Sitting here in my massage chair, my new favorite spot with Bella Grace since Christmas.... I figured now was a good time to untangle my ketogenic diet conclusions (side note: ketogenic shows up as a misspelled word without any suggestions). As I mentioned, or at least I think I mentioned, I decided to drink the keto Kool-aid and see what this bacon and butter diet, that is supposedly curing inflammation, casing drastic weight loss, helping depression, curing migraines, fixing blood sugar issues, giving you more energy, repairing your cells even curing cancer and diabetics, blah, blah, blah is all about. Oh and in case you were wondering Wikipedia defines keto or the ketogenic diet as: "a high-fat, adequate-protein, low-carbohydrate diet that forces the body to burn fats rather than carbohydrates. Normally, the carbohydrates contained in food are converted into glucose, which is then transported around the body and is particularly important in ...

I've been asked this question a lot; "can I still exercise while I am pregnant? The answer is yes! Within reason, Of course consult your doctor first! I highly advise working with a certified trainer with experience training through pregnancies.

-Avoid contact sports

-Monitor heart rate

-Make sure you stay hydrated

-Immediately stop if you feel faint or dizzy.

-Avoid lifting heavy weights (which increases intra-abdominal pressure. Excess intra-abdominal pressure can be a serious matter causing muscle injury or even early labor or bleeding)

-Avoid multi joint exercises. (Low-blood pressure during pregnancy and changes in the hormones which help lubricate your joints)

-During the last trimester:

-Avoid balance exercises (that baby belly will through off your center of balance)

-Avoid any exercises the require you to lie on your back (personally I avoid these during the entire pregnancy with my clients). 

Don't let this scare you off though! There are many reason to...

In world of so much that we can't do during the Corona Virus pandemic, let start by focusing on the positive of what we CAN during this difficult time. Most of this goes without saying but let's talk basics first:
1. Of course first and foremost: wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds (or hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol), especially after using the restroom, before eating, and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing
2. Avoid close contact with anyone experiencing symptoms (this also includes avoiding contact with anyone with a compromised immune system, elderly and young children)
3. Clean frequently touched surfaces and objects at least daily ( tables, countertops, light switches, door knobs, drawer/cabinet knobs/pulls, phones, remotes) as well as wash clothing daily (especially after going out into public places)
4. Limit exposure to public places

Going above and beyond to boost your immune system:

5. Take functional medicine multivitamin daily...

So now you have the goal, you need the plan. To do this, look at where you are now and then look at all the things you would need to build the life you are picturing. For instance, you might find that you need a certain amount of money to make your dream of travelling happen.

In that case, you need to look at the options available to you to make that money. Or maybe you want to achieve a certain thing in your career and you realize that in order to get there, there is a certain amount of experience you need to acquire first. How can you acquire said experience?

There are many similar examples of how you might go after a particular goal but the thing to remember in every case is that you need to focus on small steps that are just ahead of you. That might mean the next small promotion. It might mean a small upgrade to your home. It might mean developing any form of small income.

With that in mind, you’re then going to break these smaller goals down even further. Now the...

Life becomes more worth living when you know that for every good thing that you did, a reward is bound to come your way. By this time, you already know that stopping your addictions is possible only if you will really put your heart and mind to it. The last but definitely not the least tool for you to completely free yourself from your bad habits is learning to reward yourself for every accomplishment that you make.

Through meaningful rewards, you can be more motivated to do better the next day and you will strive even harder to make sure that you will get another great reward in the future. With this kind of inspiration and motivation, you will have the drive to become better and better every day as you finish your journey to complete recovery from your addiction.

Every Accomplishment Deserves a Good Reward

Reward systems are being used in many situations today. At home, in schools and even in workplaces, a reward system is considered as a helpful tool for people to do better. This...

I am sure you have heard the saying, ‘you cannot pour from an empty cup.’ This is why you need to learn to take care of yourself. Keeping yourself motivated is an inside job. You might do an excellent job at creating the right environment and getting the requisite resources to succeed, but if you are not taking care of yourself, you will not be able to stay motivated for very long. It is hard to keep pushing yourself to do more when your body is already falling apart under the pressure.

Achieving success at the expense of your health is not a very wise idea. It is equally unwise to neglect your family and friends in the process. While it is true that sacrifices will need to be made, your health and relationships should not be one of them. In short, it will be much easier to motivate a healthy mind and body.

Pay careful attention to these 5 areas that are often neglected in the pursuit of success:

Nutrition

How, when and what we eat, has a huge bearing on how well our...