Tag: Healthy

Personal Development

How to Level Up your Life

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Guys, I’m so glad you’re here. I’m so glad you’re reading this. This will be the one blog post you should read about when you are at a point of wanting to level up your life. Are you starting your business, transitioning into the person you want to be, scaling your dreams, living your dream life? No? Then come along.

First of all, thanks for being a part of this incredible community here for as long as you have. I hope this website has helped you reach your potential and has inspired you to be a better person! I encourage you to be a part of my email list to get daily inspiration delivered to you daily.

Change your BELIEFS

So… the one thing you need to think about is the word “belief.”

Belief is what makes you hesitate. It makes you miss out on opportunities. Beliefs are SO powerful. They either propel you forward or take you backwards.

This is ONE thing that can make things happen for you.

Are you looking for something new? Are you fulfilled in your current life? Do you have clarity and confidence?

Everyone comes from a different walk of life – but there are a lot of people who come from the same walk of life as you, and have transformed their life and become unstoppable.

Things can change in an instant, and YOU can be a part of that change. It’s easier than you think. It starts with your CORE BELIEFS.

Beliefs can run deep. You can create that mindset that is bulletproof. What belief have you had? What belief did you have that made you miss opportunities? Write it down.

Don’t let fear hold you back

Personally, I experienced this for myself. I was driven by FEAR. I was afraid of what people would think, the pain and weakness associated by being out of my comfort zone, so I stayed in my comfort zone. Then, the next day I was angry at myself for not having the balls to get out of my comfort zone.

Do you want to be left behind in your life? Or do you want to be ahead in your life? Don’t let old stories hold you back. You are ready to transition. Don’t tell yourself that since you made mistakes, you have never succeeded, you have always failed.

You are not your past

You CAN leave the past in the past. You are NOT your past.

Start today over. Start fresh. You have a brand new day, that you can do anything with.

Decide who you are today, and BE THAT PERSON.

I love you! Go chase your dreams!

6 Ways to Combat Stress

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If you are like me, your stress can be all over the place. The babysitter calls in sick. Then, you go to work, open your e-mail, only to find that a client is upset. You get home, and your kids are melting down because they’re hungry.

Does this sound familiar?

Yes, we’ve all been in those shoes. But what are you going to do about it? After all, life is not what happens to you. It’s how you react with what happens to you.

To help you get through these stressful moments, here are 6 ways to help you combat stress:

  1. Laugh

Yes, I said laugh. Funny, right? (No pun intended). In those stressful times, maintaining a sense of humor can relieve your stress in many ways. First, there are many ways you can benefit from laughter. Studies have shown that laughter can help relieve pain, bring a dose of happiness and also increase immunity. Also, it’s more difficult to stay stressed when you’re laughing. Maintaining a sense of humor is a great reminder that our stressors may not be as unbearable as they seem. So, next time you’re stressed, just laugh it off.

2. Aromatherapy

This is one of my favorites, and as easy as it comes. Studies show that certain types of aromatherapy are passive forms of stress relief – you don’t have to do anything, but go about your day as you normally would.

3. Meditation

This is becoming a mainstay for many because it brings so many wonderful benefits, as well as resilience against future stress. You should not shy away from this, if you think you don’t have time to practice, etc. All it takes is 5 minutes!

4. Breathing exercises

These can be done if you’re at work, at home, at the airport, or in the car. They can be done anywhere, with little training. Combined with other stress relief techniques, you will quickly (and easily) be able to combat forms of anxiety and high stress.

5. Exercise

Exercise provides so many health benefits, besides the obvious (toned arms, anyone?). It can be a quick outlet for frustration, and an excellent distraction to get your mind off of what you’re stressed about. It’s not always a “quick” way to relieve stress, however, there are so many options to exercise at your desk chair, or even in bed, if you don’t have time to get to the gym!

6. Change your environment

A quick change of environment always does a body good. If you’re in the office, step outside and breathe. If you’re at home, change rooms. Whatever environment you’re in, ditch it!

 

Week 1 No Sugar Challenge

Week 1 + “No Sugar” Challenge

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Well, the first week of the “no sugar” challenge is officially underway, and let me tell you, I FEEL SO GOOD. View the YouTube video here: Week 1 + No Sugar Challenge

I do not want to sugar coat anything (see what I did there?) and tell you everything is all fine and dandy. It’s not. The truth is, this is SO HARD. Dropping sugar from your diet means that everything you eat is either (1) produce or (2) protein. Yes, you can opt-in with “sugar-free” items, but I do not go for those. Why? Because they usually contain aspartame. You can read more about the dangers of aspartame here.

So, yes, for one week, I survived a fruit, vegetable, protein (eggs, beef, fish), and nuts diet. It was hard, but the way I felt every single day was worth ditching the “white stuff.” The hardest part was on Day 3, which is when the body truly feels that it is lacking all of those processed sugars. My body felt like it was addicted to something on this day, it wanted everything that came in a package, especially Skittles.

However, after I got through Day 3, I loved it so much, that I knew this would be a permanent lifestyle change.

Here are the best things I’ve experienced on this “no sugar” challenge:

  1. Less Brain Fog
    If you know me, or if you don’t know me, you know that I have two small toddlers, who also keep us up all night, every night. Also, being a full time working mom, with a husband who travels a lot, doesn’t leave me a lot of room for self-care. This usually results in excessive brain fog. After I started incorporating healthier foods, I could focus more easily, and also think straight! It was a miracle!
  2. Less Joint Pain
    Oh, the joys of joint pain. My knees, my shoulders, my back, everything started to hurt more after I started having babies. But, after I cut out sugar, all of my joints felt less inflamed and more juiced up. It’s almost like having WD-40 sprayed all over those bones and tendons. I can play with my kids without things hurting, and I can kick butt in my workouts without feeling it too much the next day.
  3. More Energy
    Imagine your body feeling 20 pounds lighter instantly because all of those little cells have the nutrients they need to function at their best. Imagine your digestive track not having to work as hard digesting those pre-packaged foods. You feel on top of the world!
  4. Meal Prepping Doesn’t Suck
    Yes. Don’t believe all of those drama queens that say “meal prepping is so hard, it’s so messy.” No, it’s not. It actually makes life easier, and your wallet loves you for it. If I am a full-time working mom, with two toddlers and a hubby who travels, take my word for it that it REALLY MAKES LIFE EASY. Say it with me… “1. Make your meal plan, 2. Grocery shop, 3. Prep said groceries, 4. Enjoy NOT having to wonder what you’re going to cook every day!”

If anything, I hope this little snippet gives you some hope that you CAN eat healthy, that you CAN feel better, and that you CAN start feeding your body LIVING foods, not that crap that comes out of a factory (… organic or not, a machine still created it. GROSS).

Stay tuned for Week 2!

How-To-Be-The-Best-Version-of-YOU

How To Be The Best Version of YOU

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I recently went to a concert this past weekend, and was absolutely dumbstruck by the performer. She had so much energy on stage, and stomped across it with high heels for almost three hours. She also has a little one year old son, an incredibly successful career with twelve singles hitting number one. Somehow, I was in awe how she could literally do it ALL. She was kicking butt at life. She is the best version of herself. This made me think…  How can I be that person? How can I be the best version of myself?

In case if you’re wondering, this performer was none other than Country Music superstar Carrie Underwood.

To say this concert was life changing was an understatement. The night before, she attends a CMT awards show, and hops on her plane to fly to the concert. Carrie wakes up, gets in an hour-long work out and manages to spend plenty of time with her son, do her laundry and her hair and makeup. She also manages to have a beautiful marriage to withstand all of this chaos. When I say this girl can do it all, she can DO IT ALL.

Which makes me think — here I am, a budding mommy-blogger-still-working-full-time, with an 8 month old baby boy. I can’t remember the last time I ate healthy, let alone worked out. My marriage is pretty good, although we do get in our arguments occasionally.

How-To-Be-The-Best-Version-Of-You

I reflected on this. For a LONG time. I still have that voice in the back of my head whispering “You need to be better.” If I am not being the best version of myself, my husband and son are being cheated of a wonderful wife and mother. So, TODAY, I am going to be the BEST VERSION of myself. Here’s how to be the BEST version of YOU…

1. Prioritizing Exercise

A healthy body results in a healthy mind. I have NO excuse to squeeze in at least 20 minutes of exercise every day. More importantly, YOU have NO excuse either. Worried that you haven’t exercised in forever? Yoga is incredible! Unroll that yoga mat and lets GO!

2. Drinking Water

I can’t remember the last time I drank 8 glasses of water a day. Seriously, that is so sad. I drink 8 cups of coffee a day with no problem. You know what? I have bags under my eyes, so that coffee isn’t helping anything. Time to chug that miracle juice.

3. Stop Eating Sh*t

Our culture is all about conveniency. Conveniency is fast food, TV Dinners loaded with sodium, restaurant meals with 2,000 calories. This is disgusting. Our food is disgusting. I am throwing away my chips, nixing fast food, and starting to meal plan. Are you with me?!

4. Find Something You’re Good At

Being a mom is exhausting. Some days, it’s very unrewarding. Who has ever tried to feed their 8 month old mixed vegetables, and they fight every single bite? My child is the light of my life, but when he is cranky, I need an outlet to run to. For me, blogging and photography are my niche. It’s what I am good at, and it’s how I find some sort of achievement when I feel like my son is drawing me to the edge. Find something you’re good at, that you can get in to. Every mom needs that outlet. What is something you’re passionate about? Go find it!

5. 30 Minutes of “Me” Time

Moms are trying to squeeze in so much in a days time. We never get time to sit back, and live in the moment. Think you’re too busy for some “me” time? Think again. So, you haven’t slept all night, and the baby needs a bottle at 5AM. I get it, I’ve been there too. Take a lunch break, go for a walk, do yoga, meditate, anything to be alone. Hell, go hide out in the bathroom if you have to! You owe it to yourself!

Starting today, will you vow with me to incorporate these 4 things into your life? I am needing an accountability buddy, will you join me? I don’t want to hear any “I’ll start tomorrow” bullsh*t because you know what? If you don’t start NOW, you never will. NOW LETS GO!