Multi-talented health coach, cookbook writer, wellness speaker, and founder of Walker Well-Being, Tammy Walker is all about making long-term healthy choices. It can be incredibly difficult to make positive food choices all day long (our sweet tooth tends to go into overdrive come 3P.M.), so this week Tammy is lending a hand and sharing her favorite healthy lifestyle tips on our blog.
One of the biggest roadblocks to managing your weight has zero to do with what you eat and everything to do with how you eat. If you’ve ever sat down with a giant bowl of pita chips only to “come to” minutes later reaching into a pile of crumbs (you know what I’m talking about), then this applies to you.
Mindless eating is when we eat while distracted, hurried, or in a state of stress or high emotion. It’s also when we overeat without realizing it. Let’s look at what’s really going on in three situations that commonly lead to mindless eating and five techniques you can begin practicing today to become a more attentive eater.
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Multi-talented health coach, cookbook writer, wellness speaker, and founder of Walker Well-Being, Tammy Walker is all about making long-term healthy choices. It can be incredibly difficult to make positive food choices all day long (our sweet tooth tends to go into overdrive come 3P.M.), so this week Tammy is lending a hand and sharing her favorite healthy lifestyle tips on our blog.
While some foods totally deserve the health hype (three cheers for chia seeds!), there’s a surprising group of others whose wholesome reputation is iffy at best. These everyday foods may seem like the right choice for slim and clean eating, but as The Beastie Boys warned, “Listen all ya’ll, it’s a sabotage!” Here are a few secret saboteurs and my favorite healthy alternatives.
Multi-Grain & 7-Grain Breads
The halo: The more grains, the more fiber, the better!
Reality: Many multi-grain, 7-grain, and wheat breads are made with refined grains that have been chemically bleached, stripped of their fiber and minerals then pumped with synthetic versions of the real nutrients. If you see “enriched” or “bleached” in the ingredient list, keep it moving. It’s white bread with a tan.
Better choices: Anything with “whole grain” as the first ingredient. Even better, go with a sprouted grain bread like Food for Life Ezekiel 4:9, which has more protein, B vitamins and folate than regular whole-grain breads.
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You wouldn’t know it from how much we talk about cookies, but Birchbox staffers are a pretty healthy bunch. We love our veggies and mind-clearing workouts, and are always up to try the latest fitness class or nutrition bar. Which is why we have new regular column: Well-Balanced. Check back weekly for our latest wellness obsession.
You may know our contributor Natalie Alcala as an LA-based blogger with access to fashion and beauty insiders. But what you probably don’t know is that the pint-size whiz is also a total wellness geek. She knows as much about chia seeds and kale as she does about runway trends and celebrity shenanigans. Recently, she emailed me out of the blue to say, “You need to try my beet n’ berry smoothie! It’s Birchbox pink!” Since I’ve never met a smoothie I didn’t like, I promptly went out to buy the ingredients and whipped it up for Sunday breakfast. The verdict? An antioxidant-rich fuchsia smoothie with a sweet, earthy taste. Click through for the recipe!
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As much as we love fast fashion and popular style from the Zaras and Bloomingdales of the world, sometimes we just want a beautiful, totally unique piece from an adorable boutique. Enter Shoptiques, an e-commerce site that allows you to shop local stores in the U.S. and Paris. This week, Tracey Wallace—Shoptique’s Director of Content—is giving us the lowdown on the best shops and how to pick standout pieces that play up your individual style.
The fashion community has been dreading spring 2013 ever since the rise of the cropped top was predicted as the season’s biggest trend. From Oscar de la Renta to Ruffian and everywhere in between, the crop top style was all over the runways in September, and I know that I have been quite consciously sucking in ever since.
Now that the holidays are over (and the scale is showing five more pounds than it should be), the cropped top look does not seem like something to be super excited about. But mastering this trend doesn’t have to be dreadful—or involve a strict diet. Instead, a few simple changes to your lifestyle can help to whittle your middle in preparation for the ensuing spring.
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You wouldn’t know it from how much we talk about cookies, but Birchbox staffers are a pretty healthy bunch. We love our veggies and mind-clearing workouts, and are always up to try the latest fitness class or nutrition bar. Our weekly column, Well-Balanced, is dedicated to our latest wellness obsessions—they might become yours, too.
I consider myself a healthy snack aficionado. I didn’t used to be this discerning—a few years ago, I’d just throw any old granola bar in my bag, even if it was loaded with high fructose corn syrup and soy protein isolates (wha?). Nowadays, I’m much pickier. I go for products that are minimally processed and have all natural, real ingredients.
Needless to say, when it came to picking our January lifestyle extra, I was very interested in taste-testing helping out. Click through for more about the delicious treats we’re sampling this month.
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You wouldn’t know it from how much we talk about cookies, but Birchbox staffers are a pretty healthy bunch. We love our veggies and mind-clearing workouts, and are always up to try the latest fitness class or nutrition bar. Which is why we have new regular column: Well-Balanced. Check back weekly for our latest wellness obsession.
Photo: healthfitnessnation.com
Between the holiday shopping, the holiday baking, and the holiday eating, it’s hard to find time for work, much less working out. To ensure that the merriest season doesn’t turn into the laziest season, we asked a fitness guru for advice. San Francisco-based Equinox fitness instructor Caroline Jordan shares her best healthy holiday tips after the jump.
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It’s inevitable — the best weekends, with the most fun adventures and the most delicious meals — leave you feeling a bit spent. This Monday, I’m combating the blues with a super colorful recipe from raw food queen Sarma Melngailis. Melngailis is the brilliantly talented chef/CEO behind One Lucky Duck and Pure Food & Wine, New York’s best raw food spots. She’s single-handedly convinced me that ice cream doesn’t need dairy to taste good and that a good day is one that starts off with a green juice. Here, she shares one of her favorite brighten-up recipes that incorporates argan oil, a miracle beauty ingredient. I’m already addicted to argan oil in my moisturizers and in my makeup — why not in my food? Stay tuned for more about Melngailis and living healthfully on Birchbox). (See? I don’t just like cookies and candy!)
—Mollie
Herb and Argan Salad
Before Neal became our chef, he worked on the line. Late one night, I asked him to make me a salad, telling him only that I wanted it to be light, with plenty of herbs. As it turns out, what came out from the kitchen was the most delicious salad I had ever eaten. There was something about the balance of flavors, the lightness of the dressing, and the perfect tart-citrus acidity, with just the right seasoning. Oh, and yes, tons of herbs. Also, either he knew of my love of fennel and capers, or we just share that fondness, but those made it into the salad, too. Capers have a briny saltiness with a bit of a mustard taste, and fennel adds a uniquely aromatic anise flavor. The nuts give the salad some crunch, and the avocado some creaminess, but I tasted another nutty flavor that turned out to be argan oil. Like macadamia oil, this oil is so flavorful that a little goes a long way.
1 large bowl of mixed baby lettuces
1 very large handful parsley leaves
1 small handful mint leaves
1 small handful purple basil leaves
1/2 fennel bulb, cored and shaved thin on a mandoline or using a sharp knife
1 large handful grape or teardrop tomatoes, sliced into halves
3 tablespoons capers
2 tablespoons argan oil, or other nut oil
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 small handful raw pistachio nuts, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil or nut oil
1/2 ripe avocado, thinly sliced
Place the greens, herbs, fennel, tomatoes, and capers in a bowl and toss with the argan oil and lemon juice, adjusting quantities to taste. Season lightly with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Place the pistachio nuts in a small bowl, add the olive oil and a pinch of salt, and toss well to coat. To Serve Divide the salad among serving plates, sprinkle with the chopped pistachio mixture, and top with sliced avocado.
Excerpted from Living Raw Food, by Sarma Melngailis (Harper Collins, 2009)
![Celebrities Are Baring It All for Magazines, Paul Wesley’s Fitness Routine, and More
A growing number of stars have been going nude for magazine shoots lately. Check out this round up of celebs who have stripped down. [Beauty High]
Here’s how the lead hair stylist for The Great Gatsby created the look of the ’20s on over 300 extras in the film. [Fashionista]
Can’t find the perfect shoes to complete an outfit? Check out Joker’s Closet, a new design-your-own shoe website. [Toronto Life]
Celebrity hair stylist, Orlando Pita launched his own haircare line which will be sold at Costco. [Refinery29]
Vampire Diaries star, Paul Wesley, dishes on his fitness routine and what’s inside his fridge. [Q]
Use these budget friendly tips to makeover your refrigerator. [Greatist]
—Charisse
Spring is officially in full swing! Learn how to make a beautiful floral bouquet from guest blogger, Annie Dean.
(Photo: Allure)](http://25.media.tumblr.com/537409034cf306ce7157f72c0c8a4e9a/tumblr_mmuraubfb81qbz3xno1_500.jpg)
