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Covid-19 Toolbelt

One of the most powerful things I read recently that really helped me put my 100% belief into my body and my immune system was shared by a dear friend and colleague Dr. Russel Sher, Functional Medicine Doctor, Asheville, NC 

 

“You can boost your Innate Immune Response (which is going to kill the virus when it gets inside of you) using multiple herbs and vitamins. Once your Innate Immune Response kills the infected cells and presents those dead cells to your Adaptive or Acquired Immune Response to create your own antibodies to the coronavirus, this whole thing will be over, and you will have your own antibodies for this virus in the future. The older you get, the weaker your Innate Immune Response becomes. This is why the elderly are the most vulnerable.” Dr Russel Sher

 

So, breathe that in….and how about breathing in that 80,000 people have successfully recovered from the virus! Let’s celebrate that!!!

 

Here are a few questions to reflect on during this time to help you identify if you are feeding love and hope or fear and anxiety? 

 

Are you turning on your phone and plugging into the news or social media in bed, just before bed, or right after you wake up?

 

Are you keeping your phone off for the first hour of your day to nourish your sweet soul and prepare for the bombardment of fear, news, and facts that will come your way? 

 

Are you moving your body every day?

 

Are you noticing your posture at home in your new maybe “makeshift” shared office? You can’t be sad or depressed if you are standing tall and/or sitting upright. 

 

Are you practicing gratitude now more than ever? Blessing your meals and your health? 

 

As always I want to educate and empower you to take the necessary steps you can so you can thrive during this time, just like any other time. Because…you can. There is always a gift and a silver lining.

 

Are you giving yourself a high five? You nailed it communicating in a very stressful conversation, because I know we are all having them right now.

 

Or is fear showing up and you are kicking yourself in the ass with how you just talked to your girlfriend and told her to stay the hell home!? Or perhaps snapped at your parents who don’t see the alarm in running out to the local home depot to get ready for a few projects.

 

What is unfolding for you? How are you showing up right now?

Here’s what you need to know about how the virus spreads: In summary you get the virus from the air and after touching contaminated objects

  • Droplets from a cough or sneeze stay in the air and are contagious for up to 3hrs
  • Droplets landing on hard surfaces like copper are contagious for up to 4hrs
  • Droplets landing on cardboard up to 24 hrs (wipe down all delivery packages and/or use gloves)
  • Droplets landing on plastic, stainless steel up to 3 days (again wipe down any packages and wipe down your own stainless steel everyday)
  • Use gloves going into any store and dispose of on your way out.
  • Wipe down all bags and door handles or anywhere you could have touched between the store and home.
  • Have antibacterial wipes at the entrance of your home, your car and your purse
  • Stay at least 6 ft away from everyone, incubation period is 2-12 days and you may or not show symptoms.

 

Here is my current toolbelt and tips I wanted to share with you:

 

  • Move your body every day. If the sun is out, get Vitamin D, walk your dog, that is legal:) You can also find tons of free online tai chi, yoga, kickboxing, and dance classes. com is offering a 30-day trial of all their livestream classes and they have barre dance, hip hop, strength, cardio, and even stretch classes. I am loving this new tribe I have joined right now.
  • Find a fresh fruit and vegetable delivery service. You can google “fresh fruit and vegetable delivery service or CO-OP near me” and you should get some options. Colorado Springs local COOP, Farm to Fork Colorado is still accepting new members but some places have been overwhelmed. In that case you can explore Farmbox Direct, Sun Basket, or the Green Chef. Ranch foods direct is a local organic farm supplying meat locally in the COS area. You can look locally for a meat supply as well that may perhaps deliver.
  • Boost your immune system. Here are the products I have researched among the professional and highly respected medical doctors and what I am taking:
    • Vit C 1000mg a day (Trace mineral powder power pack!)
    • ZInc up to 30 mg a day (I am taking every other day because you CAN get too much)
    • Elderberry (combined with Vit C and zinc in a lozenge is great!)
    • Curamed (curcamin is high inflammatory so if you have any aches and pains or tend to have inflammation, good time to manage that)
    • Juiceplus: Read the research here on Juiceplus and its effects on respiratory health in elderly, athletes, and smokers!
    • Join Wellevate here, my online dispensary to receive my immune boosting protocol at 20% off and also whatever else you might need.
  • Stock up on packaged goods, frozen meats, and soups at Thrive. They have a 1-2 week delay, but right when you are likely going to need to go to the grocery store you can receive your delivery. We are avoiding all stores as much as possible, including grocery. Even where they are monitoring people. It’s still a large group of people.
  • DO your part. STAY HOME. Medical professionals are risking their lives and the health of their families everyday…the least we can do is stay home to stop the spread:)
  • Meditate, pray, incorporate mudras to support the respiratory system. Write in your gratitude journal day and night. Build resilience in your mind and spirit.
  • Practice your healthy lifestyle;
    • Good sleep hygiene
    • CDC guidelines for good hygiene
    • Move your body daily
    • Meditate and stress and anxiety reducing practices
    • Eat a wholesome diet of fruits and vegetables more than ever

 

*Viruses feed off of sugar and processed foods…ditch them for now:) 

 

Empower yourself with a 5-minute Ratna Prabha Mudra meditation a mantra for clearing congestion from the lungs and sinus passages, activating digestion, and increasing mental clarity. Perfect to support your immune system to overcome the Coronavirus.

 

I would love to hear from you and how your heart and soul are holding up at this time.

Please note all my services are reduced 40%. I will serve anyone that needs support and extend a “Pay what you can” rate for programs and services for the next 60 days.

 

Much Love and healing to you and your family at this time.

 

XO

 

 

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Stop Being a Jerk to Yourself!

I am changing the way I feel about my body, the way I talk to this precious temple. Because the truth is, if you want your body to find its ideal shape and size in supporting you on this journey, wherever you are at today, you better talk nice!

 

Let’s check in…

 

Do you talk nice to yourself?

 

“Hi beautiful, as you gaze into the mirror…”

 

or is it…

 

“Holy shizzle, when did you get all those wrinkles, jeez I need to research the latest and greatest products out there to get those back in check!”

 

Ok guilty, that was me all of 2019 as I embraced the many changes of my body that left me completely uncomfortable and feeling less desirable. Wrinkles, hot flashes, and a little more junk in my trunk.

 

But…it was the best year yet!

 

Let’s face it. We all know by now that the old “push through, you got this” and “ignore the stress, unhappy feelings, belly bulging pants, and being an asshole to yourself” method ain’t serving no one and it certainly isn’t serving the body.

 

Loving kindness to your body is actually a new trend.

 

Ok here’s a little science behind it because what do I know right?

 

Masaru Emoto discovered that if thoughts and words are directed at water, the water crystals undergo changes depending upon whether the words or thoughts are positive or negative.

 

Hello? We are 55-75% water! This is profound ya’ll…pay attention to how you are treating yourself and others.

 

Check out this quick YouTube 6 min video to see more on the experiment, it’s fascinating! And it could change the way you talk to yourself…well that’s the hope!

 

Once again it is proven that the way you talk to yourself can be bad for your health.

 

So how do you embark on this journey?

 

Well it’s simple really, treat yourself like you would treat your best friend.

With loving kindness.

 

If that’s hard for you and you would like a few tools…then let’s chat.

 

One of my favorite tools, is Louise Hay’s mirror work which will draw the love right out of you! 21 days to heal your life.

 

I have one space left in my Finally Free program and that’s just a snippet of the work we will do together. This work is transformational and I just can’t wait to share it with you.

 

To be honest, I didn’t realize it would transform my life…but indeed it did.

 

And it can transform your life…all you have to do it show up!

 

Learn more here and use coupon code FINALLYFREESOAR to grab the last spot today and get a whopping 50% off discount!

 

Please leave a comment, I would love to hear your share!

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How do you feed the need to feel love and connected?

My experience with my family has been to feel love and connection through card games, wine and spirits, movies, and delicious food at the holiday season. Sound familiar?

 

And now that my family has evolved on so many levels, I am creating new rituals and ways of connecting that are nourishing for me and more fulfilling and in some ways, replacing the ways of numbing out which left me feeling very disconnected.

 

We all have the need to experience a variety of different emotions. Tony Robbins, John Burton, Abraham Maslow, and Paul Sites have studied this work as it has evolved over the years.

 

Understanding the 6 Human Needs will give you the tools to better understand how one might use food, alcohol, drugs, shopping, gambling, and even sex (just to name a few) as ways we attempt to meet our emotional needs.

 

We all navigate the world based on these needs and the more you understand this concept the more compassion you have for yourself and those around you.

 

Here are the six human needs:

  • Certainty
  • Uncertainty
  • Significance
  • Love and Connection
  • Growth
  • Contribution

 

When we seek to understand ourselves and how we connect, we better understand others. When we apply this concept of human needs psychology, we can become more intuitive with our food and our relationship with our body and discover what it is we really hunger for.

 

The six human needs are in all of us at different points in our lives. Sometimes we need more of one than another. Take note of which ones you value the most and the negative or positive ways that you get those needs met. 

 

Need #1 CERTAINTY: The first need is our need for certainty. 

 

Being able to increase pleasure and avoid pain involves certainty. We all desire this need to be met in different ways in our lives. As a baby, we need to be certain we will eat, sleep, and be held to feel safe. As a teenager, we need to be certain that we will be accepted and belong in a peer group.

 

Some of us may want certainty around what we will have for breakfast, lunch or dinner. We want to feel safe and secure and often we resist change because it is unknown and could be uncomfortable. 

 

Lifestyle change can be one of those unknowns, because we don’t know what a healthy life looks like or feels like and if we will be accepted and safe. 

 

Food can make us feel full, safe and grounded. We use it to comfort us when we are lonely, sad, or frustrated. We can avoid our problems with food because we are certain it will relieve our discomfort, at least in the short term.

 

News flash…we all eat emotionally. In some way we feed, soothe, or avoid life with food, or alcohol. Some of us may tend to numb instead of nourish.

 

Need #2 UNCERTAINTY

Our bodies and minds need and require uncertainty and surprise to varying degrees. 

Some people get variety to a small degree by watching suspenseful tv series, while others may seek high risk activities to meet their need for uncertainty and variety in their life.

 

This was quite an Aha for me being the thrill seeker that I am and explains so much for me…and offers awareness and opportunity to meet my need for variety without so much risk, if I choose to:)

 

With food, we can seek variety or even excitement when we are bored. We know that sugar tickles the dopamine center (same center tickled by high risk activities and sex) giving us that hit of pleasure.

 

We can avoid boredom or even procrastinate with food. I know that if I am working on a daunting project that is hard emotionally, I reach for dark chocolate even when I know I am not hungry. It’s like a little hit of pleasure to help get me through the tough experience.

 

Need #3 SIGNIFICANCE

We all have a need to feel significant, unique and important.

 

People that are harsh critics, perfectionists, bullies, are all examples of what we do or become to gain significance. And often we commiserate with each other to gain significance, the quickest way to get significant is to have a problem that can’t be solved.

 

Need #4 LOVE AND CONNECTION

The need for Love and Connection is one of our basic but so important human needs, and one that most of us know and can relate to.

 

Babies need to feel connected to their mothers while teenagers need to connect with their peers and feel loved and connected.

 

Adults seek romantic love and finding a soul mate to feel loved and connected. Women may feel love and connection through a ladies night out with wine, cheese and crackers. Aha! This is one of my favorite ways to connect with my girlfriends!

 

When it comes to food, we use food for love and connection all the time. During the holidays we gather over food. We celebrate weddings with food and even after a funeral, there is more food.

 

Life is plain hard sometimes and we use food and alcohol to feel connected when what we are truly feeling is pitiful, lonely, and sad. Food/alcohol helps us cope either with ourselves or others.

 

Is there anyone that you see over the holidays that you might think “drives you to drink”? There are other nourishing ways to love and connect that I will share.

 

Humans often connect with each other over food and can keep each other stuck and prevent us from evolving and changing for the better.

 

Need #5 GROWTH

We need to grow!

 

When we stop growing, we feel like we are dying and become stagnant. We can grow intellectually, spiritually, physically, and emotionally. Anything that you want to cherish in your life must be nourished. So, your job, relationships, marriage, your happiness and love all need care and cultivating to grow!

 

Doing something you used to love as a kid, dancing, riding a bike or a horse, painting, singing, or even diving into something new are all ways we can grow. We can also enroll in a training to cultivate growth in our relationships or our work.

 

You can also have negative growth when you become cynical that true change can occur and become a resigned human being, stagnant, and stuck. The level of growth you experience directly affects your level of fulfillment in this world! 

 

For example, if you find yourself thinking, I will never be able to run a marathon, never have and never will. Or I can never lose the post-baby fat, it’s always been there and that’s just how it is. Or I could never give up coffee, I just couldn’t function without it!

 

Need #6 CONTRIBUTION

The need to go beyond your own needs and give to others is the need for contribution.

 

A life is incomplete without the sense of giving back or contributing to a cause. Everyone is special and has divine gifts and has the capacity to contribute in some way.

 

Giving to others may mean giving time to your family and becoming a good parent, writing a book, making a donation, or doing community service.

 

Healthy nourishing whole foods can contribute to the well-being of your body and that is a positive contribution.

 

You can contribute in negative ways when it is destructive to yourself, the planet or others. Eating until you are sick or tempting others to eat or drink in unhealthy ways is negative contribution.

 

You don’t need to do something enormous to give yourself a false sense of significance and it is not required that you save the world, even if you feel compelled to do so.

 

Taking the necessary steps to care for yourself and your health is enough!

 

In this way you can also positively impact others and their well-being as well. 

 

So, this holiday season, where can you find more fulfilling self-nourishing ways to meet your emotional needs?

 

Reaching for a puzzle to connect instead of a movie with a glass of wine, which when I really feel into movies on the couch with a glass of wine, doesn’t feel like connection at all.

 

Although, I would be lying if I said I don’t want to see CATS and the new Star Wars this Christmas. I just won’t be calling that connection time, that’s my unplug and escape reality time, or meeting my need for uncertainty and suspense. Let’s call it what it is!

 

We all contribute in one way or another, the question is, are we doing it positively or negatively? 

 

Some different ways you could self-nourish this holiday season to meet your needs might be:

 

  • Go for a holiday spritzer with a splash of cranberry instead of another cocktail
  • Find a new and interactive game you can play with family or friends
  • Get an Airbnb when you visit family if you need to have your space to do your daily rituals and care for yourself best
  • Take a walk after you eat before reaching for more
  • Tap into intuitive eating and ask yourself if you really want more? Pecan pie, eggnog, serving of mac and cheese, glass of wine
  • If folks dive into a movie and you feel restless, grab your favorite book and nourish yourself in that way

 

The point is…you have options!

 

If you would like to learn more about what you really hunger for in life, check out my new Online Program Finally Free, finding peace with food and your body, a 7-week workshop series. Kicks off Jan 15th, 2020 with only 3 spaces available. 

 

Please leave a comment, I would love to hear your share!

 

Happy Holidays and much love to you!

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