Running Motivation: Tips for Runners at Every Level

Apr 11, 2019

Originally published on HVMN by Nate Martins.

You can’t buy motivation. Most runners probably wish they could.

We hit walls. Life can seem to get in the way of running–so having a playbook of motivational techniques is important for runners at every level who are fighting the same battle to log miles.

Running motivation can come in different forms when the finish line isn’t in sight–new running shoes, a new training plan, or even joining a running club. But at its purest, motivation is the human desire to do something; unlocking that desire may be even more difficult than the task itself.

Joshua Sommers finds it within himself–the hedge fund VP is also a triathlete who has competed in over 100 races. When asked what motivates him, he keeps it simple.

“The pursuit of excellence and self-improvement.”
Joshua Sommers

We aren’t all like Joshua, but we can learn from him. In this piece, we’ll explore what types of motivational tools different runners can use, and how they can impact your training–and your life outside of running.

Motivation for Beginner Runners
As a new runner, it can be daunting to look at the miles ahead and know the only way to get there is with your own two feet.

Set a Goal
Begin at the end. Setting a goal provides something a runner can work toward. It can be a number of different things: maybe it’s weight loss, or picking a 5k race, or a certain number of miles a week, or even a half marathon. Whatever that goal is, keep it in mind each time you lace up those sneakers for a jog.

This will also help track progress. Write the goal down and place it somewhere you’ll see it every day, keeping markers of the steps taken to achieve it. After a few weeks, look back at the work accomplished and you’ll be able to see it actualized. See yourself achieving those goals and surpassing them.

Get Social While Holding Yourself Accountable
Incorporating a training partner into your new life as a runner has layered benefits. Finding a running partner will provide an immediate desire to run, even if simply knowing that person is counting on you.

Executing on a training program together, with a shared goal, can increase the level of accountability. Joining a running club or finding a running partner removes the element of choice, the ability to reason with yourself and find ways not to run. Excuses are ever-present, and a good running partner won’t take “no” for an answer.

Even though running is an individual pursuit, clubs and teams are everywhere. Besides the motivational aspect, things like networking and safety and developing a sense of community are all extended benefits of making running social.

Make it Routine

A morning run can ripple positively into the rest of your day. Acute aerobic exercise activates the prefrontal and occipital cortices in the brain, increasing “executive control.” This can help improve cognitive ability and can help control emotion.1 Morning runs can have effects that last into the night, like improving sleep quality.2 And it doesn’t stop there; studies suggest running can have overall health and cognitive benefits, especially later in life.3

Besides the mental and physical benefits, there are less social obligations in the morning. You won’t get stuck at work or be tempted by a happy hour at 6am. Even if you’re not a morning person, you can likely train to become one. Pack all your running gear the night before. Set an alarm and place it across the room, forcing you to skip the snooze button.

Developing a morning running routine provides a nice reset of the body’s clock; it can feel like adding hours to the day. Another benefit? A solid training schedule can positively impact your regular schedule.

Ted Bross is a newly-graduated medical student starting his residency. He has participated in almost 30 ultra marathons, and developing a running habit helped him with medical school.

“Part of what helps me get through several of the mental stressors of medical school is pushing my body physically and relieving that stress. It makes me more of a disciplined athlete and is something that has given me a lot in my life.”
Ted Bross

Develop a Training Plan
Checking boxes on a training plan can feel really good. It also answers some of the mental questions runners ask themselves before setting out: Where should I go? How long should I run? What pace am I aiming for? Just look at the running program, where it’s all outlined. Remember to develop your training plan in alignment with those goals you’ve set. And try to incorporate one long run per week.

A comprehensive training plan should incorporate all aspects of your routine. Account for extra pre-run warm-ups and post-run stretches. Add in weekly or monthly goals. Budget some days off. Your training plan doesn’t have to be a bible, but should be a document frequently returned to, and one around which other aspects of life can be considered.

“I train on average for about ten sessions a week, for a total of ten hours a week,” Sommers said. “I’m spending all this time on it, so I want to get the most out of my workouts.”

Motivation for Experienced Runners
There’s a fine line between getting into a groove and finding yourself in a rut.

Buy Some New Gear

Sometimes you need to pick low-hanging fruit. Purchasing some new running clothes, like a new pair of running shoes or running shorts, can provide motivation to run and test all that new gear. Depending on what you buy, it may also improve your training (like a fitness tracker).

New gear can also serve as a reward; small goals can be treated as important steps to accomplishing larger goals.

There’s also the “gear guilt.” Shiny new toys should be used instead of sitting in the back of a closet. Some may think using money as a type of running motivation is shallow, but there are few drivers in life like cold hard cash.

Introduce Supplements
So much of success when running comes before (and after) feet hit the pavement. Nutrition should be looked at holistically, because supplements can provide a boost during the run and also help with recovery.

“Especially in the longer races, figuring out nutrition is something most people don’t spend enough time on.”
Ted Bross

Pre-run supplements include caffeine for energy, calcium for bone health and even creatine to reduce muscle inflammation. Post-run, focus on protein for muscle recovery and fish oil to reduce muscle soreness.

HVMN Ketone, a ketone ester drink, can be used both as a pre-run supplement and a recovery mechanism. By elevating ketone levels in the blood, HVMN Ketone unlocks a fuel source the body produces naturally, one fundamentally different from carbohydrates or fats. Post-workout, taking HVMN Ketone can expedite the resynthesis of glycogen (by 60%) and protein (by 2x), which enable faster recovery.4,5

Cross Train

Varying training can provide easy motivation to try a new sport–one you know can improve your running–and it’ll also keep you active on days you’re not running. It can also supplement during rehabilitation periods from physical injury, and improve overall physical performance.6

Specifically, cross training can improve VO2 Max capacity (the measurement of the maximum amount of oxygen utilized during intense exercise).6 Swimming and cycling are great choices, but things like yoga can also increase flexibility and balance.7

By introducing strength workouts or cross training into your regimen, motivation can be found in presenting new challenges and accomplishing new goals.

Switch Up Locations
Don’t become a running rodent. Running on a treadmill can feel like a hamster on a wheel, just like running the same path multiple times a week can feel Groundhog Day-esque. The essence of running harkens back to being outside, and in a more spiritual sense, connecting with the space in which you’re traversing.

It’s easy to feel invigorated by discovering a new place or hitting a new distance, so trail running or cross country running are always good motivators for the simple fact that they place you out of your element. The simple feeling of dirt under the feet and soaking up the essence of the trail provides an immediate lift and motivation.

We’ve also heard from runners that there’s something special about running in the rain (even if it’s the last thing you want to do). It presents a new challenge, and almost a primal sense of motivation; you’re miles away from home, and the only way to return is to run back. Your heart is pounding, you smell the rain, each wet step is experienced in a totally new way–it’s an hour that can feel different than all the other hours in the day.

Motivation for Advanced Runners
Advanced runners can have the most difficult time finding motivation because running is such a part of their life that it becomes an unquestioned obligation.

Remember (and Embrace) the Pain and Vulnerability
Stop and ask yourself: Why do I run? If running has become numbly intrinsic, this question can serve as a reinvigorating reminder to look within and remember why you fell in love with running in the first place.

Because running is hard; it hurts; it requires time; it takes mental fortitude. Some might think this is admitting defeat–but reminding yourself that you’re accomplishing something difficult can inspire you to keep going.

In a physical sense, powerful running comes from your core. So, in essence, you’re running from the gut. There’s something vulnerable about exposing yourself in that way, and showcasing the ability to be broken down (and thus built back up).

It can all come to a head at the end of a race. Ted Bross has been there.

“You share some really special moments. You’re pretty raw emotionally, when you get broken down physically there’s less barrier to connect with people.”
Ted Bross

Ditch the Tech (This Includes Music)
Technological tools have forever changed running, giving anyone the opportunity to track pace and miles and calories burned. These also changed training by providing actionable targets to hit and measure performance.

Select one day to run untethered by technology. It can serve as a great way to reconnect with the simple joy of running, ditching the gadgets to escape the metrics. Sometimes you have to operate on feel, and it can be motivating to find that energy within yourself instead of hitting a number on your wrist. Some of your best runs aren’t necessarily your fastest.

Many of us train with music, but that can act as a barrier between you and the world in which you’re running. If you’re participating in a race that doesn’t allow music, it’s especially beneficial to train without tunes and run to the beat of your own pace.

Improve Your Diet

Seeing results provides motivation to continue working. The results garnered from eating healthy show themselves in training. While carb-loading has been a staple of many runners’ race day routines, growing evidence suggests that a periodized approach to nutrition is optimal, especially for long distance races. For example, a marathon runner might undertake periods of training with a low-carb, high-fat diet, to boost fat burning followed by maximizing carb fueling for a race.

Exercise after an overnight fast can also increase fat oxidation,8 which can help with weight loss and, when the body gets better at burning fat, it can also help increase endurance.

Taking HVMN Ketone can provide some of the benefits of ketosis without the necessary dieting or extreme fasting.

“My diet isn’t as good as I would like it to be,” admitted Sommers. “But that’s more a function of time and other stress factors, like if I’m traveling or if I don’t have time to cook what I want.”

Even the most elite triathletes struggle to incorporate diet into life.

Trying a new diet can have results both in training and recovery, and noticing the difference provides a motivation to continue pushing your personal best with newfound fuel. But that happens on an even smaller level. Incorporate a new fruit or vegetable into your diet.

Haven’t had Brussel sprouts since your grandma served them boiled? Give them another try (and maybe try roasting them) and fold in more vegetables over the course of your training.

Even for those unwilling to make extreme dietary changes, there are incremental benefits to be had by cutting back on refined sugars, avoiding seed oils and getting plenty of omega 3s.

Enjoy the Small Wins
Advanced runners arrive at a point where they can only improve so much. It’s a point of fear for many–that they’ll plateau, and eventually decline.

So the small wins are important to celebrate. Seconds off your mile pace, or increased weight while strength training or even a feeling of energy after a run–individually these are small, but together they can make a big impact. The world’s elite athletes understand the power in recognizing small successes.

Testing of HVMN Ketone illustrated that athletes go ~2% further in a 30 minute time trial.9 That can mean the difference between placing on race day and looking up at the podium, a desire shared by the crop of marathoners and cyclists and NFL teams and world champions in boxing and MMA who are all using HVMN Ketone.

Accomplishing small wins while training provides a motivation to keep achieving them, and the confidence they’ll translate to race day.

Motivation is an Endless Cycle
Remember: motivation comes and goes. But recognizing when you’ve lost motivation is almost as important as getting it back.

The struggle challenges all different levels–from beginner to expert runners. On the running journey, goals will be accomplished, routines will become stale, good habits will wane. This is all part of the process.

Finding the ability to motivate yourself won’t just improve your running. It’ll improve your life overall, and some of these strategies should translate to life off the running road.

Go forth. Run. And maybe find a bit of yourself in the process.

Scientific Citations

1.	Lin Li, Wei-Wei Men, Yu-Kai Chang, Ming-Xia Fan, Liu Ji, Gao-Xia Wei. Acute Aerobic Exercise Increases Cortical Activity during Working Memory: A Functional MRI Study in Female College Students. 2014; 9(6): e99222. 10.1371/journal.pone.0099222
2.	Kimberly Fairbrother, Ben Cartner, Jessica R Alley, Chelsea D Curry, David L Dickinson, David M Morris, and Scott R Collier. Effects of exercise timing on sleep architecture and nocturnal blood pressure in prehypertensives. Vasc Health Risk Manag. 2014; 10: 691–698. doi: 10.2147/VHRM.S73688
3.	Carl W.Cotman, Nicole C.Berchtold. Exercise: a behavioral intervention to enhance brain health and plasticity. Trends in Neurosciences Volume 25, Issue 6, 1 June 2002, Pages 295-301. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0166-2236(02)02143-4
4.	Holdsworth, D.A., Cox, P.J., Kirk, T., Stradling, H., Impey, S.G., and Clarke, K. (2017). A Ketone Ester Drink Increases Postexercise Muscle Glycogen Synthesis in Humans. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
5.	Vandoorne, T., De Smet, S., Ramaekers, M., Van Thienen, R., De Bock, K., Clarke, K., and Hespel, P. (2017). Intake of a Ketone Ester Drink during Recovery from Exercise Promotes mTORC1 Signaling but Not Glycogen Resynthesis in Human Muscle. Front. Physiol. 8, 310.
6.	Tanaka, H. Effects of cross-training. Transfer of training effects on VO2max between cycling, running and swimming. Sports Med. 1994 Nov;18(5):330-9.
7.	M Jay Polsgrove, Brandon M Eggleston, and Roch J Lockyer. Impact of 10-weeks of yoga practice on flexibility and balance of college athletes. Int J Yoga. 2016 Jan-Jun; 9(1): 27–34. doi: 10.4103/0973-6131.171710
8.	Patrick Bennard, Éric Doucet. Acute effects of exercise timing and breakfast meal glycemic index on exercise-induced fat oxidation. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2006, 31(5): 502-511, https://doi.org/10.1139/h06-027
9.	Cox, P.J., Kirk, T., Ashmore, T., Willerton, K., Evans, R., Smith, A., Murray, Andrew J., Stubbs, B., West, J., McLure, Stewart W., et al. (2016). Nutritional Ketosis Alters Fuel Preference and Thereby Endurance Performance in Athletes. Cell Metabolism 24, 1-13.

Muscle Recovery: Essential to Your Next Workout

Apr 6, 2019

Originally published on HVMN by Nate Martins.

The moment every athlete wants to avoid.

POP!

A muscle gives at the gym or on the track, leading to weeks of rehab. Sometimes it’s not even a single moment, but rather, countless hours of overuse that leads a muscle to strain or tear.

To avoid rehab, athletes need to be thinking about pre-hab. Get ahead of an injury before it happens.
Muscle recovery should be part of every training plan (specifically post-workout). But there are multiple strategies athletes can employ that lead to muscle health–even things like diet can impact how your muscles recover. Knowing what to do, and when to do it, can help avoid the injuries that’ll set you back weeks.

Why is Recovery Important?

An important goal of every training session is to break down muscle. Without recovery, a significant portion of that work might be a waste of time. So, what exactly happens during recovery? That’ll depend on the person and activity, but generally, four different things are happening while you’re resting.

Synthesis of protein: This is what leads to muscle growth. During recovery is when most muscle is built, because muscle protein synthesis increases by 50% four hours after a workout (like resistance training).1

Rebuilding of muscle fibers:

Microtears in muscle fibers are a normal part of exercise, happening when we put strain on our muscles. Recovery allows these fibers to heal and become stronger during that process.

Fluid restoration:

We sweat (and lose a lot of fluid through exhaled air).2 Hydrating before, during and after a workout is important, because these fluids help deliver nutrients to organs and muscle through the bloodstream.
Removal of metabolic waste products:

Acids (via that pesky little proton associated with lactate) accumulate during a workout, and recovery gives the body time to restore intramuscular pH and reestablish intramuscular blood flow for oxygen delivery (among other things).

While you’re resting, your muscles kick into overdrive.

Recovery can be attacked several ways–some may be surprising, because they don’t directly target the muscles themselves. By approaching recovery through a few different avenues, it can be optimized.

Consuming Your Way to Recovery

It may not seem obvious, but a combination of hydration, diet, and supplements can do wonders for the muscles.

Hydration: During and After Exercise

Drinking fluids is a mantra repeated by coaches everywhere for good reason: muscles are 75% water.

Before and during exercise, hydration is key to maintaining fluid balance and can even improve endurance (it’s equally important to not over-consume water as well).3,4 But post-workout, consuming enough water is vital to helping digest essential nutrients and repairing damaged muscle.

The sought after protein resynthesis requires muscles be well-hydrated. And coupled with post-workout eating, saliva–which is comprised mostly of water–is necessary to help break down food, digest, and absorb all the nutrients you’re hoping to receive. In one study, adequate hydration after a 90-minute run on a treadmill showed significantly faster heart rate recovery;5 this illustrates that hydrated bodies recover from exercise-induced stress faster.

Don’t rely on the age-old test of urine to determine if you’re hydrated; that has been debunked.6

A good rule of thumb is to weigh yourself before and after a workout, drinking 1.5x the amount of weight lost.

Diet: Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat All Work Together
Nailing the right nutrition strategy post-workout can encourage quicker recovery, reduce soreness, build muscle, improve immunity and replenish glycogen.

Your next workout starts within the hour your last workout ended.

Since exercise triggers the breakdown of muscle protein, 7 it’s beneficial to consume an adequate amount of protein after a workout. Protein provides the body with necessary amino acids needed to repair and rebuild, while also promoting the development of new muscle tissue.8

Good sources of protein include: whey protein, whole eggs, cheese and smoked salmon.

Carbohydrates have a similarly important effect–they replenish glycogen stores. The type of exercise will depend on how much carbohydrate is needed. Consuming about 0.5 – 0.7 grams of carbohydrate per pound of bodyweight within 30 minutes of training can result in adequate glycogen resynthesis.7 Insulin secretion promotes glycogen synthesis, and is more stimulated when carbs and protein are consumed simultaneously.9

Carb sources are everywhere; but look to slow-release sources such as sweet potatoes, fruit, pasta and rice.

Fat shouldn’t be the main focus of an after workout meal, but should be part of it. Good fat sources include avocados and nuts. Milk is also a popular choice; one study found whole milk was more effective at promoting muscle growth than skim milk.10

Supplements: Protein, BCAAs and Omega-3s Build Muscle and Reduce Inflammation

We’ve outlined which supplements runners should take; it’s best to focus on protein, BCAAs and omega-3s–all these supplements help optimize muscle recovery.

While most athletes think protein is best left to bodybuilders, protein can repair the muscle damage that occurs during a workout, reduce the response from the “stress hormone” cortisol, and speed up glycogen replacement. Protein also accelerates the resolution of muscle inflammation.11,12

Whey, casein and soy are some of the most popular proteins. Whey is absorbed the fastest by the body, and is largely considered the most effective protein for muscle protein synthesis.13 Casein protein is geared more toward long-term recovery because it takes hours to absorb. Try introducing whey immediately post-workout, while using casein protein before bed; protein ingestion before sleep has been shown to stimulate muscle protein synthesis.14

Serious athletes should be taking about one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.

If someone doesn’t consume enough protein, branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) can be a useful supplement.

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. During exercise, the body breaks down protein into amino acids; those are absorbed and transported through the body to create new proteins that encourage building muscle. BCAAs help enhance muscle protein recovery by introducing more amino acids into the body. They preserve muscle glycogen stores, which fuel the muscles and minimize protein breakdown. Studies show BCAAs as effective for muscle recovery (as well as immune system regulation).15

Omega-3s, found in fish oils, have anti-inflammatory properties that help sore muscles.16 Kado-3, by HVMN, is a supercharged krill and fish oil stack designed to assist daily brain and body metabolism. Ingredients in Kado-3 work together; like astaxanthin oil (a powerful antioxidant) to fight against the buildup of free radicals, and Vitamins K and D to protect bone health.17,18,19

HVMN Ketone can also help muscle recovery. Those using HVMN Ketone have seen decreases in the breakdown of intramuscular glycogen and protein during exercise when compared to carbs alone.20 It also expedited the resynthesis of glycogen by 60% and protein by 2x when added to normal carb / protein post-workout fuel.21,22

Resting Your Way to Recovery

Rest should be accounted for in any training program.

Sleep: A Necessary Reset

On its face, sleep should be the easiest way to recover. One study found that lack of sleep can lead to muscle degradation.23 But many find it difficult to get the ideal seven-to-nine hours per night.

Sleep improves other facets of health that tangentially affect muscle recovery; the central nervous system (CNS) also recuperates during sleep, which is important for muscles, because the CNS triggers muscle contractions and reaction time. Hormones like cortisol and testosterone, which produce protein synthesis, are also working while we sleep.

To help optimize sleep, it’s important to set a routine.

Our screens can negatively impact sleep,24 so 60 – 90 minutes of screenless time before bed can do wonders. The blue light emitted from our devices tricks the brain into thinking it’s daytime and we need to be awake, decreasing our natural melatonin.
It’s also important to create an optimal environment for sleep. Things like blackout curtains, a cooler temperature setting in the bedroom, or a quality mattress can all encourage better, more restful sleep.

Rest Days: Muscles Don’t Take Breaks, But You Should

On a much smaller scale, what’s happening during sleep is also happening on rest days. Work rest days into your training program because they give the body time to repair tissues that have been broken down.25

Depleted muscle energy stores, micro-tears, fluid loss–all the things that happen during a workout need time to recuperate and grow stronger.

Recovery time depends on your specific routine. Runners can have an especially difficult time doing this. For highly active runners who log miles six days per week, they should also incorporate recovery runs. About half of these runs should be at recovery pace, a slower less-strenuous pace that allows the body to recycle lactate as it’s produced. By increasing blood flow, recovery runs may actually accelerate the recovery process.

Also try to avoid intense workouts or hard runs on back-to-back days. Complete rest days vary by person, but a good goal is one or two rest days every week or ten days. Injury-prone athletes may increase the number of complete rest days during this period.

Techniques & Exercises for Recovery

Let’s get into the specifics of what you can do to help the body recover faster. By using exercises targeted at certain muscles, not only will those muscles recover faster–they’ll also get stronger in the process.

Active Recovery: Getting Stronger and Building Muscle

This type of recovery focuses on exercise intensity at low-to-moderate levels. Studies have shown that it’s best for the performance of endurance athletes.26 Active recovery is successful mostly due to its ability to more rapidly remove blood lactate, facilitating blood flow and giving the body the ability to process excess lactate produced during periods of intense exercise.27

Cross training is also a great way to engage in active recovery while enhancing aerobic fitness without putting the body through the same stress as your normal workouts. Try:

Cycling: The motion is similar to running without the joint impact. Ride at an easy pace in the low-intensity zone (around 120 – 140 heart rate)
Yoga: A beginner’s class should do just fine. Practicing basic yoga through online videos is sufficient, using poses such as sun salutation (to boost circulation and release tightness) and warriors one and two (to activate thigh and calf muscles while helping stretch hips)
Plyometrics: Even 15 – 30 minutes of bodyweight exercises can help boost circulation while stretching muscles. They’ve even been shown to increase sprint performance.28 Try exercises like planks, calf raises and lunges

Ice Baths: Taking the Plunge

Some athletes and coaches swear by ice baths, with trainers mandating post-practice cold water immersion (CWI). They consider ice baths essential to helping tired muscles, and feeling better for the next intense training sessions.

The idea here is that cold therapy constricts blood vessels and decreases metabolic activity, reducing swelling and tissue breakdown, flushing metabolic debris from the muscle.

But one study showcased that the “hypothesized physiological benefits surrounding CWI are at least partly placebo related.”29 This suggests that if you think ice baths help, then they may have a beneficial impact on recovery and subsequent training.

If you’d like to try an ice bath, fill a tub or large container with water, enough to submerge your hips. Add enough ice so the temperature of the water drops to about 55 degrees. Then sit in the bath for about 15 minutes.

Stretching & Foam Rolling: Increase Range of Motion

Stretching is important both before and after a workout because exercise can shorten muscles, decreasing mobility. Stretching helps flexibility, allowing muscles and joints to work in their full range of motion.30 One study found that hamstring flexibility led to increased muscle performance.31

Post-workout stretches are often forgotten by athletes in a rush, but it’s essential to account for these stretches in a training schedule. Generally, it’s best to hold stretches for about 30 seconds and repeat each once or twice. Target these muscles, which usually take a beating from a variety of workouts:

Piriformis
Chest and Anterior Deltoids
Hamstrings
Lats
Quads
Lower Back

Complementary to stretching, foam rollers help sore muscles,32 and they can be used on almost every muscle in the body.

Our muscles go through a constant state of breakdown, then repair. Fascia, the connective tissue surrounding our muscles, gets thick and short over time because the body is attempting to protect itself from more damage. Sometimes, trigger points form–sore spots, caused by fascia contraction, need release.

Ultimately, this affects range of movement and causes soreness.

Foam rolling (called myofascial release) can help release those muscular trigger points, and as one study found, can lead to overall improvement in athletic performance.33 The result is decreased muscle and joint pain, and increased mobility.

Selecting a foam roller depends on your needs; a larger roller can allow you fuller sessions (meaning, if it’s large enough, you can lie on the foam roller and do some great shoulder / upper back workouts). A denser roller will also mean a more intense massage.

Target these often overused areas: glutes, iliotibial band (IT band), lower back, shoulders and sides.

Technology: All the Data You Need

While technology and wearables can’t directly help with recovery, they’re able to gather important data that may inform recovery techniques. Being able to track aspects of training, sleep, heart rate and hydration can provide insight into how the best tackle specificities of recovery.

Hydration: Wearables like Nobo B60 and Hydra Alert help monitor hydration through different means, but mostly through sensors. Nobo is like a watch, mounted to the wrist or calf, while the Hydra Alert is placed in a urinal or toilet to monitor hydration through urine. However, many of these types of devices haven’t been independently validated for accuracy.
Training: It seems there are countless devices to measure training. The IMeasureU is versatile, using motion data to track training. Similar to hydration wearables though, there isn’t clinical validation for this technology.
Heart Rate and Breathing: The Hexoskin is like a smart t-shirt with electrocardiogram (ECG) and breathing sensors, along with an accelerometer. This measures heart rate, heart rate variability, breathing rate, steps, etc.
Sleep: Many training devices also can monitor sleep. These devices can illuminate what we don’t know happens during our sleep, and can also showcase our sleeping patterns to help us understand why we may be waking up so tired. The Fitbit Charge 2 is especially responsive to monitoring sleep, and has been validated through a third-party study.34

Understanding our inputs with data provides us with a way to maximize our outputs and reach peak performance–even in recovery.

Recovery is the First Step to Better Training

Recovery takes time and dedication; it often gets overlooked in workout schedules because it isn’t accounted for.

Active recovery, sleep, diet, and supplements like HVMN Ketone can be used to kickstart the recovery process and make training more effective.

The best training starts with mindful recovery to help muscles rebuild for the next training session. This, ultimately, can improve training by putting your body in the best position to perform. The process of muscle breakdown happens during exercise; immediately after, the process of muscle restoration and strengthening begins–you could be compromising gainful training by skipping these all-important techniques to help the body rebuild.

Scientific Citations

1.	MacDougall JD, Gibala MJ, Tarnopolsky MA, MacDonald JR, Interisano SA, Yarasheski KE. The time course for elevated muscle protein synthesis following heavy resistance exercise. Can J Appl Physiol. 1995 Dec;20(4):480-6.
2.	Mitchell, J W. Nadel, E R. Stolwijk, J. A. J. Respiratory water losses during exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology 32(4):474-6. May 1972.
3.	Montner P, Stark D M, Riedesel M L, Murata G, Robergs R, Timms M, Chick T W. Pre-Exercise Glycerol Hydration Improves Cycling Endurance Time. Int J Sports Med 1996; 17(1): 27-33.
4.	Hew-Butler T, Rosner M H, Fowkes-Godek S, et al. Statement of the Third International Exercise-Associated Hyponatremia Consensus Development Conference, Carlsbad, California, 2015. Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine: July 2015 – Volume 25 – Issue 4 – p 303–320.
5.	Moreno I L, Vanderlei L C M, Pastre C M, Vanderlei F M, Carlos de Abreu L, Ferreira C. Cardiorespiratory effects of water ingestion during and after exercise. Int Arch Med. 2013; 6: 35. Published online 2013 Sep 23.
6.	Heneghan C, Gill P, O’Neill B, Lasserson D, Thake M, Thompson M, Howick J. Mythbusting sports and exercise products. BMJ 2012;345:e4848.
7.	Kerksick C, Harvey T, Stout J, et al. International Society of Sports Nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2008 Oct 3;5:17.
8.	Biolo G, Tipton KD, Klein S, Wolfe RR. An abundant supply of amino acids enhances the metabolic effect of exercise on muscle protein. Am J Physiol. 1997 Jul;273(1 Pt 1):E122-9.
9.	Rasmussen BB, Tipton KD, Miller SL, Wolf SE, Wolfe RR. An oral essential amino acid-carbohydrate supplement enhances muscle protein anabolism after resistance exercise. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2000 Feb;88(2):386-92.
10.	Elliot TA, Cree MG, Sanford AP, Wolfe RR, Tipton KD. Milk ingestion stimulates net muscle protein synthesis following resistance exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2006 Apr;38(4):667-74.
11.	Rieu I, Balage M, Sornet C, Giraudet C, Pujos E, Grizard J, Mosoni L, Dardevet D. Leucine supplementation improves muscle protein synthesis in elderly men independently of hyperaminoacidaemia. The Journal of Physiology, 08 August 2006.
12.	Yang C, Jiao Y, Wei B, Yang Z, Wu JF, Jensen J, Jean WH,4, Huang CY, Kuo CH. Aged cells in human skeletal muscle after resistance exercise. Aging (Albany NY). 2018 Jun 27;10(6):1356-1365.
13.	Tang J E, Moore D R, Kujbida G W, Tarnopolsky M A, Phillips S M. Ingestion of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate: effects on mixed muscle protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in young men. American Physiological Society. 01 September 2009.
14.	Res P T, Groen B, Pennings B, Beelen M, Wallis G A, Gijsen A P , Senden J M G, Van Loon L J C. Protein Ingestion before Sleep Improves Postexercise Overnight Recovery. 0195-9131/12/4408-1560/0 MEDICINE & SCIENCE IN SPORTS & EXERCISE Copyright 2012 by the American College of Sports Medicine.
15.	Negro M, Giardina S, Marzani B, Marzatico F. Branched-chain amino acid supplementation does not enhance athletic performance but affects muscle recovery and the immune system. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2008 Sep;48(3):347-51.
16.	Mori T A, Beilin L J. Omega-3 fatty acids and inflammation. Current Atherosclerosis Reports November 2004, Volume 6, Issue 6, pp 461–467.
17.	Barros MP, Poppe SC, Bondan EF. Neuroprotective properties of the marine carotenoid astaxanthin and omega-3 fatty acids, and perspectives for the natural combination of both in krill oil. Nutrients. 2014 Mar 24;6(3):1293-317.
18.	Pashkow FJ, Watumull DG, Campbell CL. Astaxanthin: a novel potential treatment for oxidative stress and inflammation in cardiovascular disease. Am J Cardiol. 2008 May 22;101(10A):58D-68D.
19.	Machlin L J , Bendich A. Free radical tissue damage: protective role of antioxidant nutrients. The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Vol. 1, No. 6 December 1987.
20.	Holdsworth, D.A., Cox, P.J., Kirk, T., Stradling, H., Impey, S.G., and Clarke, K. (2017). A Ketone Ester Drink Increases Postexercise Muscle Glycogen Synthesis in Humans. Med Sci Sports Exerc.
21.	Stubbs, B.Cox, P.; Evans, R.; Santer, P.; Miller, J.; Faull, O.; Magor-Elliott, S.; Hiyama, S.; Stirling, M.; Clarke, K. (2017). On the metabolism of exogenous ketones in humans. Front. Physiol.
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24.	Exelmans L, Van den Bulck J .Bedtime mobile phone use and sleep in adults. Soc Sci Med. 2016 Jan;148:93-101.
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What You Need To Know About The Emergency 911 System

Jan 14, 2018

The 911 system was originally designed for landline telephones, transmitting your call and your location instantly over a hard-wired connection.

Today’s cellphone system is not designed to automatically send location data when you dial 911. After the call comes in, the dispatcher’s computer transmits a digital request to the cellphone network seeking to find the phone’s location. The data exchange has to go through a process that can take seconds or even minutes. Sometimes, it doesn’t return a location at all.

REFERENCE AND FULL ARTICLE
911’s deadly flaw: Lack of location data

Stretching Out of Your Comfort Zones

Sep 20, 2017

Whether we realize it or not, most of us live within a prison of our own making. This prison doesn’t have metal bars, nor can its walls be seen with our physical eyes. However, it is every bit as powerful in keeping us from our freedom as a real life prison cell.

And what is this spiritual prison? It’s called our comfort zone.

Comfort zones have the ability to metamorphosis into a variety of different forms — from the geographical area in which you live to the circle of people with whom you interact, to the amount of money you earn.

The primary energy that keeps you living within the confines of your comfort zone is your belief about what will happen if you move outside it. This belief is based in fear, and we all have them.

Regardless of how irrational or unrealistic that belief may be, you will accept it as truth depending on the level of certainty you need.

Your comfort zone is not actually comfortable at all, but in reality is a virtual prison that keeps you from growing and transforming as a human being.

The bars to that prison are made up of your fears. They may be fears about what may possibly happen if you move beyond them or fear of the unknown… Subsequently, the key to your freedom lies in the removal of the underlying beliefs that cause those fears to remain alive.

Just for a moment, think about a goal or dream you have that seems out of reach somehow. Now check to see if achieving it requires that you move out of your comfort zone and into unfamiliar territory, which is located in the land of the unknown and the uncertain.

It could be a dream job, a new relationship, starting your own business, losing weight, or living in a completely different part of the world.

As you practice this exercise, notice how a subtle feeling of fear, anxiety, or nervousness begins to emerge in your head, chest, or stomach area.

This is your unconscious mind springing into action, whose intention is to dissuade you from doing anything it perceives may put you in danger. This comes from the amygdala, the part of the brain that experiences emotion and wants to keep you safe.

More often than not, you won’t notice the constant influence your comfort zone plays in your life, and you may find yourself placing the blame for your lack of progress towards your goals, or laziness or procrastination.

However, if you stop to consider why you aren’t able to get that item crossed off your to-do list, make that phone call, or fill out that application, you may begin to recognize the true cause: What you want to do is outside your comfort zone.

It is your subconscious beliefs that direct your mind to do this; therefore, in order to break through your self-imposed limitations and achieve the success you deserve, you will need to remove them.

And the best way to remove an unproductive belief is to replace it with a productive one. This doesn’t occur over night, but like replacing an unconstructive habit with a constructive habit, it takes time, practice, and patience.

Shan White, a certified life coach, helps women heals themselves from the trauma of divorce by putting their lives back together piece by piece.
Sign up for a complimentary “Divorce Recovery Strategy Session” at:
Email: shancoaches@comcast.net
Office: 719-388-8758

Website: http://www.WomensPeakPerformanceCoaching.com

12 Health Benefits of Cantaloupe, According to Science (+6 Delicious Recipes)

May 5, 2017

A perfect summer fruit, cantaloupe has far-reaching benefits for the human body. They’re abundant in vitamins, antioxidants, potassium, fiber, and folate.

It’s a wonder why you haven’t yet devoured this delicious and healthy fruit, if you really haven’t! Cantaloupes boast of not only taste, but they’re great natural supplements for a healthy diet. They contain folate which has positive effects of brain function and metabolic growth. The carotenoids are good for treating age-related disorders and many types of cancer. Whereas, the water soluble vitamins help repair tissue wounds and are powerful in fighting free radical damage in the body. (1)

What you didn’t already know about cantaloupes, I’ve discussed in detail here. So, let’s begin!

1. Cantaloupes Prevent Age-Related Macular Degeneration

Carotenoids are powerful compounds present in cantaloupes. They help prevent and treat age-induced macular degeneration.

Macular degeneration is a top agent for permanent blindness. It leads to the deterioration of the macula, which is the primary centre of the retina of the eye. The macula is responsible for visual sharpness.

As the person ages, blurred vision is the major symptom of macular degeneration. Eyesight is an important sign for people over the age of 60. With proper medication, lifestyle, and vision aids, you can alleviate vision stress and age-related eye disorders. (2)

For that you need a daily intake of carotenoids, which are present in abundance in cantaloupes. Even though there is no long-standing cure for macular degeneration, you can resist impaired vision with the help of a few healthy lifestyle choices.

It decreases the risk of developing certain eye diseases. Carotenoids contain lutein and zeaxanthin which is considered to be powerful agents for protecting the eye from macular degeneration symptoms, which often lead to permanent blindness. (3)

Key Takeaway: Eating cantaloupes regularly may have the potential of preventing age-induced macular degeneration in older adults. With the help of carotenoids, there’s significant reduction of inflammation in people who are more likely to suffer from eye disease.

2. The Water-Soluble Vitamins in Cantaloupes Promote Healthy Tissue Growth

Tissue growth and tissue healing requires the proliferation of collagen strength for damaged skin cells and tissue. With proper nutritive supplements, you can heal wounds faster and accelerate the growth of tissue cells for natural activity.

Cantaloupes contain a good amount of vitamin C which is beneficial for treating skin wounds and for tissue growth. Vitamin C supplements are used for treating wounds faster. Plus, they’re consumed by patients as a pre-treatment and pro-treatment for an surgical situation.

Vitamin C has many surprising benefits for the human body. They enhance iron absorption, reduce inflammation, fight cancer, and prevent diabetes. All this put together show that vitamins are essential for your everyday life.

A stronger immune system calls for strong muscles, tissues, and cell recovery. So eating cantaloupes on a daily basis is beneficial for patients who have just undergone surgery or are injured. (4)

These water-soluble vitamins repairs tissue, accelerates their growth, and blocks any age-related damage in the skin tissues and blood vessels.

Key Takeaway: Vitamin C plays a very important role for proper tissue repair and growth in the human body. It is needed to making tissues more immune to damage and to heal faster. Cantaloupes have such powerful vitamins in abundance, hence it’s essential to consume sufficient amounts of it for the optimal growth and repair of tissues.

3. Eating Cantaloupes May Improve Your Gastrointestinal Health

Gastrointestinal disorders include digestive problems, abdominal pain, heartburn, irregular bowel movements, constipation, liver diseases, and metabolic problems.

The main cause of such disorders is presence of harmful bacteria in the body.

Digestive enzymes are responsible for breaking down multiple nutrients including proteins, minerals, vitamins, carbohydrates, and fats for adequate nutrient absorption in the bloodstream. These nutrients are then transferred to various organs in the body for proper functioning. Any disruption in the way food absorption takes place can cause serious ramifications for digestive or gastrointestinal health. (5)

Cantaloupes contain a good amount of potassium which is linked with gastrointestinal health and disease. Potassium is one of most essential nutrients for your body’s maintenance. It lowers blood pressure, increases nerve stimulation, and is good for water retention in the body. (6)

For defending against gastrointestinal diseases, potassium restricts bacterial growth and accelerates proper sodium and water absorption in the body. Potassium deficiency often leads to kidney failure and intestinal digestion in the body.

Key Takeaway: Potassium protects the body against bloating and water retention. It prevents gastrointestinal health by promoting better food absorption in the bloodstream. Cantaloupes are considered good foods for optimal gut health.

4. Cantaloupes Possess Cancer-Fighting Properties

Cantaloupe is a nutritive alkaline fruit that is high in folate, fiber, and minerals. With its low cholesterol levels and saturated fat levels, it’s one of the most effective ways to treat different types of cancer.

The carotenoids present in cantaloupes have a direct link with prostate cancer, according to a study. Proper intake of this compound shows reducing levels of prostate cancer and its prevention. (7)

Another study showed that the antioxidant property of carotenoids isolate cancer cells proliferation from the body. It helps in chemoprevention in cancer patients. (8)

On the other hand, folate also plays an important role in cancer prevention. It causes incredible DNA repair and is vital for healthy cell proliferation. Regular intake of folate can restrict tumor growth in people with a higher risk of developing cancer cells. (9)

You need something powerful to defend your body against excessive inflammation caused due to free radical which is a major agent of cancer. With the help of cantaloupes, you can prevent the development of various types of cancer including prostate cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, and colon cancer.

Key Takeaway: Many studies were conducted to prove the efficiency and benefits of eating cantaloupes on a daily basis. For cancer patients, eating an alkaline fruit like cantaloupe is generally associated with reduced proliferation of cancer cells and a great alternative to chemoprevention.

5. The Combination of Beta-Carotene and Vitamin C Inhibits Cardiovascular Diseases

Eating cantaloupes daily may provide potential inhibition of inflammation which can lead to cardiovascular diseases.

Cardiovascular diseases arise when your blood vessels get affected due to excessive inflammation and oxidative stress. It can lead to other severe heart problems including coronary heart disease, high blood pressure, congestive heart failure, and stroke.

For stimulate proper blood flow from the heart to various organs in the body, you need a daily intake of beta-carotene and vitamin C. Both of which are present in cantaloupes.

A trial conducted for determining the link between beta-carotene, vitamin C, and vitamin E claimed a relationship between these nutrients and cardiovascular diseases. (10)

As an antioxidant, vitamin C plays a vital role in the prevention of blood flow inflammation. It reduces the level of oxidants in the body by fighting free radical damage. Eating cantaloupes to control blood pressure levels and have the ability to prevent restricted blood flow and plaque buildup in the arteries increases your chances of having a strong heart.

Key Takeaway: Cantaloupes may prevent your chances of developing many cardiovascular diseases. It can regulate better blood pressure levels, which can lower your risk of heart attack and stroke.

6. The Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cantaloupes Inhibit Arthritis

Cantaloupes contain phytochemicals with many anti-inflammatory properties which help prevent bone and cartilage damage.

It helps block inflammation in the joints and is used for multiple arthritic treatments in patients. A cantaloupe-rich diet can reduce your inflammation, strengthen your bones, lower blood pressure, and aid in weight loss by filling your stomach faster. All these factor offer a great deal of benefits for people more likely to develop arthritis. (11)

Cantaloupes are loaded with antioxidants that stimulate your body’s natural immune defense against free radical damage and age-related disorders. This plays a vital role in preventing the depletion of bone mineral.

Phytochemicals stimulate the proper functioning of the joints, preventing excessive inflammation that leads to arthritis. (12)

The study conducted showed that increased intake of phytochemicals restrict inflammation and apoptosis in the human body. These two factors lead to cellular suicide, according to science.

Key Takeaway: Cantaloupes play an important role in preventing and treating bone disorders including arthritis. It benefits your joints, bone mineral density, and cellular recovery for healing bone fractures and breaks faster. While it also strengthens your bones by reducing inflammation in the body.

7. Cantaloupes have High Water Content Which is Good For Dehydration

Dehydration leads to both mild and severe symptoms. Factors such as constipation, headache, fatigue, muscle cramps, rapid heartbeat, low blood pressure, and respiratory problems are caused by severe dehydration. (13)

Cantaloupe is rich in water and fiber, both of which are essential for stimulating good hydration levels in the human body. Good hydration supports heart health, digestion, cognitive, and other processes in the human body.

If you experience frequent headaches, dryness, and fatigue, by increasing your cantaloupe intake you can alleviate all symptoms of dehydration effectively. A daily intake of cantaloupe for dehydrations goes a long way for preventing lifelong diseases.

Key Takeaway: Cantaloupe contains high amounts of water which helps prevent severe dehydration symptoms. It regulates good digestive, heart, and cognitive pressure by increasing the amount of water and fiber content in your diet.

8. The High Fibre Content Reduces Your Risk Of Constipation

It is a common known fact that people who have a regular intake of dietary fiber are less likely to experience constipation than those who don’t.

In a study conducted on patients with chronic constipation, 85% of patients showed improvements in overall digestive health due to the increase intake of dietary fiber. (14)

A poor outcome of dietary fiber intake for people experiencing irregular bowel movements must increase their cantaloupe intake as cantaloupes are rich in dietary fiber and water.

According to WebMD, a highly effective dietary fiber intake can show long-term relief for constipation. It helps in food absorption and helping the food pass smoothly through the digestive system. (15)

As you know already, cantaloupes are good fruits for gastrointestinal health and they help reduce inflammation in the colon. All the more reason why a fiber-rich diet is essential for your good health.

Key Takeaway: Cantaloupes are high in dietary fiber that provide constipation relief. They also reduce the risk of developing chronic constipation which could damage your digestive system, especially your intestine. Studies on patients with chronic constipation show that an increased intake of dietary fibers shows positive results against the symptoms.

9. Eating Cantaloupes Daily is Good For Weight-Loss

Foods that are low in cholesterol levels and saturated fats are considered good for maintaining optimum body weight. Cantaloupes are a good source of nutrients beneficial for weight loss while providing very little sugar, cholesterol, and saturated fats.

Low-fat-dense foods assist weight loss diets. Eating sufficient amounts of cantaloupe can fill up your stomach quickly, thus curbing your appetite effectively. (16)

The dietary fiber content helps in filling up your stomach so you feel full for longer periods of time. Hunger often leads to unhealthy food intake, which can be suppressed with the help of fiber-rich fruits and vegetables.

Excessive weight gain can lead to diabetes, heart problems, and obesity. Studies show that the phytonutrients present in cantaloupe improve blood sugar levels and stimulate optimal blood pressure levels, which is essential for weight management.

Regulating good anti-inflammatory and metabolic levels is fundamental for weight loss.

Key Takeaway: Cantaloupe contains several nutrients that aid in weight loss. They help fill up your stomach and for longer too.

10. Cantaloupes Contain Carotenoids Which Improve Eye Health

Cantaloupes are a good source of lutein and zeaxanthin. They greatly contribute to eye health for a healthy lifestyle.

Based on studies, these two carotenoids protect the macula from harmful environmental factors and age-related disorders. They prevent cataracts, unfocused vision, and excessive oxidation. (17)

On the other hand, phytonutrients protect the eye from oxidative stress and UV radiation, that is sun rays. There are many eye diseases that arise from UV radiation, such as cataracts, skin cancer around the eyelids, photokeratitis, and macular degeneration. (18)

If you spend a lot of time in the sun or you’re already struggling with a retinal disorder, it’s inevitable that you eye’s sensitivity to light is high. Eating cantaloupes regularly for your good eye health is very essential.

When there are harmful reactive oxygen species present in the human retina, alkaline fruits rich in carotenoids can protect the macula from deterioration. Cantaloupes boost immunity to fight severe eye diseases like macular degeneration, especially in older populations.

Key Takeaway: Studies suggest that cantaloupes may help reduce eye diseases arising from oxidative stress and UV radiation exposure. Cantaloupes contain carotenoids that help you see clearly and avoid age-related eye diseases.

11. Cantaloupes May Prevent Chronic Kidney Disease

Kidney disease, or chronic renal failure, is a long-standing condition that often takes years to proliferate in the human body. People with this disease often experience no symptoms. Although this condition can be diagnosed with a simple blood test.

If left untreated, chronic kidney failure can lead to dialysis treatment or a transplant.

Cantaloupe is a diuretic fruit which is an essential factor for chronic renal failure. It stimulates renal blood flow and is good for water retention. Linked with kidney disease are other severe conditions including hypertension, hyperkalemia, and vascular congestion.

The nutrients present in cantaloupe show positive effects on these conditions as well. It is a water-containing alkaline fruit that helps your kidneys release large amounts of water in your body. While the dietary fiber present in cantaloupes reduce bloating and stimulate optimum digestive function. (19,20)

Exposure to toxins aggravated by environmental factors play a very important role in chronic kidney failure. It restricts conditions like diabetes, bladder obstruction, and even cancer.

Key Takeaway: Cantaloupe is a low-fat fruit, plus it falls under the category of diuretic foods. The nutrients present in cantaloupe are resistant to kidney-related diseases that is a major agent to chronic renal failure and cancer.

12. The Antioxidants Present in Cantaloupes Fight Free Radical Damage

Free radicals, in overwhelming amounts in the body, can cause severe drain and organ damage. It messes up your biological functions and increases inflammation in the body.

Such a reaction is never good for the body as it makes your immune system more susceptible to chronic diseases that are often life-threatening. With the increase in free radical production, your natural defenses are at loss.

Research has linked antioxidants to free radical-induced diseases including cancer and Alzheimer’s. Other factors such as chronic pain are also affected greatly due to oxidative stress or inflammation in the body.

Cantaloupes are rich in antioxidants. They stimulate your body’s defense system to heal faster, resist chronic diseases, and defend healthy cells against bacteria and infection. (21)

Eating cantaloupe on a regular basis will improve your chances of experiencing less pain. It is a good dietary food for boosting your body’s defence against environmental factors and free radical damage.

Key Takeaway: The antioxidants present in cantaloupes neutralizes free radicals in the body. It reduces pain and restricts radical-induced cellular damage in the human body.

6 Amazing Cantaloupe Recipes

Now that you know how beneficial the fruit is, it’s time to incorporate it into your daily diet. You should know that cantaloupe is not just a breakfast ingredient. You can use it for savory and sweet dishes as much as you can for smoothies and salads.

The best part about cantaloupe is that it is considered to be the purest pleasure of the summer season. And that’s just around the corner, isn’t it? Fresh, juicy cantaloupe is one of the favorite melons of the season. So let’s find out how we can add cantaloupe to all kinds of delectable dishes.

1. Melon Cucumber Salsa

When it comes to cantaloupe, you need a dish as delightful, light, and fresh as this.

Ingredients:

1 chopped red onion

1 chopped plum tomato

1 bunch of coarsely chopped cilantro

1 pinch of black pepper (ground)

2 large, finely diced cucumbers

3 cups – cantaloupe, finely diced

1 tbsp – olive oil (extra-virgin)

Half an jalapeno pepper (minced and seeded)

One lime, zested and juiced

One pinch of salt

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together in a large bowl and cover it with a plastic wrap.
Place it in the refrigerator for not more than 2 hours. This time is enough for the flavors to blend thoroughly. Following which you can serve the melon cucumber salsa with grilled chicken or fresh fish.

2. Melon Spaghetti

Who says you can’t cook Italian with a little bit of cantaloupe?

Ingredients:

2 tbsp – lemon juice (fresh)

1 tbsp – kosher salt (extra needed)

1/2 tsp black pepper, ground (extra needed)

4 tbsp – unsalted butter

1/4 cup of whiskey

1 cup of whipping cream

1 1/2 cup of Parmesan cheese, grated

2 pounds of cantaloupe, seeded and peeled

1 pound of spaghetti pasta

Method:

Boil some salted water. Cook the pasta in it until it becomes tender. This should take 8-10 minutes. Drain the spaghetti and place it in a bowl. Add cheese to this and toss it well.
Put the melon in the food processor to blend it. Keep it aside.
Heat the butter and cream in a saucepan on medium heat. Once the mixture starts to boil, lower the heat. Wait for the butter to melt. Once that happens, the mixture will become smooth.
Then add the lemon juice, whiskey, and melon. Simmer this until the blend starts to thicken, which should not take more than 10 minutes.
Sprinkle at least one teaspoon of pepper and one tablespoon of salt over it and stir. Pour this sauce over your pasta and toss the whole thing until all of it is coated. Finish it off with some seasoning of pepper and salt before serving.

3. Chilled Ginger Mint Cantaloupe Soup

When it gets hot, all you need is a simple chilled cantaloupe refreshment to keep you cool.

Ingredients:

1 fresh mint sprig

2 tbsp of cream

2 tsp of honey

1 tbsp of minced, fresh ginger

1/2 cup of Greek yogurt

Some lemon juice

One cantaloupe

Salt to taste

Method:

Peel as well as slice the melon into big chunks.
Place these large pieces, ginger, honey, lemon juice, salt, and yogurt into a blender. Blend it until this mixture becomes creamy and smooth. Then add the mint leaves. It’s important to pulse them until all the leaves are chopped completely.
Pour this mixture into the airtight container before placing it in your refrigerator. Let it rest inside for at least an hour. Following which add the cream and transfer the soup into small bowls. Feel free to garnish them with mint leaves.

4. Sweet Ricotta Cantaloupe Pizza

Never heard of a fruit pizza? Well, it tastes better than you think. Just like pineapple, cantaloupe as well makes for a tasty pizza topping.

Ingredients:

Frozen pizza dough

1/4 cup of fresh basil

1 cup of ricotta cheese

1 cup of cantaloupe pieces (sliced)

2 tbsp – pine nuts, toasted

2 tbsp – honey, raw and thick

Salt to taste

Some cornmeal

Method:

The dough goes into a large bowl sprayed with some oil. You can cover this with a plastic wrap. The dough ball tends to rise until it becomes twice its initial size. This takes about 2 hours.
Place a baking stone on top of the grill grates and preheat the thing on high. The stone needs to be extremely hot for the pizza dough. Roll the dough gently into a circle measuring 13 inches.
Sprinkle some cornmeal on a baking sheet before placing the crust over it.
Blend together honey and ricotta cheese. Spread the ricotta on the pizza crust’s surface. Then add the cantaloupe pieces on top of this.
Just when your grill hits 600 degrees, you need to check the crust by shaking it on that baking sheet. It’s important to slide the crust on top of the stone. Cover it and grill it for not more than 5 minutes.
Do another check in about 3-4 minutes. The pizza tends to cook fast when your grill is extremely hot. But you don’t want to burn the crust’s bottom either.
After it’s done, add the basil, pine nuts, and some salt to taste. Cut the pizza and serve it while it’s hot.

5. Sweet Cantaloupe Pie

The next best option after the classic lemon meringue is this sweet cantaloupe pie. So I’ve got all your pie cravings covered.

Ingredients:

For the crust:

3 tbsp – melted, unsalted butter

1 1/2 cup – shortbread cookies, ground

For the filling:

1 tbsp of butter

2 tbsp of water

1/4 tsp of vanilla

1/4 tsp of salt

1 tsp of cornstarch

1/4 cup of sugar

1/2 cup of flour

3 whole egg yolks

1 large cantaloupe

For the topping:

3 whole egg whites

6 tbsp of sugar

1/4 tsp of tartar cream

Method:

Preheat your oven at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the cookie crumbs with melted butter. Pour this over a pie plate and bake it for at least 15 minutes. You know it’s done when the crust turns light brown along the edges and the top. Set it aside.
Then increase the oven temperature. 400 degrees Fahrenheit should be good enough. Slice the cantaloupe in two pieces and eliminate the seeds. You need to remove the pulp and place it in a saucepan.
Heat the cantaloupe pulp on medium heat to get the juice out. Then transfer this to the blender to process it until the mixture becomes smooth. The required amount of cantaloupe is 2 cups. Pour all of this back into the pan.
Mix the salt, sugar, and flour in a bowl. Take another bowl to dissolve the cornstarch in half teaspoon of water. Then add both the cornstarch and flour to the cantaloupe saucepan and let it cook. Let it go on until the mixture thickens.
Now take the egg yolks and add two tablespoons of water to it. Pour a little bit of the above mentioned mixture into these yolks so they heat up gradually. Then add the yolks to the saucepan and let it cook for 15 minutes. During this time, it’s important to keep stirring till the mixture becomes creamy and thick.
Turn off the heat. Now it’s time to bring in the vanilla and butter. This should make the filling look like pudding or custard. Pour this into the pie crust that you prepared earlier.
Then you use the tartar cream and egg whites. Beat them together until the blend becomes frothy. Put in the six tablespoons of sugar. Continue beating.
The final step before baking is to spread the meringue over the filling. You can smoothen it out using a spatula.
Finally, it’s time to bake it. 12 minutes should get the job done. You can store the pie in the refrigerator if you like to serve it cold.

6. Mixed Berry Cantaloupe Custard

There’s nothing more appetizing and creamier than this perfect summer sweet cantaloupe dish.

Ingredients:

3 tbsp of honey

3 tsp of powdered, unflavored gelatin

1/2 cup of Greek yogurt

3/4 cup of cream

1 seeded, peeled, chopped cantaloupe

1 cup of blueberries

1 cup of blackberries

Salt to taste

Method:

Puree cantaloupe in your blender until the paste becomes smooth. Pour it into a glass and make sure that you press gently on the solids.
Pour at least 1/3 cup of the juice into a bowl. Drizzle gelatin over it and leave it be for 5 minutes. During this time, beat the yogurt into the remaining juice.
Then add two tablespoons of honey, cream, and salt into a saucepan. Let it simmer on medium heat. Bring in the gelatin mixture. Cook the thing for about a minute. Then pour the cream mixture as well.
It’s time to divide this into 5 to 6 different glass bowls. You can then refrigerate it for two hours.
On the side, mix the remaining honey along with blueberries and blackberries in a bowl. Mash the berries so their juice leaks out properly. Place this in the refrigerator too.
After the two hours have passed, you can unmold the custard with the help of a knife and serve it with the delightful berries.

Wrapping It Up

To promote a healthy way of living, cantaloupes support heart, brain, and immune health. It reduces inflammation, fights cancer, and promotes digestive function. You’ll find cantaloupes as a daily lifestyle choice in European and North American countries. You can eat them as fresh fruits, as a salad, or as a healthy meal.

There’s nutrient diversity in cantaloupes as it hosts a bunch of nutritive compounds that score good in terms of maintaining health and well-being. Being a good host of fiber, potassium, iron, vitamins, and carotenoids, there’s so much that you can work with. According to multiple science-backed reports, cantaloupe is a delicious and hearty fruit considered to be a staple diet for anyone looking to rejuvenate their diet.

Original Article from Jen Reviews.

Challenges That Come With Step-Parenting From A Step-Mom

Mar 22, 2017

The Step Series

There are several problems most of us experience as step parents and they also affect our emotions negatively depending on different situations. Here are some of the discernments of stem moms that may shock you.

We often become jealous

I had no biological children of my own after moving in with my husband 15 years ago. He had five children and took full control of everything in the house. Being 29 years of age, I was used to a relationship where there were only the two of us, but now I was on a one to six, attempting to fit in the outer edges. After thinking for some time, I posed a question to my husband on whom he would save should our house burn down. “The kids, of course!” he replied. This answer left me in shock, and I felt hurt. “What about me? Didn’t he love me?” These questions ran through my mind.

I felt jealous especially when the children would play happily with their dad on bed and me, calm on the other side, attempting not to be shoved off. Another thing that made my heart burn out was when the kids would describe their mom with the great talks of how she was beautiful and how much they missed her. Other circumstances that left me jealous too was when I could be assigned to take pictures after the girls had dressed up ready for dances. Sometimes they would talk about their previous parties and vacations long before I was accepted in the family. I could not pretend that this did not take place despite exhausting my thoughts and growing out of it.

The feelings of our biological children is different from the step children

I used to question myself most often before I had my biological son. I could not understand why I was unable to love my step children the same way their dad showed his great affection to them. “Am I lacking some child loving gene?” I questioned my thoughts. My heart cracked open after the birth of my first son. I felt the urge to protect him with everything I had should anything, or anyone squeeze it accidentally.

After I had my son, it dawned on me why my husband would volunteer to save his kids but leave me to die in the burning house. I would also do the same, to save my only biological son. I came to understand how high a parent love is and what they do feel for their kids. The other five older kids were awesome and deserved the parents’ love, but my heart felt rigid, and I couldn’t love them deeply as their father. It seemed to me as a terrible sin. The jealousy I had previously started deteriorating over time, and I developed bits of tenderness and love to my step children too. Despite my love towards them, I could not compare it to my son of which I would be willing to change that if hypnotized or given a pill.

A feeling of persistent guilt

As stepmoms, we involve ourselves in broken families regardless of the degree to which the divorce took place. Termed as ‘the usurpers’, it makes you feel guilty or cold-hearted. Our presence establishes the broken lives having built new ones. Even though you are not the cause of the divorce, you develop a feeling of breaking emotionally as if you are trespassing.

“Are these your kids?” one of the challenging questions stepmoms have to respond to

The main question is, should everyone know the truth that I am a step parent and not the biological mother of these kids? Giving an example to the answer you wish to hear: I have been raising these children for this number of years. The five are my step children while this little one is my biological kid. We live together happily and never use the word “Step or half-brother or sister.” I do everything for them including cleaning, cooking, help them with their school work and any other thing they need from their mom. I am sure I won’t look this young for long despite having all these children.

That is a long description of your life that you cannot express to every cab driver, check out girl or a hair stylist who poses the question to you. I would often reply “Yes, they are all my children.” But then there is that guilt, hidden behind your voice since you know the truth and the step kids certainly know that you are “lying.” Though they won’t speak anything about it, their pretense may just to show that they are playing nice and they care.

The fear of not being accepted into the family

You come into the family having no knowledge whether you will be welcomed by the kids and more so the extended family. The community too is inclusive since they are aware of the new mom to the kids.

I remember being regarded with suspicion the first moment I went to pick up the children in school. The ladies at the desk would question me. “Who are you exactly? And why are you picking these kids? Where are you taking them?” they asked with much curiosity. I felt like an unpaid nanny that might have handed out lollipops to lure the kids to my van, parked from a distance with blacked out windows. I felt like being of a criminal background, and it disturbed my thoughts for years to change that situation.

I am not trying to instill fear in you, but all I can say is that step mothering can be and has been amazing. Despite that, it is necessary for you to be aware that it requires a woman with a healthy heart, the kids too have to be decent, and your man should be reputable with plenty of time for the family. At the end of the day, you can take a glass of wine. Besides, I don’t think it would be of any harm.

5 WAYS TO ENHANCE YOUR KIDS CREATIVITY

Feb 15, 2017

Having the room and chance to be creative can be one of life’s most fulfilling encounters. Children are destined to be creative and clever. Sadly, as they develop, increasingly standards are forced on them, and a few understudies step by step free their creative edge, or they direct their creativity into non-learning exercises.

When you know how to encourage your child‘s creativity as a parent it goes a long way for the child because it shows them you are supportive and they can depend on you, it urges them to do better and it enhances their learning capabilities and urges them to get better with their creativity because they would not want to pay you back for encouraging them in their own coin which is making you proud.

1. Encourage
At the point when your child communicates excitement in making a little thing like a bookmark, making a little handbag with blanket patches, making up some test unit, or making an exercise manual for their more youthful kin, please support, acknowledge and applaud their creativity.

2. Support
3. Acknowledge

Color, music, art, sound can all be source of inspiration to bring out your kids creativity, all you have to do is recognize it and encourage them as a parent. Relate with them, play with them and bring out their hidden passion, when kids are so happy they tend to drop off signs about their likes which are hidden within them unconsciously.

4. Relate
We ought to continually urge children to use their creativity to learn new things, to reflect what they have picked up, and to discover and research new space in this unfathomable sea of data and information.

5. Reflect
When your child’s creativity is supported and encouraged by you as a parent, they relate the constructive and viable experience of learning with being creative, and it will benefit them for rest of their lives. Children are affected by their environment and the general population they interact with every day. On the off chance that their environment repress their opportunity to be creative, they won’t figure out how to communicate to their full capacity. They may have creative capacities, however in the event that their surroundings does not empower this, they won’t achieve their maximum capacity.

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How to Nurture & Awaken your Inner Child.

10 Things Step Parents Should Not Do

Jan 11, 2017

THE STEP SERIES

1. Name Child After New Spouse
If you did not name your first son/daughter after you it is very disrespectful to give your second son/daughter your name. It is double disrespectful to do it if your first son/daughter was named after you. He/she will hold resentment towards you, the child and the new spouse.

2. Take Sides
Taking sides is a bad sign to your children and will leave them to believe you do not love them anymore because you remarried and have other children. This will cause unrest in your home and constant arguments between the kids and none stop competition. Siblings will start to lie on each other to get your attention to make other siblings look bad.

3. Exclude Children
When you exclude siblings, or give one something that the other never had will cause jealousy. Example: New children play extra activities and are supported by parents, where as the other siblings were not encouraged or supported when doing activities.

4. Separate Them When Introducing
Yes you had children before your new family or maybe you had them afterwards. However when you are out and you run into someone and they ask, “oh are these your children?” Your response should not be, “these are my kids and those are my spouse kids”. Those words will stick with them forever and they will always feel you think and look at them separately and not part of the new family.

5. Make Them Feel They Are In The Way
We are going to the store with the kids, you all stay here.
Watching TV with one set on kids and when the others come in, you say “we were doing good until you all came in with all that noise”.

6. Talk About Kids To The Other Kids
Horrible, Horrible, Horrible, this is a big no no. Any negative thing one sibling did, done, or do should not be shared with the other siblings. It can be done in a family meeting, so that everyone can comment at one time, not shared to give the perception one child is worst or better than the other.

7. Compare Children
Why don’t you do like she/he does.
You are fatter than she/he is.
You should take a note from she/he and dress like that.

8. Talk About Biological Parents That Do Not Live In Home
Do not allow you current spouse to talk bad about your children parents. It does not matter to children what their parents have done they will love them still. Children will lash out in other ways when their parents are attacked and unable to defend themselves.

9. Make Sibling Call Each Other Step
Step-brother/Sister is not endearing so encourage siblings to say, “my sister”, my brother. You start first by saying go help your sister/brother, where is your sister/brother, or tell you sister/brother its time to eat.

10. Treat Them Different
If you give one something then make sure they all get it, unless one says they do not want it or say they are too old for it. Example: Everyone gets a cake on their birthday, everyone gets an Easter basket for Easter. Punishment should be handled by both parents in home, not I am going to let your father/mother handle you. Both parents should sit down with the child and tell them why they are in trouble. It is a cope-out when one parent tells the other parent to “handle your own child.” This can be interpreted as the step-parent does not care or does not want to be a parent to the new children.

When you decided to married or be in a relationship with someone that has children you are taking on a huge responsibility. If you feel you cannot be an asset to a new family or you do not have enough love in your heart to love other children, you should not be with someone with children. Consider all parties involved before making a decision to become a step-parent. The actions you make today good or bad could last a lifetime.

Keep Your Breath Fresh This Holiday With These Simple Items

Dec 23, 2016

2016-holiday-pdf-keep-your-breath-fresh-this-holiday-season-with-these-simple-items

A Small Anti-Snoring Device With A Big Solution

Sep 13, 2016

Over a billion people, young and old are suffering from snoring with no accessible solution being in place before now. Challenged, a team of tech professionals came together to develop a technology that would solve this problem. The result; Snore Circle manufactured by VVFLY.

Snore Circle told The Good News Notebook, “We are excited about reaching our goal in just the first week of campaign on Indiegogo. We really want to make Snore Circle version 3 a reality, not just to our Chinese customers but to the rest of the world and we are happy that it is finally happening. We hope to reach more supporters and help more people get a quiet and restful sleep with Snore Circle”.

How Snore Circle works

The Snore Circle equipped with sound recognition and bone conduction capabilities can accurately identify snores and then reducing the vibrations and sound produced when a person snores by as much as 54 times the original level.

How to use

Using Snore Circle is pretty simple. Once turned on, Snore Circle will automatically enter into working mode, thus making it safe for elderly people to use. Snore Circle comes with its own app which can be installed on any smart device. The app lets you analyze your health status, keep track of the quality of your sleep and then check your statistics.

Which set of people is Snore Circle meant for?

Snore Circle can be used by just anybody. It can be safely used by safe snorers, couples, used on board a plane when traveling and so much more.

Benefits

Comfortable to use: To give users great comfort while wearing Snore Circle, the device is made of silicone which is a very soft material.

Affordable: Snore Circle solves your snoring problem without leaving a hole in your pockets.

Portable: Snore Circle is very light so making it easy to be taken along wherever you are going to.

Smart: The device can be conveniently customized to meet your unique needs.

Photos provided by VVFLY

Anti-snoring device gives you an earful

7 Strategies to Super-Size Your Self Esteem

Jul 27, 2016

For me, and eventually for my clients, one of the most challenging aspects of getting through a divorce is trying to pick up your trashed self-esteem off the floor and bring it back to life.

In my coaching career, this subject comes up a great deal. Here are some of my favorite strategies to counteract the very debilitating and damaging effects of divorce, whether you are in the early, mid or late stages:

Since we all have the same 70,000 thoughts a day, start with filling your mind with “healthy thoughts” through incantations, reading inspirational material, keeping a gratitude and acknowledgement journal, etc. Begin to replace and implant new more empowering messages to begin to shift old tapes/records playing in your head. In Tony Robbins book, “Awaken the Giant Within”, he also recommends a 10 day mental diet. For 10 days you must train your mind to think good/kind thoughts. He mentioned that if you dwell in negativity for more than 10 minutes at a time, then you have to begin the 10 day mental diet all over again.
Start noticing things that you are doing well and can acknowledge yourself for. It is important to acknowledge ourselves and recognize our own greatness. Even if it is things like: get myself to work on time, received some nice feedback, or I made a healthy meal for the kids, etc.
Conversely, the habitual questions to avoid are, “What is wrong with me?” “Why can’t I ever get it right?” and “Why do I always mess things up?”
Consider changing the questions to: “Where did I contribute today?” “What am I doing great?” “In what way am I grateful for the blessing of life today?”
For me, I had to learn to become my own best friend. I decided not to say anything to myself that I would not say to my own best friend. I love, nurture and encourage my friends, so why wouldn’t I do this for myself? I would never discourage or condemn or abandon a friend. I always think the best of my friends. Why wouldn’t I do the same for myself?
Mirror work is also beneficial. I promise you that it will feel silly at first, but saying I love you to your image in the mirror adding because…..over and over and over can be very powerful.
Find a way to uncover your ‘pay-off’ or “side benefit” to your negative words or behavior. Low self esteem is a negative habitual behavior that serves a purpose. Too much self-soothing, self-condemnation and self-punishment can be traps. Yet we hold on to it because it serves us in some way. For example, I too have struggled with low self esteem. I realized that I used it to hide from taking action on the things that would be good for me. The truth is I was too afraid to approach what would be good because I might fail. The key is to fess up to the ‘pay-off’. Develop a more empowering meaning or ‘pay-off’. Then take action. A great strategy for playing a negative script is to ask the question, “What will I tell myself instead, do instead?”

Additionally, Nathaniel Brandon has great books and exercises, like “The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem”, for increasing self-esteem. And very easy to implement, as well.

Find one or two strategies that resonate with you and commit to it. Practice them over and over again. Soon you will find that you are thinking, feeling AND believing better things about yourself.

Shan White, a certified life coach, specializes in working with women in preventing or recovering from the heartache of divorce.
Sign up for a complimentary “Divorce Prevention or Divorce Recovery Strategy Session” at:
Email: shancoaches@comcast.net
Office: 719-388-8758e

5 Ways To Free Yourself From Being Frozen In Fear

May 20, 2016

Fear is a normal human emotion. We all experience it, know what it feels like, and have, at times, been overcome by it. So, you are not alone and there is nothing wrong with you.

I remember when my ex-husband left me six years ago and I was frozen in fear. With little notice, he left me with the bills, the house I couldn’t afford, the kids (furry ones, but still my kids), the car, and the new responsibilities of maintaining the home. I was scared out of my mind — I didn’t even know how to change the filter on the furnace or start up the lawnmower; he did all that!

I looked to people at work for empathy and support, but my boss didn’t seem to understand why I struggled. From her point of view, I should simply get over it and get on with life. The disdained look in her eyes said it all. In non-verbal ways, she communicated the message of “Why can’t you get it together?” and “What’s wrong with you?” After all, it had been a few months now and I should just get over it.

In my head, I screamed back at her, “My whole world has fallen apart and I don’t know what to do! How do you just get over it as if you just lost your shoe?”

You see, I was frozen in fear, a debilitating, pervasive, all-encompassing fear. I didn’t know at the time that there is a process in working through and reconditioning the fear I was experiencing. Here’s what helped me, and I hope it will help you:

Recognize.

Start with being silent and going inward. Acknowledge all of the negative emotions you are experiencing. It’s not an easy task, but allow yourself to just sit with them.

Then ask yourself the question, “Why am I experiencing this emotion?” For example, what is it that I am truly afraid of? What is it that keeps me from moving forward and taking action?

Re-frame Your Perspective.

Look at the emotion, such as fear, and ask yourself, “What beliefs about myself cause me to be afraid?” Am I not good enough, strong enough, smart enough, or creative enough to deal with this situation?”

And, more importantly, is it true? One of my mentors once asked me this question: “What if you are believing a lie about yourself, and what would it feel like to know longer believe that lie?”

3. Rehearse.

Rehearse to yourself affirmations, visualizations, and new emotions that align with a new belief about yourself. Also meditate on future successes like where you will be, what you will be doing, who you will meet. Bring all you senses to the scene — what do you see, feel, hear, taste, and smell?

Release.

Release your fears by:

Creating an action plan of what you will do to move forward.
Creating a contingent action plan of what you will do when things don’t go right.
Commit to your new plan in advance.
Revise.

As you grow, change, and evolve, revise your plan as needed.

Fear is a normal human emotion that doesn’t need to cripple you and keep you from becoming everything you dream of being and doing. If you are willing to address it, find out what’s behind it and take active action. You can take control over it instead of it taking control of you.

Life doesn’t get better through chance; it gets better through change.

Please share with me by posting in the comment field what has gripped you with fear and what can you do right now to dethrone it?

Shan White, a certified life coach, helps women heals themselves from the trauma of divorce by putting their lives back together piece by piece.

Email: shancoaches@comcast.net

Office: 719-388-8758

10 Foods Business People Eat To Boost Their Energy

Mar 31, 2016

‘What you eat is what you are’ – a common saying that is frankly quite true. The body and every single cell in it are affected positively or negatively by everything we feed them with. If you often feel like your fatigue is really on the down-side and you need to boost up your energy quick, maybe you should take a look at the ten most common foods eaten by business people, those who need energy boosters the most.

Chicken Breasts. The main trigger for boosting your energy here is the packed up portion of proteins, a valuable source of energy. The use of the proteins will be more effective if the meat is grilled and not fried.
Egg yolk, something full of proteins and usually consumed for breakfast – Many people fear to eat the yolk, but more and more studies show that the key beneficial ingredient of the egg is the yolk, so just go for it.
Bananas, are a quick and compact fruit that you can grab on the run and give you a great boost of energy. Keep them in your office for your assistant and employees, to make sure their energy stays up as well.

4. Greek Yogurt contains a double portion of proteins in comparison to the normal yogurt. Still there are Greek Yogurts that have a lot of sugar and fructose in them and should be avoided. The plain ones are the best and go really good with a spoon of jam.
Almonds will support you throughout the hunger cravings and pack you up with beneficial fats that will reduce the risk of a possible heart attack. Besides a handful of almonds, you can consume almond milk or almond butter with almost the same positive effect on your energy as the nut itself.
Steel-cut-oatmeal also called pinhead oats or coarse oatmeal is the one oatmeal that doesn’t have preservers and unneeded sugars in it that can ruin your metabolism and leave you tired.
Kale is a great green food that will definitely boost up your energy. Of course, every other green vegetable will have a positive impact on your health and energy, but Kale is the top energy booster. You can get creative and use it in many different ways, from smoothies to burgers.
Blueberries are not only tasty but offer a great deal of energy as well. Meanwhile, blueberries work in improving your memory, lowering your blood pressure and carry antioxidant characteristics.
Garlic not for a business person right, wrong. Eat some at least four times a week and be sure to chase it with fresh lemon water to rid the smell. Garlic is a great antioxidant and helps to prevent and reduce the severity of common illnesses like the flu and common cold.
Dark chocolate with 70% of cocoa or more is another top energy booster and has capabilities greater than blueberries or nuts. When you feel really exhausted, dare to have a mix of dark chocolate, nuts and berries and get ready for an energy blast-off.

How To Stop Change From Occurring in Your World

Mar 24, 2016

Shane White

Someone recently told me they are sick of the self-help gurus that perpetuate the need to grow, change, and constantly evolve into a higher version of themselves. Why do THEY always have to be the one to do the changing and adapting? Why can’t their ex’s do some soul-searching and examine their own destructive patterns?

If this resonates with you, I have good news. To close the books on the pressure for personal growth, there are two basic attitudes to consider.

How you deal with your attitude regarding DEMAND and DESIRE will shift your trajectory dramatically.

A attitude of demandingness can be likened to that of a requirement. You require a certain standard of behavior of others. When you cultivate an attitude of demandingness towards others, you can stop the need for growth and change within yourself by requiring (demanding) others to be responsible for your personal happiness and well-being. In doing so, this removes your own empowerment and instead empowers others to be responsible for your personal growth and fulfillment. A great example is, “If you weren’t so mean to me, I would be a much happier person.” When you develop the art of blaming others, you empower them to bear the responsibility for your inner happiness and lack of change. Consequently, your reason for not trying and giving up has now been legitimized. By not taking control and responsibility of your feelings, and allowing outside forces to control how you feel will give you a free pass to behave less than stellar.
In contrast, an attitude of desire can be likened to that of a request. You request a certain standard of behavior of yourself. When you cultivate an attitude of request towards yourself, you can stop the need for growth and change within yourself by merely desiring things be different. The way you present this to the world is, “I hope things will get better,” or “I wish things would be different.” This way you come off with all the good intentions without really having to do anything about it. And, the bonus is, that you get lots of sympathy and attention. The people around you say things like, “Oh that poor gal, she has such a good heart and has a desire for everything to be alright.” You get to portray yourself as the helpless victim and all the enablers will come out of the woodwork to do things for you.

I will warn you, some of the radicals will reverse the order and cultivate an attitude of demandingness and require more of themselves and who they are at a core level. On this flip side, they will cultivate an attitude of desire when it comes to the behavior of others. They desire or wish their ex or others would behave better, but they take on the mindset that they can’t control others; only themselves. They make a conscious choice to be happy and don’t allow the crazy behavior of others, whom they can’t control, to control their own behavior.
So stay away from these folks if you don’t want to grow, change and evolve into the best version of yourself. Or do you?

Shan specializes in helping women thrive after divorce, as opposed to merely surviving.
She is a certified life coach from the official Tony Robbins School: Robbins-Madanes Coaching Training.
Sign up for a complimentary “Divorce Recovery Strategy Session” at:

Email: shancoaches@comcast.net
Office: 719-388-8758
Website: WomensPeakPerformanceCoaching.com

(Header photo credit humanities.drury.edu)

Take Care of Your Hair Between Installs

Dec 28, 2015

Make sure you are taking care of your hair in between installs.

For 20 -30 minutes after washing your hair give yourself a treatment using Creme Of Nature Argan Oil Intensive Conditioning Treatment.

Fairfield Mom Creates Bracelets For Hair Elastics Cool Enough To Wear On Wrists

The hair elastic. Small, yes. Insignificant, no. It’s a much-valued staple, worn on the wrist of many a busy mom, readily available to control errant tresses while playing an impromptu football game, throwing in a batch of cookies or writing a weekly …

Apply a generous amount to your hair and comb through for even distribution. Place a plastic cap over the hair and sit under a warm hooded dryer for 20 minutes. Rinse thoroughly. If you don’t have a hooded dryer put a towel in the dryer until it is warm and wrap it around your head for 30 minutes.

5 Standout Party Hair Ideas From the Pages of Vogue

A carefully planned holiday outfit deserves special-occasion hair to match—so forgo the basic blowout this year and opt instead for a festive statement style. Sporting a jewel-encrusted minidress to your next end-of-year fete? Try out a sleek, low bun …

Creme of nature argan oil intensive conditioning treatment is an intensively deep conditioning treatment that strengthens, revitalizes and gives softness & shine to your hair. It prevents hair breakage and deeply infuses moisture from the inside out.

Disclaimer:
All product suggestions and product reviews are the opinions of Champion Hair Extensions & Hair Talk With Champion Hair Extensions. Champion Hair Extensions & Hair Talk With Champion Hair Extensions does not endorse any of the products. If you decide to try a product that we did a review on or a product that we suggest, you are doing so at your own risk. We encourage you to read all of the ingredients / product information before you purchase and use it.

Positive Thinking & Your Health

Dec 21, 2015

by Luke Edward Hays

The phrase positive thinking does come across as feel good language. Through research it has been revealed that positive thinking is more than just being happy or displaying an upbeat attitude that can create real value in someone’s life. Barbara Fredrickson, a positive psychology researcher at the University of North Carolina, did an experiment to research the different emotional reactions of different groups of people to see how they would respond.

Staying Positive When You’re Around Toxic People

“Negative emotions involve more thinking and therefore get processed more thoroughly than positive ones,” sociologist and former Stanford professor Clifford Nass wrote in The New York Times. “Almost everyone remembers negative things more strongly and …

Positive emotions broaden an individual’s momentary thought-action range; these include: joy, which sparks the urge to savor and integrate, and love which sparks a recurring cycle of each of these urges within safe close relationships. The second key proposition concerns the consequences of these broadened mindsets. Positive emotions promote discovery of creative actions, ideas and social bonds that in turn builds into that individual’s personal resources. These resources range from physical and intellectual, to social and psychological.
Barbara Fredrickson conducted an experiment where she divided research subjects into five groups. Each group was then show different film clips that created different emotions.

The first group saw images that created joy.
The second group saw images that created feelings of contentment.
Group three was the control group, they where shown images that where neutral and had no significant impact on their emotions.
The fourth group saw images that created feelings of fear and group five saw images that created feelings of anger. Afterward, participants where asked to imagine themselves in a situation where similar feelings would arise and then write down what they would do.
The final two groups where shown clips that created negative emotions.

Todd Frazier type of player who leaves positive impressions everywhere

Glen Gardner has watched Todd Frazier’s rise from a Little League World Series champion to a two-time Reds All-Star to the White Sox’s new great hope at third base. The longtime Rutgers assistant coach, who recruited New Jersey native Frazier and his …

By the end of the experiment, there were drastically different results. Participants, who saw images of fear and anger, wrote down the fewest responses. The participants who where shown images of joy and containment, wrote down a drastically higher number of actions they would take. These specific results came out even higher when compared to the neutral group.
Barbara Fredrickson refers to the benefits of positive emotions as “The Broaden and Build Theory.” This theory describes the form and functions of a subset of positive emotions. These emotions include: joy, interest, contentment and love. The experienced positive emotions broaden your sense of possibilities and open your mind. In turn this allows you to build new skills and resources that can provide value in other areas in life.

Increasing positive thinking can be accomplished by three different methods. These methods do not only increase your positive thinking, but also results in positive effects on one’s health.

First, take time to write. A study from the Journal of Research in Personality examined 90 undergraduate students. The students where split into two groups. Group one wrote about an intensively positive experience each day for three consecutive days. Group two wrote about a control topic. Following three months of the experiment, the students who wrote about the positive experiences had better mood levels, experienced fewer illnesses and had fewer health center visits.
The second is meditation. Barbara Fredrickson and her colleagues found people who meditated also built valuable long-term skills. It was also revealed that people who meditate daily display more positive emotions than those who do not.
The third may come as a surprise, play. It is important to schedule time to play in your life. It is easy to get caught up in our daily schedule that we can forget to set sometime aside and step back to enjoy a slice of life. Take an opportunity to block out an hour on your calendar or write a reminder to make time for yourself.

Appreciating real value in life begins by thinking positively. The value created helps to build strength that will last throughout your lifetime. When experiencing positive emotions like joy, contentment, and love you will see more life possibilities. They may be writing, music, meditation, or anything else that provides more than just a momentary decrease in stress. Once this step is accomplished, our brains will do the work. We need to set time aside to play and seek adventure on a regular basis.

References:
Chopra, D. (2011, December 5). Can positive thinking make you well? Retrieved October 28, 2015, from http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/05/health/positive-thinking-deepak-chopra/

Clear, J. (2013, July 10). The Science of Positive Thinking: How Positive Thoughts Build Your Skills, Boost Your Health, and Improve Your Work. Retrieved October 29, 2015, from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-clear/positive-thinking_b_3512202.html

Fredrickson, B. (n.d.). The broaden-and-build theory of positive emotions. Retrieved October 28, 2015, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1693418/

Positive thinking Quotes. (n.d.). Retrieved October 28, 2015, from
http://quotesgram.com/positive-thinking-quotes/

Squash Medley

Aug 17, 2015

By Erica MacLeod

Summer is great time to pick up fresh produce at the grocery store. One of the most versatile vegetables to pick up in the summer is squash. There are many different types and many ways to cook it. Below is a quick recipe for a summertime side dish loaded with veggies.

Spaghetti squash is a staple in this recipe and is very easy to work with. Pre-cooking it will save time and hassle. To pre-cook spaghetti squash, halve it lengthwise and remove the seeds from the center. Preheat the oven to 375 and place the squash cut side down on a cookie sheet. Bake the squash for approximately 35 minutes. Baking times will vary upon the size of the squash. When the squash is fully cooked, the rind will be soft and the inside of the squash will pull away from the rind easily in strands similar to spaghetti. Let the squash cool, then use a fork to pull the meat from the rind. From here, the squash can be bagged up and frozen for future use or used right away to make the squash medley.

The squash medley is a very flexible recipe, using a variety of different vegetables. The base of the squash medley is spaghetti squash, yellow squash, and zucchini. Other great additions to the recipe are carrots, mushrooms, sweet corn, garlic, peppers, and onions.

Chop up the desired vegetables into small pieces. In a large pan, add two tablespoons of olive oil and preheat it over medium heat. Add the chopped vegetables to the oil and lightly sauté them until they are just softening. If using a variety of vegetables, cook harder vegetables, like carrots, first, then softer vegetables, like zucchini, after to ensure all the vegetables reach the same tenderness. Add the pre-cooked spaghetti squash last, adding another tablespoon of olive oil if needed, and toss well. Allow the medley to cook for another few minutes to heat thoroughly. Serve with grated Parmesan on top and enjoy.

Fulfilling Jobs for Diplomat Personality Types

Aug 10, 2015

By Devon Barrs

Not sure of which personality you most align with? Take the test over at 16personalities.

There are sixteen different personality types broken up into four groups: diplomats, analysts, sentinels, and explorers, and everyone aligns with one. These different personality types affect our lives and the way we tend to want to live. Finding a fulfilling career is tough; many people will jump from one profession to another in search of that one place where they wouldn’t mind forming a routine around. Others search for the job that will give them the most fulfillments with the most freedom, while some just can’t seem to stand still in one field.

This article will explore several career paths for the Diplomatic personality types. There are four types that fall under this category: INFJ, INFP, ENFJ, and ENFP.

INFJ (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging)

This personality type is dedicated to helping others, idea driven and thrive in work that they can find meaning in. Those who fall under this type are very insightful, intelligent individuals and therefore tend to lend themselves over to their creativity. Jobs in healthcare, science, and artistic fields can be quite rewarding for the INFJ personality type.

Photography is a creative field that allows INFJs to express themselves and yields a great amount of creative freedom, not to mention photography work is in good demand.

INFJs are referred to as the counselor of the Diplomat personality group. So its no surprise that they can find purpose in helping others and that desire to do so can be reflected in the role of social worker. This job involves the ability to walk in another shoes and to understand them in hopes to make a positive impact on another person’s life.

Alternative health is another field where an INFJ can find meaning in improving the overall quality of someone’s life. Work such as massage therapist, physical therapist, or nutritionist is a good way their desire to help others with their intellectual ability.

INFP (Introverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving)

INFPs are mediators of sorts. Imaginative idealists, they look for the good in everyone and in the world. These are your calm and reserved types that thrive in solo work.

Writing is a flexible career that the expressive INFP will thrive in, and in this current day where writers are needed to create content from corporate to creative fields, there is ample work for the INFP.

INFPs are long-term thinkers; they tend to invest a lot of time in preparing for their future as well as that future of those around them. Work as a teacher can be rewarding for INFPs. This isn’t due only to fact that they are extremely creative and inspirations, but they also value long lasting relationships and take the time to foster that.

INFPs are true artist and will thrive in any artistic field. Music is one of the better choices for those who fall under that personality type. INFPs look at the bigger picture but tend to dislike the small minute details. Music is one of those collaborative environments where they are able to express their big ideas while others help work on the in between to make it happen.

ENFJ: (Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Judging)

ENFJs are charismatic leaders that are full of passion. These teacher personality types find fulfillment in group work. They are altruistic by nature and take pride when others recognize their work.

ENFJs may enjoy work in public relations, event management, and like other Diplomats, work in creative fields such as photography. Unlike the INFJ and INFP, the ENFJ has much potential when it comes to interacting with a team for extended periods of time, therefore work in media production may suit these types well.

Their ability to connect with others makes them perfect for work in entertainment as a director, or even a producer. The film market is steadily growing and more opportunities are arising in this thriving industry.

ENFJs can also find work as a lawyer extremely fulfilling; they will thrive in this field where they advise and represent clients in court while effectively communicating to the court of law.

ENFP (Extroverted, Intuitive, Feeling, Perceiving)

ENFPs are campaigners or inspirational leaders that use a combination of logic and empathy to connect and lead others. They are not controlling and have no desire to do so.

These personality types will thrive in creative fields such as journalism, acting, and graphic/web design. Intellectual fields such as science and engineering gives the ENFP the opportunity to apply their intellect, while an interest in social issues can sprout a rewarding career in politics.

Blogging on issues that they are passionate about can be very stimulating while giving the ENFP the chance to make a living. Journalism provides the room to explore a wide array of topics while working on campaigns that they are passionate about.

Psychology is another field that allows this personality type to connect with others while guiding them through deep personal issues. This is rewarding in on its own since, like all Diplomats, ENFPs enjoy getting involved with others and listening to their problems.

The Diplomat personality types are caring, lovable people who value relationships and personal virtue over all else. They work out of passion and need to find a career path where they know they are helping others. To explore a list of career paths for your personality type, take the test at 16personalities.com.

Sources:

http://www.16personalities.com

http://www.truity.com

http://infjblog.com/2014/11/08/5-best-career-paths-for-infjs/

http://www.personalitypage.com/html/home.shtml

Devon Barrs is a graduate of Full Sail University- Master of Fine Arts – Creative Writing

3 Steps To Help Manage Our Money

Jul 30, 2015

By Roberto Figueroa

Everywhere we go we hear about the importance of managing our money, and as we venture further into the complexities and routine of adult life, we discover that it is an important discipline to learn and master. Here are three steps we can take to set us on the right track.

Establish Goals
Goals help us focus our energy and effort. They give us an incentive to sacrifice certain things in order to achieve what we have set out to obtain. If we think about it, we are more likely to use those extra 50 dollars wisely if we are saving up or looking to invest it in something that will help us reach a goal. Goals could be anything from a new car, remodeling your home, paying off loans, to going on a vacation you normally wouldn’t be able to afford.
We begin doing this by first making a list of our goals and jot down where we would like to be or what we would like to acquire a month, a year, or five years from now. Then, let’s think about what are the most important things on our list and think about how to get there.

Evaluate
Now, let’s try to think about the ways we are using our money. Are we being wise? Are there ways we can cut back some of our expenses? Something as simple as eating at home more often instead of eating out can make a significant difference.

Budget
Though it can be tiring to hear about budgeting, it’s an effective way to insure we have enough money to pay the bills. But too many of us stop there. Once the bills are paid and we have dealt with our obligations, we stop managing our money and spend (or sometimes waste) the rest. Now, everyone has the right to enjoy what he or she earns, but creating a budget for the left over money, and placing a limit on how much to spend, is a good way to make sure we are not overspending. It also keeps us from living from paycheck to paycheck, a life style that can generate unwanted stress and insecurity.

Sources:
Twocents.lifehacker.com:
http://twocents.lifehacker.com/how-‐to-‐budget-‐when-‐you-‐re-‐broke-‐1561620381 Money.cnn.com:
http://money.cnn.com/pf/money-‐essentials-‐financial-‐goals/
Mymoneycoach.ca:
http://www.mymoneycoach.ca/money-‐management/set-‐financial-‐goals

Roberto Figueroa is Graduate of Full Sail College
Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing

Budgeting 101

To Keep Your Virgin Hair Extensions From Shedding & Tangling

Jun 11, 2015

It does not matter what vendor you purchase your hair from your virgin hair will shed. If your natural hair can shed of course hair on a track/weft will shed also, it’s normal.

Excessive shedding, thick strands and clumps of hair should not be coming out. To make sure your hair does not shed excessively follow the instructions below.

Do not co-wash hair using shampoo. Use conditioner only. Shampoos are only meant to clean the hair from products and oil build up. The excessive use of shampoo can actually cause hair to dry, harden and frizz up which leads to breakage and shedding.

Do not punch the sew-in needle through the wefts during installation; this leads to increase in shedding and lessens the quality of the hair. If you are getting a sew-in weave, make sure that your stylist sews in the wefts by looping and tying the weave thread under and over the weft.

Keep the use of curling, flat irons, and other excessive use of heating tools to a minimum. The more heat you use on virgin hair – the shorter the lifespan. As with your own natural hair, heat causes breakage and shedding. You can safely use heat when you apply a heat protectant to the hair because it will block the high temperatures and prevent hair breakage. Curling irons are not always necessary for styling. Flexi-rods, perm rollers, and steam roller will set your hair to your perfect desired style without heat. These items can be purchased at your local beauty supply retailer, Walgreens, Target or Walmart stores.

Wear a satin scarf over your hair at night. A secure satin scarf will keep your hair from snagging, drying out and breaking during your sleep.
Image result for satin scarf

Keep your hands out of your hair. Playing in your hair causes damage. When you are constantly running your fingers and hands through your hair all the time, yanking, and tugging at the weft. Whether or not you realize it – you are pulling your hair out. Although it may take some getting used to, it’s very important to keep your hands out of your hair.

Sonya Of Champion Hair Extensions

Website: www.championhairextensions.mayvenn.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/C_H_Extensions

Instagram: www.Instagram.com/ChampionHairExtensions

Our Top 5 Cleanest Bathroom List and 4 Apps To Help You Locate Them

May 2, 2015

By Connie Alsobrook

We have all been there, the moment when you must go to the bathroom. If you are driving you simply pull over to the nearest gas station or restaurant. If you are in the mall or a strip mall, walk to the first place you see open. Finding a restroom sounds easy, but finding a “clean” one can become quit complicated.

The Good News Notebook has complied a list of 5 locations, that we have experience and deem to be consistently clean.

1. Target (they keep a cleaning crew on staff to ensure guest receive the cleanest restroom possible)
2. Arby’s ( has a bathroom time check off)
3. Upscale/chain Hotel lobby ( they must impress and keep their high end clients)
4. Museums (low traffic)
5. Chick fil a (great customer service all the way to the restroom)

So what if can not find any of these locations around that we have suggested?

We found 4 free apps that help you locate the cleanest restrooms in your area.

Sit or Squat – Free

Available for the iPhone and Blackberry, Sit or Squat lets you search for a public toilet by entering your address, zip code, intersection, or city. The results will guide you to a clean bathroom within minutes. If you don’t have a smart phone, no problem. Just text “sitorsquat”to 368266 to find a nearby restroom.

Diaroogle – Free

Created by the website with the same name, Diaroogle is an app available for the iPhone that helps you find a free, clean restroom nearby by entering your zip code, neighborhood, or street address. For each entry you’ll find general cleanliness, the rules of entry, and sometimes even photos. Restrooms are rated on a scale of 1 to 5 and if you disagree with someone’s review, you can submit your own.

MizPee – Free

Although the site doesn’t offer an app, you can easily take advantage of the mobile site on your smart phone. Simply enter your location and the app will pull up a list of nearby restrooms, its rating, and whether or not it’s free. On some entries you’ll also find details like if it has a diaper changing station and wheelchair access. As with Sit or Squat, you can also send a text message to (415) 350-2290 with your location and you’ll get details about the nearest restroom location.

When you Gotta Go: 4 Apps for Finding a Clean Bathroom Anywhere in the World

Whizzer – $0.99
Whizzer Lite – Free

Whizzer lets you search by current location to find clean restrooms, those that are open late at night, and those with showers. You can also search to include baby changing stations, feminine hygiene products, and can even specify just how clean you want the restroom to be. Upgrade to the regular version of Whizzer for $0.99 and enjoy the app without ads.

The Power Of Believing In Yourself…Its Contagious

Apr 13, 2015

By Jonathan Glaser
Have you ever dreamed about pursuing something that ignites your passion? Something that brings you joy as well as joy to others. It doesn’t matter what it is but you can achieve it. That’s the number one thing you must know. All it takes is you believing in yourself. You have to believe in yourself with all your heart that you can do whatever it is you want to do. Nobody is going to hand it to you, granted you may get some breaks along the way, but that is because someone believed in you after seeing how much you believed in yourself. Why would people believe in you? It’s because believing is contagious. When your belief in yourself is so strong that you will stop at nothing to achieve your goals and your drive to succeed is so fierce, sooner or later someone will see how no matter what obstacle you faced, you never quit and you continued on, no matter how many times you failed.
That’s the power of belief, it not only drives your desire to accomplish your goals, but it also fuels the belief of all those who you attracted to you by your hard work, dedication and most importantly, strong belief in yourself. They will not only believe in you and add to your strength, but they will also be inspired by you to believe that they also can pursue what they want most out of life and pursue it, just as you are. That belief that has fueled your ever burning desire to succeed, will now go on to ignite someone else passion and they will be inspired by the persons that you inspired and then they will do the same after that. Once you have an undying and unbreakable belief in yourself and what you can achieve, then you not only will inspire others but you will see others who are struggling just like you were and you will empower them by believing in them, just like those that believed in you and empowered you. It’s a never ending cycle that only makes you and each person you inspire stronger and more confident in themselves and their abilities. That is how a strong belief can be a contagious habit that can be passed on to change the lives of many. You have no idea how many lives you are touching, just by believing in yourself and not being afraid to go after what you truly want in life. Never underestimate the power of belief.

5 Things To Do Before You Pay A Mechanic

Apr 9, 2015

By Connie Alsobrook

1. Go to an auto parts store if your engine light is on. They will diagnostic your car free of charge, this can give you an idea or what is going on with your vehicle.

2. Call at least 3 mechanics to get a estimate and parts needed over the phone.

3. Check to see if your car has a recall. Go to Safecar.gov and key in your Vehicle Identification Number (VIN), it will let you know if your vehicle has a recall and how to proceed.

4. a. Go on the web and look for the part(s) that is needed, online parts are usually less expensive then going into the auto part store. If the auto part store has a website order from the website, shipping is almost always free.
b. Ask your mechanic if they have an account with an auto part store, this is very important. If you purchase a defective part, they will not refund labor cost if you purchase it, send the link to your mechanic and ask them to place the order. Auto part stores will only refund labor cost for commercial account purchases.

5. Go to YouTube. There are many things you can fix yourself, and numerous of videos are available to guide you. So if you are up for the challenge, go ahead DIY!

Additional Tips
Ask questions????????????
Watch your mechanic
Mark your old part
Ask for your old part back (tell them before they begin)
Take before and after photos of installation
Have your mechanic to ride with you after repairs are done
Get some Roadside Assistance coverage!
Invest in a good tool kit.

Triumph During Transitions

Apr 6, 2015

There are intrusions and unexpected events that take us off our course from moving toward what we want in life. Professionally, we may get a new boss or job, be dealing with declining budgets, go into business for ourselves, or retire. Personally, we may be struggling in marriage, with a blended family, dealing with divorce, being an “empty nester’ or grieving the loss of a loved one.
At certain pivotal points in life, the intensity and duration of change can sometimes cause us to react with increased anxiety, anger and fear. This is only natural.
We all get derailed. Depending on the impact of the event our ability to face what happened will vary. During these times, how can we align who we are with what we’re facing?

1. Acceptance: Tony Robbins says, “Change is inevitable. Progress is optional”.
Accepting the reality of change is the key to gracefully dealing with change.
Think of maneuvering through change like practicing the martial art of
Aikido. When you move with the flow of what is coming at you, rather than
retreat or fight, your resistance lessens and your ability to face it strengthens.

2. Choose a new mindset: A mindset is a defined as a way of thinking that determines one’s behavior, outlook, and mental attitude. What are some positive things that could come out of this difficult situation? One option is to view it as a wake-up call in order to cause us to ask ourselves if the course we have been on still has the same meaning for us. Consequently, does the unexpected change offer a new opportunity?

3. Annihilate your negative self-talk: Begin by challenging your thought life. Ask if what you are saying to yourself is even true. Suppose you tell yourself, “I never do anything right!” The truth is that you do lots of things right. What would your life be like if you no longer believed the lie?

4. Connect with others: The company and comfort of others who understand what you are going through can be a transforming experience. It is human nature to band together in times of crisis. Although it is natural to isolate and retreat, the best thing you can do for yourself is to reach out to another or join a group. When talking to those that have come through a challenging situation, they attribute a great deal of their success to the support of an individual or a group.

5. Focus on progress instead of perfection: Perfection does not exist; instead,
focus on your capacity for progress. Progress is a goal that can be achieved
each day. Work toward an outcome of progress, instead of a perfect one.

6. Practice Gratitude: EckhartTolle said, “It is through gratitude for the present moment that the spiritual dimension of life opens up.” In the presence of difficulty, what is the good that you can be grateful for today?

Contact Shan today to schedule a complimentary “Transition Challenge” session.

Spirituality In Sports

Apr 4, 2015

As humans, we can experience a multitude of emotions that we can contribute to many things and activities that we allow ourselves to become completely absorbed in. These activities require us to challenge ourselves to make powerful mental efforts that can stimulate our creativeness such as learning a new language, learn to play a musical instrument, painting or anything that can leave us with a feeling of peace and rediscovery of ourselves. These feelings make us feel more alive and renew our sensation of spirituality and enables us to step outside of our normal state which is where our worries, desires and any other kind of distractions run through our minds. We feel more alive and energized and connected to a greater cause. It gives us that feeling of truly living.

Despite the common activities that people describe to make them feel more alive and connected to something greater than themselves, such as hiking, art, expanding the mind, creative activities and of course music. There is also one more activity that many have said they feel a spiritual connection to and that is; engaging in competitive athletic activities, more commonly known as, sports. That feeling of “in the zone” is often used by athletes who accredit their exceptional performances to a power greater themselves. Being “ in the zone” is what athletes describe as ascending to a higher level of abilities when they tune out the existing world around them and focus on their immediate tasks at hand. Whether it be shooting a basket, scoring a goal or a touchdown, being the best defender on the field. Whatever it is they focus on, they only focus on that and it gives them that ability to go above and beyond.

Having that strong spiritual connection is healthy and required to increase the longevity, as well as quality of your life. You don’t have to be a professional athlete to find “your zone,” you just need to expend your horizon and find an activity that you could do for 30 minutes a day that will get your blood flowing and that you enjoy doing. Not only will you feel that connection, but will also give you clarity of mind and recharge your purpose in life enabling you to think positive uplifting thoughts and fight of negativity that surrounds us daily.

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12 Health Benefits of Cantaloupe, According to Science (+6 Delicious Recipes)

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Take Care of Your Hair Between Installs

Positive Thinking & Your Health

Squash Medley

Fulfilling Jobs for Diplomat Personality Types

3 Steps To Help Manage Our Money

To Keep Your Virgin Hair Extensions From Shedding & Tangling

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A perfect summer fruit, cantaloupe has far-reaching benefits for the human body. They’re abundant in vitamins, antioxidants, potassium, fiber, and folate.

1. Cantaloupes Prevent Age-Related Macular Degeneration

2. The Water-Soluble Vitamins in Cantaloupes Promote Healthy Tissue Growth

3. Eating Cantaloupes May Improve Your Gastrointestinal Health

4. Cantaloupes Possess Cancer-Fighting Properties

5. The Combination of Beta-Carotene and Vitamin C Inhibits Cardiovascular Diseases

6. The Powerful Anti-Inflammatory Properties of Cantaloupes Inhibit Arthritis

7. Cantaloupes have High Water Content Which is Good For Dehydration

8. The High Fibre Content Reduces Your Risk Of Constipation

9. Eating Cantaloupes Daily is Good For Weight-Loss

10. Cantaloupes Contain Carotenoids Which Improve Eye Health

11. Cantaloupes May Prevent Chronic Kidney Disease

12. The Antioxidants Present in Cantaloupes Fight Free Radical Damage

6 Amazing Cantaloupe Recipes

1. Melon Cucumber Salsa

2. Melon Spaghetti

3. Chilled Ginger Mint Cantaloupe Soup

4. Sweet Ricotta Cantaloupe Pizza

5. Sweet Cantaloupe Pie

6. Mixed Berry Cantaloupe Custard

Wrapping It Up

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The Step Series

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THE STEP SERIES

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