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Archive for wellness – Page 2

#OneChange


By Leslie · Comments (0) · January 19th, 2014

Have you given up your New Year resolution already?  What if instead of setting a huge, general and unattainable goal, you do one minor thing that you can actually achieve this year?  My good friend and sports nutrition superstar Brendan Brazier has come up with this #OneChange campaign and I think it’s awesome!  Check out his website for Vega’s OneChange and pick which habit you’d like to break this year and he’ll give you some great advice and easy steps to reaching your goal.

Vega #OneChange Occasionally I find myself falling into The Breakfast Skipper category.  It’s hard to get breakfast in every morning when you are traveling as much as I am, but my secret weapon is now Vega One Nutritional Shakes.  The small packets are easy for packing and you just add 1 cup of water, shake, and go!  These saved me on my recent trip to Florida!

Head on over to #OneChange and see what simple steps you can do to get healthier!

LeslieDursoSignature

 

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Categories : featured, wellness

Good Belly = Good Health


By Leslie · Comments (0) · July 23rd, 2013

Check out how I did on the Good Belly Probiotic Challenge!When the folks over at GoodBelly asked me to participate in their 12 day probiotic challenge, I thought why not.  I started the challenge already feeling pretty healthy, but about day 4 I started feeling different.  That was the day I noticed how much flatter my belly looked.  I’m not one to post pictures of myself in the mirror with my shirt pulled up (sorry if that’s what you were expecting, but this is not that kind of site) but trust me when I say it was flatter!  And I felt better!  It’s a hard feeling to describe, you kinda have to try it!

So, are you sitting there saying, “What the heck is a probiotic?”  Well, probiotics seem to be taking the grocery stores by storm!  Not just the “natural” stores, but you can find them at just about any supermarket.  According to Wikipedia, “Probiotics are live bacteria that confer a health benefit to the host.”  You can read more on that here.  But in simple terms, probiotics are good bacteria that you ingest to cleanse your belly of the bad bacteria that often finds it’s way there.  In even simpler terms, IT CLEANS OUT YOUR PIPES lol!

And can I just give one side note!?  How stinkin cute is their packaging with that little smiley face?? It makes me happy every time I drink it!

Since the challenge, I’ve been drinking GoodBelly regularly.  It’s pretty rad!  So give the 12 GoodBelly challenge a try! I bet you will feel amazing too!

xo

LeslieDursoSignature

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Categories : featured, wellness

Leslie’s Easy Tips For Being Healthy!


By Leslie · Comments (2) · May 14th, 2013

People always ask what I do besides not eating animal products to stay in-shape.  So I wrote a list :)  What do you do that keeps you happy and healthy?

Leslie's Easy Tips for Being Healthy!

1. Drink water! (Lot’s of it, 5-8 glasses a day)

2. Snack often.  Don’t let yourself get starving before you sit down for a big meal.  Eat small (healthy!) meals all day.

3. Do cardio for at least 20 minutes everyday.  Run, walk, jog, skip, hop, jump just get outside and move!

4. Strengthen your core.  It holds your whole body together 😉

5. Eat real food!  Cut out processed foods. If it has an ingredient list, don’t eat it.

6. Sleep.  7-8 hours a night is ideal.

7. Avoid stress (I know this is easier said than done…)

8. Appreciate life!

xoxo!

LeslieDursoSignature

Comments (2)
Categories : featured, wellness

How To Baobab


By Leslie · Comments (3) · March 11th, 2013

Baobab

I know what you’re thinking…. What the heck is Baobab?  Well first of all, it’s not a verb.  It’s not the next Gangnam Style or Harlem Shake… although that’s a good idea lol.

My team and I just completed a production of two really cool videos to promote awareness of a little known superfood out of Africa.  Now I could tell you all about Baobab, but I’d rather show you!  What I will say is it’s stunning how few people have heard of it.  But even more staggering is Baobab’s ORAC value (see below graphic)… it blows Açaí and Goji away!  Here’s the skinny:

– 6x the Vitamin C of oranges

– Planet’s highest source of Calcium (yes, more than milk!)

– More Iron than red meat (omg!)

I’m putting the raw powder in everything!  From my favorite go-to smoothies to hot cereal to baking mix.  The sheer nutritional power coupled with the fact that Baobab is providing a sustainable cash crop for women (yay!) in Mali, make this funny-sounding superfruit [bey-oh-bab] a Veggie Dreamgirl’s BFF.

baobab-superfood-africa

Convinced you yet? 😉  Here’s where to get baobab

LeslieDursoSignature

Comments (3)
Categories : featured, wellness

March: National Brain Health Month


By Leslie · Comments (4) · March 1st, 2013

Did you know March is National Brain Health Month?  You probably aren’t thinking about brain health too much in your busy life, but it’s really important to include a lot of brain healthy foods in your diet!  A sharp brain can help you stay healthy and young!  Here are my top 5 favorite brain healthy foods:

1. Blueberries!  According to Dr. Stephan Pratt, says that blueberries help protect the brain from oxidative stress and may reduce the effects of age-related conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease or dementia.  Also, studies show that people who eat berries improve their memory and their motor skills.

2. Walnuts! Nuts contain monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats to keep your arteries clear, as well as levels of precursors of serotonin to boost mood.

3. Avocados! Avocados contain a high level of Folate which is essential for brain health and the maintenance of cognitive function, including memory.  Deficiency may lead to cognitive decline and Alzheimer’s disease.

4. Chia Seeds!  Chia is loaded with Omega-3 fatty acids which your brain converts into DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) which enhances neuronal communication and promotes neuronal growth.

5. Dark Chocolate! It offers incredible concentration powers!  It is a powerful antioxidant containing natural stimulants that increase the production of feel-good endorphins. BUT here’s the thing, you need to find dark chocolate with less than 10 grams of sugar per serving.

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Categories : featured, wellness

Baby It’s Cold Outside


By Leslie · Comments (0) · January 19th, 2013

Between the cold weather and the CDC’s confirmed Flu Epidemic sweeping the nation, I thought I’d direct you to my hot soup feature on Mother Nature Network … it may be a year-old, but I’d say it’s steamy with relevance! Just click the pic for all the recipes and stay well!

 

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Categories : featured, Misc., Soup, Vegan, wellness

The Real Deal With The Raw Diet


By Leslie · Comments (4) · January 2nd, 2013

Happy 2013 everyone!  This is the year of wellness and I’m starting it off right!  Once a year I do a raw diet for about a week.  This year I decided to bring my (meat loving) Dad along for the cleanse.  So here is the low-down on what I think of this cleanse, what I’m doing for mine, and some questions you might have.  Be sure to check my recipes section to find the recipes I’ve been creating for this week.

What is a raw food cleanse?

A diet of eating uncooked vegetables and fruits.  They usually last anywhere from 3-21 days.  Personally I do a 7 day one about once a year.  In this diet I incorporate a lot of smoothies, but I don’t juice because I believe you lose a lot of nutrients and fiber in the pulp.

What can I eat?

Any fruits and vegetables that are uncooked (temperatures reach no higher than 118 degrees).  There are over 20,000 edible plant species 😉

I typically have a smoothie for breakfast, a large salad for lunch, and a raw “meal” for dinner.  With plenty of snacks in between.

What it does:

Helps cleans your body of all that junk it’s been storing up!

Results:

Results can vary, but I always feel more energized, my skin clears up, and my tummy always gets super flat!  It can also be great for jump starting your diet (or as I like to call them: “lifestyle changes”), you can also increase your sex drive, lose weight, and help prevent and treat disease.

Theory behind eating raw food:

**”According to raw foodists, enyzymes are the life force of a food, helping us to digest food and absorb nutrients. If we overconsume cooked food, our bodies are forced to work harder by producing more enzymes. Over time, a lack of enzymes from food is thought to lead to digestive problems, nutrient deficiency, accelerated aging, and weight gain.

Cooking food can diminish its nutritional value. For example, the cancer-fighting compounds in broccoli, sulforaphanes, are greatly reduced when broccoli is cooked. Certain vitamins, such as vitamin C and folate, are destroyed by heat. Other foods, however, become more healthful after cooking, because the fibrous portion is broken down. For example, cooked tomatoes contain three to four times more lycopene than raw tomatoes.

Cooking also promotes the formation of potentially harmful compounds in food during high heat cooking, such as advanced glycation end products and heterocyclic amines.”

Do people really eat like this forever?

Yup!  Remember Carol Alt the supermodel?  She swears by the lifestyle and says it’s what’s helping her appear to barely be aging   There are a lot of raw foodists that eat like this full time.  Although a lot will incorporate vinegars, oils, and salt which I choose to avoid when I do the cleanse.  There are also a lot of raw food restaurants popping up everywhere.  My favs are Sun Cafe in Studio City and Pure Food and Wine in New York City.

What appliances am I going to need on this diet?

A cutting board, a good knife, and a blender.  Other optional appliances I use are my mandolin slicer and food processor.  Many chefs also use dehydrators.

Tips:

I HIGHLY recommend, if you are not already, eating a vegan diet for a couple days before your cleanse.  This will ease your body into the cleanse.  If you are already vegan, cutting out gluten and processed sugars can be helpful.

Plan ahead and carry a lot of snacks with you!  You don’t want to get too hungry.  I suggest raw nuts (especially almonds), dried fruit (make sure there is no sugar added!), and  fresh fruit.

Eat a variety of food.  It will help you from getting bored and it’s important to get nutrients from a wide variety of plants.  Most important is to eat a lot of dark leafy greens.

Drink LOTS of water!!  It helps carry out all the toxins in your body.

NOTE:

I am NOT a Doctor.  These are my opinions and experiences.  I recommend doing a lot of your own research before your start any “lifestyle change”.

** Sourced from About.com

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Categories : featured, wellness

2013 A Year To Thrive


By Leslie · Comments (73) · December 18th, 2012

This past year I’ve been blessed with a wonderful journey of good food, great cities and inspiring people. I am so grateful to all of you who continue to push me further to bring everyday vegan food into meat-eating households. With each step and each click, I remain committed, with you, to make 2013 our healthiest year ever – and with that I can’t wait to share this amazing giveaway!

One of those inspiring people that I met and have become friends with in 2012 is Brendan Brazier. If you haven’t heard of him yet, I promise you will soon!  Aside from being a former professional Ironman triathlete, a best selling author, and vegan guru to the stars (think: Le Mis’ Hugh Jackman), he is the founder of Vega (a line of whole food nutritional products) and, now the creator of Thrive Forward – a free, personalized online guide to help transform your health through plant-based nutrition. What better way to kick off 2013 than with this guy, right?

Today Brendan and I are giving you the opportunity to win a Vega/Thrive Start-up Pack (a $170 value)!  And because we’ve got our santa caps on, we’re giving away 2 prizes!!  Each prize package contains:

·         Vega Pre-Workout Energizer Tub 19oz

·         Vega Sport Electrolyte Hydrator (30×4.4g)

·         Vega Sport Protein Bar Box (12x 60g) Chocolate Coconut

·         Vega One: All-in-One Nutritional Shake Sml Tub

·         Vega Shopping Bag

·         Vega Shaker Cup

And a copy of the best selling book Thrive

So Please get on Brendan’s site and sign up for Thrive Forward which  launches in January. Together we will THRIVE in the new year! xo!

To enter, tell me what your health/nutrition goal is for 2013.  Just leave a comment below.  The winners will be picked on December 24th :)

Comments (73)
Categories : featured, GIVEAWAYS, wellness

Nuts For Boobs


By Leslie · Comments (0) · November 7th, 2012

For those of you who missed it, yesterday was National Nut Day.  No, not because of the Presidential Debate, but to celebrate those other things that are hard to crack. And October being Breast Cancer Awareness Month, I thought I’d remind myself and you on the power of going nuts for boobs!

A study conducted by researchers at Marshall University and published in the journal Nutrition and Cancer found that a daily dose of walnuts — equal to 2 ounces a day — reduces the growth of breast cancer tumors in mice:

“A handful of walnuts contains almost twice as much antioxidants as an equivalent amount of any other commonly consumed nut,” said chemistry professor and study researcher Joe Vinson, who completed a separate study on walnuts announced earlier this year. “But unfortunately, people don’t eat a lot of them.”

Wowsers right??  Wait, it gets better:

Researcher W. Elaine Hardman, PhD, associate professor of biochemistry at Marshall University School of Medicine in Huntington, W.Va., credits the disease-fighting omega-3 fatty acids, antioxidants, and in particular, phytosterols, in walnuts:

“Phytosterols bind to estrogen receptors, so they would be expected to slow growth of breast cancers,” she says. 

Estrogen has been proven to fuel the growth of some breast tumors. If you need more reason to crack this nut, walnuts also have almost twice as many antioxidant polyphenols (the good stuff!) as almonds, peanuts, pistachios, hazelnuts, cashews, macadamias, Brazil nuts and pecans, researchers said.  Plus, like all nuts, walnuts are loaded with protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.

We all know I’m not a doctor, but when it comes to remarkable studies like this (and barring a nut allergy) I don’t see how eating a handful of walnuts can do anything but benefit your health.  I’m convinced that your frig, or in this case, your pantry, should be your pharmacy whenever possible.  It’s the easiest and most logical first defense.

And if all this doesn’t make you want to run out and buy a bag of walnuts right now… Maybe my Grandma’s Orange and Walnut Kiss-Me cake will!

So go nuts today and feed your body… Well!

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Categories : featured, wellness

3 Things That Will Make You Feel Better Today!


By Leslie · Comments (1) · July 24th, 2012

1. Go outside! Fresh air does a body good!  Try going outside and just letting your mind go.  Focus on your surroundings and let something spontaneous happen!  Jump in the ocean, roll down a grassy hill, smile at a stranger, break the norm, you may like it… Plus you’ll get your daily dose of vitamin D and we all know how important that is.

2. Eat more fruits and veggies!  Put down that processed bag of whatever that is you are eating and go get yourself some delicious Summer produce!  Summer fruits make the perfect mid-day snack and all natural pick-me-up.

3. Get some sleep!  It’s been proven time and time again that a good night sleep can do wonders for your mind and body.  Sweet Dreams!

xo

ps that’s me and pepe on the Venice Beach boardwalk :) the pic was taken by my lovely and talented friend Laura Grier who you should def check out!

Comments (1)
Categories : featured, wellness
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