I am often asked what my work out/diet regime and lifestyle is. To make it real simple I sweat almost every day and I eat clean about 80% of the time. Being healthy is a part of my life and crucial to being the best person I can be.

Here are my 8 Golden rules-

1. Stay active- I like to switch it up between yoga, pilates, hiking, walking, running, weight training, and ballet.  I go through phases where I do one more often than the other but several days a week I move and do something.  Something that took me a long time to do is, listen to my body when it is tired. There is no use in working out if you feel awful or exhausted.  It is your body's way of telling you to take it easy. On those days I go for a nice walk or focus on stretching and do my internal work, like meditating or reading. When your physical practice is weak, that is the sign to work on your internal practice.

2. Diet- Balance is key. If you make your diet too strict then you will miss out on some quality of life, which is not good for you either.  I have a house rule. Clean/ healthy foods in the house.  If we want to splurge then we go to our favorite mexican restaurant or go see a movie and indulge in popcorn.  The energy of food in your house does matter.  Not only will you be less tempted if it's not available to you but the energy in your kitchen will ooze health and in turn keep you on your path. The sicker you are the more strict your diet needs to be.

3. Body scrub- Our skin is our biggest organ so giving it some extra lovin is a good idea.  I have a rough hand mitt that I use to scrub my body every time I shower. I'm not talking about a soft loofah that helps foam up soap.  I'm talking about scrubbing every inch of your body until it turns red.  At first you may find it to be a little uncomfortable but now I crave the feeling.  It helps increase circulation, reduce inflammation, decrease cellulite and remove dead skin cells. Cleansing and helping your body rid itself of toxins and giving you a Golden Glow. * Another tip is to scrub your body with ginger water to help with inflammation of any type, especially arthritis. Make ginger water by grating it and putting it into a cheese cloth to get juice out. Then add the juice to a bowl of hot water.

4. Fresh (mostly veggie) juice- I am not a big fan of just juicing and not eating but I do drink fresh juices almost every day, in between meals.  I do recommend switching or rotating veggies and fruits to ensure that your body absorbs all the different nutrients each day.  I also suggest limiting cruciferous vegetable if you have any kind of thyroid issues, as they deplete your body's ability to absorb iron. However the chemical component changes when they are cooked. I am also a big advocate of wheatgrass juice and blue-green algae.

5. Clean water- Our tap water is definitely not a clean option to digest but as I said before our skin is our biggest organ so we need to be careful about our shower, bath and teeth brushing water as well. I highly recommend that you invest in a good water purifying system for your house. There are counter top units, easily assembled shower heads and bath accessories as well as complete systems if you own. Our water is toxic and filled with chemicals like chlorine, which is linked to auto immune diseases along with prescription drugs, feces, antibiotics that can cause all sorts of problems from mood disorders, infertility, and illness. Having clean water is becoming a luxury and it is up to us to make it a priority.

6. Probiotics- Healthy gut, healthy body. If you are sick or suffer from any digestive issues, I highly recommend probiotics as a first option. I have seen it do wonders on numerous people including myself. Fermented foods and probiotics create healthy bacteria in your gut. Many of us are lacking healthy gut flora due to antibiotics, poor food and toxic water that contains these residues. Many health issues can be attained by adding probiotics and fermented foods to your every day life.

7. Salt water baths- I take a bath at least 2 times per week. My favorite is The World's finest, amazing minerals dead sea bath salts. Salt water baths work wonders on my sore/tired muscles and spiritually baths always have a way of taking any part of my day that was negative and absorbing it. On occasion I make a daikon hip bath. Where I boil the dried daikon on the stove top and simmer for about and hour until the water is dark brown. I make a bath that is as deep as my hips and strain daikon water into it. Cover myself with a towel and sweat for 30min. I highly recommend to do this at least 2 hours after a big meal and go straight to bed after. This is very detoxifying so getting a little light headed is normal. Drink a little water after if need be. Then get cozy under the blankets to retain heat. Very good if you suffer from any female issues;cramps,P.M.S, heavy menstrual cycles or just need to flush poor diet choices.

8. Supplements- Only take what you know you are deficient in. The only way to do this is through blood work so go get a work up done at least twice a year. These days our soil is lacking efficient minerals so it is not uncommon to have to supplement with some vitamins and minerals but if your body does not need them then it can become too acidic and end up doing more harm than good. Through the years I have learned what works for me and I am always changing my regimen depending on my day, season, energy and life. It is crucial for each of us to become our own doctors and learn to listen to the signals that our bodies give us.

*Stay true to your temple. There is not one remedy for the whole. We each must find our own path to optimum health.- Jesse Golden