Tag Archives: healthy habits

8 Practices for a #SelfLove Valentine’s Day with Original G·E·M·S Life

Posted on February 8, 2021 by diamondsonyourinside and currently has Comments Off on 8 Practices for a #SelfLove Valentine’s Day with Original G·E·M·S Life

This Valentine’s Day, we’re asking you to look inward. And listen to your body. If it’s saying, “Lover, lover, lover…you don’t treat me no good no more”, then it’s time to practice a little self-love — Original G·E·M·S Life-style.

START. COMMIT. KEEP GROWING. JUMP INTO ORIGINAL G·E·M·S LIFE!

“But isn’t self-care a little…selfish?”, haters will say. Actually, no! By engaging regularly in a few self-indulgent practices, we’re actually bettering ourselves for those we love.

Healthy self-care isn’t just about indulgence though — it’s about implementing practices that help ground us and relieve stress and its effects (anxiety, sleep problems, and irritability, anyone?).

In the Name of #SelfLove

Take time for a little self-care now, and keep stress levels low so you can operate at your brightest.

We’ve created a go-to self-care checklist to guide you through a Valentine’s Day with Original G·E·M·S Life — a daily playbook based our founding principles, designed to help you Shine Brighter in all areas of your life. Taking part simply requires doing four daily practices, one in each of these categories: Gratitude, Eat Clean, Movement, Shine.

Try one practice below every day from each category, and enjoy some much-deserved YOU time this month!

8 Ways to Practice Self Care with Original G·E·M·S Life

Show GRATITUDE by

Choosing a daily mantra, an affirmation repeated to yourself every day. Repeat after us: “I am enough, I have enough, and I am doing enough.”
Share your own Gratitude journal! Don’t just write down what you’re thankful for, share it online! Your warm fuzzies will light up the dark corners of the internet. Just don’t forget to tag us and add #OriginalGEMSLife so we can join in the Love Fest!

EAT CLEAN with

Our Tahitian Pearl Smoothie! Who says you can’t indulge in a little chocolate AND check off your #EatClean practice?
Your very own GEM Cacao mix! Add to your own breakfast smoothies, or if you’re craving something sweeter, mix in with our housemade cashew milk!

Get MOVING by

Trying a self-love yoga session. We ❤️️ this one by Yoga with Adrienne (perfect for Valentine’s Day!).
Getting organized! Keeping things free from clutter has been proven to keep you on track and helps you maintain your goals. Turn on some music, strap on those disco shoes, and get your workspace, closet, laundry room, or whatever space you’ve been avoiding back in order!

SHINE brighter by

Committing to your body-care routine. Maybe it’s skin care or supplements. Or morning stretching. We all slack on these sometimes. But whatever it is, do it every day!
Detoxing with our GEM Detox Bath Salts. Our bath salts relax tense muscles, replenish magnesium, and reduce inflammation. Plus, their healing properties can also help moisturize your skin, decrease stress, and help you sleep better. Order yours today!

Whether you can commit to just one of these practices daily, or all of them, remember that YOU ARE WORTH IT.

“Anytime we can listen to [our] true self and give the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but for the many others whose lives we touch.” – Parker Palmer

Happy #SelfLove Valentine’s Day, GEMS!

About Original G·E·M·S Life Program

Shine Brighter all the time with an Original G·E·M·S Life, a daily playbook based on The GEM’s founding principles. Jump on our disco train and commit daily to just one practice in each of the categories, Gratitude, Eat Clean, Move, and Shine. Add in more practices and grow with the program when you’re ready and create your own Original G·E·M·S Life! Get started today!

Let us know what practices you love, and share your ideas for other practices on our social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook!

How to Stay Healthy This Cold & Flu Season

Posted on January 22, 2018 by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 1 Comment on How to Stay Healthy This Cold & Flu Season

In the midst of one of the worst cold and flu seasons, what are you doing to prevent illness and stay healthy? While there are obvious practices that make a BIG difference – things such as good hygiene (WASH YOUR HANDS OFTEN), good nutrition, lifestyle and sleep habits – there are amazing supplements that can boost your immunity to prevent and to lessen the symptoms of cold and flu. Our belief is to come at it from all angles! Want to stay healthy this cold and flu season? Follow these rules for prevention and more strength to fight it off with a greater one-two punch if you do get sick.

Diet & Lifestyle:

Exercise. Move, move, move.
Get sunlight and fresh air.
Reduce stress. Stress can compromise your immune system.
Get plenty of rest, especially during cold and flu season.
ELIMINATE SUGAR. Sugar suppresses your immune system for hours after you eat it. Sugar + white bloods cells/immunity = Kryptonite + Superman.
EAT NUTRITIOUS, UNPROCESSED FOODS. Our MVP soup packs a huge punch with lots of immunity boosting nutrients like mushrooms, cruciferous veggies, ginger.
BONE BROTH! Think about grandma’s chicken soup remedy. She knew it all along! Grab yours at The GEM.
STAY HYDRATED. Drink at least 8 glasses of filtered water each day.

Supplements. Take note. These are important and available inside The GEM!

PROBIOTICS. Supports a healthy immune system. We love our Bio Kult.
TAKE YOUR VITAMINS. Vitamin C is an immune system builder, but we need all of them to stay strong.
DRINK warm drinks like green or spicy chai teas. Even better try our Immunity Tea with local raw honey, turmeric, lemon and ginger. Our Turmeric Latte will change your life.
TURMERIC is one of the foods with the highest antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. Curcumin the active ingredient in turmeric, is anti-viral, anti-fungal and can help protect against cancer. In shots, juices or supplements.
GARLIC. Add this antimicrobial herb in your cooking, eat it fresh, or infused in honey (making it an easier preparation for some to swallow). To maximize garlic’s benefits, crush it and let it stand for 5 or so minutes to allow its active constituent, allicin, to occur.
ECHINACEA. Current flu research indicates that Echinacea may help to shorten the duration and severity of the flu if used early. Echinacea can be taken as a tea or tincture. Try our Cold Cocktail tincture – it contains garlic, turmeric AND Echinacea. POW!
IMMUNITY MIX. Our immunity shots with turmeric, ginger, and lemon are badass warriors in the battle to stay healthy and fight it off. It’s topped with the Adaptogenic tincture that contains super-powered medicinal immune boosting mushrooms.Belly up to the bar or buy it in bulk.
ELDERBERRY. Take it when the virus first strikes to reduce the duration and severity of symptoms. Plus, it tastes yummy. You can find Elderberry Syrup in our Allergy Shots or by the bottle in our fridge. Add it as a boost to your tea or smoothie.

We take these ideas very seriously. It can make all the difference for you AND your family, so run in today to build your health arsenal and kick cold & flu season’s ass!

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Simple, GEMMY Ways to Practice Earth Day, Every Day

Posted on April 19, 2017 by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 1 Comment on Simple, GEMMY Ways to Practice Earth Day, Every Day

Earth Day is a worldwide event celebrated every April 22nd. Its sole purpose is to demonstrate support for the protection of our magnificent, incredibly complex planet. For almost 40 years, Earth Day continues to raise the awareness and consciousness of every individual, household, business and organization about our vibrant planet.

Inside The GEM, our commitment to our environment has been a part of our creed. Since. Day. One.

In fact, after five years of serving up a plethora of organic juice, smoothies and green bites, we have composted more than 81 TONS of organic matter—diverting it out of the landfills and back into enriching our Earth. We donate this organic treasure to the Texas Worm Ranch in Garland, Texas, whose worms build healthier soil, which in turn is a vital resource for growing all of the organic veggies that our customers rely on at The GEM.

Just like we’ve watched our customers fall in love with Superfoods and healthy food, we’ve seen them adopt a newfound love of healthy habits such as reusing and recycling.

This same kind of energy can happen at your home or business as well.

Mission critical is that everyone knows the 3 R’s: REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE! Every act implementing the 3 R’s for our mother earth is worthy.

GEMMY things our customers are doing this Earth Day and every day:

REUSE paper products such as brown paper bags, six pack containers and drink holders. It’s infectious: when other customers see someone bring in a stack of bags or containers, they are quick to get on that reuse and reduce soul train!! Also, shots are a great way to get a quick dose of those much loved Superfoods, and they are super popular at The GEM. Most of our customers hand back our those glass shot bottles with pride because they know they are making a positive impact on their environment by reusing.
REDUCE the need to accept a brown bag for GEM goodies. Hand carry, bring your own bag, drop it in your purse. Now that is GEMMY!!
RECYCLE glass, plastic and paper. At the front door of The GEM, there are recycling receptacles. We see many GEMs using it daily for recycling on the go!

We wish you continued vitality and healthy habits this Earth Day, Earth Week, Earth Month and every day. Keep up the good work Earth warriors!

Snack Ideas for Healthy Teens [Part Three in Four-Part Series]

Posted on February 23, 2016 by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 1 Comment on Snack Ideas for Healthy Teens [Part Three in Four-Part Series]

Snack ideas for healthy teens got you stumped?

The key is to BE PREPARED. Remember from last post? If you have good food in your fridge, you will eat good food. This is true for all of us. So make regular trips to the grocery store, with a list of things that will sustain your teens (and their friends) for the week.

Be Ready!! Don’t wait for them to start rummaging through the kitchen. They will snack on what is in front of them. So have it out on the counter.

Organic popcorn made in a Whirley Pop with coconut oil and sea salt. You and your kids will flip for this stuff. Don’t have a Whirley Pop? Just in a lidded pot. So easy. DEE-LISH. Tiny but Mighty brand popcorn kernels are pretty cool to eat.
Sliced cucumbers/carrot rounds marinated in lime juice and sea salt. Don’t underestimate this one!
Tex Mex rules! Keep grass-fed taco meat ready to go. Always have these in your fridge:
- Fresh pico, salsa and bean dip. Nachos with pinto beans and cheese knock Cheetos out of the park!
- GUACAMOLE is awesome AND Organic chips are a must. Make sure your tortillas are fresh and without chemical ingredients. (Say goodbye to Mission brand)
- Bean Roll-Ups Spread bean dip on a whole wheat flour tortilla, top with shredded organic white cheddar and roll up. Brush with oil or grass fed butter and bake 10 minutes at 400 degrees F. Serve with salsa.
GEM hummus with jalapeno pesto. Grab one of our snack packs for their lunch too!
Sunflower seeds. Pumpkin seeds. Pistachios are fun to eat. Keep in a bowl on the counter.
Sliced apples with organic peanut/almond butter. Even sunflower butter is great (for nut allergies)
Slice bananas and freeze them. AWESOME. Grapes, too. Cutie oranges are fun to eat.
Make smoothies! Keep frozen berries (1c), 1 frozen banana, (1) almond milk (1c), pomegranate juice (1/2c) and plant based protein powder. (We use Epic inside The GEM.) They will love you!
Applegate Farms Turkey or chicken with a little mustard wrapped around a sesame breadstick.
Mini pizzas made with whole grain English muffins, fresh marinara (no sugar, all natural), organic mozzarella.
Sami’s Cinnamon Chips will disappear at carpool time. Everyone LOVES these high fiber, low sugar (but don’t tell them that) chips. Available at The GEM.
Whole wheat pasta already made. Or, Tinkyada brand gluten free pasta. Find a pomodoro sauce that is clean and healthy with nothing but tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, spices. NOTHING ELSE.
Make your own pita chips–sprinkle whole grain pita chips with parmesan cheese and broil until golden brown. Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies–in a pinch–are okay. Annie’s makes all kinds of convenience foods that can help make a transition into cleaner snacks.
Steam frozen ORGANIC edamame and add sea salt.
Roasted chickpeas. So fun!
Brown rice sushi pieces—cucumber rolls, California rolls.
Make your own cookies and brownies as a special treat. Just use organic flours, whole butters and real chocolates. A little goodness goes a long way. Stay away from Betty and Duncan. They are toxic sh*t storms.
This ain’t working for you? Still need some frozen snacks? Try these. Amy’s Nacho Snacks, Pizza Rolls or Burritos. Available at most grocery stores.
Popsicles? Frozen fruit ones are great–make sure to read the ingredients. Try these GoodPops out of Austin.

These are not all super-food healthy snacks–because we aren’t dummies. They are, however, CLEAN, free of harmful chemicals and dyes. This is really important to remember when feeding your families.

What are YOUR go-to healthy snack options? We’d love to hear!

Next up … bad@$$ breakfast ideas!

Six Tips for Feeding Healthy Teens [Part Two in Four-Part Series]

Posted on February 16, 2016 by diamondsonyourinside and currently has 4 Comments on Six Tips for Feeding Healthy Teens [Part Two in Four-Part Series]

We need to get teens back to healthy foods.

So how do you start? It is daunting. And I don’t suggest coming in full swing with a super-sized bag of kale chips and quinoa burgers. That is an invitation for a full on revolt. Start slowly. It’s not EVER too late to start. Just two weeks to form a habit.

SIX TIPS FOR FEEDING HEALTHY TEENS

1. MAKE IT RELEVANT. This is my favorite, and the most impactful way to convince your child of anything. In order for healthy options to sink in, teens must believe the message has specific reference to them. Long term health challenges will NOT resonate with them. Let them know nutrition affects their growth, their emotions, their academic and sports performance, their appearance, or whatever seems to be the most important to the teen during that particular week.

How?

Appeal to their vanity. Tell your daughter that eating lots more green leafy vegetables and less dairy/sugar will make her skin glow and eliminate breakouts, you have her ear. Talk to them about the correlation between nutritious food and acne. Want to grow? Talk about foods that promote growth and foods that don’t: promote calcium-rich foods and let them know soft drinks contain calcium depleting phosphoric acid, which can interfere with bone growth.

Appeal to their competitive nature. If you tell your son that he will play much better basketball if he doesn’t choose to drink the milkshake and chicken fingers before a game, he will listen.

Appeal to their academic drive: Tell your teen that eating grilled wild salmon and broccoli before exams and they will think more clearly. You at least have a chance!

BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE IT RELEVANT.

2. Model good nutrition. You must model healthy eating habits. You cannot preach to them! We all know how well that usually ends. Show your teens how to make healthier choices so they learn the connection between good food and good health.

Want them to eat healthier? Buy and cook healthier!! Have easy to grab options ALWAYS available. This IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY AS A PARENT. If you have good food in your fridge, you will eat good food. If you have a bowl of washed strawberries and grapes, they will eat them. Have a plate of veggies, hummus, and sliced apples out when they come home from school. Guacamole and fresh pico? They will eat it! Homemade organic popcorn is always a crowd pleaser.

How?

Let your teens help shop for healthy foods that they like and let them prepare their own meals/snacks.
Keep junk food out of the house or to a minimum. AND find “cleaner” junk foods. Those made without harmful chemicals, sweeteners and dyes.
Make extra when cooking dinner so they can use leftovers! (extra brown rice, chicken, pasta, brisket). I keep grass fed taco meat in the fridge to quickly make quesadillas after school.
Sneak spinach into smoothies.
The key is to be ready. Don’t wait for them to start rummaging through the kitchen. They will snack on what is in front of them. So have it out!

3. Eat more QUALITY protein at every meal. The growing teenage brain needs protein. Protein gives the body the building blocks it needs to repair and renew, and it also serves as a source of energy. But Quality Matters. Try wild fish, organic free-range chicken, grass-fed beef, pastured eggs. I keep a pot of beans ready at any given moment. Nut butters are also good sources of protein—just make sure they are all natural and not loaded with sugars.

4. Get more vitamins. Even if they were perfect eaters, they cannot get all of the nutrients they need from their food sources (soil depletion, environment, stress, etc.). Our teens need at least 20 to 30 percent more of their daily requirements of nearly all the vitamins. These three are imperative:

Multi-vitamin/multi-mineral supplement is imperative. Cells are powered by nutrients. Vitamin D alone powers 200 reactions in the body and without it teens will be prone to depression/anxiety. Without enough B vitamins, and B12 (found in proteins) teens will feel lethargic, low in energy. Zinc has been nicknamed the “new anti-depressant”– it boosts mood and appetite and helps kids think. Look for organic, plant based vitamins from reputable companies like New Chapter and Nordic Naturals.

Probiotics. Our immune system primarily resides in our digestive tract. The healthy bacteria that we need has been sabotaged with processed foods, antibiotics, and other chemical stresses we put on our bodies. Probiotics bring the good bacteria back so it can fight off illness, enhance digestion, remedies constipation and believe it or not, improves mood and thinking.

Fish Oil. Good omega fats nourish the brains, the nervous system. Combats mood disorders, fights inflammation, great for their joints too. Quality matters!

CONSIDER SUPPLEMENTS FOR YOUR TEENAGERS.

5. Pantry clean out. Throw out foods with ARTIFICIAL FOOD COLORS and SWEETENERS. PERIOD. Artificial sweeteners are KNOWN to cause 93 unsavory side effects from brain tumors. Memory loss, to hair loss. Food colorings (banned in Europe) are known to cause tumors, ADHD, allergies among lots of other infuriating problems. These are definite NOs in our house.

READ THE LABELS. Take a look at the ingredient labels on your food package. Even the simplest of foods will have more chemicals in them than you can count, much less pronounce.

Fill your kitchen with real, fresh foods whenever possible. Even replacing super bad junk with organic, non-GMO junk is a non-toxic step in the right direction. Shop at Whole Foods, Central Market, even Tom Thumb offers cleaner options. Also, if you haven’t already, check out Thrive Market.

AND THE LAST THING …
6. “Breakfast is the most important meal of the day.” Without question this is true, especially for kids. For brain development, their daily energy levels, their ability to focus. Protein rich eggs, oatmeal, breakfast tacos, plant-based protein smoothies. These are great!! Fruit Loops ARE NOT AN OPTION. Sugary cereals and drinks have no place at breakfast—their brains have nothing to function with, and the sugar spike and drop makes them sluggish and cranky.

Getting your kids to eat a good breakfast is simple–if you just do a little planning.

Make it for them! It may be your only chance of the day to influence their choices. If you are not a morning person, prepare the night before–put out plates, glasses and put ingredients together ready to go from the fridge. Place their vitamins in ramekins at their place setting. Plan to get up 15 minutes early to scramble those eggs. It makes all the difference. Added bonus: Breakfast can be a great way to spend a moment with your kids—that you otherwise might not have!!

At the end of the day, it is about a lifestyle change, not a week or so of regimented consumption. A healthy routine paves the way to a vibrant future of health and happiness! If you’d like to dig deeper, we can help you get there!

So you and your teenager can experience daily GEM goodness after school, we’ve extended our hours to stay open until 6 p.m. Monday – Friday. YEP. WE ARE OPEN UNTIL 6.

Next up … What DO you feed those kids? Stay tuned for great snack ideas.

The Official Blog of The GEM.