Get Some Sun & Lose Some Weight

Yes, you heard correctly! Get some sun and lose weight.

As a holistic health coach, there are so many aspects of life to tweak to find extraordinary wellbeing. I often promote boosting Vitamin D by way of sunshine for three reasons. Plus there is the big bonus of losing weight.

1. Americans are highly deficient in Vitamin D. We need to boost it.

2. It’s free.

3. When I broke my leg a couple years ago, my surgeon even recommended sunshine as the best source of boosting Vitamin D to heal my broken bones.

Dr. Amen, Brain Expert and Founder of Amen Clinics, says that living in sunny Southern California, his own Vitamin D levels were unusually low because he works so many hours indoors. Once he boosted his Vitamin D levels, he lost his appetite, boosted his mood, and shed some pounds.

Why? Because when we are deficient in Vitamin D, the hormone leptin that tells your brain to stop eating doesn’t work. A little sunshine curbs the appetite.

Take Vitamin D supplements, but go outside. We have more recently been scared off of soaking up the sun, but it is critical. Learn how much time is best for you. 

Kids are also highly affected by this deficiency which has been proven to greatly affect their behavior. Take care not to burn. But commit to healthy doses of sunshine to improve moods and lose weight.

5 Moves from Winter Blues to Good Moods

Feeling blue? Employ the following five quick moves to reach a better mood:

1. Boost Vitamin D

2. Mood Follows Food

3. Move Your Body

4. Adventure Big and Small

5. Digital Detox

1. Sunshine. Good old sunshine is our #1 source of Vitamin D. When the sun shines, get outside and leave the sunscreen behind. Be sure not to burn, but gain a healthy dose based on skin tone to promote bone health, enhance muscle strength, reduce inflammation and boost immunity - a necessity with the current uptick in flu viruses.

When Mr. Sun is much more elusive, natural Vitamin D3 production within our own bodies becomes less efficient leaving many folks feeling moody, restless, fatigued, and sometimes downright grumpy. Solution: Vitamin D3 supplement.

2. Mood Follows Food. Highly refined carbohydrates and sugar affect blood sugar levels which can lead to crankiness. Other comfort foods can double as healthy pick-me-ups when they contain mood-boosting nutrients including omega-3 fatty acids, good carbohydrates and protein. Consuming foods with natural probiotics such as kefir, yogurt, miso soup and sauerkraut may also improve mood by supporting gut health. Not to mention a favorite, raw cacao, which due to the “feel-good” mineral components will serve you well. An absolute necessity is to know you are choosing correct versions of these foods. Reach out for help.

3. Prioritize Movement. Earlier in the day is the best time to exercise and move your body for better focus throughout the day. It will also equate to a better night’s sleep.

4. Plan an Adventure. Big and small adventures add up. Spend a couple hours at the local natural hot springs. Take a long weekend in a brand new destination. And once a year plan a trip that will bring equal parts challenge, transformation, and rest and relaxation. All three of these types of adventures are equally important and add up to great moods. Let’s talk about how to calendar them, look forward to them, and make them happen.

5. Digital Detox. We could speak on this one for days. Start with turning off all digital devices and wifi for an hour before you go to sleep. Do not turn them on until after an hour of being up and moving through your morning rituals. 30 minutes would do. How’s that for a small challenge? We offer many tools and techniques in this arena. For additional motivation, read more on Safe Tech.

Questions? Stories? Talk to me today.

The Art of Attention

Awareness requires attention. Paying attention. With all of today’s distractions, attention is now truly an art.

Paying attention has become a lesser-held quality - a fading art. Without paying attention, we cannot cultivate consciousness. Without consciousness, there is no empathy. Without empathy, what kind of world would we be living in?

The art of attention includes listening, paying attention to others, and paying attention to oneself.

Equally. 

Taking time within each moment throughout the day to focus on how we are with ourselves is part of this art. These moments range from our tasks at hand to how we speak to ourselves, and how we communicate - or do not - with those around us. The way we speak to ourselves is a sure indicator of the way we speak to, and of, others. These acts of awareness illustrate whether we are capable of stepping out of our own shoes and into those of another. Without this capability, there is no empathy. There is no consciousness. And what a world this would make.

Listen. Listen deeply.

Even when we think we are listening to someone, we can usually drop in a little more. 

Listen. Listen to our thoughts.

Listen to our bodies. The body communicates with us in a way that the mind never will.

Stop talking. Listen. Like, really listen. Notice. Pay attention. 

We all have moments of needing to express ourselves - talking over others, not fully listening, needing to be the comedian, the star, the life of the party, or the Instaham. Even those who lean more introverted than extroverted, desire these moments of being seen and heard. It is truly a give and take.

The concern is today’s severe imbalance.

The smartphone alone greatly shortened our attention spans. 

Oh, this isn’t fun anymore.

Swipe right.

As holistic health professionals, we hold many tools and techniques that we share with clients to cultivate awareness in order to better themselves and their relations.  But our society's lack of attention span has intensified rather tremendously. When those closest to us are not slowing down enough to notice what’s going on around them, how can we show up in a better way?

How can we better meet each other where we are to truly connect in order to progress? Progression is where we find fulfillment. In this, there is nothing to lose and everything to gain. 

Let's discuss. I am passionate about saving this seemingly dying art of attention. No pun intended, I’m all ears.

“A wise man once said nothing.” ~Proverb

Is This Holistic Health Coaching for You?

Last year, I was inspired to write the following post on my former holistic health consulting site, Après Sessions.

Do you deeply desire a shift in your life?

The people who deeply desire to make changes are always those most open to offerings from holistic health coaches. They clearly show commitment to moving past their stories. Most people, regardless of being tagged a “high-performer”, are usually still lacking in a few realms of life. I feel so fortunate to support these folks. It is truly a collaboration where we learn, gain and progress.

I have so much appreciation and respect for this commitment to oneself in order to authentically inspire and support others. Progression is potent on any level. But in a high-performer, progression equates to tenfold the ripple effect.

I love when I hear about a fellow holistic coach or consultant: “Man, she’s super strict.”

Good on her. Or him. They are being a coach. Would you expect anything less from a professional football coach? Looking back, "strict" may not be the best descriptor, but it gets the point across, yes? As a client, know that we must hold firm boundaries as our job includes holding you accountable.

The thing about this work is that we already have the understanding that no matter who we are, there is an area, maybe two, perhaps even three, where we are officially “over it”. We are fed up with our patterns. We are sick and tired of continual drama that, yep – we are in part responsible for – and ready to own.

We are ready to commit to due diligence and climb that hill. Deep dives are required. When we are ready, this is something to celebrate in and of itself. And hey, High Performers - this level of holistic work is about understanding that no matter how “successful” you are on the outside, the inside is where we are headed. Why? Because change is inevitable and constant. In order to be successful in all realms, no amount of Instagram followers is going to fulfill your soul. There are always areas, usually deep within, where each and every one of us, instead of avoiding, can not only tune in, but turn up the volume. 

Tune into THIS to learn whether this style of holistic coaching is for you…

This style of holistic coaching IS for you if you: 

            …are ready to hone in on every single realm of life and tweak this+that to move from where you are now to where you want to be

            …want to become more potent at what you do

            …are ready to step up not only for yourself, but as an example to those you touch each day

            …are killing it at life except one or two little areas in the back of your head that are driving you nuts

            ...personal and professional development is something you LOVE to geek out on

            …understand that there are no hacks. You just have to do the things. And there are always more things. They can never be avoided. And they change and ebb and flow with time.

            ….want to eloquently integrate your own personal development into all of your personal and professional relationships

            …want to collaborate toward a global consciousness of collective change

            ….want to locate a network of people to support you, guide you, teach you, coach you and your teams from where you are now to where you want to be

            …want to identify what is no longer serving you - today

            …are open-minded, open-hearted, know there is always more to learn, willing to look at yourself completely, with acceptance, and become more open to receive - even when sitting in the "hot seat"

            …want to find your very own unique version of true freedom that works for not only yourself, but all of your different partners in life 

This style of holistic coaching is NOT for you if you…

            …are looking for a quick fix - although sometimes small changes create massive transformations in very little time – awesome to witness

            …would rather just drop out and do what’s fast, fun and easy at the expense of yourself and/or another

            …think you already know everything there is to know about yourself, your loved ones, your business, your career, and it’s about changing someone else

            …are set on changing someone else

            …think you have tried everything

            …are not open to trying new things or even same/similar things you have tried in the past

            …prefer to stay stuck in your story

            …are “the boss” in some or all facets of life and unwilling to be coachable

            …do not want to challenge yourself

            …do not want to step out of your comfort zones or take risks

            …do not feel you could use a neutral eye on areas that are disturbing the peace

            …are not craving connection

            …are not interested in relationships based on truth, sometimes brutal honesty, vulnerability and transparency

            …are not interested in being part of a greater collective consciousness

            …do not want to BE the change in this world

            …have no desire to live a life that internally and externally defines freedom

Freedom is the name of the game. We must start where we are.

Tell me your story today.

Safe Tech

It's tough to keep up. There are a zillion health concerns in the world today. While we don't want to add stress to our lives by worrying about every little thing, this modern life is also growing and changing at an ever-increasing pace. We must wonder whether technology is safe.

The challenge of working a 40+++ hour work week, taking care of kids, eating well, exercising and getting outside daily, much less constantly combating potential health threats, can be overwhelming.

Holistic health coaches to the rescue.  Holistic health is about far more than nutrition and exercise. We pour over information and endlessly educate ourselves obsessively in order to assist you, your family, and your teams in not only keeping yourselves well, but also performing beyond what you ever imagined. The result for those motivated is progress in all realms of life, which ultimately leads to more happiness.

Some worries that have surfaced are due to one of our greatest advances - technology.  We love technology. It allows us to learn and connect and collaborate and support one another like never before. 

On the flip side, the cons come in various ways. Let’s acknowledge a few:

First, always being connected can affect us by not actually ever being connected in “real time”.  Speaking with people face-to-face is immensely important in certain circumstances. 

Second, disconnecting from our digital slaves allows the mind, which is inextricably connected to the body, to rest and reset.  It is absolutely necessary to allow the parasympathetic nervous system to reset by encouraging the rest and relaxation response. Getting outside, yoga, and meditation are a few ways to do so. Leave the electronics behind!

Social media, for example, can make you feel high, but can also make you feel low. Texts might make you feel like you always have to answer every little message right away. Both examples lead to unnecessary stress leading to a host of additional health issues.

Third, what we are more recently striving to combat are the increasing number of EMF’s, electromagnetic fields, that we come in contact with in this modern life.  You are exposed to 100 million times more EMFs than your grandparents were.  There is a growing chorus of doctors, researchers, and health & wellness professionals warning that EMF’s may be linked to a wide variety of risks ranging from sleeplessness to cancer. 

Holistic health coaches can offer information, ideas and support regarding how to manage technology and protect yourself, your family, and your company’s personnel. 

Become a warrior versus a worrier.  After all, less worry equals less stress – an ultimate benefit to your wellbeing.  Get outside. Leave your phone at home. Dare ya.

What is Holistic Health Coaching?

Health coaching is still a newer industry. Much like yoga, there are many styles without a truly unifying alliance yet in place.  That being said, when the coaching is described as “holistic” we are referencing the integration of all realms of life. Holistic refers to the whole; an intimate interconnectedness of all parts explicable only by referencing the whole. We are speaking on the human experience - body, mind, emotion, spirit. “Spirit” can be substituted with whatever works for the individual from religion to nature.

Health coaching is an industry on the rise given the state of our nation’s health and its healthcare system. Health coaches are not doctors, therapists, or nutritionists, although the practice holds strong components from all three. We support these professions, in many cases working alongside them, as well as referring out to them as necessary.

So what happens within a coaching session? Holistic health coaching means we are peering into all realms of life to find areas we can tweak to benefit the whole:

Health

Movement of body 

Nutrition

Home & work environment

Relationships

Social life

Spirituality (insert your own vocabulary)

Creativity & self-expression

Finances

Career

Continuing education

Overall joy

We are looking at root causes of disease, or lack of well-being, preventing and healing dis-ease, rather than slapping a Band-Aid on the byproduct for temporary relief. 

For the coach, sessions include deep deep listening to the client often beyond what the client is actually saying. What does this mean?? Well, some folks want a coach to be specialized in order to understand what exactly they will offer and what exactly the outcome will be. Commonly heard: “I want to lose weight.”. Commonly thought: "This person will give me the magic combination of diet, nutrition, cleanse, green juice and exercise which will for sure help me lose weight." While all of these will certainly assist and often remedy an issue, many times a deficiency in an area seemingly unrelated is actually the missing link!

Digging deeper, and this happens quite often, the client eventually finds that a certain person in their life, friend, relative, or partner is actually causing tremendous stress, turmoil, obsessive thought, and all related emotions leading to a severe lack of wellbeing expressing itself through additional weight, that annoying skin condition, chronic fatigue, loss of additional relationships, and so on. These conditions then will not go away by adding more vegetables to one’s plate. In fact, when a force to be reckoned with is sucking so much of one's time and energy, it’s really hard to eat more vegetables. So once we get to the root cause, we begin the evolution.

Holistic health coaches listen, support, guide, teach, coach, consult, deduce, heal, and inspire change in mind, body, thought, leading to transformation. Taking people from where they are now to where they want to be is what we do.