Being a mom with a chronic illness really sucks.
So much guilt. So little energy.
Staying Positive in a Negative Season of Life
Treating parasites and flushes when western medicine fails
How to do a Coffee Enema and the Health Benefits for Detox
How to Detox Parasites and Mold Illness
Natural tips for a better night's sleep
Top 5 Money Books to Reset your Money Mindset
There are so many resources out there to help you reset your money mindset: podcasts, online courses, Facebook groups, and of course, books! 📚 It’s never been easier to find the right information on how to take control of your finances, starting with your money mindset. If you are looking to dive into the details and shift your money mindset, I recommend starting with these fundamental financial books.
Tapping into Wealth by Margaret M. Lynch
A former corporate engineering manager, Margaret M Lynch’s book shows you how to use Emotional Freedom Technique or Tapping as a mechanism to help you clear your money blocks and reprogram your mind’s deeply held assumptions and beliefs about money and wealth.
EFT is recognized as an effective technique, using acupressure and the power of suggestion to help you focus on your goals and address negative thinking. The book is full of exercises to help you discover, release, and replace your limited beliefs about money so that you can live a richer life.
Get Rich, Lucky Bitch by Denise Duffield-Thomas
Denise Duffield-Thomas is a hugely popular coach, presenter, and writer. She has a straight-talking, no-nonsense approach that will help you break down your mental barriers to wealth and success. Duffield-Thomas specializes in helping female entrepreneurs discover and break down their money blocks through the practical application of manifesting using the Law of Attraction.
Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill
Think and Grow Rich is a classic and a must-read for anyone who is looking to change their mindset around money. In the book, Hill outlines his revolutionary 13-Steps to Riches as part of his Law of Success philosophy. Hill illustrates his principles by relating the stories of Andrew Carnegie, Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, and other millionaires of his generation.
Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki
This book by Kiyosaki has become a classic in its own right and has produced a whole series of books that have educated generations about the possibilities of financial freedom. The book explores the myth of high-income equating wealth and teaches you how to change your perspective on the world of money. It explains the important differences between good debt and bad debt and supports you in shifting your money mindset so that you can finally get on the road to financial freedom.
The Millionaire Next Door by William D. Danko and Thomas J. Stanley
Based on years of research, Danko and Stanley bring the real secrets of wealth to the masses, and it’s not as you’ve imagined. The authors have designed a 7-step program that is vital to becoming a millionaire. But first, they break down the pervasive myths about how wealthy people behave and where they spend their time and money. The examples in the book don’t include superstars, but rather the average Joes who live below their means and make their money work for them. This book is a game-changer for your wealth mindset.
Do you have books to add to this list? I’d love to hear your feedback and what books are YOUR personal faves!
PS: Would you like to be in my online book club?! 📚
How to stop procrastinating
Do you struggle with procrastination?
Maybe you do, and you don’t even know…
It looks like this:
You keep saying words like, “I need to…”, “I should…”, or “soon I will…”
When you know what to do, but you aren’t DOING IT, that is procrastination.
The crazy part about this, is that it’s usually THE ONLY THING holding you back from the success and life that you desire!! 🤦♀️🙄
Oh but trust me, you have 987 reasons why you “can’t do it right now”… I know.
In this video, I share HOW to stop procrastinating so that you can move the needle in your business and LIFE! GO DO IT!!
Want a plan?
📬 Download my SUCCESS FORMULA to help you map out a plan, and get busy DOING IT!
Did this video resonate with you?🙆
I’d love to hear your feedback and what YOU have been procrastinating about.
Being Kind Gets You Nowhere. Or Does It?
You can accomplish by kindness what you cannot by force.” – Pubilius Syrus
You may have heard the saying “nice guys finish last.” People often believe that being kind means you are weak and can be easily taken advantage of.
But is this really true?
We are taught that behind every smile there is an ulterior motive.
We are suspicious and skeptical of others who are kind to us.
Kindness does not equal weakness. On the contrary, it takes a great amount of strength to be kind to someone who thinks differently than you or is slowing you down in some way.
People who perform regular acts of kindness are often more successful, have more social friends and are well liked than those who don’t.
How kindness helps you succeed:
· Kindness increases confidence. Studies show that kindness increases your self-worth.
· People remember you when you are kind and willing to help others. It sets you apart from others.
· Kindness creates a ripple effect. One person being kind in some way spreads to others, who in turn spread kindness. Kindness is contagious, fostering in more kindness.
· Kindness evokes a sense of trust. In fact, studies show that even before establishing their own credibility, leaders who are kind and project warmth are more effective than those who lead by being tough.
· Kindness helps increase employee performance. Being kind to others makes them happier which in turn makes them more productive.
· Kindness bridges gaps between people. It can reach across barriers in language, gender, locality, religion and anything else that causes people to miscommunicate.
Luis Benitez, who has summitted the Seven Summits 32 times, says that kindness and compassion are essential to overcoming terrible physical and mental challenges. He often encounters horrible challenges during his climbs.
As an example, say you see someone limping on the day you need to reach the next camp. Instead of cursing their weakness and ignoring the pain they are in, you stop to bandage their feet so they can keep up with you.
This is not just being altruistic. If a member of the party lost their ability to hike, your entire group may have to return to the start. Stopping to help a colleague ensures you achieve your own goals.
Kindness is the secret to a successful and fulfilling life. Always be kind because your actions have a bigger impact than you realize not only on you but others as well.
Gratitude in the Midst of Chaos: 5 Tips for Making it a Daily Habit
As I work on overcoming my health challenges over the past several months (years, really), I am finding that practicing gratitude is KEY. Key for my self-love. Key for keeping me sane. Key for helping me prioritize my health and NOT feel guilty or FOMO.
Studies show that people who make a habit of feeling grateful also sleep better, have lower blood pressure, recover from illness faster, and are less prone to depression and anxiety!
What is gratitude?
It’s the feeling you experience when you relish life’s little pleasures or affirm something positive that arises from outside yourself. Whether you feel grateful for a delicious piece of fruit, a blue sky, or someone else’s act of kindness, it doesn’t matter! Gratitude enables you to feel connected to other people and forces larger than yourself — even in the face of uncertainty and suffering.
So how do you start practicing daily gratitude? Here are 5 tips:
1. Keep a gratitude journal
Whether you put pen to paper or keep electronic notes in your smartphone, keeping a gratitude journal is a tried-and-true way to tap into this powerful feeling. Take a few minutes first thing in the morning — or last thing before bed — to write down the things you are grateful for that day. Download my “Soul Purpose” workbook to journal and work through your thoughts about what you’re MOST PASSIONATE about. Even if you’ve had a bad day or a rough night’s sleep, there’s always something to be thankful for! Express gratitude for a lesson you learned (even a painful one), or for something as simple as having a bed to sleep in. Journaling what you’re grateful for helps you get through stressful situations, improve your mood, and lead to a more meaningful life.
2. Volunteer
Another way to feel grateful for the things and people in your life is to volunteer. Participate in a cleanup of a local park, serve food at a homeless shelter, or lend a hand to an elderly neighbor who lives alone. Giving back to your community, or helping people in need, enables you to take a step back and experience gratitude for things you may take for granted — things like warm food, a roof over your head, or the support of family and friends.
3. Express your gratitude
Don’t just feel gratitude — share it! Expressing thanks to the people around you increases your feelings of gratitude and can brighten someone else’s day in the process! Say “thank you” to your spouse for taking out the trash, to a coworker who made your job a little easier, or to the guy who held the elevator door for you. Want to take it a step further? Write a thank-you letter to a former teacher, a veteran, or your mail carrier, or write a positive review of a local business.
4. Make gratitude a family practice
Share the benefits of daily gratitude practice with your loved ones by making it a family routine. When you sit down to a meal, or during family activities, have everyone take a turn sharing what they’re grateful for that day. For those crazy nights when you’re rushing to get dinner on the table and the kids to soccer practice, keep a list of things you’re grateful for on the fridge that everyone can contribute to daily.
5. Practice mindfulness
As you go through your day, pause every now and then to appreciate the people and things around you. Feel the comforting warmth coming from your cup of tea, notice the flowering plants in your neighborhood during your morning walk, hug your child for a few extra seconds before sending them off to school, or feel thankful for the 30 seconds of quiet once they leave the house. Nothing is too small to feel grateful for!
By making gratitude a daily practice, you’ll feel better, improve your physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, and help make the world a happier place for the people around you!
Tell me… what are YOU grateful for?
How to Stay Accountable
When it comes to being healthy, staying active and losing weight, there are many tips, tricks and "secrets." However, whether they help depends on you and your unique goals -- as no one's journey is quite like another. There is one secret that will always help anyone with their healthy lifestyle. It's not only helpful, it's absolutely necessary. It's what separates those who accomplish their goals and those who don't. Can you guess what it is?
ACCOUNTABILITY.
Staying accountable means that your goals can be manifested into reality -- rather than simply remaining a distant dream. Read on for 3 ways you can stay accountable and reach your goals.
3 Ways You Can Stay Accountable
Mix Your Goals Into Your Daily Routine (and Stick to It)
Having a schedule is a fantastic start to staying accountable. Most of the time, we put aside our goals because we're busy with something else -- such as when a big project gets in the way of your daily exercise, or your child's soccer game lasted longer than you thought and you find yourself skipping a healthy, homemade dinner. When you first determine your goals, make a schedule that already fits within your routine and gives you plenty of wiggle room for life's spontaneity. Need time to exercise? Find a new time -- such as early morning or late evening -- that will generally work well. Have a hard time getting home to make dinner? Set aside a weekend day for meal prepping. Once you decide this schedule, stick to it!
Find an Accountability Partner
Everything is more fun with a friend! Beyond fun, having a partner also gives continual motivation to stay true to your health journey. When everything is only in your mind and heart, it can feel lonely... and it's easy to skip a day or week or month -- saying, "I'll get back on track later." When someone else is on the journey with you, you'll feel more apt to keep trekking on, especially knowing that you're inspiring them as much as they are inspiring you! Having a hard time finding a friend to keep you accountable? Read onto the next tip for a great way to find a partner.
Join our Accountability Group on Facebook
This group is super informative and inspirational, and will help you tackle your goals as you start your healthy lifestyle. Receive daily advice and exchange support with others while gaining new ideas AND new friends, too. Request information to join here.
Suffering in Silence NO MORE about chronic illness
I want to share sooo much with you all about my health but don’t even know where to start.
For YEARS I have had serious health problems when traveling but I loved to travel. I just thought it was because I was sensitive had anxiety, food allergies, you know... Needed to do more meditation and journaling and yoga and forgiveness exercises and use more essential oils and and and.....
You guys know, many of you have traveled with me or attended our retreats and I would share how sick I felt, but I would push through and show up anyway because I’m sooo dedicated to you and your growth.
This year, though, I decided stepping back was no longer an option. I felt like I was suffocating and slowly dying, I have cried a million tears in the darkness/sleepless nights. Wondering what in the universe is wrong with me.
Friends would remind me not to take other’s opinions personally and meditate more.
My sister said she thought I was being slowly poisoned.
And yes, that’s how it felt.
I would literally block an entire week off my calendar after a trip to recover and would spend a lot of that time in bed with nooo energy & headaches. Then the stomach pains started and the horrible GI problems. The insomnia grew worse, so did the anxiety.
I finally went in for more tests (I had initially gone in almost 3 years ago-they diagnosed and treated me for ulcers-I should have asked for proof that I had ulcers...) this spring.
So many questions.
So many negative tests.
That’s a good thing but when you feel like shit and can barely function, no answers are really frustrating!
My empathy has exploded for people that suffer silently.
I’m going to continue to share my story but can do small bits at a time right now. Brain fog is a real challenge for me. I will be sharing bits of my story and eventually write a book. It will save someone so much pain and frustration and money and self doubt. I’m confident in that.
(To be continued…)
This 1st picture is from 2015 in CO.
The 2nd pic is from Mayo June, 2019.
Here’s the link to the products and resources I use.
Subscribe to my YOUTUBE and turn ON notifications for my videos on Facebook.
Dealing with unexplained chronic pain or illness?
I have been struggling with my health and weird symptoms for YEARS!
While it’s still a journey of discovery, we’re finally getting closer to some answers.
Thank you to all of you who have reached out and who are praying and supporting me!
Here’s my latest update!
Slow down to speed up
Lake Life... we don’t always have to be rushing, building, grinding, running, exercising, pushing, pushing, pushing.
This summer, I decided that I would slow down, say “no”, breathe deep, watch every sunset, smell every flower, and be in the moment.
Rather than going, going, going and feeling frazzled, I’m just being me.
Grateful for the long, warm, sunny days and memories made with family and friends.
Grateful for the time and financial freedom we have created through our network marketing business to be able to pick up and go anywhere our heart desires, whenever we please.
Financial freedom doesn’t have to look like private jets and yachts. Financial freedom can look like camping with your family at the lake without worrying about how many vacation days you have saved up.
What’s your favorite way to slow down and enjoy the moment?
5 Tips For Creating A Morning Routine
The way you spend your mornings sets the tone for the entire day. If you begin each day feeling rushed or overwhelmed, then you can expect these emotions to stick with you as your day continues.
Establishing a morning routine brings more structure and focus to your mornings.
By beginning each day from a point of stability, you’ll experience less stress, and, even on those days when stress arises, you’ll be better equipped to handle it.
Once you begin following an effective morning regimen, you’ll find it easier to manage your time, stress, and any other roadblocks that stand between you and your personal goals.
Here are a few key tips for creating your own total wellness morning routine:
Creating Your Total Wellness Morning Routine
Now that you know the importance of establishing a morning routine, you may be wondering which steps you should take each morning to reap these benefits. Here are a few key elements of a successful morning regimen:
Wake Up Early
From Oprah to Tony Robbins, almost every successful person shares this piece of advice. Routinely waking up early alleviates the stress of having to rush around each morning. It also gives you more time for healthy habits like eating breakfast, exercising, and taking the time to identify your daily goals and intentions.
Depending on your personal schedule, it’s a great idea to wake up between 5:00 AM and 7:00 AM each morning. The first thing you should do upon rising is to express gratitude for a new day and drink a glass of water. If you’re currently using the supplements I recommend, then this is also a great time to take your capsules!
Connect With Yourself
This step can take many forms, but it’s a great idea to allow some time to focus within each morning. So many of us wake up and rush to start the day without checking in with ourselves and setting positive intentions for the day ahead, but this step is vital for your emotional and spiritual well-being. You can connect with your inner self through meditation, prayer, journaling, or by consuming some form of motivational content like an audiobook, YouTube video, or podcast. If you live a busy life filled with work or family obligations, then this may be the only time of the day when you can completely focus on yourself.
Eat A Nutritious Breakfast
A healthy breakfast is an essential part of everyone’s morning routine. Eating a healthy morning meal (like a healthy vitamin shake or an omelet packed with hearty veggies) gives you the fuel you need to start the day, and it also sets the tone for the rest of your daily meals. People who tend to skip breakfast or hit the drive-thru on their way to work also tend to gravitate towards unhealthy lunch and dinner choices. In the long run, this can sabotage your health and fitness goals, especially if you want to manage your weight.
Exercise
Many of us complain about not having enough time to exercise throughout the day, but waking up early gives you enough time to go for a run, hit the gym, or even take a sunrise yoga class. A morning workout gives you an energy boost and brightens your mood which makes tackling your day much more enjoyable.
Now You’re Set to Thrive for the Day!
Once you’ve completed the healthy habits listed above, you’ll have plenty of time left over to shower, get dressed, and get your day started without feeling rushed or overwhelmed.
If you want to give your morning routine an additional boost, give the supplements I recommend a try! This is a premium lifestyle system that offers benefits like improved cognitive performance, increased energy, and support for your body’s overall health and well-being.
Best tools for online video, YouTube, and Facebook Live
You probably know by now that I recommend doing LIVE Videos to grow your business.
It is actually one of the strategies that I used to earn a MILLIONAIRE award in my first 11 months of my network marketing biz — lots and lots of video. First on YouTube, then when Facebook LIVE rolled out, I started doing them there!
VIDEO IS SO IMPORTANT!!!
Here are some of my favorite Video tools…
A ring light!
Lighting can make ALL the difference between a great quality video or ho-hum. A good ring light doesn’t have to be expensive. This one is a lot less expensive than some out there, and great quality! It will brighten your face, smooth out your fine lines, and make your video POP in the news-feed. Definitely get a ring light if you don’t already have one!
The one I like is this one: Neewer Ring Light Kit:18"/48cm Outer 55W 5500K Dimmable LED Ring Light, Light Stand, Carrying Bag for Camera,Smartphone,YouTube,Self-Portrait Shooting
A video backdrop!
You don’t have to worry about your room being a mess, your office looking like chaos, or the laundry piling up behind you. Simply step in front of your backdrop with your Ring Light on, and wallah! You’re in a professional-looking video studio! Best of all, it’s super inexpensive to get these video backdrops, so you can grab several designs and do great looking videos on a budget.
The ones I like best are the WIDE ones (7 ft x 5 ft) so that when you do video in horizontal mode, it’ll fit the frame, like this: OUYIDA 7X5FT White Retro Wooden Board CP Pictorial Cloth Photography Background Computer-Printed Vinyl Backdrop PCK08
A backdrop stand!
No more taping or stapling your backdrops to your wall… grab this easy-to-assemble stand and clip in your backdrop like a pro. Super lightweight and easy to assemble, this makes hanging your backdrop a breeze and also protects your walls!
This one is the best I have found for the price: Julius Studio Photo Video Studio 10 ft. Wide Cross Bar 7.4 ft. Tall Background Stand Backdrop Support System Kit with Carry Bag, Photography Studio, JSAG283
Do you have some favorites to add?
I’d love to hear about what tools you love to use for your videos!
The benefits of CBD oils and skincare
Cannabidiol, more popularly known as CBD, is all the rage among fitness influencers and health bloggers these days. More and more people are turning to this chemical compound to help with clearer skin, stress, anxiety and other woes.
I use & recommend a specific CBD oil tincture, linked here.
Although there’s plenty of information about this alternative health craze available across the web, there’s still some confusion about exactly what CBD is and where it comes from.
If you’ve been thinking about hopping on the CBD bandwagon, keep reading! I’ll go over everything you need to know about CBD before giving it a try!
What Is CBD?
CBD is one of the 104 chemical compounds that are present in Cannabis sativa. This plant is more commonly known as the marijuana plant or hemp plant depending on how its bred. Several subspecies of Cannabis sativa exist, and each one contains varying amounts of these compounds.
The most common cause of confusion and controversy when it comes to CBD is its connection to THC. Both CBD and THC are among the 104 chemical compounds derived from Cannabis sativa. THC is a psychoactive compound that causes a “high” when consumed. Most CBD products are created from hemp plants with less than 0.3 percent THC rather than marijuana plants. THC and marijuana are illegal in many states and countries around the world. But, hemp and CBD products are legal in many places as long as they do not contain significant THC levels.
Overall, CBD is non-addictive, non-psychoactive, and generally safe to use. What draws many people to CBD as an alternative health remedy is the possibility of treating common ailments in a natural way. CBD also allows you to experience the cannabis plant’s stress-reducing effects without the stigma that accompanies recreational drug use.
How to Use CBD
Although CBD seems to be a contemporary health trend, the cannabis plant has been used medicinally for centuries. The first documented use of medicinal cannabis dates back to ancient China. Recently, changing attitudes about the cannabis plant and its chemical compounds has opened the doors for more research on its health benefits and the development of easy-to-use CBD-infused products.
There are a variety of CBD-infused products to choose from if you’d like to test it out for yourself. The most popular form of CBD is CBD oil. This product is made by extracting CBD from cannabis plants and combining it with a common, natural carrier oil.
Those who are interested CBD’s skincare benefits can try out CBD-infused topical products like the CBD Anti-Aging Skincare line I love and recommend. I use a three-step CBD skincare system includes a CBD-infused enzyme peel, correcting serum, and moisturizing elixir. It’s a great option for slowing down the aging process, and revitalizing and maintaining the health of all skin types!
CBD Conclusion
It’s natural, easy to use, and versatile. Whether you’re interested in CBD’s stress-reducing effects, CBD skincare, or any of the other wellness benefits that CBD may provide, you’ll find plenty of options for adding CBD to your self care routine.
5 Ways to Exercise Your Brain to Combat Cognitive Decline
Health experts often bring out the phrase, “Use it or lose it,” when speaking about our body’s muscles. If you don’t use your muscles regularly, they will atrophy and you will lose strength, especially as you age. To combat atrophy and muscle loss, you need to engage in strength training exercises. Did you know the same is true for our brains?
As we age, our cognitive reserves start to fade and we find ourselves searching for lost words or taking longer to perform mental tasks. With the preponderance of news about Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, retaining those cognitive reserves becomes even more important than in years past.
Here are some ideas for giving your brain a workout so you can remain sharp as you age:
1. Learn new things. Experts believe that when the brain is passive and unengaged, it will atrophy. The brain wants to learn new things and the best way to keep your brain healthy – just like with your other muscles – is to make it work. Choose something new to learn that is enjoyable to you and attack it with gusto. Check out your local Adult Continuing Education department to find classes for foreign languages, cooking, art, business, or fitness.
2. Solve math problems in your head. Forgo the use of pencil, paper, or calculator and use that brain to solve simple math problems. Increase the difficulty as needed or try walking while solving those math problems. Don’t fret if you make mistakes or it seems to take a while before reaching the answer. The key is to not give up.
3. Engage your senses. All five of our senses utilize different parts of the brain, so choose activities that depend upon using your senses. Cooking classes are excellent choices because they use sight, smell, and taste.
4. Practice your hand-eye coordination. Putting a puzzle together, knitting, crochet, painting, or drawing are just some examples of hobbies involving hand-eye coordination. Even the simple act of handwriting a letter can assist in strengthening your coordination and your brain function.
5. Read. It’s a simple concept we learned back in elementary school yet as life gets in the way, taking time to read a novel or a magazine goes by the wayside. Reading engages your sense of sight but it also engages your imagination as you picture what’s happening in the story. Reading also increases your focus and attention as well as your knowledge and vocabulary. Not a fan of novels? No worries…choose a favorite magazine, crossword puzzles, or logic problems. You’ll reap the same benefits no matter what the format is.
One quick note: Memory game software is not found to have quite the same effects as these suggestions above. Real-world activities, such as finishing a Sudoku puzzle or driving home on a different route, are more effective at maintaining cognitive function and won’t cost much money to complete.
No matter what your current age, now is the time to care for your brain and maintain your cognitive function. Not only will your brain benefit from these ideas but you’ll find some joy again by integrating fun activities into your life.
5 Ways Exercising Your Body is Good for Your Brain
Unless you live under a rock, you’ve seen myriad news reports over the years about how to live a healthy lifestyle and why healthy living is so important. Those news reports and articles often mention losing weight as the ultimate goal – probably because of our obesity epidemic and the prevalence of Type 2 diabetes – but we sometimes forget the unseen benefits of exercise on our bodies.
1. Improves your HDL cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Cholesterol is a natural compound found inside our body’s cell membranes but increased levels will increase your risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Triglycerides are the fats that accumulate in your blood stream when you indulge in an unhealthy eating regimen. Improving both of these levels keeps your blood flowing easily, which reduces your risk of stroke, which is good news for your brain.
2. Improves your heart and lung health. If you get winded walking down your driveway to check the mail, it’s a sign that your lungs aren’t working at optimal capacity. Improving the health of your heart and lungs improves endurance, improves the amount of oxygen transported to your cells and organs, but also improves your cognitive function, according to a study in Sweden published in 2012.
3. Lowers your blood sugar levels and risk of Type 2 diabetes. Moderate exercise is one of the ways to combat high blood sugar levels which can lead to Type 2 diabetes. Daily exercise forces your heart to beat faster and your lungs to work harder. Both of these functions require glucose – blood sugar – which is always present in the blood stream. The faster your exercise, the more glucose you burn, and the more sensitive your body becomes to insulin. This sensitivity allows less insulin to be produced and to work more efficiently throughout your body. “High blood glucose levels, over a number of years, can damage the nerves, including those of the brain, which can increase the risk of dementia.”
4. Improves your libido. When you’re stressed, your body produces too much cortisol – a stress hormone – which can cause a decrease in libido over time. Stress also plays a part in erectile dysfunction for men. Exercise releases stress, which lowers cortisol and releases dopamine from the brain; all of this can often improve one’s sex life. Increased dopamine can help lower anxiety levels.
5. Promotes better sleep habits. Daily exercise tires out the body but can also tire out the brain so it’s ready to rest at bedtime. Your quality of sleep improves with exercise as does the duration; just don’t exercise too close to bedtime or you’ll be energized instead of tired. Adequate sleep time helps the brain recover from the day but also helps improve the neurons’ communication with the rest of your body.
Any one of these examples should be enough reason to add exercise into your daily routine. As the experts note, you don’t have to run a marathon or be a bodybuilder to benefit from exercise. Start off with walking or swimming so as not to injure yourself and build up your duration and intensity from there. Couple your exercise times with friends and you won’t even realize that you’re working hard.
5 Tips to get Better Sleep
Your brain is the miracle powerhouse of your body. This extremely complex organ controls all our bodily functions so, for obvious reasons, we should do everything in our power to keep our brains functioning healthfully.
Don’t be discouraged by this daunting task. One simple way to keep your brain healthy is to get enough sleep. In today’s busy world, too often we stay up late to finish work, finish housework, or to finally relax with our spouse. But then the vicious cycle starts again too early in the morning when we awaken to get ready for work, to feed the kids, or to get a jump-start on that work deadline that’s hovering over our head.
Scientific Proof Your Brain Needs More Sleep
Without sleep your brain can’t function properly. Your reflexes are slower, you’ll have difficulty focusing on tasks, and you’ll have difficulty learning new things. Sleep is also extremely important to your brain’s neurons and their ability to communicate with each other.
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke says, “Research shows that a chronic lack of sleep, or getting poor quality sleep, increases the risk of disorders including high blood pressure, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, depression, and obesity.” As we know from news reports, cardiovascular disease is the number one killer of adults and Type 2 diabetes along with obesity have reached epidemic proportions. Therefore, it makes common sense to do anything possible to avoid these catastrophic health issues.
5 Ways to Improve Your Sleep and Your Brain Function
You are in complete control of how much sleep you get each night and the quality of that sleep. Here are some tips for making the most of this important quiet time:
1. Unplug from electronics one hour before bed. The blue light that reflects off the mobile phone or television screen reduces the amount of melatonin produced in the brain, which is necessary for a good night’s sleep.
2. Meditate. Coupled with unplugging from technology, meditation is a peaceful way to calm down after a long, stressful day.
3. Set an earlier bedtime. Instead of falling asleep on the couch watching your favorite television show, set the DVR and go to bed earlier. Adults need a solid 7-9 hours of sleep each night for optimal performance the next day.
4. Increase your light exposure during daytime hours. Your circadian rhythm is the biological time clock that tells the body it’s daytime or nighttime. Increasing your light exposure not only increases your daytime energy but it prepares your body for a good night’s sleep. Get outside when the sun is out, sit by a window, or change your lightbulbs from Soft White to Daytime White to add brightness to your day.
5. Turn your bedroom into a peaceful oasis. To improve your sleep quality, eliminate clutter (aka laundry piles), add some room darkening shades or curtains, and charge your electronics elsewhere. Clutter causes stress in our brains, which is the last thing you want when it’s time for sleeping.
Improving your sleep habits will naturally improve your brain function. A healthy, well-rested brain also plays a role in making healthy eating choices and having the energy to exercise. Feeling more awake in the morning also sets a positive tone for the work day.
