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.

9 things to know about Narcissists

Narcissists can make you feel crazy. Before you have tools to identify and understand them, you can fall prey to their unaware antics ~ especially if you were raised by one and subconsciously seek them out.

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Here are 9 things to help you recognize, protect against, and have compassion for this personality disorder:

1. They often don’t know they have it.

Narcissists really can’t hear you and truly don’t think it’s them. The idea that they are always right is so needed and their ego so fragile, it’s too damaging to hear anything to the counter.

2. They will always find a way to make it about them.

Conversations circle back to them. Only their feelings matter. While they struggle to feel empathy for another’s plight, they get offended and possibly punishing should you not see the severity of their circumstance. Their agenda, no matter how damaging to your world, are all they can see.

3. They justify whatever is best for them

Narcissists make most of their decisions based on how they feel about something. If they’re bored or depressed, they want to move or end the relationship or start a new business. They look to something or someone outside themselves to solve their feelings and needs. They expect you to go along with their “solutions,” and they react with irritation and resentment if you don’t.

4. They feel very alone and can’t connect

Because of their lack of empathy, and constant need for self-protection, narcissists can’t truly love or connect emotionally with other people. They cannot look at the world from anyone else’s perspective. This makes them emotionally needy.

When one relationship is no longer satisfying, they often overlap relationships or start a new one as soon as possible. They desperately want someone to feel their pain while having little ability to respond to other’s pain or fear.

5. They are terrified of not being enough

Their brain has created this coping mechanism of delusions of grandeur that can be quite dangerous to dispute. Because they need this image of themselves to feel real, anyone that disputes their over inflated self should duck. They have no sense of humor when the joke is on them.

6. They can be quite charming

They are tap dancing for their survival and they need your positive mirroring of their self image to continue on. This makes them quite motivated to gather the likable skills necessary. They know to offer you something as they reach out with an ulterior agenda.

7. There are varying degrees of Narcissism

One can have narcissistic tendencies or have a full blown disorder. I rank it based on the inclination to make it about themselves and the degree of delusion.

If they only keep people around that are their clapping audience and can’t see why one would ever choose what is best for everyone if it conflicts with what is best for them, you’re likely dealing with a narcissist. They can’t fathom anything being more important than their needs.

Trauma can spark a pain-based self absorption in otherwise good people. This is almost it’s own category. This one I call ‘pain-based narcissism’ and I believe it can be reversed depending on how severe and how long ago the trauma happened.

8. Trigger a Narcissist and get ready to apologize

…and swear to never do it again. Be ready to feel like you’re talking to a wall that quickly gets defensive and angry. Full blown Narcissists don’t have a concrete sense of self and usually can’t self soothe well so if you’ve accidentally triggered their protection system, fix it ASAP and release expectations they’ll apologize. They will only escalate the fight and crucify you for daring to bring up the idea of their imperfection.

9. Confront a Narcissist and expect to get ‘Gas Lit’

Gas Lighting is a maddening tactic that turns any fight on their adversary into a way they can win at all costs. It’s called “gas lighting” and truth need not apply. It’s about winning, not reconciling and the facts are not important. Manipulation and bullying tools get employed to throw you off. We’re have a very public political example to study.

They’ll yell louder and bring up non relevant damning details to try to throw you off the main point. You’ll feel like you’re going crazy and your nervous system will be assaulted and wildly triggered. If you’re looking through a healthy lens, you may make the mistake of trying to include fairness or logic to the equation.

This is a mental illness and normal paradigms do not apply. Gas lighting is quite damaging and can undermine your view of reality so get away from a Narcissist that does this if you can.

We also, unfortunately, have a greater chance of developing tendencies ourselves if we were raised by a Narcissist. Self awareness of your tendencies is a great way to know you’re not a full blown Narcissist.

Narcissists have a protective mechanism that keeps them from acknowledging any personal flaws. It’s too painful for them. If you can actually see your self absorbed tendencies, you have a real shot at healing them.

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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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.