Killing sugar addiction

I learned something interesting about sugar addiction that changed my life.  After years of quitting sugar just to be drawn back in with fierce cravings I learned about the "bad" bacteria that feed on it that live in your digestive system and how they not only cause vicious cravings but are also releasing toxins that are no good.


I attended a nutrition class recently where they were talking about fermented foods - something that just one generation ago was a dietary staple but with the industrialization of food has fallen to the wayside.  What's important about them is that they are full of pro-biotics which are important for our health (beyond "regularity") including things like moods, energy and cravings.

You probably hear a lot of talk about pro-biotics lately, Jaime Lee Curtis commercials come to mind.  Personally, I hesitate to take them in supplement form because not only do many brands have undisclosed gluten in them, but most studies show that the chance of those organisms surviving through your digestion to get where they need to be for health benefits is slim to none.

On the other hand, fermented foods are also full of pro-biotics and the likelihood of their survival to the final destination in your digestive tract is high.  Why?  Because you are getting them with the food that they live on, so they have a snack on their way to where they need to be.  Like packing a cooler for your road trip!

How does this apply to sugar addiction?  When you have a system full of bad bacteria, a lot of them thrive on sugar (and release toxins, which don't make you feel good).  So, they are constantly sending out signals in your bloodstream, to your brain, for more sugar.  Your brain doesn't differentiate, all you know is that part of your body is desperate for sugar.  So, you crave it and willpower only gets you so far in avoiding it until that craving is so strong, you give in.  Sound familiar? No?  Just me then...

They have found that if you get more of the beneficial bacteria into your system (and feed them what they love, like veggies), they will thrive and crowd out the bad bacteria and you'll feel better.  Not only do you get the health benefits of the good guys but the fewer bad guys, the fewer sugar craving signals and that puts you back in control.

So, what finally helped me get over the sugar addiction was delicious fermented foods - sauerkraut and kimchi, specifically.  I started adding them to at least 1 meal daily and not only did my health start to improve, but the sugar cravings waned.  I still have to deal with that lovely sugar "high" addiction, related to the kick your brain gets when it's hit with sugar, but willpower can get you so far :)

On a side note, other fermented foods like yogurt are recommended but keep in mind how much sugar are in a lot of those brands, which might derail your progress.

If you need a little help kicking a sugar habit as well, try making your own kraut at home to start.  It's super easy and cheap.  All you need is 5 lbs of cabbage and 3 Tablespoons of sea salt (not iodized).  Chop up the cabbage, mix in the salt until it releases some water and then pack it down tightly in a crock or jars so that the veggies are submerged below the brine (salt water released by the cabbage).  You might need to put something on it to squash down the cabbage so the brine stays above it (like a plate or bowl).  Put it in a cool place like your pantry. Wait 4-6 weeks, until it smells and tastes good and enjoy!  You can experiment with other veggies and quantities, just keep the 5:3 ratio.

If you're looking for fermented veggies at the store, they can be hard to find - don't look in the canned food aisle - those have been heated high enough to kill the bacteria before canning.  Try the refrigerated section in a natural grocery or your local farmer's market.  Look for "raw" and "pro-biotic" brands.

Let me know how it goes!

Being a cognitive miser

This week we were talking about how some of the most successful people live a surprisingly simple life and the various tactics we can adopt from them to also become more successful in our endeavors.

There is actually a lot of science behind why simplifying your life can actually bring you a lot more prosperity, satisfaction and happiness.  One theory is the "cognitive miser".  It has shown that we actually have a limited amount of decision making ability each day, called "decision fatigue". This is the reason that a lot of us can't decide what to have for dinner or lose our resolve to do certain things by the end of the day.  We have literally used up our ability to make decisions through out the day starting with what to wear before we leave for work and all the decisions that follow.

So, if we can minimize some of the simple decisions we have to make each day, imagine how many other opportunities to accomplish bigger things would open up.

You've probably heard of people who have precise morning routines that they rarely deviate from (likely you've heard of them because they are successful and doing an interview about a day in the life, like Tony Robbins, Ivanka Trump etc.).

I don't know about you, but when I hear about these routines I pretty much think it sounds impossible.  I mean, get up before dawn in the middle of winter to go to the gym, cook a big breakfast, read the papers, tie my shoes...ha ha ha.  But, when I feel myself hitting a wall in the evening where I'm looking at the fridge and can't figure out what to do but open a can of peas for dinner, things get ugly.

So, a few of us decided to see if we could change our lives for the better with these tactics and I'm here to report out so we might help you too!

It was harder than we thought!  For example, have you ever thought about the sheer insanity you face at the store?  There are thousands of choices in breakfast cereal,  dozens of types of eggs, don't get me started on the ice cream (seriously, if you want dairy free, sugar free, fat free ice cream maybe you should consider a trip to the produce section instead for a juicy peach), 5 scents of the same brand of bathroom cleaner, hundreds of types of toothpaste and then you have to consider that a lot of those "choices" are actually the very exact same thing from the same plant, off the same line into the same can with a different sticker on each.  We live in a society of unlimited choices for everything and to make matters worse a lot of us want to find the best "deal" in all those choices so we are comparing prices and endorsements to figure it all out. It's a lot of work just to get the supplies we need before we even get to the real work of life.

All that aside, we decided to focus on 3 things: encapsulating our work wardrobe, meal planning and play time (aka exercise).

Wardrobe:

Have you ever noticed that most working men have a uniform?  The same color suit/pants/jacket and maybe a couple color variation of shirts and shoes (which often go to after work and weekend events too)?  More women are adopting that concept as well but every one I know still wants fun accessories and require unique outfits for occasions.

Personally, I've had something of a "uniform" since I got my first job out of college and a wise colleague said she just wore "black pants and a top" everyday so she fit the dress code and didn't spend a lot of money on outfits that the same 10 people were going to see every day anyway.  She was brilliant and didn't even know about decision fatigue.  At the time, I had a love of fashion that led me to a full and vibrant closet but every morning I found myself spending half an hour trying things on until coming back to the 20% of my closet that was easy - the neutral colors and simple tailored lines.  Then, racing out the door.  It took me a couple years before I finally resigned myself to the fact that I did indeed have a uniform and I separated my closet to the work side and the fun side and saved myself that 30 minutes every day.

Meal Planning: 

The next part we tackled was food.  Gemma already had this one down pat to gift the rest of us.  Every morning she had the same bowl of muesli for breakfast with almond milk. Done.  She highly recommended that we each eat the same thing for breakfast every morning.  Our struggle was to decide what.
Jill needed to get 30 grams of protein in the morning so was often struggling between shakes, bars, eggs or a drive thru and trying to feed her kids at the same time (who each wanted something different). She was using a lot of decision making ability first thing in the morning and felt like this one would make the biggest difference in her life.  So, she settled on just having eggs every morning because it was also something her kids would eat without much of a fuss.
A couple weeks later, she reports that it has worked out well.  She thought cooking in the morning would take more time than cereal or a shake but she found they are actually gaining time by not having any discussion around it.  We gave her a gold star!

We also came up with systems for other meals (each night of the week has a theme and lunch is always leftovers).

Play time:

This seemed to be the thing that was hardest to routinize because in the morning was too hard with all the other activities to get out the door and by evening, well we all had used up our cognitive resources so it would end up on the list to definitely do tomorrow. Hmm.

One day I saw an interview with Tracy Anderson (personal trainer of Gwyneth and Madonna) where they asked her what exercises she would recommend for a lady who only had 15 minutes.  Her answer was shocking and real.  She said she would tell them to get out their calendar and figure out why they didn't have an hour to show up for their health every day.

I shared this immediately and we all agreed, we had to do whatever it took to show up for our health every day and got creative, plugging in our exercise when we still had will power left during the day to make it a habit.

We each put a non-negotiable appointment on our calendar no more than 6 hours after we woke up and chose a single workout to do for 40 days.  It might sound boring and go against the crowd who say you need to change up your workout so you don't plateau but that wasn't the point.  What we needed was a decision-less action to take every day to show up for our health.  Maybe after 40 days we can start changing it up, once the core habit is established.

Of course, we made these changes one at a time over the course of a few weeks but the results have been phenomenal.  We have each found more time in our days to do the things we really love and make strategic movement toward huge goals.

I hope that this will inspire or help you if you're also struggling with that feeling of not enough time in the day or running out of will power.  Let me know what your challenges are and I'll share some of our brainstorming with you to help!






The millionaire who lives in an Airstream trailer

When you feel like you're going to hit the wall...

One of the first things you have to learn in racing school is that if you feel like you're going to hit the wall, don't look at the wall!
Why?  Because we have a natural tendency to go toward what we look at and if you're feeling too close to crashing, the best thing to do is look the other way - look where you want to go instead and turn that way.  The funny thing is a lot of people can't learn to do it.

It is the same in regular life too.  So many people find themselves headed in a direction they don't want to go in their careers, relationships, health etc. and want to change their course but a lot can't quite make it.  The ones that do, though, are the people who can tear their concentration away from the potential disaster coming up and look toward what they desire.

I'm sure you've heard that old adage about “what you focus on grows” or some version of it.   That's basically what we're talking about here.

So, where are you going that you don't want to be?  Can I suggest rather than focusing on the thing you don't want, you flip your thoughts to what you do want?

For example, I have a client who had a New Year's goal of losing weight and for months she had been focused on losing that weight, cutting out sugar and processed foods and dieting, yet she didn't have much luck.
We did a quick exercise where she started to state what she did want: a bikini body, glowing skin and shiny hair.  Looking at that list, she said she felt more energized and positive about her desire and we made a simple plan for her to add things to her life that would help her achieve those goals instead of focusing on cutting out, losing and lack.  As she filled her days with the positive actions the things she didn't want naturally fell away and she has since reported amazing success!

The science is there too, showing that a reward is usually a much better motivator than punishment and that replacing a bad habit with something you'd prefer creates much more success than just trying to go "cold turkey".

I'd love to hear from you about the things you struggle with.  Are there ways you can turn it around to state what you do want instead of what you don't?  For example, if you hate your job how does it feel to think about what new job you want instead of just about how to escape the old job you don't?  Or if you're in a bad relationship, how much more empowered would you feel if you focus on the people you want to bring into your life more than the ones you want to kick out?
I'd bet you will feel more confident and find that transition happening so easily you'll hardly notice, when you're coming from an attitude of possibility instead of loss.
Let me know!

Getting What You Really Want

Dear Cece,

There is a woman I see often that has everything I want. I've tried the old advice of doing what she does, if I want what she has, and it's not working.

I don't know how else to get those things, what should I do?

- B

Dear B,

I have a question for you. Do you actually want what she has, exactly, or do you just think you want it?

It's great that you have been inspired to achieve your desires but I wonder if you're focusing on a perception that may not be realistic. I'd also like to invite you to create your own unique and spectacular life instead of trying to be a copy of someone else.

Take some time to journal about the things she has that you want and get really specific about what they are and the feeling that they would bring you. You might be surprised that it isn't the item or the picture you see that you want but the feelings around it that inspire you.

I think you will get more clarity on what it is you actually desire and open up for the effortless and creative ways to get it, unique to your personality and abilities.

On a basic level, you are a different person than she is in many ways. So, trying to copy her isn't going to achieve the same result. In the same vein, even if it did, you might find that result isn't actually satisfying you like you think it will.

Let me know, after a little introspection, what the feelings are you desire that these things represent to you and let's explore how to get what you really want!

Love,

Cece

How About Those New Year's Resolutions?

So, it's the last week of January and a lot of us still have those New Year's resolutions that we haven't started and once February 1 comes, we are 95% less likely to ever start them!

Today, I want to encourage you to take one small step toward your goal/resolution, if you haven't already. It doesn't have to be big or take a long time...and let me know how I can help! Do you need suggestions to spark some action? I've come up with a quick list below to help get you started. **I am NOT affiliated with any of the resources, I have used them personally so I'm only sharing, not endorsing.**

If your goals are health oriented:

Put your exercise equipment somewhere convenient so you will be reminded to use it.

Find a local organic produce store or delivery service. Try a search for "organic food delivery (insert your city)". Having a regularly scheduled delivery of produce will help you work those into your daily meals and start to crowd out the junk food. Here's a website that can help you find one too: http://www.seriouseats.com/2013/07/guide-to-farm-to-door-delivery-services-usa.html

Don't force yourself to do long workouts. Give yourself permission to do 1 minute, 5 minutes or whatever will fit into your schedule. For example, do jumping jacks or lift free weights (cans of veggies work!) in your kitchen while you heat up food in the microwave or do a couple stretches while the coffee brews. I promise, even if you start tiny every step gets you closer to your goal, momentum will carry you.

Check out http://www.hulu.com/tv/genres/health-and-wellness, https://www.youtube.com/ or your library for a ton of free workout and cooking shows as well as health news.

If your goal is money or career oriented:

Find out if you're being paid what you're worth. Here are 3 sites to get you started: http://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm http://www.payscale.com/ http://www.salary.com/

If you're a freelancer, search for a book or blog on how to negotiate your rates and increase the value you provide. Two people I read/watch each week are: http://www.marieforleo.com/ and http://fourhourworkweek.com/blog/

Increase your skills! Find a cheap, online, anytime class in a topic you've always wanted to pursue. I've taken a few (live & free!) here: https://www.creativelive.com/ they also have a catalog of recorded classes on tons of business and creative topics. If you can afford a little more or your company will help foot the cost shop here too: http://www.amanet.org/

Track your spending/Budget. You can buy software or use a simple spreadsheet. Try a google search "budget templates" "spending tracker" and find a format that works for you. Once you can see how much money you are spending on different categories, you are empowered to make better choices and feel confident in them. Here's a couple sites to start: https://templates.office.com/en-us/Budgets or Google personal finance templates. The beauty of using a spreadsheet like this is that you can rename the categories to fit your personal preferences.

If your goal is purely personal development:

More an more universities and colleges offer online programs or even post the class syllabus for various classes. You can do a self study in almost any topic from an ivy league school, for free, just by following the syllabus.

Look through the community paper and rec center catalogs before you throw them in the recycle bin. You might be surprised what they offer. For less than the cost of dinner at a restaurant you can take classes in specialized software, yoga, finances, crafts like knitting or pottery and so many more.

If your goal is spiritual...let's talk! This can be such a personal and multi-faceted goal that generic suggestions can actually be off-putting and I refuse to discourage you.

What did I forget? I'd love to hear what your resolution/goal is for this year.

"Forget how much you're down. Think from now on."

I recently got some profound advice which has stuck in the front of my mind for days and I felt called to share it with you too.

A couple months ago I made an impulsive decision which quickly went south and have been riding it down ever since, bypassing many opportunities to cut my losses to a point where things seemed a little hopeless. Finally, here I was making a final decision - do I hold on in hopes that this will turn up again over the course of several months or do I cut my losses before it actually hits rock bottom?

So I turned to some of my "running buddies" for advice and got many brilliant ideas but one in particular really resonated. Basically, would I engage in this particular situation if it presented itself to me today, exactly as it is? "Forget how much you're down. Think: from now on."

I'm sharing this with you today because I think we all have many times when we feel discouraged over things that seem to have gone wrong. We beat ourselves up for not making the "right" decision but we need to move on anyway instead of staying trapped in that unhealthy and useless cycle.

I was lucky enough to have someone push me out of that cycle and tell me to quit worrying about the past and move on. How many times do you hear that? These words just made more sense to me, I guess. "Think: from now on."

So I started applying it to everything in my life: work, relationships and myself. So far, it's given me a better perspective and positive action and I hope it will for you too.

For example, if you're working in a job or career where you feel like you have let opportunities pass that you should have pursued, don't get bogged down about what is "lost" think about the opportunities you have now or can get ready for in the future. Say, "From now on I'm going to _______." Fill in the blank with your wish list.

We all have relationships that we wish some aspect of it was different. Things we should have said or done that the time has passed, maybe it doesn't matter anymore. Or does it? Are there things you should still say or do? Can you get ready for the next time that situation comes up and handle it better next time (believe me, there will be a next time)? "From now on..."

Is there something you should be doing for yourself that you keep putting off or think the chance is gone? Think about what you can do from now on to make sure more doesn't pass you by.

So that's my story for today and my hope that every time you are facing a situation where you want to go deep into a dark hole of disappointment and regret you'll remember to say "From now on I'm going to..." and let me know how it goes!

Lots of love from me to you!

30 second tricks to rock your day...

Hi, again!

So, did you try anything from the last post on building healthy habits (click here)? How did it go?

This week, let's talk about 2 things you can do all day, that will take 5-30 seconds and make a huge difference in how you feel and your health in general.

Most people don't think much about their breathing and identifying peak energy times during the day, but they can be 2 things that only take a few seconds but can create profound positive changes.

So, you're probably thinking that breathing is automatic, no need to think about it and, for the most part, it is. What's interesting about breathing is that we can't live without it and we can control it easily, unlike other essential bodily functions like our heart beating. Consciously controlling your breath, specifically by doing deep breathing in this example, can help you to also take control of situations and your health!

Here's what I suggest:

1. Pick a time during the day to practice doing 3 deep belly breaths. These are those big, deep breaths that expand your lower abdomen and you can even feel it in your back and hips as those muscles relax and expand to allow more space for your breath.

A good way to make this a habit is to connect it with another activity you do during your normal day. It could be before returning messages after lunch, going to the bathroom, getting a cup of coffee/tea/water, waiting in line, or picking up the kids. Anything that you do every day and have 30 seconds to tack this on to one end.

The rest is super simple. Just sit comfortably or stand with your feet planted on the floor about hip width apart, roll your shoulders back and straighten your spine so you have good posture. Then, take a deep breath in through your nose while counting silently to 5 and then exhale through your mouth to a count of 5. Repeat that 2 more times and notice how you feel.

The science behind it is that when we breathe deeply, we are giving our body and brain a signal that everything is ok, which allows our stress response to turn off and causes all sorts of great things to happen. In a state of calm our bodies begin to heal and we are able to think more clearly to be more effective rather than just react to our situation. It also gives you a bump in oxygen to increase your energy and alertness helping you feel refreshed as well.

Now, #2 is to notice your overall energy and alertness through the day and leverage it to get back more time, stress less and be happy. You probably already know if you're a morning person or night owl, right? If you want extra credit on this one, carry a calendar or notepad with you for a week (maybe in your phone), and write down the times of day when you feel tired and when you feel really productive. Even on the weekend! You'll notice a pattern like an obvious 2 PM slump or an 9 AM spike in energy.

Take advantage of those times you're really "on" to schedule your most difficult tasks or time to do plan and analyze things. Examples: if you are teaching something, plan it for your "on" time or if you need to go to the Dr. try to schedule it at a time you will be most capable to ask questions and understand instructions.

Likewise, take advantage of your less productive time frames to schedule something mundane like a dentist appointment where the hour lying in a chair drooling won't matter or do your busy work and repetitive tasks that don't require much thought. You may even find that you can adjust almost your entire schedule to take advantage of your natural energy rhythm, over time, by making these small shifts. Bonus points if you can identify these time frames in the people around you the most, because you will be able to approach them at the most opportune times as well.

The benefits are huge! When you can leverage your strengths, you'll accomplish more and do everything with more excellence. You'll also feel less stressed out, which can mean less illness and bad moods leading to a lot more fun time doing things you enjoy with the people you love. Who doesn't want that?

Let me know how it goes. As always, I love hearing from you!

Here's another personal example from me so you can really see what I mean: I can rock 11 AM -3PM like nobody's business and then I get a second wind around 7 PM - 1AM so, if I have my choice I schedule meetings during mid-day and do any work that requires thought and attention in the evening. For example, if someone wants to schedule a consult I'll always choose a time when I know I'll be thinking quicker on my feet. Then, you'll often find me doing tasks like reviewing budgets and doing follow up emails after 3 pm because they are routine.

It wasn't always like this. I struggled for years with early morning bosses who would ask for updates first thing, when I was more apt to just get my computer on and read emails until my brain fully woke up. Once I learned to quit fighting my natural rhythm and wishing I was more of a morning person, I was able to take control of the situation and compromise, even without them knowing! Needless to say this created a lot of ease in my life, lowered my stress levels and made me a lot happier and fun to be around. Believe me, your coworkers appreciate it when you're happier.

So, I started poking my head in at the end of each day with an update for my boss, when I was able to be more coherent and it worked out brilliantly :) Not only did my boss love that I was proactively giving him the info he needed rather than having to drag it out of my foggy head everyday, he had it at his finger tips when he could best process it, the next morning. Win- win.

I started setting similar expectations with everybody and people love someone who is consistent above almost all else. Knowing when they could expect a returned email or phone call from me kept a lot of the needless follow-up and chasing to a minimum, which freed up even more of my time (and theirs) so I was able to focus on more value add work.

It only took a few weeks and my boss and coworkers were often calling me a "rockstar". I went from dreading every morning and spending afternoons feeling frazzled to knowing that I was going to be able to ease in to my day and be really productive and valued.

I know you can do this too and don't hesitate to let me know if you need help.

Until next time...don't forget to breathe!