Fighting Fires All Day Can Lead to Adrenal Exhaustion!

I recently had the honor of training over 60 men and women of the Air Force Academy Fire Department. Our first session was on Adrenal Stress. As a profession, firefighters have the top probability of heart disease. . . . for a reason:  constantly ‘putting out fires.”

Adrenaline is the body’s emergency fuel Adrenaline is expensive for the body to make and is intended to be used for emergencies to ‘fight’ or ‘flee/flight.’ The problem is that most Americans now live on adrenaline, which is similar to living on credit cards. Although credit cards serve a purpose, when we live on them constantly, without making payments . . . well payment does come due and eventually it can lead to bankruptcy.

Adrenal fatigue is like the body experiencing ‘bankruptcy’ from using too much adrenaline on a daily basis instead of emergencies here and there. How could you know if you are dealing with adrenal fatigue? Check out the common symptoms. The top 3 symptoms are very common for Adrenal stress.

Common Symptoms:

• Poor sleep (can’t get to sleep, stay asleep or wake up refreshed)
• Brain fog
• Fatigue
• Compromised immune function (getting sick more often)
• Headaches
• Mood swings and irritability
• Tight muscles
• Increase in allergies
• Weight gain in the mid-section
• Unable to take in ‘new’ information (tunnel vision)
• Hair loss and or poor fingernail quality

What nourishes the adrenals:

• Protein and minerals
• Water
• Rest
• Movement, exercise
• Laughter
• R&R pose (check out this simple pose at http://www.lifestyleforhealth.com/randrpose)

The ViSalus shake gives you the top nutrients, with the enzymes to ensure the protein is digested. I highly recommend it if there is any adrenal fatigue. If you are having trouble sleeping, try doing a shake before going to bed to help stabilize blood sugar and improve sleep. Avoid adding fruit to the shake if sleep is a problem.

You can switch from ‘credit cards’ to ‘CASH’ with your body’s energy source! Switch to cellular energy and use that adrenaline for emergencies. Restore your adrenals and watch your health improve!

Thanks to the Air Force Academy Fire Fighters for doing a great job of support and for learning to take care of themselves! Your families appreciate you!

Which Person do You Trust?

I got my assignment from my kindergarten teacher – - practice skipping and galloping at home tonight so you can do it in class tomorrow. I went home eager to practice. I stepped outside the kitchen door and began to practice.

Somehow my feet didn’t quite move like my teacher’s feet had moved. I tried and tried. Behind me, I could hear my parents laughing at my awkward attempts. I’m sure they didn’t mean to ‘program’ me, but a ‘big program’ entered my being that very day.

Ah, “Cheryl is smart but she is a klutz!’ I held on to that program for decades!!

Fast forward to my kickboxing class. I have my white belt and am listening to what I will need to do to get my next belt. As my teacher shares, I’m thinking, “I can do the combo with practice, I can do the push-ups, set-ups with practice.” Nothing seems to be too overwhelming.

THEN . . .she adds one small thing!

You will need to jump rope – - for 3 minutes! I had not been able to jump rope EVER in my life! It is right up there with skipping and galloping – - not happening! Before I could stop it, my mouth says “I can’t do that!”

Those are ‘fighting words’ to a 5th level Black Belt! She said, “Of course you can.” I respond with “I’ve not been able to do it in 55 years ever!!” She says, “I’ll teach you!” I’m thinking you must walk on water, if you think you can teach me!

The fact is jumping rope is not hard. What is ‘hard’ is the program in my brain that says I can’t. My instructor, Bridget, breaks it down into what to do and what not to do.

Then it is the moment . . the crossroad .. . time to make a decision. Will I do what she says in faith or continue to affirm what I can’t do?

I chose to do exactly what she told me to do – - – I did it – - No I really did jump rope! I broke a 50+ year belief in seconds because of a person who believed in me!

Choose to trust the person who believes in you . . . especially when you have lost trust in yourself. Today I’m breaking through all kinds of limitations because my 90 Day Challenges, my mentors and people believe in me!

Isn’t it time for you to become ALL that you can become? Isn’t it time to listen to people who believe in you? Join us on your 90 Day Challenge: www.lifestyleforhealth.com/challenge.

Today I Beat the System

by Anna Townsley on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 at 9:22pm

“Today I beat the system,” is something Nick Sarnicola (co-founder of Visalus) posted on facebook yesterday and it really stuck with me. He was referring to the “9-5 rat race” system it is so easy to get stuck in, but what I realized is there are so many types of “systems” we can get stuck in. Systems that keep us from living and enjoying the fullness this life has to offer. I wrote the phrase down as a reminder to DAILY beat the systems that I so easily get trapped in… and I’m happy to say that all afternoon I have had a huge smile on my face as I continue to beat three big “systems” in my life!…

As we all know, today is Valentine’s day. Besides love, today is notoriously know for chocolate and candy, in other words… SUGAR! Well, I am proud to say that my journey of breaking my addiction to sugar continues and I have stayed free of all sugar & sweets, all day!! I honestly don’t know if I could say that to be true of any past Valentine’s day, or better yet, any Valentine’s week – I mean let’s be honest, that Valentine’s candy is in the stores much longer than one day and I always used to take advantage of that… but not this year! And better yet, today marks the third holiday this year that I have stayed sugar free (Thanksgiving, Christmas, and now Valentines)! And the best part is I haven’t felt deprived one bit. I’m not doing this as a diet, or a “should.” I’m doing this to beat the system and live the life of my dreams – and it feels amazing!

I mentioned that today I beat three systems, here’s what I was referring to:

1. The “system” of addiction – as I continue to say no to sugar, I am continuing to beat the addiction that held me in bondage to food for over 20 years.

2. The “system” of dieting – my choice to say no to sugar isn’t because of some diet, or “should.” I no longer live in that system. To me a diet isn’t living life to the full, it’s deprivation; it’s a bondage to a belief of how I “should” eat, while I secretly look forward to “cheat days.” No, I am creating a LIFESTYLE, a lifestyle of taking care of body and making wise food choices, all while still enjoying life. And yes, at some point I’m sure I will occasionally enjoy sugar again, but for right now I’m happy just saying “no.”

3. The “system” of being ruled by my weight – as I’ve mentioned in prior posts, my current challenge involves learning how to LIVE life without constantly thinking about and focusing on my weight. And I’m proud to say that I continued to make progress with that goal today!

So here is how my Valentine’s Day 2012 has gone… throughout the day I’ve reflected on all of the incredible people I have in my life who I love dearly. I made delicious chocolate protein cupcakes to enjoy tonight (yes, they’re ALL protein & no sugar – even the frosting)! And as the day winds down I’m enjoying my hot date – my dog and preparing for tomorrow, where I will once again find another way to “BEAT THE SYSTEM!”

Happy Valentine’s Day Everyone!

From Perfection to Living!!

Recently someone invited me to a painting party . . . not painting walls . . . painting on a real canvas! I had not painted since grade school. Everyone attending was my daughter’s age, but I decided to go and just have fun!

The instructor had painted a great Colorado scene and we were all going to paint a similar scene; at least that was the idea. I had unconsciously worn light colored pants. Who in there right mind would do that?

As we settled into our places, with aprons, brushes, paint and a blank canvas, I thought how much like life that is. There is a game plan, props and people beside us. So often we get caught up trying to perform ‘perfectly’ and totally miss out on life.

As I caught myself very early trying to ‘do it right’, I decided that since it was my painting, I could just have fun. I let go of ‘doing it just right’ and thoroughly enjoyed the time.

I noticed the depth of colors, played with mixing them and discovered I liked what I was creating. I spilled paint on my pants, asked for help and discovered that even messes can clean up.

Other women were complaining of tight necks and shoulders from being tense. How often, as women, do we have tight muscles and bodies because of being ‘tense’ all day performing ‘perfectly’?

It is so much more fun to let life be a journey of experiences and learning. God always has a way and it isn’t based on us being perfect – - He already took on that role. We can relax, ask for help, learn and enjoy life. That is learning to live life to the fullest!

Wrapping up Gifts on a Budget

Years ago, Forest and I experience a rough time with our finances. The three of us were living on $850/month from unemployment. That Christmas, I wanted to thank the people who had helped us.

I mentioned this idea to Forest and he casually said sure, until I gave him ‘my list!’ On that list were 300 names! “300 people” – he exploded! “We don’t even know 300 people!” I started going through the people (and of course their kids) and we did in fact know that many people.

He said we don’t have any extra money – - remember?? I decided to figure out a way to thank all of these people. A couple asked me to make a wedding dress for their daughter and she paid me $300. Now, how could I make gifts for 300 people on $300?

I happened to see a picture of a gift bag from simple brown paper sacks in a magazine. My creative mind pictured gorgeous bags. As a result of that simple idea, I did in fact give 300 gifts for less than $300 that year.

We had a lot of ‘gift bags’ to make and I finally asked Forest to help with 30. If you know Forest, you know he waited until the last minute. One evening we had about 10 friends over for a dinner (to receive their gifts). After dinner, Forest was in charge of entertainment. Guess what he did?

Yes, he got everyone into a circle, handed out paper bags and the 12 of us each made 3 gift bags (he wanted to give me ‘extra’!). Of course, I was upset he hadn’t done it on his own. He was smiling from ear to ear that he had figured out how to meet his commitment and have fun in the process. How typical of us! I’m so thankful I’m learning how to be more like him and have more fun!

The biggest gift I received that Christmas was realizing that giving is not defined by the amount of money in my checkbook or cash in my wallet – - – it is defined by the appreciation in my heart. I also learned I can get up tight or laugh along the way as I give. Whatever the occasion – - you can give and bless others if you choose to. Just let your heart lead the way.

This idea went on to be featured on television and in a book. I have also done a YouTube video showing you how to make simple, yet beautiful gift bags from simple brown paper bags. (Visit  www.lifestyleforhealth.com/giftbags.)

Stop and Enjoy the Flowers

Recently a desperate mom called me about her 7-year old son.  His behavior was off the charts and he was terrorizing kids at school and siblings at home.  She was desperate! 

I made one suggestion for her, she tried it and she sent me a message on Facebook – “This worked wonders on my son. He calmed down, went to bed, slept all night which he never does, and was pleasant the next morning. With me, I felt more in control of my emotions and everything else!”

What could work so effectively, easily and inexpensively?

Dr. Edward Bach (1886-1936), was an MD and a classically trained homeopath in England.  By 1913, his successful medical career had led him to being a Casualty Medical Officer at the University College Hospital in London.  

While working as a pathologist, he became curious as to how the flower portion of an herb might impact the brain, specifically the limbic system (the site of our emotions).  The more he researched and tested his theories, the more excited he became.  In 1930 he closed his practice and pursued the development of flower essence therapy – - herbal tinctures made from the flower portion of herbs.

Dr. Bach went on to create 38 different remedies that are now used around the world.  Bach Flower Remedies were officially recognized in the U.S. as over-the-counter homeopathic remedies in 1981.  I have found them to be invaluable personally, in my family and with patients from around the world.

Flower remedies are tinctures (liquids) you take orally.  The normal dose is a dropper-full several times/day, however during stress, you can take them up to every 15 minutes.  You can find a Emotional Questionnaire on our website (www.lifestyleforhealth.com/test) to determine a specific Bach remedy that could help you.

However, with our 7-year old, that would have been too much work for him and his mom.  I simply suggested “Fields of Flowers” which contains all of the 38 remedies.  Clearly it gets results for kids and parents!  Fields of Flowers can be ordered by calling 719-487-3717.

Here are some situations that can benefit from Fields of Flowers:

• fear
• home sickness
• grief
• jealousy
• handling life transition
• balancing mood swings
• calming anger and hostility
• absentmindedness
• overwhelm
• over-protective

Is it time for you to enjoy the Flowers along with others in your life?

Remedies Straight from Your Kitchen

I love finding effective strategies from common items in my home. So many of us have forgotten or never knew remedies our grandmothers used, but they did use them for a reason – - they worked. Here are some of my favorite remedies – - Enjoy!

Use those Eggs!
Take a small amount of egg white (raw), lightly stir it to break up the viscosity. Brush it on a clean face (all make-up removed). Leave on for 45 minutes or even overnight (you can’t see it!). Wash off. The egg white tightens the skin and leaves it firm, radiant and smooth for just pennies!

Sugar can be Useful!
Sugar scrubs are found in high-end spas and most health food stores. They are so simple to make for you or give as gifts. Use 1 ½ cups sugar to 1 ¼ cups oil (almond oil or coconut oil is nice). You can also add your favorite essential oil (i.e., lavender or mint) to add a nice fragrance. Use in the shower or a nice hot bath. It exfoliates and smoothes the skin!

Baking Soda for those Meatballs
For people who are avoiding grains and still want to make meatloaf or meatballs, this tip works well. Use about 1 ½ tsp baking soda for one pound of meat. You can also rub some baking soda into meat before doing a stir-fry. It will help to tenderize the meat so you can use a less-expensive cut of meat.

Baby Food Doubles in Shakes and Muffins
I love variety in my protein shakes (Vi Shake in our 90 Day Challenge), yet hate to open full can of pumpkin when I only need a tablespoon. When making a shake or muffins, use baby food. It is the right size and you don’t have waste. Read the label to ensure you are getting as little sugar as possible.

Our favorite, easy muffin is:

2 cups Vi Shake Protein powder (dry mix)

1 cups milk (or unsweetened almond milk)

1 ½ tsp baking powder

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes. Makes 12 muffins (gluten-free, high protein). Great snacks!

You can use pumpkin baby food or other flavors and add appropriate spice (i.e., pumpkin pie spice, apple pie spice). Great food, no waste!

Car Sickness
Often ginger can help with any form of motion sickness. Try some candied ginger, ginger tea or even ginger capsules.

Contact us at www.lifestylforheatlh.com for more lifestyle support!

What Threatens You?

The human body is an amazing creation. We are programmed with a ‘protective program’ to any perceived threat. It doesn’t matter if the threat is real or imagined. It could be –

• Physical (poor diet, sedentary job, etc.)
• Emotional (abusive relationship, tight finances, loss of job, etc.)
• Structural (whip lash from a car accident, etc.)

Once the body perceives a threat, the ‘fight or flight’ mechanism (adrenaline) kicks in. This mechanism is ‘hard wired’ into your body to protect you. It serves a real purpose and you can’t change it! When you are in real danger, you want your body on ‘red alert’ status.

However, when “red alert” (stress) becomes your normal lifestyle, you use very expensive fuel (adrenaline) to survive. The first signs of overusing that expensive fuel are fatigue, brain fog, and poor sleep!

You can’t change the protective program (it is hard-wired into you) – - you can change your perception. Let me illustrate how the process works:

• Draw 2 horizontal, parallel lines about 3 inches apart.
• Between the 2 lines, write COMFORT ZONE and put some dots randomly inside the space.
• Now place a dot somewhere above the top line.

The dot represents anything that feels threatening or stressful to you. The more you focus on the dot, the bigger it gets (more fight or flight) and the smaller your comfort zone becomes. Some of the other dots are now outside your comfort zone. As your comfort zone shrinks more things bother you. Sound like your life?

What’s the Option? Change how you perceive the situation!

Exercise could be a dot that lies outside your comfort zone (or select your own example). Here are some steps to change your perception of the dot:

1. Identify something that interests you. I don’t really like the treadmill but I love to dance.
2. Identify your desired outcome. I want a body that can move easily.
3. Identify an easy step to reach that desired outcome that is of interest to you!

I enjoy dancing – I could take a class on Wednesdays, or go to a dance party on Saturday night. Now your brain is focused on what you “CAN DO instead of “fight or flight!”

This process allow you to bypass the protective program and enlarge your comfort zone. You are eliminating the aging, harmful effects of stress . . . you are Living!

For more health tips, visit us at www.lifesytyleforhealth.com.

What Does Your Photo Say?

Recently, a model mentored me on how to take an expressive picture. Her words really caught my attention. “It is not about how you look, but about the story you are telling yourself when the picture is taken.”

Those words really impacted me. As I have ‘played around’ with pictures recently, I’m noticing that what I am feeling ‘inside’ really does show on the outside. A smile from the heart is very different than moving facial muscle into a smile.

Several years ago I began to realize I lean tend towards very intense, serious facial expressions. I decided to change that and began to intentionally practice relaxing my facial muscles into a more ‘neutral’ expression. Over time I found that felt more natural. The more I practiced; the more I found my facial expressions really paralleled what I thought about (my story) and how I felt.

Look at your ‘self’ in the mirror and in your pictures. What are they saying to you if you can be honest? Not critical, not judging, just honest.

Today, my smile comes from my heart and it shows up so much more than it ever did before. Notice the story you are telling yourself . . . you are writing the story of a lifetime – - YOURS!

Sustaining Balance – Creating a Life That Flows!

Reading is a favorite pastime to learn and to help me ‘stay on course’ in life. A new book (The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working by Tony Schwartz) mentions that beyond survival, our needs begin at the physical level of sustainability. He goes on to say, “Our physical capacity is foundational, because every other source of energy depends on it.”   The ability to flow between activity and rest is what allows balance to occur. Most people end up jumping into “fixes” that only cause balance to be more elusive and their energy bank accounts to be bankrupt! Check out which side you operate in. Do you “flow” or “jump?”                                           Jumpers Active – Spike                                      Passive – Numb_______ Caffeine                                                    Alcohol Sugar                                                        Sleeping pills Simple carbs                                            Overeating (portions) Energy drinks (adrenaline-based)       Television Cortisol (belly fat)                                   Painkillers                                             Flowing Active – Energize                             Passive – Chill_______ Lean protein *                                      Takes regular breaks Complex carbs                                      Naps (R&R Pose) Movement (exercise)                          Meditation/Quiet time Yoga/stretching                                   Sleep (full night of sleep) Play/laughing                                       Vacations   The more we choose to operate in the energizing activities and chill activities, the more we live a life of balance and sustainable energy. If you are honest, where do you “live?”   What one step could you take today to move from ‘jumping’ through life to ‘flowing?’ I find most of my life is now in the ‘flowing’ realm and what a difference it makes in every area of my life. The more I have sustainable energy, the more value I feel I create in my life and I can offer that value without going into ‘debt!’   I feel that I have a ‘bank’ of energy to make withdrawals from as I interact with people. And when I feel a need for a ‘deposit’ I go to the energizing category and make wise choices. In the past I would have gone for a quick “fix” by looking for a spike of energy. . . I realized that is very expensive!     Did these changes happen overnight? No! Learning to give myself permission to pick healthy energizing choices and giving myself permission to grow has taken time. And the fruit is changing ALL of my life. Aren’t you worth that same investment? Without that bank of energy, sustainable balance will be an elusive mystery that seems to only work for a few.   Expose that myth and change the course of your life. Dip into the energizing and chilling activities and let your life begin to flow with balance. You will be so glad you made the choice!     * Vi Shakes help with adding more protein to the diet.