The Power of Your Mind: Who’s Really in Control?
The word “mindset” says it all. Your mind is set to think in a certain way, and you absolutely believe it (at least until you choose to change it!) How many times have you heard someone say (or maybe you’ve said it yourself) “they are SO set in their ways!” implying that nothing is going to change them or their mind. They’ve always been this way and they always will be.
Where did you get your mindset?
We all have one. Where did it come from? Did we choose what we believe, or did we download it? Surprisingly, most of our beliefs were picked up (or downloaded) before the age of 7. And, who were the biggest influences in our lives at that time? I’ve listed a few below:
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Parents
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Grandparents
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Teachers
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TV
So, is your mindset helping or harming your success in business, or just life in general? Your mindset determines the choices you make and how you live your life. We all make conscious choices every day and we also have auto-responses like knee-jerk reactions to certain situations, which is where your subconscious mindset comes in. This subconscious mindset is the one that tries to keep you safe. It protects you from failure, embarrassment, and even death! This is why it is so hard sometimes to change your mind. It’s because of all the fears that your subconscious mind is trying to protect you from.
How do you change this ingrained mindset?
1. Decide to change it!
It sounds so simple. If you are choosing to improve your life, then you’ve got to change gears. That means making new choices.
2. Take Action
That is, NEW action. You know the saying that if you keep repeating the same-old, same-old, you get the same-old results? Well, don’t let yourself fall into your same-old ruts!
3. Move through the resistance and release it.
New actions bring up new emotions and old beliefs only tell us why we can’t or shouldn’t do this. Just push through it and keep repeating your new actions. Eventually you will come into alignment (energetically) with your new choice.
To stay focused until you come into alignment. Here are some things that you can do:
a) Focus on the FEELING – I mean REALLY FOCUS! If pictures help, get them off the internet or from your own photo album. You can even draw pictures if that works for you. Pick something that inspires you, that lifts you up, that excites you. You really want to get the E-motion (Energy in Motion) flowing into it and really FEEL it in every cell of your being!
b) Write about it – Choose inspiring, uplifting words expressed in a way that you connect with.
c) Add all the sensory stuff – like smell, taste, sight and sound. Make it as real as you can.
d) Now, sit quietly and breathe it all in – breathe it into every cell of your being. Become it.
4. See yourself as already having accomplished your dream, desire or new destination.
a) Imagine yourself relaxing in your perfect, safe space alone or with a friend.
b) Look back at your life and what you have already accomplished. See how easy it was once you got it? It was really just a mind shift, a different perspective, re-adjusting and tweaking your energy, your frequency, your vibration, just like tuning into a radio station.
c) You are probably laughing now at how hard you made it and how you blocked yourself in so many different ways.
d) Feel the joyful, fulfilling feelings about having accomplished this and more.
5. Embrace your new self and enjoy your new creation!
Transform Your Emotional DNA “Understanding The Blueprint Of Your Life”
People create their own reality. Sadly, many fail to create a reality that truly fulfills personal needs or can live up to their dreams or expectations. Limiting belief systems and identities are deeply rooted, and when they no longer serve a purpose in life, it becomes time to eliminate and replace them with new beliefs that will create new experiences. Every now and then, a book comes out that is a trailblazing effort on a timely subject. “Transform Your Emotional DNA” by Theresa Dale, Ph.D., is a stand out in its category. In an era when mind-body interaction and its relationship to health is a primary concern, this work clearly and vividly explains how to take control of the “blueprint of your life.“
Expanding on research done by pioneers such as Dr. Reinholdt Voll in Germany, Dr. Dale explains how emotions maintain different energy patterns in the body. If these are overloaded and disturbed, they cause disease. Further, she explains how the DNA code itself contains patterns that may lead to everything from heart disease to cancer.
Dr. Dale’s message is one of hope. “The good news is that you can change disease patterns and life conditions if you act on your desire to change.” That is the essential belief that Dr. Dale feels everyone can adopt, and in doing so, turn their life around. In her book she shows us how to go about doing this.
Click Here: Theresa Dale’s Guide To Change
Dr. Dale also explains how resistance to feeling deeply embedded personal emotions can lead to illness. She believes, first and foremost, that an individual who is in touch with their own emotions is truly taking responsibility towards having a better life.
It is the accomplishment of this remarkable work that Dr. Dale de-mystifies a subject as weighty as DNA. She vividly describes, and as the reader literally comes to feel, that Deoxyribonucleic Acid — or DNA, as it is popularly known — is something within reach to understand and change. After all, DNA is life itself and as individuals are daily constructing life events, DNA is the blueprint on which everything is built.
A common expression often heard is “I’m sick and tired.” Those who say it most likely are, or will come to be. Usually when people statements such as these, they are focusing on the negative and experiencing some kind of stress or emotional aggravation. Heightened emotional states, especially the negative ones, create a perfect breeding ground for illness. It was through Dr. Dale’s practice that she began to note the increasingly obvious relationship between resistance to experiencing feelings and emotions, and the state of disease.
“Transform Your Emotional DNA” is a self-help book like no other. The exercises quiet the mind and allow space where there was merely chatter. In just minutes, the reader can learn practical ways for releasing lingering emotions. For example, practicing certain conscious breathing exercises such as The Bliss Exercise can help bring balance and refreshment. This is only a glimpse at what this knowledge will bring to you.
Click Here: Get Theresa Dale’s Life Changing Work
A Being Beyond Your Body
In previous issues we have talked about the fabulous Victoria’s Secret Angels — their careers, their confidence, their fun spirit. These beautiful and graceful Angels are who many women want to be like, afterall sexy confidence sells. With exotic backgrounds, they have exciting careers traveling around the globe to exotic shoots while being spokeswomen for their brand. However, the question can be asked if these size zero women are actually inspiring or deflating to the average woman? I believe the answer can be both at times. These successful Angels are inspiring women. However, looking beautiful is their job and what they spend hours doing. That being said, you as a normal woman most likely have different responsibilities. You have a demanding job, maybe a significant other, and maybe a family that all need your attention while trying to remember to save a little time for yourself. When you start to compare yourself to airbrushed models, we may run into some problems.
In a TEDTalk given by Cameron Russell titled “Image is Powerful”, this Victoria’s Secret model talks about image and models. She considers herself lucky because models are models simply because they won “the genetic lottery” and fit the mold or “legacy” that society has set in place.
In her short talk Cameron says “image is superficial” because the pictures we see in magazines and advertisements are not portraying the models themselves but rather “constructions” by photographers, makeup artists, and hair stylists building a certain image. After showing several photos of her from past shoots she says “that is not me” because it was an image created of her rather than a real portrayal of herself. Cameron contrasts pictures of her on the day of the photoshoot with what she was transformed into the day of the photoshoot. Her photo shoots produced images of a much older and more sexualized woman than the young woman she actually was at the time. So next time you start comparing yourself to anyone else, remember Cameron’s words about these created images: photos can play to our fantasies rather than our realities.
Weeks ago Victoria’s Secret released their re-engineered “Body” line, a part of their cotton underwear line meant for all shapes and sizes. The tag line was “You have never seen ‘Body’s’ like this”. However, while showing a diversity of skin tone, Victoria’s Secret did not show a diversity of body size.
Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty, which has been an ongoing effort for the past few years, can be contrasted with Victoria’s Secret’s approach. Dove can be thought of as the champion of the beauty of real women of all sizes. Their campaign picked up on a lack of self-esteem and a lack of positive body image among women. Understanding that there are naturally thin women out there, there are also naturally curvy women too. Instead of strictly size zero, Dove ads showed size four, six, and size twelve women.
However, dress sizes are all just numbers. You are more than a number that a retailer puts on you. The key lies in remembering to look beyond your body.As humans, we all HAVE a body but we ARE a soul. Your job is to foster your soul and spirit rather than solely the body. This really hit home to Janine Shepherd, an Australian Olympic-hopeful cross country skier. During a five hour training bike ride, she was hit by a truck and suffered life threatening wounds, broken bones, and a partially crushed spinal cord. In her TEDTalk, Janine talks about her recovery story. It was a battle between her mind and her body. Paralyzed from the waist down, the doctors surgically repaired her spinal cord but told her that she really would never walk again. As an athlete her body was everything to her. She asked herself if her life would ever have value again because she had lost all that had been of value to her. Sitting at home one day she was inspired by a plane flying overhead to become a pilot. Janine told herself, “If I can’t walk I might as well fly”. It was her inner drive and her unfailing spirit that drove her recovery and her new dream of being a pilot. Janine said, “My real strength never came from my body and although my physical capabilities have changed, who I am inside of me never changed“. She eventually regained mobility and passed her pilot’s test! After hearing her talk, I understood that there was no getting in her way and no stopping her lively spirit. Janine is such an inspiration to us all! In the time since her accident, Janine has come to understand the strength of her spirit, which she uses to empower others.
So just remember this for me: You are real. You are not a photographers “construction”. You are more than your dress size. You and your body have been through real challenges. You are a being with a special purpose. And lastly, you have great worth!
20 Minutes to Feeling Like You’re 20 Again
What if I told you that there is a way to not only exercise quickly but way more effectively AND that you would be releasing a “youth hormone” at the same time? Sounds like a win-win situation, doesn’t it?
I recently read about the Sprint 8 method of exercise in an interview with Dr. Mercola, of health and wellness fame, and Phil Campbell, a fitness expert with over 35 years experience in training professional athletes. It opened my eyes to a new and more effective way to get fit, with a commitment of 3 days a week for only 20 minutes. As a woman who runs it all and has very little free time, how could that not appeal to me?
Why you need to try this It turns out that the way many of us have been approaching cardio workouts isn’t going to necessarily give us the health benefits that we need. Here’s why:
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Your body has 3 kinds of muscle fiber: slow (red muscle which contains more oxygen), fast (white muscle), and super-fast (also white muscle). If you’re not working all 3, you are not working out your heart muscle completely.
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Your heart needs both aerobic and anaerobic exercise but if you are doing long, slow cardio exercises, you are not getting the anaerobic work-out that your heart needs – long distance running, long times on the elliptical machine or stationary bike etc. are just not going to get you there because they only work the slow muscle fibers.
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If you do not work your fast and super-fast muscle fibers, not surprisingly, they will atrophy ,which is a huge detriment to your overall health and fitness.
The fountain of youth Aside from the obvious cardiovascular benefits, the Sprint 8 method releases the human growth hormone (HGH) – something we produce in abundance in our youth, but which declines as we age. HGH can increase bone density, increase muscle mass, decrease body fat, and increase exercise capacity (MayoClinic.com). Doing Sprint 8 exercising can cause as much as a 530% increase in this growth hormone in your system, which actually mimics the effects of taking these hormones by injection.
Burn fat longer and better Working your fast and super-fast muscles and releasing all of that HGH causes it to stay in your blood stream and means that you continue to burn fat up to2 HOURS after you have finished exercising. Your body simply does not produce HGH after long, slow exercise.
Even doctors are convinced I know that none of us have time in our busy lives to fuss around with fad diets and exercise routines, which is why this final tidbit really got my attention. Both the American Heart Association and the American College of Sports Medicine are now recommending moderate intensive cardio 5 days a week for 30 minutes or vigorously intensive cardio for 20 minutes 3 days a week. It would seem that Mr. Campbell is really on to something. After all, as he points out in the interview with Dr. Mercola, which type of athlete looks healthier overall, the sprinter or the marathon runner? The physical differences are quite pronounced.
What you need to do Whether it’s an elliptical machine, treadmill, recumbent bike or any other method of exercise you choose, follow these same guidelines.
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Warm up for three minutes.
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Exercise as hard and fast as you can (sprint) for 30 seconds. You should feel like you couldn’t possibly go on another few seconds.
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Recover for 90 seconds.
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Repeat the high intensity exercise and recovery 7 more times.
Here are the positive signs you need to look for after your sprint time:
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Relative difficulty breathing or talking after your sprint because you are in oxygen debt.
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Profuse sweating, typically beginning in the second or third repetition.
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Rise in body temperature.
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Muscle “burn” caused by increase in lactic acid.
If you are out of shape or have any health concerns at all, please speak with your doctor before undertaking any new fitness routines. Dr. Mercola recommends starting with only 2 or 3 repetitions and working your way up to 8 gradually.
Once you’ve tried the Sprint 8 method you won’t look back. Well, maybe you will, but it will only be at your old photographs to help you see how youthful this method is making you look!
Age Proof Your Body
Healthy aging: Is there such a thing you ask?
We used to accept the aging process as inevitable and attributed those who seemed to age “better” as being lucky with genetics. Scientists have long tried to explain why some people outlive everyone else, while maintaining good health, even into very old age. They credit genes, exercise and diet, but never a clear answer. As a society today, it is NOT enough to have the technology to keep us alive longer – we demand to live healthy and vital lives! Yet, many of us do not. Often the diseases we associate with aging catch up with the best of us, despite our efforts; arthritis, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and cancers of all sorts. Not to mention grey hair (or no hair!), wrinkles… OK I will stop!
Healthy aging is a relatively new term evolved from the concept of “anti-aging”. We are certain now we not only want to live longer, but live better! One significant scientific clue to achieving this is finally within sight – it lies in the tiny bits of DNA that cap the ends of our chromosomes, called telomeres. I have become fascinated with this discovery and how important it is to MY feeling and looking great – for longer!
Why do we age?
Aging begins with a vicious cycle of several factors – exposure to toxins, poor diet, chronic stress, inadequate sleep, inflammation, and so forth – that create a tremendous load of free radicals that damage our cells and DNA. We used to think our bodies kind of “wore out” while now, science has discovered that aging is a mix of this free radical cycle and genetic programming that drives a “clock” that ticks inside every single living cell in our bodies! This discovery has been thanks to a series of scientists beginning with Hermann Muller in the 30’s, Alexey Olovnikov in the early 1970’s, Bill Andrews of Sierra Sciences, and Elizabeth Blackburn (U of CA). Leonard Hayflick is responsible for determining there is a limit to how many times a cell can divide forming the idea of the “aging clock”.
This “aging clock” is telomere shortening. When telomeres get shorter, bad things happen…
The Quick Lowdown on How Telomeres and Aging are Linked:
Telomeres are the region of DNA at the end of each of our chromosomes. Similar to the plastic tip on the end of shoelaces, telomeres protect the DNA strand from becoming frayed and unravelling, which would create cellular dysfunction and lead to overall poor health. Our cells cannot replicate the telomere tips of our chromosomes, which get shorter and shorter every time our cells divide. When a cell’s telomeres get TOO short, its DNA become unstable, mutations occur and the cell is no longer able to divide. Ultimately, this leads to poor diminished health and acceleration of the symptoms we associate with aging.
Scientists discovered that our telomeres are protected by a powerful anti-aging enzyme produced by our own cells called “telomerase”; this enzyme rebuilds telomeres and more importantly, protects them from wearing down in the first place. [This discovery was made in 2009 by a team of scientists lead by Nobel laureate, Dr. Elizabeth Blackburn of the University of California who has been studying telomeres and currently is behind a brand new longevity testing measuring the length of our telomeres to determine how old we really are and how many healthy years do we have ahead of us.] For my money I want to know more about what I CAN DO to keep my telomeres longer, for longer!
What Factors Shorten Telomeres and What will Protect Them?
Scientists are becoming more clear that telomere length is shortened by several factors: oxidative stress, weak immune system, chronic stress (cortisol), poor nutrition, and fatigue.
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Oxidative Stress : A huge factor in North American culture! This refers to the cumulative load on our body from toxicity which is pervasive from our food and water that we consume, the air we breathe…did you know that the average North American drinks over one gallon of pesticide a year? Yikes, that is horrifying to me who strives to be a “clean” eater in most ways! Solution: Choose organic whenever possible (google the “dirty dozen” and “the clean thirteen”); drink purified water; use whole body nutritional cleansing as a regular lifestyle choice to remove toxins; avoid chemicals; do not smoke (I know, enough said, you get it!).
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Fatigue: The average person requires 7-8 hours of restful sleep nightly; however, most of us get a fitful 5-6 hours. This chronic fatigue shortens our Telomeres. The hours of sleep we get between 10 PM and 2 AM also help us produce our own Human Growth Hormone (HGH) which is essential to healthy aging. This hormone begins to decrease at age 35! Solution: Try going to bed earlier and getting up at 6 AM to use those hours for productive organization and boost your HGH at the same time. Find a good sleep spray containing Melatonin and 5 HTP, both which will contribute to a deeper, more restful sleep. According to many researchers (Colgan Institute), many of us cease to produce adequate amount of our sleep hormone, Melatonin, after age 35. Manage stress (see below) since spiking Cortisol at 3-4 AM may cause pressure on your adrenal glands which push on your bladder waking you up.
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Chronic Stress: We were never meant to live in the lifestyle conditions that most of us do today with constant stress and the subsequent elevated levels of Cortisol associated with this. There are numerous studies that demonstrate that when we have cortisol surging chronically we damage our immune system’s ability to ward off disease and illness, we cannot lose body fat, in particular, the dangerous visceral fat around our organs. In my work as a trainer at women’s events on Balanced Living (I teach Nutrition, Hormones & Sexuality), I have observed that many women are in a perpetual state of “overwhelm”. The stresses do not go away and our coping mechanisms are often non-existent. Our Telomeres get shorter more quickly with this chronic, unmanaged stress load, according to studies by Blackburn and Psychologist Elissa Epel. Solution: While our daily stress may not disappear we are able to cope more effectively so that our cortisol does not spike. MEDITATION does help! I so understand that you hear this over and over and say, “when will I fit in 20 minutes a day of sitting with an empty mind? Like never”! I ask that you take just 5 minutes in the early morning and again at bedtime to simply sit comfortably, eyes open or shut and purposely quiet the mind chatter. This will help. Exercise will assist you in dealing with stress and also may contribute to longer Telomeres. Strive for 30 minutes, 5 times a week and incorporate resistance training. This is manageable and the effects are noticeable. Find a good adrenal support (adaptagens) to assist our hard working adrenal glands.
Where do we stand now?
Activating the Telomerase enzyme appears to be the healthy aging industry’s “Holy Grail”, according to a recent Maclean’s magazine article (May 27, 2013). Scientists are hot on the discovery trail of what compounds will increase this enzyme and subsequently support our telomeres in staying longer, for longer.
Right now there are 2 products that I am aware of on the market claiming to support Telomeres in retaining their length by activating the enzyme Telomerase. One is called TA 65 (TA Sciences) and is purported to have 1 active ingredient (Astragalus) that gives a “hit” on the telomerase. It costs approximately $600.00 for a month supply. The other is Product B (Isagenix) and they claim to have 6 active botanical ingredients that give a “hit” on the Telomerase enzyme. It costs ~$77.00 a month. Both have ingredients to boost the immune system. Until researchers provide some hard-core clinical data testing Telomere length “before and after”, the jury is out on whether these products do what they claim. As someone who researches nutrition thoroughly though, I opt for the Isagenix Product B because the ingredients support overall health and for $77.00 a month I am willing to hedge my bets on keeping my Telomeres longer, for longer!Commit to managing the key factors within your control to minimize the shortening of your telomeres. Optimal nutrition, exercise and managing high stress are the top three and I also use natural botanical compounds to improve immune system and assist the body in supporting telomere health. Add in a supplementation for activating your Telomeraze enzyme and you are covering your bases on healthy aging!
Stay tuned for what is next in the realm of healthy aging breakthroughs!
Be Proud of Your Body, No Matter What
What is a healthy body image? There is a contrast in today’s culture that doesn’t give a clear answer to this age-old question. If you pay attention to popular culture you’ll already know that there are so many mixed messages about beauty for women. There’s a surge of companies with campaigns for “normal” women, the most well-known being Dove’s “Real Beauty” campaign, as well as movements for body peace. On the flip side, actresses still have thin bodies, advertisements feature beautiful “perfect” looking women and working out to look fantastic in a bikini is a prominent feature of women’s magazines.
There is so much contradiction out there that it’s hard for women to learn to love their bodies the way they are. Why would we be okay being on the curvy side when all of the sexiest women in the world look like Anna Kournikova? Men drool over pinup pictures of skinny women in bikinis and fantasize about spending a day at the Playboy mansion. It’s no wonder, then, that women are constantly trying to look skinnier and need a bit of reassurance from body peace campaigns.
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Mainstream “Fat Shaming”
In a world where obesity is considered a national epidemic and there are countless campaigns targeting obesity, it’s hard to feel comfortable being more curvy or bigger boned. Everyone is on the anti-obesity bandwagon, pushing for healthier diets everywhere and more active lifestyles. Even fast food restaurants, notorious for contributing to obesity, have begun to make small changes like putting calorie counts on their menus. This, of course, is a good thing because obesity is a serious health risk.
The problem with this lies in the classification of obese. Many people who are bigger are seen to be obese, even if they aren’t overweight at all. Just because someone isn’t skinny doesn’t mean she’s overweight, and that’s what people don’t realize because we’ve always been told that anyone who isn’t skinny is ugly or fat. This is definitely not the case. Just because someone is plus sized does not mean that they’re fat.
Mainstream media doesn’t help lessen the “fat shaming” at all. How many movies have you seen that have a lead female character that isn’t skinny? Even if you can think of one, think of how she was portrayed and what the media said about her. Melissa McCarthy was recently called a “hippo” and “tractor sized” by film critic Rex Reed regarding her role in the movie “Identity Thief.” Even though she is a successful actress, she is still being called out on her body size instead of her acting talent. This is why the body peace campaigns will not work until everyone in the media is on board.
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Dove Versus Victoria’s Secret: the Body Image Showdown
Recently a photo went viral of Dove’s “Real Beauty Campaign” where underneath was a photo of Victoria’s Secret “Love my Body Campaign.” There is a noticeable difference in these pictures, particularly the body type of the women featured. In Dove’s picture the women are full-figured and curvy, while the Victoria’s Secret women are noticeably slimmer. Is it really fair to compare these ads, though?
The debate surrounding this viral image is that women are being pitted against each other. Curvy women are hating on skinnier women, and vice versa. Both of these brands produce products that will make you feel beautiful no matter what your body type is. Making your skin glow with Dove products and wearing a sexy nightgown from Victoria’s Secret have the same effect on your self-image, just in different ways. There is no right answer when it comes to this debate.
This also goes for the sayings like, “real women have curves” that are found all over the Internet. This is essentially propaganda for this war between skinny and curvy women. Saying this is feeding the fire for women of different body types to be against each other, when in reality women should be working together to stop these attitudes. The idea of “real” women being more curvy or voluptuous is offensive to women who are naturally thin. All women are “real” women and should be celebrated.
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Skinny Women Have Body Image Issues Too
There’s a common stereotype out there that thin women are snobby and full of themselves, and curvier women are self conscious and over-friendly. This is so wrong ladies! Tall, thin women have their own share of body image worries, just like some curvier women don’t have a problem with their bodies at all. When people comment on too-thin women saying they are “just skin and bones” or “disgustingly thin” it is just as hurtful as fat shaming.
In fact, thin women are often more likely to have an eating disorder like anorexia or bulimia. Don’t make the mistake of thinking that it’s a young girl’s disease, either, because at least 10 percent of women over the age of 40 have an eating disorder. In fact, one of the main causes of eating disorders for women in their 30’s and older is due to a poor body image that stems from trying to maintain the standards set out by today’s culture. When you look at Hollywood celebrities who are in this age group it’s hard not to be concerned, but people often forget how much work has gone into making Cindy Crawford look fabulous at age 47.
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“Healthy” is Not a Certain Body Type
If you ask someone what their preferred body type for a woman is, the majority of people will not say “skinny.” They’ll say “healthy.” In fact, women with a little more meat on their bones aren’t unhealthy at all, despite what popular culture might have you believe. Some women have bigger bones and larger body frames, and there’s nothing they can do to change that. As long as you’re eating healthy and exercising, you are healthy and beautiful the way you are.
If a man is only attracted to skinny, “perfect” looking bodies then he’s shallow and not worth your time! So don’t waste time worrying about what your body looks like to your significant other. All that matters is that you’re happy and confident with yourself. The right person will love you for who you are, and will be attracted to you no matter what your body looks like.
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Moving Forward With a Healthy Body Image
Credit does have to be given to some of the game changers out there. The previously mentioned Melissa McCarthy is among some successful actresses who have plus sized body types and are proud of it. While there’s still a long way to go, these ladies are paving the way for progress.
Women’s magazines that include fashion sections all have a “dress for your body type” attitude. They showcase different clothes for different body types, allowing all kinds of readers to find what works for them. The only problem is that sometimes they don’t include all of the possible body types or allow for a combination of body types. For example, if you’re curvy and petite like me, you’re going to have an awful time trying to find out which clothing works for both aspects. However, it’s still a step in the right direction when it comes to incorporating all body types. Plus sized clothing is also more stylish than ever, which is a huge bonus!
So don’t be jealous of other women who you think might have a more perfect body than yours, because they probably don’t even think that about their own body. In fact, they might even be jealous of you! There is no definition of a perfect body because everyone is different and what’s perfect to someone might not be the same to someone else. Your loved ones and the people who matter the most truly don’t care what your body looks like because they love you for who you are.
Not everyone looks like a Victoria’s Secret Angel, and that’s okay. You are still beautiful, strong and powerful the way you are. You don’t have to have a perfect body to be fabulous! You’re fabulous already!
Magazines And Your Mental Health!
Every day standing in the checkout line or walking by a newsstand we encounter magazines. The glossy pages promise us solutions to problems we may not even know we had (yet are eager to fix such gaffes). Much contained between the cover pages is actually some form of advertising. Photoshopped celebrities line these covers offering us glamorous distortions of reality. But what is all of this doing to your mental health? Check out the link below to see what we uncovered!
Just Click on the PNG image below or Click here for Magazines And Your Mental Health! – PDF. Share it with your friends and remember confidence is the new sexy!
Fitness and Your Love Life: They’re the Perfect Match
Most of us know the saying “the couple that works out together stays together.” Well, there’s truth to that. Getting active will make your relationship stronger, your love life better, and your sex drive higher. Fitness has a huge impact on your love life, and here’s why you should merge the two together.
Couples have been working out together for a while, and this is nothing new. So why is it relevant now? As the modern world becomes more focused around being healthy and active, it is important to keep up. The obesity and laziness epidemic is something that has put a negative impact on our world, and you don’t have to fall in with it. You are a go getter, not a couch sitter! Nothing bad has ever come from getting in shape.
I’m not suggesting anything drastic, like leaving your comfortable woman-centered gym to go and work out with your husband’s bodybuilding friends. You don’t need to go and watch him bench press while making grunting noises and creating a large pool of sweat on the floor. That’s not fun for a lot of women. I’m simply making some suggestions to include fitness in your life, if you don’t already do so. Even if you do, here’s some insight you might not realize. Adding some fitness to your life will benefit your relationship in many ways. If you’re single there are also a lot of benefits, so don’t think that you don’t count here.
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Fitness has an effect on your energy levels, as well as your body both inside and out.
There are the obvious long term benefits that come from being active, such as decreasing your risks for heart disease and diabetes. If you are married, or in a long term relationship, those are things to be thinking about when it comes to your partner. You both want to be around as long as you can! If you have children together, this is also important for their sake.
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Working on your fitness also gives you self confidence, which is crucial for your love life.
When you work out regularly, you feel better and you feel that you look better- because you do. When you feel better about yourself, your sex drive will increase.
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Unleash the sexy!
This brings me to the sexual benefits of exercise. There are many. Naturally, the most obvious one is you will feel more comfortable naked and in an intimate situation. You’ll also have the energy to keep going as long as you want, and maybe longer than you could before. Your legs won’t get tired. Your arms won’t get sore. Exercising also releases endorphins that can boost your sex drive. Sex also counts as an exercise!
If you really want to boost that sex drive through the roof, you can take some of the sexier exercise classes, like burlesque and pole dancing. Those are sure to increase your sexual activity and awaken the temptress in you.
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Your relationship will go sky high.
Where does fitness come into play in a relationship? Find some common interests. Do you both enjoy hiking? Take a Saturday morning hike together. Walk your dog or go for a jog in the park. Go on an adventure in a place that you’ve never been to, or haven’t been to in a while. Go to the beach and play some volleyball. Join a co-ed recreational sports team together. Doing activities like this together will boost your bond and make you a stronger couple.
Working out and getting active with your partner will boost your relationship in multiple ways. If you choose to do some of the more exhilarating activities together, like rock climbing, you’ll help bring back those feelings you got when you first started dating- when you were in the “honeymoon phase” and everything was new and exciting. It’s also a good motivator to stay on track and keep with it, because you have each other as support. Your attraction to each other will also increase. You’ll be able to watch each other get into shape and improve yourselves. That’s an empowering thing.
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You can take fitness with you on vacations.
Even when it comes to going on a trip, you can add fitness. Go on a weekend getaway and do some sightseeing by foot or bicycle. Some places have running tours. If you’re going on vacation together, being active will help you get the most out of your time away because you can go on excursions and outings and be able to keep up physically.
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Meet someone amazing!
Single? There are plenty of ways to meet men through fitness activities and events. Joining a recreational sports league is an excellent way to do that. A couple in my hockey league not only met playing hockey, but also got engaged right there on the ice after a game a few years later in that same league. Joining a team will give you something in common with him that you can build off and form a base connection with. You can also meet people in classes and organized sporting events.
Many single men are looking for women who are active and enjoy either being outdoors or being adventurous. These outdoorsy, active men want to be able to take you on a canoe trip without you complaining that your feet hurt or your arms are sore from paddling. Being in shape would prevent both of those things from happening. However, so would wearing proper shoes. Keep that in mind.
If you scroll through some of the usernames on online dating sites like Match.com, you’ll see that a lot of them are sports related or activity related. Those dating sites, Match.com in particular, have organized events where you can go to meet other singles. Many of those organized events involve fitness activities. You can filter your online dating search to find men who are interested in the same activities that you are, and you can use those activities as dates. This will give you something to bond over, and that will give you a good starting point on a first date- or a second, third or fourth!
Whether you’re single, in a relationship, dating, in a partnership, or anything else, being active and involved with fitness will always give you an advantage. It can be something as small as walking your dog together. Whatever you choose to do will have a positive effect on your love life, and that is worth the effort.
Is D the New C?
Not enough of this vitamin could be killing you – and the remedy is absolutely free!
Sound extreme?
Not really. We seem to have an epidemic in North America of deficiency in vitamin D – about ⅓ of the population according to the latest statistics.* I have been one of them and you could be too. Here’s why it’s critical you find out.
If you’re like me and other women conscious of the effects of aging, you have probably been avoiding sun exposure to a lot of your face and body. Sun spots, wrinkles, leathery skin, not to mention melanoma are a growing concern for all of us, especially as we age. We buy the expensive 60+ spf sunscreens and spend a fortune on self tanners that give us that “sunkissed” look, even in the winter. Many of us have grown to fear any kind of sun exposure and yet the truth is, we could be doing irreparable damage to our health in the process.
No, I’m not advocating for all of us to start laying out in the sun, reflector in hand, slathered in baby oil (remember the good old ‘70s and ‘80s?) or hitting the tanning beds, but I do think it’s important to talk about how and why we may want to reconsider our vampiric ways and let sunlight back into our lives.
HERE’S WHAT THE EXPERTS SAY
A lack of vitamin D can lead to or increase your risk of osteoporosis, depression, breast cancer, prostate cancer, high blood pressure, pulmonary disease, chronic pain, immune dysfunction, and/or diabetes. “D” is now increasingly understood to play an important role in metabolic and immune system functions, as well as being linked to sleep problems and daytime fatigue.
Does that send you running out to your local pharmacy for supplements? In fact, many experts are advocating a minimum of 4000-6000 IU per day which is way more than most of us even consider taking as a supplement. Yet we should, according to experts like Dr. Gary Null.
Ah, but here’s the catch 22.
WHY YOU NEED SUNLIGHT
The ultraviolet rays of the sun spur our bodies into producing vitamin D and no matter how many supplements we take, sun exposure is still the most effective tool for maintaining appropriate levels. Remember, we are born naked and our ancestors spent their lives frolicking out in the sun. Our bodies need sunlight to survive well and even the weakest of sunscreens are going to block your body’s ability to create vitamin D through sun exposure by 95%.(Source: Dr. Michael Holick, author The U.V. Advantage).
A current recommendation for sun exposure in order for your body to create appropriate levels of vitamin D is approximately 20 minutes a day without sunscreen. However, our body’s ability to create vitamin D through sun exposure decreases with age. Also, people with darker skin pigmentation may need 20-30 times as much sun exposure as fair skinned people in order for their bodies to create sufficient amounts.*
SUPPLEMENTS AND DIET – NOT YOUR ONLY OPTIONS
Some of the best food sources of vitamin D are: cod liver oil, fatty fish, fortified milk, fortified orange juice, egg yolks, canned tuna, sockeye salmon, and beef liver. If you are “watching your weight”, lactose intolerant, cutting down on dairy or on a vegetarian/vegan diet, you can see how getting enough through your diet could quickly become an issue.
Vitamin D supplements are of course still a good option and in most cases better than nothing. (Note: They should be taken with the heaviest meal of the day because they are absorbed best with fatty foods.) Get tested for vitamin D deficiency and get yourself out into the sunshine to see if it makes a difference to your overall mood.
THE SUN IS NOT YOUR ENEMY (YES, REALLY!)
Thinking of taking that step out of the shade and into the light? Here are some important things that you need to know about how to do it safely.
Start slowly. If you are very fair skinned or have been hiding out of the sun for years, start with only a few minutes a day (without sunscreen) to let your body’s melanocyte cells kick into gear. These are the cells that allow you to tan and also give you the pigmentation to protect your skin from the sun. If you are going to be outside for a while, take some sunscreen with you to apply later. Going from pasty white to lobster red is extremely harmful to your skin and each time you burn, you increase your risk of skin cancer.
Protect your face and eyes. The skin of your hands, face, and especially around your eyes is thin and sensitive. When you are going to be out for a duration of time, wear a hat or a light sunscreen on these areas to help avoid wrinkles and UV damage.
Timing is everything. Believe it or not, the best time to get some sun exposure is noon. Because the sun is highest in the sky and there is more UVB radiation in the spectrum than harmful UVA rays, you can maximize the amount of vitamin D you can absorb in a shorter period of time. So a 15-20 minute walk out your office door and into the sunshine during your lunch break is a great way to get your sunshine vitamin D quota.
Cover up those tattoos. Maybe it was an ill-advised 18th birthday drunken dare or a beautiful piece of body art to celebrate a life milestone – but tattoos should NEVER be exposed to the sun. Not only will any sun exposure fade them out over time, but the amount of sun a tattoo can tolerate versus non pigmented skin is very different. If you overdo it and manage to sunburn your tattoo, your immune system will see that as a cue to take the foreign pigments away through the lymph nodes at an even greater rate. That is another potential source of “dis-ease”.
NEVER go in the sun after a photofacial or chemical peel. If you have ever tried these cosmetic procedures, you are likely familiar with the side effects, which can include redness, swelling, slight bruising, itching, peeling, scabbing, or hyper/hypo-pigmentation (darkening or lightening of the skin). It is crucial to keep the treated areas out of the sun for a long duration after you have had these procedures because your skin is very vulnerable to burning, irritation, and long term irreparable damage (follow your specialist’s advice to the letter). Evidently Restylane, Botox, and Juvederm are all ok with natural sun exposure but obviously be aware that any tanning you do is going to contribute to reversing the effects of your treatment.
So do I regret going sunless at 30? Nope. Regrets are a waste of energy – I made decisions based on the best information I could obtain at the time and over 20 years later I have youthful looking skin on my decolletage, hands, throat and face (the primary giveaways of age and sun damage) to show for it.
Would I do things differently? Probably. Decades of health issues have led me to take a long, hard look at their causes and I do believe that part of my immune system being compromised was potentially due to a lack of vitamin D. So now I choose to do both – I tan responsibly and I take additional vitamin D supplements.
As with anything in life, information is power. I have made a decision to look at the sun differently now, so to speak. It is not my enemy but a tool I can use with caution and respect to help optimize my health – on my terms! *(Source: U.S. National Institute of Health).
Fun Ways To Stay Active
Think that hopping onto a boring stairmaster machine for an hour is the only way to torch those calories? Think again! A myriad of other fitness activities are just waiting for you! However exercise doesn’t need to be just you against the clock. It can also include you and the guided class. For those of you social beings who like to engage in group classes there are plenty of classes in the water or on land for you to enroll. Fitness classes are a great way to explore new paths while challenging yourself. So mix it up during your next workout and see the linked infographic for other exciting calorie-torching options! Just Click on the PNG image below or Click here for the Fun Ways To Stay Active – PDF Version. Share it with your workout buddy!