Where my dudes at? (Skincare & Nutrition Tips for the Men in our Lives)

I like to think that my readers & demographics know no sex or age - but if I was to be honest, most of the comments and feedback come from the ladies.  So this post is for the fellas in our lives - brothers, partners, fathers & bff's!  

RBN's top 10 MAN TIPS 

Super easy to incorporate into your lives & tried by my love (he's addicted to most and can't believe he lived without them)!

1. Water - This is my number one tip for all humans (pets too).  Most people don't even realize that they're dehydrated. 

Simple calculation:
IDEAL AMOUNT = Your body weight divided by 2 = number of ounces per day
*One glass = 8 ounces*
Ex: 150 lbs/2 = 75 ounces
75/8 (oz) = 9 glasses of WATER!

 Remember to drink/sip on water throughout your entire day, preferably separate from your meals!
*herbal teas, juices and coffee do not count towards your water intake, and you’ll need to add another serving per coffee.

2. Probiotics - Great for gut health, digestion, immune system & optimal health.  Super easy to take and if you never take another supplement again - this would be my tops! Studies have been linked to improved mood & mental health too.  Ask me or your local health store for tips!

3. Vitamins - Should you decide vitamins will be a part of your life then here's my top picks: Vitamin E (Cell repair & renewal), Magnesium (muscle function, immune & calms nervous system), Vitamin D (Immunity & bone health - naturally occurring in sunshine), Potassium (kidneys & heart health) & Selenium (powerhouse antioxidant!)

***For more detail and food sources refer to my Among Men - Rachel A Bies article.

Vitamins are a great option!

4. Exercise - Movement is such a vital part of balance and healthy living.  Take a walk on your lunch break, opt for the stairs over escalator, AIM for 60 minutes of exercise per day (yoga, run, weights etc). 

 5. Take care of your Skin - Same rules for men - should always wash your face before bed (pollution, dirt & sweat from the day can clog pores) & keep skin moisturized to reduce signs of aging.  That doesn't mean spending $$$ - Josh and I use Inca, Olive & Coconut Oil as our at home moisturizers for face, hair and body.  But a high quality organic & extra virgin bottle, split in two (glass and dark to avoid becoming putrid) and store in bath and kitchen.  Voila - save money, have kick ass skin and smell yumms.  ***Single men: Your partner will appreciate a man who takes care of their skin!

Less expensive than store bought creams & smells oh so delicious. 

6. Eat your VEGETABLES - This doesn't mean you need to eat salad for your life BUT it does mean incorporate a variety of vegetables (eat with colour) into your meals.  Smoothies, salads, steamed, roasted & sauteed are great options.  ***Email me or go on website for more options/recipes) 

7. Cook at HOME - A lot of men I've worked with & know really enjoy cooking.  At first they may not even realize - once I teach them how approachable & simple great food can be, they realize " hey I can do this".  Even if its a few simple staple meals: BBQ meats, few egg dishes, roasted & sauteed veg & some easy wine pairings.  Start there and then follow your passion!  ***A man who cooks is killer or one that will at least learn with you!

Who knows - YOU may love cooking, if you don't already!!

8.  Chew your food - Most people don't take the proper time to chew their food properly - this allows HCL (digestive juices) to prepare in our tummys, eliminate risk of leaky gut and other digestive issues & increases our ability to absorb more vitamins and minerals from our foods.

Laugh that sh*t OFF!!!

9. Balance - Everything deserves and functions better with some sort of balance.  Find yours.  Is it having a drink with friends?  Having pizza once a week?  Don't feel guilty about small guilty pleasures - better to adhere (in my opinion) to an 80-20% rule than being super strict!

10. Laugh your butt off - When the world seems to crumble or your boss is driving you mental, in the words of Taylor Swift "Shake it Off".  Seriously - we work on this at home (more so me) but will it matter in 2 hours; 2 days; 2 weeks?  Odds are it won't.  PLUS stress is a fun killer - can affect our moods, digestion, mental health, sleep etc!  Even if you fake it until you make it (cheesy?)!

For any questions, inquiries or culinary lessons email me!

xox rbn 

FoodiePages.ca & RachelBies Nutrition Collaboration Announcement!

Happy Bastille Day to my viewers in France (and thanks for your support!) - As a French Canadian girl (1/2), I always like to acknowledge French traditions - be it in a #vivelaFrance or #labelleprovince manner! I'm currently doing a cleansing few weeks (two weddings last week & two more in two weeks) so NO fromage or poutine pour moi!

     Anyways... ANNOUNCEMENT time!

When FoodiePages.ca emailed me to work & partner up for some fun collaborations - I jumped at the opportunity!  

About FoodiePages.ca:

Founder & CEO,  Erin Maynes created FP's to be a great online presence - where you could connect with farmers, markets & wineries and buy directly from Canada's best small-scale & regional producers.  FoodiePages stands for good food - natural, local & delicious (which falls in line PERFECTLY with what RBN's motto is)!

Our first collab is MY most favourite things to do with local people - #recipe development!  

Our first star ingredient is something that all chefs/nutritionists/foodies naturally turn to to add flavour, layers & aroma to our meals.  Nutritionally its part of the allium fam-jam (onions and such) & is great for heart health, blood pressure, improves iron metabolism and is affectionately referred to as "the stinking rose"!

Garlic! Ail! Aglio! Knoflook!

When you roast garlic - the intense flavours disappear and are replaced with sweet and salty tinges!

Nutritional Powerhouses & one of my FAVOURITE go-to ingredients!

My job was to create a recipe highlighting the wonders of garlic! Hmmm. A bit of a new challenge as we naturally lean to it as a supporting character - but with a bit of trial and error, can easily become THE STAR.

 Roasted garlic, sweet potato & white kidney bean hummus!

What you'll need:

 1/2 c soaked & cooked white beans (black & chickpea would work too)

1 large sweet potato

2 heads of garlic

1/2 fresh lemon

2 tsp tahini (nut butter works too)

1/2 c extra virgin olive oil

sea salt & pepper

chili peppers (optional)

2 tsp fresh cilantro

1 tsp cumin

What to do:

Preheat oven to 375. Peel sweet potato & cut into quarters. Cut tops of garlic, place in a foil wrapper with olive oil. Roast for 25-30 minutes until soft and sweet. Potatoes - Toss in olive oil and s & p.  Roast until soft, 45-60 minutes.  Once everything has cooled down, throw all ingredients into food processor/blender/vitamix.  Blend with small increments of evoo until smooth.  Can use a bit of the water used to cook beans too!  Blend until desired texture - I like it so it coats veg/crackers without being too thin.  Season with extra spice or acidity!  Finish with fresh herbs a drizzle of your best olive oil!  Serve with crudites, sweet potato chips, crackers or use as sub on your sandwiches/pizza.  

Heart health, delicious and oh so colourful!!!  Drool worthy, non?

Variations:

1. Boil the sweet potatoes for a less "roasted" flavour.  Sub in your favourite squash or pumpkin.

2. For a fall hummus - add cayenne, ginger & cinnamon as your spices.  Curry would work amazing too.

3.  Finish with some goat cheese or feta for a zing!
4. Smear roasted garlic on crackers/toast with some cheese!
5. Toss in pasta with some roasted veggies & herbs.

Nutritional breakdown: Source of magnesium, vitamin B6, vitamin C, selenium & copper.  Reduces inflammation, protects our heart & chalk full of anti-oxidants!

Add garlic to all your meals, dressings and soups to add an extra dash of nutrients & flavours to your day!

Thanks to FoodiePages.ca and cannot wait to loop you all in on our other upcoming projects!!

Tweet us @rachelbies with your version & pics of this recipe!

Email us for consults, culinary collaborations, meal plans & food deliveries at rachelbiesnutrition.com!

love rbn

xox 

LOCAL LOVE TO FOODIEPAGES!!!