Tag: Health Tips

Changing Your Mindset

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Our mindsets are formed through prior experiences and emotional milestones in our lives.

Unfortunately, if you are like most of the population, then you have developed several “counter mindsets” A counter mindset is one that holds us back and doesn’t help us produce the results that we want in life.  This mindset is a negative way of thinking and visualizing the world.

Changing your “counter mindset” is something that doesn’t happen by accident-it’s a conscious choice that we have to make and it takes some serious work.

Did you know that approximately 65,000 thoughts go through our minds each day?  The majority of these thoughts are negative, whether we realize it or not.  Most of us struggle with “ANTs”, which are automatic negative thoughts that occur so often throughout the day that we are most likely not aware of it.

Here are 7 steps that we can take to change our mindsets:

1.  Accept that your thinking needs an adjustment

The first step in any change is acknowledging that you need to make one!  Just identifying this will help you make a step in the right direction.

2.  Identify your “ANTs” (Automatic Negative Thoughts)

Pay attention to your negative self-talk and how frequently it happens.  Being aware and identifying these harmful thoughts is pretty eye-opening.  You may notice that your negative thinking can be narrowed down into a few key themes.  Taking a mental or physical note of this is a big step towards change because we can’t change what we don’t recognize in ourselves.

3.  Change your thought patterns

There are two fairly easy approaches to moving your thoughts from a negative to a positive.

The first one is to FORCE yourself to change your thinking.  For example, instead of looking in the mirror and seeing your flaws, compliment yourself!  It might feel phony at first, but once you get into the habit of consistently filling your mind with positive affirmations vs negative ones, you will start to believe yourself and grow.

The other idea is to try the “IF/THEN” approach which is a thought process that allows you to think past your negative thoughts.  For example, IF you start to say that you are too tired, too out of shape, or too lazy to exercise, THEN go straight to your closet and put on your workout clothes and go for a walk.  Sometimes just by taking one step in the right direction is enough to shut your ANTs down.  You can prepare yourself ahead of time by writing down several IF/THEN statements.

4.  Understand your “WHY”

Since most of our unhealthy habits and ANTs were formed when we were kids, changing our mindsets takes hard work to break.  Understanding your why can help you work towards a more positive outlook.  To set a why-think about a goal or dream that will have a transformational change in your life.

Examples of a why may be:  “To improve my relationship with my companion” or “To be happier in my career.”

Once you identify your why, write it down on paper and why it is important to you.

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5.  Realize that motivation is not enough

High achievers understand this reality so they stop mentally punishing themselves every time they stumble or fail to stick to a plan.  Knowing this will allow you to be emotionally freer which will encourage you to try again tomorrow and not give up!

6.  Start with super small goals

Set tiny, achievable goals that you can easily reach.  For example, if you want to reduce stress, try deep breathing for just 1 minute each day.  Or, if you want to start exercising, make it a goal to walk for 5 minutes.  Decide that your mini goal is the minimum and that you can do more if you feel up to it.  More times that not, you’ll feel awesome because you are over-achieving when you do more and if you just do the minimum, you’re still hitting your goal.

To ever make any serious change, we have to take small steps and repeat them daily.  This will create momentum towards positive change.  Consistently hitting our small goals will form new mindset habits.

7.  Acknowledge that you will FAIL

Highly successful people realize that the only thing that really keeps them from their goals is stopping, so they don’t stop!  They know that they’ll have obstacles and failures along the way but they give themselves permission to screw up because failure will help them learn and make adjustments as they see fit.  If you know that failure can happen and you accept it, seek feedback and make changes to get back into the game.

I hope these tips help you as much as they do me.  Do you have other healthy mindset habits that work for you?  I’d love to hear them!

 

Simple Ways To Reduce Your Sugar Intake

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I just started on the Taste Of Healing’s “The Clean 15 Detox” and it inspired me to offer a few tips to help others cut down on their own sugar consumption.  During this particular detox, I am eliminating all sugar & alcohol, but I think that some people work best by slowly reducing their sugar intake over time.  It’s amazing how good you can feel when you cut down or eliminate it from your daily routine.  (Not to mention ALL of the health benefits!)

These are ways that I have cut down on my sugar consumption in the past and they have worked for me.  Maybe some of these will work for you?  Give them a try and let me know what you think!

Ways to Cut Down On Sugar:

1.  Start your day with a  NO SUGAR ADDED BREAKFAST because starting your day off right sets the tone for the remaining meals.  Examples: hard-boiled eggs and a piece of fruit, grilled veggie omelet, berry & nut butter smoothie, apple & almond butter

2.  Drink sweetened coffee drinks?  Try a flavored coffee bean instead, such as Jim’s Organic Hazelnut Coffee which can be found right HERE.  (Seriously-it’s so good!)  Add a splash of unsweetened nut milk and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

3.  Craving a something sweet? Eat a date (or two) with a tablespoon of almond butter & cinnamon instead of chocolate after dinner.

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4.  When the 3 p.m. frappe or sugar cravings hit, eat a piece of fruit instead. Even better-pair it with a protein like a handful of nuts!

5.  Grabbing drinks after work or dinner? Instead of tonic water, get the club soda and vodka (duhhhh), and then take note of these 60 tips for healthier boozing.

6.  Cookie craving when you get home from said drinks?  Try to make your own desserts using stevia or honey instead of the white stuff.   Since making my own treats takes time and effort, I find that I eat sweet stuff a lot less often than when I can easily grab store bought stuff from the pantry.

7.  Check your labels and look for these favorite foods that contain more sugar than you think (yep-I see you granola!)

8.  Squeeze one less squirt of ketchup or barbecue sauce on your burger because that sh*t sneaks in a lot of sugar!

This is all about making little changes over time so you don’t overwhelm yourself.  Small adjustments to live a healthier life can lead to BIG improvements over time.

I hope that you found these tips to be helpful!  Please comment if you have found other ways to cut down on sugar that have worked for you.  Reach out HERE if you have any questions!

Naturally Boost Your Metabolism

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Metabolism is a term that describes all chemical reactions in your body.  It often is used interchangeably with “metabolic rate”, which is the number of calories you burn.  The higher this is, the more calories and fat you naturally burn off and keep off.  In addition, having a higher metabolism can give you more energy and make you feel better.  Who doesn’t want that?

Here are 7 ways to naturally kick your metabolic rate up so that you can burn more fat:

1.  Eat Protein At Every Meal: Eating protein raises your metabolic rate by 15-30% and can make you feel fuller longer, which can keep you from overeating.  Eating protein also keeps you from losing muscle mass, which is a common side effect of dieting.

2.  Do High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT): I know you’ve heard this before-intervals of quick and intense bursts of activity during exercise has been proven to help boost your metabolism and burn more fat than steady cardio and it still works long after your workout is over!

3.  Lift Heavy: Having more muscle on your body allows you to naturally burn more calories and fat in any given day.  Lifting heavy weights vs light weights is more effective in helping you increase your muscle mass and improve your metabolic rate.

4.  Drink Green or Oolong Tea: Both of these teas have shown to increase metabolism by 4-5%.  They are low in calories and may help promote weight loss and weight maintenance in certain people.

5.  Get a Good Night’s Sleep: Lack of sleep is linked to a major increase in the link to obesity.  It is also linked to raising blood sugar levels, insulin resistance, increasing your hunger hormones, and decreasing the hormones that make you feel full.

6.  Drink Coffee (yay!): Studies have shown that coffee (like green tea) can boost metabolism up to 11%.

7.  Stand Up More:  Sitting too much is bad for your health and can cause you to gain significant amounts of weight.  (Not to mention the bad effects it has on your heart!)  If you have a desk job-set an alarm every 10 minutes that will remind you to get up, walk around, and get the blood flowing in your body.  (This will also help you refocus and get more energy as you continue working.)_MIR8203

Unplug To Really Connect

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In this day and age, we rely so much on electronics that our minds are in a constant state of stimuli.  Most of us are glued to our phones, tablets and computer screens as we race through our busy schedules and endless “to-do” lists, missing out on the life and relationships that are right in front of us.  It’s no wonder our brains and health are suffering from it.  This constant connection to technology can impair focus, decrease energy, increase feelings of depression, promote restlessness and so much more.

I am not going to pretend this isn’t an issue I struggle with myself.  This is why I wanted to write this blog post: to encourage myself and others to get into the habit of unplugging from electronics for a predetermined amount of time each day that would work best for our individual schedules and open ourselves up to be more present and connected to others.

My kids often come into the living room in the evenings and see Brandon and myself glued to our phones much of the time answering emails and responding to texts.  Then we get upset with them when they want to play on their Kindles and watch TV all evening.  Look what example we are setting for them! We are missing out on an opportunity to communicate with each other and enjoy quality time together that we won’t always have as the kids get older.  Just typing this makes me sad . . . but the good news is that I am ready to make a change!

Are you missing out on precious time with your friends or loved ones because you are caught up in the constant need to respond to others with your devices?  Well, you are not alone; most of us are!  The University of Maryland did a study on students unplugging.  They found study participants spent more time with friends and family, got more frequent exercise, and even ate out less often and cooked healthier foods when they reduced time using their devices.  How did these awesome changes occur?  Less screen time left more time for doing more productive, positive activities with their “free” time.

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Here are just a FEW more health benefits that can result from shutting down the devices each day:

It may improve your relationships because unplugging allows more time for person-to-person communication and interpersonal relationships.

It can reduce stress levels.  Researchers from Kansas State University have found that unplugging after work can make a big difference in quality of life, health and happiness.  Researchers found that when people “unplugged” from work related tasks, such as checking work email after hours, they reported feeling fresher and better recharged when beginning work the following day.  For anyone who has ever experienced burnout at work, this isn’t too surprising.  We can only do so much for so long before feeling exhausted, and constantly plugging into our screens doesn’t help matters.  (Another thing yours truly is “guilty” of doing!)

It can improve our mental clarity and attention span.  When we aren’t bombarded with constant alerts and messages, we can focus better at a single task and in turn, help improve our attention and mental alertness.  How often has a loved one asked you a question when you were immersed in something on your phone and you answered him or her without even thinking?  Or not answered them at all?

There are more scientifically proven health benefits that result from shutting down your devices, but you get the picture.  Now how do we apply this to our busy lives?  Here are just a few tips for unplugging in your daily routine:

  1. Schedule it.  Set an alarm that will remind you to shut down and unplug each day and be accountable to someone: a friend, spouse, or child to help remind you.
  2. Clean out & detach.  Delete some social media applications that remind you about every little thing.  Clean out your inbox and unsubscribe from useless daily emails, newsletters, clothing sales, and social media reports.
  3. Practice mindfulness.  Pay attention to what is going on in the present moment; soak it all in.  Notice beauty in detail where you hadn’t before.  For instance, strike up a conversation with the checkout lady or pay a stranger a compliment.  You never know what can come of these new social interactions.  Life is so much more exciting and happier this way-try it and see how your world really does change for the better.

I hope this helps you create an improved quality of life for yourself and the people you love the most.  Living in the now is something we all need more of and I am excited to put this into practice.  Will you unplug with me?