CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

Challenge of the Week: Step OUT of Your Comfort Zone

Have you ever heard the phrase “Life begins one step outside of your Comfort Zone?”

To accomplish something worth-while, it will most likely require you to push yourself into areas where you are unfamiliar and uncomfortable.

Usually, the more uncomfortable it makes you, the bigger the payoff.

The funny thing is, that MOST people have the same EXACT fears as you do.  

BUT…it’s always the people that challenge themselves BEYOND their fear that become successful.

Instead of looking at fear as a huge obstacle that gets in your way, embrace it.

Whatever it is in your life that is holding you back, no matter how big or small it may seem, challenge yourself to break through the imaginary walls of your comfort zone.

Don’t let life just “happen” to you.  

You HAVE the ability to CREATE your life the way you want it. 

Taking on new challenges and pushing yourself to reach new levels has a EVERYTHING to do with your confidence in yourself and your abilities.

When you’re feeling good, you want to take on the world. 

If you’re not eating a relatively healthy diet and exercising regularly, then this would be step #1.

To be able to feel good and have the energy to live the life that YOU want to live, then these two things are non-negotiables.

To let ANYTHING get in the way of stopping you from living the life you want is truly a shame.

Whether it’s speaking in front of a group, making a phone call you’ve been wanting to make, mending a relationship, or starting a new career, no matter how big or how small it may be…..

You only live once- let’s step it up and step OUT of your comfort zone.

And…there is NO better time to start than NOW.

Your challenge this week is to do something EVERY DAY this week that is outside of your comfort zone (no matter how large or small it may be!)

I GUARANTEE you will be glad you did it.

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

Challenge of the Week: It’s YOUR Time, Spend it Wisely.

I read an article that really inspired me the other day…  The article is called “The Busy Trap” by Tim Krieder, and I have to admit that I’m guilty of it occasionally.

The first paragraph reeled me in:

“It’s become the default response when you ask anyone how they’re doing: “Busy!” “So busy.” “Crazy busy.” It is, pretty obviously, a boast disguised as a complaint. And the stock response is a kind of congratulation: “That’s a good problem to have,” or “Better than the opposite.”

It’s important to remember that it’s OK to do NOTHING sometimes. (I have to remind myself of this sometimes, too!)

“The space and quiet that idleness provides is a necessary condition for standing back from life and seeing it whole, for making unexpected connections and waiting for the wild summer lightning strikes of inspiration — it is, paradoxically, necessary to getting any work done.”

So…after reading this article, my challenge of the week for YOU, is to REALLY analyze everything you are doing.

Ask yourself the following questions:

• Is what I am doing really necessary and I am doing it efficiently, or I am just being “busy”?
• Is it moving me forward in a personal or professional way?
• Does this really make me happy?

If you answered NO to any of those questions, then you may want think twice about keeping it on your schedule or even outsourcing the task if possible.

Now, we can’t ALWAYS be doing everything we want every minute of the day, but we can be more aware of how we are spending our time.

Once we actually become AWARE of how we spend our time, we can make a CHOICE on HOW we spend it.

I would HIGHLY recommend reading the original article:      http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/30/the-busy-trap/?_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=0

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

Challenge of the Week:

Find your “Instead”

This week’s Challenge of the Week is a little bit different.  In fact, it’s going to be different for EVERY person who takes on this challenge.

The reason for that is that EACH OF US HAVE DIFFERENT WEAKNESSES. 

AND…it’s OK to have weaknesses (after all, we are only human).

We just have to recognize what they are and be able to handle them when we feel vulnerable.

This week, your challenge is to find your INSTEAD.  

 “INSTEAD” being the key word.  Instead of trying to STOP a bad habit, you should replace it with a HEALTHIER option instead of trying to get rid of it all together.

Trying to stop something will only make you focus on what you can’t have.

BUT, by trading it in for a better option, you will feel much better about the transition.

So….the challenge of the week THIS WEEK, is to

#1.  Identify ONE of your “not-so-great” habits or weaknesses in your diet that you want to change.

#2.  List out (actually WRITE them down) 2 ways you are going to plan for success.

#3.  Throw away, give away, or donate your “Weakness” item.

#4.  Go to the store and buy your “INSTEAD” item!

Remember…you HAVE to make a change in your BEHAVIOR if you want to see a change in your BODY.

Try this and let me know how it goes this week!

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

Challenge of the Week:

Dare to go Dairy-free this week?

With the countless “Got Milk” ads and commercials, we’ve been bombarded with messages about how dairy is SO good for us- it has protein and is loaded with calcium.

In Reality: Not only do we HARDLY absorb the calcium when we drink milk, but it actually LEECHES calcium from our bones.

Here’s how it works:

Since milk is acidic, our bodies need to neutralize the pH.  The way our bodies do this is by using calcium that is stored in our bodies (mostly in our bones.)  After the calcium is used to neutralize the acidity, we pee it out, leaving us with a NET LOSS of calcium. 

Kind of defeats the purpose, doesn’t it?

You’ll get a MUCH higher absorption of calcium from green leafy vegetables than you ever will from milk.

So drinking milk for the calcium benefits and to reduce your risk for osteoporosis is NOT the best advice…DESPITE what your doctors are probably telling you.  (and absolutely I encourage you to do your own research on this.)

“Consumption of dairy products, particularly at age 20 years, was associated with an increased risk of hip fracture in old age. (“Case-Control Study of Risk Factors for Hip Fractures in the Elderly.”  American Journal of Epidemiology. Vol. 139, No. 5, 1994)

Now you can understand why even though we drink more milk here in the US than any other country, we have one of the highest rates of osteoporosis in the WORLD.

Here are a few other things you probably didn’t know:

• More than 75% of us have some degree of lactose intolerance- meaning our bodies can NOT properly digest the proteins found in cows milk.
• Cow’s milk is NOT for humans…it will take a baby calf from 100 to 800 pounds by the time it’s weaned from it’s mother. That’s a weight increase of 800%!
• Africa and Asia have the lowest consumption rates of dairy and ALSO have the lowest rates of osteoporosis.  
• Most cows that our milk comes from are treated with antibiotics and hormones that gets transferred into the milk that we are drinking.   These hormones will increase your risk for cancer.  (Breast & Prostate) (I’m also convinced that these hormones are one of the reasons that our 12 year-olds are looking more and more like they’re 18.)
• Milk will aggravate symptoms in people with IBS
• Milk causes increased inflammation in the body

So…This Week’s Challenge is to AVOID DRINKING MILK (and other dairy products.)

Here’s what you CAN have…

• Coconut Milk  
• Almond Milk as a substitute.  I use this in my smoothies or protein shakes. You can also make your own almond milk in the blender- it’s SUPER easy.  It’s only 1 part almonds to 3 parts water.  Blend it up in the blender and strain out the pulp!  That’s IT! 

• 2-3 servings (spread out over the week) of Organic Greek Yogurt.  It has beneficial probiotics in there and yogurt is more pH neutral than regular milk.

Think you are up for the Challenge this Week??!  

Take advice from the Anchorman….that Milk is a BAD Choice. 

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

Challenge of the week: Avoid This #1 THING!

It’s time to ——–>

Do you REALLY know how much sugar is in the soda and juices that you are drinking? 

It’s CRAZY how many calories you can actually consume in such a short period of time when you have a drink.

Did you know that sugary soft drinks are the #1 source of calories in the average American Diet!?!?

One Soda a day can increase your risk of a heart attack EVEN if you are not gaining weight?

56% of 8-year-olds down soft drinks daily, & 1/3 of teenage boys drink at LEAST 3 cans of soda per day!

Needless to say, soda is one of the leading contributors to the explosion in our rates of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and a whole host of other problems.

So…. if you are a soda drinker, your challenge of the week is NO SODA!!

Not only are there ZERO nutritional benefits in these sugary drinks, but they are absolutely harmful to your health.

Here Are Your Acceptable Alternatives to Soda:

1. Water (flavor with strawberries, cucumber, lemon, lime, etc.  Switch it up to make it fun!)
2. If you need the caffeine buzz (especially because it’s Monday) go with Green Tea (has anti-oxidants) or Un-sweetened Tea.
3. Or…..coffee.  If you HAVE to sweeten it, find some coconut sugar.   It’s got a low glycemic load  (won’t raise your blood sugar too much) and it tastes great.

Are you Up for this challenge this week?

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

Challenge if the Week: De-Stress Your Life for the Week….

Many of us are CHRONICALLY STRESSED OUT.  CHRONIC STRESS = FAT STORING MODE 

You could be doing EVERYTHING right with your diet and exercise, but if you are still holding on to a few extra pounds (especially in your belly), then there’s a very good chance it could be because of your stress levels.

We all have a hormone in our body called Cortisol.  Cortisol is our body’s natural “fight-or-flight” hormone and is dubbed our “stress hormone.”

When we’re being attacked by a bear in the woods, Cortisol and Adrenaline (Epinephrine) in our bodies shoot up, allowing us to be able to have clear focus on the situation and giving us the energy to sprint as fast as we can away from the bear.

The main problem is, we are NOT sprinting away from a bear.  We are stressed out at work, sitting in traffic, or dealing with personal situations that are causing us CHRONIC levels of increased cortisol.

Now…..all of that sugar has been released into our bloodstream for sprinting in the woods, except we’re not sprinting anywhere…..so it’s all getting STORED AS BELLY FAT. 

Cortisol also reduces your immune system.

So when you’re chronically exposed to stress, your immune system is chronically compromised.

Chronic Stress is one of the main contributors to weight gain and obesity, getting sick, having less energy, and depression.

The GOOD NEWS is that stress levels CAN BE MANAGED with a little persistence and dedication to the process. 

Here are a few Ways to Decrease Your Stress:

• Exercise (this will DEFINITELY HELP)
• Reduce your Sugar Intake (in fact, try to eliminate all HFCS--high fructose corn syrup)
• Try Meditation or Yoga
• Start taking Omega 3′s (fish oil)
• Disconnect:  Turn OFF your Computer & Cell for at least an hour
• Try to find at LEAST 10-15 min a day of peace and quiet
• Find 10-15 minutes to be outside in the sunshine
• Get a Massage!

So….this week’s Challenge of the Week is to Focus on DE-STRESSING Your Life. 

I challenge you to spend at least 30-60 minutes EVERY day this week, focused on relaxing, resting, and de-stressing.

Sometimes taking time for yourself is the hardest thing to do- but by taking care of yourself, you are able to handle everything and everyone that comes along more easily.   ARE YOU UP FOR THE CHALLENGE!?

CHALLENGE OF THE WEEK

Challenge of the Week: Have a Fruit or Vegetable at EVERY Meal!

We all know that eating fresh fruits and vegetables are CRITICAL to a healthy and balanced diet.

Yet…all too often, we’re sitting down to eat cereal with milk, meat and potatoes, or a sandwich with processed lunch meat and cheese with a colorless slice of tomato on it.

Here’s the REAL Deal: DAIRY and MEAT are both ACIDIC in the body

Fruit & Vegetables = Alkaline

Since most of the foods we typically eat (as Americans) are acidic: milk, meat, breads, etc… our pH is chronically acidic.

The more acidic your blood, the more tired you get, the more your immune system lowers, and the more susceptible you are to developing colds, flus, and much more serious diseases.  

Your body spends all it’s energy and time “fixing” the problem rather than spending its energy and time on “optimizing” your body.

Something you probably didn’t know:

Foods that you THINK are acidic to your body like grapefruit, oranges, and lemons actually have an alkalizing effect in your body.

So…even though they are acidic BEFORE you eat them, doesn’t mean they have that affect on your body.

So….this week, I Challenge YOU to eat a Veggie at EVERY meal.  (you can sub 1-2 veggies for a piece of fruit!)

You will find you have SO much more energy through the day- and who doesn’t need that!?

It’s not as easy as you may think, so having fresh cut up fruit and veggies in the fridge will keep you prepared!

***On a side note, you want to focus on eating your fruits earlier in the day because of the sugar content