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Atlassian's Wellness Library

Woman standing behind two tall tables welcoming guests to Everyday Energy class

My name is Lila and I am a Holistic Health Coach!

Below you will find a wellness library of recipes, tips, Q+A videos and more!

Want to stay in touch?
Follow me 
@lilavolkas or email me to learn more about one-on-one sessions. 


Monthly Wellness Tips

March 2020

march_holistic_wellness_tips.pdf
File Size: 997 kb
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April 2020

april_holistic_wellness_tips.pdf
File Size: 1065 kb
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May 2020

may_holistic_wellness_tips.pdf
File Size: 1467 kb
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June 2020

june_holistic_wellness_tips.pdf
File Size: 897 kb
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July 2020

july_holistic_wellness_tips.pdf
File Size: 1295 kb
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Monthly Recipes

March 2020

atlassian_march_recipes.pdf
File Size: 455 kb
File Type: pdf
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April 2020

atlassian_april_recipes.pdf
File Size: 303 kb
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May 2020

may_recipes.pdf
File Size: 5124 kb
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June 2020

june_recipes.pdf
File Size: 484 kb
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July 2020

july_recipes.pdf
File Size: 939 kb
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Q+ A Video Library

Q1: What should I do if I start feeling sick?

Bottom line:
Rest:
Increased sleep increases your white blood cell count.

De-stress: Cortisol regulates the body’s inflammatory response to infection.
Nourish: Eat foods that are nutrient dense, vitamin C rich foods, bone broth and vegetable broth, fresh herbs and spices. For more detailed tips food tips check out March's Monthly Wellness Tips.
Stay hydrated: Water transports nutrients into our cells, if we are dehydrated nutrients aren’t going where they need to go

Q2: Should I take supplements?

Bottom line:
-Make sure you are taking high quality supplements
-Consider the bio-availability of your supplements and what forms they are in. 
-Boost your digestion because you want to make sure you are actually breaking down your supplements and absorbing them.
-Take supplement breaks periodically.
-If you want help with what supplements to take you can schedule a Nutrition Session with me.  

Q3: What are some healthy forms of sweeteners?

Bottom line:
-My top forms of whole food sweeteners are: fruit, molasses, honey, coconut sugar, dates, date sugar, date syrup, and stevia
-Whole food sweeteners have supportive vitamins, minerals and fiber. 
-Processed sugar has no vitamins, minerals or fiber and tend to cause sharper blood sugar spikes.
-Its all about balance, there is a place for conventional cupcakes and other desserts,
-I prefer to make my own treats because then I know everything that is going into my dessert.

Q5: What are antioxidants?

Bottom line:
-Antioxidants are compounds found in the food we eat that stop or delay damage to the cells.​
-Some antioxidant rich foods are: berries, colorful fruits and veggies, green tea, chocolate and coffee.
-Antioxidants are released from the foods we eat through our digestion and travel through our bloodstream and into our cells.

-Free radicals naturally occur in our body, but can cause harm if their levels become too high through outside sources.
-Antioxidants help to neutralize free radical damage.

Q7: What is kombucha?

Bottom Line:
-Kombucha is fermented tea.
-Kombucha is more than 2,000 years old.
-Kombucha is made by feeding a SCOBY (symbiotic colony of bacteria and yeast) sweet tea.

Q9: What are the benefits of tea?

Bottom Line:
-Black tea, green tea, white tea, oolong and pu-erh are part of the camellia sinensis plant. 
-My favorite morning teas; black tea and green tea.
-Make sure your matcha is high quality and tested for heavy metals.
-My favorite afternoon teas: raspberry leaf, nettles, hibiscus, rose hips, dandelion root.
-My favorite evening teas: chamomile, skullcap, passion flower, valerian root, hops.
-Consider buying loose-leaf tea in bulk to reduce waste, cost effectiveness and for creativity. 

Q 11: Snack Smart Tips

Bottom Line:
-Snacking smart is all about managing your blood sugar.
-Balance your snacks with healthy protein, fat and fiber to keep your blood sugar stable. These ingredients help slow the absorption of sugar in your bloodstream. This means consistent energy, mood, presence and motivation.
-Check out the June Holistic Health Tips and recipes for some healthy snack ideas.
-Snacks that are yummy but, maybe not the best for energy and focus contain: refined carbohydrates, sugar, additives, vegetable oil, artificial dyes, and preservatives.

Q 13: All about Fat

Bottom Line:
-Our body needs fat to survive and thrive.
-A few functions of fat in our body: makes up 60% of our brain, protects our cells, supports our hormone product and more!
​-Fat carries flavor and keeps you satiated
​-Healthy fat food examples: organic and pasture raised animal products, nut/seeds, coconut, avocado and olives.
​-Increase healthy fat consumption and decrease less nutritious fat consumption. 
-Avoid/ reduce: fried foods, vegetable oils, seed oils, and hydrogenated fat.
       -These oil are highly processed and inflammatory for our               body.

Q 15: Reading nutrition labels 

Watch video to learn how Lila evaluates packaged snacks.

Q4: What are the benefits of gratitude?

Bottom line:
-When we express and receive gratitude our brain releases dopamine and serotonin.
-Expressing gratitude is like working out a positivity muscle.
-By practicing thankfulness regularly, we can strengthen these neural pathways to create a grateful and positive outlook to life.
-Expressing gratitude does not mean we are bypassing or avoiding challenging feelings.

-
How to do it: keep a gratitude journal, write a gratitude list before or after you sleep, keep a gratitude journal, or express your appreciate for someone in your life

Q6: Let's chat chocolate!

Bottom line:
-Best chocolate choices: less processed and highest cacao 80% in the form of cacao nibs, cacao bar, cacao wafers, or  powdered cacao.
​
-Chocolate has a plethora of minerals including magnesium 

-Cacao can stimulate neurotransmitters serotonin and dopamine which puts us in a good mood.
-Chocolate contains antioxidants.
-Cacao contains caffeine and theobromine. 
- My f
avorite ways to eat chocolate are: 80% bar, cacao nibs, cacao powder in smoothies, avocado mousse, or cacao nibs in trail.

Q8: How do you make nuts and seeds more digestible? 

Bottom Line:
-Nuts and seeds can be hard to digest for some.
-Nuts and seeds are excellent sources of plant protein, fat and vitamins and minerals.
-Increase the digestibility of your nuts and seeds by enjoying them soaked and sprouted.
-At home soaking and sprouting guide.

Q 10: 3 Easy Digestion Tips

Bottom Line:
​
- We are what we absorb and don't eliminate. Digestion is important because it is how we break down and integrate the nutrients from our food.
-Take 3 deep breaths before you eat your meal to put your body into rest and digest mode. 
-Chew your food thoroughly to mechanically break it down. Properly chewed food will be less work for the rest of your body.
-Prefer cooked foods. A balance of cold/raw and cooked foods is beneficial for digestive health. We have to warm our food to body temperature before we digest it, so if you have tummy troubles cooked food is your friend.

Q12: Probiotics and Prebiotics Benefits Explained

Bottom Line:
-Probiotics are beneficial bacteria found in fermented foods or supplements.
-Prebiotics are types of fiber that feed the beneficial bacteria in the digestive system.
-Benefits of probiotics:  help protect you from harmful bacteria and fungi.
-Probiotics also signal to your immune system and help regulate inflammation .
-Gut bacteria make vitamin K and short-chain fatty acids.
-Prebiotics are types of fiber that humans cannot digest, but your gut bacteria can. Some examples are: oat, bananas, beans, berries and garlic.
-Eat fermented food because they come with a diversity of probiotics and prebiotics.
- If you are going to eat fermented foods for their probiotic benefits, make sure they are not pasteurized, as this process kills the bacteria.
-Work with a practitioner to find they best probiotic supplements for you.

Q 14: Micronutrients

Bottom Line:
​-Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals.
-We can get a variety of vitamins and minerals by eating the rainbow (a variety of colors of fruits and veggies)
-Minerals come from our soil. 
​-Our soil is depleted from our modern agricultural practices, which means less minerals in our food.
-Seaweed is an excellent source of minerals.
-Try nori, dulse, kombu and kelp.
-Vitamin D we can absorb through our skin, but most of us are low in Vitamin D. Make sure to get 15 minutes of sun per day or consider supplementing with Vit D.
​-Fat soluble vitamins are: A,D,E and K.
-Water soluble vitamins are: B and C.
-Water soluble vitamins need to be replenished daily.

Additional Resources 

Handouts

Zero Waste Hacks

zero_waste_kitchen_hacks_handout.pdf
File Size: 14116 kb
File Type: pdf
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Holistic Skin Handout

skin_handout.pdf
File Size: 743 kb
File Type: pdf
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Kids Art Project: Recycled Monster

recycled_monsters_instructions.pdf
File Size: 3697 kb
File Type: pdf
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Recipes 

Sweet Snacks

sweet_shipit_snacks.pdf
File Size: 2642 kb
File Type: pdf
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No Blender Super Food Truffles

no_blender_super_food_truffles.pdf
File Size: 528 kb
File Type: pdf
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Herbal Tea Benefits and Recipes

herbal_tea_benefits_and_recipes.pdf
File Size: 7873 kb
File Type: pdf
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