Raines Realm

I have been on the most amazing albeit challenging wellness journey for the last couple of years. Its something that I dabbled in pretty much my whole life, but I've been increasingly serious about it after the birth of my child. I have learned some amazing things and I have learned some scary things! It has been a roller coaster ride that has resulted in me being in amazing shape and improving daily. Food is my medicine and I am very conscious about what I put into and on my body. If its not contributing to my health, I pass! Every single food affects you, from your physical state to your mental health. What you eat literally affects every fiber of your being. Its the crucial first step to real health. Healthy choices are self-love and the more you make them, the easier they are to continue. After food, environmental situations should be addressed. Is your environment (the products you use, chemicals that you are exposed to, household items, level of exercise) contrib...

The holidays bring lots of delicious treats and and decadent dishes filled with nostalgia. And, we want to enjoy everything which generally means we sacrifice a few pounds on the scale to be able to have a little bit of everything. And that's okay, but now we want the weight gone! Here's the best habit to help you bounce back and maintain your weight. Stop snacking. I know, I know, even when it's not a holiday, we are bombarded with snack foods. Chips and dip, snack bars, candies, cookies, cakes, hand-held foods in every shape, size, and color. No food is off-limits, but you need not eat them in between meals to enjoy them. When you snack throughout the day, you're not allowing your body to truly be hungry at meal times. You're also adding in a lot of extra calories that your body really does not need. In a society surrounded by snack foods and the fourth meal drive thru option, we have become scared of hunger. Hunger is good. Not starving, but being hungry f...

It seems that every day we are bombarded by some guru or weight-loss program telling us how to measure, weigh, or divide our plates for perfect portion sizes. Honestly, it seems like a tedious task, unrealistic, and I'm not interested in rationing my food out for every meal. While I was re-organizing my kitchen, (clearing out the clutter), I came across our gorgeous China that was sadly, collecting dust. I decided to purge the rest and only use China. Not only do I feel special at every meal, but I have lost weight! The sizes of antique China dishes are considerably smaller than almost all modern dishware. Smaller portion sizes come naturally on these delicate little plates. And, they're so fun! I am a firm believer that meals should be enjoyed. China can transform any meal into an elegant event. Even if you're dining alone, I challenge you to break out the China, and cloth napkins if you have them, and sit at your table to eat. When we treat a meal as an ...

Chocolate cake? The kid in all of us is doing a happy dance right now and rightfully so. New studies suggest that adding chocolate cake to your breakfast routines can have a plethora of positive results. And, unlike other diet trends out there, you don't have to psych yourself up to indulge in chocolate. Scientists have conducted new studies that show eating cake occassionally for breakfast can have positive effects on your waistline. Groups that had cake as their morning meal were less likely to indulge throughout the day and saw an increase in weight loss. Eating dessert foods in the morning when your metabolism is at its highest is the best way to our those delicious calories to their best use. And chocolate has been proven to increase cognitive brain function and memory. I like to eat it because it tastes good, but hey, you can't argue with science. We should be seeing an increase of dessert menus and options at restaurants for breakfast in the coming ...