Take 4 minutes with Wellness & Relationship Coach Sara Plummer Barnard to connect back to the best part of you.
Resolutions I'm actually excited for
I've passed the 30 mark and I'm over setting a list of intentions to make myself better, faster, stronger... blah blah blah.
I'm pretty kick ass as it is and I can make minor tweaks to be even more fabulous without signing up for things that either aren't me or aren't realistically going to get done. Give up sugar? Probably not. Workout every morning? Not likely.
So here's what came up when I asked myself what I actually wanted more of in 2015.
Could you be LOW DOPAMINE? Reason 1001 that keeping up with the Jones' is making us unhappy.
Learning to use my roller / balls - a self massage workshop with CAROLINE JORDAN
I'm just learning the importance of releasing the fascia tissue around my tendons that get a little too cozy and clingy to my muscles after a hard workout.
The scar tissue that can result if I leave my rebuilding muscle to fend for themselves can result in impaired growth and misalignments.
Blood flow gets restricted by these blockages which means proper oxygen to the muscle gets restricted which means the body encapsulates the problem and moves on to bigger problems- leaving me with a possible long term misalignment.
Let's Hear it for the Bs, Let's give the Bs a chance.
The Best of THIS WEEK's Health, Wellness, & Community EVENTs: 5/26-5/30
4 ways I know it's time to get back to GREEN FOOD
I know what I am supposed to do.
I know what I am supposed to eat.
I even eat correctly a % of the time.
AND THEN I DON'T.
This manic, "I am queen of the world, Cadbury cream eggs are no match for my boundless energy and svelte physique" kicks in like the delusional sabotaging propaganda it is. I stay up late working on projects OR DANCING ON TABLES at reputable fundraisers. I skip protein and veggies in leu of sugary delights. I start ordering decadent caramel lattes instead of my staple green tea. I am off the wagon. And I tell myself it's ok. There will be no repercussions this time.
1. And then I get sick. That soar throat kicks in, fatigue, and aches pop up. I'm tired and feel yucky. I want to skip the very things that usually make me feel good like exercise and early wakeups. I'm easily overwhelmed.
2. My mood & drive plummets. An overall low energy, and disinterest in most things prevails and I wonder how my brain can make such a convincing case that life is not worth living. I feel like screaming, "You're amino acid and vital micronutrient deficient brain, not dying- let's be a little less dramatic!!"
3. The fatigue takes hold and I'm forced to rest despite the oppressive boredom. I experience depression symptoms and lose my zest. I'm drawn to quick highs like sugar and caffeine to even feel normal. I know I need sleep but stay in a warped denial. I beat myself up for taking my health for granted and ending up on my ars once again...
4. I get angry. I mean cranky, irritable, yucky to be around spicy. I envision doing terrible things to people that cut me off on the freeway. I am no where near connected to my best, open, loving self and wouldn't know the first place to look to find her. I am upset with the world because I am really upset with myself. There is no love to give out if I am not cultivating any love within.
AND THEN I GET REAL with myself and I make friends again with my Vitamix.
I start making spinach, protein powder, broccoli, smoothies. I bathe my cells in Spirulina, chlorella, and the good parts of green veggies. I start taking my supplements again and focusing on my hydration. I say no things to get enough sleep. I remind myself that I am good enough even if I don't get it all done and that my beauty, energy, cancer prevention, cognitive sharpness, and mood all depend on the occasional nap and good food choices.
And then I start feeling REALLY GOOD AGAIN. I wonder how I ever neglected my nutrition, scheduled exercise, and commitment to sleep. I have to remind myself to not overcommit and start the whole process all over again. ... Which is likely to happen :)
YOU DESERVE TO FEEL GOOD
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GETHSH is a wellness blog dedicated to researching the variables in the formula to feeling good. All suggestions should be reviewed with your licensed practitioner and taken on your own free will.
Supporting each other heals us.
A couple times in life you get that phone call that leaves your tummy in knots and a vial reaction to physically hurt someone thrusts forward -despite your usual better judgment. That's right, someone has just hurt your baby sis ... and on top of it, they've done it in a way that hits a little too close to home.
You can't take their pain away... BUT YOU CAN TAKE THEM TO OAHU!
And that's exactly what we did when the actions of the typical douche bag you date in your 20s left baby sis momentarily heart broken. (Clearly, I'm still a bit saucy over the whole thing and am working on getting my more enlightened, compassionate self to rise.)
The point is, we have moments in life when we can truly be there for those we love and heal even older baggage.
Not only did she bravely hop on the flight on a whim, she was greeted by a Motley Crew tribute band that serenaded her the entire 2 hr delay on the tarmac as well having Jack Johnson ask her a question in the Honolulu airport upon her arrival.
THANKS UNIVERSE FOR DELIVERING!!
We had a blast snorkeling as well as hiking to these sort of spectacular vistas: OMG!
I'm so friggin grateful she turned out so cool (and hilarious). It makes the yucky parts of living another memory in the making.
These relationships we keep choosing to show up for really do bring out our best selves. Besides having a very fun vacation with my wonderful sis, I healed a little part of my broken hearted 20 something self.
Hopefully, it helped remind her that she is loved and supported and this too shall pass.
If you have a story about how it felt to show up for someone in their time of need, reminding you that we're all connected, please share & make the rest of our day's brighter! Or if you'd like to write some encouraging words to my baby sis / your heartbroken 20 something self, share them here:
I don't just want an anti-depressant! Can't they test for root causes?
When I began considering getting on an antidepressant 5 years ago, I was quickly overwhelmed at the different types and the difficulty figuring out which antidepressant or anti anxiety would be best.
Should I address my Serotonin or Dopamine levels? Which would make me fat? Kill my sex drive? Make me one-dimensional & flat? Take my current Serotonin & leave it on the synapse longer but not actually get me more of it?
I didn't want to trial and error serious brain balance shifters before testing & I couldn't be more grateful to find someone that knew what to test for and how to go about it.
A doctor that knew what to look for and knew which tests to order! She checked to see if I had problems with my nutrition intake, absorption, or conversion as well as how well my brain manufactured my happiness chemicals Serotonin and Dopamine. She checked my hormone balance and explained which times of the month my estrogen & progesterone would be out of whack with normal annoying female cycle drops. She explained stress hormone Cortisol and it's affect on mood and relationship with sugar.
She gave me a better understanding of the pieces of the puzzle and changed the way I looked at chocolate pie. Dessert is now called Moody Blues in my house.
“1. my Vitamin D levels were as dangerously low as many of her depressed patients (taking 5000 IU/day if you live north of LA/Atlanta is a good idea & getting at least 15 minutes of sunscreen free sunshine mid day is also good)
2.my B vitamins weren’t converting properly to help make Serotonin (60% of people have conversion problems genetically)
3. my brain didn’t naturally make enough motivation and reward driving Dopamine ( Which explained the draw to chaos and constant activity )
4. My Serotonin stayed on my brain long enough Yay! (SSRI’s like Prozac would NOT have helped my mood at all & would have likely lowered my libido and sparked weight gain! )
5. I am low in estrogen which makes me muscular and lean w little boobs, makes me break out, and affects mood but reduces my chance for most reproductive cancers.- getting on an Estrogen patch certain times of the month is an option I wasn’t previously aware of.
”
Knowing what I'm working with lets me make better choices, forgive the parts I don't have control of, and change the things I do. Sugar is a terrible idea especially if I'm already burning through my B vitamins with other stress. Sleep and Leafy greens are practically medicine. I need to supplement the appropriate amino acids building blocks that make Serotonin and Dopamine naturally in my brain. Exercise is my "in the moment" Happy Juice releaser when I'm getting blah. I now practice reframing situations. thinking positively, and yoga breathwork. I also now know that choosing anti depressants that affect the Dopamine receptor/levels will be more effective than those dealing with Serotonin in my brain's case. I feel empowered rather than helpless and overwhelmed.
Dr. Stephanie is available at www.intuitivewomenswellness.com. Please tell her thank you for me- she is a blessing. She is also the founder of FunctionalMedicine.com as well as the MaleVitalityProgram. I can't rave about her enough.
YOU DESERVE TO FEEL GOOD
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GETHSH is a wellness blog dedicated to researching the variables in the formula to feeling good. All suggestions should be reviewed with your licensed practitioner and taken on your own free will.
February 24, 2014 It took MindBodyGreen 10 months to "borrow" my idea for Gluten Free Skinny Protein Pancakes!
I love MindBodyGreen and think it's both a wonderful resource and a powerful force for positive change in this world. ... Which is why it delights me to beat them to a scoop by almost a year!
My friends at Kitchen Karate taught me last April how to make shockingly good protein pancakes that feel like fluffy little silver dollar full flour/fat pancakes while actually being a nutritional power house. A little molasses or raw honey for an anti-microbial guilt free sweetener and Voila!
Here's their recipe: (they exchange my chopped almonds for a little flaxseed & protein powder combo which sounds fantastic and sneaks in Omegas!)
FREE 30 minute Long & Lean Restorative Yoga Flow for beginners
In honor of the up an coming WanderLust festival, here's a 30 min restorative yoga flow for beginners you can do at home or on the road. All you'll need is a soft surface/mat and a towel/strap. I'll be shooting a few more of these on the go flows while in Hawaii for you. :)
Wanderlust, Oahu time again!!! Eeeeeeee!
I am giddily awaiting my return to WanderLust, Oahu in a week to stretch in soothing sun, breathe with my favorite athletic tribe of yogi's, meditate in paradise, and sleep as if in the womb. I'm so ready I can't believe I ever left. I can't wait to breath that deeply, feel that inspired, smile that big, and sleep that well. It is my literal paradise.
And this trip, I'll be wedding venue scouting to share this paradise with my favorite people on a very special day along with shooting new yoga videos to share with the GetHSH community that wishes for bliss on the go. Beyond Excited!
Here is the article featured in Elephant Journal I wrote about last year's festival: http://www.elephantjournal.com/2013/03/wanderlust-oahu-the-happiest-place-on-earth/
See you soon Northshore, Oahu.