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7 Reasons to Believe the Wheatgrass Hype

This morning I had a wonderful drink of pineapple juice and wheatgrass. It was delicious even though I could tell my drink was healthy. Knowing that we’re consuming something healthy is one thing but actually knowing what those health benefits are is an entirely different thing though. I found myself asking: why is there wheat grass in my juice? Why are wheat grass shots such a popular health habit? Is it all just a façade of green goodness? Hmm…

Turns out there are some very real and very awesome benefits to drinking wheat grass (a young grass in the wheat family) juice. Here are just a few:

1. Wheatgrass Packs a Powerful Nutrient Punch

Calcium, magnesium, iron, amino acids, chlorophyll, and vitamins A, C, and E can all be found in your little wheat grass shot. Even further, wheatgrass has more vitamin C than oranges and twice as much vitamin A as carrots

2. Protein Building in a Glass

The 19 amino acids found in wheatgrass, the “building blocks of protein,” are essential for cell growth and regeneration. All 19 amino acids means wheat grass is a complete protein!

3. 70% Chlorophyll Makes a Difference

Here’s the deal: chlorophyll can slow down the aging process, stop bacteria growth, refine and renew tissue, and may even improve functions of the heart.

4. Greater Detoxification Powers

Wheatgrass has proven to be a more powerful detoxifier than other fruit and vegetable juices such as carrot juice.

5. Quick Energy Boost

Because of how the starch of the wheat berry is broken down into simple sugars, a shot of wheatgrass juice acts as a quick source of energy.

6. It Literally Contains EVERY Mineral Known

That’s over 90 different minerals! Vitamins and minerals are super for your health.

7. Lots o’ Magnesium

Wheatgrass contains a good amount of magnesium which can actually improve fertility and aid in digestion (bye-bye constipation!)

 

Despite it’s name, wheatgrass is totally gluten free, alkalizing, and boasts all of the above health benefits and many more! I definitely recommend adding some wheatgrass juice to your diet here and there, but make sure you enjoy it! Health benefits aren’t worthwhile if you’re choking your drink down, so try adding a shot of wheatgrass to a juice you already love. May I recommend fresh Pineapple juice with a shot of wheatgrass? Yum!

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Buffalo Healthy Eats: Squeeze Juicery

It’s new! It’s exciting! It’s full of healthy goods for you! It’s Squeeze Juicery!

I am so, so excited that Squeeze Juicery has opened on Main Street in Williamsville. After my first visit to the bright, clean juice bar, I’ve already decided that my favorite thing about Squeeze has to be that they can make your juice right on the spot OR you can grab one from the cooler and be out the door in mere seconds. I tried both.  A freshly pressed juice yesterday, and one from the cooler today. Thumbs up for both!

Yesterday I tried the “Shooting Star” which is basil, lime, cucumber, and apple cold-pressed right in front of your eyes and then poured over ice. Let’s go with the bad news first: it took a verrrrrrrrry long time. Here’s the thing though, cold-pressing the juice maintains even more of the super-powered enzymes and nutrients in the juice, so its worth the wait. I liked my juice a lot. It was a little more lime-y and less sweet than I expected but I love basil in juice. So refreshing. While I was there I also grabbed a juice from the cooler to have the following day. The shelf life on those juices are short, just 3 days, so you can’t really stock up a big supply, but it is great to go in and grab a juice for breakfast the following day or if you don’t have time to wait for a fresh pressed juice. For my juice from the cooler, I had the “Alive” drink which includes spinach, kale, celery, apple, parsley, lemon, and ginger. Does that sound like health in a bottle, or what?  Again, the juice wasn’t as sweet as anticipated which must be because I use LOTS of sweet apple when I make my own juices. Nonetheless, the juice was refreshing and tasty and very drinkable.

Squeeze also sells house-made hummus in a variety of unique flavors which I got to sample (Bonus!!)  while in the juicery. They were delicious. Right now Squeeze sells their hummus and some juices in their coolers plus they make juices, tonics, and smoothies at the counter.  Soon they will be serving up healthy wraps, including gluten free lettuce wraps in the next few weeks! The prices are comparable to other juice and smoothie bars around town but I’d argue that the cups are bigger here!  And when it comes to green juice, bigger is definitely better.

If you’re looking for a healthy snack, an energizing way to start your day, or are feeling ready to try the juicing craze, you have to check out Squeeze!

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Pilates Aids Professional Dancer

Pilates does a dancer good; look at those gorgeous, open shoulders!

Dance and Pilates have had a strong relationship since Joseph Pilates began teaching his technique in New York City in the 1920s. Pilates training can help dancers avoid injuries and improve their technique with its focus on strong but flexible muscles, breath, and core strength.  Although dance in and of itself is a great form of exercise, classes do not always perfectly prepare the body for the demands of performance and can often leave some muscle groups over worked, and others neglected and weak.  Pilates training can make a huge difference in a dancer’s performance ability and even help her/him stay in shape during the off season.

Professional dancer, Erica Day, knows first hand the benefits of Pilates for dance as it has helped her through injuries, improve her dance technique, and train as an aerial dancer! In this interview, Erica lets us know first hand just how much Pilates has helped her in her blossoming career!

Q: How long have you been dancing?

A: I have been dancing since the age of 3! At 4 it was about 2 hours a week and of course, as I got older the training became more and more serious. By the time I reached high school age I was taking over 20 hours of dance per week.

Q: Tell us about your experience as a professional dancer

A: I worked for Celebrity Cruise lines as a dancer for a 6 months, travelling in Europe and then the Caribbean. After that I moved to NYC for the International Student Visa Program (ISVP) at Broadway Dance Center. It was a great year to meet people and study new things. While in NYC I was given the opportunity to perform as a back up dancer for recording artists Sir Ari Gold and Lily Halpern, opening for the tour Waitin4U featuring teenage heartthrobs Cody Simpson and Greyson Chance. For the past year I have been employed with Norwegian Cruise line as Dancer, Dance Captain and Aerialist. Those contracts have taken me to Alaska, Panama Canal, Egypt, Israel, Turkey , all over the Mediterranean and all over the Caribbean. It has been an amazing time and I’m so excited about what the future brings!

Q: When did you start doing Pilates?

A: When I entered the International Student Visa Program at Broadway Dance Center, they offered Mat Pilates, which I started to take about twice a week.

Q: Did you start Pilates to rehab an injury?

A: When I was about 18-22 I would have these “episodes” where my knees would give out and my pelvis would shift out of alignment and I’d be on my stomach on the floor unable to stand up. At one point, I had an X-Ray done and my pelvis was way out of alignment, tilted forward 40 degrees! Obviously not a great thing for a dancer who needs to be able to dance, shift weight, and balance all day. I saw many doctors and no one really knew why it was happening but chalked it up to me not having a strong enough core or knowing how to use it properly. It was then that I realized, I can really focus in on what it means to work from my core or I can continue on the way I am and probably not be able to dance in a few years. I chose to focus with Pilates.

Q: What do you enjoy about Pilates

A: I enjoy knowing that my body is getting realigned as the class goes on in a safe manner, I love the low impact but difficulty of the moves, I love feeling the burn and having the parts I’m working on shake and I love how it shapes my body. It’s also a great way to get me connected to my breath!

Q: Absolutely, breath is so important in maintaining stamina in dance, and life! Have you felt a difference in your dancing since starting Pilates?

A: Practicing Pilates has definitely made me stronger and more aware of my body at all times. It has given me a better sense of alignment and awareness which makes some of the more challenging aspects of my performance happen with more ease.

Q: Do you think Pilates has helped you avoid injuries?

A: MOST DEFINITELY! I started the reformer last year and took a handful of privates and classes right before I was called from Norwegian Cruiseline to fly immediately to Toronto to train in aerial dancing, including Spanish Web and Bungee. You need to have the strongest core to really execute the tricks safely and in a 7 month period I stayed completely injury free! As a person who suffered from lower back injuries consistently in my late teens to early 20s, that was a huuuuge feat. Without the Pilates background who knows what could have happened.

Q: In your opinion, why is Pilates a great compliment to dancing

A: From an esthetic point of view, Pilates shaped and toned my body like no other exercise program has, including lifting weights, running, and Yoga. My lines became leaner and longer. My ankles actually became stronger!

Q: Has Pilates helped you become a more proficient dancer?

A: Unfortunately as a young girl no one really talked to me about how important my core is. So here I was whipping out all of these difficult tricks without an understanding of safety and where movement comes from. Now when I dance, I know to engage my lower core and “zip everything up” creating a really strong safe casing around my abdomen and lower back area. It’s starting to become second nature and I find when my balance is unsteady, I just think about laying down on the reformer or floor and “zipping” everything up. When I focus on that I can hold things for days. Pilates has really helped my control and added a calmness to my dancing. There is no need to be frantic because I know my core is there for me. 

Thank you to Erica for sharing her experience with Pilates and dance! If you are interested in learning more about how Pilates can help you avoid injuries and improve your performance, contact hayley@betterbodybuffalo.com!

 

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Hayley’s Quick Detox Tips

It’s Monday (or in some cases, Tuesday) and you’re feeling gassy, bloated, and lethargic. The culprit? One too many cocktails, brownies, and dinners ending in utterly too full bellies over the weekend….right?

We’ve all been there, and I’ve just had one of those weekends full of refined carbs, dairy, sugar, and overall over indulgence. I’m not one to encourage total avoidance of those “naughty” foods like bread, sugar, and cheese but I do try to limit them. So, after a weekend full of unhealthy eating, my body is desperately craving a bit of cleansing. Luckily, I believe in the reset button, and you should too.

I don’t layout a step by step plan that you have to follow all week, I simply have a few favorite tips that I do for a day or two…or three… to reset and get my body back to feeling good, increase my energy, and set myself up to continue making healthy decisions. Try some of my Quick Detox Tips, either all or just some, and you’ll get your body back to feeling fresh, light, and healthy before you know it!

Drink Green Juice

Freshly juiced veggies and fruits are super cleansers! Whether you have a juicer and can do it yourself or you can stop at a place like O3 Café in Buffalo, get a hold of a juice that contains some greens first thing on your cleansing day. Fresh raw veggies are full of live enzymes that help clean out your cells and refuel your body. Juicing the fruits and veggies makes the enzymes super accessible and allows you to drink more because the super-filling fiber is removed (it’s okay, you’ll get your fiber elsewhere).

Consume Lots of Raw Fruits & Vegetables

It’s simple; raw fruits and vegetables have live enzymes, which not only help in the digestion process, but also help clean out your cells, remove toxins, and purify your body. When you’re craving a snack during your cleansing time, reach for an apple, celery, carrots, any raw fruit or veggie will do!

Eat a Raw Lunch

Keep on the clean path with a raw food  lunch. You can have veggies, nuts, sprouted grains, seeds, cold-pressed oils. Any large salad will do! If you’re a meat eater, you can go ahead and add a lean meat like chicken breast or fish but don’t add processed marinades or mayo and if you have a protein, don’t have any sprouted grains. The more veggies you eat, the more cleansing power you give your body, so fill that plate up with lettuce!

Eat a Clean Dinner

Similar to lunch, you want to keep your plate full of raw or lightly cooked veggies and keep the extra sauces/oils to a minimum. You can have some cooked food here, like rice or a lean meat but if you have one, don’t have the other. Eating rice? Keep it to raw or steamed veggies on top. Eating chicken? Skip the rice. Keeping your meal organized to contain either starch OR protein will help your digestive system efficiently process your healthy meal.

Avoid Salt, Coffee, Dairy, Sugar, Artificial Sweeteners, Alcohol, and Wheat

Like I said before, I’m not one to avoid the so-called ‘naughty’ foods, but when you’re trying to cleanse, you absolutely must say no for at least one day. I like to limit these foods as much as possible and on a day of cleansing, you will really feel the difference if you avoid salt, coffee, sugar, alcohol, dairy, and processed wheat (Sprouted grain bread is acceptable). Give it at least one day without these no-no foods, and then see how long you can go without a few of them. The longer you keep these foods out of your diet, the better your body will feel so go ahead and see if you can avoid these foods for more than a day.

Drink Lots of Water

You should always drink lots of water, but when you’re cleansing it is very important to flush toxins out with water. Drinking water at room temperature is better for your digestive system, and adding fresh lemon to your water will give it an even greater cleansing boost. Bottoms up!

Keep Your Portions Small

Give your digestive system a break, and only eat as much as you need to feel satisfied, not full. Eat slower to give your body time to process what you’re consuming and put the fork down before your plate is empty and really take a moment to check-in and see if you really need to eat more. It should only take your body 4 hours to get hungry again after a meal, but eating too much can challenge your digestive system, make digestion inefficient, and keep waste in your body too long (hello gas, indigestion, bloat, and discomfort)!

Only Eat When You’re Hungry

Similar to keeping portions small, eating only when you’re hungry will ensure that your digestive system isn’t over taxed and your energy levels stay high. Don’t make your body work super hard to digest extra food it doesn’t need. If you aren’t hungry, your body is still using energy to digest what you’ve fed it before, so feeding it more food will only tax your body, deplete your energy, and cause you to hold on to waste. Eat small portions and only when you’re hungry to keep everything running smoothly and help your body cleanse and replenish.

Get Plenty of Sleep!

Always get at least 7 hours a night. But really get at least 7 hours when you’re trying to cleanse. The more tired you are, the harder it is to make great, healthy decisions and the less energetic you will feel. You need rest to restore your energy and get your body for another successful day!

Have questions!? Feel free to email Hayley@betterbodybuffalo.com for personalized quick detox tips.

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Wellness Habit: Start the Day with Warm Lemon Water

Yes, I do drink my cleansing lemon water in a Bud Light glass.

Drinking water is the perfect way to start your day.  Believe it or not, simply being hydrated will help you feel fresh and awake and ready to conquer your day!  Add an extra boost to your morning water with lemon.  Lemon has some amazing benefits that you can reap simply by squeezing some organic lemon juice into lukewarm water each morning.  Here are just a few great things warm lemon water can do for you:

Aids Digestion

The lemon juice you squeeze in to your water will help you flush out toxins and promotes bile production, all of which helps maintain a healthy digestive system.   Lemon’s aid in your digestive system will help relieve indigestion, gas, and heart burn, too.

Promotes Weight Loss

Lemons contain a good amount of pectin fiber, which helps regulate hunger and keep you from eating unnecessarily. Lemon also helps balance for bodies pH levels.  A body with a balanced pH level is much more readily able to lose weight than one with a highly acidic pH level. Go lemon!

Boosts Immune System

Lemons are really high in vitamin C, they are a citrus fruit after all! You need high levels of vitamin C in your body to help it repair itself when nasty bugs and bacteria attack and lemon’s naturally high levels of potassium helps reduce free radicals and increase red blood cell production!

 Increases Energy

Hydrating with water alone will help you increase your energy, but adding lemon gives you even more oomph! Lemon actually creates an enzyme reaction during digestion that gives your body an extra dose of energy and simply smelling lemon boosts your mood.  It’s science.

 

Those are just four of the many reasons lemon water is a great addition to your daily habits. Even on the days that I don’t consume my lemon water first thing in the morning. I make sure to have it at some point during the day.  I honestly do love the way I feel when I drink lemon water first thing in the morning.  I squeeze ½-1 whole lemon into my water for ultimate results and, voila, I feel energized, fresh, and ready to make healthy choices throughout my day. I highly recommend holding on to this wellness habit forever!

P.s. I’m drinking mine right now, are you?

 

Be well.

 

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