Crystal Obregon, Certified High Performance Coach
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Crystal
  • Meal Planning with Real Plans
  • Free Resources
    • 30 Minute Home Yoga Sequence
  • Contact

BLOG

You Have 4 Pounds of THIS in your gut

3/25/2020

0 Comments

 
In the midst of the Coronavirus right now, having a strong and healthy immune system is more important than ever!
 
There are steps you can take to make yourself healthier, and I’ve got a great series that focuses on a super important part of your immune health: your gut!
Picture
There has been a LOT of buzz about “gut health” lately … and for a very good reason.
 
Your gut health doesn’t affect just your digestion (although that’s super important) … but also your heart, your brain, your immune system, and even your mood.
 
And with a global pandemic happening, it seems like a good time to focus even more on our overall wellness!
 
You have about 100 trillion (!!!) microbes living in your gut right now. And there are about 1,000 different species of known gut bacteria. ​

Read More
0 Comments

Do You Get Enough of the Sunshine Vitamin?

8/21/2019

1 Comment

 
Did you know that almost 1 billion people across the world have a vitamin D deficiency?

That's a big deal, because vitamin D does so much to keep us feeling healthy.

Do you know how your vitamin D doing?

One big symptom of being low in vitamin D is feeling rundown and tired, along with catching every cold/bug that comes around.  Feeling depressed and losing hair are also two common signs that you might be low in the "sunshine" vitamin.
Picture

Why Vitamin D is SO Important


Read More
1 Comment

Three Easy Ways to Eat More Fruits and Veggies Every Day

7/10/2019

1 Comment

 
​Yes, it seems everywhere you turn health and wellness experts are telling you to eat more fruits and vegetables.
 
You totally get it.
 
Yes, they’re full, and I mean FULL, of nutrition (vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, fiber, etc.). 
 
Yes, people who eat more fruits and vegetables live longer, healthier lives. Not to mention protecting their bodies and minds from just about every chronic disease out there.  
Picture
If you haven't explored the Farmer's Market Friday portion of my website, check it out here.  I explore the health benefits of fruits, vegetables, herbs, and spices.  I found it amazing as I researched that almost every one had special health benefits.
 
Yes, eating more vegetables can help you maintain a healthy body weight, and even lose some fat (as long as you don’t bread and fry them, or cover them with cream sauce).
​Your question is not “Should I eat more fruits and vegetables,” but “How can I actually do it?”

Read More
1 Comment

Meal Plan Comparison:  Real Plans vs. That Clean Life

6/4/2019

2 Comments

 
A woman in a Facebook group I belong to posted a question about how while ​she feels much better when she eliminates gluten from her diet, she has trouble sticking with it past six weeks.

Initially, she said it's because she craves the density of foods like breads, and get really hungry, but ​with more investigations, it seems like she's just getting bored with what she perceives as a limited selection of foods that she can eat.

This really make me think of how when you change the way you eat, or eliminate certain foods from your diet, you really do feel like there's nothing to eat.

Read on.  It doesn't have to be that way!
Picture

Read More
2 Comments

What's Hiding in Your Food?

4/9/2019

1 Comment

 
Picture

How many times do you find yourself walking down the packaged food isle, making decisions based on what the front of the package says?

I remember as a kid, the cereal packaging was the worst!  Thinking back I can feel the disappointment in my body, when whatever was supposed to be in the package, wasn't.  Most often it was the free toy or whatever that was featured prominently on the front, but in reality it wasn't anything like the picture.

Or, the nice photo of the cereal with fresh fruit and a beautifully laid out table.  "Why doesn't my cereal look like that?"
Click here to Download

​Processed foods have become even more popular for their convenience and portability.
 Toaster pastries, tubes of yogurt, cans of soda, individually wrapped slices or pieces of cheese are usually heavily processed and contain various additives and chemicals to preserve their shelf life.

Read More
1 Comment

10 Reasons a Detoxification Program Might Be Right For You

1/23/2019

1 Comment

 
The term "detox" is thrown around a great deal, especially this time of year when many people have set New Year's resolutions and many of them have to do with improving health.  Detoxing can mean different things to different people.  Some detox plans are beneficial and some may do more harm than good.

So let's explore the general intention of a detox and figure out whether it's the right thing for you.
Picture

How can you tell if you might benefit from a detoxification program?


Read More
1 Comment

Environmental Toxins and How You Can Reduce Your Exposure

1/16/2019

0 Comments

 

What are toxins and how can they impact your health?

Picture
Toxins are harmful agents found in the environment.  They can encompass anything from digestive and metabolic byproducts to environmental chemicals that can pass through and/or collect in your body.

The toxicity of many chemicals is dose dependent, meaning that they can have toxic effects if they're consumed in significant quantities.  This can even go for certain foods, for example spinach, beet greens, and Swiss chard contain oxalic acid, which can block the uptake of calcium.  So, it's wise to not eat too much of these foods, but they shouldn't be avoided entirely because they contain a lot of beneficial nutrients and antioxidants.

Toxins can enter the gut through:
  • diet,
  • chronic use of NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs),
  • oral antibiotics,
  • chronic constipation -- which allows toxins to be absorbed across the gut lining.
  • modern conventional farming practices,
  • and pollutants in our air and water.

Read More
0 Comments

Common Toxins Lurking in Your Home and How to Avoid Them

1/9/2019

0 Comments

 
Picture
It's becoming easier and easier to identify toxins in your home and avoid them.  I became more aware of toxins that might be present in my home environment and foods when pregnant with my first child.  The childbirth classes I took emphasized avoiding toxins to increase your chances of a healthy birth.  

During my pregnancy with my second child, I became especially aware as we were remodeling our home and had many decisions to make regarding carpeting, wood finishing, paints, and wood floor refinishing,  While there were some resources, there definitely weren't as many as there are now!

Then, when I was trying to help my son heal from the heavy duty antibiotics he'd been on following a bone infection, the protocol that ended up helping, stressed removal of anything with artificial colors,  flavors, preservatives, or fragrances.  It was much harder than I thought, as even natural and organic foods, body care products, and cleaners contain these chemicals.  It was especially hard because, he was school aged and exposed to whatever was used to clean classrooms.

I again faced frustration when our family was traveling for a time several years ago.  I wrote an article how I was moved to tears when my laundry smelled so strongly of fragrance here.  Looking back, I find it kind of funny that we travelled through South America with our container of fragrance free laundry detergent.  And one Airbnb apartment we stayed at in France had so many air fresheners plugged into walls, or hiding here and there, that I was constantly gathering them and stashing them where we couldn't smell them.  I had write an apologetic note to the host telling her where I had hidden them.

It might sound crazy to you, but once your remove artificial fragrances from your life, for better or worse you become much more sensitive to them.  The benefits to your health, though, is worth it!


Read More
0 Comments

Three types of supplements that help improve your digestive health.

11/27/2018

2 Comments

 

Should you take a supplement to improve your gut health?

My personal preference when trying to improve my own health is always to focus on the foods I eat on a daily basis first.  In fact, I'm really not very good at taking supplements, although I do try hard to at least take my multi-vitamin and magnesium supplements every day.
Picture
When it comes to improving your gut health, the most important first step is to eat a wide variety of fresh fruits and vegetables.  Sometimes though, if you aren't feeling well, you might want to do a little more to kickstart your gut health.

That's where supplements come in!  

*As always, check with your doctor to verify dosages and make sure their aren't any contraindications for you.  This article is meant for educational purpose and not meant to diagnose or treat any medical condition.

Also, what works for one person may not work for another, so always do your research and pay attention to how you feel.


THREE TYPES OF SUPPLEMENTS THAT HELP IMPROVE YOUR DIGESTIVE HEALTH

Picture

1.  Supplements that Support Digestion


Read More
2 Comments

Polyphenols:  What They Are and Where to Find Them.

10/10/2018

1 Comment

 

What are polyphenols?

I'm sure you've heard plenty about the health benefits of polyphenols, but do you know what they are?
Polyphenols are naturally occurring compounds found in plants.  Polyphenols give plants a certain color or taste and they generally serve the plant by defending it against ultraviolet radiation and agressive pathogens.  

​Towards the end of the 20th century, epidemiological studies started showing that a diet rich in polyphenols may offer some protection from cancer, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, osteoporosis, and neurodegenerative diseases. Reference.
Picture

What are the health benefits of polyphenols?


Read More
1 Comment
<<Previous
    Click below to join my FREE Facebook Group-
    Women's Wellness Circle:  Create Your Extraordinary Life
    Join Here!
    Picture

    Author

    Hi, I’m Crystal!  

    I'm a Certified High Performance Coach and Integrative Health Expert, and... a mom of two, wife, swimmer, hiker, and yogi!

    I'm a coach and mentor to women (and some smart men) in their second act!

    If you'd like to access my Farmer's Market Friday posts from 2018, click here!

    Categories

    All
    Chronic Inflammation
    Exercise
    Family
    Food
    Health
    Psychology
    Relationships
    Spirituality
    Travel

    RSS Feed


Copyright 2020 Crystal Obregon.  
​
Website by Spiralglyph Media
  • Home
  • Blog
  • About Crystal
  • Meal Planning with Real Plans
  • Free Resources
    • 30 Minute Home Yoga Sequence
  • Contact