniouseating.us
Top 5 Benefits of Drinking Lemon Water
Why Lemon Water?
Tired of boring tasteless water?! Lemon water, which has a refreshing sweet and tangy taste is a great way to stay hydrated throughout your busy days. Lemons, grown on trees known as Citrus Limon, are tiny nutritional powerhouses. They contain a large variety of nutrients such as Vitamin C, Calcium, Magnesium, Potassium, Fiber, etc. All these benefits for only 20 calories a glass!
1. Strengthens Immune System
Vitamin C is one of lemon’s most abundant vitamin. A single lemon contains 30-40mg of Vitamin C. Why is Vitamin C so important you may ask? Vitamin C is vital for growth and repair of tissues in all parts of our body. It is also one of many antioxidants which helps reduce damages by free radicals. Lemon water has been proven to effectively help with dealing with stress. In fact, vitamin C aids in clearing out cortisol, a primary stress hormone. High and constant levels of cortisol could be very damaging to the body as well as imparting cognitive performance, elevated blood pressure, sleep disruption, and many other negative effects.
2. Aids Digestion
It is quite normal from time to time to suffer from stomach problems. Lemon water can aid in digestion. Drinking a very hot glass of lemon water first thing in the morning will help in regulating natural bowel movements. By regulating these bowel movements you can avoid those nagging stomach problems and enjoy your meals to a larger extent!
3. Cleanses Your System
Hot lemon water can also be used as an effective cleanser for your body. Lemon water can serve as a natural diuretic which will promote eliminating harmful bacteria known to cause urinary tract infection. Additionally, because it acts as a natural (but gentle) diuretic it will help get rid of excess water weight and help with bloating (you should continue to hydrate regularly throughout the day).
4. Good Skin
Having a tough time dealing with acne? Lemon’s powerful source of Vitamin C and other anti-oxidants combats free radicals. Especially the damage by constant UV exposure. Lemon juice can be applied on scars and wrinkles to minimize and offset signs of aging.
5. Substitute For Coffee
Hooked on coffee? I find myself drinking up to four cups on very busy days, but drinking hot lemon water has proved to be an effective substitute. Try it for yourself and replace your morning cup of coffee with a glass of hot lemon water. It’s a great way to stay refreshed and energized for your busiest work days. Hot lemon water is a fantastic way of avoid that mid afternoon crash as well as becoming highly dependent on caffeine.
Lemon Water Challenge!
Who doesn’t love a challenge? I would like you to commit to a challenge that will improve your health as well as the way you feel. It’s simple! For the next 21 days, I want you to begin each morning by drinking a big hot glass of lemon water. The glass of hot lemon water should be drank within the 1 hour of waking up. It is important that you drink this before eating any meal. Trust me, you will see all the benefits unfold as the days pass. In addition, by adding a healthy habit to your morning routine you may see yourself having a more cautious approach to your eating habits.
You can make this a fun challenge by recording how you feel each day! Make sure to come back and comment on this post about any changes you’ve felt throughout and at the conclusion of the challenge.
Interested in other foods with amazing benefits? Read one of my recent posts on Super Foods
If you’re looking for a delicious but healthy dessert.. this Banana Nut Muffin Recipe is for you.
Sources:
https://www.adrenalfatigue.org/cortisol-adrenal-function
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002404.htm
http://www.waterbenefitshealth.com/benefits-of-drinking-lemon-water.html
Whole Wheat Honey Banana Nut Muffins Recipe
This past weekend, while on my 16 mile long run, I had a lengthy amount of time to start thinking of the perfect recipe to initiate my food section on Harmonious Eating. Miles later the perfect idea struck! I remembered my great love for those warm & sweet banana nut muffin freshly baked from my local bakery. While they are undeniably delicious, most bakers are more concerned about taste and not the nutritional value of the muffin. I decided to make my own healthier version of the banana nut muffin. It includes an untraditional approach to its normal ingredients, but it’s equally delicious and much more nutrition cautious!
Here are the ingredients needed to make delicious whole wheat honey banana nut muffins.
Ingredients
Serves 12 normal sized banana nut muffins:
- 2 eggs
- 2 Bananas (the more ripe the better)
- 1 1/2 cups of whole wheat flour
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup melted butter (1 stick)
- 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon (recommended)
- 1/2 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
- 1/3 cup pure maple syrup
- 1/4 teaspoon of baking powder
After you have gathered all the necessary ingredients for the whole wheat honey banana nut muffins you will need to complete these 3 easy steps:
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees & line a muffin pan with either paper or silicone liners.
- Grab a large bowl and whisk the flour, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and baking powder. After, make a well in the center of the flour and place your eggs, syrup, and butter. Next, mix with a fork and set aside to complete the next step.
- Mash your two bananas together and then add your walnuts (optional). Then you will continue the process by folding this into the muffin batter. When all your ingredients are together you will finally distribute the muffin batter evenly into 12 muffin cups. Baking time is an approximate of 20-25 minutes. The muffins will start to get a golden brown, indicating your banana nut muffins are complete.
When the banana nut muffins are complete, grab a small cup and mix both honey and flax seed. When pouring, make sure to include more honey than flax-seed. Then gently spread your honey mix over the muffins until you reach your desired sweetness. The addition of honey will give this whole wheat banana nut muffin a natural sweet taste, and the flax seed will increase this treats nutritional value.
Enjoy!
5 Super Foods Your Body Needs Now
Acai
While there is a large selection of berries, you can’t go wrong with the acai berry. This exotic purple berry is most commonly found in the rain forests of South America. They are considered one of the best superfoods thanks to their extremely high levels of anthocyanin, a powerful compound that battles diseases caused by oxidative damage. Unfortunately these fresh berries aren’t so readily available at supermarkets just yet, but they are found in some frozen food sections as well in the forms of powder and tablets. Whole Foods offers a goji and acai juice blend, a quick and delicious way of getting your acai berry intake (see link below).
http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/products/goji-and-acai-juice-blend
Per 4 ounces (104 grams): Calories: 247, Carbohydrates: 4g, Sugar: 2g, Fiber: 16g
Chia Seeds
Embed from Getty ImagesThe Chia seed is the richest plant source of Omega 3 fatty acids and contains large amounts of fiber and calcium. This edible seed can be traced back to the Mayan and Aztec cultures, yet it is no surprise people still continue to include Chia seeds in their diets today. Due to their nutty flavor, they can easily be mixed in cereal as well as smoothies. This unprocessed and whole grain super food is one to definitely include in your everyday diet!
Serving size: 1 ounce (28 grams): Calories: 137, Fat: 9g, Carbohydrates: 12g, Dietary fiber: 11g, Protein: 4 g
Quinoa
Embed from Getty ImagesIncluding this nutrient packed seed into your meals will bring a multitude of benefits to your body. Quinoa is 15% protein which is double the amount usually found in other grains. It is generally associated with contributing to the gluten free diet, a treatment for people with celiac disease. It can also be included in a wide variety of recipes, making it a product that can be used in all meals throughout the day. Here is my favorite quinoa recipe that I always refer back to:
http://www.cookinglight.com/food/recipe-finder/cooking-with-quinoa
Serving Size: 1 Cup, Kcal: 233, Total Fat: 3.6g, Dietary Fiber: 5g, Protein: 8g
Walnuts
Are you a nut fan? Try walnuts! You don’t need a whole lot of this super food to enjoy its healthy doses of omega 3 fatty acids, copper, manganese, as well as alpha-linolenic. Most importantly, walnuts have a very rare form of Vitamin E called gamma-tocopherol which helps protect your heart from potential disease. While consuming this food in large portions is not recommended because they are high in calories, small portions of walnuts can be incorporated through out the day. Walnuts can be easily included in delicious smoothies and salads!
Serving Size: 1 ounce (28 grams), Calories: 190, Total fat: 18g, Protein: 4g, Dietary Fiber: 2g
Salmon
Salmon is one of the most nutrition packed fishes in the market. Like chia seeds and walnuts, this fish is high in Omega-3 fatty acids, which is a healthy fat that reduces your risk of Cardio Vascular diseases. As well other benefits such as increasing brain efficiency, preventing loss of vision, and improving metabolism. If the vitamins and minerals in this delicious fish don’t convince you, the 22 grams of protein per every 3 oz sure will!
Serving size: 3 Calories: 127, Fat: 3.8g, Sodium: 73mg, Protein: 21.7g
7 Inspirational Quotes To Keep You Motivated This Week
We all face those moments throughout the day when a bit of positive reinforcement can make a significant difference in our attitude. Whether you’re trying to lose weight, training for your first 5K , or achieve more success in the work place, we can all use some motivation to keep us going.
Here are 7 inspirational quotes for you to stay motivated this week.
1. Strength does not come from winning. Your struggles develop your strengths. When you go through hardships and decide not to surrender, that is strength. –Arnold Schwarzenegger
While many of us intend to experience many triumphs in our lives, we most often do not see that we gain strength from our defeats and struggles. Continuing in our path no matter what variables we have to overcome builds character.
2. The best revenge is massive success. – Frank Sinatra
There’s nothing like proving critics wrong with hard earned success.
3. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. – Confucius
This quote by the Chinese philosopher Confucius highlights the importance of patience and determinism. There will be moments where frustration will rise from not being able to accomplish a goal quickly, but the most important thing is to keep striving towards your ambition no matter the pace.
4 .Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. – Steve Jobs
Go out and create your own story to tell!
5. I hated every minute of training, but I said, ‘Don’t quit. Suffer now and live the rest of your life as a champion.–Muhammad Ali
Muhammad Ali is an athlete we can all look for motivation. He faced a multitude of oppositions which tried to bring him down, but it never stopped him from being the Heavy Weight Champion of the World!
6. “If you’re going through hell, keep going.” –Winston Churchill
The only way to get out of a tough predicament is to continue and solve your way out of it.
7. I always knew I was going to be rich. I don’t think I ever doubted it for a minute. – Warren Buffet
While no one enjoys an arrogant person, it doesn’t hurt to have that confidence within yourself.
Other links to look at for motivation:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/kevinkruse/2013/05/28/inspirational-quotes/
http://www.inc.com/lolly-daskal/100-motivational-quotes-that-will-inspire-you-to-succeed.html
Photo Credits:
Muhammad Ali http://therearenoroads.com/life-steroids/body/like-training-muhammad-alis-boxing-gym-video/
Arnold http://pixshark.com/arnold-schwarzenegger-bodybuilding.htm
Steve Jobs http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/10-success-principles-can-learn-from-steve-jobs.html
Frank Sinatra http://www.arts-wallpapers.com/people/img1ff.jpg
Church Hill http://www.jihadwatch.org/2014/12/independent-churchills-family-begged-him-not-to-convert-to-islam
Warren Buffet http://theleadersassembly.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/432342432423.jpg
Why Waking Up Early Is Crucial To Success
What exactly stresses you out? We all find ourselves in the same predicament every day of being counted on by other people, meeting particular deadlines, balancing our own personal lives, etc. Little of us realize that we have the power to handle this situations more effectively. Instead of figuring out how to get rid of stress, the realistic approach is how to manage these situations which we all tend to dread.
Early Mornings
During my days in college, I always find myself wishing for more hours in the day. I try my best to incorporate what I need to do as well as what I want to do in my everyday schedule. While it is very easy to start my days minutes before my first lecture, I found that my most productive days were when I had an early rise. Days in which you anticipate a heavy work load can be managed more effectively and efficiently by having an early start to your day.
If you were to study the daily routines of many successful CEO’s, one habit you would find constant is the time that they wake up. For example, according to Business Insider, Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz claims that he gets to the office by 6:00 a.m. Before he arrives, Schultz would normally bike ride with his wife. These types of routines gives a successful CEO like Howard Schultz an enormous advantage over his competition.
So what are the advantages of waking up early?
Exercise
Waking up early gives you the chance to exercise. This does not necessarily mean you have to run 10 miles before work or class, but any type of aerobic exercise will help you improve your fitness, mood, energy, and creativity. This can vary from yoga, a spinning class, or absolutely anything you want it to be. For example, some time on the treadmill can give you the opportunity to think of effective ways to handle the situations and tasks you will face that day or week. Also, you will not skip on the importance of maintaining your weight and health. By knocking out that responsibility earlier, you will have the chance to rest in the day’s later hours.
Circadian Rhythms
Another positive effect of being an early riser is your body will be in tune with its natural sleep & wake cycle. By going to sleep at a normal hour, anytime between 8 and 12, in the night your body will effectively produce melatonin, which is crucial for handling your body’s internal clock. A constant practice of going to sleep early and rising early will give you the best opportunity to be on your A game each and every day.
Quiet Time
The major reason why waking up extremely early puts you in a great advantage is because not many people do it. By waking up early, you give yourself the chance to plan and organize your day or week without being pressured. You can use your morning time to set goals for yourself as well as complete the most daunting task of the day in order to suffer from less stress. Successful people have the great quality of being great planners.
Images:
Running Shoes: The Perfect Fit
The first time I was ever handed a real pair of running shoes was the summer leading into my Sophomore year of high school. I had no familiarity with the running lingo, and I was clueless with what distinguished a pair of “trainers” from “flats.” That summer I must have ran over 300 hot and humid miles, and each one lead to my body aching more and more before my next run. I finally became more familiar with how my body responded to different types of training. I realized I needed a variety of pairs of shoes to meet my distinctive and individual needs.
Picking the “right” shoe is very critical to improving fitness levels as well as avoiding injuries. This becomes tremendously difficult when there are numerous shoe manufactures selling all sorts of running footwear which do not work for everyone. To avoid purchasing the wrong shoe, there are many things to take into consideration in order to save time and money.
3 important things to consider when purchasing running shoes:
- The right fit
- Fit over fashion
- The arch of the foot
The right fit
The idiom, “if the shoe fits, wear it” absolutely does not pertain to running shoes! As a matter of fact, running shoes should be bought a half inch bigger size from the length of your largest toe to the end of the shoe. This will allow for a partial amount of space for your feet to move throughout the run. Trust me, this does not mean that your shoes will fall of throughout your run, when tightening the laces they will give you a nice snug fit. Second, feet are relatively the largest at the end of the day and will be even larger at the conclusion of a training session. With that being said, when purchasing your shoes it is best to buy them in the afternoon. This will aid in having a more accurate measure of your foot size. Lastly, you should wear the same type of socks you will wear when running. Not all socks are the same and wearing a different pair of socks when buying your shoe will alter the fit.
Fit over Fashion
I am most certainly not telling you that you are prohibited from purchasing something you enjoy wearing, but the durability as well as how beneficial the shoe will be to your running is more important then how “cool” it looks. I remember my father bought me one of the first models of the Nike Lunarglides. Regardless of how much I enjoyed showing them off, the shin splits were inevitable and especially painful! Of course we have all fallen victim to picking the flashy shoes in our past, but we want to avoid time on the couch and increase time on the roads!
The arch of the foot
The most important thing to notice before buying a pair of running shoes is how large or small the arch of your foot is. The arch of the foot is formed from the tarsal and metatarsal bones along with many ligaments and tendons. This complex section of the foot supports your posture and body weight. The illustration above shows the three types of arches that most people have. Personally, I have a very low arch which causes me to purchase running shoes that have more cushion and stability and less of a curve along the inside of the shoe.
With a shoe that has less of an arch, I am more prone to over pronation. Meaning that after the outside of my heel makes contact, my foot rolls inwards. Through out the process of increasing mileage, many common injuries might arise, and orthotics may be needed. While picking the right shoe is necessary, it is hard to guarantee that it will be a stressless process.
Personal Experiences
Personally I have worn only two types of running shoes for my recent training. When training for the 2014 Chicago Marathon, I used the Nike Pegasus 28 for my high volume training. These shoes allowed me to take a heavy amount of mileage without being prone to injury. I recommend these shoes very highly for people who don’t have a relatively large arch on their foot as well as for runners looking to increase their training volume. The Nike Pegasus allowed me to enjoy myself on my Sunday long runs without my feet swelling up too much. These shoes are what runners call “trainers”, they are relatively heavier than the shoes you wear when you race as well as having more milage capacity (last up to 400-500 miles).
A month right before the marathon, I knew I needed to go with a lighter shoe to go at the 7:03 pace that I intended to run for the marathon. One running store which I highly recommend is Jack Rabbit Sports. In this store they use video analysis while you are running on a treadmill in order to check your running biomechanics. From this you are able to tell if the shoe you are looking for will allow you to run efficiently. I decided to purchase the New Balance’s 890 because they were light but did not take away the necessary amount of cushion needed for running 26.2 miles.
Chicago Marathon Racing Shoe
After a few runs, which ever shoe you decided to buy will adjust to your foot and will feel more comfortable. Before running my marathon, I ran two long runs, 15 & 18 mile long runs with my New Balance 890’s and never felt a problem. I was beyond thrilled after the marathon to have picked these shoes. Not only did I run a 3:01 marathon (around 6:55 pace) but I was able to qualify for the 2016 Boston Marathon which I have always dreamt of running.
Lighter shoes such as my New Balance 890s usually last less than heavier trainers. These shoes should only be used for racing as well as speed workouts. (usually last for 150-200 miles).
Therefore, when selecting a pair of running shoes, you shouldn’t have preference in brands but pick a shoe which fits your own personal needs.
Happy Running!
Sources:
Arch Chart Image https://www.wigwam.com/posts/2015/sock-fit-sizing/
Nike Pegasus 28 Image http://toptrailrunningshoesiuh.blogspot.com/2012/09/nike-air-pegasus-28-team-mens-18-dm-us.html
Pronation Chart created by Abner Lopez.
The Beginning of Harmonious Eating
Hello Readers!
Over the last 5 years or so, I have been constantly reading and studying information and methods on how to improve my running. Running has become second nature to me and the wellness it brings to the body and mind has been just one of the many positive factors it has brought on. Reading constant articles from Running Times, Mens Health, and Runners World has allowed me not only to improve my running but my general health as well. My admiration for these columnists and journalists continues to constantly grow as they are able to effectively attract the interest of their readers by writing in connection to their passions and interests.
I’m Jorge Jurado, and I am extremely thrilled to begin my food & wellness blog Harmonious Eating. I have always had a great passion for nutrition and even now in college I am furthering my education in order to have a career in Dietetics. Heather Campanile, Registered Dietitian, is the main person who I thank for beginning this great ambition of mine. She allowed me to see the beauty in helping those who want change in their lives by improving their diets and habits. During my first years of running, I used Heather’s nutrition expertise which allowed me to better myself. After seeing the immense development in my physical capabilities and wellness, I knew that I wanted a very rewarding career similar to Heather’s. With that being said, I want to have a very unique approach to my blog. I will aim to write on the topics of food, nutrition, and fitness throughout my future posts. I also want my readers to be equally involved with my work by giving me as much feedback as they can and suggesting the topics they would like to read on.
With this being said, welcome to Harmonious Eating!
“To keep the body in good health is a duty, other wise we shall not be able to keep our mind strong and clear”
-Buddha
Harmonious Eating 