The Truth about Storms

Storms.
We’ve seen them before, we’ll see them again.

When I say "storm", I'm referring to something that has the potential to cause a whirlwind of stress in our lives. 

Sometimes, huge storms roll in-- devastating events that are hard to make sense of. 
Sometimes, the storms are quick and relatively painless.
Other times, they last a really long time; the length and severity are always variable.
One thing all storms have in common is that they all pass.

When we are caught in these storms, it's easy to keep our focus and attention on the negative.. the fear, the worry, the sadness…
but there are often moments in these storms where we can find things we might not expect, things that have the potential to evoke gratitude.

We know that by focusing on the things that make us feel gratitude in our lives, we can re-wire our brain to become a happier one— this is proven in science.

So, even though at times we may feel enveloped in darkness, we must seek the cracks where light shines through
and yup, sometimes we will have to look really hard (and if you don’t have to look really hard, that in itself is a blessing)
but in any case, there are always cracks… there is always SOMETHING.
You just have to WANT to find them... and that can be hard.. especially if we are really upset.

Aside from the importance of finding things to be grateful for, even when it's hard, 
I don't want you to feel like you have to deny your natural emotions. 

You are allowed to upset! You are allowed to be pissed off!
You are allowed to feel all the feelings FULLY... in fact we encourage it,
but I want to remind you that ruminating and obsessing over the feelings hour after hour, day after day is only going to keep you stuck feeling those feelings LONGER.

For instance, if your body is telling you something repeatedly such as….
"I'm worried, I'm worried, I'm worried" or "I'm angry, I'm angry, I'm angry",
start by simply acknowledging the presence of this thought. 
"Okay body, you are worried, you are angry. I hear you.
I understand why you are feeling that way.”

Once you acknowledge the feeling, consider some healthy ways you can make yourself feel better.  If you are feeling extremely angry, is there an exercise you could do to help you release some of it? Maybe boxing, jogging, power yoga, deep breathing, journaling… the list goes on.
If you are feeling sad, what can you do to make yourself feel better?
These days, we can use services like BETTER HELP to get therapy and emotional support without ever leaving our homes.

The goal is to acknowledge the feelings and process them appropriately.
If you continue to let the thought ruminate and repeat over and over, your body will remain stuck in a perpetual state of stress and this can lead to not only discomfort but also disease!

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A simplified summary:

• Seek out the cracks of light in every storm and be grateful for them..even if they are hard to find. There is always something!
  

• Acknowledge your stress and find healthy ways to self soothe and process the emotion instead of ruminating over it long term.

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All storms will pass, and trust that you will come outside the other side. perhaps a little weathered and weary..but all the more resilient and wise.

If you are in a storm right now, you are a fierce warrior and you can get through this.
Click here to download the free recovery starter guide.

Make Your Health a Priority... but ACTUALLY do it!

When we are chronically worn-out, feelings of fatigue and overwhelm come to us easily.
 
When we are in this stressed state, it's easy to make excuses and to make choices out of convenience, habit or simplicity. When we are exhausted, it’s hard to find motivation to cook a healthy meal, get exercise or do the inner work stuff that is GOOD for us. Can you relate?

We encourage you to listen to, and gauge what your body can and can't handle on any given day, but ultimately-- we want you moving forward-- even on those days when you feel BEYOND tired.

but we have some simple tips that are great for help you navigate this…especially when you're struggling with chronic fatigue

TIPS FOR ACTUALLY DOING THE THINGS YOU SAID YOU WANTED TO DO:

1. You establish your daily priorities
   We recommend making 2 categories: TASK priorities and HEALTH priorities
   Though your TASK priority list might be a longer, running weekly list (a list of all the pressing things you MUST accomplish in any given week), we recommend keeping your HEALTH priorities simple and limiting them to just a few meaningful focus goals that you will be focusing on daily . Here are some examples— “go to bed by 10:30pm”, “meditate for 10 minutes every day”, “no processed food”, “have a green drink daily”, etc. We also recommend not writing down too many to help keep the list light and manageable.

2. Write your priorities down somewhere easy to check in daily.
   We love doing this on a white board and keeping that whiteboard somewhere we see it often. Think of this as your weekly priority planning. It will help keep you focused and help keep your eye on the things you MUST do this week.

3. Check in with these priorities DAILY
   Check in with your list every day.
   Are you knocking things off your weekly TASK list?
   Are you sticking to what you were going to do? (ie. Did you meditate today?)
   I make a chart that lists my health goals and has a running weekly tally beside it so I can put a check to track and see how many days I actually did them.
   You’ll notice it feels SO good to check things off your list!

This may seem like a simple practice, but trust us, when you put those priorities down on paper and check in with them multiple times throughout the week, you can help but hold yourself accountable.

I have found this idea from Laura Vanderkam helpful.. 
When you are feeling tired.. instead of saying " I'm too tired today", try saying "that's not a priority for me today" and see how your excuse settles.

If too many days go by where you are unable to check things off, re-evaluate and make your list more simple.

Don't give up and don't feel bad for tweaking your list if you need to… as long as it's going to help make it more realistic and achievable for you.

Don't get us wrong, either! Sometimes, the excuses you have will be totally valid! Stuff comes up, right? But sometimes, (like when you find yourself ordering junk food off Uber Eats or grabbing something quick at the convenience store because you're tired) the excuse leads to a choice that may actually contribute to MORE fatigue tomorrow.. this can keep you stuck! 

(If you can relate to this example, check out these 8 Simple + Balanced Breakfasts (they can be swapped as lunches or dinners) that you can whip up quick-- even when you're tired!) 

We always want you to be gracious, forgiving and mindful of what your body needs.. and to rest without guilt when you need it.. but we also want you progressing forward bit by bit, day by day, on your journey to greater health. 

You've got this.

We hope the simple act of planning and prioritizing will help you get out there and SLAY the week that lies ahead.

Lots of calm, warm and energizing wishes to you! 
xo Danielle + Angela

Adrenal Fatigue and the Vagus Nerve

What is the Vagus Nerve?

If you’ve been at this adrenal “stuff” for some time, most likely you’ve heard of the vagus nerve. You know it’s important, but you’re not sure EXACTLY why.

Well, it’s CRUCIAL that you understand this FOR YOUR RECOVERY.

Are you ready to find out why this is said to be the most important nerve in the body?

When you understand the connection between the vagus nerve and all the symptoms you’re feeling, I imagine it will be a big motivator to start incorporating practices that keep this nerve functioning at it’s best.  

The Skinny on the Vagus Nerve

The Vagus nerve is one of our 12 cranial nerves. These cranial nerves start in the brain and are each connected to different organs in the body. When these cranial nerves become compromised it impacts the associated organs and that organ’s function/s.

The vagus nerve is said to be the most important nerve for 2 reasons:

1.   It’s the only nerve controlling our ability to decrease stress. It’s in charge of controlling the parasympathetic nervous system, our rest and digest state.

2.   The nerve involves so many organs (not just the gut) and their level of function. (which is why symptoms are so vast)

How do Cranial Nerves Become Compromised?

These cranial nerves become compromised for various reasons; traumas and stressful situations in our lives; physical, mental or emotional. This includes abuse, addiction, divorce, the death of loved one, surgeries, illnesses and even a high-stress lifestyle and addition to stress.

Vagus Nerve, Adrenal Fatigue and Gut Connection

The vagus nerve starts in the brain and travels to the gut. But what many don’t know is that on the way to the gut, the vagus nerve goes through the heart, the liver, pancreas, gallbladder, kidneys, ureter, spleen, lungs, female sex organs neck (pharynx, larynx, and esophagus), ears and the tongue. No other nerve in the body has such a broad and far-reaching effect as the Vagus Nerve.

So can you see that when this nerve is compromised it can cause many health issues, such as…

1)   Either feeling wired or tired, no in between

2)   Food sensitivities

3)   Anxiety and/or depression

4)   Poor digestion

5)   Poor nutrient absorption

6)   Trouble detoxing

7)   Brain fog

8)   Poor sleep

9)   Chronic inflammation

10)  Migraines or headaches

11) Heart disease

12) Poor circulation

13) Fibromyalgia

14) Autoimmune conditions

15) Blood sugar imbalances

16) Mood swings

and more…

Do you see why you want your vagus nerve functioning at its best?

If you're stressed constantly, your stress response is overstimulated, and you’re in sympathetic overdrive. This makes your adrenals pump out more cortisol, which exhausts the adrenals and create an imbalance of hormones. You need the vagus nerve functioning at it’s best - in order to balance and heal the nervous system.  

Benefits of a Healthy Vagus Nerve

·        Helps control anxiety and mood

·        Increases stomach acidity and other digestive enzyme production - low levels of these are correlated to the root cause of gut issues

·        Controls heart rate variability, heart rate and blood pressure

·        It controls blood sugar balance

·        In the liver it controls bile production and detoxification

·        Controls bile release to help break down fats

·        Promotes general function including water balance, glucose control and sodium excretion which helps control blood pressure

·        Controls voiding of urine

·        Reduces inflammation

·        Controls fertility and sexual pleasure including orgasms

·        Controls ability to taste and saliva production through salivary gland control

·        Activates tear production in the eyes

So you’re probably starting to see the connections here. And possibly wondering, what can I do to love up my vagus nerve and get it working FOR me, ASAP…

How to Stimulate the Vagus Nerve?

Here are two simple exercises to stimulate the vagus nerve.

1.   Deep and Slow Breathing

This sends a signal to our brain and the vagus nerve to lower our heart rate and blood pressure. This lessens the flight or fight response and increases the rest and digest response.

Make this a part of your daily life.

Do this upon rising every morning: Inhale for count of 5, allow the belly and rib cage to expand out slightly with your breath, hold the breath for the count of 5 and then exhale the breath for the count of 8-10. As you push the breath out completely you will notice a drawing in of the belly toward the spine and rib cage back to center. Enjoy this intended movement of the diaphragm.

2.   Singing, humming or chanting

Singing, humming, and mantra chanting all increase heart rate variability and works the muscles at the back of your throat, which helps stimulate the vagus nerve. So next time you feel like singing your heart out in the shower or car, do it, it’s great for your health and your vagus ;)

And if you’re tired of hearing these suggestions, they seem too easy and/or they just don’t work…

You’ve maybe tried them here and there (without noticing a difference). But, I’m curious have you honestly given these types of practices a go for longer than a couple days or a week? Have you been consistent?

If you want your adrenals to actually heal and your hormones to balance out (and you want them to stay that way for the rest of your life), start incorporating practices that stimulate the vagus nerve on a daily basis. I challenge you to add 5-10 minutes of slow, deep breathing or chanting to your morning routine. I believe you will see shifts almost immediately.

I’d like you to open your mind to the fact that it can be that easy. With consistently, these exercises do work. It can be that easy. We just have to break old patterns.

Here’s another way to start loving up the vagus nerve - start reacting differently to life. And this is a habit that’s hard to break, right? This is about interrupting the stress pattern you have in place and probably have had in place, for a very long time. Interrupt it, stop it in it’s track and create a different pattern or pathway in the brain.

“Stress Pattern Interrupt” Practice

Find a simple word or phrase that is calming to you and embodies what you want to create instead of stress. When you’re start to feel anxious or overwhelmed, repeat the word or phrase until you feel less resistance or you feel lighter. Or you can ask a certain type of question (question examples below). You can also think of something you are grateful for.

A few examples:

1. SLOW

2. CALM

3. All is well in my world

4. I am safe

5. I am grounded

6. What would it take for me to have more ease or calm in this moment?

7. How can I experience more peace right away?

8. I acknowledge I’m not feeling great right now, but I’m so grateful for…(my home, my children, clean water, healthy food…)

9. I acknowledge I’m not feeling great right now, but each day I’m getting better and better.

Be the energy of the word, phrase or question. (Trust you know how to do this).

Questions, comments? Please share below in the comments and after a week of stimulating the vagus nerve report back.

To your amazing vagus nerve,

Angela (& Danielle)

When self-care seems like a waste of time

So there I was floating on a calm river, alone, no kids, no distractions...something I love to do, not a care in the world.

Oh wait! That’s not true. Shoot!

Guess what I found myself thinking about?

My to-do list, how to handle my 3-year-old son’s recent bits of anger, how I wanted more intimate time with my husband.

And I thought to myself, I’m FRICKIN' wasting my time.

Keep reading the blog or watch this video...

Self-care is sacred time

As a mother and an entrepreneur, my self-care is very limited, so I consider it sacred. I didn't want to be thinking about my worries during this precious time.

And I preach self-care to my clients so I wanted to honor this awareness I was having, work through it personally and then share what came of it, with you, because I know I'm not the only one who deals with this.

And as a side-note, I’m not saying that taking time to process these life issues isn’t important, but it can also be a trap.
Self-care is about nourishing yourself completely, filling up your cup so you can come back to your responsibilities; your family, your work with more love in your heart, more patience and a sense of peace.

Otherwise, frankly you’re wasting your time.

So, what came out of this recent aha moment I experienced on the river? A desire to create this self-care formula.

I like formulas, a step-by-step plan to follow, so I can be more in control of my life rather than just going through the motions.

With a self-care formula, I don’t have to find myself wasting my precious, self-care time again.  When I’m aware I’m caught in the trap of processing my “problems” and wasting my scared self-care time, I use this formula.

THE SELF-CARE FORMULA

1.Choose Wisely

Instead of spending your self-care time doing what you think you “should” do.  Make an informed and conscious decision. Ask your body for what it needs. Yes, ask yourself.

“Self, what care do you need most today”?

Do you need silence? If so, take a walk in the woods.

Do you need comfort of a friend? If so, ask a friend to join you for a walk or coffee.

Do you need to laugh? If so, watch a funny movie or listen to a comedian.

Do you need movement? If so, go to a fitness or yoga class.

Listen to what comes up, you know you’ve found the right answer when you try different ideas on for size and one feels easy and light in your body. That’s the one!

2. Be Prepared

Make sure you line up a babysitter, have work responsibilities passed along or delegate so you don’t have to think about work while you're gone. If you need comfort from a loved one/friend, call them in advance. 

3. Set an intention

What do want to get out of your self-care time? Create an intention or a mantra that declares it. For example:

“I am peace”

“I am fun”

“I am joy” 

“I am confident”

“I am calm”  

Why? Because it will help you come back to nourishing yourself, when reality tries to creeps in. (I’ll explain right now in step #4.)

4. Forget the rest

Make a decision to forget everything else that doesn’t serve you recharging your batteries. This is a practice. The more you practice the easier it gets.

You start to become more aware of what you're choosing to think about and therefore what you’re creating in your reality.

So, when you find your mind shifting to your problems and you don’t want to be in the trap, repeat your mantra from above to yourself.

I am peace.

I am joy.

Keep repeating it till you feel a letting go. 

So there you go, my self-care formula.

The truth is, it’s hard to turn our brilliant minds off, but that’s not what I’m asking you to do.

I’m just asking you to focus your thoughts on what it is you want to create rather than what you don’t want (your worries/problems). Remember that famous quote "I think, therefore I am" by Descartes. He was right on!

I just want you to think in alignment with what you want to create in your life. 

Self-care will give you the time and space to be more in alignment.

Not to mention, it's key to reducing stress and anxiety and healing your sweet, precious adrenals.

So, next time you find yourself wasting your precious self-care time, use my self-care formula and make each minute of your self-care count.

Here’s to you and your sweet adrenals,
Angela

P.S. Tell me what is your favorite self-care activity?

11 Affirmations for Adrenal Fatigue Recovery

One of the most common questions I get is how I healed my stage 3 adrenal fatigue without drugs and in just months. 

Here's the truth—it was a process. It was collaboration of changes in my diet, lifestyle, stress reduction and more. But once I committed to healing on all levels, my healing went into fast forward mode. Today, I want to share one of the most powerful tools that came from somewhere I least expected.

At that time, I was becoming curious about holistic health and the idea of addressing all aspects of the SELF to heal the physical body. That's when I came across the book, Heal Your Body, by Louise Hays. 

This is where I started learning about the power of affirmations.

Why are Affirmations so Powerful For Healing?

First, we must understand the power of my own thoughts in relationship to our physical health. To put it simply, our physical body mirrors our thoughts and beliefs. So when we are suffering with conditions like adrenal fatigue, learning how to use positive affirmations to shift my thinking opens us up to powerful and dramatic healing.

It's so easy to get frustrated with adrenal fatigue. Everything seems hard when you're always exhausted. And not getting quality sleep is the worst.

When I was miserable and exhausted everyday, the practice of positive affirmations helped to fill my worried and hopeless mind with positive messages and in turn, they kept my spirits high. And what was even cooler than that, I started to see my physical body start to respond to the positive messages I was sending it.

Once I realized the power of my thoughts were directly connected to what was going on in my physical body it opened me up for amazing healing to flow in.

Let’s be honest there is a lot of negativity in this world and if you get caught up it in it will take us down!

Would you like more control, so your current state of health doesn't take you down, but instead lifts you up?

We must realize affirmations can be negative or positive. If we talk about how bad things are, we are affirming it. And in turn, we are welcoming in more of the same. Our words are powerful beyond measure.  

Luckily, though the opposite is true too. When we fill our mind with positive message that make us feel better we can attract more positive things into your life, like healing and great health.

how do you make the shift in your thinking? 

The real power comes when we learn to recognize the negative thought in the moment and then re-frame it. And don't worry practicing affirmations is not masking or burying thoughts and emotions to fester up later.

It's about recognizing your thoughts, gaining self awareness.  It's okay to be with those feelings for a moment. Then you have a choice: to stay in this negative place or replace the negative thought with a or neutral or positive one.

It's choosing to look at the situation in a completely different way. This has the power to you open up to new insights and new possibilities.

You might not believe in the power of positive affirmations until you give it a fair try for yourself.

So, when you do find yourself in a dark, sad, worried or mad state (and we all experience these times and there is no shame it in) here's where to turn...

11 positive affirmations that will lift you up and open the floods gates to healing...

All healing and health is flowing to me now!

I am always safe and protected!

My hormones are being restored to their natural, perfect state!

I am confident in my full recovery!

I'm learning what my body needs to be in a perfect state of health!

It's my time to heal!

I deserve great health!

I choose hope over fear!

Regardless of my setbacks, I always have the will in me to fight back!

Each morning, I wake up rested and refreshed!

I trust in my body's ability to heal!

Why are positive affirmations even necessary, you might be asking? Well, they aren't necessary if you're happy with your life and your current health. 

But if you want a better, healthier and happier life you need to spend more time thinking of what you want, instead of the lack there of. 

Again, we must understand our physical body mirrors our thoughts, beliefs, and feelings. 

So what it all comes down to my friend is choosing thoughts that make you feel better so you can attack more pleasing and satisfying experiences, great health, ...

Remember reciting affirmations are not about ignoring or masking your problems, but rather retraining your brain to look at situations in a different way.

So now what?

Here’s how to use affirmations:

1)   Tweak the above to work for you or make your own.

2)  Choose a couple at a time or all 11.

3) Write them down in a journal or notebook. Put them in clear view, like on your bathroom mirror or your fridge.

4)  Read them aloud to yourself at least twice daily, I recommend first thing in the morning and right before you go to bed.

It's that simple. Ready to open up the floods gate to healing?

Which affirmation is your favorite? Or share your very own affirmation with me. 

Happy and healing vibes,

Angela