The Maiden Voyage
Caps and gowns are being donned, diplomas are being received, and the long walk across the stage signals the final accomplishment of years of effort. But as you throw your cap into the air in gleeful abandon, remember that graduation is as much a beginning as it is an ending in your life’s voyage. If you or someone you love is graduating this spring, either from high school, technical school, or college, it is time to consider the reality of life outside the protective confines of the academic structure. This is really the calm before the storm as you learn to sink or swim.
You are the captain of your ship!
Graduation marks the passage from one academic endeavor to the next round of opportunities and challenges. In all likelihood it will bring with it increased choices and freedoms along with the responsibilities they require. While extremely exciting and positive, this transition will be smoother with an increase in personal awareness and stress management. You are heading into the winds of change. Whether you don’t yet know what comes next or have your course plotted, you will benefit from knowing how to maximize your energy to perform at your best. Learning how to take care of yourself is one of the most important investments you can make in your career and personal life success. Good nutrition and supplementation will put the wind in your sails and carry you anywhere you want to go.
Chart your course.
One secret to post graduation success is to become organized. Time management is your best friend. As your own boss you will need to learn to give yourself the good food, regular exercise, and plenty of sleep that your body needs. This is how you set yourself up for smooth sailing. It’s time to tune into what your body is telling you on many levels. You may not have paid attention before to signals such as how you feel after eating a pizza, a bowl of ice cream, or one too many drinks. Not to take the wind out of your sails, but soon some of these pleasurable foods may begin to rock your boat. Some may leave you lethargic, achy, or with symptoms of poor digestion. Others may make your brain foggy and unequipped for cognitive performance. Better to get your bearings now so that you can navigate knowing the lay of the land.
Popeye & Olive Oil
Popeye the Sailor Man and his girlfriend Olive Oyl knew a thing or two about nutrition. The perpetual underdog, he guzzled cans of spinach to pump up his muscles while keeping Olive Oyl close at hand. We know today that olive oil and spinach are two of the healthiest foods around. If you are just learning to cook for yourself, consider stocking up on olive oil, coconut oil, or avocado oil. Contrary to conventional wisdom, these nutrient rich fats do not make you fat. It is vegetable oils that put one at risk for obesity and diseases or will become denatured at high cooking temperatures causing free radicals to develop. Instead use extra virgin olive oil for cooking and salads. It has a high enzyme content which aids digestion as well as being rich in antioxidants. Or try coconut oil, which has a nice flavor for baking. These delicious flavors mix well with all foods, can be added to smoothies for sustaining, on-the-go energy, and also have high vitamin contents and antioxidants. Coconut oil fights off all kinds of infectious agents as well as helping the body to burn fat and decrease hunger. But that is just the tip of the iceberg! To keep your boat going with the flow even in life’s sometimes-stormy seas you will need a few basic supplements.
Set sail with the right supplement.
Even with the best of intentions, no one cooks all their own meals and eats right all the time. But you can adopt a good, basic supplementation strategy to keep you heading in the right direction by filling in any gaps your menu may have.
1. Make sure you take a good, whole foods, multi-vitamin such as My Kind Organics Men’s/Women’s Once Daily. Not only are these vitamins made from actual food rather than being synthetic creations, they are all organic and contain 100% of the recommended daily value or higher of 15 vitamins and minerals with nothing artificial added. Adjusted for the health needs of men and women, the women’s version benefits metabolism, skin and nails, and contains iron for red blood cell production. The men’s formula supports good energy, heart health, and prostate health.
2. Many people eating a western diet are deficient in calcium and magnesium. Even if one gets enough calcium from dairy, the two minerals work together and can be difficult to get in correct proportion. Natural Vitality CalMag is a great way to ensure that you are getting a balanced ratio of bioavailable calcium and magnesium for strong bones and muscle health in a relaxing, powdered supplement drink. Just add it to water, juice, or your favorite smoothie ingredients.
3. Catie’s Whole Plant Food Greens is an organic super-concentrated greens powder to throw in your smoothie. This mix of whole food vegetables, fruits, herbs, and adaptogenic mushrooms provides abundant energy and overall health. Contained are some of the richest vitamin and mineral source foods along with their phytonutrients, probiotics, digestive enzymes, and fatty acids. There is also a Gluten Free version for those who are sensitive to gluten. You can either commit to eating 7 servings a day of the best quality organic vegetables available or you can keep afloat with the best buoy money can buy! Strengthen and nourish your system every day with Catie’s Greens for full steam ahead health!
4. In addition to the above mentioned oils, many people benefit from taking daily cod liver oil with it’s wealth of fat-soluble vitamins A, D,and E, as well as the fatty acids EPA and DHA which are essential for proper functioning of the brain and nervous systems. When Green Pasture Cod Liver Oil is fermented in the traditional way, without heat, and taken with Green Pasture X Factor Gold High Vitamin Butter Oil, the combination found in Blue Ice Royal Fermented Cod Liver Oil/Butter Oil Blend works like magic to maintain robust good health.
Down the hatch!
Now that you have the nutrition and supplement strategies in place to keep your ship on an even keel, you have much less to worry about. Go ahead and celebrate your commitment and determination that brought you to this graduation moment. You are ready to sail into deep water knowing you have a solid foundation of nutrition to support you. The coast is clear, and your goals are waiting to be chased!
