A little self-criticism is normal, a shared human mental pattern, and not entirely a bad thing. But, we can easily open the door to that overly vocal “negative nelly” voice in our head, and that is not a good thing. If your negative voice is preventing you from doing what you want or need to do in your life, then it has to get kicked out the door. This kind of mental chatter has no right to set up shop in your mind. Deeply held negative beliefs, especially when they’re firmly rooted in your subconscious, stress you out, damage relationships and can greatly limit your potential for health and happiness. Simply put, they will hold you back. If you’re sick of having the same old conversation with negative nelly, then be sure to try some of the ideas I’ve outlined in this article on how you can shift away from this damaging mindset, and finally release yourself of these limiting beliefs. What are limiting beliefs? Limiting beliefs are the little, but persistent voices that convince you that you can’t be or do or have something due to a perceived inadequacy in some area of your life or personality. Your negative nelly narrative usually goes something like this: I won’t ever be [this]… I can’t do [that]... I don’t have [this]... I don’t deserve to be/have [this]... And, one really common one that comes up for many people... I am not good enough. Let’s change up the narrative you may have been having with yourself for a very long time! Overcoming negative self-talk and releasing limiting beliefs Your limiting beliefs have shaped everything you do, and they have likely prevented you from seeing opportunities and maybe even discouraged you from trying some things. The good news is that it’s totally possible to permanently change a long-held belief -- even the ones that are lifelong. You only perceive what you believe, so your beliefs shape the very world you live in. But, when your limiting beliefs come into question, your whole world can experience a shift for the better. Here are a few ideas to help you silence your inner critic for good! When you find yourself feeling “stuck”, or repeatedly spinning your wheels on the same speed bumps that life might be throwing your way, it’s always a great idea to seek out the help and guidance of a life coach, counselor or therapist. In addition to that, there are several things you can do on your own, in your own time and space... → The first step to releasing limiting beliefs is to shift your thinking into AWARENESS Time to bring those disempowering thoughts out of hiding! Start paying attention to your responses to opportunities or other things that come up for you. This is being aware of your inner talk. Once you do that, know that you have a choice. However, just simply being aware or having knowledge of them is not enough, it’s just the first step. You must understand and truly believe that you have a choice about how to react to stressful situations. You can choose to listen to that voice and not move forward, or you can challenge what that voice is saying to you. → Possible thinking, not just positive thinking Your mind is a powerful thing, and when you fill it with thoughts of what’s possible (not just positive), your mindset will start to shift. When you believe something IS possible, you will notice options and opportunities coming up for you that would simply not have be noticed if you did not believe it was possible. With repetition, your positive feelings will intensify, the new neural connections will strengthen, and you’ll start to notice just how awesome this new “win” really feels! Reminding yourself often of these little wins can further shift your mindset and help you embrace the bright side of your perceived “failures” or shortcomings. It also helps to simply accept that you are perfectly imperfect, just the way you are! When you hear that voice telling you that can't do something, question it with, "Why can't I" or better yet, invalidate it with "Yes, I can!" → If you wouldn’t say it to your friend, don’t say it to yourself Your limiting beliefs are assumptions you make about reality that usually are just not true. They aren’t helpful, and they certainly don’t serve you or the goals you want to achieve. Ask yourself: would I say these negative, hurtful and unsupportive words to a friend? → Adopting empowering beliefs such as: “My job is to please myself not everyone else.” “Just be me. There will never be anyone else like me." To swap out your limiting belief with a more empowering one, you’ll need to play a little mind game; one of my favorite ways to do this is to use positive affirmations. Our brains can only do what it thinks it can do, so using affirmations is a great way to fill the void that your limiting beliefs created. → Take some time and space that’s all yours Ensure that you are creating space in your life for these new empowering beliefs. Take action and get into the habit of using your new beliefs as often as possible until they begin to feel comfortable, familiar and routine to you. Just remember - you have the ability to harness the power of the possible! Overcoming negative self-talk and releasing yourself of limiting beliefs takes commitment, introspection and a good dose of self-confidence to make the necessary changes stick. There’s the old saying that we view ourselves through a much harsher lens than the rest of world does. So, let’s try to bring our own lens back into focus. Positivity Pie (comfort food without the guilt!) Preheat oven to 350°F Savory bottom layer: 2 cp finely chopped mushrooms (try to chop for a ground meat-like consistency) ½ medium onion, chopped 4 large garlic cloves, minced 1 medium organic carrot, shredded 1 medium organic zucchini, shredded (not peeled) 1 Tb extra virgin olive oil 1 - 1½ tsp Himalayan pink salt or Celtic grey sea salt 1 tsp chilii powder ½ tsp cumin Mashed cauliflower topping: 2 small (or 1 large) cauliflower heads 5-6 large roasted garlic cloves* ½ - 1 tsp salt Optional top layer: ½ cup shredded or crumbled organic, non-dairy cheese (your choice but I prefer Miyokos vegan cheese) How to prepare bottom layer:
How to prepare cauliflower: 1. Chop the cauliflower heads into small chunks, and steam until they soften - when a fork can easily pierce. 2. Add the steamed cauliflower, roasted garlic and salt to a food processor. On low setting, puree until smooth. It may be necessary to use the tamper if you have one. Assemble the pie: 1. To assemble your Positively Paleo Pie, distribute the meat mixture evenly in the bottom of an 8-inch baking dish. Spread cauliflower mixture over the top, and bake for 25 minutes. 2. If you're adding the optional cheese top layer, sprinkle the cheese on top after you bake it, and then broil it until the cheese turns slightly brown (~3 minutes more in the oven). *Roasted garlic cloves - done ahead of time. 3 . Using a sharp knife, cut ¼ inch from the top of of a whole garlic bulb to expose the individual cloves. Place bulb (unpeeled) on top of a square of aluminum foil. Drizzle a bit of olive oil over the top of the bulb, just to moisten. Wrap the bulb with foil and bake in a preheated 400°F oven for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the cloves feel soft when pressed. Once cooled, the whole cloves should push out easily when pressed from the bottom. Extra roasted garlic can be used on its own as a spread on bread, crackers, sandwiches, or veggies. (and yes, roasting the garlic really does make a difference in the flavor - magic!) REMEMBER: Recipes are just guides, so adjust seasonings and other ingredients according to your taste (but don't skimp on the roasted garlic, it's MAGIC!)
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In today’s world, we are constantly on the go, a steady state of “busy-ness” is the norm, and we’re always running from one responsibility to the next - literally! So, it’s no wonder that physical fatigue is such a common complaint. The good news is that there are some really simple (and natural) ways to increase your energy so you can keep up with your busy life. Get off the blood sugar roller coaster. One of the simplest ways we can boost our energy is to stabilize blood sugar. When we don’t eat enough food throughout the day or when we eat foods that are higher in sugar, our energy levels bottom out. You can balance your blood sugar, and boost your energy naturally by:
You like to move it, move it! When you’re tired, the last thing you want to do is exercise. However, as hard as it can be to get your butt off the couch, it’s one of the best things you can do to fight fatigue. And, it turns out that you don’t even have to commit to a long workout! A California State University study, concluded that even a brisk 10-minute walk can increase your energy for up to 2 hours. So when you feel that afternoon slump coming on, skip the coffee and lace up your running shoes instead. Up your sleep game. It may seem obvious that lack of sleep causes fatigue. However did you know that the quality of your sleep can have an even bigger impact on your daily energy? Even slight disturbances in our sleep can affect how rested we feel the next day. Up your sleep game It may seem obvious that lack of sleep causes fatigue. However did you know that the quality of your sleep can have an even bigger impact on your daily energy? Even slight disturbances in our sleep can affect how rested we feel the next day. Here are a couple of tips for a more restful sleep:
Drink up! Before you reach for that coffee or energy drink to perk you up, consider switching to plain old water. While caffeine is usually the first choice for busting out of an energy slump, it can be dehydrating. And then there’s dehydration. Even mild dehydration impairs our concentration, decreases our mood and zaps our energy. How do you know if you may be dehydrated? Check the color of your urine. If it’s the color of straw, you’re good to go. If it’s a darker yellow color, it’s time to drink up. If you’re still craving a caffeine hit, try the Energizing Matcha Smoothie recipe below. Matcha gives a longer lasting energy boost than coffee. It doesn’t hit you hard and then cause you to crash. Plus the recipe really is delicious! Energizing Vanilla Matcha Smoothie Ingredients 1 cup of unsweetened almond milk (or other non-dairy milk) 1 scoop of vanilla protein powder (your choice, no added sugar) 1-2 tsp matcha green tea powder (start with less if you’re new to matcha - it packs a kick!) ½ frozen banana Ice cubes (optional) 1 large handful of spinach or kale (optional, but recommended) Combine all ingredients into a blender and blend until desired smoothness is achieved. Sip and enjoy! Broccoli and kale are often touted to be “superfoods.” And, yes, they really are amazingly healthy for you. If you’re wondering what exactly is in these green powerhouses that makes them so “super,” I’ve dived into the research to give you some nerdy reasons to make these a staple in your diet. To start, they're both considered cruciferous vegetables related to each other in the Brassica family. This family of super plants also includes cauliflower, cabbage, mustard greens, and brussels sprouts. These superfoods have a ton of nutrition, and other health-promoting compounds, they're relatively inexpensive and easy to cook too! Super Nutrition Broccoli and kale are full of nutrition: vitamins, minerals, fiber, etc. They're both considered to be nutrient dense which is a measure of nutrients per calorie - and both of these have a lot! 100 grams of broccoli (about 1 cup, chopped) contains:
One cup of loosely packed kale contains:
As you can see, these two foods contain a lot of nutrients. NOTE: Too much vitamin K may interact with certain blood-thinning medications. If you're taking one of these medications, talk to your doctor or pharmacist before incorporating too much of these superfoods into your diet. Broccoli and kale also contain other health-promoting compounds. Super Health-Promoting Compounds Broccoli and kale tend to taste a little bitter (I love the bitterness) - but that bitterness equals healthfulness! This bitter flavor is from some of the health-promoting compounds in these super plant foods. Things like glucosinolates (e.g., sulforaphane and isothiocyanates) and polyphenol flavonols. There are a few different types of kale - from curly kale, to dinosaur kale, to red/purple kale. The different colors result from slight differences in the amounts of the compounds these plants contain. One of the main active ingredients in cruciferous vegetables are glucosinolates. These antioxidant compounds are very useful to help detoxify and protect against cancer. FUN FACT: It's the precursors to glucosinolates that are in cruciferous vegetables, not the compounds themselves. When fresh broccoli and kale are eaten (or even chopped/blended) raw the active compounds are produced. *This fact is incorporated into a trick I use in this week’s recipe* NOTE: Glucosinolates may affect iodine absorption and thyroid health, particularly in people prone to thyroid disease. In this case, you may not have to ditch these superfoods altogether - just cook them first. These superfoods also contain flavonols like kaempferol and quercetin. Flavonols have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, and they decrease your risk of cancer. Kale also contains carotenoids like lutein and zeaxanthin. Carotenoids are known for promoting eye health and are protective against many cancers. When cooked, kale contains another anti-cancer compound called indole. Broccoli and kale are cruciferous superfoods. They are packed with nutrition and have a whole array of health-promoting compounds. Almost everyone should be eating these regularly. Just be cautious if you're taking blood-thinning medications; and, if you have thyroid issues, cook them first. Do you, or anyone you know, absolutely love (or hate) these superfoods? Do you have a favorite recipe to share? Let me know in the comments below. Recipe (Broccoli & Kale): Superfood Soup Serves 4
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 1 tbsp garlic, chopped 2 large handfuls kale 4 stalks celery, chopped 4 stalks broccoli chopped 8 cups broth ½ cup tahini 2 tsp sea salt Instructions 1. Saute' garlic in olive oil in a large soup pot. 2. Add half of the raw kale, celery, and broccoli to your high-speed blender (in that order). Cover with up to 4 cups of broth and blend. (You may have to do this in two batches, since most blender containers don't have the capacity to hold all of this at once.) 3. Pour soup into the pot with the sauteed garlic. Do the same for the other half of the veggies and broth. 4 . Heat soup and simmer for up to 5 minutes. 4. Remove from heat. Add tahini and sea salt. Stir well. Serve & enjoy! Tip: If you want the soup to be extra creamy, you can re-blend after it's heated. |
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