Mighty Good Monday to YOU!
My name is Shawn Tolleson, former Major League baseball player and current owner and health advisor for Tolleson Health Advisors. My purpose is to guide my clients to optimal health so that they can maximize their potiential to fulfill their pupose. We all have a purpose that is larger than ourselves!
Welcome to my FIRST EVER “Mighty Good Monday” weekly blog post. As we get to know each other, you will soon learn how much my father’s life has impacted mine. He has passed on, but his sayings live on! He was a positive man and “Mighty Good!” was his signature sign-off in every conversation he engaged in.
These blog posts serve to provide you with simple and practical ways to create optimal health in your life. Be sure to check back every Monday for my latest thoughts.
Many of us are struggling to make wise food choices amidst our country’s current landscape in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic.
MY TOP 3 TIPS FOR EATING HEALTHY DURING COVID-19:
#1: Eat for Immune Health
Your body needs nutrients like vitamins A, D, E, and C and minerals like iron, selenium, copper, and zinc to support your immune system. Fill your freezer with grass-fed beef, organic and free-range chicken, and wild-caught salmon. Buy frozen organic vegetables and get creative by mixing and matching them in a skillet or steamer. If frozen organic vegetables are hard to find right now, as they were when I was at the store last, just buy fresh, slice them up, and put them in the freezer! Also, make sure you are getting plenty of sunlight and use a vitamin D supplement to be safe. Vitamin D is crucial in your defense against this virus.
We all know that vitamin C is essential to immune-health and recent trials indicate it being one of the strongest defenses and treatments for COVID-19. Did you know that a yellow pepper has 5 times more vitamin C than an orange? Brocolli, brussel sprouts, and yellow peppers are my favorite vitamin C rich vegetables, but they must be eaten raw! I like to chop these 3 up with some green cabbage and make a vitamin C slaw!
If you want to double-down on your vitamin C, here is my favorite food-based Vitamin C Supplement.
#2: Skip a Meal (or 2)
It isn’t going to kill you to have to skip meal. In fact, this may be a great opportunity to implement an intermittent fasting practice. Your genetics can provide valuable insight into which eating pattern is best for your energy levels, weight-management, and mood. Tolleson Health Advisors is passionate about helping our clients align their lifestyle with their genetics.
Many of you will find that you do quite well with skipping breakfast. Others may enjoy a late breakfast, a small snack for lunch, and an early dinner. Others may decide to go for a full 24-hour fast. If nothing else, it is a great way to make your groceries last longer! You don’t want to get me started on all the benefits of fasting, that will have to be a post for a later day.
#3: Avoid Stressful Eating
We are all under a lot of stress right now. Our income may be reduced. Our businesses may be under-performing. Our investments may be dipping. Even working from home while also trying to manage our familes all under the same roof can present many challenges. All of these factors can easily lead to emotional eating, (aka sweet and salty pre-packaged pantry items!)
I realize that most of us are not grocery shopping as often as we are used to, but there are plenty of healthy shelf-stable and freezer-friendly snacks that we should have available to us. Nuts and seeds are easy grab-n-go snacks, (macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, and walnuts are my go-to’s). Mix up an assortment of nuts you enjoy, 100% cacao chocolate chips or cacao nibs, if you must, and store in an air-tight container for easy snacking.
I also always have on-hand what I need to whip up a nutrient-dense afternoon smoothie. I always use frozen spinach or kale, frozen avocado, half of a frozen banana (unripened and green is best), raw cacao powder, Bone Broth Protein, Celtic sea salt, Athletic Greens, cashew or macadamia milk, and a few ice cubes for a delicous and creamy chocolate immune-boosting smoothie.
Knowing exactly what to eat and what supplements to take can be overwhelming. We are all different genetic specimens and thus require different plans. There is no such thing as a “one-size-fits-all” approach to diet, exercise, and supplements. If you want to work with me throughout the year to discover what optimal health looks like for YOU, schedule a free 30 minute Discovery Call with me today and check out our List of Services.