7 Fun Foods That Promote Inner Body Balance
Balance is something that we all need in order to feel our very best. Nutrition plays an essential role in achieving that goal because we become what we eat, and the quality of the food we pick helps stabilize our emotions, and ultimately our mood.
A good way to start moving towards the right direction is to include alkaline foods in your diet. Why? Because the alkaline minerals we have inside our body are used to level up acidic conditions created by the environment we cohabit with. When the pH of our blood is between the numeric fringes that oscillate from 7.35 to 7.45, it is considered alkaline. Generally, acidic conditions start to drop below 7.35, and that´s an ideal environment for disease to develop. Above 7.45, our organisms will enter in an excessive alkaline zone, which is not good either.
The foods we eat are transformed into acid or alkaline product once they have been digested and later broken down. As a matter of fact, the actual pH of a particular food does not at all influence the final process by which the body turns that item into an acidic or alkaline material. This means that when you chew a lemon, it may taste acidic in your mouth but it will be turned into an alkaline product in your stomach.
Among the considered alkaline-forming foods, we have meat, eggs, dairy, and refined carbs. On the contrary, the majority of fruits and vegetables are alkaline forming foods. Cooked foods are much more acidic than raw foods; the reason being that live foods have enzymes that detox our bodies and help it to absorb nutrients while "dead foods" are lacking those enzymes.
The magic combination to getting a balanced and healthy mood is formed by whole foods, veggies, and fruits that foster the production of serotonin, which is a chemical that balances our mood.
To Put The Science Into Practice, Here Are 7 Foods To Help You Reach An Optimal Mood:
1.Coconut
Water, meat, or oil - coconut is a great mood-boosting food. It has triglycerides that are used in our organisms in the form of ready to use brain petrol. It is proven that coconut scent helps to reduce stress and lowers blood pressure. Try to drink coconut water after an intense activity to recover energy, or enrich your breakfast with coconut shreds and feel the positive energy.
2.Avocado
Avocado is a fruit that provides healthy fats and is also rich in nutrients that are needed for serotonin to develop and reach stable levels in the brain. Guacamole or avocado toast with whole bread would be a great snack to raise your mood.
3.Broccoli
This green leafy vegetable has as much protein as meats, and like other vegetables of its kind, is a great source of alkaline minerals and fibers. In addition to this, it also has anti-stress properties. A tasteful broccoli pesto can be a great idea to enjoy this green veggie.
4.Chickpeas
Apart from being a good source of serotonin, this pulse is a great source of protein, potassium, and iron, and is fully packed with antioxidants and folates (3 times more than kale). You can combine it in a colourful salad or you can even taste the sweet version of it by making some easy raw chick energy balls.
5.Spirulina
This blue-green algae has "the world's highest source of protein (65%)." It also contains tryptophan, an amino necessary for the production of serotonin. This seaweed has plenty of minerals, trace elements, phytonutrients and enzymes. You can add it in your herbal tea, juice or smoothie.
6.Raw Chocolate
Cacao is the number one source of antioxidants, and it has magnesium, iron, manganese and chromium. Raw chocolate enhances both mood and energy. If you love chocolate, the best option for a guilt-free bite is to eat dark chocolate with a mínimum of 70% of cacao.
7.Walnuts
Considered the King of nuts, this food is indeed a health booster. They contain an amino called I-arginine which offers health benefits to your heart. Moreover, they have vitamin E, omega-3 fats, and antioxidants, which makes them ideal for not just feeding the brain, but controlling diabetes and combating weight gain.
A nutritive and happy meal equates to a happy and stable mood, so feed yourself wisely and you will benefit from vibrant health and overall general wellness.
*Originally published on Black Girl In Om
Rian De La Torre is a Holistic Heath coach and writer. She contributes to Om because I feel happy to become part of the holistic black sisterhood. For now, she spends half of the year in Uruguay in the countryside and the other half in Formentera (Spain) which is the last paradise of the mediterranean sea. Rian's go-to self-love practice consist of eating healthy (vegetarian) and hiking, yoga and journaling.
All images via Getty Images
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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How A Stay At Switzerland's Luxurious 7132 Hotel Reminded Me To Live The Life I Deserve
Sometimes, as women—especially as single Black women—we simply need to be reminded that we are deserving of living a life we dream of. Even if that means creating it for ourselves. I recently set out on a weeklong trip to Switzerland, a trip I’ve been wanting to take for years, and near the end of my visit, I had an epiphany.
“DeAnna, this is the life you deserve,” I thought to myself as I took in the gorgeous bathroom in my suite at the famous 7132 Hotel and Thermal Spa. It was one of the most luxurious hotels (and bathrooms) I had ever stayed in—and that’s saying a lot for someone who often travels for work.
To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
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I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
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That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
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So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
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