Everything She Wants

April is Stress Awareness Month .  But strategies to reduce and manage stress are welcome any time of the year.   Studies show that women are more likely  than  men to report high levels of stress, and for African American women  chronic or daily stress is even more problematic.  While we tend to think of approaching stress management from an emotional wellbeing and physical health standpoint, we don't often associate making  dietary  changes with reducing stress and anxiety.   While scheduling an appointment with your  primary  care doctor and seeking help  from a therapist or spiritual advisor may still be necessary to help address the underlying reasons for why you're feeling stressed and the degree to which your  stress  affects your life, here are a few food for thought tips from  Constance Brown-Riggs, MSEd, RDN, CDCES, CDN, nutrition consultant and author Diabetes Guide to Enjoying Foods of the...

It's hard not to be worried about the coronavirus (COVID-19). Here in New York City, more and more subway riders and pedestrians are wearing surgical facemasks, and stores are selling out of basic supplies like bathroom tissue, anti-bacterial wipes and canned foods. One quick and easy way to lower your risk is to wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing. And if soap and water are not readily available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol. Always wash hands with soap and water if hands are visibly dirty. In addition to washing my hands often, I regularly apply my handy travel size Desert Essence Probiotic Hand Sanitizer , which kills 99.99% of most common harmful germs; provides good bacteria and helps condition skin; includes inherently cleansing Tea Tree Oil plus They, Elderberry and Echinacea to help reduce bacteria; has...

(Tracy E. Hopkins) I’m a city girl. But year after year the daily concrete grind – weaving in and out of foot traffic set to an ear ringing soundtrack of honking horns and piercing police, fire truck and ambulance sirens – wears me down. “I’m walking here!” So at least once a year I escape the skyscraper cluttered skyline into nature -- be it to the mystical desert out West or an exotic beach locale with tranquil blue water.  This year, I'm tempted to venture on a snowbound  excursion (not my usual choice of climate) to Quebec. One nature girl getaway that stands out was a solo trip to Southern Utah. Yes, Mormon country. After a girlfriend raved about her solo excursion to Red Mountain Resort in St. George, Utah, I booked my trip. At the time, my web content job had become tedious and my coworkers were working my last nerve. Although diversity is normally a consideration for me when I travel, this time I threw caution to the wind. I desperately needed ...

Summer's not over yet.  So there's still plenty of time to enjoy a picnic in the park, on your rooftop or in your backyard. And no picnic is complete with yummy pasta salad, decadent deviled eggs and delish s ammies.   To help you prepare the perfect picnic basket, here are a few healthy recipes from our friends at Bumble Bee Seafoods . ·        No-Mayo Tuna Avocado Salad —Swap avocado and Greek yogurt for mayo in this recipe spin-off. ·        Tuna Salad Deviled Eggs —A fun and easy twist on an all-time favorite. ·        Colorful Tuna Pasta —Pasta salad holds up well and the flavors actually get better with time. Try a whole wheat pasta for extra fiber, plus your favorite veggies, and protein-rich beans or a lean protein, like Bumble Bee® Solid White Albacore Tuna, and you have yourself a complete picnic meal. ·        Fruit Inf...

Even if you can't travel to Brazil for Carnival, you can get a toned Brazilian bod that will rival any Carnival Queen. As Rio de Janeiro gears up for 2017’s festivities, long-time Rio procession dancer and Notthinghill Carnival Queen, Juliana Campos, tells  Everything She Wants how she keeps her body fit and toned. “You don’t need a gym and fancy equipment to raise your metabolism, burn fat and tone," says Campos, an exercise coach and fitness expert. "Doing a workout at home with household objects and your favorite music can build that perfectly toned Brazilian figure." WARM UP Choose some great music - preferably with a Brazilian drumbeat – and dance for 15 minutes. Then do 100 star jumps . CARDIO RESISTANCE Sofa steps : Make the sofa your best friend, but for exercise, not to lounge about on! Holding a litre bottle of water in each hand, step up onto the sofa and lift the bottles of over your head. When you step down, go into the squat position...

If you're like us, you're the only one at the Thanksgiving Day table who doesn't eat turkey, ham and forget the pigtails and sauerkraut ( it's a Baltimore thing ).  To make matters even more complicated, we recently stopped eating dairy and sugar products (goodbye mac and cheese and pecan pie).  But thanks to the new cookbook, 28-Day Plant Powered Health Reboot: Reset Your Body, Lose Weight, Gain Energy & Feel Great   (out January 3, 2017) , by registered dieticians and social media superstars Jessica Jones and Wendy Lopez, vegans and vegetarians like us  can prepare and bring our  own yummy, plant-based recipes to  the Turkey Day grub-fest. With any luck we might even inspire our families to eat healthier all year long. Everything She Wants : How can we give Turkey Day a "plant power" boost? Jessica and Wendy : Holidays and healthy don't have to be mutually exclusive. We are big proponents of adding vegetables to...

Chips. Cookies. Crackers. They're hard to resist. But we all know that everything that tastes good isn't always good for us. Thankfully, these days it's pretty easy to replace "junk food" with healthy, wholesome and yummy snacks.  For example, since the beginning of the summer I eliminated most dairy and white sugar products from my diet. Adieu, Maison Kayser. Instead, my new regimen includes lots of water, berries, Greek yogurt, raw almonds, salmon, salads, avocados, pickles and hummus. And I dropped nearly 12 pounds in three months. But I'm not totally munchie-free. And when it's time for a "treat" I opt for healthier snacks. Here are a few of my faves, courtesy of the Editor's Showcase Snack Attack and the Fancy Food Show: Garden of Eatin' Blue Chips : It's hard to eat just one of these delicious, natural and organic blue tortilla chips. Great with guacamole, salsa or straight out of the bag. Brownie Brittle : Only 120 ca...

Poor sleep can increase the risk of heart disease, diabetes and stroke. So if you haven't been getting the recommended seven to eight hours of sleep lately,  Sleep Awareness Week  (March 6 - March 13)  is the time to correct that.  There could be several reasons why you're not sleeping soundly at night: Hormonal imbalance, drinking alcohol or eating a big meal before you go to bed, and the blue light from your smartphone, TV and computer screen are all factors that can disrupt your sleep.  And sleeplessness can certainly become more problematic when Daylight Saving Time kicks in on March 13.  As we spring forward, here are five natural tips that will help to restore your healthy sleep routine: 1. Take a hot bath or shower.  " A great way to help your body start its melatonin production is to take a bath or shower," says sleep expert James Wilson. "Melatonin is a hormone made naturally by our bodies which helps create the ...

It’s New Year’s Eve.   You want to have a good time. But you don’t want to regret having too much of a good time, in the morning.   Image courtesy of WebMD/Getty But forget the hangover cure myths like the hair of the dog (drinking more alcohol to cure your hangover) or drinking lots of coffee (you will become even more dehydrated and make your hangover worse).   From the online consumer research service, LabDoor.com , here are a few proven tips on how to treat your New Year’s hangover. And since a hangover is a bunch of symptoms, not just one, make sure to treat each symptom specifically, if: 1. You have a headache Say yes to Ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin). Take it before drinking prevents your body from releasing pain-inducing chemicals. Its effectiveness peaks in 4 hours. A small cup of coffee can also make the ibuprofen even more effective.   But say no Acetaminophen (Tylenol). When your liver metabolizes alcohol and acetaminophen at the sa...

If you're like us, Thanksgiving is the holiday where you load up on carbs like gooey mac and cheese, sweet potatoes topped with marshmallows, and plenty of pumpkin and pecan pie.  You'll notice we left out the requisite turkey and ham, and pig tails are sauerkraut which is an oddly popular side dish in our family.  Since we don't eat poultry, pork or red meat, unless we bring grilled salmon and a salad with us, we're left with the calorie-filled carbs.  A meatless Thanksgiving? Image by Ohmyveggies But maybe there's a way to get your family and ours on board with a healthier and happier Thanksgiving holiday. Here are  a few tips f rom C ertified Holistic Health Practitioner and Lifestyle Coach Vanessa Chamberlin: Have fun planning a menu.  Don’t limit yourself by thinking only of traditional foods. If you’re cooking for a larger group and they’re expecting their holiday favorites, there are ways you can emulate those foods with a healthier recipe, l...

On Superbowl Sunday, most of us will load up on chips and dip, nachos, pizza and other calorie-filled munchies. But you can offset some of the toxins you accumulate from poor dietary habits and the environment with o il pulling--a n ancient Ayurvedic practice based on the idea that self healing can be achieved when the three mind-body types known as  doshas ( Vatta, Pitta and Kapha)  are balanced.  Doshas  are  derived from the five major elements of air, water, fire, earth and space, and they  express unique physical, emotional and mental characteristics.  D ating back more than 5,000 years, the practice of oil pulling removes toxins which themselves are oil soluble. Oil pulling is most effective when a pure and dosha-balanced oil is gently swished in the mouth for a required period of time. We received a sample of GuruNanda pulling oil (oral oil detox)  ($14.99), which pulls toxins and harmful  bacteria  via the salivary glan...

Jump start your New Year's resolution to get in shape and eat healthier by treating yourself or the health nut on your gift list to an awesome Nutri Ninja | Ninja Blender System with Auto-IQ or Juicepresso cold-press juicer.   Everything She Wants  was gifted both ( we're very happy about that, too ) and they make just about any variety of delicious fresh fruit and vegetable beverages imaginable. The Ninja is great for smoothies, shakes and purees, and Juicepresso makes juice bar-quality juices. Nutri Ninja | Ninja Blender System with Auto-IQ, $249.99 The Nutri Ninja | Ninja Blender System with Auto-IQ features one-touch intelligence for all of your blending, processing, and nutrient and vitamin extraction needs. The 13-piece system includes a blender pitcher that crushes ice like a champ, a separate food processing bowl and blade accessories, small and large Nutri Ninja cups, three sip and seal lids, and more. Available at Bed Bath & Beyond . Juicepr...

It’s not too late to honor your New Year’s resolution to get in shape.  In fact, meeting your fitness goals might be easier than you think. Here are five simple tips from Danielle Harrison, Fitness Curator at New York City’s Ink48, A Kimpton Hotel , to help you slim down and tone up in 2014. Ink48 Fitness Curator, Danielle Harrison 1. PLAN OUT YOUR MEALS. Don’t wait until your stomach is growling to decide what to make for dinner. It is important and easier for your diet to plan out your meals for the week or for each day in advance.  If you have to think about what to eat, where to get it, or how long it will take to make, you will tend to just go with the easiest option, which is most likely the unhealthiest. Plan ahead!  2. DON’T OVER DO IT. Don't re-boot your fitness routine by going to the gym for three hours in one day, trying to make up for everything you have missed. Start out by working out for an hour whether it’s by taking a class or using exer...