BEST LYFE!

Part of living your Best Lyfe is having a healthy and fulfilling relationship with your spouse. While this usually is easier said than done, it doesn’t have to be difficult. There are small things you can do in your daily life to keep your relationship alive and growing.

I get asked the question often about how I stay in love after so long. How do you keep it alive they ask? Well there are many big things that we can do each day but it’s the little things that add up over time. These are the things that make the difference at the end of the day.

Someone can do something big once and be pretty crappy the rest of the time. It’s what we do in our daily lives that impact the relationship more than the big things. Here are a few things we make sure we do daily in our relationship.

1. Always kiss when coming & going

Since day 1, there hasn’t been a time that one of us left or came home that we did not give each other a kiss. This is extremely important as it shows respect and eagerness to be with the other person. In fact, if this is not the first thing done when one of us comes home, it almost feels like an insult even if unintentional.

There have also been times that we may have been not on the best of terms and the fact of coming home and giving a kiss has stopped our argument and we just laugh.

• Send flirty messages

Been married for 10 years? So? The flirtation should never stop. Think back to when you were dating and how feminine and flirty you were? Are you still that way today? Probably not. Life got comfortable. We start to take things for granted. But why? If we don’t flirt with each other, then who? It’s important to keep the femininity alive. This is what our husband fell in love with so many years ago. So bring it back out! Be flirtatious.

• Talk about your vision for your future together

Do you know where you want to be as a couple in 10 years? Do you have dreams together? Talk about it. It’s great not only to have a vision but to put it out into the Universe for it to happen. One of the things we talk about daily is our desire to live on an island somewhere. We watch shows together and talk about the ways we will make it happen. It brings us closer during the process and the pay off when we get there will be even better.

• Say thank you often

This is a little thing that goes by often unnoticed. Men love to be thanked. (and the reality is so do we.) Does your husband take out the trash every Tuesday night? When is the last time you sincerely thanked him for doing that so it’s one less thing around the house you have to remember). Does he help run the kids to soccer practice? Just stop and say thank you. Acknowledge what he does and it will go a long way.

• Put the relationship first

What?!?!?! But what about my kids? You heard me right. I have 3 kids but the relationship always comes first! When the kids are all grown up, who will you be left with? Just the two of you. Plus our children learn more by what you do than by what you say. If they grow up watching a healthy relationship unfold where the two partners put themselves as priority, what will that teach them? What will they mimic when they get into their relationships?

Often times parents put the kids first and this leads to unhealthy relationships with the spouse. This is where lack of intimacy starts. Where relationship needs are not met. Make time for the two of you. Go on vacation together, plan date nights or just make sure you have time to discuss your day after work.

Remember at the end of the day, it’s not about the big things in the relationship but the little things that add up over time. Make your relationship a priority even when it’s hard. It’s easy to get stuck in an every day routine. It’s harder to get unstuck but it’s well worth it in the end.

Think about some of the things you do every day in your relationship that could be having an impact. I would love to hear all about it. Comment below. Need help in your relationship? Reach out for a Complimentary Breakthrough Session today!

What a perfect day, Valentine’s Day, to talk about relationships? Having a growing relationship with your significant other is just one of the core pillars when it comes to building your Best Lyfe. Often times after we get married or in a committed relationship, we stop working so hard on growing it. Whether you’ve been together 5 years, 15 years or 50 years, it’s always important to work on ways to grow the relationship.

Looking for ways to feel connected to your partner? We asked the experts and rounded up five simple ways to improve your relationship with your significant other.

We all know how hard relationships can be. Even couples who always seem to look picture perfect go through their fair share of ups and downs.

The good news is that there are ways to fix any issue or problem you’re facing as a couple. Read the following tips to help you build a strong, romantic relationship that’s built on communication, trust, and love.

1.      Be Supportive

Ask your partner about their day. Listen and pay attention. Showing support doesn’t only have to be only during big work projects and promotions. It’s everyday signs of caring and empathy.

Being supportive of your significant other means showing compassion and understanding.

The important thing to remember is that you have to be intentional and proactive in your actions. Making an effort is now easier than ever, thanks to technology. Why not send your significant other an emoji or a text just to check in? Even better, call them up for a few minutes to chat and see how they’re day is going. These little things help build a relationship and make your partner feel validated.

2.      Enjoy the Little Moments

A relationship is a work in progress. You need to focus more on the small moments that give your relationship meaning and value.

You don’t need big gestures like in the movies. All you need to build a strong, loving relationship is to kiss each other before heading out to work or giving each other a hug before going to bed. It’s the consistency and frequency of those little moments that really matter in the end.

Dr. Kristie Overstreet, a relationship expert and certified sex therapist, says, “A healthy relationship is one based in trust and security. [This is why] small gestures are a great way to keep these two things strong.”

3.      Spice Things Up

Picture this: you eat the same meal every day. After a while, it becomes humdrum and unexciting. It’s the same way with your sex life. Trying new things in the bedroom will add a new dimension to your intimacy and bring you closer together.

Alternatively, spicing things up doesn’t have to only be in the bedroom. Variety is the backbone of any strong relationship.

Why not plan a dinner date or an impromptu lunch at your partner’s favorite restaurant? One fun rule to live by is the 2 x 2 x 2 rule. Go out for at least two hours every two weeks. Then, every two months, get away somewhere for the weekend. And every two years, go away for an entire week.

Feeling that each one of you is making time for the year is the root of any romance. Prioritizing time for one another means you’re not just an afterthought.

4.      Be Appreciative

Whether you’ve been in a relationship for six months or 10 years, relationships get comfortable after a while. While this is a good thing, it can make you take your partner’s nice acts of kindness for granted.

These acts of kindness are how your partners show their love and appreciation for you. So, it’s only natural that you return those same affections with a simple ‘thank you.’

5.      Learn to Communicate

Work, responsibilities, money, and kids all take their toll on relationships. They’re some of the main reasons why communication between couples takes a back seat to everything else.

One way to help ease communication into your lives is to have a daily check-in session. This is where you talk with your significant other about just normal, ordinary, everyday stuff.

But, in the long run, these meaningful topics are what help deepen your intimacy and connection.

When communication lines are open between you and your partner, it helps prevent small issues from snowballing into bigger problems. This doesn’t necessarily mean you have to argue over every little thing. It just means that you get into the habit of calling out issues with each other in a calm, understanding way. You can casually bring it up in one of your daily check-ins.

Over time, this can become a habit where you effectively nip things in the bud before they get out of head.

This is just one core pillars of living your Best Lyfe. Want to join a community of busy moms with careers looking to live their Best Lyfe just like you? Join us today in our Best Lyfe Community Facebook group. Here we share what is getting in our way, what holds us back and also wins that we’ve had over the last week to help us learn from each other. Join today!

Ok… So we’ve all been there. We’ve used something to help us get more energy, whether it’s coffee, soda, Red bulls, etc. Most of us are fond of at least one product that has the effect of a stimulant and that eventually becomes an addiction. My “boost” of choice used to be Diet Soda. Some other products include exercise stimulant drinks (they come in cans and look like cola), fizzy aerated drinks, tobacco, betel nut, betel leaf, strong coffee, strong tea, ma huang (an ephedrine-like compound consumed in china), and alcohol.

Before I tell you why we shouldn’t consume these products, I’d like to deal with the question of why we do consume them in the first place.

There’s no one who doesn’t know that products like these, consumed in excess, can severely harm our bodies. Yet, we still find them hard to resist. The need to eat stimulant food is a simple human weakness that has existed for ages: humans (and many animals) have always indulged in foods that give a sort of emotional high. In clinical terms, this means rapid heart beat, a little sweating, dilation or constriction of the pupils of the eye, a warm flush on the face, and a sense of greater sensitivity, concentration and perception.

These sensations of ‘high’ die down within a few hours, and we are left feeling listless and low. This leads to a craving for that food again, to experience the high one more time. And there we are going round and round in a vicious circle.

The physiology of addictions is as follows:

When you eat an addictive food, it stimulates the hormone like substances found at the end of your nerves, which triggers an avalanche of similar stimulatory substances and you experience a high. As the substances near the nerves are depleted, you get into the low phase, which leads you to crave that food again. This yo-yo phase of nerve stimulation and depletion leads to a pattern of addiction.

Consuming addictive foods is one of the oldest unhealthy food practices and, despite a revolution in health consciousness; it shows no signs of dying out.

Below are some side effects of certain addictive foods.

Alcohol Addiction: Erosion of stomach and intestinal lining, liver damage, nutritional deficiency.

Tobacco: Erosion of gum and tongue can lead to cancer of the buccal mucosa.

Betel nut: Leads to the discoloration of teeth, erosion of the lining of the mouth, and cancer of the mouth and upper tract. It also leads to heart problems among people who already have a weak heart.

Ma huang: It contains ephedrine and leads to heart problems.

Aerated drinks: High doses of caffeine.

Caffeine and xanthine: Found in tea, coffee. These become harmful only in very high doses; don’t consume more than five cups a day.

Mixed drug reactions: People who consume medications for the heart, hypertension and asthma have to be very careful about the interactions of the drugs with stimulant foods, as mixing the two can be fatal. After years of experience, all doctors know how difficult it is to break the food addictions of their patients. So like them, I can only advise a good compromise. If you can’t break the addiction, then at least you should practice moderation.

I’ve been there. My “Boost” of choice for a long-time was diet soda, probably one of the worst! But as of 1/1/21. I have been Diet Soda free for 1 official year! Not a touch. Now I only had it occasionally for the 4 – 5 years up until there but the yo-yo effect made me quit altogether. Find yourself always needing an energy boost? Feel like you’re on the verge of burnout from all the chaos of being a mom? Schedule a FREE Breakthrough Session today!

Weight loss is a challenge we all face. In an ever-evolving modern world, it can be very difficult to find fresh food at a good price.

Fast food joints on every corner are selling a burger for a dollar, but a head of broccoli can be two or three times that price. It’s an issue with our supply and demand, but it’s a challenge that many people face when they try to eat healthy. This is real life and it makes it hard!

With varying opinions and decades of conflicting science showing that some diets work better than others, finding what’s right for you can be a challenge. Remember though there is no such thing as a perfect diet and striving for perfection can be the enemy.

With that in mind, hands down the best method you can use to achieve greater weight loss is to influence balance whenever possible.

Using a balanced diet and whole foods as our foundation to successful weight loss, let’s break down five of the most important habits you can integrate into your life in order to lose weight and keep it off.

The 5 Habits

There are way more than five habits for successful weight loss, and many people will find that by making one simple change to their life that they begin to lose weight.

With that said, these are the five most effective habits:

1. Stay hydrated. This is perhaps one of the most overlooked components of weight loss. Not only is our body made up of at least 60% water, but hydration is important in muscle growth, circulation, and promoting healthy bowel function.
   
   
   1. Do your best to drink around 3 quarts of water daily. This daily consumption of water will help your body to remove toxins, flush out waste, and increase your potential for strength.
      
      
   1. Additionally, this habit can stave off food cravings too.
      
      
2. Wake up earlier. This is one of the habits that would be beneficial for all of us to aspire to. Waking up early will get your system into a natural circadian rhythm. It also promotes feeling tired enough at night to get to bed at an opportune time to allow you to get enough sleep.
   
   
   1. Waking up earlier could help you sleep better, feel more energized, and promote a healthier weight.
      
      
3. Eat more fibrous foods. The average north American gets 1/5th of the recommended daily allowance of fiber. Not only is fiber essential in balancing out your carbohydrate levels, but it is also a crucial element in weight loss.
   
   
   1. Decades of science have shown that fiber has unique properties that help to promote healthy bowel movements, which lead to greater weight management.
      
      
   1. Additionally, fiber has also been shown to limit inflammation and be a great tool for recycling cholesterol.
      
      
4. Limit trans fats and saturated fats. Although the debate is open to interpretation, lowering the amount of dietary fat you consume to 15-20% of your total calories will help many people to start losing weight.
   
   
   1. Why is this? Adapting your diet to a more balanced macronutrient scheme of 50/30/20 (50% carbs, 30% protein, 20% fat) will help your body to best handle the increased amount of exercise you will likely be committing to in your quest to lose weight.
      
      
5. Increase your daily energy expenditure. This is a fancy way of saying become more active. You don’t need to engage in really difficult workout sessions every day ‒ simply by being more active throughout the day, you will start to increase your energy expenditure and influence weight loss.
   
   
   1. Do the simple things, like parking further away at a grocery store or taking the stairs in the office.

Successful Habits Instill Positive Lifestyle Behaviors

Your best bet at losing weight is to try out new things. Try eating fresher foods and see how your body responds. Try going for more walks and see if you start to lose weight.

At the end of the day, instilling more active habits and eating fresher foods will be a step in the right direction for successful weight loss.

Feel like you have an extra 10 – 15 pounds you’d like to work on getting rid of? Let’s chat! Schedule a FREE breakthrough call today!

Parenting is challenging and frustrating. It’s hard to know if you’re doing the right things and making wise choices that will benefit your children. It can sometimes feel like there’s no good answer for many of the parenting situations you find yourself in.

In parenting, as in the rest of life, perfection isn’t a possibility. There’s a saying by Vince Lombardi, “Perfection is not attainable, but if we chase perfection we can catch excellence.” Do your best and shoot for excellence, instead!

Use these tips to accept your flaws and be the best parent you can be:

1. No one teaches you how to be a great mom. You learn a lot of things in school, but parenting skills aren’t commonly covered. You can read a book, observe others, or make it up as you go along.
   
   
   1. Being a great mom isn’t easy. This is easy to prove to yourself by looking at all the poor examples of parents you’ve known.
      
      
2. Learn from your own parents. Whether your parents were spectacular, mediocre, or totally terrible, there is something that you can learn from them.
   
   
   1. Think about what your parents did well.
      
      
   1. Consider the ways in which your parents may have failed.
      
      
   1. There is a lot of good information you can use from your childhood. Discuss this with your siblings if they’re willing.
      
      

3. Ask for feedback from your children. I’m not kidding. Tell your kids that you want to be a better mom and ask for advice. Ask them what you could do better. A lot of the information you’re given won’t be helpful, but there will be a few gold nuggets of advice in there. You might hear a few things you’ve never considered. Give your kids credit though. They are quite intuitive. My kids constantly remind me to play with them more.
   
   
4. Ignore the non-experts. Believe me, everyone you meet will have an opinion about how to better parent children. Plenty of those people will give you advice without you asking for it. Everyone likes to be an armchair quarterback. Consider their feedback but make your own decision about whether to implement their ideas. Take the good and leave the bad.
   
   
5. Cover the basics. These may be basic, but that doesn’t mean that they’re easy! Do your best to ensure that your kids see these concepts in action.
   
   
   • Children and everyone else need to have high self-esteem. Life is miserable and limiting without it.
     
     
   • School matters. Help your child to do as well as they can in school but don’t overdo it. Good students do have more opportunities. More importantly it helps them learn how to be successful young and provides structure in their life.
     
     
   • Be a good role model. Your children are always watching you. This is one of the most important to me. You’d be surprised what they pick up when you are not paying attention.
     
     
   • Money matters. Love is great, but it won’t pay the rent, buy shoes, or pay for the doctor. Spend your working day trying to maximize your income.
     
     
   • Keep them safe. It’s important that our kids feel like we are their protector and that their needs will be met.
     
     
   • Teach them the important things. Teach them the importance of saving money, how to make friends, how to deal with negative emotions, be honest, and other things that speak to your families values.
     
     
   • Spend time with them each day. We spend time on the things that matter. When you ignore your children, they know they don’t matter. You don’t have to go overboard though. You can read them a book, play a game or simply watch a movie with them.
     
     
   • Love unconditionally. Show your children that you love them even when they make mistakes.
     
     

6. You can do everything right and still have challenges. Children aren’t plants. You can’t be guaranteed of success just by adding some water and fertilizer. Each child is different. You could be as perfect as humanly possible and still have a child that struggles.
   
   
7. Read. Parenting is one of the most researched areas of study in the world. There are a lot of great books that all parents can read and use. One of my favorite’s is https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0553384422/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0553384422&linkCode=as2&tag=bestlyfeever-20&linkId=7309f14f23ae8963f414deccdb686ff2">The Happiest Toddler on the Block: How to Eliminate Tantrums and Raise a Patient, Respectful, and Cooperative One- to Four-Year-Old: Revised Edition“The Happiest Todder on the Block” by Harvey Karp, M.D.

No mom can ever be perfect. You’re doomed to feel like a failure if perfection is your goal. Fortunately, kids are quite resilient and don’t require perfect parenting. Keep doing your best and trying to improve. Be the best mom you can be with the knowledge and skills you have currently and your children will eventually thank you for it.

Feel like you’re burnt out from all this parenting and working? Let’s chat. Schedule a FREE 30 minute call now.

We’ve all been there. Searching for a new diet that works. It’s like a never ending cycle. If you’re a habitual dieter, wouldn’t it be nice to stop changing diets? Is there a diet that actually works? You’re not alone. This are questions we all ask ourselves.

Everyone has a habit or a vice. Some people smoke. Some people bite their fingernails. Some people can’t resist having a piece of chocolate before bed time, and others snore when they sleep. Others are habitual dieters, always looking for a new diet that promises astonishing results.

How many new diet plans have you tried? Some people can tick off a list of new diets that they have tried. They yo-yo back and forth. Atkins, weight watchers, the grapefruit diet, the soup diet, the salad diet, the low-fat diet… some people can’t even count every new diet they have tried.

Often, each new diet is punctuated by a day of binge eating. Sure, you lost weight on that latest low-carbohydrate new diet, but now you’re craving a baked potato, French fries, and a big piece of garlic bread. Been there?Wouldn’t it be great to find a new diet that allows you to eat all the foods you want while still losing weight?

The key is focusing on whole foods with the most nutrition. Have you been counting calories and focused on cutting foods? Instead think about eating all you want. Learning to focus on when your body is hungry and then feeding it with some of the most nutrient dense foods rather than junk processed foods. This is why you can eat a donut with many calories and be hungry 30 minutes later. The fact is that the donut had calories and certainly fed your body but it lacked nutrients. Therefore, your body knows it still needs nutrients so it signals that you are hungry again and the viciuos cycle starts again.

So how do we overcome this? I’ll be honest. It’s not easy but it’s worth it in the long run. Here are some ways you can do so.

• Focus on nutrient dense foods
  • These foods will provide more of what your body is actually craving which are nutrients and vitamins that support a healthy body.

• Listen to what your body is actually telling you
  • Your body is an extremely intelligent being. Did you know that studies now are showing that your gut is more controlling of your emotions and behavior than your brain. Ever been hangry? They you know what i’m talking about. While that is more of an extreme case it shows it.

• Don’t eat when not hungry
  • Been there late at night, bored? Finding yourself opening the refrigerator, not necessarily because you’re hungry but more because we’re either bored or looking for the satisfaction that food would give us that our life may not be providing? It’s ok, we’ve all been there. With all the stress around us, it’s hard for us sometimes to get deep within our body and actually feel.

• Rid yourself of processed foods
  • In our fast paced world, this can be so difficult. But the reality is, the fast food and processed food around us are killing us. We’ve gotten so far away from the source of food. With the industrial revolution we started creating foods in a plant and stopped consuming the plants. We’ve been eating whole foods for so long in our history. Processed foods are a newer creation. Our bodies are not adapting so fast to this change.

• Start with adding more vegetables
  • Don’t expect you can just wake up tomorrow and have this down. This is a way to set yourself up for failure. Start slow. Start by adding just one additional vegetable to your plate each meal. It’s a concept called crowding out. Start by crowding out the junk by adding in the good stuff.

Get back to true nature and whole foods. If you focus here you will be able to create a sustainable lifestyle. I know it’s not easy but that’s why I am here. I can help. Start today by signing up for my FREE Mom Hacks Download which includes “5 Hacks Every Mom Should Know to Make Her Life Easier” and a BONUS, “My Secrets behind raising a happy and healthy family” guide.

Feel free to share your secrets or benefits below! I’d love to hear more success stories. 🙂

As a rule, New Year’s resolutions are notoriously prone to failure. Every year, so many of us set goals for ourselves with great intention, only to find them unfulfilled when the end of December rolls around. For whatever reason, the fiery motivation and enthusiasm felt in January begins to wane and we fall off the wagon. Let’s be real. It happens to all of us.

Many resolutions have something to do with fitness, health and physical improvement in general. This is abundantly evident by the wave of new people flooding the gym each January and the endless television commercials pushing the latest piece of fitness equipment promising that with their product, your body transformation will be a piece of cake (no pun intended).

The problem with many New Year’s resolutions, especially pertaining to fitness, is that people set goals that are either not specific enough, not sustainable or based on unrealistic expectations.

In this article, we are going to breakdown some of the more common fallacies regarding fitness goals that will hopefully set you on the right path to sticking to your fitness resolution this year!

Baby Steps Are Okay

So, you are all geared up to charge headfirst into a year full of quality workouts, clean eating and endless workout selfies on social media. You have purchased a shiny new pair of trainers, armed yourself with flashy gym outfits and maybe even acquired some sleek new headphones.

There is nothing wrong with any of these things but let’s hit pause for a second and talk about your plan for structuring your new workout and diet routine. Often times, the enormous amount of motivation felt when starting a fitness routine leads to attempting drastic changes to an individual’s lifestyle.

People try things like being determined to go the gym seven days per week or immediately cut out every bite of junk food from their diet. The problem with this mentality is that it is not sustainable.

Any kind of change is hard; therefore, it is important that you ease into the process. Start small with your plan and go from there. For instance, make it a point to workout 2-3 times per week, only give in to that bowl of ice cream on the weekends, etc.

Fitness Requires Playing The Long Game

The media makes it seem like physical transformations should be an expedited process and that noticeable results can be an overnight process. This notion is far from the truth. Buying into these ideas will only leave you discouraged and burnt out in a short amount of time. It is crucial that you understand that transforming your body can certainly be an enjoyable, fulfilling process, but it takes a lot of time and effort!

The people that you see on magazine covers and infomercials didn’t get their physique by knocking out a few sets on whatever product they are pushing “15 minutes per day, twice a week.”

Having a sound understanding of the investment required to achieve your fitness goals is a must if you plan on sticking with your resolution and avoiding the disappointment of not seeing the results you are looking for overnight.

Enjoyment Promotes Consistency

The biggest determining factor of your success in any goal you set for yourself, especially regarding fitness, is consistency. Without it, the workout routine you choose, and diet plan you follow don’t mean a thing.

That being said, your fitness journey needs to be one that you enjoy. Human nature is inherently prone to avoiding unpleasant experiences and seeking enjoyment whenever possible.

Going to the gym and eating healthy can’t be a miserable endeavor, or you will not be consistent. Having fun while being disciplined and working hard can undoubtedly happen simultaneously! Remember this is just one step in building your best lyfe. We all make mistakes. Be nice to yourself. You got this girl!

Essential oils are ideal for making homemade beauty and skincare products. However, before you use them, you want to be sure to avoid the stronger oils that may burn the skin or cause irritation. These include lemon oil, cinnamon oil, peppermint oil, or clove oil. There are so many great things you can do with essntial oils take some time and try things out. My personal favorite branch is https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B005YETQMA/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B005YETQMA&linkCode=as2&tag=bestlyfeever-20&linkId=f30ab7ab2a4cc63ad62c65adfa0832d6">Plant Therapy 7 & 7 Essential Oilss Set 7 Single Oils: Lavender, Peppermint & More, 7 Synergy Blends 100% Pure, Undiluted, Natural Aromatherapy, Therapeutic Grade 10 mL (1/3 oz)Plant Therapy. I trust the ingredients, they’re affordable and they have https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01MCTVBX9/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01MCTVBX9&linkCode=as2&tag=bestlyfeever-20&linkId=20deb4ab7fe562f9716ad26b28d9ec45">Plant Therapy KidSafe Wellness Set. 100% Pure, Undiluted, Therapeutic Grade. Includes: Tummy All Better, Nighty Night, Sniffle Stopper, Immune Boom, Germ Destroyer, Skin Soother. 10 ml (1/3 oz) each.KidSafe products that can be used for many different reasons for the kids.

Perk up tired eyes with Clary sage essential oil.

Anything that gets close to the eyes may cause a reaction, so be careful with this one. If your eyes are tired, puffy, or itchy and red due to allergies, try adding one or two drops of Clary sage oil [link to product] to a bowl of warm water. Swish to combine, then dip a clean wash cloth in and gently place over the eyes. You really need a very tiny amount of Clary sage for this. This herb has been used to heal the eyes and promote clear vision since Medieval times. If eyes burn after making contact with the warm cloth, discontinue use. If you experience unpleasant tingling, you can remove the remaining Clary sage oil by washing your face in coconut oil.

Coconut oil makes a nice facial cleanser.

You can mix up a recipe and store the rest in a glass jar with lid, until next time you want to use it. To make, combine a cup of coconut oil [link to Amazon product] with a tablespoon of honey and a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar. Drop in one or two drops of lavender, rose or geranium essential oil, or a combo of these. Apply to face, rubbing in with fingertips, and avoiding eyes.

NOTE: Avoid using the stronger oils such as lemon, peppermint or cinnamon in your facial and skin care blends. These tend to irritate and may even leave a light burn mark if applied directly to a sensitive area.

Oatmeal, coconut oil and lavender soothe the skin.

Blend up a cup of whole oats in the blender. Add to a bowl, along with a half a cup of coconut carrier oil [link to Amazon product] and about 20 drops of lavender oil [link to product]. Mix into a paste and massage into the face and neck. Remove with warm water and a wash cloth.

Mix up a lavender, rose and oatmeal bath soak.

Soothe skin after a sunburn with healing oatmeal. Blend 3 cups rolled oats with 30 drops of lavender, 30 drops of rose, or a combo of both. [link to products]  Pour in about a half a cup next time you need a good soak.

Relieve aches and pains with essential oil bath salts. Into your warm bathwater add a cup of Dead Sea bath salt [link to SaltWorks product on Amazon] along with about 5 drops of lavender oil. Swish in, then step in. Relax for about a half hour while the healing minerals and calming lavender soak in. 

Make a homemade facial cleanser or mud mask.

It only takes a quick peek on the internet to find tons of homemade skincare recipes. Many of them are clay based, using ingredients like Bentonite clay [link to Amazon product], which is derived from volcanic ash and is extremely effective at pulling out toxins. You don’t need an exact recipe to make one of these at home. Just a spoonful or two of the clay, plus bit of water or rose water [link to Amazon product] to make it pasty, and 2-3 drops of a mild essential oil such as lavender, rosemary, rose, geranium, jasmine or chamomile [link to products] will help you get the right consistency.

Add green clay to your homemade face mask.

French green clay [link to Amazon product] is another popular skincare ingredient, affording healing properties to soothe irritated skin. You might try mixing up a facial mask of a few tablespoons of French green clay [link to Amazon product], aloe from an aloe plant, and one or two drops of chamomile oil or chamomile and orange [link to products] for a facial mask that heals and purifies. Just like any skincare mask you’d buy at the store or online, apply the mask to your entire face avoiding the eye area and mouth. Leave on until the mask starts to dry, no more than 10 minutes. If your skin begins to burn or feel uncomfortable, you can always rinse the mask off early and apply a moisturizer like the one listed below.

Make copycat cleansers and moisturizers using natural ingredients.

All Natural, Homemade Cucumber Facial Cleanser

Ever consider adding fresh ingredients to your facial cleansers and masks? Why not take your cue from the skincare companies? You can make a cucumber cleanser by blending up a few slices of cucumber with a cup of yogurt and a bit of fresh mint. if your skin tends toward dry, a half teaspoon or so of sesame or jojoba oil [link to Amazon product] can be added. For extra healing and pleasant aroma, add a drop of rosemary essential oil. [link to product] Any remaining cleanser can be stored in a dark colored glass container [link to Amazon product] in the fridge. The sooner you use it, the better chance you’ll have of utilizing the natural cleanser’s healing properties.

Homemade Apricot Almond Exfoliant Recipe

Want to make your own exfoliant? Walnut shells are a popular natural ingredient in commercial skincare products. You can crack a few shelled walnuts, and add them (why not add the actual nuts, too – they’re loaded with essential fatty acids) to a blender along with a cup of plain yogurt, and some slices of fresh apricot. A drop or two of almond oil or orange oil [link to products] will put the finishing touch and add a great scent to your homemade exfoliant. Don’t forget to store what’s left in a lidded container in the fridge, and use within 4 days.

Honey Turmeric Facial Cleanser Recipe

Honey and turmeric cleanse the face. Another great recipe for homemade skin cleanser – a tablespoon of honey, about 1/4 teaspoon of turmeric, [link to Amazon product] and a half-cup of yogurt. For essential oil healing power, try a drop or two of neroli oil. [link to product] Apply to the face, massaging in and avoiding eyes. Let absorb for a few minutes. Rinse using a clean wash cloth.

Choose a carrier oil and your favorite EOs for homemade facial moisturizer.

Homemade natural moisturizer can be fun to whip up at home. If you’re over 35, your skin might need an extra boost of healthy oils. Jojoba, coconut, almond, and olive oil [link to Amazon products] will all work great as the base for your natural moisturizer recipe. Fill a squirt bottle [link to Amazon product] 3/4 of the way with the carrier oil. Add 30 drops of your favorite, mild essential oils such as lavender, geranium, Clary sage, jasmine, neroli or vanilla. [link to products]

Banana Lemon Facial Cleanser Recipe

Banana works great for natural skincare. Try this make-at-home skincare treat. Mash up a banana, add a squeeze of fresh lemon juice, 1/2 teaspoon almond carrier oil [link to Amazon product], 2 drops of carrot oil [link to product]and 2 drops of neroli oil [link to product]. The almond oil adds moisturizing properties. Massage your homemade cleanser onto your cheeks, chin, nose and forehead, avoiding eyes. Let the cleanser soak in for several minutes. Remove using warm water and a clean wash cloth. Store unused portion in the refrigerator.

There are so many great things you can do with essential oils. These are just a few to get you started. Enjoy!

Most people have dealt with some sort of negativity their entire lives. Negative experiences start during childhood and continue throughout our adult lives. This is a normal part of life that we all deal with. Too often though, our thoughts become negative as well. Even more troubling is when we start talking to ourselves in a negative manner. This negative self-talk is one of the most limiting behaviors one can deal with. Use these tips to help overcome it.

1. Distinguish between negative thoughts and critical thinking.
   We need to have a certain amount of self-critique, otherwise we will never believe that we are doing something wrong. However, you need to recognize when that critiquing becomes negative self-talk. When you can distinguish between these, it will lead to a better situation.

• Accept failure.
  If you like to beat yourself up whenever you fail, you are in for a steep road ahead. You will fail, and you will do it many times in your life. Embrace this as a gift rather than a burden. Try to view failure as more of a lesson learned. Don’t tell yourself you are a failure, tell yourself that you just learned what doesn’t work.

• Repeat daily affirmations.
  You should look for affirmations that fit your current life situation. Use these as often as you can. Try repeating these affirmations every day. You should even write them out on a piece of paper and keep them close. The idea here is to program your mind for positive thinking. The more you keep at it, the more natural it will become. Ideally, those negative things you tell yourself, will eventually be taken over by your positive affirmations.
  
  
• Limit your exposure to people who are negative.
  These people thrive on negativity and enjoy dragging others down with them. If you cannot avoid them altogether, spend as little time with them as possible. You already struggle with negative self-talk, so you don’t need them adding more negativity. If you spend more time with positive people that build you up, your negative self-talk will naturally reduce.

• Learn to see the good in people.
  If you are always thinking negatively of others, it makes sense that you will more naturally think negatively about yourself. Being more open minded towards others will help you be more accepting of your own flaws as well.

• Negative thinking is a choice.
  Even though you have been bombarded with it since you were a child, thinking negatively is something you choose to do. Conversely, positive thinking is just as much a choice as negative thinking. Choose positive thinking. This isn’t an easy quick fix, it takes a lot of work and practice. …so start now!

• Strengthen your self-belief.
  Negative thinking often occurs due to a lack of belief in yourself. When you strengthen your confidence, it will help you get through those times that bring you down.

ACTIONABLE STEPS

FURTHER READING

Check out some of the below books to help take the next step. Remember we are constantly evolving and there is no such thing as perfection. But don’t ever stop working towards your Best Lyfe!

1. What to Say When You Talk to Your Self

2. Talk to Yourself Like a Buddhist

3. Enough: Silencing the Lies That Steal Your Confidence

4. 365 Days of Positive Self-Talk

5. Me, Myself, and Lies: What to Say When You Talk to Yourself

There are many things to learn about when it comes to nutrition. But the basic concept is “What goes in must come out.” Your body is like a machine: it takes what it needs from what you feed it and gets rid of the rest by urine and the bowels. So let’s talk poop…

If you notice you have a problem about elimination, you should take it seriously, go see a doctor. Many people have this problem. Don’t be shy or anything, it can be very serious to your health.

The first step is finding out if there even is a problem. First you should see how many bowel movements you have daily (BM). If you have one per day it’s not a problem, however it is better to have 2 to 3 BM’s a day and more if you eat more often. But if you find you are having one per week or 2 per month, then you have a serious problem.

For some people they might say they don’t find the time. The reason could be they are out all day and would prefer to have their BM at home rather than a public bathroom. But let me tell you, you will keep your colon quite happy if you go several times for the day. If you are looking for a trick it would be to eat a lot of raw fruits and vegetables, steamed beets and using digestive enzymes with your meals. Do whatever you can; it will be beneficial to you.

I have just lightly touched on the subject, but if you have a problem you should consult a doctor and seek help. Because this problem is not good for your health, take care of it today and look forward to tomorrow. May you live a healthy and prosper life.

While many adults set goals and New Year’s resolutions not many children attempt to do this. Why not help your children set goals or resolutions for the coming year?

There is no reason why your child cannot set a goal and this is a great habit for them to get into. Their goal could be something as simple as reading one book each month or learning how to print their name by their 4th birthday. Other goals could be to learn how to tie their shoes or even to help mom in the kitchen at dinner time.

Getting your children into the habit of setting goals and reaching them will help them in all areas of their lives. They will learn it is possible to set a goal and reach it and that this process can actually be a fun one.

You could always make your child’s goal relate to yours in some way or other.  By doing this, everyone in the family can be working on similar things. For example you may want to exercise more so why not involve your kids too? Help them decide what type of exercise or sport they would like to participate in. Family sports include things like skating, ski-ing, hiking, cycling, walking and running. Or you could all sign up for a self defence class.

Once your child has decided on their new goal help them write it down and create a date for it to be in place. Try not to make the decision for them, give them ideas and suggestions but let them make the final choice.

Even very young children can set a goal for themselves, whether it is just cleaning their room or learning to get dressed without any help. Be available to give them help when it is needed, but allow them to try and figure out how to reach their own goals.

You should encourage your children to set a goal that can be achieved in a relatively short time frame. Getting them to learn how to tie up their own running shoes by spring would be a good example. Goal dates could be based around the changing of the seasons, based on their birthday or for the start of your annual family vacation.

Children will have a much shorter attention span so it is important that you are there to give them encouragement and support as needed. It may not be necessary for them to work on their goal every single day. Maybe putting some time aside on the weekend is sufficient.

Older children can have larger goals, possibly ones where they have to save money in order to get something they have dreamed of owning. Or you may offer to pay half if they save up the other half. This teaches children that they have to work to get things in life. Plus they will value their new item more if they had to spend some of their own cash for it!

Once your child reaches their goal let them know how proud you are of them. Share their success with other family members too. Then encourage them to set a new goal. Goals can be set around personal achievements, the desire for a new toy or wanting to join a new sports team or take up a new hobby.

If their goal is a little harder for them to achieve, help them write out a plan of smaller steps so that they can actually reach their goals. Remember to help them learn to enjoy their journey by making it fun. It’s never to early to teach them how to build their Best Lyfe!

There is a great deal of evidence that tells us that some cooking methods are not appropriate for all foods. In fact, some foods retain all of their essential vitamins only when consumed raw. However, cooking does allow your body to digest other vital compounds more efficiently, making cooking a necessary part of a well-rounded, nutritious diet.

More important than the “raw versus cooked” food debate is the method which you use to cook your food. How you cook your food will determine its nutritional value when it is ready to eat.

How Should I Cook For the Most Nutritious Food?

The thick cell walls of plants make the nutrients and vitamins contained inside of them difficult for our bodies to access. When you cook plant-based foods, those cell walls are broken down. Cooking some foods can increase your body’s ability to absorb specific nutrients as well as improve digestion of essential compounds such as antioxidants and proteins.

Cooking can, however, degrade some nutrients, with some cooking methods preserving food’s nutritional value better than others. Vitamins B and C are water-soluble, so cooking them for long periods of time in water will significantly reduce the presence of these vitamins in those foods.

In particular, boiling, poaching and simmering of most fruits or vegetables is not recommended because it removes a great deal of these critical vitamins from your fresh foods. Water-soluble Vitamin C can be retained by cooking these foods without water and at lower temperatures, or by eating them raw.

Other short cooking methods that can help you retain Vitamin C, beta-carotene, antioxidants, and other essential nutrients include microwaving, roasting, baking, steaming, and stir-frying. Each of these has benefits for particular foods and vitamins, but in general, the shorter cooking times and lack of water make these methods suitable for cooking many types of foods and for preserving their nutritional value.

Tips for Retaining Nutrients While Cooking

It is always advisable to use as little water as possible, avoiding long exposure to water at high heat for most vegetables. If you sauté or steam vegetables, use the liquid in the pan as a part of your recipe to still enjoy the nutrients lost to the water during cooking. Always use as little water as possible to cook foods.

When preparing vegetables for cooking, leave the peel on and leave the vegetables whole whenever possible. This will decrease the surface area exposed to water, thereby reducing the vitamin loss. You can always peel or cut foods up after cooking if you prefer to eat them that way.

Shorter cooking times preserve more nutrients than more prolonged exposure to heat. This allows the cell walls to break down, so you can access nutrients without degrading the food more than is necessary. Quick cooking techniques like stir-frying and microwaving are shown to decrease Vitamin C loss in many vegetables.

To Cook or Not to Cook?

It may seem impossible to make the “correct” choice between eating all food raw or cooking everything. In reality, eating a variety of foods, especially fresh fruits and vegetables as well as whole grains, nuts, and seeds as well as using a variety of cooking methods will give your body all the nutrients you need to be healthy.

Try to not always cook your vegetables the same way, as some cooking methods preserve certain nutrients but degrade others, and remember to eat raw foods regularly, too.

When you select varied cooking methods across time to prepare your foods, you will ensure your body has access to all the necessary vitamins and minerals your fresh food has to offer.

Let’s work together today to stop the vicious cycle of dieting and work on a clean diet where you can create a lifesytle.

You did it! You figured out how to be self-motivated. It was no small feat, but now you’re done…right?

Not so fast. Just because you learned how to be motivated from within doesn’t mean the chase is over, and you’ve won the game.

Just as life has its ebbs and flows, people have their own ups and downs. You may have a setback (or two or three), and in that case, you have no idea how your mindset could change.

That may sound daunting, but it’s important to be realistic. If you’ve gotten this far as a self-motivated individual, you’ve likely had to be realistic with yourself in the past. It’s not game over – you’ve just started a new level, a new phase of life that you’ll have to conquer. Check out these 5 ways to keep up the self-motivation after facing a setback.

1. Redefine Your Approach

If you did the same things for your entire life and never made changes to your approaches, you probably wouldn’t make much progress. When you feel like you hit a roadblock, view it as a chance to figure out a new way around it.

• Spend Time with People Who Make You Feel Good

Not everyone makes you feel great. Whether it’s a personality conflict or someone who brings you down, if you feel like you’re leaving a social situation with more negative feelings than positive ones, it might be a good idea to check out of it altogether. Those people definitely won’t lift you up and help you get back on your feet.

• Give Yourself Some TLC

The first thing you may do when you experience a setback is to get angry with yourself. You may turn from self-motivated mode to self-deprecation mode in a matter of moments. Don’t do that! Instead, remind yourself of all the great things you’ve done – all of your accomplishments and wonderful qualities. Give yourself a designated period of self-care, because as soon as you beat yourself up about something, it’ll be much harder to get those inspiration levels back up later.

• Reward Yourself at Least Once Daily

While you’re indulging in self-care, be sure to do at least one positive, uplifting thing daily. That doesn’t mean finishing a pint of ice cream or staying in bed all day. It means you should do something productive that makes you happy. Try taking a walk outside or cooking a healthy, delicious meal. Maybe you’d like to try out a new hobby or start going to the gym.

• Let the Past be the Past

It’s called the past for a reason. You could spend hours thinking about what happened before your setback and how you could have changed it. Hindsight is 20/20, so the only thing that will happen here is it will make you feel worse. Be confident in your decisions, and don’t look back. 

There will be set backs over the years. That is normal. It’s in these times that we are growing the most. It’s what you do in these times that make the difference. So go after it! Create your Best Lyfe!

When you’re stressed out, the foods that you’re turning to are most likely going to be traditional ‘comfort’ foods – think big meals, take-out, fatty foods, sweet foods, and alcohol. Let’s face it – we’ve all found some comfort in a tasty meal and a bottle of beer or glass of wine when we’ve been stressed out or upset about something. However, this isn’t a good permanent solution.

When you’re turning to unhealthy foods you can feel better temporarily, but in the long run, you will feel worse. When your body isn’t getting the right nutrition, you can begin to feel less energetic, more lethargic, and in some cases less able to concentrate and focus. All of this can lead to even more stress.

Foods that Fight Stress

If you’ve been feeling more stressed out than usual lately, it’s important to know which foods are best to choose and which to avoid when it comes to combating stress and helping you to deal with feelings of stress and anxiety. The best way to fight stress is to have a healthy, balanced diet which includes a moderate amount of each of the different food groups.

Filling up on foods such as whole grains, leafy vegetables, and lean proteins as the basic staples of the diet is the best way to ensure that your body gets the optimum amounts of nutrients to fight both physical and mental health problems. When it comes to choosing the foods to eat, some have a range of great properties which help the body to combat stress. Choosing these stress-busting foods will help to heal and calm your mind permanently, rather than providing a temporary fix.

Some of the best stress-fighting foods include:

• Avocado – Avocados are a creamy and versatile fruit which can be eaten in a range of different ways whether you enjoy it raw, made into sauces, dressings and dips, or in a smoothie. These nutrient-dense fruits have the properties to stress-proof your body, thanks to their high glutathione content which specifically blocks the intestinal absorption of certain fats which cause oxidative damage. Avocados also contain higher levels of vitamin E, folate, and beta-carotene than any other fruit, which boosts their stress-busting properties. However, be careful with portion control when eating avocado, as it is high in fat.
• Blueberries – If you’re feeling stressed out and reaching for the snacks, swapping chocolate or chips for one of the best superfoods is a great way to help you deal with your stress levels and achieve a higher level of calm. Blueberries have some of the highest levels of antioxidants, especially antho-cyanin, which means that this berry has been linked to a wide range of health benefits including sharper cognition, better focus, and a clearer mind – all of which can help you to better deal with stress.
• Chamomile Tea – Of course, it’s not all about what you’re eating when it comes to managing stress; what you’re drinking can also alleviate or worsen the stress you’re feeling. Drinking liquids which are high in sugars and caffeine, such as coffee, energy drinks or soda, can actually increase your stress levels if consumed regularly. Chamomile tea has long been used as a natural bedtime soother, and it has also been used in clinical trials, which determined that chamomile tea is effective in reducing the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder.
• Chocolate – Although it’s usually seen as an unhealthy treat, there is an undeniable link between chocolate and our mood. Studies have shown that eating chocolate can actually make you happier. However, that doesn’t mean that you can start munching on chocolate bars every time you’re stressed out – chocolate works best as a de-stressor when eaten in moderation and as part of a healthy and balanced diet. Dark chocolate in particular is best for you, as it contains more flavonols and polyphenols, two hugely important antioxidants which can help combat stress, more than many fruit juices.
• Beef – Grass-fed beef is not only kinder to the planet and to animals, it’s also good for people, too. Grass-fed beef has a huge range of antioxidants, including beta-carotene and Vit-amins C and E, which can help your body to fight stress and anxiety. If you’re looking for more reasons to spend a little more money on organic, grass-fed beef, it’s also lower in fat than grain-fed beef whilst being higher in omega-3.
• Oatmeal – Oatmeal is great in that it can be a filling comfort food, but also has a large number of healthy properties to actually make you feel better from the inside out. A complex carbohydrate, eating oatmeal causes your brain to produce higher levels of the feel-good chemical serotonin, helping you to feel calmer and less stressed. Studies have shown that kids who choose oatmeal for breakfast tend to be much sharper throughout the morning in school compared to kids who had alternative morning meals.
• Walnuts – If you’re looking for a healthy snacking option which will help you to stay better in control of your stress levels, walnuts are a great choice. There is no denying the sweet, pleasant flavor of walnuts and they can be a tasty snack for in-between meals or as part of a desert. A versatile nut, walnuts are great for salads, or add them to a sweet treat such as coffee and walnut cake.
• Pistachios – another food which is great for snacking on and can also help to combat stress and anxiety in the long term is pistachios. Studies have found that simply eating two small, snack-size portions of pistachios per day can lower vascular constriction when you are stressed, putting less pressure on your heart by further dilating your arteries. Along with this, the rhythmic, repetitive act of shelling pistachios can actually be quite therapeutic!
• Green Leafy Vegetables – leafy, green vegetables should be a pivotal part of anyone’s diet. Along with helping to combat stress, leafy greens are full of nutrients and antioxidants which help to fight off disease and leave your body feeling healthier and more energized. Dark leafy greens, for example spinach, are especially good for you since they are rich in folate, which helps your body to produce more mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin, which is a ‘feel-good’ chemical. Making leafy greens a part of your diet will help you to feel happier and less stressed out overall.
• Fermented foods – last but not least, eating fermented foods such as yogurt can help to keep your gut healthy, which actually in turn will help to improve your mental health and reduce stress levels. The beneficial bacteria which are found in fermented foods such as yogurt actually have a direct effect on your brain chemistry and transmit positive mood and behavior regulating signals to your brain via the vagus nerve.

Putting Together Your Diet Plan

Planning your meals wisely is key to not only staying physically fit and healthy, but also to staying mentally strong and being able to best manage your levels of stress. Knowing which foods to avoid and which are the best to reach for to snack on when you’re feeling worried and anxious is important to helping you get control over your emotions and fears.

When you’re feeling stressed, you may be tempted to reach for classic ‘comfort foods’ – usually foods which are laden with sugar, very starchy, or greasy. However, although these foods can make you feel momentarily better, they will actually make you feel worse in the long run.

Having stress-busting snacks such as fresh berries, dark chocolate, yogurt, walnuts or pistachios, or even a fruit smoothie with avocado and leafy greens in it can help you to feel better in both the short and long term when it comes to stress.When it comes to combating and dealing with stress in the long run, it’s important to make sure that for the most part, you are eating a diet which is healthy and balanced.

In order to stay on track, it’s a good idea to make a meal plan for your week and plan ahead to make sure that you have a good selection of these stress-busting foods in your kitchen to make meals and snacks from when you’re feeling like stress-eating. Making sure that the majority of your meals include foods such as lean proteins and leafy green vegetables will not only make you feel healthier overall, but can improve your mental health and stress levels, too.

A good example of a healthy, stress-busting menu would be:

Breakfast: Oatmeal with berries or a fruit smoothie with avocado and berries

Mid-morning snack: Natural yogurt with fruit or a handful of pistachio nuts

Lunch: A whole-grain pasta salad filled with plenty of leafy greens

Afternoon snack: Dark chocolate

Dinner: Grass-fed beef with vegetables

Before bed: Chamomile tea

Of course, you don’t need to stick to this menu – but it gives you a good idea! Remember to exercise good portion control when eating foods such as nuts, chocolate, yogurt or avocado! As the saying goes, you are what you eat – so make sure that first and foremost, you’re filling yourself up with foods which are good for your mental health.

Need some help putting this all together? I can certainly help you through. Check out the latest updates from Best Lyfe Ever including my FREE mood boosting course! Plus don’t forget to share your success stories!

=====

DISCLAIMER:

This information is not presented by a medical practitioner and is for educational and informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read.

=====