Early January a struggle?

There are two camps of people that get hit with January blues.

Those affected early January and those more likely to be affected end of January. Here’s why you may find yourself in either camp and 5 things that help:

Early January

It’s all about dopamine, weather, and change of pace.

Coming off the 6 week manic high of the holiday sprint filled with sugary boozy bliss (and possibly an intense end of year sales quarter), the brain is revved up and used to more dopamine and depletion than normal. It’s largely in survival mode, distracted by purpose and hustle.

Holiday travel, parties to attend, cards to put out, deals to close, events to host, presents to wrap, and booze to cheers elevates brain reward chemicals and stress hormones for an inevitable crash.

Come January, the weather has been cold and Vitamin D deficient for almost 2 months, but the time sensitive distractions have now waned. Overnight, the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ celebrations turn to ‘New Year, New You’ extreme discipline- but the weather is still uninspiring and cold.

Dance on tables New Years night, hit the ground running (literally) New Year’s day. It’s quite the bipolar turn around. Consequently, some of us struggle with this brain chemistry pivot.

End of January

If your industry conference schedule includes the JP Morgan conference in SF, CES in Vegas, or DAVOS in Switzerland, you likely won’t feel the dopamine pull back until late January as you’re still in the chaotic throws of non stop happy hours and needing to be ‘ON.’

No matter when the gray fog of January hits with its judgy drill sergeant sidekick, you’re not alone, and these can help:

1. Pick a 2 week buffer

Whenever your sprint is scheduled to slow, pencil in 1 week of no social obligations to catch your breath and re-acclimate.

Organize the office, plan your quarter, look at exercise class schedules, and get more sleep. If you’re an over achiever, possibly dip your toes in a mild exercise and meditation attempt and slow the recent fun crutches the body has gotten used to imbibing (sugar & booze).

2. keep self compassion top of mind

Think of the first 2 weeks of your New Year as a detox, slow down period. Add in more veggies, stretch, take a moment to reflect on what you did right last year. Lots of kudos, celebration, and gratitude for the blessings and accomplishments. Chocolate chip cookies & wine can still be on the menu as your body adjusts but more veggies take center stage.

Hold space for the brain to withdraw from the manic pace it’s grown accustomed. It’s a good time to consider more sleep, massages, bone broth, and setting up the body for a detox or fast - just not abruptly.

Doubling the lemon water gets bonus points.

This is not the time for a slammed to do list or unrealistic, punishing fitness goals. It’s cold outside, the body is in hibernation mode, and it’s dry. An hour involving the jacuzzi/sauna with some stretching/dancing, ending with a blanket by the fire is perfect.

No need to dust off the running shoes quite yet if they’ve been sleeping for 2 months. Re-stabilize your core and joints and stretch before hitting the sprints.

3. Double the Vitamin D & B and consider happy lights.

If you struggle during the winter with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), head to vitamin D -ASAP. I take medical grade 50,000 IU of Vitamin D per week during the winter. You’ll notice more tanning beds in Seattle and Portland - and there’s a reason. They also sell bright happy lights for your desk or bedside table to mimic warmer months.

With the downshift in daylight and sunshine, SAD symptoms may require more fun cardio movement for endorphins, long hugs with friends for oxytocin, and gratitude lists for perspective to keep happy chemicals flowing

4. Have the reboot plan -and permission slip for it- ready.

When Dopamine pulls back and immediate purpose isn’t forcing us to show up, downshifting to a new pace can be literally painful. Knowing it’s coming helps, but having the permission slip in your pocket may be necessary.

Something like, “Even though this feels weird and lacks the exuberance of the holiday grind, this is the right way to spend my time and sets me up for a happy year and healthy mind/body. I have permission to transition.”

Anyone with early trauma, anxiety, depression, or addiction tendencies will especially benefit from this external permission reminding the brain it’s ok to rest and recalibrate as it inevitably searches for stimulation.

5. Keep perspective

People really don’t expect much of each other during January and even February. However you spend it is the right way. No one is keeping track of whether you’re perfect with your resolutions or ‘hit the ground running’ in “your best year yet.”

In fact many are right there with you recalibrating. Dry January, detox, and Whole30 attempts often affect social schedules. SAD affects many moods and energy levels. People disappear to focus on work or escape to snowy destinations to ski.

It’s the perfect time to take care of you and celebrate what’s already been accomplished.

How a Wellness Socialite serves two masters

Balancing wellness in our fast paced, fun world is tricky.

-Sara Plummer Barnard

There are so many obligations and pressures and SO MANY cool things to experience. Where do we exert and where to we conserve? Time to rest or time to push through?

We really are trying to be healthy and get all of our work done and frolic with the fun kids and connect to our highest purpose and and and~ we have 24 hours and mitochondria that requires certain things to output optimal energy.

Top 5 tips to balance it all better:

1. Know your stressors and what depletes you

2. Know what's worth getting depleted for

3. Ditch the next day shame. Permit, commit, and have a recovery plan in place.

4. General Rest Hacks and Recovery Tips

5. Specifics Tips for Alcohol, Sleep Deprivation, Anxiety, Over eating, and Travel

1. Know your stressors / depletors

• Sugar? ... Not enough sleep? ... Traumatic Childhood? ... Manic Over-scheduling?

• Narcissistic Boss? ... Competitive Friends? ... Family pressure? ... Work Load?

Knowing what really takes it out of us lets us plan ahead and have compassion for our resulting fatigue that can take us out of the game. Be honest about how your habits, environment, and community make you feel. Some may require more recovery time than others and some should be avoided entirely.

2. Know what's worth getting depleted

Life is exhausting and we have to know what we value, what we feel is worth blowing our energy load. If we can't get clear on this, we'll spend our time tired and yet unfulfilled. It doesn't have to make sense to anyone else. It just has to light you up and feel worth it if it involves late nights, stimulating substances (dessert, drugs), or your time (you'll be sacrificing that morning jog).

• What's your real life bucket list?

• What do you feel you should do? What values are being advertised to you? Do you care about those really? Are you just keeping up with the Jones'?

• Do you actually care about tradition, hallmark holidays, sports schedules, that 4th group of friends you're supposed to be seen with, or pressuring family values? (If yes, awesome, note that! If not, what will you lose sleep over?)

• Connect with your true north in that moment - what do I actually want to be doing now?

3. Ditch the next day shame

Once you know what you're willing to tire yourself out for, go for it. Yes you may feel crummy the next day but own your choice, permit yourself, commit to the decision, and know you have a recovery plan. 

4. General Rest Hacks and Recovery Tips

• Sunday sleep in (or 1 other day per week to reset and catchup a bit)

• Lunch nap or solo walk

• 1 night/week early 8:30 bedtime. (If you stayed in, don't scroll Instagram)

• Stop eating 4 hours before bed most nights (allows body to go into empty belly Autophagy cleaning cycle while giving your digestion a break and letting blood sugar rebalance)

• Meditative deep breathing with soothing sounds, eye shade, and pep talk positive thoughts

• Notice where you're mean to yourself and jot it down ~ then start interrupting that asshole

• Switch to veggies, protein, and good fats (ditch the exhausting blood sugar spike emergency)

• Take a 5 day alcohol/sugar break ~ let the body reset and not be in constant recovery mode

• Flush it out with water ~ mood lift, cleansing detox, beauty booster, and cellular gift

• Give Credit & Gratitude ~ list out your accomplishments and tune the brain back to grateful.

5. Beauty Hacks & specific remedies

ALCOHOL:  Booze dries us out, slows our filtering of other toxins, and steals our electrons. Here's how to help avoid a hangover and some next day recovery tips

• While drinking, Go bulletproof! This means clear spirits (no wine/beer), no sugary mixers. Skip dessert on alcohol nights. Vodka Soda, Tequila lime,

• Antioxidant liver support vitamins ~ help the liver make master antioxidant Glutathione by giving it the building blocks NaC & ALA with Vitamin C

• Drink water every other drink. ~ Hangovers are a combination of dehydration and free radicals stealing electrons from our cells. Keep the water coming. Ditch the sugar.

• Sleep ~ let the body process the poisons and filter. This one doubles as an inflammation reducer and beauty hack. Sleep is magic.

• Cold Shower/ SF Bay dips ~ reset the body and lower inflammation

• Move that body - walks in the sunshine are everything.

• Skip the next day coffee and opt for green tea thats less acidic and dehydrating.

• Next day breakfast should have a whole lot of good fats and vitamin rich, fiberous veggies

  • eggs & spinach /broccoli scramble (turmeric & pepper on eggs, sea salt/cayenne optional)

  • avocado & sea salt / avocado crab salad

  • banana & almond butter

  • VitalistSuperfood Aloe Detox drink ~ mint, lime, aloe, ginger, spirulina

LACK OF SLEEP: this one is tough but we can feel a whole lot better with a few tweaks

• Eat less food. ~ Yes you will be seeking more stimulation but the body is tired and can't handle the extra processing load. Absolutely NO SUGAR if you have to be awake and productive the next day. The sugar crash will put you to sleep and wreak havoc on your tired skin.

• Power nap when possible (every minute counts)

• Under eye cream and fabulous concealer / brightener (Benefit's Shybeam adds to any concealer)

• Lots of water, minerals (magnesium), and amino acids to help with body function.

• Walk in the Sunshine! This mood boost, Vitamin D3 bath, and lymphatic detoxing through movement is ALL.THE.THINGS. Start slower and then pick up the pace as your body comes alive.

• Wear bright colors, lips too. (yes you feel like death but vibrant colors (esp. yellow) are mood boosters and red lips keep us feeling fierce)

• Triple the Vitamin C! ~ you can't take too much and this may be the difference between getting sick after a big night or not. Plus you'll notice a positive skin difference. I live on Oxylent (emergenC in a pinch) most days but really go for it after partying.

• Protein over carbs if you want to focus and feel good. .Carbs if you want to numb out and nap.

ANXIETY / STRESS: your brain is low on magnesium, you're depleted, and the anxiety is here

• Lots of oxygen! ~ Deep diaphram breathing tells the brain things are A-ok. The faster the thoughts are going the slower and deeper the breath should be

• Power nap / Meditative break ~ The anxiety won't let you feel accomplished anyway, so stop what you're doing and literally do nothing. Remind that anxiety that you're not going to be pushed around by it's irrational panic. Your brain is depleted and you actually need rest. Deep breathing is your only real to-do list

• GABA, Magnesium, Vitamin B12, D, C, amino acid 5HTP

  • GABA helps the brain chill out

  • Magnesium also helps with the chill while being needed in 300+ brain chemical reactions (epsom salt baths, spinach, almonds, cashews, dark chocolate all have magnesium)

  • methylated/converted B12 & B9 are both the buffers against stress in the body and the mechanics that take amino acid building blocks and create hormones / happy brain chemicals. (read more about Bs here)

  • D ~ linked to good mood, weight loss, strong bones, immune function, and heart health

  • 5HTP is the amino acid that builds Serotonin. People that party on Molly take lots of this the next day. It's a good building block for us to take in the afternoon to build up our reserves and especially the day after lots of happy stimulation. I use Neurothera that combines all of these ingredients.

OVEREATING: It's easy to get caught up in stressful work and social situations and eat to soothe or distract. If this has happened, here's how to reset:

• Wiggle. Dance. Walk. ~ put that food to work and send it to the muscles for use. The dance floor can seriously help the damage of the buffet. Walking after a meal is wonderful to reset.

• Forgive yourself ~ Yes you feel stuffed and yes you have to be in a bikini this weekend. It's ok. The body will process it and there was probably a needed mineral in that food combo that is just what your body needed. One meal is no big deal, especially with the tool of intermittent fasting!

• Intermittent fasting ~ eat 14-16 hours after you take your last bite. Drink water and let your body process that food and stabilize blood sugar before giving it more. Overnight fasting is great (and easier). If you feel hungry, make some bulletproof coffee/tea with coconut oil or butter in it. Break the fast with slices of good fat rich avocado.

• Commit to experiment ~ If you know you're an anxious eater, have some food rules. See how you feel after ditching alcohol at one event, sugar at another, and dairy/meat at another. See which social food combo works best for your body and what should be avoided. Just don't ditch them all at the same event. Start slow and experiment with breaking this common overeating cycle.

TRAVEL: Dry airplanes, too much sitting, recycled air, unhealthy snacks, and weird hours can throw us off. These can help:

• Under Eye Cream ~ wear it and bring it

• Lots of water - bring or buy a bottle

• Healthy Snacks ~ Avocado cut in half in bag, Almonds/Walnuts, VitalistSuperfood Nut Balls,Paleo Bar, Home popped Popcorn in a bag, Starbucks Match green Tea Latte, Salad or sushi bought at the airport (careful with the dressing), Apple, Nitrate free Turkey/Beef Jerkey, Steamed Veggies.

• Bring a Jacket/scarf for warmth and low back support (who are those seats made for?)

• Fascia releaseTennis Balls for massage

• Bring Eye Shades to sleep

• Stretch, Rollout, and maybe walk that morning

• Walk around the airport

• Dress fabulous enough you'd be ok running into an ex but comfy enough to take a nap (leggings and lipstick)

• Time your nap and pop a melatonin for longer flights entering a new timezone

• Vitamin C!!! Your skin, immune system, and pending jet lag are begging you!

 

3 things that help a depressive episode.

Send Depression Book

Depression Book

Depression is an illusive enemy coming on when we least expect it.

It's never the right time and not knowing how long the episode will last is terrifying. Ideas of productivity go out the window as our purpose, worthiness, future happiness, and ability to focus get questioned by the internal minute.

Here are 3 things that I've found really help drag me into the light with some forced perspective when my brain starts turning left.

 

1. Get Outside to connect with community / phone a friend

The last thing you'll want to do is often the best thing to shatter the lies spreading through the narrowing walls of your mind. Walking in the sunshine to a coffee shop and being super kind to the cashier, smiling at a stranger, or spreading compliments does an unexpected perspective shift.

The addition of people / fresh air / sunshine / new views (external variables) that likely need your kindness, injects a small sense of community, mass vulnerability, and sense of worth. That person whose child you complimented probably needed to hear they are doing ok as a parent. The cashier you tipped and thanked is likely still stuck on the last guy who took out his frustration on her.

Your input and positive vibes matter and you'll see it on the world around you - if you just get outside and put on your best happy actor face for others' benefit. This is tough if the shame cycle has already kicked in making you want to hide from everyone. I promise, they don't see what you see at this moment and will love the positive moment with you.

If you can't get outside, phone a friend. Rather than share what is bugging you, tell them how much you appreciate them and their friendship. Glow about their positive attributes and how much they mean to you. Joke about the impending cheesiness and then lay it on thick.

Depression loves to bring other people down with it while making us feel fearful that others wont like us once they see our darkness. It gets us coming and going. Rather than play it's game, just spread light and hang up. You'll feel the other person's boost and it.will.feel.awesome. It will also remind you of the impact you have in others lives. The world will look a bit sunnier for a second.

 

2. High Intensity Movement & Water!

Endorphins, Oxygen, & Opiates ...mmmmmmmmm. Changing our biology often kick starts brain boosting self confidence, a sense of worth, and overall feel good. It doesn't have to be kick ass or super long. 5-7 minutes of no break squats, cardio, yoga, weight lifting, or dancing gets the blood flowing, the breaths deeper, and calms the brain. AND moving blood, flushing your system with water, and shaking the lymphatic system helps detox. Toxins can definitely be a triggering source of a depressive episode. Dehydration is the 3rd leading cause of depression so water is a double threat against the dark D-bag.

 If you're under the weather or super fatigued, consider sitting in a sweaty sauna, getting a massage, or stretching to change your biology. The endorphins may be absent but the detox properties, oxygen, focus on the present, and opiates will help. A brilliant friend who has similar brain chemistry reminded me that cold showers/cold water is proven to jolt the mind out of depression. "I smile and get fired up everyday I turn off the hot water at the end of my shower."

 

3. Practice Permission, credit, & Gratitude

Got a brain that won't budge after you've tried the above two? Maybe your brain is signaling it's time to rest and reboot. Let's take stock of what you've ALREADY done for work, friends, family, home organization, planning, charity, health, or goals in the last week, month. Credit counts!

A Depression prone brain often has a default setting that goes back to fault finding and feelings of unsafe / unworthiness. So let's look at the data, not the lies of our mind. Even small stuff counts! You open email? Get out of bed? Look nice one of the days this week? Spread kindness to an animal, child, stranger, or friend? Show up when you said you would? Choose to eat something green? Awesome! Write it down.

 Then let's look at the natural blessings around. Is it a nice time of year for your favorite fruit? Weather decent? Got great hair? Have a friend you're grateful for? Small and large things we are blinded to when the depression filter kicks in are often quite substantial. But we can no longer see them as depression robs our joy and hides the goodness in our lives. I've found that when in doubt, showing up even when I don't feel like it really matters. It shifts perspective and builds momentum and pride. 

Fighting back against depression is maddening, difficult, and still important. As it makes the case for why you and your contribution are worthless, show up for life anyway - even spacey / lost / fuzzy headed / less articulate / joyless / unmotivated ... IT REALLY MATTERS. Every time you do show up, give yourself major kudos.

**Bonus tip**

IV nutrient therapy is the mood boosting game changer I turn too when I know my system is really off. For $200 (+$60 glutathione and selenium/zinc add ons), you can get your essential vitamin, minerals, and hydration put straight back into the vein. This bypasses any absorption issues or leaky gut your system may have. Noticeable mood boost, especially if this depressive episode was brought on by toxins or depletion. I like Dr Neetu at Dryp Studios.

Only those with these tripwire brains get how tough life is when the "why" disappears. I can not speak for your experience and welcome additional treatments that work for you. Let's figure this out together! 

Hit the button below to email me if you'd like a copy of the 56 page mini book I wrote on the many spokes on the depression wheel and some things we can do about it.

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GETHSH is a wellness blog dedicated to researching the variables in the formula to feeling good. All suggestions should be taken on your own free will after consulting your physician.

3 ways to increase your Dopamine

The dopamine naturally produced by your brain makes you feel good and have self confidence. You get a rush of rewarding dopamine in response to pleasurable activities like food, sex, and nailing your to-do list.

On the other hand, without enough dopamine, you may feel sluggish, depressed and uninterested in life. Here are some different methods to boost your dopamine levels if you're feeling a little low.

1. EAT YOUR WAY HAPPY

a.  Tyrosine.  Almonds, avocados, bananas, low-fat dairy, meat and poultry,

Lima beans, sesame and pumpkin seeds all help your body to produce more dopamine. Well sourced soy products, fish, dairy, and meats also help.

Here is MY DAILY SUPPLEMENT.

b. Increase your antioxidants. Dopamine is easy to oxidize, and antioxidants may reduce free radical damage to the brain cells that produce dopamine.  Antioxidants:

• Beta-carotene & carotenoids: Greens, orange veggies & fruits, asparagus, broccoli, beets
• Vitamin C: Peppers, oranges, strawberries, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts
• Vitamin E: Nuts and sunflower seeds, greens, broccoli, carrots

c) Phenylethylamine (PEA), an ingredient found in chocolate, elevates dopamine. PEA also provides weight loss-related therapeutic benefits. You can order this online. Talk to your doctor beforehand. I recommend Dr. Stephanie Daniel of functionalmedicinesf.com

2. MOVE, REST... and SET GOALS!

a. Exercise increases blood calcium, which stimulates dopamine release and uptake in your brain. Try 30 to 60 minutes of walking, swimming or jogging to jump-start your dopamine levels. It also ups your endorphins. A genuine laugh or a stretch gets your endorphins going, which is similar to a dopamine high. 

b. Sleep. One of the best ways to feel energized and ready to tackle the day is to get plenty of sleep. Help the body rebuild your dopamine stores Don't get fooled by the temporary Dopamine burst you get from skipping sleep. It's an evolutionary work around the body provides to get you through sleep deprivation but comes at a price. You'll feel fatigued, groggy, and irritable, but your dopamine levels will be through the roof for a short time.

c. Goals make everything a game!

Reach a new goal. Dopamine is all about pleasure and reward. We can absolutely train our brain. Whether it's important to you to get to the coffee shop on time or finally get that PhD, reaching a new goal will put your pleasure centers into party mode. Every little goal counts.

3. SUPPLEMENTS & MEDS

a. Try a supplement.  Vitamin B6 & L-Phenylalanine (DLPA) can elevate dopamine in the brain. Here are the bundles I've put together from top companies. WholeFoods & boutique shops like Rainbow Grocery also carry good brands.

b. Medication that increases dopamine. Depending on the symptoms you're exhibiting, your doctor can prescribe medication that will increase your dopamine levels. The brain tends to upregulate over time and attempt to adjust back to your base level which results in many people taking more and more of the substance to achieve the same levels. Here is what is currently out there.

• ADHD: If you're really struggling to focus on tasks and experiencing hyperactivity, your doctor can prescribe psychostimulants like Ritalin to inhibit dopamine reuptake (putting dopamine away). More dopamine is left in the synaptic cleft, where it has its effect.
• Depression: Low dopamine is associated with depression. You can talk to your doctor about starting an antidepressant if natural methods don't work to relieve symptoms of low energy. Most antidepressants deal with serotonin, a different neurotransmitters associated with calm bliss over dopamine's motivated reward. The most popular Dopamine affecting antidepressant on the market is WellButrin. The major downside is the body's adjustment to the additional epinephrine on the synapse making the drug less effective over time. It can affect sleep in the beginning as well. And if your Dopamine issue starts higher up in the chain at nutrient absorption or toxin levels, an antidepressant will bandaid over the symptoms at best.
• Parkinson's disease: People who have Parkinson's disease often experience involuntary bodily movement. A dopamine booster called levodopa is often prescribed for Parkinson's patients. There is some correlation to low dopamine being a possible cause of Parkinson's. Scary!

Apparently there's even something called ECT (electro-convulsive therapy -- once deemed precarious is now returning in popularity) have shown to be effective in raising dopamine levels. I'm assuming it's an electrical impulse strategically sent to a specific part of your brain. Hadn't heard of this one.  Talk to your doctor.

SUMMARY:

Eat, sleep, & move to feel good. Structure your day around little winnable games to enjoy boosts of dopamine throughout the day. Sleep enough to refill the tank. When in doubt, nap or sweat it out. You deserve to feel good.

LIVER DETOX

Liver- Processes toxins & Fats when healthy

13 Foods that make a big Difference

Garlic- Liver Allison & Selenium- aid in liver cleansing

Grapefruit: Vitamin C & ANtioxidants, Boosts Liver Detox Enzyme, flushes carcinogens

Beet & Carrots- High in Flavanoids

Green Tea- Caticans (asist liver function) and antioxidants

Leafy Green Veggies- so powerful, chloryphyll (suck up blodd toxins), eliminate chemicals, pesticides)

Avocados- produces glutathoine which liver needs 

Apples- High in Pectin

Olive Oil- cold pressed, organic olive, hemp, or flax oil help create lipid base in body to suck up toxins in body

 B vitamins improve fat metabolism and liver function and clear congestion

Cruciferous Vegies- natural emzymes necessary. Cabbage- helps activate 2 crucial enzumes that help liver flush. Artichoke, asparagus, okra and brussell sprouts also fabulous.

Lemon / Lime- citrus = vitamin C helps make toxins water soluble. Drink in morning for liver stimlation

Walnuts- Argenine amino acid help detox amonia and support glutathione production in liver

Turmeric- liver favorite spice that assists enzymes in 

LIVER CLEANSE- 

-DAY 1: carrot / beet/ cabbage / spinach/ lime juice or smoothies 1 day before

-DAY2: Fast all day (9.5 PH water good). Minimum stop eating by 1pm. Mix 4 tables spoons of edible EPSOM SALTS divided into 3 separate cups of water.  Drink one Cup at 6pm. At 10pm once COMPLETELY ready for bed, mix a glass of extra virgin organic olive juice and 3 lemons worth of juice. Get in Bed and drink fully, immediately lying on our back or right. Expect a bit of sleeplessness.

-DAY 3: 7am or later- Drink 2nd Cup of Epsom Salt water.  Return to Bed or watch relaxing move 9am Drink 3rd Cup. Expect a lengthy release from your urine and bowels.  Continue juicing and eating VERY clean. No alcohol, processed foods, or sugar.

-DAY 4: Eating from the list above, continue to flush with PH water and get plenty of rest.

YOU DESERVE TO FEEL GOOD

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GETHSH is a wellness blog dedicated to researching the variables in the formula to feeling good. All suggestions should be reviewed with your licensed practitioner and taken on your own free will.

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25 ways to be happier

Repost from InspitationsandCelebrations - check out #13 :)

25 Experts Tips on How To Be Happier

To celebrate the International Day of Happiness, today’s personal growth guide features 25 tips from happiness experts (including Psychologists, Counselors, Social Workers, Self-Help Authors, and Motivational Speakers) on how to be happier.

1. LOVE YOURSELF: “The best way to be really truly happy is to love yourself. External happiness will be brought into your life when at your core you are genuine in your thoughts, words, and actions. Embrace your strengths and accept or change your struggles.” – Kelley Kitley, LCSW is the owner and psychotherapist at Serendipitous Psychotherapy, LLC. in Chicago, Illinoi.

2. IMAGINE THINGS GOING RIGHT: “When everything is going wrong, explore the ideas of some things going right. Happiness is typically conditioned upon a state of being. People experiencing unpleasant phases of life can achieve happiness when they make the right things bigger. Make your happy bigger than your problems.” – Shannon Battle, LCAS, LPC, CSOTS is the Clinical Director of Family Services of America in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

3. END NEGATIVITY: “Reduce stress in your life by avoiding negative people and staying around positive people as much as possible. Stop watching the news or at least reduce your viewing as there is so much negativity in the news. Supplement with the anti-stress mineral, magnesium.” – Carolyn Dean, MD, ND is a stress management expert and nutrition expert, as well as the author of The Magnesium Miracle and The Complete Natural Medicine Guide to Women’s Health.

4. DO GOOD, FEEL GOOD: “Doing nice things for others has been research-proven to increase your happiness and boost your mood. Giving back to others can help you to take the focus off of yourself and your worries and can improve someone else’s day. Kindness and compassion are some of the most important things that we have to offer.” – Jennifer Rollin, MSW, LGSW is a Mental Health Therapist and Social Worker in North Potomac, Maryland.

5. WRITE IT DOWN: “Write down one thing (you) are grateful for every day. There is extensive research that supports the effectiveness of gratitude in making people feel happier, and the act of writing it down helps my clients develop a gratitude-habit which eventually becomes a way a viewing the world.” – Marie Levey-Pabst is the founder of Create Balance and a consultant who helps parents find balance and joy in their lives.

6. DO WHAT YOU WANT: “Do things that you want to do versus things you feel you should do. Should is guilt inducing and it drains our energy. When it’s a want, it empowers us.” – Jenn DeWall is a professional coach and motivational speaker in Denver, Colorado.

7. BE GRATEFUL: “Build a gratitude list, embrace progress over perfection, laugh at yourself, find your passion, and live with integrity.” – Richard London is a motivational speaker, author, and the owner of A Handbook for Life Center in Matthews, North Carolina.

8. VALIDATE OTHERS: “Validate others. This is simple and powerful. Throughout the day actively look to thank other people for their contributions; thank the grocery checker for a good job; thank a police officer for being out there for you; thank the paperboy. It’ll make their day and yours.” – Dr. John McGrail,  PhD, is a Los Angeles-based clinical hypnotherapist, self improvement expert and personal/relationship coach, as well as the author of The Synthesis Effect: Your Direct Path to Personal Power and Transformation.

9. FIND UPLIFTING PEOPLE: “There are many benefits to spending time with people who encourage, uplift, support and cheer for you, not against you, some of which include improved health, reduced stress and increased creativity. Lifters genuinely want to see you do well. They celebrate and encourage awesomeness which in turn allows you to find more awesomeness within yourself.” – Tammie Norn is a certified leadership speaker, trainer, and coach in Ontario, Canada.

10. TAKE A BREAK: “With the fast pace of our society and all the instant connection, it’s difficult to step back and take a breath. Schedule a 15-30 minute break to rest, unplug, and do absolutely nothing. Put this important meeting on your calendar and protect your time.” – Kanesha Baynard is a Life Coach and Author in San Francisco, California.

11. KNOW YOURSELF: “Watch for patterns in your life, and seek to understand why they are occurring. This allows you to capitalize on the great ones, and course correct on those that aren’t making your life better.” – Brian Brandt is a Motivational Speaker and the CEO of Core Insights in Tyler, Texas.

12. MAKE A SCHEDULE: “We should always know our goals and priorities. We have to schedule minimum time for each and ever part of life, (such as) career, family, personal time, and health. Just measure and monitor (your time), and you will have a good habit developed in no time.” – Shawn Chhabra is an Author and Podcast Host of “Winning The Game of Life Podcast” on WGL.FM in St. Louis, Missouri.

13. CELEBRATE YOUR WINS: “Count your accomplishments. We are bombarded with images of where we lack. Practicing celebrating all of our wins trains our brain to be less anxious, kinder to ourself, and (helps us) release rewarding brain chemicals.” – Sara Plummer Barnard is a relationship and happiness consultant who helps people get past their past and into their best selves.

14. BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELF: “You are responsible for your own happiness. Do not rely on others to make you happy. Create a life where you do things you enjoy, a life that brings you happiness.” – Dr. Raquel A. Stuart is an Author, Educator, and Radio Host as well as the Founder & CEO of Sistas Speak, LLC. in Willingboro, New Jersey.

15. RELEASE CONTROL: “Stop trying to control everything and just let it flow. Adopt this philosophy to your life. When something in your life goes wrong, just yell ‘plot twist’ and move on. Learning to let go of control, be flexible, and realize that the things you’re stressing about today really won’t matter tomorrow eliminates all of the worry and stress in your life, and allows more happiness and joy to come to you.” – Sherica A. Matthews is an Author, Life/Relationship Coach, and Speaker in Houston, Texas.

16. START THE DAY RIGHT: “How we start our day sets our mood for the day. We should wake early to be able to ease our way into the day. Have a cup of coffee, listen to a podcast, watch something you have been saving on your DVR. If you start your day calmly and in an enjoyable way, you set the tone for the rest of your day.” – Nicole Martinez, Psy.D., LCPC is a Psychologist and Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor.

17. EXERCISE: “Exercise frequently. Physical exercise increases endorphins and dopamine release which promotes happiness. If possible, spend some of this time outside. Sunlight increases the production of Vitamin D, which promotes a positive mood.” – Dr. Jared Heathman is a psychiatrist in Houston, Texas who is trained in child, adolescent, and adult psychiatry.

18. LET IT GO: “Don’t harbor ill-will or grudges. When we hold onto grudges, it only becomes our burden. Get rid of negativity. Look into things that make you feel less happy and eliminate those from your life. Pessimistic people, bad news, social media, etc. (Just) let it go.” – Joshua Evans is an enthusiasm expert, speaker, author, and mentor at Enthusiastic You! in Houston, Texas.

19. MEDITATE: “One of the easiest and simplest ways to be happier is to develop a daily meditation habit. It only takes a few minutes a day, but just by taking the time to sit up straight, close your eyes, and focus on your breathing, you can, over time, decrease your stress levels.” – John Turner is the CEO & Founder of QuietKit, which provides guided meditation for beginners (for free).

20. MAINTAIN HYGIENE: “When we are oscillating towards feelings of sadness, we tend to lay in bed for more hours than not; not shower; watch television all day. When we (do these things), we are not activating our bodies and this can further contribute to sadness. A refreshing shower has a positive impact on your mood and day. Therefore, the internal and external go hand-in-hand.” – Dr. Stephanie J. Wong is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist in Palo Alto, California who helps people that long to be connected to others, maintain sobriety, and feel accomplished.

21. CHANGE YOUR FOCUS: “What we focus on becomes our reality. When we adjust our focus to the good… we open up our ability to see more good and happy moments. Our brains notice what we consciously spend time on. Spend more time recognizing the good, (as) the positive and the uplifting stories allows us to be more aware of the positive and increase our level of happiness throughout the day.” – Cara Maksimow, LCSW, CPC is a Madison, New Jersey-based Licensed Clinical Social Worker, Life Coach, Motivational Speaker and Author of Lose That Mommy Guilt Tales and Tips from an Imperfect Mom.

22. TAKE ACTION: “Finding happiness requires action. If you are not feeling happy, you need to do something different. Start by asking yourself, ‘what in your life is keeping you from being happy?’ The action you need to take to find happiness comes from those feelings. Whatever you can do now to elicit those feelings is crucial to finding happiness.” – Loris Brant B.A., B.Ed. is the Author of The Happiness Toolbox: Finding Happiness Regardless of Circumstances (launching June 1, 2016), a  Teacher, Life Coach & Master Spirit Life Coach in Ontario, Canada.

23. ENJOY THE LITTLE THINGS: “Remember that our lives happen in singular, small moments. We can consciously make those small moments feel magical for ourselves and for others. All to often, we focus on big celebrations or future events we think will make us happy. But the truth is, when we get present to small moments and we do little things to brighten up those moments, our lives start to take on this technicolor feel.” – Sherry Richert Belul is the Founder of Simply Celebrate in San Francisco, California.

24. JUST SMILE: “Facial feedback works because the brain senses the flexion of certain facial muscles (like the zygomatic major, which is required to smile) and interprets it as “Oh I must be happy about something.” Similarly, if that muscle isn’t flexed then your brain thinks, “Oh, I must not be happy”. In addition to the direct neural feedback, in the real world you also get the added advantage of social feedback. Smiles are infectious (perhaps another post on mirror neurons in the future). So even if you don’t feel much happier, the people around you are more likely to smile, and that can improve your mood as well.” – Alex Korb, Ph.D. is a contributor to Psychology Today.

25. WEAR UPLIFTING COLORS: “Based on the study of Color Psychology, colors can have an effect on the way we feel. Invigorating colors (such as yellow and orange) tend to help us feel more upbeat, socially-inclined, and optimistic. On days when you need an extra boost of cheer, opt to wear a mood-elevating hue.” – Christina-Lauren Pollack is the Lifestyle Blogger behind Inspirations & Celebrations, as well as a contributing writer to Carmel Magazine, The Los Angeles Fashion Magazine, and the Huffington Post.

My personal supplement protocol

Focus. Energy. Clarity. Calm.

In pursuit of a brain that works and a mood that's happy, I've tried a ton of things.

My supplement cabinet is now filled with nutritional hacks for PMS relief, focus, mood boost, and hangover avoidance. I prefer trusted brands that have good sourcing and come recommended by friend and functional medicine superstar Dr. Stephanie Daniel. Her suggestion toward Julia Ross's book on amino acid therapy kept me off anti-depressants during a tough time. I am now convinced that one trigger for depression is a depleted brain.

When the nutrient suggestions started getting overwhelming, I created a graph to keep them organized. I color coded the supplements so I could see which colors/nutrients played a role in multiple benefits. Notice how green Omega3 is involved in everything.

Everyday I make sure to get my Bs, Cs, Ds, Omega3s, minerals, and amino acids. Here's why:

Amino Acids are building blocks that help make our skinny/pretty/happy hormones and brain chemicals. B vitamins pull double duty in the body!! They are the mechanics that help convert these building blocks into hormones and are also the soldiers that buffer against stress. If we're stressed, we often don't have enough Bs left over to make enough feel good chemicals. With that workload, we go through a lot of Bs and many of us require a converted "methylated" form. Vitamin B injections work well for many and I love them.

Vitamin D3 is the energy, happiness, thyroid function, appetite suppression, bone strength, and immune system 'super hormone' that most of us are low in. I like Vital Nutrients D for when I travel and an under the tongue spray for home.

Omega 3s are the good fat our brain craves. Mood and clear thinking are directly tied to Omega3 fatty acids present in the body. The aging brain needs even more.

Minerals are the cofactors that make sure the important reaction in the body take place. Magnesium, the calming mineral that is crucial in the brain is involved with over 300 chemical processes in the body!

Probiotics are the good gut bacteria linked to happy mood, manageable waistline, and possibly everything else! Fiber feeds our good bacteria, sugar feeds the bad bacteria, and probiotics refill the ranks giving us more of the good. Helpful if our partying lifestyle, stress, or antibiotics have killed off our good guys. Below are the daily 5 I take.

I start my morning with a ton of lemon water to flush my organs and get my adrenal, immune, and skin supporting Vitamin C.  I take my brain and mood supporting amino acids on an empty stomach. If I want extra focus, I'll take a Neurothera or a NooTroo nootropic. If it's a tea/coffee day, I like the bullet proof executive style of blending nutrient rich grass fed butter into my tea for delicious brain food.

After a couple of hours of fasted work time and flushing of my system, it's time for a protein rich meal with eggs or salmon. Here is where I take the fat soluble supplements like B, D, and Omega 3 that absorb best in the presence of fat. 

If the work morning has left me anxious, I'll take a calming NeuroCalm filled with Taurine, GABA, Magnesium, and L-Theanine.

Because my stress hormone cortisol is unfortunately high, I also take a daily adaptagen formula that builds back my buffers giving me more stress resilience. I wrote the FreeTheFat weight loss program around this product after seeing stress' connection to stubborn weight retention.

The desire to feel focused but calm while lowering both my inflammation and cortisol inspired the CALM HAPPY FOCUSED bundled. Neurothera is the addition here with it's cognitive amino acids and mood boosting herbs.

The rest of the bundles are found on the supplements page and shown below.

Notice that the same 5 supplements are put into different combinations for desired mood effect. These are my favorite addon to my daily essential 5. I like the CALM HAPPY FOCUSED 4 pack -which is the same as buying Calm Pack + Happy Pack (but cheaper when bought together). Not until I venture out of mood / stress  and into beauty / hangover helper do new supplements emerge from the antioxidant family.

If I've been partying alot, I take the 3 antioxidant rich blends found in the BEAUTY BLEND. The hair/skin nails for beauty, antioxidant formula for anti-aging and the liver detox to support my liver.

If I'm running low in general, I'll restock with the biggest bundle THE WORKS that comes with wonderful digestive enzymes to get the most out of my food and free radical destroying antioxidants to help with aging and hangovers. This has the highest overall savings but still feels like a huge sticker shock even though I can do the math logically.

And finally, my super secret for when I'm truly depleted: IV therapy. 

Dr. Ahluwalia of Dryp.com has locations all over the bay. At $200-$300 a pop it gets pricey but man does it work to put you back in the game. I love the master antioxidant Glutathione add on!! Come flu season, opt for the extra zinc and selenium.

Love to hear your tips and tricks!

Here are a few other helpful graphs I put together along this journey to feel good.

Amino Acids and their Benefit:

Nutrient Benefits

Always open to new nutrient suggestions, leave yours in the comments below.

Personality Type and Happiness

Happiness is a wheel with many spokes on it. Some of it we have control over and some of it is the genetic cortical lottery. But outside of brain chemicals and basic needs being met, there are fun little nuanced cosmic pieces to finding our blend of happiness.

Honoring our preferences and the individual things that make us unique help us uncover our purpose, identity, and sources of joy .  

Culture, gender, spirituality, genetics, birth order, birth signs, and lifestyle can all add pieces to the puzzle. I had a blast peering into the Myers Briggs insights on personality type. Find yours with this test and see if the graph and link below offer insight to your strengths and ideal careers. Take what serves you and leave the rest.

Strengths & Weaknesses of each Personality Type

Infograph: www.careerassessmentsite.com

BEST CAREERS BY PERSONALITY:

 

3 things I learned about food that changed how I ate

1. Food is information before it's calories

2. Sugar is the enemy in large amounts at one time

3. Thinking of food like an orgasm may help you indulge less and enjoy more.

1. Food is Information:

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When I realized food was  a coding message / language inside my body, I stopped looking at it as just calories for fuel.

Food is actually happy or sad, yes or no, messengers that turn certain hormonal release switches on or off. These switches are how our body stays regulated and how our systems talk to each other.  

 I stopped counting calories and started counting number of green things I ate. Even if I ate more calories in green veggies than I would in a single candy bar, I wouldn't be harming my hungry / satisfied switch (ghrelin / lectin) leading to me eating more later. Nor was I raising my inflammation levels by eating toxins that make it harder to lose belly fat or absorb nutrients.

2. Sugar is the key that opens up the fat storage container door:

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Keeping our blood sugar levels even throughout the day is the key.

When we eat too much sugar at one time, we force our bodies to release tons of insulin to handle this blood sugar crisis (to avoid Diabetic Coma). This insulin quickly shoves sugar into fat cells for storage to get it out of the blood.

way more sugar and fat get stored during these spikes. We can slow this fat storing process by eating less sugar at one time and by mixing fiber with our sugar intake.

This realization changed how I saw dessert or starchy carbs during a meal. Sure I could eat them, but not right next to or with a meal that had tons of fat.

Sugar alone would make me tired, foggy headed, moody, and up my chances for diabetes and other blood sugar imbalance disorders.. But sugar + fat, and I become an efficient fat storing machine.

Any meal that had lots of sugar and lots of fat present would have to have fiber involved and the portion cut in half. I feel better when i Have the butter or coconut oil but ditch the bread. (which has the whole gluten issue on top of simple sugar breakdown).

SIDE NOTE: SUGAR IS QUITE ADDICTIVE & YOU WILL FEEL A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE BY CUTTING OUT ALL PROCESSED SUGAR AND STARCHY BREADY CARBS LEAVING ONLY FRUIT WITH PEEL AND VEGGIES IN YOUR CARB SELECTION.

SUGAR CAN BE HARDER TO DO IN MODERATION BUT FIBER REALLY HELPS AS DOES GETTING MORE SLEEP TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN CUTTING DOWN. IT TAKES MANY OF US FULL 3 DAY DETOXES TO CURB CRAVINGS AND GET BACK ON TRACK. BE GENTLE WITH YOURSELF IN YOUR PROCESS.

3. Eating Bad food isn't a deal breaker

I used to get hung up on being rigid with my eating as if that bag of cheetohs was going to end my self worth or future chance for happiness and success. This kind of pressure and cyclical thinking leads to the vicious eating disorder cycle.

Because we are freaking out about caving to a very normal craving, we then binge eat way more than is even enjoyable as we capitalize on our fallen angel status. This not only makes us feel badly about ourselves and worried for our future self control, it also spikes our blood sugar way higher than if we had just enjoyed our chips without the next 4 bags of sabotage.

I now treat food like an Orgasm. The first bite is awesome as is the second and third... Upon the 10th bite, it's not so awesome- so i stop.  I wait until I'm hungry again and can enjoy the awesomeness again maximizing food's pleasure.

Eating slowly & staying present to the pleasure allows us to get the most out of our "splurge food" choices and really maximize our experience while eating half the calories and avoiding a big spike. We'll enjoy it more and give our brain's time to release the "full tummy" signal saving the rest for later when we can love it again.

Don't aim for perfection- it gives food too much power. Aim to correct course as soon as possible & avoid the toxins when we can.

we Deserve to Feel Good.