Rochelle Hanson

By Rochelle Hanson

About to go grocery shopping? Wait. Before you leave the house, write a list.

“Oh, I don’t need a list, I know exactly what I need.”

Every time I say that to myself I most definitely regret it. Below you will find the top three reasons why you should take the time to write a list.

Save money. You enter the grocery store with it’s beautiful colours and enticing displays. Everything looks yummy. You’re tempted to buy more than you actually need. Thankfully you read this column, and you remembered to write a list. You’re a planner. You know exactly what you need for the next few meals, and you stick to buying those particular ingredients. You even took the extra step to write down the approximate costs of the items and a basic budget. You get to the checkout and there are no surprises. The impulse chocolate strategically calls out your name. You are stronger. You look away. Bravo, my fellow list writer. You just saved yourself some money. Pat yourself on the back and smile.

Save time. Lemons. Kale. Celery. Apples. You’re in. You’re out. Let’s go! That’s what it looks like when you write a list. You’re focused. It’s like having tunnel vision. There’s no song and dance at the cookie aisle. You don’t even see the cookie aisle. Taking five minutes to plan ahead can save you 30min in the store. You can use that extra time to do something fun or relaxing, like catching up on the latest blog at Simply Natural Ideas. I’m smiling as I write this. Let’s move on.

Stay healthy. You have goals for yourself. You’re on a journey to health and wellness. This is the true motivation for writing a list. If you keep the junk off the list, you keep the junk out of your house. If the junk is not is not in your house, you will have less opportunity to eat it. You are in control of your body. The junk food companies and the marketing corporations are not. Write a list. Stay healthy. I believe in you.

When you avoid making decisions on the fly, you save yourself a lot of hassle. You can apply this principle to every area of your life, not just grocery shopping. In the age of cell phones and fancy mobile devices, there is no reason why you shouldn’t take a few minutes to organize your thoughts. And if you don’t have a smart phone, use your own smarts. There’s nothing wrong with a pen and some paper. They still sell cute little note books at the dollar store. So the next time you have something to get done, whether it be grocery shopping or planning a party, stay ahead of the game and take the time to write a list.

Rochelle Hanson is a Freelance Writer and Natural Health Enthusiast, offering practical tips on natural health and wellness. For healthy recipes, motivational tips, and ideas on natural health, subscribe to her blog, Simply Natural Ideas, or connect with Rochelle on Facebook.

Rochelle Hanson

By Rochelle Hanson

There comes a point in everyone’s life where death smacks you right in the face. Last week in this column, I teased you all a bit by saying you should lighten up. But when you’re dealing with a serious issue like death, letting go of the pain is much easier said than done. Whether it’s a parent, a child, extended family or a friend, death is something that deeply affects us all.

I’m not a psychologist, but I know what it feels like to loose a loved one.  Coping with a loss is never easy, and every single loss is different. In my own personal life, I’ve experienced the loss of four individual family members. All of whom I loved dearly. During those times I developed some strategies to cope with it all.

Why am I bringing this up right now? Because there isn’t a moment that somebody somewhere around the world isn’t struggling with loss. Chances are that person may need encouragement. Chances are that person could be you. I don’t believe you are reading this column by mistake. Below you will find the two basic strategies on how to cope with loss.

Allow yourself to feel. When my grandfather on my father’s side passed away, nobody saw it coming. We knew he had some health issues, but he was fine, or so we thought. I remember getting a phone call from my dad at work, telling me that my grandfather was in the hospital. A few hours later, before the work day was even finished, my grandfather passed away.

At his funeral, I took tons of pictures. Pictures of everything from the plane ride to the flowers to the family members and even the burial. I remember my oldest brother asking me why I was doing this. For me, the pictures were an expression of my pain. Almost like I was forcing myself to accept the reality that was before my eyes.

When pain enters our lives, especially when it’s sudden, we have the tendency to shut down. The pain of loosing a loved one can be so intense that blocking it out can seem like the easiest way to function. If you notice that this is happening in your life, make a conscious effort to process and digest what is happening. You need to allow yourself time and space to feel if you want to heal.

Allow yourself to move on. Out of all the losses I’ve experience to date, losing my Auntie Cheryl was the hardest. To be honest, I haven’t completely gotten over her death, but I have reached the point where I don’t have to focus on it regularly. Loosing Auntie Cheryl was long and painful and very difficult to watch. When she was alive, we would spend hours talking together on the phone; we were very close. The moments surrounding her death were some of the hardest in my life. Even now, I’m in tears as I write this because the memories are coming up fresh in my mind. I used to keep a big picture of Auntie Cheryl up in my room. About six months ago, I took the picture down. That was my way of saying to myself, ok Rochelle, that’s enough now, it’s time to move on.

Even after we allow ourselves to feel, we have to accept that there is a time when the constant grieving needs to stop. Grief is like a cycle that revisits us over and over for as long as we allow it to. If you let yourself get depressed, how will you live?

There are people in your life right now who need you and love you. Don’t forget about them. Yes, give yourself the time to feel, and when the memories come back to your mind, it’s ok to shed a tear. But know and believe that the person you are crying for would never want you to be sad. Use your pain as fuel for positivity. What do you think motivates me to keep going on my healthy journey? In this life, we are given only so much time. Make the choice to use it wisely.  Now is the time to live.

Rochelle Hanson is a Freelance Writer and Natural Health Enthusiast, offering practical tips on natural health and wellness. For healthy recipes, motivational tips, and ideas on natural health, subscribe to her blog, Simply Natural Ideas, or connect with Rochelle on Facebook.

Rochelle Hanson

By Rochelle Hanson

Stressed. Tired. Overwhelmed. Confused. If any of these words describe your current situation, maybe it’s time to lighten up. So many people walk around with years and years of baggage on their shoulders. Why carry the extra weight if you don’t have to? Below you will find three practical tips on how to lighten up.

Laugh a little. Did you know that laughter lowers the levels of cortisol in your body? Cortisol is a stress hormone that suppresses the immune system. When you laugh, not only are you lowering these levels, you are also enabling your immune system to do the job it needs to do.  Dr. Lee Burk of Loma Linda University in California has been studying laughter for over 20 years. His studies show that laughter releases endorphins similar to the ‘high’ joggers experience while they run. Laughter also improves your circulation and your cardiovascular health.  Since most people who have their sanity don’t laugh in a room all by themselves, you now have the perfect excuse to go hang out with some friends and socialize. Try laughter; it does the body good.

Stop worrying. It’s only going to give you grey hairs. If there is nothing in your power that will enable you to fix a problem, simply accept the situation and leave it alone. Just let it go. You’ll be surprised what can happen if you do. One of my friends from church needed a car. She’s a single mother and a hair dresser by trade. Last year she was standing at the bus stop holding her daughter in the middle of a snow storm. She prayed, she believed, and she left it alone. After doing hair for one of her clients one day, the client says, “I was impressed to buy you a car.” And she did. Just like that. No strings attached. I can’t help but smile when I see my friend at church pulling up in the parking lot every week with her daughter in the back seat. Ask anyone who believes and they’ll tell you, faith is good for your health.

Take life one step at a time. For many people, the journey to health and wellness is not easy. I consider myself privileged to have started at such a young age. I’m still single and i actually have time to devote to my health and to research. If you have a family or an extremely heavy workload, or both for that matter, sometimes this healthy journey stuff can be challenging. My words of encouragement to you are these. Remember that you don’t have to change over night. Take this journey one step at a time. Start drinking more water. Read my article called What’s in your cup? Make your bedtime a priority, and actually Sleep at Night. Just choose one area in your life that needs improvement and master that area. Don’t be confused by all the conflicting studies and research that is available online concerning what ever problem you are trying to resolve. Place yourself in an environment of peace and positivity, and learn from people who are living examples of what they teach.

So lighten up a bit. Don’t be afraid to laugh in the face of adversity. Stop worrying about the problems you don’t have answers to, and take life one step at a time. There is no sweeter moment than the moment of truth, when you finally realize that life is totally what you make it. Join my group on Facebook, Rochelle Hanson Wellness. We talk about stuff like this all the time.

Rochelle Hanson is a Freelance Writer and Natural Health Enthusiast, offering practical tips on natural health and wellness. For healthy recipes, motivational tips, and ideas on natural health, subscribe to her blog, Simply Natural Ideas, or connect with Rochelle on Facebook.

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By Rochelle Hanson

Sleep at night. A basic concept, yet so many people don’t do it.

Almost 58 per cent of Canadians say they often feel tired, according to an exclusive poll conducted for CBC News by Leger Marketing in January. They found that six out of 10 Canadians get about one hour less than the six to eight hours of sleep that experts say most adults need in order to wake up feeling refreshed and to perform optimally through the day.  Canadians simply aren’t getting enough sleep.

If sleep is so important, why don’t we make it a priority? The pressures to perform at work and at school all to often override the body’s cry for rest. We stimulate ourselves with food, caffeine and other drugs in an attempt to be more productive and accomplish more in life. We also stay up late for social reasons, or simply to medicate our stressful lives with entertainment.

Perhaps the invention of the light bulb had something to do with all of this. A great stride for modern technology – a step backward for our sleeping habits. There once was a time when it was natural to wake up with the sun and go to bed when it was dark outside. Now when it gets dark, we just turn on the lights and keep going. Artificial light has become so natural to us that we consider it a huge inconvenience to be without it. In fact, if our bodies were not programmed to need sleep, most of us simply wouldn’t do it.

According to medterms.com, sleep is triggered by a complex group of hormones that respond to cues from the body itself and the environment. The need to sleep is natural. We should learn to listen to our bodies. I learned a lot about sleep and hormones by listening to Sean Croxton’s podcast on Underground Wellness. Here, watch this short video to get an idea of what it’s all about.

Sleep is not a waste of time my friends. Not only will sleeping help you to feel better overall, but a lack of sleep actually alters basic bodily functions, like metabolising carbohydrates and glucose. Not getting enough sleep at night can actually cause you to become insulin resistant. Would you rather stay up late and become diabetic, or go to bed with the sun and wake up early to be productive? If you’d like see some studies about sleep deprivation read this article at sciencedaily.com.

So the next time you are tempted to stay up and stare at the screen all night, remember that your body needs rest to keep you healthy. Diet and exercise are important, and we will continue to talk more about this on my blog at Simply Natural Ideas, but please don’t sacrifice your sleep for the sake of productivity or entertainment. If your goal is to be healthy, a lack of sleep is counter productive. Choose to make sleep a priority.

Rochelle Hanson is a Freelance Writer and Natural Health Enthusiast, offering practical tips on natural health and wellness. For recipes, motivation, and ideas on natural health, connect with Rochelle on Facebook, and subscribe to her blog, Simply Natural Ideas.

Rochelle Hanson/ARDEAN PETERS

By Rochelle Hanson

Take a break. You deserve it.

Overworked. Underpaid. The story of our lives. Career advice is not my expertise, but allow me to mention this.  The fact that you spend long hours on the job, rush home to the handle your family life, and have little or no time to do the things you actually enjoy definitely affects your health. With bills to pay and children to take care of, parents and grandparents who need us, our own physical and emotional well being often gets pushed to the back of the barrel. Don’t have time for a real vacation? Let me show you how to take a break.

First things first. Take a break as soon as you wake up. That’s right, start your day by taking a break. When you open up your eyes, sit up straight, stand up, stretch, then go to the kitchen and get a glass of water. Now drink it. Slowly. Put the glass down and breathe. Good job! You just took a break. Excellent way to start the day. Make sure you have breakfast too.

You’re about to leave the house. Wait! Don’t touch the door. You need to take another break. The kids are rushing around you and you need to get them off and going. Make them take a break with you. Just stop for 10 seconds. Count it out until you get used to it. Think about how grateful you are just to be alive. Tell yourself that life is beautiful, even if you can’t really see it. Now take a deep breath. And smile. Excellent! You just took another break. Feel free to get on with your day.

Someone irritates you at work. Awesome. Time to take another break. You may be very busy. Multi-tasking is key here. If you can’t speak positivity, just start smiling. You may not be happy, but thats ok. Just keep working and smiling. This will send positive energy to your brain and help you to relax. Later on, when you’re not irritated, address the irritant. But only when necessary. Choose your battles wisely.

Lunch time. Don’t work through it. Someone else is actually giving you a break here. Do yourself a favour and take advantage of it. Eat something healthy. Your digestive system needs a break too. Have a salad, soup, or a wrap. There are easy recipes for healthy food on my blog. Get some fresh air and be sure to move around. Whatever you do, don’t stay at your desk. Make the best of the time you’ve been given. It’s your lunch, be sure to enjoy it.

Before you go home. Take one more break. If that irritant is still around, you may have the opportunity to take a few more. You might have to work late, which I don’t advise. You may also get stuck in traffic. These are things that happen. While you’re in the midst of the stress, allow yourself to take another break. Just shift your thoughts into positivity. You are blessed. You have life. You have fingers. You have toes. You can see. You can feel. You can smell. These are just a few of the positive things in life we all too often take for granted.

As you pull into the driveway, and you open the door to walk into your home, just pause. Breathe. And smile. Remember that life will repeat itself tomorrow. If you don’t take a break now, will you ever? So do yourself a favour. Don’t wait till you get overwhelmed, just take a little break. Both you and your health deserve it.

Rochelle Hanson is a Freelance Writer and Natural Health Enthusiast, offering practical tips on natural health and wellness. For recipes, motivation, and ideas on natural health, connect with Rochelle on Facebook, and subscribe to her blog, Simply Natural Ideas.

Rochelle Hanson/ARDEAN PETERS

By Rochelle Hanson

Hot! Hot! Hot! When it comes to summer heat, don’t be scared. Be smart. Incorporate these practical tips into your life and beat the summer heat.

Eat cooling foods. You’ll be cool as a cucumber if you eat lots of fresh fruits and vegetables this summer. Take a trip to the farmers market and stock upon all your favourites. Who wants to be slaving over a hot stove in the summer? Salads and smoothies are delicious, nutritious, and easy to prepare. Save time and money while you stay cool by eating more fresh fruits and veggies. Want some simple raw recipes ideas? Get them from my blog, Simply Natural Ideas.

Cut the caffeine. Cut back or eliminate sugary and caffeinated drinks. Those will actually dehydrate the body. Water is what we really need. There is no replacement for a tall glass of water on a hot summer day. Water is your friend, so drink more of it. Beat the heat from the inside out.

Dress for success. Don’t be afraid to walk around the house in your swimsuit if you don’t have AC. It will keep you cooler and you’ll become more comfortable with your own body. Freeze a bottle of water and place it front of your fan. This will keep the air around the fan cool and it will circulate cooler air instead of the heat. When you go outside, wear natural fabrics that breathe, like cotton. I’m sure you have experience with this; man made fabrics will turn you into a walking oven. Roast for dinner anyone?

Slip and slide. If there were ever a time to be childlike and free, the summer is it! Haul out the hose, make use of the sprinkler, or take a trip to the community rec center and go for a swim. Whatever you do, enjoy yourself! It’s summer and there is no reason to stay inside. If you don’t have any kids and you’re worried about the neighbours raising their eyebrows as you frolic and play in the water, try taking a cold shower. I know it sounds crazy but it’s actually good for you. Taking a 2 minute cold shower will not only keep you cool, but it will strengthen your immune system, improve your circulation, and help to flush out toxins if you do it on a regular basis.

Protect yourself. When you plan to spend extended periods outside in the summer sun, it’s important to protect your skin. Slap on some coconut oil for sunscreen. It’s natural and it works. Remember that we only have summer for a few months out the year. Take advantage of the sunshine, just be smart about it. For more info on coconut oil and the dangers of commercial sunscreen,  search for articles at mercola.com.

Rochelle Hanson is a Freelance Writer and Natural Health Enthusiast, offering practical tips on natural health and wellness. For recipes, motivation, and ideas on natural health, connect with Rochelle on Facebook, and subscribe to her blog, Simply Natural Ideas.

Rochelle Hanson/ARDEAN PETERS

By Rochelle Hanson

Balance. Seems like we’re always trying to find it, aren’t we? Life is an unpredictable animal, and sometimes it’s difficult to tame. All too often there are situations that come up in our lives over which we have absolutely no control. The fridge breaks down, the AC gives out, someone you love winds up in the hospital. When the stresses of life start to show their ugly heads, the healthy lifestyle changes you’ve been working so hard to achieve are often the first to go out the window. Don’t let stress push you over the edge, my friends. Being healthy is not about being perfect. Seek balance.

My grandmother is in the hospital right now. It’s not an easy thing to deal with. Although she’s been sick for years, she’s one of those people who always appear to be well and carry on with life regardless of what’s happening inside their body. I’m sure you know people like that; you may even be like that yourself. The sad thing is, the body can only take so much of that, and the older we get, the less able the body is to defend itself against the years of damage we’ve done to it.

This is why it is imperative to start your healthy lifestyle journey now. And if you’ve already started, don’t stop, keep on going! People use every single excuse they can think of as a reason to comfort themselves and throw away their goals. If it isn’t time, it’s money; if it isn’t money, it’s your social life. If it isn’t your social life, it’s because you just didn’t feel like it. There will always be one excuse or another for not achieving your healthy lifestyle goals. But tell me, what will be your excuse when you wind up at the end of your life and you are so sick that you can’t even take care of yourself? What will you say to yourself then?

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke) and lung disease are the leading causes of preventable death and disability in this country. You can dramatically reduce the risk of these chronic diseases by changing the way you live. Take a look at their website for more information.

Friends, the reason I am dedicated to writing to you in this column every week is because I see that this world is becoming totally out of balance when it comes to health and wellness. More and more people are getting fatter and sicker. Very few people even care to find out why. I am here to let you know that you do have an alternative. You do have a choice, and you are still in control.

If you know that you need help with your diet and exercise, or lack thereof, why don’t you start by adding some green foods into your life? If you need recipe ideas, you can get them on my blog. I just wrote a new post called, All Things Green. Feel free to connect with me if you have any questions related to what you see there.

I know how stressful life can be at times. Just remember that you don’t have to give up. You can choose to be healthy if you want to. In fact, keeping up with your healthy lifestyle could actually help to reduce your overall stress load. When you eat better and you exercise, you will feel better, and you will be more able to handle the other areas of your life that demand attention. The next time stress tries to take control of your life, turn things around and take control of your stress. Have a green smoothie instead.

Rochelle Hanson is a Freelance Writer and Natural Health Enthusiast, offering practical tips on natural health and wellness. For recipes, motivation, and ideas on natural health, connect with Rochelle on Facebook, and subscribe to her blog, Simply Natural Ideas.

Rochelle Hanson/ARDEAN PETERS

By Rochelle Hanson

When you take a bottle of sunscreen and read the label, can you pronounce the ingredients? Most of us are conditioned to buy generic products off the shelves to supply our basic needs. I’m not an expert on the topic, but I do know that whatever you put on your skin will be absorbed into your blood stream. Would you ever consider eating your sunscreen? What about your body lotion or your makeup, would you eat that? It’s common knowledge that the chemicals in most of these consumer products are not healthy for us, yet for some reason, most of us are not concerned about it.

Have you ever considered using coconut oil as a natural sunscreen? Because it’s a saturated fat, the bonds are stronger. Coconut oil is built to take the heat. It remains stable when under direct heat while cooking even at high temperatures up to 160 C or 350 F. Both inside and out, coconut oil is tremendously beneficial to the body. I just wrote a blog post about the benefits of coconut oil. They are countless. You’re welcome to have a look at the blog if you’d like to know more.

It’s been a long time since I’ve bought a regular consumer product for my skin. Knowing that the skin is the largest organ of the body, I decided that if I am going to be treating my body well on the inside, it didn’t make much sense to neglect the outside and clog up my pores with chemicals. The first thing I stopped buying is off-the-shelf facial cleansers. I was spending so much money trying the latest greatest thing. For months I used a mixture of baking soda and water as a facial cleanser. This was very effective but it was also a bit drying and i had to follow up with an oil to moisturize. Then I switched to apple cider vinegar and water. I also used that for months as well. Really enjoyed the benefits but also found it to be a bit drying.

Just about two weeks ago I started using the Oil Cleansing Method. My friends, let me tell you, this is it. I could tell right away. Every time I use this method, my skin improves in appearance, elasticity, and texture. It’s getting to the point where I’ve finally decided to let go of all the makeup, well at least the foundation. This was a very difficult decision for me to make because I am a recording artist, and people are always taking pictures of me. I’ve tried to let go of it before, and I always reverted back. I’ve decided to commit to 30 days with no makeup. I’m loving the skin that I’m in.

So, what is the Oil Cleansing Method? Simply stated, you are cleansing your face with oil. I do it in the shower. For the past two weeks I’ve been using 100% castor oil. I rub a dime sized amount of the oil into my skin in a circular motion. I let the steam of the shower open up my pores and allow the oil to penetrate. Then i take a clean washcloth used only for my face, and wet it with water as hot as I can stand it. I place the cloth over my face and press the cloth into my skin, pulling out the oils. Then I wipe any excess oils away.

This may sound strange, but when you think about it, oil bonds to oil, so if you use clean oil to remove the gunk and dirt that’s trapped in the oils of your skin, the two oils will bond and your face will be clean. There are a ton of ladies doing this on YouTube, which is where I got the idea. The one who impressed me the most is, MopTopMaven. Watch her video on oil cleansing to get even more ideas. Her skin is absolutely gorgeous. She will walk you through the entire process and you can see her entire skin care regimen using all natural products.

So the next time you’re about to slather on the body lotion or smear on the sunscreen, think about your overall health and the cumulative impact of the chemicals you choose to put on your body. You are beautiful, you are intelligent, and you deserve the very best. Consider a natural alternative. Start loving the skin that you’re in.

Rochelle Hanson is a Freelance Writer and Natural Health Enthusiast, offering practical tips on natural health and wellness. For recipes, motivation, and ideas on natural health, connect with Rochelle on Facebook, and subscribe to her blog, Simply Natural Ideas.

Rochelle Hanson/ARDEAN PETERS

By Rochelle Hanson

Are you a perpetual dieter? Most people I know have been on a diet at some point in their life. Some will achieve success, but most will not. Even if they do, most people who lose weight on crash diets will gain it all back. Sometimes they will even be worse off than when they first started.

So why even bother? Why go through the hassle of counting calories and restricting portions when you don’t have to? Aren’t there better things we could be doing with our time? I am not a nutritionist. I am not a doctor, nor am I a dietician. I have no gimmicks to sell and there is no catch to what I am about to say here. My name is Rochelle, I am a regular person, and I know that diets don’t work. The solution people need is a lifestyle change.

I was never the type of person who obsessed about my weight. I’ve always been on the thicker side of life, but I was OK with that. I wore Size 14 for years, but it never occurred to me that my weight was an issue. I’m 5’9″ so I carried the 185 lbs. very well. I was happy inside, and people liked me.

When I went away to school, I started dating, I had a sweet smile, I was talented. Life was good. In fact, life was so good that ice cream was a side to every meal in university. Although I was mostly vegetarian, McDonald’s Fillet-O-Fish was my sweet passionate addiction. Exercise? Truly a foreign concept. I was one of those people who never even bothered to get on a scale. I also avoided going to the doctor to get regular checkups once I left school. I honestly had no idea about what was going on with my body and it never occurred to me that this was a negative thing. I’m sure you’re nothing like me, but maybe you know someone who is.

It wasn’t until my aunt died of breast cancer that I started to think about my health. And I didn’t even start to take action until a few years after her death, when I realized I had a sizeable lump on my body in the same place. It was a good two inches wide. Not something to be ignored. Now please, don’t be alarmed. I got it checked out, and I do not have cancer, but I definitely don’t ever want to get it.

Besides the fact that my free spirit could never be restricted to the typical starvation diet, I knew good and well that dieting would not prevent me from getting diseases. One day I was at my friend Karen’s house. She had some information on free radicals and cell damage. Her mother was promoting some products that are said to help with these things.

After reading that information I wanted to know more, so I started searching on YouTube to find out what people were saying. To make a long story short, I came across a video by Sean Croxton from Underground Wellness. He was talking about coconut oil, its benefits, and how it has been given a bad rap for no good reason. This video totally peaked my interest. I went out and bought a book entitled, “The Coconut Oil Miracle” by Bruce Fife. That is the book that changed my entire concept about dieting, health and wellness. If you want a review of the Coconut Oil Miracle, Watch me speak about it in this video.

Starving yourself in order to lose weight is not going to work. If you are hungry, your body is trying to tell you something. After adding coconut oil into my diet, I was introduced to raw foods by Natasha St. Michael. We don’t know each other in person. She also has a video on YouTube about coconut oil. At the end of the video, she plugged her monthly raw food challenge. I decided seven days on raw foods probably wouldn’t hurt, so i gave it a shot. This is what completely changed my world. With the coconut oil and the raw foods combined, I lost about 30 lbs in three months.

And I know it was the food because all I did for exercise was walk. I felt like a new woman, and everything in life was sweeter in every way. This may sound like an exaggeration but it’s the truth. I have nothing to gain here!  At some point after the third or fourth month I started adding regular cooked food back into my life on the weekends, simply because I wanted to. I’m not a complete vegetarian, I’m not a die hard meat eater, I just eat a lot of raw living food, and I try to give my body what it seems to be asking for. This journey began in May 2010. It’s been over a year now, and I can’t see myself ever going back.

If you are at all interested in this simple, practical approach to natural health and wellness, you are more than welcome to connect with me on my new blog for Simply Natural Ideas.  If you take nothing else away from reading this, please remember, dieting is much more stress than it’s worth. A balanced healthy lifestyle change will take you on a journey you will definitely not regret.

Rochelle Hanson is a freelance writer and natural health enthusiast, offering practical tips on natural health and wellness. For recipes and practical tips connect with Rochelle on Facebook or her blog at Simply Natural Ideas.

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By Rochelle Hanson

Trying to make healthy lifestyle changes? Good. So am I.  Although you may have good intentions, there are two obstacles that can easily get in the way. The first is time. The second is money. If you’re anything like me, you could probably use a little more of both. The only way to break bad habits and start seeing some real progress in your journey is to stop making excuses for yourself. Valid or not, these excuses are getting in the way of your success. If you need more time and money, don’t let this stop you from pursuing health. Follow the practical tips below.

How to save time and money on your journey to health and wellness.

1. Don’t believe the hype.

Health and wellness is a very popular trend. Every day there are new packaged shakes, smoothies, and and so called super foods introduced to the market. Be an educated consumer. Don’t just buy something because the person selling it says it is good. Only take advice from people that you trust.  If someone is constantly trying to sell you something, they may or they may not be telling you the truth. Be logical and balanced in your approach to health. Before you spend money trying out a new diet that promises extreme weight loss, ask yourself, is this something I can see myself doing for the rest of my life? If the answer is no, then it’s probably a good idea to save the cash and move on.

2. Eat real food.

A novel idea, isn’t it? Surprisingly a lot of people have forgotten what real food actually is. Summer is here! This is the perfect time to get reacquainted with fresh fruits and veggies. Go to your local farmer’s market. Save some money on produce. Go strawberry picking with your family. Being healthy can be a lot of fun! Forget about the food that comes out of a box, a bag, or a can. Most of us buy these foods out of habit, or because we think these foods will save us time and money. If that were the case, ask yourself, why do I still not have enough time to prepare meals? And why do i still find myself having to eat out for lunch? Perhaps the issue on saving time has little to do with the food we choose to buy, as that is still sitting in the cupboard. Perhaps the issue has more to do with the way we choose to organize our lives.

3. Be prepared

Most people who want to be healthy will choose a healthy option if it is readily available. Why not make things easy on yourself? Choose one day a week to prepare staple foods that you can use all week long. On any given Sunday, you’ll find me in the kitchen making dips, spreads, chopping veggie sticks, and making coconut squares so that I don’t have to worry about snacks during the week. If you need some simple recipe ideas, feel free to join my group on Facebook, Rochelle Hanson Wellness. When you bring your food home from the grocery store set aside the time to pre wash it before you put it away. Making a salad or smoothie is simple if you take the time to prepare beforehand.  When it comes to making lunch, be disciplined. Make it at night. When the morning comes, you’ll be so glad you did.

It’s time to face the facts. You can lead a healthy lifestyle if you choose to lead a healthy lifestyle. Don’t use the lack of time as an excuse. Shift your priorities. Everyone has the same 24hrs in a day. What you do with that time is entirely up to you. When it comes to money, remember that Summer is the best time to save on healthy foods. There is an abundance of it right now. Take advantage of that. You may even want to buy more than you need and freeze some of it for the winter. Be prepared, eat real food, and don’t believe the hype. Here’s to your health and wellness.

Rochelle Hanson is a freelance writer and natural health enthusiast, offering practical tips on natural health and wellness. To connect with Rochelle, join her on Facebook, or spend time on her blog at SimplyNaturalIdeas.com