Hey Salad Girl family!                                                                     

My name is Crystal Herrington, and I'm Salad Girl's new Nutrition Health Coach. I'm here to help give you practical nutrition advice and showcase how Salad Girl has fresh, healthy, and healing organic ingredients that are a great addition to a healthy diet and lifestyle. I'm sure there are so many questions about how to maintain your health and vitality during this very different time. Social distancing is necessary to halt the spread of COVID-19, but it also can have a negative impact on our health as we become more sedentary and distant from the ones we love. Today, I'm sharing with you 5 practical and simple recommendations during the COVID-19 Stay at Home order that have helped me thrive.

1) Call someone (a friend, family member, elderly neighbor) every single day. If you have the ability to video chat with them, that's even better. Humans are social creatures, and studies show that elderly folks who are more social live longer happier lives. Share your unique experience with the coronavirus stay at home order and then move on! I encourage people to talk it out, but then try to avoid the subject. Talking about it too much in a negative way can have an impact on our mental health. Try focusing on the things you're thankful for!

2) Eat your veggies. When I do my big grocery hauls, I always make sure to stock up heavy on the veggies. Spinach, arugula, kale, chard, celery, cucumbers, and broccoli are must grabs for me. When I do this, it forces me to get creative with my eating, and pushes me to eat my veggies early on so they don't go to waste. It's easy to get complacent eating canned soups or sauces with starches. You may run out after about a week and have a week without as many fresh veggies before your next big haul, but your immune system will thank you.  Salad Girl has a wide variety of local organic products that go great with any combination of veggies. I suggest getting a few bottles during your next haul to make eating your greens fun and delicious! Get an extra bottle or two to share with a neighborhood.

3) Get moving! We need daily movement to maintain healthy digestion, energy levels, and mental health. There are so many free resources for at-home workouts, but even just a short walk can turn your day around. My favorite way to exercise at home is by doing a 30-40 minute yoga video on youtube in my living room.

4) Boost your immunity! Over 70% of our immune system is housed in our gut, so I like to make sure I'm supporting my digestion by eating immune boosting foods on a daily basis. Garlic, kefir (other fermented products), and citrus fruits are a great place to start. Salad Girl's Blueberry Basil Organic Dressing is chalk full of antioxidants to boost immunity. Keep your immune system on high alert by supporting your diet with healthy fresh foods.

5) Get outside! Vitamin D is essential for immunity. Now that the sun is shining bright again, it's important we take advantage. You can maintain social distancing standards while still enjoying the great outdoors. Your mental health will benefit greatly from fresh air and sunshine!

Remember, we are all going through hardships during this time. It can be isolating and lonely, but when we prioritize our physical and mental health, you will find so much room to blossom. Feel free to reach out to me with any health related questions you have, and remember to continue to support local businesses!