by Candice Scott | Jan 20, 2020 | Lifestyle, Nutrition
We have all heard anti inflammatory is the way to go. To avoid x or y to prevent ___. There is so much different information out there how do you know what is right? It can become overwhelming as you start to read it all and try to implement or try different things. Once you hear about one new thing then there is another. Who is with me on this?!
I am going to make it a little easier for you. I have done alot of the research so I am going to lay out the basics. I like lament terms personally so if you are like me in that way then this will help!
First off—- What exactly does anti inflammatory mean?
Lets back up first then make our way to that…. The definition of inflammation “is a localized physical condition in which part of the body becomes reddened, swollen, hot, and often painful, especially as a reaction to injury or infection”. (1) So when you think of it as our bodies defense mechanism meaning, when our immune systems think there is something harmful so it ups its defenses (our white blood cells, immune cells and cytokines). This is suppose to happen, however these things can go into overdrive, and that is where auto immune conditions come into play. For example Rheumatoid Arthritis- the immune system is attacking joints based on different factors putting up defenses to those areas. This happens when things like toxins, or medicines that build up over time in our liver, or having leaky gut occur and harmful substances are in our body for an extended period of time. This would be referred to as chronic inflammation. On the other end of the spectrum though when you get red after your fall or eat something with too much histamine and react by allergies that in turn is an acute inflammation response.
Hopefully that helps somewhat!?
So WHY do we want to choose Anti Inflammatory Foods?
Alot of foods I grew up on like, chips, cookies, boxed meals, or really anything boxed for that matter have artificial preservatives and toxic like chemicals in them (I.E. Corn Oil, High Fructose Corn Syrup, Sodium Benzonate, Artificial Colors and Sweeteners) these things have in some way been linked to cancer, diabetes, thyroid and metabolic damage, etc. So think of what these things are doing to your body when you ingest them. We weren’t made to process this fake stuff… so hello immune response, and if you consume them frequently hello chronic response.
Now this isn’t to say that only foods are the problem for inflammation, our environments such as mold, dust, gasoline and other fumes in the air and then the metals in the tap water we drink and use…. they all play a part too.
We want to add things to our diets and lifestyles that help us. That make us thrive. Our bodies were built for that believe it or not. Many Anti Inflammatory Foods listed below have super antioxidant, vitamin, mineral and nutritional properties that can help combat these harmful pathogens and toxins weve allowed ourselves to have over the years.
The Anti Inflammatory Food List
Eating the right foods that our bodies were made for can help us heal! Foods actually do have healing properties when eaten without any thing like preservatives or chemicals added to them. The ones listed below are just a starting point, but some key things to look for when going to the grocery store.
Some staples to look for or start adding to your diet are:
- Turmeric – a great spice that contains one of the best known things for inflammation curcumin. Curcumin is well known for fighting inflammation within the body. Now just sprinkling a little on your food isn’t going to cut it though. You need it mixed with black pepper and honestly the best is to take it in supplement form.
- Vegetables – Like broccoli, cauliflower and brussels are great for some of their anti inflammatory compounds.
- Organic Leafy Greens – These are rich in antioxidants and polyphenols which are protective compounds (think spinach, kale, collards)
- Organic Cherries and other dark colored berries
- Organic Wild BlueBerries – I love these. These have 2x the antioxidants of normal blueberries. I add them to my smoothie every morning
- Organic Meats/ Poultry/ Fish/ Eggs – be sure to read where they originated from. Whether they were fed corn or soy as many “cage free” varieties are still fed these things which can in turn pass it to us when we ingest it. (For fish look for Wild Caught) The EPA and DHA in fish like salmon and mackerel are great for helping combat inflammation as well.
- Olive oil – (the best being extra virgin for anti inflammatory effects) – contain something called oleocanthal which is shown to have similar effects like taking ibuprofen.
- Avocados – it is basically a superfood as far as I know lol. I love them personally but so does my body. They are packed with magnesium and fiber and healthy monounsaturated fats as well as other things that have been shown to help fight cancer risk.
Ok so what is the takeaway here?
Well for starters lets focus on incorporating some of the foods listed above into our diets. Along with that try to start eliminating or cutting back on soda, burgers, fries, anything with words you cant pronounce on the label.
Is that doable?? I think so!
Another option is to add in some good for you vitamins and whole minerals daily, You can check out some of my favorites here MY FAVORITES . I personally use the Daily Nutritional Support Daily with Wild Blueberries and Spinach. It is a great way to start the day!
As always if you have ANY questions please don’t hesitate to contact me!
-C
*This page may include links with partners that I could receive commissions on.*
by Candice Scott | Jan 13, 2020 | Lifestyle, Motivation
Accountability is showing up.
It’s a means of being consistent, slaying resistance, and doing what is best for you and believing in yourself enough to do so.
We all want to be accountable in all areas of our life. Yet we struggle in some but not so much the others.
The answer: Priorities
It all circles back to what is most important to you (even if you do not realize it). If work is your priority then you will put other things on the back-burner to make sure it gets done. If losing weight is, then it gets top priority on the to do list. If your friends are (this is probably more so in college or highschool) but they would be top of the priority list in ways like hanging out or getting dinner, going on trips etc.
The problem is when we put all our eggs in one basket so to speak, the other areas of our life get less focus and therefore we don’t grow or better ourselves within them.
Making each area within our life somewhat equal if you will (meaning Professional Life, Family Life (relationships), Health and Wellness, Financial Life and Spirituality (believing and having faith in something whatever it may be) will only make us stronger all over.
Stop and think about this- when you have your relationships, your relationships are good you tend to good at work too, when your health is good you are more productive, when you feel good or are hopeful for something you get more done and focus on the good stuff. Am I right? Of course I am!
This is why ACCOUNTABILITY matters so much. If you can hold yourself accountable in each area then you are guaranteed for success in 2020.
I have five different ways to help you get accountable in each of these areas. You can find one of these that works for you and apply it in each area of your life (or maybe just the ones that need work) OR you can use them all. Whatever suits you best.
TOP 5 HACKS –
1- Find an Accountability Partner
- This can be someone or a group or even a program. Something that is going to keep you showing up. It could also mean spending money on someone like a coach or trainer, or a new program to make you use it. When you know someone is waiting for you, or you took a chunk out of your bank account for it, that can compel you to keep showing up. You can join mine – its free!! See below.
2- Focus on one thing to do each week and then add in small to do steps each day to make sure it gets done.
- For example – Say you are trying to save $125 this week (your big goal is to save $500 a month). So you start with doing a budget seeing where you can save money. Then on top of that add any spare change or cash to a box or jar each day. Then take the money you would’ve spent eating out and put it towards it. You could sell something you do not need to go towards it. You could stay overtime at work or do something to make some extra cash. Breaking it down to a daily to do is so much easier to accomplish than just saying I need to save $125 this week.
3- Figure out your why for each goal in each area and keep it front of you. Need more on this? Check out my last blog on your WHY.
- What drives you?? What is the real reason to your big goals. Your goal for wellness is to lose 10 lbs. Why is that? Is it to be able to move better, to decrease your risk for disease? That would be your WHY.
4- Make a big list of about 20-30 things you enjoy doing for YOU, Think self care (like read a book, take a bath, go for a walk, deep breathing, take a cooking class etc).
- EVERY day do atleast 2 of these things. The reason is when you are doing things you enjoy daily you are happier, when you are happier you make smarter choices.
5- Kick resistance -Start noticing when you are resisting doing important things throughout the day
- An example – First thing in the am. Get up when your alarm goes off. Don’t hit snooze.
- Getting on top of resistance and recognizing it and pushing through to be more accountable will only help you decrease stress on yourself, you will see more things happen and you will begin to recognize when you are more prone to resistance and try to bypass it
Being accountable can help us in more ways than we recognize. Small little changes can lead to big results over time. Some of those hacks may not make sense to you now but if you start implementing them now, you will see a big difference in a few months I guarantee it (if you stay accountable that is 😉 )
Learn more about how I can help – HERE.
Join my FREE Facebook Accountability Group – HERE
by Candice Scott | Jan 1, 2020 | Lifestyle, Motivation
New year….new you….. That is a terrible quote/saying.
Do you agree?
Let me explain- you are you for a reason, I am me for a reason. We do not need to try to be something we are not. We need to work on our strengths and improve our weaknesses to be a better version of us. Not a better version of something we are not or think we should be because of society. That is a recipe for unhappiness.
The new year can totally mean improvements though.
The biggest factor in becoming better versions of ourselves is determining our goals or desires for 2020, and then, stopping and thinking what the driving force behind those are. Aka… Your WHY.
You see each of us has desires and things we want. We could want to lose weight, to become debt free, to be stronger, to get a new job or promotion. BUT behind each of those things is a driving force making us want them. Something deeper.
When we figure out what that is, and focus on doing things surrounding that. THAT is when we start succeeding and reaching goals. Not because we have a step by step plant to get there, but because we make small steps that make us feel better, gain confidence in that area and in that process we are able to keep working towards our overall big goals because we do not give up. We grow in the process.
Most goals are not reached because we get frustrated when we do not do one thing right, or two… but when we get frustrated and just give up it does nothing for us. We typically do this because we are ONLY thinking about the weightloss or that promotion. When we think of WHY we want those things and focus on that instead, we tend to keep going.
Here is an example:
Goal
The WHY behind it
- “To be able to play with your grandkids and not get out of breath and decrease risk of health problems”.
The process
- You start by going for a walk 10 minutes a day because you know you 1- enjoy it, 2- you get some self care or you time, 3- it is making you healthier. (if you miss a day because you enjoy it you will go back to it the next day you can and keep moving forward with that habbit)
- As you keep the walks going you eventually bump the time up, and then decide to do a little more and add in strength or resistance training with a group or trainer.
- You then decide to make smarter choices with food because you recognize your progress in the other area after a few weeks, and start adding in more whole foods more days than not during the week.
The Result
- You are building your own confidence by doing something you love or enjoy and as a result it is keeping you showing up. You are focusing on doing something good for you to help you move and feel better….. and as a result you lose weight.
- You are focusing on your WHY and that establishes better habits because you relate it to your wellbeing and happiness.
- Decreasing stress WHILE working towards a goal is a winning situation no matter how you look at it.
- Less stress – less inflammation – feel better – lose weight.
To recap- you need to figure out your why. Your why is what is the deeper meaning behind the big goals you want to achieve. Start with the goal then work backwards. Focus on doing things that keep you focused on your why and the goal will come to fruition.
I suggest taking one major thing in each area of your life –
Health, Professional, Education, Relationships, Spirituality (what ever that might be), Physical, Mental. Have one goal for each, and then work on the why for each. Some may overlap and thats ok. The less you have to focus on the better.
Write down your why and keep it around you, set reminders on your phone, stay focused and atleast set a reminder to reevaluate each month.
If you need help with this my quarterly goal setting printable may help. It does just the thing I am speaking of in working backwards, Check it out – Quarterly Printable
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