Stress: Defined and Managed

Stress is a part of everyone's life, and in this fast paced world it's beginning to take over our health. How we manage our stress determines it's effect on our health.  Stress is our body's physical and mental response to the changes and challenges of our lives.  The key to managing stress is to determine the stressor, break it down, and move on.  This correlates to acute stress and chronic stress.  Acute stress can be categorized as daily stress or short-term stress like the weather, running late, or stubbing your toe.  Chronic stress is long term stress like living with disease, grief, or post traumatic stress disorder.  Chronic stress should be discussed with a health professional (doctor/therapist) or support group for proper management.

Symptoms of stress can be physical, mental, or emotional.

Physical	Mental	Emotional
Tightness in chest	Difficulty making decisions	Tense
Trouble sleeping	Forgetfulness	Grump
Upset stomach	Trouble concentrating	Impatient
Constipation	Making errors	Hopelessness
Exhaustion	Repetitive thoughts	Hostile
Backache	Desire to “run away”	Easily upset
Accidents or injuries	Continued boredom	Lonely
Unexpected tears	Confusion	Feeling sad

So what happens in the body to trigger these symptoms? When the body goes into fight or flight mode, the adrenal glands produce cortisol.  Cortisol is the stress hormone.  High cortisol levels contribute to rapid aging, sleep deprivation, abdomen weight gain, loss of libido, anxiety, and weakening of the immune system leading to disease.

Stress will occur in everyone's life, but there is a healthy way to manage it.  First break it down with the 5 W's.  Who, What, When, Where, Why? Defining the stressor will help you to break down the stress. Once you understand what is stressing you out, you will be able to see it for what it is and deal with it.

Act, don't react.  Take a deep breath and pause before responding to stress.  Tell yourself "Everything is fine. I can handle this."  Believing you are ok will aid in preventing the body from engaging in the fight or flight response.

Think positive.  Accept that change is natural in life.  Try not to worry about the unknown.  Eliminate unnecessary obligations and stay organized by using a planner.

Mediate.  Sit with your eyes closed and focus on nothing.  Keep your mind still for 10 minutes a day.  Create your mantra word and say it to yourself to refocus if your mind drifts.  Meditation conditions the mind to remain still through out the day, thus minimizing racing thoughts and stress.

Don't forget about you.  Make "me time" a priority.  Whether it's watching your favorite show, having a piece of dark chocolate, drinking a glass of wine, or taking a bubble bath.

We are all trying to do our best in life, but life is stressful.  I hope this article has helped you to understand what stress is and that it can be managed.  At Blendah Babes we believe health is happiness, and managing stress is a huge part of this equation.

What's so great about Blendah Babes smoothies?

First, allow me to introduce myself.  I’m the Carlie with an “ie”.   My educational background is in Exercise Science and Whole Health.  Taking pride in my health and helping others achieve their optimal state of health and happiness is my passion in life.  This is just one of the reasons why the Carley with an “ey” and I became such great friends and business partners.  Carley is just as passionate about health as I am, and our common goal of wanting to help others feel as great as we do is the foundation for the Blendah Babes.

So why do we feel so great every day?  I’ll be honest…there’s more than one answer to this question, but one of the answers is definitive and consistent, and that answer is: our daily smoothie. 

Carley and I consume a smoothie on a daily basis.  I typically drink mine in the morning for breakfast and Carley often likes to drink hers in the afternoon.  The recipe most often consists of a leafy green, fruit, protein, and seed.  Blending these powerhouse ingredients together and drinking it all in one glass is the perfect combo for sustainable energy.

Why?

Now I’m going to bring nutritional science into the equation.  The ultimate food combination that our bodies want to consume at every meal is this: fiber + protein.  Fiber is found in whole fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, seeds, and legumes.   Fiber helps the body regulate its use of blood sugars, which in turn curbs hunger and helps us to feel full.  Diets high in natural fiber have been linked to the prevention of diseases such as heart disease and diabetes.  On average, people consume only half the amount of fiber their body actually needs on a daily basis.  What easier way to consume a full serving of fiber in this fast paced world than in a fiber rich smoothie?

Ok, so clearly fiber is important, but what’s the deal with protein?  Protein is found in our muscle, skin, bone, and almost every other body tissue.  Protein makes up the enzymes that influence chemical reactions through out the body and the hemoglobin that carries oxygen in the blood.  Amino acids are the building blocks of protein.  Our bodies produce some amino acids, but not all.  The amino acids we must get from food are called essential amino acids.  Essential amino acids are found in animal protein (chicken, fish, red meat, eggs, and dairy), and in vegan sources (hemp, rice, pea, nuts, and seeds).  A complete protein contains all essential amino acids.  At Blendah Babes, we only use top quality, complete, vegan protein.  Quality is extremely important in protein consumption.  Low-grade protein sources are not absorbed in the body properly, which causes two things: lack of proper nutrients and money wasted.

All of our smoothies contain a healthy serving of fiber and protein, thus leaving you full, satisfied, and ready to take on the day.  Now that you understand the necessary fuel our bodies need to thrive, you can understand our philosophy behind our product.  We are what we eat.  If you make a healthy food choice, you’ll feel energized.  Choosing a Blendah Babes smoothie equals on-the-go natural, healthy, sustainable energy.  

Prepping for success!

Hello out there Blendah Babe Nation!
Today is Sunday and you know what that means? It is meal prep day :) In our every day busy lives it can become  difficult to prepare every snack/meal at the right times and make sure they are nutritious and healthy for us. It is so easy to get caught up and grab something quickly because you are unprepared. Lets face it, it is easier to grab take out or a frozen meal than it is to prepare a fresh salad with grilled chicken at the end of the day.
We use Sundays to plan ahead for the week and prepare out some easy foods so when you are in a hurry in the days ahead you can simply grab and go.  Having healthy options already prepared makes it so simple to make the right choices when you have limited time during the busy work week.

Some ways we love to prepare for the week on Sundays are:

1.Wash/dry/chop vegetables and store in air tight containers. These chopped vegetables are now ready to be grabbed and thrown into smoothies, stir frys, salads, soups--the possibilities are endless! We also love to make a big batch of hummus every week to dip our prepped veggies into .

2. Prepare a large serving of a whole grain for the week such as brown rice or quinoa. When stored in an air tight container they last for days and just need a simple reheat to add with your already chopped veggies or to throw on top of a salad. Simple whole grains (complex carbohydrates) keep you feeling full and satisfied longer than other carbohydrates, so don't be afraid to add the into your diet on a daily basis.

3. We love enjoying oatmeal with fresh fruit in the morning to keep us fueled and satisfied on busy days. Batches of oatmeal can be prepared and made ahead of time at night and stored in the refrigerator for a simple re-heat on the stove in the next morning. 

4. Cooking and storing chicken or turkey ahead of time on Sundays is the perfect way to ensure you have some lean protein ready to go for lunches and dinners. We like to grill a couple of chicken breasts or cook some ground turkey on the stove to add on top of salads or to pair with our chopped vegetables for an easy week night dinner.  

Taking the time one day a week to prepare yourself can be daunting and uncomfortable at first, but we promise you will thank yourself in the long run.  

What are your favorite ways to meal prep for the week? Let us know in the comments below!

--Carlie & Carley