My Favorite (Healthy) Things 2014

Hey if Oprah can do it then so can I right?  I thought it would be fun to share with you my favorite (healthy) things from 2014.  Everything from beauty products to workouts, it’s not all about the food.

2014 was a good year for me and I have no reason to complain.  Do I wish I found my dream job or was able to do what I love every day for a living?  Sure, but I do continue to work towards that which is all that I can do.  I have a wonderful family, I have my health, and I live a pretty good life and for that I am always grateful.  I am always grateful for my wonderful followers here at The Organic Dietitian because without you I would not be able to grow this blog of mine into my (hopefully one day) dream job.

I look forward to what is to come in 2015 and finding more healthy things to love.  I hope this list will help you find some of your new favorite things.

Tea Lattes

I used to be an avid coffee drinker.  I loved that one cup of coffee in the morning to help jolt me out of my sleepy state.  I had been doing some research on coffee, is it good or is it bad?  I came to the conclusion that it is ok but definitely in moderation.  I really did not want to be dependent on it to wake me up.  I did not want to be one of those people that were cranky until she got her coffee.  I was never a huge tea drinker but found myself drinking more and more of it because I knew certain kinds had great health benefits.  I was pretty boring when I drank tea (mostly just plain) and that is where I went wrong.  Tea just needed to be jazzed up and given the same love and attention I would give to making my coffee just the way I like it.  My favorite tea latte was born!  I only drink coffee a couple times a week now because I had to make room for these lattes and I am so glad that I did.  I actually find that I have more energy on the days that I drink tea instead.  No caffeine crashes.  Give it a try.

Here is how I make them…brew tea packet in 1 ½ cups hot water for 5 minutes, in a blender add tea (minus the bag), ½ Tablespoons full fat canned coconut milk, 1 tsp maple syrup (or sweetener of choice) and blend in the blender  on high for 30 seconds.  This action makes it foamy on top just like a latte.

Yoga

I was never really into yoga but I really wanted to be.  I would see experts do the most amazing possess and I would be so jealous that I couldn’t do that myself.  It has always been my goal to be more flexible, I wanted to be able to touch my toes at the very least.  I had tried yoga in the past but never really was able to get into it.  For some reason thought that I wasn’t getting a very good workout because I was so used to traditional cardio.  I started doing some free online yoga videos with Leslie Fightmaster and just gave myself one week of doing a little yoga every day.  That was all it took for me.  I started to see improvements and could tell that I was getting more flexible already.  I was getting better at possess and she has some really good beginner videos on YouTube.  She has a way of really working up to possess and getting your body ready for them instead of just jumping into something too difficult so it makes you discouraged.  My advice, start small and build up.  Don’t just jump into a one hour yoga tape and expect to be amazing at it.  It takes some time but now that I am better at it I love it.  After doing a yoga tape I can just feel the difference in my body and it is a good feeling.  What a high.

Probiotics

I have talked a little about probiotics in the past in my post about making raw, fermented sauerkraut but I really want to stress the importance.  I dabbled in fermented foods in the past but this year I really tried to eat a probiotic food every day and started taking a good quality probiotic supplement.  Boy what a difference!  The number one thing I have noticed is clearer skin.  Probiotics plus a clean diet can do wonders for good skin.  Some of my favorite brands include Live Kombucha Soda (Root Beer, Orange Dream, and Pure Doctor are my favs) and they work wonders if you are trying to kick a soda habit too.  This year I also found Graindrops, a non-dairy kefir (Mango Ginger is super tasty) and I love adding it to smoothies or drinking it right from the bottle.  If you are not inclined to ferment your own vegetables then I highly recommend Farmhouse Culture (I could eat the Dill Pickle flavor by the bowlfuls).  I have tried one other brand of probiotic supplements but am really into Bio Kult which is what I am using currently.

Smart Planet

If you have been following me you may already know about Smart Planet as I have done a couple giveaways with them.  The have great products that making eating healthier on the go that much easier.  I have flown with them, taken them to the beach, taken them hiking, and use them every day for work lunches.  They are BPA free, easy to clean, easy to store, and are fun to use.

Jane Iredale Magic Mitt

I came across this amazing cloth mitt that has magical powers.  All you have to do is get it damp and rub it gently on your face and it removes makeup with no added chemicals or oils!  Really it does!  Even waterproof eye liner.  It has some fancy fibers that do the work and you do not have to expose your skin to irritants.  It washes easily with soap and water and you can use it over and over and over again.

I really could go on and on with my favorite things but I will keep it to my top 5.  I look forward to my new discoveries this upcoming year and hope that you find some new favorites too.

What are your favorite things?