The Benefits of Himalayan Salt!

Greetings wellness lovers! 

Today I wanted to share with you the benefits of Himalayan salt! If you are like me, you probably heard that 'salt was bad' and may have even tried a low-salt diet for many years. However, like many other things I have been learning lately... ;) the truth is actually different than what we've been told.

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Despite the fact that so-called "nutritional experts" and government regulators have given salt a bad rap for decades, scientific studies have not been able to prove that low-sodium diets are beneficial. In fact, they actually have been showing the opposite.

Salt is actually an essential nutrient, and was valued as gold among early African and European explorers. However, it is important to realize the difference between natural salt and processed salt. (For more info on the difference, I highly recommend reading this article by Dr. Mercola.)

But what about the DASH Diet for reducing hypertension? You may be wondering... Well, something interesting about that diet is that yes, while it is low in sodium, and has been used to lower blood pressure in individuals with hypertension, it is also low in sugar. Dr. Mercola explains how salt has actually been getting the blame for the effects of sugar here.

So what is Himalayan salt?

Himalayan salt aka "white gold" contains 84 natural elements and minerals found in the human body, inlcuding iodine, and is considered to be the purest form of salt on the planet. It is millions of years old and is mined deep from within the Himalayas, where it's been protected from contaminants of the modern world. 

The Benefits of Himalayan Salt:

• Regulates the water levels within the body for proper functioning
• Promotes stable pH balance in the cells, including brain cells
• Encourages excellent blood sugar health
• Aides in reducing the common signs of aging
• Promotes the increased absorption capacities of food elements within the intestinal tract
• Aides vascular health
• Supports healthy respiratory function
• Lowers incidence of sinus problems, promoting over-all sinus health
• Reduces muscle cramps
• Increases bone strength
• Naturally promotes healthy sleep patterns
• Creates a healthy libido
• In combination with water, it is necessary for blood pressure regulation
• Prevents cellulite, when compared to table salt
• Reduces chances of developing rheumatism, arthritis and gout, when compared to common chemically-treated salt
• Reduces chances of developing kidney and gall bladder stones when compared to common chemically-treated salt

Pretty awesome, right?!

I hope you have a great day! And happy Friday!!

xoxo,
Ashley

Sources:
Dr. Mercola "Avoiding This 'Forbidden Food' Could Make You Moody"
Dr. Mercola "Add this Seasoning to Your Food Daily, Despite what Your Doctor Says"
Natural News "Why Himalayan Pink Crystal Salt is so much better for your health than processed table salt"
The Global Healing Center "The Benefits of Himalayan Salt"

Spring Detox Guide Review

Greetings wellness lovers!

I hope you had a happy Easter! Hopefully you were able to enjoy the spring weekend in the company of family and friends. :)

If you indulged a little more than you should have, then you may be interested in completing a cleanse to jump-start your system and get you back on track!

Just yesterday, I learned about a new detox guide for spring, created by my nutrition school, the Institute for Integrative Nutrition.

Since I am always very interested in new ways to renew my health and overall well-being by using healthy foods and lifestyle changes, I figured you just might be as well!

I thought I would do a little review for you. :)

What I love about this detox guide is that is does not recommend anything too intense such as fasting or juice fasting.

Don't get me wrong, I believe those types of cleanses can be beneficial... but as someone with a busy schedule and many obligations, a more gentle cleanse that still allows food is more of what I am looking for at this moment. :)

Why complete a cleanse?

1. Transition your body from heavy winter foods to seasonal, lighter spring foods.
2. Boost your mood, energy, and productivity by reducing inflammation.
3. Shed excess weight and eliminate toxins to feel light and fresh this summer.

The Spring Detox Guide covers:

• foods to enjoy
• foods to eliminate
• a grocery shopping list
• 3 days of recipes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner

Also included, (and this is perhaps my favorite part)... are the many benefits of the ingredients you will be creating your detoxing meals with!

You will learn about the many benefits of honey dew, lime, basil, broccoli, fennel, apple, kale, lemon, yellow onion, quinoa, flaxseed, cherries, red onion, apple cider vinegar, sunflower seeds, avocado, zucchini, garlic, cucumber, celery, ginger, parsley, scallions, tomatoes, asparagus, almonds, and extra virgin olive oil!

Here is a sneak peak of just a few of the delicious recipes you will be enjoying...

Massaged Kale Salad

Skin Glow Smoothie

Quinoa Tabbouleh

Tempted yet? ;) I think you will be pleasently surprised with the many benefits and healthy, delicious recipes of this gently spring cleanse.

You can get it here. (P.S. did I mention it is completely complimentary?!)

Let me know if you end up giving it a try!

I hope you have an excellent week! :)

xoxo,
Ashley

Flow: The key to happiness

Well, hello there!

Today I wanted to share with you an article a about 'flow'. I first learned about this concept in a leadership class I took in college. If you have not heard of this yet, I highly recommend learning about it! "Being in the flow" is an excellent way to increase your overall happiness, and is something I strive for every day.

Originally published Wednesday, March 13, 2013 by: Eric L. Zielinski, NaturalNews

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(NaturalNews) Proposed by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Ph D - Professor of Psychology at Claremont Graduate University, the concept of flow has been widely referenced in the field positive psychology where researchers measure things like states of happiness, values, strengths, virtues, and talents. Intrigued by people who perform very difficult and demanding tasks for no financial incentive or social status benefit, Csikszentmihalyi began to study this phenomenon that led him to a career's worth of research. For no apparent reason other than the fact that they thoroughly enjoyed what they were doing, these people subjected themselves to strenuous physical, mental, emotional, and even financial stress to accomplish their goals. According to Csikszentmihalyi, what motivated people to do these activities was "not anything that came from outside, but it came from the activity itself."

Csikszentmihalyi coined the experience flow, a "synergy of different aspects of consciousness where you wish you could go forever because it feels like you are completely fulfilling something that you can do you well and see it happening and feel that nothing else matters." Flow is a place where people have very clear goal and is what athletes commonly refer to as "the zone." Moment-by-moment, people who flow know exactly what they have to do in an almost surreal, out-of-body experience where life-purpose and satisfaction are at the pinnacle. Outside of pitching a perfect game or bowling a 300, other tasks commonly experienced as flow are playing music, painting, writing, sewing, or any other sequence-oriented task where you can let your mind go and simply allow your innate intelligence to operate in full capacity. According to Csikszentmihalyi, flow is completely focused motivation. It is a single-minded immersion and represents perhaps the ultimate experience in harnessing the emotions in the service of performing and learning. In flow, the emotions are not just contained and channeled, but positive, energized, and aligned with the task at hand.

Of interest to note is that the ability to experience flow is oftentimes related to our ability to overcome adversity. According to Richard J. Davidson, Ph.D., Professor of Psychology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin, one of the keys to happiness, and subsequently being able to experience flow, is being able to recover from adversity quickly. Contrary to popular belief, adversity is a very healthy part of happiness. To be happy, people must experience sadness. To experience a sense of achievement, people must experience challenges. Even tragedy has a role in helping people be happy.

The following six factors encompass an experience of flow:

1. Intense and focused concentration on the present moment
2. Merging of action and awareness
3. A loss of reflective self-consciousness
4. A sense of personal control or agency over the situation or activity
5. A distortion of temporal experience, a person's subjective experience of time is altered
6. Experience of the activity as intrinsically rewarding, also referred to as autotelic experience

Those aspects can appear independently of each other, but only in combination they constitute a so-called flow experience.

Sources for this article include:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flow_(psychology)
Shadyac T (Producer), & Belic R (Director). (2001). Happy [Motion picture]. United States: Documentary.
Nakamura, J., & Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2009). Flow theory and research. In C. R. Snyder & S. J. Lopez (Eds.), Handbook of positive psychology (pp. 195-206). Oxford: Oxford University Press.

About the author:
Eric is a peer-reviewed, published researcher. His work on heart disease and autism has been accepted internationally at various scientific conferences through organizations like the American Public Health Association and Australian-based Baker IDI Heart and Diabetes Institute. Visit his blog. Track his work on facebook. Read Eric's other naturalnews.com articles. 

Have you already been implementing the concept of 'flow' into your life?

xoxo,
Ashley