MINDFUL OR MIND FULL??

MINDFUL OR MIND FULL??

by | Oct 22, 2020 | MINDFULNESS, SELF-LOVE

Your mindset is a collection of thoughts and beliefs that shape your thought habits.  These thought habits affect how you think, what you feel and what you do.  Your mindset has an impact on how you see you and how you see the world.  Thought patterns are picked up from our parents, friends, organisations and the wider society etc.

So often we hear (and I’ve mentioned it often) about authenticity.  This happens when we learn to ‘uninstall’ the old thought patterns that we picked up when we were young.  Our values and the way we live our lives are determined by our thought patterns.  So by removing the old and becoming our authentic selves, we start to build on our own thought patterns and values which will then allow us become our true selves and live life to the fullest.

HOW DO YOU DO THIS?

This is where meditation comes in.  With meditation you shut the world out and become more aware of your own thoughts allowing us to see things more objectively.  Understanding the power of your thoughts is the first step to personal mastery.

how to be mindful

HOW DOES THE MIND WORK?

1.  The mind can’t destinguish between real and imaginary

2.  95% of your activity is subconscious

3.  Your subconscious has stored almost everything that has ever happened to you

4.  We are bombarded by 2 million bits of data every second

5.  The conscious mind remembers between 5 – 9 pieces of information

6.  Most of our energy expenditure goes towards the brain

    “Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will direct your life and you will call it fate” – Carl Jung

    There are many ways to increase your mental and emotional power and one of these is through exercise.  As basic as it sounds,  write down your goals and see if you can stick to them.  Both diet and exercise gives valuable insights into our behaviour.  Diet and exercise can be used to build a strong character and a healthy body and mind.

    Diet is another place to start developing mental strength.  Try sticking to a diet for a week and when you can’t stick to it try and figure out why this is.  You will quickly realise how affected you are by the environment where just walking into a shop for example can make you buy instinctively while you knew it was unhealthy.

    how to become mindful

    CLEAR YOUR ENVIRONMENT

    Manipulate your environment for mental strength by clearing it.  The less information and distractions the clearer the mind will be.  Clean your room and your office, limit time spent in front of the TV, spend more time in nature and switch your phone off at night.  This will have a positive impact on your mental health.

    Remember – the outer affects the inner.

    HOW DO WE MASTER OUR MINDS?

    After establishing a healthy diet, exercise regime and you have a good environment you can try practices which are great for mental development.  You may not like all of them but you may find one that works for you.  These are very direct methods to stretch the mind.  Personally I have fallen in love with yoga.

    Here are some of the best ways to master your mind:

    Meditation – sitting quietly and observing the movements of the mind.

    Yoga – A practice of body movements involving the breath, concentration, flexibility and physical strength

    Fasting –  Food is more important to a human being than anything else.  Giving up food for a significant period of time has many benefits and takes incredible willpower.

    Mindfulness – It involves being aware at regular intervals during the day.

    Concentration – Focus on the flame of a candle or your breath for 5 minutes a day.

    Any practice with passion or intensity – This can include painting, dancing, singing etc

    how to be mindful

    AFFRIMATIONS

    Our subconscious rules our behaviour.  We need to be very careful what we take in mentally, physically and emotionally.  We need to reprogram our minds for personal and business success and a great way of doing this is through affirmations.  The mind is most receptive first thing in the morning or late at night which would be the best time to use affirmation.  Affirmations should be used in the present tense eg. “Money and abundance are just a state of mind” instead of “I am not in poverty”.

    Limiting beliefs around self-love, relationships, money, happiness or abundance might be what is standing in your way.  If you don’t believe that you are worthy of love and affection, this might not work for you and things like meditation and yoga would be of utmost importance to put you in a positive mindset.

    Remember, self-programming consists of two parts.  The first being what you program yourself with and the second is what you block out.

    THE LAW OF ATTRACTION

    I am a believer in The Law of Attraction.  I believe that once you gather positive thoughts it gains momentum and gains more positive thoughts over time.  Being happy then becomes easier and easier.  It’s not necessarily the mental thoughts that allow you to manifests but the emotional vibration that gives the strength to manifestation.

    CONCLUSION

    There are many ways to develop your mindset for greater success.  Some of the best places to start would be with exercise, diet, meditation and affirmations.  Once you’ve gotten the hang of these there are immersion techniques that you can consider that will help you really expand your awareness.  Developing a mindset will become a thoroughly enjoyable experience that you will have with you for life.  You just need to work through negative beliefs and emotional issues for a while before you can really experience the positive life you want to create.

    Have you gone through a process of self discovery?  I would love to hear about it!  Comment below

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    2 QUESTIONS I GET ASKED OFTEN

    2 QUESTIONS I GET ASKED OFTEN

    by | Oct 4, 2020 | HEALTHY LIVING, MINDFULNESS, SELF-LOVE, WELLBEING

    When starting a fitness or weight loss journey you most likely have an idea of how you want to look or you are following someone that you admire, who inspires you and has a look or the body you would like.  It is always good to have a goal but what works for them may not work the same for you.  Everyone responds to food and exercise differently.

    So what then?  What do you do?

     

    We all started somewhere with a lot of trial and error.  There are so many diets, tips, guides and articles out there that can cause a lot of confusion.  The one article tells you how bad carbs and fats are and the next one tells you that you need them for optimal health.  The secret is to get the right BALANCE that will give YOUR body the BENEFITS and FUEL it needs and in turn your body will REWARD you by achieving your body GOAL – as long as you put in the work and give your body what it needs.

    Trust your body. Learn from your body. Nourish your body. Watch your life transform and be healthy.

    2 most asked quesions

    TWO QUESTIONS I GET ASKED OFTEN

     

    1. How often do you train?

    I average 4 strength training sessions per week. I find that I give 100% in those sessions and that my body gets enough time to recover. I also do yoga at least 2 – 3 times a week which depends on the time I have available.

    2. Do you ever eat junk food?

    I’m a routine person 😊  so ……..

    Monday – Friday I eat mostly the same things because then I don’t have to think and I enjoy the food 😄  My breakfast is my FAVORITE meal of the day which consists of:

    • 50g Rolled Oats
    • 1 scoop Forever Ultra Shake (vanilla)
    • Forever Fiber
    • 1 tablespoon Chai Seeds
    • Cinnamon
    • Splenda

    And obviously I can’t start my day without my  shot glass of Forever Aloe Peaches Gel  🌱 🍑  and that first cup of coffee with Unsweetened Almond Milk  ☕️😍

    I eat a variety of veggies, carbs and fruits and my diet is 90% plant based apart from one chicken meal I have at night.

    questions I get asked often

    I also have about 2 cheat meals a week 🐷 because it just helps me add extra calories to my week. Coming from the competing/bodybuilding scene, I have definitely adapted from there and I’m definitely not as strict. I live more of a healthy lifestyle which I enjoy and I don’t see as a “diet” it’s more like a way of life. I can however be VERY picky when it comes to a cheat meal because there’s nothing worse than a meal not hitting the spot 😞 That’s why I will always go with what I know hits the spot for me……. pizza 🍕 and Ben & Jerry’s 🍦🤤🤤

    I have found that my body responds better to plant based and I definitely have more energy and less inflammation since I’ve been using Forever Living Aloe Vera products and following plant based principles.

    POSITIVE RESULTS I HAVE FOUND WITH MY CHANGE OF ‘DIET’ AND TRAINING:

    ✅ No inflammation

    ✅ More energy

    ✅  Better sleep

    ✅  Less bloated

    ✅  Clearer skin

    ✅  Stomach is more regular

    ✅  Better recovery

    ✅  Less anxious

    ✅  Body composition stays consistent

    At the end of the day you need to find what works for you. I have trained many clients and each of them on a different journey with a different goal and therefore different ways of eating and different ways of training.  It all boils down to being consistent with the right plan and the right mindset 💜

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    COULD THIS BE CAUSING YOUR CHRONIC PAIN??

    COULD THIS BE CAUSING YOUR CHRONIC PAIN??

    by | Sep 21, 2020 | HEALING, MINDFULNESS, SELF-LOVE, WELLBEING

    For your body to function optimally, there needs to be a balance of muscle length and strength between opposing muscles that are attached to the joints.

    As children we have a fairly neutral posture where our muscles and cognitive tissue are nicely balanced and we can move well.  I often look at kids and think to myself “I wish I were that flexible” and the truth is…. I was that flexible and fit when I was that age, then it became time to adult.  Forward many years later and here we are!  Chronic aches and pains, stiffness, tiredness……..  the list goes on.  Life happened.

    As we grow older and our activities become more repetitive, we start to experience postural adaptations that leave us unbalanced.  Daily activities such as picking up your child, sitting at a computer all day, carrying and picking up groceries….  All these daily activities and chores can lead to muscle imbalances.

    WHAT IS MUSCLE IMBALANCE?

    Muscle imbalance means that one side of your body may be short and tight and stronger while the other side is long and weak.  If the imbalance is left untreated it can lead to discomfort and chronic pain.

    SYMPTOMS OF MUSCLE IMBALANCE

    There are many ways muscle imbalances can present themselves.  Muscle imbalance symptoms include:

    • Slipped disc
    • Lower back pain
    • Rotator cuff tendonitis
    • Shoulder impingement
    • Headaches
    • Neck pain
    • Sports injuries
    • Knee pain
    • Hamstring tears

    Here are 4 ways to correct muscle imbalances

    cause of chronic pain

    HOW DO YOU TREAT MUSCLE IMBALANCES?

    The best way to treat muscle imbalance is to exercise to strengthen the weaker muscle and this will help correct the alignment of your body.  Seek the help of a professional to help you identify what factors are contributing to your issue and solve the underlying problem instead of just treating the symptoms.

    Some muscle imbalances are caused by tight muscles and soft tissues.  For example:  If you spend a lot of time sitting at your desk each day, you may have short and tight hip flexor muscles which can lead to back pain.  In this case you would require a stretching routine to relax and lengthen the muscles and tendons which can help restore balance.

    PREVENTING MUSCLE IMBALANCE

    To prevent muscle imbalance from occurring, make sure you have a balanced training routine.

    • Resistance training (especially unilateral movements), is a great way to keep your muscles balanced.  When doing unilateral movements, start with your weaker side.
    • Make sure you train all muscle groups evenly.
    • Add stretching!!  This can be done after your workout or better yet, add some yoga in the mix! Try a yoga routine 2 or 3 times a week.  It doesn’t have to be long (15 – 20 minutes will help your reap the benefits).

    Your body will thank you! 

    Not sure where to start when it comes to yoga and stretching?  One of my favourite yoga instructors whom I follow on YouTube:  Sarah Beth – 15 minute Full Body Yoga Stretch

    cause of chronic pain

    CONCLUSION

    At some point in life we all suffer from chronic pain.  Some of these chronic pains are due to physical imbalances rather than illness.  Most of the time we treat the symptoms rather than treating the underlying problem.  If you have chronic pain and you’re not active and exercising, I suggest that you start.  If you are exercising and active and have chronic pain, I suggest you rethink or change your routine to bring your body back into alignment.

    Before diagnosing yourself, it is always best to seek the help and guidance of a professional.

    Do you think your chronic pain could be caused by a muscle imbalance?  Leave a comment below

    DO YOU HAVE LEAKY GUT SYNDROME??

    DO YOU HAVE LEAKY GUT SYNDROME??

    by | Sep 13, 2020 | ALOE VERA, HEALING, HEALTHY LIVING, MINDFULNESS, WELLBEING

    Ever heard of the term “Leaky Gut”?  It has been receiving a lot of attention lately but what actually is it and what’s the hype?

    Leaky Gut plays a significant role in not only gastrointestinal related conditions such as Coeliac disease, Irritable Bowel Syndrome and Inflammatory Bowel Disease, but it has also been linked to a range of other conditions including arthritis, allergies, autism, asthma, diabetes, mental illness as well as a host of autoimmune diseases.

    Leaky gut syndrome happens when your intestinal lining has become damaged as a result of inflammation or irritation.  Drugs, alcohol, gluten and processed foods can damage the lining of the gut wall.  Leaky gut can also result from internal toxicity due to an imbalance of bacteria and yeast, which we call “dysbiosis.”

    gut health

    When this happens, the lining of the gut becomes full of tiny holes, like swiss cheese, or a leaky bucket.  In many places, the lining of the gut is just one cell thick, so leaky gut or “intestinal permeability” can easily happen.

    This is a problem because food particles and toxins from the gut are released into the bloodstream, triggering an immune response.  A huge toxic burden is imposed on the liver.  The liver is overwhelmed by digestive by-products, toxins and inflammatory irritants, and other organs are affected as well.

    If you have been dealing with a ton of food sensitivities, and seem to be getting more sensitive to more foods all the time, it could be leaky gut.  Instead of doing extensive allergy testing, we would recommend healing the gut, and sealing up those leaks. The food is not the main problem:  the problem is that the food you eat is escaping into the bloodstream and triggering an immune response.

     

    gut health
    SIGNS YOU MAY HAVE A LEAKY GUT

    • You have digestive issues like constipation, bloating, diarrhea, gas or IBS

    • You have sensitivities to many foods

    • You have skin rashes, hives, eczema, psoriasis, or breakouts

    • You have been diagnosed with an autoimmune disease such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Chrohn’s disease, or celiac disease

    • You have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome or fibromyalgia

    • You have allergies or asthma

    • You have aches, pains or arthritis

    gut health

    HOW TO TREAT LEAKY GUT

    1. Glutamine

    Glutamine is key for helping to heal the lining of the gut.  Aloe Vera is a good choice, as it contains this to help to heal the gut.  Other source are beef, pork, chicken, fish, dairy, all beans & legumes and leafy green vegetables.  The glutamine will help to heal the lining of the gut.

    2. Cleanse

    The Cleanse is a good protocol if you have leaky gut for a few reasons:

    • The Cleanse will help you take out the foods that are most irritating to the gut such as gluten, sugar, alcohol and processed foods

    • The Aloe Vera on the Cleanse will help to get rid of bad bacteria

    • The digestive enzyme in the Aloe Vera will help you to break down the food you are eating

    • The liver support in the shakes and herbal tea will help to support the liver from the burden of excess toxins

    3. Probiotic

    A strong probiotic is also essential for supporting your immunity and restoring the balance of good bacteria in the gut.

    Aloe Vera is an excellent Probiotic for the gut.

    Here is some good reading on the signs and symptoms of leaky gut, what causes it and how you can repair it:

    9 Signs You Have a Leaky Gut

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    TOP SIGNS OF OVERTRAINING

    TOP SIGNS OF OVERTRAINING

    by | Sep 10, 2020 | HEALTHY LIVING, MINDFULNESS, SELF-LOVE, WELLBEING

    Are you feeling sluggish?  Are you struggling while exercising?  Is your confidence a bit low?  Do you feel irritable?  Moody? Not quite yourself?

    There is a good chance that you might be overtraining!  Overtraining can happen to anyone and it can throw you off balance, but there are ways to fight back!

     

    When you feel good all you want to do is keep up the pace of training at a high level, then you start feeling weak and tired and you question why.  Even though you may feel stronger and fitter, you all of a sudden feel weak and “stuck” or that your training seems to be turning against you.

    Luckily there are ways to spot overtraining and avoid making negative progress.

    signs of overtraining

    What is overtraining?

    Overtraining happens when you don’t give yourself enough recovery time between training sessions.  So even though exercise its beneficial to your health and everyday life, it can actually be harmful if you continuously exercise at high testy and put heat load of stress and strain on your body.  Too much of anything is harmful to the body.

    There are two main factors that contribute to overtraining:

    1. Too much exercise without enough rest and recovery time
    2. Not getting enough calories, nutrients and vitamins in to fuel the workouts and to help with the recovery process

    If you ignore the signs, you will continuously repeat the cycle of overtraining.

    SIGNS YOU MIGHT BE OVERTRAINING

    High heart rate

    A high resting heart rate can be a sign of overtraining and is overall not good or your health.  This means your heart is working too hard and not pumping enough blood through your body – especially to you vital organs.

    Fatigue

    Do you feel completely drained during or after your workout?  That can happen when your are not fully recovered from your last workout.  While it’s normal to feel tired after a workout, not been able to shake extreme tiredness and constantly feel sluggish means you are fatigued.

    signs of overtraining
    Decreased appetite and weight loss

    Overtraining can lead to hormonal imbalances which has an effect on how hungry or full you feel.  While increased training should actually most likely increase your appetite, the fatigue that you experience can lead to a reduced appetite and weight loss.

    Increased efforts in workouts

    Some exercises you used to do ease and without effort may seem harder and more challenging to do.  You will most likely have an increase heart rate too which also plays a roll.

    Poor sleep

    Sleep is essential not only for your workouts but also for function in your daily life.  Overtraining increases your stress hormones which, in turn won’t allow you to relax, making sleep very difficult.  When you sleep, the body rests and repairs itself, so the you don’t get enough and proper sleep your body can’t fully recover and rest to your full potential.

    TIPS TO AVOID IT

    Rest

    Don’t let the amount of training exceed your rest time.  It is important to give your body adequate rest time between training sessions.  Listen to your body!  If you need to take a break from training, then do so.

    Personally, I have found that a mid-week break and no training on the weekend enables me to train more effectively and allows me to put more effort into my four training days.  On my rest days I opt for yoga which has a lot of benefits on it’s own and complements my training.  I also take a week of training every 8 – 10 weeks.

    signs of overtraining
    Reduce Volume

    If you don’t like taking time off, then you need to reduce the volume and intensity of your training.  Drop the sets, increase your reps and go lighter when it comes to weight training.  Focus on the mind-muscle connection which will help you when you are ready to go back to your hard training again.  Same goes for those who prefer their intense cardio sessions – When recovering, less is more.  Go for a shorter brisk walk instead of an intense run.  Stretch more, do yoga.

    Self-care

    Stretching should be a part of your workout routine, even if it is two or three times a week.  I have found that adding yoga stretching to my routine it has actually made a huge difference in my training as well as in how my body looks.  My posture is better and I have become more mindful when I do my weight training.

    Balanced Diet

    Make sure you get enough calories, nutrients and vitamins in to fuel your workouts and help your body with recovery.  Protein, carbohydrates and fats are important.  Find a balance that works for you and that doesn’t deprive you of those essentials.

    signs of overtraining

    It is important to notice the signs.  Fatigue, increased effort and poor sleep are just a few things to watch out for when you’re close to over-trained.  Pay attention to your body and give it what it needs!

    And NO! Daily junk food and chocolate is definitely NOT what it needs.  Rest, recovery and healthy choices is what it needs.

    Read more about the benefits of stretching and it’s effect on the body in one of my previous blog posts.

    PIECE BY PIECE

    PIECE BY PIECE

    by | Sep 1, 2020 | HEALING, MINDFULNESS, SELF-LOVE, WELLBEING, WELLNESS

    “When you hurt under the surface, like troubled water running cold.  Time can heal but this won’t……. “

    “Was there something I could’ve said to make your heart beat better?  If only I had known you had a storm to weather…”

    “Was there something I could’ve said to make it all stop hurting?  It kills me how your mind can make you feel so worthless….”

    Those lyrics……

    My ultimate trigger.

    The first time I heard ‘Before You Go’ by Lewis Capaldi I was driving in the car on my way home.  It felt like the sadness in those lyrics cut straight through me.  I could feel the hurt, the anger, the confusion and the utter hopelessness and longing in those words.  I couldn’t control my emotions as I felt the tears just streaming down my cheeks.  It gets me EVERY SINGLE TIME! 

    Why?? How can one song make me drown in my own emotions?? Where does this come from? This got me thinking.

    I grew up in a loving, strong family who supported and loved me.  I did well in sports and in school.  Always walked the straight and narrow. I was looked after and I like to think I made my mom and dad proud. I wasn’t the most confident person growing up but if I put my heart and mind to something I achieved it and I was pretty darn good at it…… but somehow I always wanted to improve and be better.  I never felt quite good enough.

    Not feeling good enough made me look for approval.  Approval meant love. Love meant happiness.  So in a nutshell that’s how my life went.  Constantly looking to achieve something to get the approval….. to be loved.

    self-love and healing through heartache

    Bodybuilding was something I did for ME.  It is a sport that I enjoyed and how successful you are is all on you.  I always felt that I had so much more to offer, that I was not just a Personal Trainer or just a WBFF Pro. Sadly……. Approval was still needed.  I needed to prove myself to get my Pro Status.  My friends and family will approve of my lifestyle because I finally achieved what I set out to achieve.

    self-love and healing through heartache

    With my second divorce my psychologist asked me why I think I had eating disorders for such a long time and all I could think of was ‘what does that have to do with a divorce?’.  He then went on to say that by controlling what I ate (or didn’t eat or purged) was the only thing that I could control.  My decisions were always based on approval and that was one thing that I didn’t need approval of. (see the resemblance with my eating disorders and bodybuilding? Something I could control)

    WAIT WHAT??  DIVORCED TWICE??

    Divorce 1:

    I got married when I was 23.  I got married to get out of the house and not be dependent on my parents anymore.  I wanted to be independent.  What was I thinking???  Never the less, he was a lovely guy, a bit controlling, but we were both young and needless to say, 2 years later we got divorced.

    Divorce 2:

    Divorce is never easy especially when there are kids involved as with my second divorce.  It’s something that I would rather not go into detail with because it’s in the past and we have all come a long way since then.  I still speak to my kids dad and we both have our babies best interest at heart. We still get along very well which is amazing. A lot of healing has been done and I am sure it will be a continuous process for everyone.

    self-love and healing through heartache

    The past five years of my life has been a rollercoaster and challenging to say the least. 

    2016:   Divorce #2 and moving away from my kids and my family and I not speaking for 2 years.

    2017: 15 year old friendship turns out to be the love of my life.

    2018: I had a motorbike accident that almost killed me and left me with 10 broken bones and a smashed face. 

    I married the keeper of my heart. (in hospital)

    2019: Immigrated to Australia.

    2020: Pandemic hit the world which meant no visits from our kids and my family.

    self-love and healing through heartache

    Would I change any of it?  No.  Would I have done things differently?  Yes.

    I still carry a lot of hurt in me which I deal with every single day.  Some days more than others.

    I miss my kids terribly and being so far away in a different country doesn’t make it any easier and believe me a video call just isn’t enough. 

    In the end all my feelings and emotions build up and I keep them suppressed because my friends who got me, who I confided in, whether it was just silly banter or matters of the heart, those who knew every detail to my story…..  they’re far away.  Those catch up coffees are a thing of the past.

    Life gets VERY lonely.

    self-love and healing through heartache

    Which brings me back to those lyrics of Lewis Capaldi……

    So why do those lyrics cut so deep??

    Under a what sometimes seems to be a hard exterior, I am a total softy and things affect me very deeply.  Whether it’s my own feelings or others. There’s a lot of hurt under the surface.  I sometimes wish someone will say something to make my heart beat better and to make it all stop hurting.

    Everyone who knows me knows that I deal with stuff and I’m always strong, but there are times where I don’t want to be strong.  Times when I just want to fall apart and I don’t want to pick up the pieces on my own. 

    Well, it’s my pieces and I pick them up every time in the hope to one day help someone else pick up their pieces when they don’t want to pick it up alone.

    self-love and healing through heartache

    WHAT TO TAKE FROM THIS

    You are enough!!!  You are absolutely, totally enough!!  You do not need anyone’s approval and you definitely don’t need approval to be loved.  You deserve to be love. 

    Say what’s on your heart and mind.  Don’t let it build up because that will destroy you.  It’s ok not to have it together all the time.  It’s ok to not be ok.  It’s ok to fall apart.  You’re human! 

    Things always end up the way they should.  It might not make sense now, it might not make sense a year from now but there is always a reason as to why things happened the way they did.  Never blame yourself for other people’s choices or opinions.

    YOU ARE AMAZING!

    YOU ARE LOVED!

    self-love and healing through heartache

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