Simply put, physical exercise is beneficial to just about every aspect of the body. Everything from improved heart health, weight management, increased vitality and, of course, looking better in the mirror are all side effects of a consistent exercise routine.

However, the benefits available through exercise go much further than skin deep. Challenging your body physically also has the ability to greatly improve your cognitive function and brain health.

If you tend to struggle with focus and concentration, you are certainly not alone.

Today’s society is more distracted than ever before. Every waking hour of the day (and even while you sleep), there are phone notifications, noisy neighbours and a long list of other distractions all competing for your attention.

While you may never have considered exercise as a viable method of improving your ability to focus, this article will support this notion with several research studies that should change your mind.

In a study performed on a group of Dutch students, researchers used objective measures to gauge the attention span of students after dividing them into three groups. One group of students performed two twenty-minute bouts of moderate exercise intermittently during their morning lessons, another group was allowed one twenty-minute exercise session, while the third group remained seated throughout the same time period.

As you can probably guess, the groups that were allowed to exercise scored significantly higher on attention span assessments, with the first group scoring even higher than the students exercising for only one session.

Another study supporting the use of exercise to improve focus and concentration was conducted in 2007 using students in Massachusetts. For the sake of brevity, this study concluded that students receiving at least 56 hours of physical exercise each school year scored higher than their peers who only performed 28 hours of exercise.

This is an interesting proponent of the idea that physical exercise should remain an integral part of the education system. Usually, supporters of this idea state the rising levels of obesity and diabetes in school-aged individuals are the primary reason for including physical activity throughout the school year. While this is certainly an issue, the cognitive benefits available to students who exercise more is a strong argument as well.

The website, Positive Psychology, describes how physical activity triggers a biological response in the brain that improves focus and concentration. During exercise, the brain releases a chemical known as BDNF, which is known to be responsible for nourishing brain cells and allowing new neural pathways to form inside the brain.
Furthermore, regular exercise increases a neurotransmitter known as norepinephrine. This results in a heightened sense of alertness, energy, and concentration.

In conclusion, the human body is designed to remain in motion. The term, “use it or lose it,” is an extremely applicable way to describe how without exercise, many important aspects of our anatomy suffer.

While the purpose of this article is to illustrate the fact that you can certainly improve your focus and concentration by dedicating some time in your schedule to get moving, the benefits of physical activity are critical to your quality of life as a whole.
If you are looking for a great way to overcome the never-ending flurry of distractions present in your life that can also nourish your body as a whole, get into the habit of giving your body the physical activity that it requires.

Works Cited
10 Neurological Benefits of Exercise. (2020, April 16). Retrieved from https://positivepsychology.com/exercise-neurological-benefits/

Can You Improve Concentration Through Exercise? - EuroPace. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.europace.org/can-you-improve-concentration-through-exercise/

How physical exercise makes your brain work better. (2016, June 18). Retrieved from https://www.theguardian.com/education/2016/jun/18/how-physical-exercise-makes-your-brain-work-better

Share your thoughts in the comments below.

To help you improve your focus and concentration we invite you to join The Step Away From 2020 Challenge Start Date (Entry window): September 1 - 7, 2020.
This challenge is a great way to get things moving back in the right direction and finish the year on a high note by cranking up your step count now through the final months of the year. It's also a great way to stay socially connected. Join now with my affiliate link - https://wendybottrell.weebly.com/burn-the-fat-inner-circle.html once you are at my website click the link and go to the Challenges page

Let me know if I can help you

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Many people might think that laughter and play are reserved for children and rarely engage in these activities when in fact, laughter and play are very important to your health and wellness.  

Laughter and play should be something people do—young or old—in order to have better health and a better quality of life.

This is especially important in the high-stress and hectic world we live in, where we really need to let go of work, personal burdens, the chores, the responsibilities, and even all the technology that has taken over our minds and our attention to simply laugh and play. 

It’s essential for wellness.

Ways To Laugh

Laughter is good medicine. That much is clear, but what are some good ways to find laughter in your life? Here are some tips to help you laugh more:  

1. Read the comic section of the newspaper. It sounds corny but it can put a smile on your lips and can cause you to laugh aloud.
2. Watch Comedy Central. This is a TV channel that is a great source of laughing material, from funny sitcoms to comedy skits.
3. Turn on a funny TV program. Whether it’s a funny sitcom or a funny movie, you can actually get a few laughs from a funny show on the television.
4. Get a joke calendar. These come in desk versions so there is a joke for every day of the year.
5. Make silly faces in front of the mirror. Set aside your embarrassment and really laugh at yourself in the mirror as you make funny faces in order to tickle your funny bone.  
6. Go to a comedy club. Whether it is an amateur or a professional comedian, they can create situations where it is impossible not to laugh aloud.
7. Check the web. There are funny websites and funny photos online that will help you laugh every day.  
8. Have friends who are funny. Surrounding yourself with funny people will increase the overall “funniness” of the environment and you’ll laugh more.
9. Spend time with friends. Good times in a social circle inevitably result in laughter.
10. Fake laugh. It sounds silly but, even if you are faking laughter, it has a positive effect on your body and mind. Eventually, it will be infectious, and you’ll find you are really laughing aloud.
11. Read a funny book. There are plenty of funny books out there. Stay up in bed and get your laugh on by reading a book you find to be funny.
12. Find some funny quotes. There are sites that share funny quotes from movies and television as well as quote books and calendars that can be humorous. 

Ways To Play

Here are some things you might want to do in order to have more opportunities for play:

1. Think back to what you enjoyed playing as a kid and do that again
2. Join a health club and take a Zumba class or other fun class that allows you to feel playful
3. Play with your kids as they have a perspective on play that adults have long forgotten
4. Go to a magic store and learn some tricks to share with loved ones
5. Tell a joke to a stranger who may become a friend if you play your cards right
6. Surround yourself with others who are playful as this will support your intentions to play
7. Play with your pet, especially a kitten or puppy
8. Roughhouse or play wrestle with your partner
9. Go to a park or beach so you can fly kits or throw a ball around
10. Get out the Legos and build something
11. Arrange time at night to play with your fellow coworkers
12. Go to live shows
13. Have a game night in which you are the host for loved ones or friends to participate in fun activities
14. Take up a sport, particularly a team sport that allows you to play with others

Laughter and play are both extremely important for your health and mental wellbeing, and in general, can improve your overall wellness and quality of life.

Allow yourself to laugh and play often.

 It will serve you well throughout your lifetime and especially into old age.    

Life doesn’t have to be all serious and a bit of fun will do you a world of good. 

Share how you laugh and play for your best wellness life.

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Creating new healthy habits and practices can seem overwhelming and it doesn't have to be that way. 

Don't be overwhelmed, simply take a couple of ideas from our simple health tips list and begin immediately to make them good healthy habits and daily practices for your best life.  Once they have become your new practice and a new healthy habit then pick a couple of more tips, rinse and repeat!

Here are my simple health tips:(in no special order)

These simple health tips are ideas we have implemented in our lives over the past 15 years. They are doable, effective and if you take a couple on as your own you will begin to see the benefits for your best life.

1. Avoid anti-bacterial soap. Residue on dishes and hands gets in the stomach and kills your “good bacteria.
2. Most organic eggs come from cooped up chickens fed organic produce. For true free-range eggs, find a local farmer by asking others or do a web search. 
3. We learned how beneficial eating organic real food is during our Holistic Lifestyle Training. One thing many people think is that they can’t afford organic food. Our suggestion is to consider buying organic foods that are in season. It’s both more inexpensive and healthier.
4. Have a favourite seasonal food? Buy it when it’s in the season, then freeze it. It’s healthier than buying it out of season.
5. Buy green cleaning products to avoid chemicals like ammonia or chlorine in your house.
6. Sign up for your local fruit or veggie boxes. Farmers will deliver fresh organic produce straight to your door.
7. See if there are food co-ops near you. These co-ops grow organic food and sell it to their local markets or home delivery.
8. Store your olive oil in a dry place, outside of sunlight. Oxidized olive oil is very dangerous.
9. Nuts can be healthy snacks, but they’re also very high in fat and calories. Enjoy them but eat in moderation.
10. Add a few Brazil nuts to your diet. It’s one of the few foods high in selenium, which is good for your hormones and your thyroid.
11. Buy good salt. Good salt can add dozens of minerals to your diet. One jar of Himalayan sea salt can last a year.
12. Avoid Teflon. Use cast iron or stainless steel. Teflon is toxic, you is not a good choice for cooking
13. Put paper towels on the edges of your fridge’s veggie drawer. It’ll draw the moisture and preserve your greens.
14. Stay to the end of Farmer’s Markets. They’ll often give out last minute deals to clear out inventory.
15. Exercise daily - Helps improve mood, thinking, focus, and so much more. Our best home workout program can be found here 

So there you have it! 

Better health tips that are really simple and easy to implement into your life.  

I only know this because I have done each and every one of these ideas in my own life over the past 15 years!  

They have changed how I feel, and you can do the same.

Share your comments in the area below.  And if you found this post useful please share it on your favourite social media sites.

What does it mean to thrive? 

According to standard definition, it means to grow, to flourish, to prosper.

This is a beautiful term, something that resonates deeply with anyone who wants to encourage and inspire wellness. In terms of wellness then, to thrive means that we are constantly encouraging wellness within ourselves, within our bodies and of course, within our minds. 

This leads us to an awareness of an –all-pervading sense of wellness within our spirits. To thrive is something beautiful and it is something that each of us can learn how to do.

How Do We Thrive?

We thrive, quite simply by allowing ourselves to and by encouraging ourselves to do so. For some, this is easier said than done. There are many people who have tried to thrive, but who have faced too much difficulty, they eventually give up because they think their life is just not cut out for it. 

No matter how hard they try, something always gets in the way or pushes them back in the wrong direction. There are some things that we must understand about thriving, about constantly evolving, growing, and moving forward.

Knowing How To Thrive

To know how to thrive we must fully understand the process. Thriving, though the definition is of growing, prospering, and flourishing, is not always a case of thriving. 

Sounds contradictory doesn’t it? Let me explain. 

The tree that thrives in nature faces many obstacles. It faces potential destruction in its early stages by animals walking by that could possibly crush it underfoot. 

It has to compete with all the other trees and plants in the forest to get the sunlight it needs and even when it has fully matured still it must face gales and storms and through all of this, it must continue to strive towards thriving.

It can be seen then that thriving is not actually something that is achieved; rather it is something that one must aspire towards and to do that we must accept that we will face challenges. 

Indeed in order to thrive it is essential that we face challenges and it is also essential that we overcome those challenges or at least have a mindset that will strive to overcome them.

5 Natural Ways To Thrive Ideas

Inspire Yourself – Without inspiration, it is impossible to thrive. Inspiration is created through passion, whether that is related to doing something for yourself or for others, maybe your passion relates to providing a future for your children. It doesn’t matter what inspires you, use your inspiration to thrive. Use it to grow, and to push you to the next level.

Accept all challenges – When you are challenged, you are forced to thrive. This doesn’t mean that when somebody challenges you to a game of pool for example, and you win the match easily, that you are thriving. 

No, a true challenge is something you find difficult, something that you cannot easily achieve, something that requires that you grow, or learn a new skill, or visit a new environment or face a fear, to achieve. This is true thriving, pushing your boundaries, expanding your limits, forcing yourself to thrive.

Face your fears – Fears, in every case are designed to limit us. By facing our fears, we are pushing ourselves into an area of life that we have been too afraid to visit. To truly thrive we must want to be able to do anything and we must be able to do everything without limitation. In order to do this we must allow the formation of mental barriers to what life presents us with. 

Everything that comes our way can be used as an opportunity to thrive and by facing our fears, we will make the most of every opportunity that does.

Balance – Balance your life from the perspective of ‘Body & Mind’. In order to truly thrive we must develop a way of life that promotes balance. If we cannot promote physical wellness then our mental wellness will struggle and the same goes in reverse. By developing balance physically and mentally, we allow our spirits to thrive.

Develop harmony – Harmony is something that is very important when it comes to thriving. Without harmony, we face too much opposition in the world, and this opposition leads to restriction of our ability to express ourselves. 

If we cannot express ourselves freely, we cannot thrive. Learn to accept what happens around you and even within you, be selfless if it encourages harmony and not only will you thrive, but you will see that everyone else that you interact with will also, in their own way, will thrive.

Share your thoughts on how to thrive in the comments. 

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A few years ago we spent a month travelling and I would like to share the lessons learned travelling!  You see we travelled through the country of Spain, had a wonderful time and here are a few lessons learned travelling and it was surprising to me!

My blogs, writing and coaching is in the area of helping people with better health! Better health through holistic lifestyle coaching, fitness, nutrition, stress reduction, good sleep, play to name a few of the things my business focuses on.

I haven't travelled a lot in Europe and most of my travel experience has been in the United States where we hear all the time that Americans have really poor health.  Now I for the most part don't disagree however what I learned travelling is I think good health or more to the point poor health is a global phenomenon!

So here's the lessons learned travelling!

• Eat Fruits and Veggies - There is a reason that we are meant to eat vegetables!  Vegetables are good for your health. We ate 3 meals a day in restaurants and very little fruits or veggies were served. At each meal we had to order an extra salad or side veg to get more veggies at our meals. This was quite shocking to us because we eat a lot of veggies at each meal. So, it was not satisfying for us to eat so little veg. Vegetables are really important and provide nutrients vital for health and maintenance of your body.

• Donuts, cheesecake, bagels and toast are not breakfast! Although I don't eat any wheat, grains or gluten and have not for over 8 years now it was really surprising to me how much of this wheat, grains, and sugar products were eaten at each breakfast!  We saw people pile up their plate each morning with cereal with skim milk, then toast with jam and coffee! Time to reconsider this! Here is what Dr. O'Bryan says - "43% of people with gluten sensitivity will manifest some type of thyroid dysfunction" Dr. Tom O'Bryan The Thyroid Sessions  

The most shocking lesson learned travelling was this

• Now not sure if this point relates to health, (I think it does) We don't need as much crap in our life as many of us have!  What I mean is for 29 days I lived out of a suitcase!  And I didn't use all that I brought!  This was a very liberating point for me to realize!  I am now on a mission to get rid of stuff I don't need and lighten my load in life.  Will you join me?

• Finally, I learned that getting out and walking really is a great way for most to get exercise!  Over the 29 days, we walked so much I wore out a pair of sneakers and had to get another pair.  The benefits of walking are many. By simply putting on a comfy pair of shoes and getting outside is the best way to start.

So there you have it a few lessons learned while travelling!

Health is important to me because I have lived with less than great health and as well as good health.  I can guarantee feeling good and feeling healthy is a better solution!

How do you see your health and are there any lessons learned travelling?

Share your comments below.
  
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Below we have included a list of the main things you will want to incorporate into your life on a daily basis.

✓ Exercise for at least 20 minutes per day – Include the practice of moving well, strength training, stretching
✓ Eating a well-balanced real food organic diet – cook life-affirming real organic food in your own kitchen and eat your meals at the table connecting with family and friends
✓ Express your feelings by writing them down daily - Journaling on how you feel will take you a long way to achieving your health and fitness goals.
✓ Get into the habit of making time for “ME”- Take a few moments each day to sit quietly with yourself to destress and enjoy the silence
✓ Start surrounding yourself with positive and joyful thoughts - By practising gratitude every day
✓ Begin to see your improvements daily – validate your improvements in all areas of your life each and every day no matter what
✓ Sleep – the forgotten pillar of health – practice getting to bed at the same time each night

Share your thoughts and ideas in the comments

Be sure to get in touch with us if we can help you
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The other day I was listening to a podcast with Sadhguru about the idea to stay active to stay healthy. Interesting person if you want to check him.

“Health is Life’s Way” – Sadhguru

This is one of the first things he talked about. We are supposed to live healthily and somewhere along the path, we forgot about this. Or maybe we have listened to the wrong experts.

In our Holistic Lifestyle training, we learn about the 6 Pillars of Health – Thinking Well, Moving Well, Eating Well, Sleeping Well, Good Hydration, Playing Well.

“Only by using the body, you can keep it well.” - Sadhguru and “The more you use it the better it gets.” – Sadhguru

Humans were at least 20 times more physically active 200 years ago than humans today. Most people today are underactive and struggle with multiple health issues.

For those humans from 200 years ago that was 20 times more active we might suggest at times they take a rest for their good health.

Today the suggestion is we must use our body to keep them well. Moving more and moving more consistently is a vital practice today for good health.

For your best physical health, you must, therefore, use your body more each and every day. This is simple.

Sadhguru went on to say – “One of the simplest things about health is just to use the body.” And – “If you sufficiently use the body, the body has everything to create health for itself.”

Imagine if we just used our bodies the way they are meant to be used about 80% of ailments on this planet would just disappear according to Sadhguru. 80%

Now, the other 20% can be broken down to 10% of the food choices we make every day. The final 10% of ailments would remain.

“Out of all the sick people if 90% of them became healthy just by using their body and eating life-affirming high-quality organic foods the 10% could be easily handled”. Sadhguru

Think about it this way. If you were to just use your body and move more every day for 30 days you would see how well it works. We have used the 30-day experiment idea many times when looking to improve an aspect of our health and vitality. It is a simple idea. Think about it this way, Anyone can do anything for 30 days. Anyone!

The idea is to practice moving well, thinking well, eating well, sleeping well, hydrating well and playing well and your health will come out of that practice.

The challenge for most people is they quit way too soon.

“Health is not an idea, it’s not a medical idea” and the thing to realize “we are living in societies where we have built unhealthy lifestyles causing so many medical interventions.”

Because of our sedentary lifestyles, poor diets and lack of good sleep people are becoming more and more unhealthy

Some final words from Sadhguru,

• “Health is not something that you invent”
• “Health is not your idea”
• “Health is life happening well”
• “Health is life’s way”
• “If you allow life to function fully it is healthy”

So, I really found this information to be powerful, simple and I have included some simple ideas to practice daily for your healthy lifestyle.

• Begin the practice of moving your body every day – begin by simply getting outside for a walk – Do this for 30 days and see how this practice makes you feel. And remember we can do anything for 30 days. Use this first 30 days to practice the habit of moving well. Once you have achieved that do another 30 days and repeat. You will be surprised what will happen for you with this healthy movement practice

• Begin the practice of eating well. Eat real life-affirming organic food that you prepare in your own kitchen. Find the joy in making meals at home knowing exactly what you are eating to nourish your mind and body for your best healthy lifestyle

• Begin the practice of thinking well. Begin noticing what kind of thoughts you are having with yourself. A simple idea I learned a few years ago is to start by telling yourself – “I Am Enough” – This is a powerful thought that can be lifechanging according to Marisa Peer. Allow yourself to think that you are enough to feel healthy. Think that you are enough to eat the best food possible for you and know that organic is always best. Think you are enough to allow yourself to think good thoughts each and every day for your best life

• Begin the practice of hydrating well. Drink clean filtered water each and every day. Eliminate all the junk sugary drinks including pop, juice, energy drinks etc.

• Begin the practice of getting good sleep. Sleep is the forgotten or ignored pillar of health. Many people use their sleep deprivation as a badge of honour. Get to bed earlier,10:30 PM is a good time to be in bed, sleep in a dark, cool room.

• And finally begin to practice playing well. As adults, we forget that it is OK for us to enjoy time doing the things that bring us joy. If you haven’t played well in a while this is an opportunity to try new things that you have wanted to do for a while.

Now you don’t have to do all of these things at once. Start with moving well and because most of us eat 2-3 times per day practice eating well with at least one real food meal a day for this first 30 days.

Practice this for 30 days and once you have the practice and habit of moving well and eating at least one real food meal a day add a new practice. And repeat.

Share your thoughts in the comments

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Have you heard the saying, what motivates, motivates?

I learned this idea many years ago and at that time it seemed like a huge revelation to me. Today this thought came to me again and it made me wonder what does it really mean?

How Do You Motivate Yourself?

Is motivation something that comes from outside of ourselves, like a coach or a mentor?

Or does motivation come from the inside?

Do you or can you rewire your brain to keep you motivated?

Is it your WHY that keeps you on track to reach a goal, accomplish a task that motivates you?

I have written many times about finding your WHY and then taking action to accomplish your goal. In business, we hear this all the time. Find your WHY and you will never be stuck again! The same goes for our health and fitness. The WHY is 95% and how is 5%.

Yet so many feel it is the other way around. Meaning so many are looking for the how-to accomplish their goals and this is not the way it works.

So, is it true what motivates, motivates? We say yes.

How can you unlock your motivation now?

Many times, when we are setting goals to get healthy and fit it seems that the focus is on the wrong things - you know following highly restrictive diets that make us miserable and then we wonder why we have lost our motivation!

Or we choose an exercise program that isn’t suited for us, so we quit and don’t show up. Our motivation is at it’s lowest and mostly we feel like a failure asking ourselves why we can stay on the diet or exercise.

I don't think you can be motivated and miserable at the same time and expect to succeed, do you?

Find the joy with your WHY for your desire to change.

Now, this is something that you do need to be careful with because sometimes the WHY is clear, the action steps are exactly right and you are close to succeeding yet not feeling motivated at the moment, so tread carefully on this one!
Change takes time and keeping your WHY front and centre in my experience will keep you on track.

My WHY became extremely clear when I watched my mother have an accident where she broke her hip and needed a full hip replacement. It was a horrible thing for my mother to go through and the recovery time was long and challenging. It was at this time I knew if I didn’t make changes in my life, I was going to be my mother twenty years in the future. This WHY has kept me motivated and on track ever since.

You see I was 100 lbs overweight, had been diagnosed with 3 autoimmune issues and life was a daily struggle. When I realized that if I didn’t change how I lived my life, my future was not going to be good. It was at that moment that I decided my future was mine and I was the only one that could make the changes. My WHY became clear at that moment, to regain my health, reduce my weight by 100 lbs, get fit and know that my future was going to be one of health and vitality.

The very next day I borrowed a Tai Bow exercise video and began working out in my living room. It was hard and I could not even do a full twenty-minute workout. Yet every day I did the program and added a few more seconds to my workout. Within a few short weeks, I was doing the whole twenty minutes.

It has now been over twenty years of daily exercise, learning how to eat a real food diet, because way back then the way I ate was terrible, lots of processed food, junk food, coke, coffee and just plain crap. My body, my health and my life were a true expression of how I was living. Unmotivated and struggling. Today I am a different person and my WHY has been the motivating factor all these years.

Finding your WHY will help you stay motivated too.

The other situation that may challenge your motivation is the contrast in your life.

Contrast is who you relate to or who you may look at as a role model or support. So, for example, if you decide you will walk as a part of your exercise practice and yet you have a friend that is a marathon walker you contrast may be skewed! This may cause you to feel unfit, unmotivated and all you want to do is quit! So be careful who you contrast with!

I do believe in the saying what motivates, motivate and have learned a long time ago to figure out what causes me to take action, to stay the course when there is no help, no support and I feel all alone in my goals. When I have a clear focus on my WHY and my core reasons for the goal, nothing will stop me.

So, what motivates you? What is the WHY that will motivate the action steps for you to achieve your health and fitness goals?

Share your thoughts on what motivates, motivates in the comments.

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

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10 Health Tips Learned At The Thyroid Sessions (I wrote this article a few years ago and the tips are super important now more than ever)

A couple of years ago I joined the conversation at The Thyroid Sessions to learn more about this health issue.

Taking our health into our own hands is an empowering way to live.

One of the first things I learned at the Thyroid Sessions is that it is really important to learn about your health, learn how to eat/cook, exercise, get proper sleep and learn how to speak with your doctor about your health concerns.

This is one of our top 10 wellness tips for you to learn!

You see it came up a number of times that Doctors today are not aware of many of the issues with Thyroid! Especially when it comes to Autoimmune Issues with Thyroid.

Chris Kresser said this - " for every 1 person diagnosed with Hypothyroidism, 2-3 go undiagnosed!"

When you take the time to learn and then have those discussions with your doctor can make a world of difference to how you feel as well as live your best life!

Here are 10 health tips learned at The Thyroid Sessions. An informative event and the tips are useful for your better health even if the thyroid is not an issue.

Today I want to share the 10 health tips learned at the thyroid sessions:

1. Eliminate Gluten - this is the one thing that I heard at each session. Nora Gedgaudas says, "You must assume that GLUTEN is a problem for you if you have Hashimoto's!” Dr. Tom O’Bryan says “No human can digest gluten”

2. Eliminate Fluoride - Here is a short explanation from Dr. Mercola - "Altered thyroid function is associated with fluoride intakes as low as 0.05-0.1 mg fluoride per kilogram body weight per day (mg/kg/day), or 0.03 mg/kg/day with iodine deficiency. Increased prevalence of goiter (>20 percent) is associated with fluoride intakes of 0.07-0.13 mg/kg/day, or 0.01 mg/kg/day with iodine deficiency. This means eliminating fluoride in the water you drink, your toothpaste (check out our link to the fluoride-free toothpaste we have been using since 2008 https://miessence.one.organic/…/produ…/13101/mint-toothpaste) and finally a big one are medications!

3. Eliminate Chlorine - again this is a hormone disruptor and must be eliminated for Thyroid Health - chlorine and fluoride both compete/block for iodine in the thyroid. Get a shower filter that removes chlorine.

4. Exercise – there are as many ways to exercise and the only thing stopping you is your creativity. So many people use the “I don’t have time to exercise” excuse and we want to let you know that exercise can be done in short bursts - time saving and effective – We recommend Burn The Fat Inner Circle because it is a complete, diet, exercise and mindset membership site to help you achieve your health and fitness goals. We like it so much we have our own membership. Will you join us? Check it out here https://bit.ly/2YAGqjl 

5. Reduce Stress - this came up a lot! I heard many, many years ago that 9 out of 10 people went to their primary doctor for stress-related issues! Time to take the lead with stress! Meditate, pray, play maybe a couple of ideas worth practicing for yourself.

6. Eat Real Life-Affirming Food - this is so important to healing not only your thyroid but your whole self. Eating real food, organic, life-affirming and locally grown if possible cooked with care in your own kitchen is one of the most important, vital things you can do. It's about making time for what is important. You are important! Learn a few good recipes, get really good at those, enjoy and then branch out your skills! Paleo cooking came up a couple of times and this Cookbook may help. What I have found about real food is that it is awesome! And so worth learning how to enjoy the experience.
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7. Eliminate Soy- most soy is GMO and must not be eaten. Period. Especially men and boys!

8. Fats - I must say good fats are good, really essential for you! Grass-fed butter, pastured lard, duck fat, olive oil and organic coconut oil for some examples. Important for your brain and fat-soluble vitamins to be used in the body

9. Don't be afraid of Salt or I must say Sea Salt! Dr. Brownstein says this: " The majority of my patients are salt deficient"

10. Paleo as an eating strategy - eating like your ancestors did millions of years ago. No packaged, processed "Frankenfoods" only real food, grass-fed.

Share your thoughts on how you will implement and practice these health tips for your best life in the comments below.

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Stepping out of the comfort zone can be scary and yet once you take action it can be the most rewarding thing you will ever do.  I have heard it said many time that the word FEAR simply means False Evidence Appearing Real.  Life is meant to challenge us and help us grow. 

Today we would like to share tips to help you to begin stepping out of the comfort zone. 

 Stop Aiming for Perfection

Start practicing this mantra: Ready, Fire, Aim!

If you are waiting for the perfect time to get in shape, begin a real food life-affirming eating practice or achieve some other major goal in life, forget waiting, and take action today.

Take time to review your progress and tweak for better results as you step further and further out of your comfortable surroundings on your way to exciting new triumphs.

Celebrate Small Wins

Those exciting new victories we just referred to should be celebrated at every level. If the goal is to lose 25 pounds, start a walking practice or learn to cook life-affirming foods in your own kitchen and you step outside of your comfort zone by changing your life to include healthy real foods and regular exercise, celebrate when you reduce those first 3 pounds, the first walk and that first home-cooked meal.

There is an old country saying in the United States which reminds us that, "You catch more flies with sugar than with vinegar."

Rather than beating yourself up when you think you have failed, celebrate those small victories, and that positive reinforcement will build upon itself to deliver larger triumphs in the future.

Share the small wins celebrations in the comments below.

Live in the "Now" Moments Life Offers

Planning is great and is certainly required for any true success.
But over-planning can sometimes keep you from living in the present moment.
Embrace what is going on around you, keeping your eyes open for beauty, inspiration and challenges.

By living in the "Now" you spontaneously get your conscious brain working to adapting and enjoying events and circumstances that are presently unfolding and are sometimes out of your control.

Appreciate the present, because the past is gone, and your future is not guaranteed.

Share your thoughts on how you live in the "Now" moments life offers

Be sure to get in touch with us and let us know how we can help you. 

Subscribe to our newsletter here