3 May

It Is Never Just About Food!

By Darci In Anxiety, Darci, Health, Life Coaching, Stress, Weight Loss / 3 No Comments

What are the biggest things that help someone stick to a weight loss program/lifestyle change?

1. Food journal/diary. Those who keep detailed notes of what they eat and drink each day are at least 60% more likely to succeed in their long-term health goals. Unless you lie in your own journal, it works as an accountability partner and a history that you can review to determine changes you need to make at different points or when something isn’t working.

2. Simplicity. Those who believe they need lots of variety and complicated recipes often overwhelm themselves in the process. While it’s great to make foods you enjoy and avoid boredom, it seems at least in the early stages, most people are more successful when they have fewer choices to make and less time to spend on a daily basis preparing food. This is why the next piece is so important…

3. Food prep. While most people do not enjoy the time and effort it takes to prep food for a healthy diet, the willingness to do this work not only reduces The time to prepare meals throughout the day or week, but it also makes it much more convenient and motivating to make healthy food choices once the prepped food is ready and/or packed up. If you are eating mostly vegetables and fruits and simple meals, food prep really doesn’t have to take that long. You can even shorten the time by breaking up food and pulsing in a food processor or using the slicing blade to make the prep time shorter. YOU CAN ALSO PREMAKE DRY SALADS BY ADDING SMALL AMOUNTS OF EACH INGREDIENT TO THE PROCESSOR, PULSING LIGHTLY AND THEN PACK IT UP. DO THIS A FEW TIMES AND YOU WILL SEE WHAT A TIME SAVER IT IS.

Yes, there are other important aspects to staying on track to lose weight and improve health, such as family/friend support, cooking skills/practice, regular blood tests, vitamin/mineral supplementation when necessary, exercise…But these top three can take you a long way all on their own and especially in addition to the other aspects.

Need a health/life coach to take you to your goals using a holistic approach to food and behavior? Hire us! It is never just about food! Learn how to change habits, use tools such as delayed gratification, visualizations, how to approach new food choices, the benefits of a plant-based lifestyle, reduce inflammation and pain, fight anxiety with food and psychological tools.

24 Apr

Sleep, Health and Weight Loss

By Darci In Anxiety, Darci, Health, Life Coaching, Stress, Weight Loss / 1 No Comments

If you feel tired, you automatically grab a cup of coffee or many cups, along with a sugary snack to get fast energy. Then when you get hungry later, you might be tempted to go for some fast food and bring home a pre-cooked meal for the family instead of feeling the desire to cook a healthy meal at home. By the time you lie down in bed, you can’t fall asleep due to the sugar spike. So you sleep little and wake up tired again the next morning…and so the cycle continues. Or maybe you have inordinate stress due to say a pandemic or normal stress from work, finances, or family.

The short-term result is that you may have the ability to get through the day, but in the long term, you gain weight due to less than stellar food choices in combination with none or minimal exercise.

If you keep adding on to your sleep debt, you will pay dearly with your health, weight, and emotional well-being. Eventually, you will crash – possibly in a literal sense. Those who are sleep-deprived are more likely to cause a car accident than a drunk driver.

This article is not suggesting that if you get enough sleep, life will be perfect; however, when you do not get enough sleep on a continuous basis, your body does not function correctly. The result is a lot more than just the weight gain that comes from hormone imbalances, but for those reading this article, let’s focus on that for a moment.

The recommended sleep is about 7-8 hours per night. Sleeping more will not equate to dropping the last 10 pounds of our weight goal – but if you are currently sleeping around five hours at a time and you increase it to 7 or 8, you will likely drop some of the extra weight in a reasonable timeframe. You will also potentially improve your blood sugar levels, blood pressure, and other health indicators – but you should check with your doctor to see where you are today and how proper sleep might impact your medical concerns and any prescriptions you are taking.

There are two important hormones (besides cortisol) that affect our weight management – ghrelin and leptin. Ghrelin determines your hunger. Less sleep causes your body to produce more ghrelin and in turn to eat more. Leptin decides when to stop eating. When you sleep less, your body produces less leptin.

In addition to the above, metabolism slows down quickly when you don’t sleep enough. While slower metabolism in a healthy nutrient-dense lifestyle is a good thing (to be discussed in a future article,) sudden metabolism drops due to sleep loss is another cause of weight gain, even without increasing your intake of poor food choices.

How do you resolve your lack of sleep?

Avoid caffeine after lunch.
Exercise regularly to improve the quality of sleep. It’s up to you when you exercise but it is suggested that most people should not exercise close to bedtime.
Cut out junk food at night – high-calorie, processed foods or “heavy” foods can cause indigestion, bloating, and cause your body to focus on digestion instead of healing when you are sleeping. This impacts the quality of your sleep and body functionality and can result in quick weight gain.

If you are getting a full night of sleep most nights and still wake up exhausted, you may need to evaluate your current stress and anxiety levels. There are many exercises you can use to reduce anxiety and stress for short-term and long-term needs. On the other hand, there may be underlying conditions, and you should seek your doctor’s advice for further examination.

Need someone to help you put down that ice cream or pick up those vegetables? Hire a coach. @darcikingry is available via Zoom, phone or other media to help you with tips and tricks and the facts. It’s never just about the food. That’s why hiring a coach trained in holistic life and health coaching can make a difference in your success.

Darci has been on The Doctor Oz Show, highlighted in the 2015 PBS special with Joel Fuhrman, M.D., interviewed by Elisha Lee of Eat to Live Daily and the popular Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/eattolivedaily/ and is included in the book Legends of Change by Rebecca Frith. Follow Darci on Instagram at @darcikingry or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/eatforlifesupport and https://www.facebook.com/SimplyNutritarian.

30 Mar

Anxiety and the Food We Eat

By Darci In Anxiety, Darci, Health, Life Coaching / 1 No Comments

Did you know that what you eat affects your anxiety and stress levels AND how well you emotionally deal with the anxiety you are experiencing? I know personally how this happens because I spent my whole life waking up with anxiety EVERY day. Nothing had to be wrong, but my body and mind disagreed and caused me to “worry” about things that I had no reason to worry about. It created an anxious person. It wasn’t until I found Eat to Live and changed my diet drastically that, in addition to all of the chronic health issues, pain and overweight, it simply went away forever. Now, I only feel anxiety when there’s actually something stressful going on – you know, like a pandemic! Fortunately, I have the education and training to know how to fight the symptoms of anxiety so I can get back to focusing on life, clients, family, and my own health without letting the tendency to “freeze” and have my whole world on hold.

While for me, the number one thing that brings back the physical and emotional anxiety symptoms is dairy – cheese, milk, eggs, ice cream – you name it – other foods can also cause an anxiety trigger, while even other foods can help reduce anxiety. The best solution to anxiety, whether in the short term or long term, is to eat a diet that is micronutrient-dense, filled with leafy greens, colorful vegetables, cruciferous vegetables and beans, here is a list of some foods to say yes or no to when anxiety has a hold on you. Do you have a story to share or solutions of your own? Share in the comments!

Increase

Increase tryptophan, vitamin B (all), and magnesium to help with the effects of anxiety and stress.

This is not a complete list, but it gives you a good idea of how food really is medicine.

Increase tryptophan levels without animal meat or by-products (dairy). Some foods to try are: bananas, oats, soy, nuts and sesame seeds.

Increase vitamin B foods: leafy greens, legumes (such as lentils), citrus fruits, avocadoes, rice (wild, black), and nuts. Note: for vitamin B12, a regular supplement is recommended).

Increase in magnesium: leafy greens, seaweed, avocadoes, nuts, seeds, tofu, legumes, bananas, wild rice

Increase phytonutrients: blueberries, black rice, peaches, blackberries.

If you are under unrelenting stress or anxiety, consider taking a supplement that floods your body with magnesium quickly and flushes out any excess without concerning side effects. It comes in a variety of flavors. https://www.naturalvitality.com/products/naturalcalm/unflavored

Avoid

Candy and sugar-filled sweets: Initially, you may get the rush from the blood sugar spike, but when it crashes, your anxiety may be worse than it was to begin with and cause you to go on a sugar binge.

Alcohol: It is a depressant and it gives you the same sugar rush, ultimately causing a myriad of health issues if you drink large quantities of alcohol on a regular basis.

Processed Foods: One of your favorites is like to be a highly-processed treat – deli meats, hot dogs, cakes and cookies…Processed foods tend to have the trifecta of health sabotage waiting for you: saturated liquid fat, processed sugar, white flour. All of these ingredients do nothing but add fat to your hips and poison your blood. Limit these foods and reduce anxiety quickly.

The Final Word

There are a lot of non-food ways to address anxiety in the moment. But the best way to treat chronic, long-term or excessively-high levels of stress and anxiety is to control the food we eat. During these times, we cannot control if we will lose our job, our home or who will get sick. But we can control the food we eat to reduce anxiety, increase immunity and have a better quality of life for today and the future.

Need someone to help you put down that ice cream or pick up those vegetables? Hire a coach. @darcikingry is available via Zoom, phone or other media to help you with tips and tricks and the facts. It never just about the food, that’s why hiring a coach trained in holistic life and health coaching can make a difference in your success.

Darci has been on The Doctor Oz Show, highlighted in the 2015 PBS special with Joel Fuhrman, M.D., interviewed by Elisha Lee of Eat to Live Daily and the popular Facebook group, https://www.facebook.com/groups/eattolivedaily/j and more. Follow Darci on Instagram at @darcikingry or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/eatforlifesupport and https://www.facebook.com/SimplyNutritarian.

30 Mar

Hello My Name is Anxiety

By Darci In Anxiety, Darci, Health, Life Coaching / 1 No Comments

The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has left the world scared, worried and deeply stressed out. However, our world today is full of anxiety on a normal basis, so the heightened worry is a level many people don’t know how to handle. But there are ways to reduce your anxiety, even during this terrible event – eating more vegetables, greens, and fruits; exercise; medication; prayer; fun hobbies; proper sleep habits.

We feel anxiety for many reasons – lack of confidence in the subject matter or specific situation we are facing, previously perceived failures, upbringing, or even one really traumatic experience. The reality is that almost everyone second guesses themselves. The problem comes when you walk away from a discussion or situation replaying the scene over and over in your mind, beating yourself up about saying the wrong thing or making a poor decision. The anxiety comes because of the repeated visits to what is now a past experience.

People cannot hear you thinking unless you let them: Those who second guess can hear themselves loud and clear, but no one else does unless you show it. As long as you aren’t saying it out loud, no one else probably is even thinking about what you said or did once it is over. Unless you say it out loud you are the only one questioning what happened.

You are going to make mistakes, say things you regret. The truth is most decisions are irreversible. But you can learn from it and move on. Stop pressing rewind on the conversation or decision. Remember that you cannot know everything and no one says or does the right thing every time.

When you are about to say something, pause and ask yourself how what you are going to say matches to your values. If it doesn’t disagree with your values, then follow your instinct. Later on, if you find yourself evaluating what happened, remind yourself that it’s already in the past and refocus on how you might handle that particular situation in the future instead of wasting time focusing on what you can’t change.
If your anxiety results from what other people say or do, it’s still the same outcome. You can’t change the past. It’s done and most likely, you are the only one worrying about what happened. Do you think the other person(s) are still replaying the same conversation over in their mind?

What is Anxiety?

Anxiety is generally an unwarranted fear about something that didn’t happen yet or a perceived negative experience at a future event. Most people are fearful of public speaking, but they feel immense relief once they complete the speech or presentation. It is in learning how to anticipate the feeling of relief and knowing that nothing horrible is going to happen before, during or after the event.

Even when anxiety is warranted, it’s still a useless emotion. Holding on to anxiety simply causes you to be more likely to make a mistake, speak incorrectly, or otherwise result in making your worst fears a reality.

Anxiety can also occur after an event. This type of anxiety is generally caused by self-doubt and has no real value to you. It is exacerbated by replaying the recording in your head and looking for what you or someone else did “wrong.” The truth is, as mentioned above, you are probably the only one reliving the event. Learning how to turn off the broken record is key to reducing your anxiety and can be a game-changer for someone who deals with this issue on a chronic basis. You have to rewrite the script in your head that causes this repeated behavior.

Exercise

This exercise is an initial low-level anxiety trigger reducer. What does that mean? It teaches you how to reframe your fear, which is often based on past experiences or your imagined future experience.

Pre-Anxiety

Sit or lie down in a comfortable and quiet location (if possible).
Close your eyes.
Take a deep breath in and hold it as long as you can.
Repeat two or three times.
Now, imagine you are about to enter the scenario that you are feeling anxious about. See yourself in the location or on the stage or with a group of people. Feel the anxiety. Rate it on a scale from 1 (mild) to 10 (severe).
Next, visualize yourself performing or speaking or in the situation that is causing your anxiety.
Finally, see yourself completing the scenario. Focus on how you feel after it is over. Sit with this feeling for a few minutes. Really step into this moment. Do you feel your anxiety lessening?
Repeat this exercise as many times as you have to until you feel calm. Focus on the feeling of relief.
You can use this exercise prior to any anxiety-promoting event or even do it daily, imagining your day from start to finish. The key is to consider, what is the worst thing that can happen? You fall or say something wrong during a speech? You share incorrect information during a conversation? The worst thing that can happen is truly not severe, and once it is over, you know your anxiety resolves immediately.

Post-Anxiety (second-guessing a something you said or did)

Sit or lie down in a comfortable and quiet location (if possible).
Close your eyes.
Take a deep breath in and hold it as long as you can.
Repeat two or three times.
Now, replay the scenario in your mind. Imagine everything with full detail. Visualize your awareness leaving your body and seeing yourself from a short distance, close enough to hear and see what is happening.

Observe the situation objectively. Have compassion for the person speaking or doing something (you). Do you see yourself relaxing and your anxiety lessening? Do any of the other people look bothered or upset about what you said or did? What would you say to yourself that would make a difference?
o Now, feel your awareness going back into your body, bringing that compassion and sense of calm with you. Do you notice a difference in how you feel? What was the worst thing that could happen as a result of what you said or did?

The above exercises are ways you can change your perspective and therefore learn to release anxiety over daily or common scenarios you might experience. A life coach can work with you one on one to walk you through these and other more in-depth exercises to reduce chronic or severe anxiety.

The biggest secret in resolving anxiety disorders is to retrain your brain to focus on the end result versus the anxiety-inducing experience. When you learn to focus in that way, your body and mind naturally manage the fear of the pending experience or the possible result of an experience in a positive way. Once you get your head wrapped around the idea that the worst thing that can happen does not warrant the stress you are putting on your emotional and physical state is unnecessary, you will begin to experience less anxiety.

9 May

How to Stop Worrying: 3 Steps to Joy and Happiness

By Sergio Cortes In Anxiety, Happiness, Life Coaching / 1 No Comments

When life presses the pause button on our progress, the natural tendency is to worry. Among the many circumstances we face, we often worry about our health, finances, and our relationships. As unrealistic as worrying can sometimes be – it is one of the most common symptoms we face. But will worrying today create the certainty you crave the following day? Research suggests that half the worrying we do is in anticipation of a negative future outcome. Our relationship to worrying is often reflected in our ability to solve problems.

Do you ever find yourself caught up in your own worrying? If you want to stop worrying and embrace a solution, you have to understand the core of your worrying. Generally speaking, we can agree, without a doubt, that worrying is a waste of time. Though the solution isn’t always what we would expect, we can trust that there is hope for the future. Just like a diamond is forged through immense heat and pressure, so must we go through a similar process to grow beyond our expectations. This is how our character is formed. The road has no easy path, but coming to terms with reality is the first step to recovery.

At a certain point in our lives, we come to the realization that we have little control over the events in our lives, but we can learn to change our perception – that alone can change everything. Jesus often spoke about worrying, the things we are most devoted are what we worry about. If we’re devoted to health, we will inevitably worry about it. If we are devoted to our finances, we will inevitably worry about it. If we are devoted to our relationships, we will inevitably worry about it. Though these things are important, depending on the individual – the list could be endless.

What if you could shift the meaning you assign each experience? How could that change your life? Imagine, if instead of feeling anxious, you felt peace.

Here are the top three things people worry about most:

Your Future, Your Money

The stresses of finances can be a heavy burden; whether worrying about debt, fear you won’t have enough to cover your next monthly bill, worried about your retirement, or raising your kids – indeed, feeling financially insecure can impact your stress level greatly. Chronic worrying can eventually take huge leaps in your life, causing major anxiety and severely impacting your self-esteem.

Suzanne Woolley from Bloomberg writes, “In 2017, 34 percent of workers said their current financial worries negatively affects their lives, compared with just 21 percent in 2015.” It seems America is more concerned each year. So, what is the solution? Gain leverage by getting a handle on your financial situation and create a realistic plan that results in sound budgeting. More often than not, it is when we sit down to create a plan that we realize the situation was not as big, to begin with.

Your Life, Your Health

Most people don’t know Moses as an insecure individual. We know him as a leader. A man who empowered the oppressed with a staff on one hand and a heart committed to achieving the impossible. When Moses decided to flee Egypt for fear of being killed, his worrying took a toll on him. Many decades went by before he could see and understand his own mortality. I wonder if he feared whether or not he would eat, where he would sleep, or what the next step of his life looked like.

It is not uncommon to worry about our health or the health of the people we love. In fact, some worry is not necessarily a bad thing. To a certain extent, worrying may propel us to eat a healthy diet and exercise. Too much worrying though, can cause turmoil, setbacks, and anxiety. I sometimes wonder if Moses feared for his health. The Bible called him an anxious man with self-esteem issues. Fearing or worrying about your health can cause serious physical and mental conditions.

Though difficult to do, realizing and accepting that death is inevitable is an important part of life. When Moses accepted his mortality, only then was he able to live a joyful productive life despite his circumstances. When we realize that the events of life are often out of our control, we can do our best to live for the present while preparing for the future – encouraged that tomorrow will bring new opportunities.

Your Relationships, Your Impact

If there is one common subject throughout the bible it is a theme of restoration. God wants to restore our relationship with him and our relationship with others. In fact, our relationship with the people around us is a reflection of our relationship with God. Communicating through our problems is often the solution to a fulfilling relationship. If you’re single, the worry may be finding the right partner. If you’re in a relationship, the worry may be where the future will take you or will the bond last. We all worry. That’s because relationships play a key role in our joy. Your relationship with your boss will affect your productivity, your relationship with your family will affect your relationship with others, your relationship with your friends will affect your happiness. Relationships are important, which is why you are reading this today.

The solution? Whether you were wronged or someone has wronged you, take the initiative to communicate through the problem effectively, blame lies on both sides of the coin. We are each responsible for our thoughts, actions, and especially our happiness. We may not have control of how people react to us, but we certainly have control of how we react to them. Loving those who have hurt us is incredibly difficult to do, but it is often how we grow and mature. The road has no easy path but coming to terms with reality is the first step to recovery.

10 Apr

Anxiety – 6 Simple Steps to Get You Started

By Darci In Anxiety / 1 No Comments

How can you help yourself?

There are many steps you can take at home to help with varying levels of anxiety. Start with these tips.

Talk to a trusted friend or family member
Set aside time for worries
Take care of your health (food choices and exercise)
Breathing exercises
Write in a journal
Work with a life or health coach

Talk to a trusted friend or family member

It can be a relief to to talk to someone you trust.. That can often be the key to working towards a solution. If you aren’t able to open up to someone close to you, a life coach can help you work through your anxiety, whether it’s a singular event or a chronic problem.

Set aside time for worries

Similar to talking with a friend or family member, setting aside a specific amount of time to focus on your worries can take some pressure off of you – it can lessen the emotional and physical stress. During your “worry” time, find a quiet place to concentrate on your concerns. You can also use a journal or digital recorder to write down your worries. Some people write their worries down on small pieces of paper and fold them and place them in a worry jar or box. It’s a way of letting go of the fear and anxiety associated with a particular issue or concern.

Take care of your health (food choices and exercise)

The food we eat can have a big impact on more than our physical health. An unhealthy way of eating or chronically eating the same, limited food choices also limits the micro-nutrients we get too. All of our organs, including our brain depend on various nutrients to keep our hormones at the right levels and help us manage our emotions, including anxiety. Even when we have legitimate reasons to feel worried or fearful, a healthy diet can lessen the physical and emotional turmoil that come with varying levels of anxiety.

Exercise is equally important to maintaining good physical and emotional health. Even light exercise, such as walking or riding a bicycle in the park can increase our serotonin levels and reduce our adrenaline levels, which in the end helps us to stay calm and better handle a stressful situation. Adrenaline rushes are meant for real physical stresses and not every day challenges. This is part of our fight-or-flight response. If we are constantly in that mode, we run the risk of serious physical and mental conditions that require medical attention or hospitalization – and can start from not managing generalized anxiety.

Breathing exercises

We take breathing for granted; however, the way we breathe affects our health and how our body manages hormone and sugar levels. Most adults today are shallow breathers. Shallow breathing keeps our nervous system in the sympathetic zone. This is where our body prepares for “fight or flight.”
Diaphragmatic breathing allows your body to respond better to life and stress. This enables us to maintain better control emotionally, as we are physically calmer and can handle emotional times with more rational responses.
Practice by sitting still and taking a deep breath in through your nose and holding it as long as you can. Keep your hand on you stomach to feel your body filling with air. Then slowly exhale from your mouth until there is nothing left to blow out. You should feel your body release and your stomach flatten. Do this anytime you are doing nothing or dealing with stress to develop a diaphragmatic breathing habit. This one exercise can make a world of difference in the life of anyone who suffers from anxiety.

Write in a journal

Work with a life or health coach

A coach in sports helps you figure out a plan of action, stay motivated and does the research so you don’t have to. They teach you how to make changes that are sustainable and lead you to a win! They keep you accountable. A health or life coach does the same thing for your personal, professional, and health goals.

When you work one-on-one with a coach, you have the opportunity to explore all of your goals and your challenges with someone who is trained to listen to your concerns and guide you to decisions that improve your quality of life by removing the roadblocks that keep you stuck at a job you don’t like, an unhealthy weight, or a myriad or other situations that hold you back.

The best coach for you is someone you can relate to, who is a good listerner, and who has been through their own struggles and learned how to ge unstuck and change their life.

Common Anxiety Disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder*

Characterized by chronic anxiety, exaggerated worry and tension, even when there is little or nothing to provoke it.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder*

Characterized by recurrent, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors (compulsions). Repetitive behaviors such as hand washing, counting, checking, or cleaning are often performed with the hope of preventing obsessive thoughts or making them go away. Performing these so-called “rituals,” however, provides only temporary relief, and not performing them markedly increases anxiety.

Social Anxiety Disorder*

Characterized by overwhelming anxiety and excessive self-consciousness in everyday social situations. Social phobia can be limited to only one type of situation – such as a fear of speaking in formal or informal situations, or eating or drinking in front of others – or, in its most severe form, may be so broad that a person experiences symptoms almost anytime they are around other people.