If you want to live more holistically and incorporate it into your lifestyle, don’t forget about your mind and emotional health.

When you have high amounts of stress, you tend to look toward unhealthy habits to deal with it, but there are many natural remedies as well.

Daily Habits That Help to Relieve Stress

There are some daily habits that are going to ensure you are reducing stress and really embracing a holistic lifestyle. For example, eating a healthy organic real food diet and getting regular exercise will do wonders for your stress levels.

Don’t do this as a way to be restrictive in your life, but instead just to focus on health and balance. You can do relaxing exercises like yoga and tai chi, or just practice a morning stretching routine.

I am a long-time walker and since the weather is a bit warmer now, I have been getting on my bike for about an hour bike ride a few times a week.

Instead of my normal hard and fast bike ride I made the decision to ride in a more relaxing, less stressful way through the neighbourhood.

This way I am getting outdoors, moving and most importantly for me enjoying the sites and sounds of nature, movement and bliss.

Some other daily habits that help a lot with stress include writing in a journal, reading, unplugging from technology, meditating, practicing mindfulness, and just having a healthy daily routine.

Consider Breaking The Bad Habits

You might have some habits that are doing the opposite for you and are harming your health and holistic living.

These can often seem harmless, but really take a toll on your stress levels. For example, if you use social media a lot, especially with notifications on your phone, it is giving you constant sources of stress.

Comparing yourself to others, reading and watching the news, seeing negative or toxic updates, even just reading negativity in the comments can be hard on your mental state.

Some other bad habits that you might consider breaking include, smoking/vaping, emotional or stress eating, engaging with people who are toxic to your mental health, and not getting adequate movement or exercise.

How are you practicing stress reduction in your life? Share your thoughts in the comments.

Be sure to get in touch with us if you have questions or if we can help you.

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When it comes to walking more, the idea of walking a certain number of steps every day is bound to come up. This is not a magical number – it originated as an idea from Dr. I-Min Lee, who is an associate epidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and is also a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. However, you can track steps even if you aren’t going for a specific number, but out of curiosity, and just to encourage yourself to walk a little more each day.

“I love walking because it clears your mind, enriches the soul, takes away stress and opens up your eyes to a whole new world .” – Claudette Dudley 
 
​Become Aware of Your Activity During the Day
 
The main reason to use a fitness tracker to track your steps is so you are more aware of how much walking you are actually doing. You do so much more than just the steps you take during a walking fitness routine.
 
When you first start using a fitness tracker, all you really need to do is become aware of what your daily activity is. Don’t start a challenge right away or set a goal, and instead just wear it for a week or two, and see what your steps are.
 
You can then use this to determine where your main goals should be set, and whether or not adding in a walking routine is going to be best for you.
  
Fitness Trackers Come with Reminders to Move More
 
Another unique benefit of tracking your steps is that you probably also have reminders to keep moving more throughout the day. Both Fitbit and Apple Watches include this function, and some other brands may also come with the option.
 
The fitness tracker is going to send you alerts that vibrate the tracker on your wrist if you haven’t gotten up and walked in a while, or moved, or done any exercise. This doesn’t mean you have to get up right away, but it is another good indication of how much activity you are getting throughout the day.

Walking Challenges with Friends – Move More

Do you find that you tend to lose your motivation pretty fast when starting something new? Put the fire back into your routine by having challenges with friends. Many fitness trackers that track your steps also have a community feature built in, where you can add your friends, and have challenges with them.

Most of these are based on steps, as opposed to minutes walking, which can be another great way to look at your walking routine.

I walked over 3 Million steps in 2017. Using my phone’s fitness tracker, I was able to do this exact thing. I connected with a couple of friends and we were able to challenge each other to get to the goal of 200,000 steps per months. It was an awesome experience and I would highly recommend it if you are starting a walking program to help keep you on track every day.

Tracking your steps offers some unique advantages to just tracking how far or how long you walk. It is a great way to track your progress, set goals and challenges, keep up your motivation, and become much more aware of the activity you get throughout the day.

Enjoy the practice of moving more and remember that a walking challenge with friends might keep you moving more and having more fun with your friends.

Share your thoughts and ideas about walking challenges below. 

Be sure to get in touch with us if you have questions or if we can help you. 

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Wanting to live more holistically is a noble goal, but unfortunately many people don’t understand what this means, or make some common mistakes. Here are some areas where you might be going wrong, but don’t worry – they are all easy to fix.

Trying to do it All

A very common mistake made when trying to live more holistically is when you try to do it all. You can’t “win” at living a holistic life.

You don’t need to do it 100 percent perfect 100 percent of the time, and you definitely don’t have to dedicate all your time and energy to it.

What this is going to do is overwhelm you, and make you think you are failing because if you don’t do everything perfectly, you won’t do anything at all.
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Remember that doing just a little something is better than doing nothing when it comes to living more holistically.

Not Making Consistent Change

It really is better to start slow with your new holistic lifestyle, and work on changing small things, one at a time.

Don’t attempt to change everything at once, but work on more of a consistent change.
This allows you to take small steps that don’t completely change your life rapidly, and make you feel like you can’t keep up.

Choose one thing at a time, like buying organic produce or switching out your skincare products for more natural ones, then change the next thing when you feel ready.

Have fun with the practice of living more holistically.

Forgetting About the Small Things

Living more simplistic, holistic and natural lifestyle is not complicated and doesn’t have to be expensive.

You don’t need to spend your entire budget on organic food (although without a question organic is best).

Learn about the Clean 15 and The Dirty Dozen here 

Make your choices organic on the dirty dozen list as a starter.

Eat the highest quality foods you can afford. This is a common mistake that often leads to people giving up, because they think they can’t afford it.

Enjoy learning how to change to living more holistically. As you begin to make changes you must notice how you feel. Notice the change in your changes.

When making the change to living more holistically allow it to be a joyful process.

Share your thoughts and comments below

Get in touch with us if you have questions or if we can help you. 

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Whatever changes you make, turn them into habits. It's not enough to eat well and exercise for a month or two. Healthy living is a lifelong practice.

Instead, practice cooking great real organic food meals in your kitchen so you are eating well, practice new ways to move your body that your enjoy so you are moving well, practice getting good sleep and taking time for yourself each and every day.

Find the joy in your daily practices. Turn these daily practices into your daily habits.
If you feel like giving up, remember WHY you started in the first place.

Focus on the WHY of your daily practices of eating well, exercise, good sleep, and tell yourself that everything you do brings you one step closer to your WHY.

Don't give up - your practice and hard work will pay off.
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It's just a matter of time and small daily consistent practices that turn into your best daily habits.

How do you consistently practice your daily health and fitness habits? 

Share your thoughts and comments below.

Be sure to get in touch with us if we can help you and to answer any of your questions. 

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This was my plan in 2017. I was going to use walking as a way to relieve and reduce my stress. Now, I wasn’t sure what was going to come of this experiment but it just felt like the thing that was going to allow me to live with less of the stress that I was dealing with at that time.

Emotional stress can put a large toll on your mind and body. People often don’t realize how much stress can affect everything from their mental health to the food they eat, their digestion, and their overall health. It is important to relieve stress when you can, which walking can definitely help with.

Walk More Outdoors

Our first tip for using walking to help relieve your stress is to walk outdoors. This can be going on a hike, walking by the beach or around a local lake, taking your dogs for a walk in your neighborhood, or walking to a nearby festival or farmer’s market. Just try to get outside and do some walking.

What I decided to do was walk out of my house each day and either turn left or turn right. This way I would walk the same distance each day and yet I was walking in opposite direction. This helped with what I was seeing daily. It was different because I was seeing a different perspective. And I was not in a habit of going only in one direction which felt right to me.

If you can’t go outside and use the treadmill, listen to something relaxing or gets your mind distracted. This is another way to relieve stress with your walking, since what you are benefiting from is the distraction. You aren’t just overthinking or letting the stress consume you, but just getting more walking done in general.

Take it Easy

Try to use walking as a form of self-care and a way to relax, not as your main form of fitness. If your walking routine is a rigorous speed-walking workout, it isn’t going to help you relax much. People often become almost obsessed with their fitness routine early on, even if you are just walking. This can lead to restricting calories, walking longer and harder than you intended, and instead of helping with your stress, making it worse.

If this sounds like a habit you are guilty of getting into, the best thing you can do is stop thinking about walking as a form of fitness or a way to lose weight, and instead just as a form of self-care that is meant to help you relieve stress.

What I found when I was walking too fast was to be more conscious of my breathing. I would breath in for the count of 4 steps, hold for 1 step and breath out for the count of 4 steps. This helped me to slow down enough where my walk would be more stress reducing.

Try Breathing Exercises

You can also do breathing exercises and mindfulness as you are walking. Many people find that their walking routine becomes like a short therapy session, where they are able to clear their mind and be present in the moment. It is like a form of meditation, where you really focus more on being mindful during the entire experience.

For breathing exercises, it is really easy to do while you are walking. What you want to do is focus only on your breathing. Inhale and exhale slowly, paying attention to how you feel and what you hear every time you intake a breath. This helps to relax you while you are walking, and can get you into a meditative head-space.

Use Walking as Your Form of Self-Care

As we mentioned before, try to think about walking as a way to practice self-care. This is really important if you have a lot of stress in your life. Remember that walking helps to release endorphins and is amazing for your mental health as much as your physical health.

Without causing extra stress in your life do your best to walk every day for at least a few minutes, whether you prefer walking alone or with friends or family.

The result of my walking plan was I was able to walk over 3 Million Steps in 13 months and it was fantastic. There were only a few days that I did not get outdoors for my walk. I found that being stressed and getting out for a walk helped me relax and think about my life in ways that were healing. The connection I felt between moving my body, my feet hitting the ground, feeling nature on my face and body was remarkably calming for my mind, heart and spirit.

I don't get out every day these days and yet when I do it is that same wonderful, uplifting feeling. Walking is something I would highly suggest doing not only for relieving stress, do it to move your body, connect with nature and the outdoors as well as taking time for yourself.

Have you used walking as a way to relieve stress? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.

Be sure to get in touch with us if we can help you and if you have any questions.

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To live a more intentional life doesn’t require grand gestures, but small habits and slight changes to your routine.

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose.” –Dr. Seuss

Consider these daily intentional habits that allow you to live with more purpose.

Set Up Routines
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Before you can start adding in intentional habits to your life, you need to have daily routines.

This is how habits become habits in the first place. Nobody can try something new, then it is instantly a habit.

Good Habits come from routines, where you set a schedule, write down what you intend to do and then over time, it becomes a habit.

You can start by choosing what new habits you want to incorporate into your life, then plan them into your daily routines.

Meditation and Deep Breathing

You may need to practice being more centred and becoming more mindful, which is what meditation can help you with.

A wonderful intentional habit to start doing right now is to sit for a few minutes alone, with no distractions, and just practice your breathing. You don’t need music or candles, but that can help relax you if you’re feeling a bit stressed.

Sit in a quiet place, close your eyes, and get comfortable. Spend the first minute or so just relaxing your muscles. Then when you feel settled, start breathing in and out, focusing only on your breathing, and nothing else. This alone will get you into a slight meditative state where you can de-stress and better-set intentions.

We like the meditation instruction from Light Walkins. You can decide for yourself if this is something for you. We found it to be the simplest way to practice meditation. Check it out here to learn more as you begin to practice mediation https://youtu.be/llRyh-KV8C4

Simplify Your Life

Stop trying to do it all! Being more intentional with your habits sometimes means minimizing them. Don’t just stick with your old habits because you are so used to them.

If something you have been doing every day out of habit is no longer benefiting you, don’t do it!

Switch up your routine, simplify things, and only include habits that are going to be good for you and your mental health.

Celebrate Your WINS Every Day

We like this idea a lot and it is definitely another way to be more intentional in your life.

Begin celebrating each and every WIN, everything you get done and accomplish, instead of being let down by what you don’t get done.

Get out your journal at least once a day and write down what your WINS were. This might be a new healthy habit you kept up with, something you accomplished at work, a nice deed you did for someone else, really anything you can think of.

As you develop the habit of writing down your WINS daily you will begin to see how you are building a life of daily intentional habits.

Let us know your thoughts about daily intentional habits in the comments.

Be sure to get in touch with us if we can help 

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​During the 8 weeks we have been home due to the global lockdown we have been planning our tiny townhouse herb garden.
 
One of the things we are doing is looking at how we can grow more of our own food. Long term we are looking for land and in the short term we are planning an edible garden with herbs and flowers.
 
Living a holistic life has many facets, including what you eat and where you get your food. You might want to consider growing herbs from home.
 
Not only can you use herbs to cook, but you can also use some of them for healing and natural medicine. You will save money and ensure you have the most organic herbs possible.
 
1. Have a Plan Beforehand
 
The first step to growing your own herbs is the prep stage. You want to take some time figuring out where you will place your garden, what you intend to grow and ways you are going to use them, and how much room you are going to need. This is when the research comes in handy. The worst thing you can do is just go buy some seeds and start planting without having planned exactly what you intend to do beforehand.
 
 2. Decide Between Seeds or Start Plants
 
There are two main ways to grow herbs; you can start them from seeds, or you can purchase plants that have been started for you. Naturally, if you are a beginner at growing, the plants are going to be much easier for you. This is recommended for most people who are starting their very first herb garden, as you ease into caring for herbs, without having to start them from seeds.
 
 3. Become Familiar with Each Herb
 
Before you start planting your herbs, understand what each herb needs you to do as far as care and growing it healthy. Every herb will have different guidelines, such as how much water it needs, when to give it direct sunlight, and whether it needs to be in a container or in the ground.
 
For example:
 
Mint grows very fast and works best in a container with only mint in it. It can take over the garden very quickly and this is why you will want to grow it in a container. Mint grows well in sunlight, but it can also use a bit of shade and still grow well.
 
With rosemary, it grows better in cool climates that have sun, and needs to be brought indoors during the winter.
 
 4. Caring for Your Herbs
 
While many herbs can be grown indoors in planters, they still need to be close to a window. Some plants may need to be moved outdoors for at least a few hours, as most herbs should get 3-4 hours of direct sunlight each day. Again, this will depend on your herbs.
 
Remember that care includes sunlight and temperature control, watering, and using the right soil.
 
5. Harvest When Ready
 
Something to keep in mind when harvesting your herbs is that the more often you do it (when they are ready), the healthier the herb plant will continue to grow.
 
Again, look at each variety’s instructions to understand harvesting guidelines.
 
We have been growing some herbs in our tiny townhouse garden and it is wonderful to have access to chives, basil, oregano and thyme during the growing season.
 
Eating real fresh organic food is a vital pillar to wellness. You’ve heard the saying eat well to be well, right?
 
Are you planning on growing an herb garden? Let us know what you will be planting this year in the comments below.
 
​Be sure to get in touch with us if you have any questions or if we can help you. 

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You’ve made the decision to live in a holistic way, and aren’t quite sure how to start, this mini guide will help.

You are going to learn about the importance of hydration, switching to natural products, and some additional holistic habits to add into your life.

When we began this journey many years ago these were some of the steps we started with because they gave us the WIN in this journey. We took it step by step and we suggest you do the same.

Be sure to connect with us to get your questions answered and to let us know how we can help you.

1. It All Starts with Water

Over half of your body is made up of water, so it makes sense that you need a lot of water continuously throughout the day in order to function smoothly. Water helps you stay hydrated, gives you natural energy, is amazing for your skin, and can keep you from snacking too much. Almost any issue you face externally or internally can at least be somewhat improved by drinking more water.

2. Use Natural Products

To live a holistic life, begin buying natural products with clean ingredient, and reducing chemicals and additives. This includes a wide range of products, including cleaning, skincare, beauty, and so much more. There are over-the-counter natural options for just about everything you use in your life, from kitchen cleaners and air fresheners, to moisturizers and shampoo. Don’t try to do everything at once but start changing one product at a time.

When you run out of something and go to the store to get more, just try to choose a more natural or organic option.

3. Feed Your Body Organic Real Food Ingredients

Begin switching to an organic real food diet made up of whole foods and prepared by you that you cook in your home. This is such an easy way to live a holistic lifestyle, simply by not eating too many processed, prepackaged, Frankenfoods. It will be healthier, save you money, and you will feel so much better. Plus, it feels great when you feed your kids more home-cooked meals.


4. Focus on Holistic Mind and Spirit Connections

It is also helpful to start focusing on your mind and spirit connections. This includes practicing mindfulness and meditation, unplugging from technology, reading more from real books, and writing in a journal. You want to choose activities that improve your emotional and mental health, expand your mind, help you learn, and help you get more in touch with yourself.

Maybe you spend all your time indoors and want some fresh air and vitamin D, so you choose to spend time outdoors as much as you can. Or you are under a lot of stress and start journaling to get to the bottom of it. Use your current struggles to decide what will be the best option for you.

Are you living a holistic lifestyle? What is one thing you can begin to change this week to live a holistic lifestyle?

Be sure to get in touch with us if you have questions and if we can help. 

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Today I wanted to share a list of the oils for cooking for best results.  Let's be clear on something.  Fat does not make one fat!  We need certain fats for good health.  Essential fatty acids are essential because the body does not make them.

The body needs fat for survival as fat performs tasks like the formation of cell membranes and the synthesis of fundamental chemicals.  Fat also helps to transport the fat-soluble vitamins, A, D, E, & K.  Fat helps to make one feel full and satisfies.  It adds flavor to food as well.

Fat is used for fuel.

Body fat (adipose tissue) is the body's main energy reserve and primary source of fuel for extended exercise.
​
OK, so we must take in some fat daily.  Here are the suggestions from Paul Chek -How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy! - on which oils for cooking are best for certain temperatures. FYI- This is a book that is a MUST if you want to create positive change in your health, fitness, and life. Using unrefined organic oils is a must.

Oils For Cooking Temperatures

• No heat (up to 120 degrees F/ 49 degrees C) - Flax Seed Oil, Borage Oil, Hemp Seed Oil, Cod Liver Oil
• Low heat (up to 212 degrees F/100 degrees C) - Use for Baking - Safflower Oil, Sunflower Oil, Pumpkin Oil
• Medium heat ( 325 degrees F/163 degrees C) - Light Sauteing - Sesame Oil, Pistachio Oil, Hazelnut Oil, Olive Oil
• High heat (375 degrees F/190 degrees C) - Frying or Browning - Coconut Oil, Ghee (clarified butter), Palm Oil, Lard

Additional points to:

• When baking bread, muffins at temperatures around 325 degrees F/163 degrees C, the moisture keeps the inside temperature under 212 degrees F/100 degrees C
• When frying always put oil in a cold pan and turn heat up gradually

So there you have the list of what are the healthiest cooking oil.  The oils and best temperatures for the best results with the fats.  Enjoy cooking and using the best oils for cooking for your health and well-being.

Are you using these suggested oils for cooking?  Let me know in the comment box.

Get in touch with us if we can help you and if you have any questions. 

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​

“The world as we created it is a process of our thinking. It cannot be changed without changing our thinking.” – Albert Einstein

You’ve probably heard that affirmations can help you be more motivated and successful in meeting your goals.

But did you know that there are some ways you can supercharge your affirmations to make them even more powerful, even transformative?

Say you want to get healthy and fit. If your affirmation is “I will get healthy and fit and eat real organic foods as well as go to the gym every day,” how does that make you feel? There’s a heaviness in the energy of that statement that’s not very motivating. Right?

It focuses on the negative aspects of your goal (the need to get healthy and fit and the obligation to eat real organic food and go to the gym) and pushes the goal out into an indefinite future.

You can use these five steps to turn your affirmations around and make them high energy and motivating.

1. Make your affirmations active

I have heard it said that these are two of the most powerful words of the English language. What you put after these two words shape your reality.

I was introduced to the concept of “I Am” by Wayne Dyer.

He said “The words “I AM”, which you consistently use to define who you are and what you are capable of, are the holy expressions for the name of God – the highest aspect of yourself. Break lifelong habits of unwittingly besmirching this holy name. So now your affirmation starts “I am [positive verb] …”

I am becoming healthy and fit by eating real organic food and going to the gym.

2. Include Positive Emotions

We call these positive emotions “Your Daily WINS”. Think of how you want to feel when you reach your daily WINS. Are you happy? Proud of yourself? Relaxed? Grateful? Make sure your positive emotions make you feel good when you say it out loud.

3. Keep it Short

Make your affirmations brief and memorable. Concise, focused statements are easier to remember.

4. Stay in the Present

Your affirmation should always be in the present tense. Make sure you use “I am” rather than “I will” statements.

5. Keep it Positive

Focus on what you want, not what you don’t want. Think of the positive result you want to achieve.

6. Switch up Your Affirmations

Have a look at your current affirmations and see if they are working as well as they could be. In the example above, you could refurbish it into something genuinely motivational.

Instead of “I will get healthy and fit and go to the gym every day,” let’s make it something that will make you feel good.

“I am feeling stronger and healthier by choosing a healthier lifestyle.”

“I am joyfully and easily helping my body to get stronger and healthier every day.”

Play around with the words until they feel right for you. Just keep your affirmation in the present, focused on what you want and what feels good.

Repeat your affirmations at least three times a day and look forward to manifesting the life you want.

Share how you use positive affirmations to help you achieve your health and fitness goals in the comments below. ​

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As we continue to live through this global crisis I have been taking time to consider what habits I can be working on for my mind, body and soul. Today I will share a couple of ideas with you.
 
To nurture and nourish your entire self, you want to focus on your daily habits, routines, and behaviors that make up the majority of your life. These are all choices and can be changed when you find the right purpose. Meaning finding the reason WHY it would be important for you to take the time to create better habits on purpose. I have written about finding your WHY in previous posts. (https://wendybottrell.weebly.com/blog/ways-to-inspire-yourself-to-keep-your-fitness-going)
 
Here are some healthy habits for your body, mind, and soul.
 
 Nurture Your Body
 
To start with, you want to nurture your body. This is when your habits help your physical health, such as eating a more balanced life-affirming real organic food diet, exercising every day, and getting better sleep.
 
Think about what habits will help your physical health. It is going to be different for everyone, but maybe you find that doing exercise like yoga in the morning helps you to feel energized for the rest of the day or getting outside for a morning walk to get some fresh air and sunshine. You might start your day with warm lemon water or promise that you will have fruits and veggies with every meal of the day.
 
 Nurture Your Mind
 
To nurture your mind, you want to learn more, add in creative activities, read, and focus on avoiding negativity. Think of habits that will improve your mind, both your intellectual mind and your creative mind.
 
Some of these habits might include:
 
Reading more.
Learning something new every day.
Taking classes, language, business skills, fitness, music or art classes.
Dedicate time every day to expressing gratitude.
 
You can start slow, and just think of what is bothering you the most right now. Do you feel like you aren’t using your skills? Are you struggling with lack of time for reading? This is usually a good place to start.
 
 Nurture Your Soul
 
Finally, choose habits that help to nurture your soul. This can be meditation, spiritual growth, digital breaks, or writing in a journal. Me personally I find my soul sings when out in nature. Walking/hiking the trails or simply out walking in my neighbourhood is so enjoyable on a beautiful day. Think about habits that are good for your mental health.
 
You might start working more on your spiritual growth with books and community events, or maybe you find that you need the mental break from social media and do digital detoxes on a regular basis.
 
Also keep in mind many habits fit multiple categories. Yoga is good for your physical health, soul, and mind. Reading can also fit into multiple categories. Pick and choose a wide range of healthy habits that will nurture your entire self.
 
Share what habits you have found nurture your mind, body and soul in the comments below.