Are You Pre-Diabetic? Every Woman’s Wake Up Call: You Could Be ‘Fat on the Inside’
“But diabetes is a fat person’s disease!” you gasp. “How can a successful, professional woman like myself possibly develop diabetes? I’m not overweight at all!” Well, we have news for you, sister. Woman to woman: it’s time to start re-thinking what we know about type 2 diabetes and how it can affect women just like you (and me!). The fact is that more and more women are becoming diabetic and lifestyle still has a lot to do with it, but not in the way you think. Here’s how it may play out:- You’re a successful 30, 40, or 50-something professional, but you have a lot of stress in your work and home life, so you can’t find the time to exercise like you used to when you were in your 20s.
- You’ve manage to keep your weight down because there isn’t a diet that you haven’t tried over the years. You are the yo-yo queen but that’s okay, because it helps to keep you slim even when you overindulge in sweets or wine.
- And yes, you might still smoke (you’ve been meaning to quit) but you need some kind of stress relief in your crazy day and it’s a way to get away from being chained to your desk. And those cocktails after work are just another way to unwind (although sometimes the nights out with the girls do get out of hand).
- Maintaining your weight through dieting alone: 15% of new cases are not overweight on the outside (National Institutes of Health statistics), but something much more scary instead. These people are called ‘Fat on the Inside,’ which means that dangerous fat stores internally surrounding key organs instead of showing outwardly around the middle as a paunch. Dr. Jimmy Bell coined the term when he made his recent discovery. He determined that these internal fat deposits cause inflammatory substances to affect your liver and pancreas, and lower your insulin sensitivity, putting you on the road to Diabetes.
- Yo-Yo dieting: Every time we drop weight, we lose muscle, but when we gain the weight again, we don’t get that muscle back. Your body clings to that extra fat because it is afraid of being starved again and this kind of fat produces more hormones and proteins, which affects your glucose levels and triggers the start of type 2 diabetes.
- Eating processed ‘diet’ foods or bingeing on fatty, sugary foods: Let’s face it; many diet foods are a minefield of bad choices. Sugar-free foods often add fat, and fat-free foods often add sugar. If you live on anything marked ‘low-cal’ or ‘diet’ you could be doing more harm than good. Add to that the tendency for women to ‘comfort eat’ by indulging in fatty or sugary foods and you elevate the real risk of becoming ‘fat on the inside’.
- Being stressed out all the time: Whenever we experience stress, our body produces the hormone cortisol which gives you that jolt of energy but it also elevates your blood sugar levels. If you are stressed all the time, it is going to take a toll on your body and its ability to handle sugars and fats over the long-term.
- You are smoking and/or drinking: Whether your vice is cosmos or Corona, if you drink more than the recommended amount of alcohol on a regular basis (1 drink a day for women) you will have more of that dangerous internal fat. You also run the risk of chronic inflammation of the pancreas (pancreatitis), which can impair its ability to secrete insulin and ultimately lead to diabetes. Tobacco can increase blood sugar levels as well and lead to insulin resistance.
1) Get Moving: Statistics show that overweight people who exercise regularly are at lower risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes than thin people who are sedentary. Get off your couch, push away from your desk and get moving. Your life might depend on it.
2) Eat ‘real’ foods high in fibre: Legumes, oats, brown rice, fruits, and berries high in fibre all help to regulate blood sugar levels. You get the added bonus of lowering your cholesterol as well.
3) Cut out processed ‘diet’ foods: Don’t believe what the label tells you. A cookie is still a cookie. Think twice about what you put in your mouth.
4) Slow and steady wins the race: Yo-yo dieting is called that for a reason. Get off the yo-you and embrace the slow and steady approach to weight loss. Crash diets will only harm you in the long run and they just aren’t worth it.
5) Take vitamin D: There is some evidence that a lack of this vitamin in your diet can hinder insulin function and glycemic control so make sure you get in those fatty fish, tinned tuna, fortified milk products, and supplements
6) Find a way to fight stress: Exercise is already a great stress reliever, but find other ways to relax and decompress, whether it’s through yoga, meditation, or a lunchtime walk.
Most importantly though, speak with your doctor. It is recommended that women over 40 are to be tested for diabetes every 3 years. Make sure you bring up your concerns with your physician. Diabetes is a very old disease but it is developing a new face because of the stressed, desk-strapped, diet obsessed lifestyles that we women are leading today. Be aware, be informed, and be healthy. We need you rocking your life in the world!Better Than Barefoot!
For many of us, the new fad of running barefoot isn’t all that the experts crack it up to be and most of us aren’t going to be jumping off the couch to try it. Here is something better… I love – LOVE – my Vibram Five Fingers though – the new “better than barefoot” toe shoes… Sure they look goofy but they feel divine. REALLY. Although the young man at the sports store said ” you won’t wear anything else”, he hasn’t met a 5’3″ redhead fireball who loves her CFM shoes!! I let him know that I plan to wear them as often as possible so that I can continue to wear my stilettos into my 70’s. He looked aghast. I recently took them around the Greek Isles and got so many comments that I wish I have the European distribution rights. They allow me to feel a medicine ball with my toes when I am doing a yoga plank (NOT something I can do when I have runners on). The other plus, they spread my toes open again after I have had a night of dancing in 4+ inch stilettos. You know me, always the Engineer, my arches felt like they wanted a bit more support so I customized my ‘better than barefoot experience’ and inserted 3/4 length arch support inserts – now they are even more divine! I am more grounded and stable and have better mobility in my feet/toes. this translates to I am willing to walk more and move more. Confession: I haven’t tried the new ‘barefoot” runners (in fact other than a recent sprint to the subway, you aren’t going to get me to run) but I will advocate for the new fangled five-finger toe shoes anytime!The 5 ‘Secret Sales’ That Power Up Your Presentations
Have you ever wondered what’s going on inside the head of your prospective clients? Ever wondered why some people sit on the fence, seemingly unmoved by your presentation or pitch while others pop their hands up on their own and say “Thank God you’re here! I NEED you!” What helps to tip the scale in your favor? And what could be sabotaging your results?There are 5 ‘secret sales’ that hide within every single presentation you give.
Knowing them can give you greater control over how people connect, respond, and react to your talk. These secret sales will help in those situations and more! You’ll want to know these secret sales and even more importantly you’ll want to IMPLEMENT THEM into four critical areas of your business which I’ll share with you in a moment. 1. You’re the Expert! Its your job as an expert to assure people that you know your business, and you’re credible. Do this early on in your introduction and your story to build trust. 2. You’re still one of them: Next, balance your expertise with a nice dose of humility! Be sure your audience still identifies with you and relates to you, or you’ll lose the crowd. 3.They can do it: No one is going to grab your hand and embark on a long, hard, scary, mission doomed for failure. Your prospects need to feel that success is possible for them in order to say “yes!”. Consider how you can make your product or services feel simple or “done-for-you”. 4. Show them that others have done it: No one will embark on a journey doomed for failure ALONE IN THE DARK, BY THEMSELVES. So not only do your prospects need hope, they also want social proof that others have survived this journey with you, and been successful! 5. Stand behind it: If you don’t believe in what you’re offering no one else will either. So when you make an offer, do it with 100% confidence and belief. Sometimes you stand behind what you do with your attitude and other times you might do it also with an actual guarantee. KNOWING this is great, USING IT IS BETTER! Don’t forget, review the 5 ‘secret sales’ as you review your:- Live presentations to individuals and groups
- Website copy
- Print materials
- Phone conversations, teleseminars, webinars
Go Ahead – Call me BITCH
As you well know, name calling isn’t limited to only kids in the school yard.
On the way up the ladder you may have been called many names. My favorite has been the word ‘bitch’ although I have been called many others in 30 years (contact me for the full list 🙂 ) Even in today’s world, with women getting the vote over ninety years ago (as recently as 1940 in parts of Canada), you’ve no doubt had to work much ‘harder’ than your male counterparts and gotten pushed around more on the way up the proverbial ladder. It probably goes without saying that some men find you intense and even possibly intimidating. My rant isn’t about men or women and who owns the control…. My rant is to get over it! Own it! Embrace it! If you can embrace your own “bitchiness” then no one can use it against you. Roll with the punches, be the epitome of that ‘ball-busting’ woman that your coworkers fear for making them look poorly if they aren’t juggling all the balls as gracefully as you do. You are ball busting! Make a joke of the word. I am frequently quoted as saying about myself “Yes, I AM a Babe in Total Control of Herself (aka a B.I.T.C.H.)”. It usually gets a chuckle if nothing else and laughter is a good equalizer and diffuses tensions. Sure they may still say things about you behind your back, but once you realize that being a B.I.T.C.H. (aka Beautiful, Intelligent, Charming, & Hellacious) makes YOU feel great, then who the hell cares if someone goes looking to take potshots as long as you get a clear runway to getting the job done well. We can’t control the whole world but we can control our inner world. Start your own lexicon – spread the word!The One Strategy That Doesn’t Get Said
There are many skills it takes to grow, sustain, and build a business. Everything from marketing, mindset, and math has to be in play to make real money and a real difference. All of the education, time, and money you have put into growing your business won’t much matter if you don’t embody this – tenacity! Never give up. Never quit. People always want to know how I did it and what the one big shift was that happened. It’s simple. I didn’t stop. I didn’t stop when: * People said No. * I ran out of money. * I got tired. * I went dry creatively. * Someone hurt my feelings. * Someone no-showed. * People discouraged me. * I felt I wasn’t enough. * I was told I wasn’t enough. * The clients I did have left. * No one new came. * The car broke down. * A family member died. * I was confused. * I was scared. I didn’t stop. The greatest business skill set you need is tenacity. All the other stuff just make this path easier. Tenacity makes the path possible. Now, here’s what you do: * When the money runs out … Get a job! (I like to call it a business loan). Fund your dream…if you believe in it enough, find the income stream to support it. * When people leave … Find new people! Clients leave for a reason. They are often afraid of success and some leave because they are complete. Let them go, take a breath, and ASK – find new people to share your message. Don’t stop. * When you are scared… Go through it! The only way out is through. There is no magic pill. There is no step-by-step system for fear. When you do it it gets easier… when you build that muscle you get braver. Courage is a learned skill. * When you get tired… Ask for help! No man is an island. I didn’t build this alone and neither can you. You need to only work in your brilliance and delegate the rest. * When someone hurts your feelings… Remember who you are! I didn’t get in this business to make friends. I do this to make a difference. Not everyone will like me, my style, or my methods. There are other coaches for them. I know who I am. * When you feel you aren’t enough… Know the truth. You are a child of ‘God’. You are here to let your light shine and you are enough. If you are reading this email it means you believe in possibility. Share that possibility for it is love. Tenacity… The only business skill you ever need to know!Menopause: The Metamorphosis of Life
Is it hot in here, or is it just YOU?
They say (those in the ‘know’) that these are the best years of your life – the kids are gone, you’re old enough to know what you want, and you still have the energy to get it all done! Then why do women’s bodies play this cruel or awkward joke on them just as the going gets good? Hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings, headaches, water retention, breast tenderness, osteoporosis, and to top it off, potential increased risk of breast cancer! Ah, the joys of peri/menopause. But the transition from child-bearing years to a new period of personal fulfillment doesn’t have to be rough. Let’s take a closer look at what causes it and what you can do about it.Why is menopause so “bad”?
1. Decreased progesterone/estrogen levels: This is normal. A woman’s body announces it’s ready to stop making babies by shifting these hormone levels. However, decreasing the level of estrogen in the body does result in many of the symptoms listed above. 2. High levels of xenoestrogens: These are man-made compounds that act like estrogen in the body but block natural estrogen from functioning properly. Often, meat and dairy products contain xenoestrogens as a result of hormones given to the animals, but they can come from everyday industrial products (eg. cleaning products, pesticides) as well in many personal care products (eg. shampoos, conditioners, lotions, deodorants). As levels of natural estrogen drop, the effects of xenoestrogens become even MORE prevalent in the body .So what are your options?
1. Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT):
Taking what is called “bio-identical” hormones to replace what you’ve lost is NOT SUGGESTED! Studies, such as the ‘Million Woman Study’, have shown that HRT increases risks of breast cancer, stroke, and heart attack, and that longer treatments produced higher risks.
Essential oils can be a great alternative to balancing the hormonal fluxes. Smells are one of the most powerful ways to relieve symptoms as they cause specific physical and psychological reactions by stimulating the release of neurotransmitters in the brain to balance hormones and increase feelings of well-being. Skin is the largest organ of the human body so applying essential oils through your skin is also a tremendous way to effect relief. (NOTE: I suggest using doTERRA essential oils which are Certified Pure Therapeutic Grade. Follow all warning labels carefully when using any essential oils.) 2. Cleanse the body of Xenoestrogens: Removing xenoestrogens from the body will help improve symptoms to a more natural state. Suggestions: doTERRA’s LifeLong Vitality PackTM; doTERRA’s ZendocrineTM;milk thistle; lots of soluble dietary fiber (to help cleanse the body) 3. Take Phytoestrogens: Phytoestrogens are plant-based compounds that are adaptogenic regulators of estrogen function (ie. they help to regulate estrogen in the body). That means it will increase estrogen function if it is low or decrease function if it is high! And….therefore ….NO MORE HORMONE SWINGS! Phytoestrogens also protect the body from the effects of xenoestrogens. Suggestions: flax seed oil; soy (in moderation); doTERRA’s Phytoestrogen Lifetime ComplexTM, essential oils of Clary Sage, Geranium, Lavender, and Basil; doTERRA’s SolaceTM essential oil blend (I have seen this one stop hot flashes FAST!!) 4. Take supplements to support healthy bones: Strong, healthy bones are important for all of the activities you’ll be doing in this time of your life. You don’t want to break a hip so stay active and take care of your bones! Suggestions: supplements high in Calcium, Magnesium, and D vitamins; doTERRA’s Bone Nutrient Lifetime ComplexTM; regular exercise including strength bearing exercise as your body allows. As you transition through this period in your life, do it with the grace and style that befits your magnificence! Reduce your stress, limit your sources of toxicity, eat whole foods, develop healthy lifestyle habits, and take care of your symptoms. And don’t forget to be the goddess you are meant to be! It really can be some of the best years of your life.Why Flirt?
Flirting should be uplifting and fun – to both me as the Flirter and also to the Flirtee.
So many men admit to me in my “Men Tell All” interviews that they love when a woman flirts with them – it makes them feel special. They feel seen and appreciated – just as we women do when someone flirts with us. Few of us are “just born with” (ie. natural born flirts) but it is a skill that can be learned and uplifts the sass and sexiness of your day. Flirting is good, clean, honest, FUN! Can you live it without it? Yes, but why bother??