Welcome back to the Fitlandia Podcast as we launch one more holiday episode for you to get you pumped and excited to make a healthy permanent lifestyle change before the new year arrives!
We encourage you to harness the opportunity of the new year to launch you into the healthiest you possible. If you’re feeling overwhelmed, stuck or even just a little confused on where to start, this is the Mind Zoning® for you. For further encouragement and community to back you up every step of the way as you kick start your health journey, make sure you check out Christa’s nutrition and mindset program, 30 Days to Thriving as we launch January 2nd!
As with every Mind Zoning® session, it’s important to sit and lay back into a comfortable position and close your eyes.
Wherever you are let your body be fully supported
This is your time to release
To relax
To grow the desire to make a permanent lifestyle change
First, bring your awareness to the top of your head
Notice that you can release and relax
Your scalp
Letting go of any tension in your forehead
In your eyes
And cheeks
Letting your jaw be soft
Imagine that relaxation continuing down the back of your neck
Over your shoulders
Letting go of any tension from the day
Giving yourself permission
For just a few minutes
To truly relax
And embrace a new mindset
Continuing to release any tension in the arms
Or elbows
In the wrists
All the way down to your fingertips
Drawing attention to your chest
The rise and the fall
From inhaling
And exhaling
Releasing any tension in your belly
Letting it be soft
As you find a nice beautiful rhythm in your breath
Continuing that relaxation in your hips
Being fully supported
Through your thighs
Letting your knees relax and be soft
Through your calves
Your ankles
All the way down to your toes
Just imagine as relaxed as you are right now
You can become even 10x more relaxed
Just imagine this beautiful imaginary wave
Cascading over the top of your head
Covering your body, head to toe
Just surrounding you in relaxation
And calm
And peace
Allowing your mind to be wide open like a clear blue sky
Full of potential
Full of possibility
With a deep knowing
That anything is possible
When you engage the deepest part of your mind
And you can access that right now
Think now for a moment
What is it that you would like to change about your lifestyle?
Mentally list of everything that you’d like to change
With full possibility
If you had all the tools
Had all the resources to be successful
How would your lifestyle change?
Truthfully answer the question
What is stopping you?
Maybe you’re afraid to let go
Of a reliance
On sugar
Or alcohol
Maybe food has been a mechanism for self-soothing?
And you’re not sure what can replace that
Maybe you’re overwhelmed with your schedule
And can’t imagine fitting in one more thing
I want to assure you in this moment
That you fold the power in your mind today
To overcome any obstacle
It first starts by growing the desire to change
Imagine now
There’s a tiny seed deep in your mind
That we’re planting today
As that tiny seed is planted
Just like a plant
You can nurture it with water and food to help it grow
And you can best do that with positive thoughts
And as you listen to the words I share
Focus your attention
Visualizing that small seed deep in your mind
Knowing just like a plant with every positive affirmation
Its easy to make time for exercise
You can learn to enjoy cooking
You can find a dietary plan that’s perfect for your body and lifestyle
Just imagine that seed is growing into a plant
With the stems sprouting throughout
The leaves starting to bud
As it gets bigger with your mind with every affirmation
I am worthy of a healthy body
I deserve to put myself first
I am good at setting boundaries
Now notice how your plant is getting bigger
And taller
More leaves begin to fill your mind
This vibrancy and vitality grow with every affirmation
It’s nurturing that seed
Developing it into a strong plant
Roots that extend to every part of your mind
I look forward to daily movement
I love getting inspiration from my fitness tribe
I am successful at achieving any goal I can imagine for myself
And now imagine this plant that started as a seed
With every affirmation, grew its stems
Filling your mind with strong roots reaching out
Getting stronger and stronger
And you notice this desire is growing in you to make a change
Think about one small thing you can do today
That would tell you, “yes I am going in the right direction”
Commit to one thing today
That will serve your goal in growing the desire to make a healthy lifestyle
In a moment, we will come back
But for now, just imagine this beautiful, strong plant
A seed that we have planted
That you can cultivate and nurture and grow in your mind everyday
That only furthers your ability
And desire to change
You have everything within you that you need
Engaging the power of your mind
You may notice in the next couple days
That you have a desire to listen to this session again
And further grow that plant
In your mind
Growing the desire
To make a lifestyle change
Connecting deeply with all the physical benefits
All the emotional benefits
All the spiritual benefits
And the mental benefits that you will gain
By making a permanent lifestyle change
And that just continues to nourish the plant
Growing your desire everyday
When you’re ready take one last deep breath in
Locking in all of this amazing energy
Taking it with you for the rest of your day
Into your sleep
And when you’re ready you can open your eyes
Take a deep breath
Begin moving around
Allow the relaxation to take you into your day or night
Leaving this session feeling calm
And excited
For the potential of what’s to come
We hope you all this use this technique, every day, as we welcome in the new year and all the new opportunities to cultivate permanent, healthy lifestyles! As we foster that desire to become healthy, we will create a thought pattern that it’s easy and fun and attainable.
Today we’re excited to welcome soon-to-be Holistic Nutritionist and Instagram celeb, Jasmine Galimov to the show! Jasmine’s Instagram, “@Berryfitt” is extremely popular and showcases her beautiful food creations which are not only vibrant, but nutrient packed. Jasmine describes herself as a “huge foodie” and that her passion for food is what made her Instagram so successful. She demonstrates how eating healthy can be easy and when it looks pretty, people are going to want to eat it!
Jasmine’s Tips on Perfectly Roasted Veggies:
Jasmine got her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado in Boulder, majoring in Communications with a Business and Philosophy minor. She realized after graduating that she still had no clue what she wanted to do. After taking a year off for some soul searching, she discovered that it had been in front of her the entire time. Jasmine explains that she’d spent her whole life consumed with searching for alternative, holistic remedies and she found her passion for nutrition and health through her own journey of learning about her body. Knowing she wanted to go down the holistic nutrition route rather than becoming a dietician, Jasmine was thrilled to find the National University of Natural Medicine (NUNM) here in Portland, Oregon and relocated immediately to attend the program.
Growing up, Jasmine remembers eating healthier than all her friends because her mom felt so helpless about her young daughter’s health issues. After years of being extremely sick, Jasmine was diagnosed with celiac disease in middle school. It was at this time that Jasmine and her family shifted to a healthier way of eating and lifestyle. Jasmine says her mom has continued to “nerd out” on holistic health and since then each of her family members has done their own exploration to find what best fits their individual body.
Why Shouldn't We Wait Until the New Year to Get Healthy?
Jasmine explains that the mentality of needing to ‘get it out of your system’ while binging on unhealthy foods before getting healthy creates a horrible habit for people. This mindset makes it more likely that when we do slip up or enjoy certain foods that it can quickly take us down a binging spiral because we tell ourselves we’ll just start on Monday, or next week, or even next year.
Tips to Bounce Back:
Jasmine encourages the listeners not miss out on upcoming holiday events and family functions but to simply do what you can to take care of yourself. She personally likes to meditate for five minutes when she wakes up in the morning to set herself up for a successful day. Jasmine also pre- her meals before going to an event so she’s not as tempted by unhealthy goodies. Lastly, she stays focused on gratitude; specifically how lucky she is to be celebrating and enjoying time with the people she loves. Being present and enjoying the moment feels good and fires up the brain’s reward center which helps us make healthier, happier choices.
Welcome back, Fitlandians! We’re excited to welcome Ty Manegold of Roam Fitness to the show today as part of our continuing journey of creating healthy holidays for all! Roam Fitness is a brand of post-security airport gyms that help to change that dreaded, stressful experience of traveling into a positive, refreshing one.
Ty says, “We believe travel days don’t mean compromising your health and we’re doing that by putting fully equipped gyms behind security for passengers to be able to stay fit while traveling.”
So, How Does It Work?
Roam Fitness currently has one location in the Baltimore Washington International (BWI) Airport and is working to expand across the country and globe. Ty explains that all future locations will resemble what they currently have at BWI offering a full gym with daily, monthly and yearly passes. Membership includes full access to the facility and a complementary clothing rental program through Lulu Lemon athletic wear and Brooks running shoes. If a member chooses to workout in their own clothes, the gym staff will vacuum seal your wears so it doesn’t co-mingle with their clean clothes. Roam Fitness really has everything covered!
Ty's Tips on Staying Healthy While Traveling
Christa’s Challenge: The next time you’re traveling, order a soda water with a splash of your favorite juice to enhance the flavor instead of changing into party mode and going for a cocktail.
Make sure you head over to iTunes or Stitcher, give us a rocking review and tell us how you succeeded in accomplishing our challenge of ‘ditching the booze’ while traveling on your last trip or during the last holiday! We want to hear what you drank as an alternative to alcohol, how you felt after your flight and any other comments or tips you have!
To stay connected with Roam Fitness, check out their website and keep your eyes pealed for future locations coming near you. If you’d like to speed up the process of getting a location in your home airport, give them a call and request it so they can know how to better serve their passengers. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, Roam Fitness will be the reason you never have to stress or put your health to the side while traveling again.
Welcome back as we continue our series on teaching everyone how to get through the holidays in a healthy manner without deprivation. We have the co-founding couple of The Chief Life, Matthias and Stacey Turner! They describe themselves as a focused and driven team bringing the latest in personalized, healthy meal plans, gym/home training programs and apparel. Based in Queensland, Australia this dynamic duo works mainly online allowing them to work with people from all over the world, educating and inspiring people to become their healthiest selves and not simply focus on aesthetics.
Matty and Stacey work with their clients to fully apply themselves, physically and mentally, working to shift negative thought patterns into positive reassuring ones. Like Fitlandia, Matty and Stacey are passionate about helping others work through overcoming mental road blocks and giving themselves permission to reach all their health goals. This is where Mind Zoning® can be so powerful, allowing us to break through old ways and create new thought patterns in order to receive the change we desire.
Stacey says one of her tips for adopting positive thoughts is to name your inner critic. We all know that voice that creeps in telling us we aren’t enough, or haven’t made changes towards our goals leaving us feeling discouraged and crawling back to old habits. She explains that giving that voice a name makes it external and not a part of our being making it easier to hush.
As well as celiac disease, Stacey recently found out she has an under-active thyroid. She explains when first diagnosed, she initially had a victim mentality, but shifted it to think that she could use this to not only be as healthy as possible, by not eating gluten, but also serve as a reminder to make her health the top priority. She uses this blessing to educate and help others who are suffering from similar disorders and diseases.
Here are a few things to try when the holidays come rolling around:
For more information on Matty and Stacey custom meal plans, podcasts and their apparel line, make sure you check out their website and as they say, “Stop thinking about it, go be about it!”
And don't miss out on their own podcast, The Chief Life. You can subscribe on iTunes today!
Need some accountability and inspiration to get your healthy self back? Join Christa for the next 30 Days to Thriving session launching January 2018. Save $100 with early bird pricing when you sign up by 12/7/17. AND get an additional $50 off when you sign up for 2 or more programs. Enter COMBO50 at checkout.
Our method is NOT about deprivation. It’s about detoxing wisely.
You’ll be giving your body a much needed break from foods that have been contributing to your weight loss challenges, poor mood, fatigue, chronic pain and low energy. Once you start feeling better with Fitlandia’s 30 Days to Thriving, you’ll be craving a healthy lifestyle moving forward.
Get over the hump, get a little kick in the pants to get started, and commit to yourself today!
Episode 62 - It’s Easy to Take a Break from Alcohol Mind Zoning®
As the holidays roll in we’re granted with an abundance of joys, more time off work, a shift in the seasons and time with family and friends. This for many of us, also includes an overload of comfort foods, sweet treats we’ve adored since childhood and social events surrounded by alcohol. Christa shares she’s been indulging in more alcohol than she’d like to with the stresses and celebrations surrounding the launch of her new book, Strategic Vitality: 11 Small Steps to a Big Transformation.
She explains coming off an amazing high after her book launch party which occurred last Saturday, excited that she could continue to share her story, her struggles and how she works on overcoming them. Christa has always been very open with her listeners about her love for wine and donuts, and is proud to bring more awareness about how common our reliance on sugar, refined carbs and alcohol truly is.
If you have a tendency to relay on booze, Christa challenges you this holiday season to take a break from the spirited beverages alongside of her and husband AJ, as they start a six month sober stretch starting January 1st. With a community backing you up for support and guidance, we will work through the fears and discomfort as we create new, healthier habits and bring on the dreaded social settings, knowing it’s an easy choice to be sober. We know this task can be hard, maybe even unimaginable so we created this Mind Zoning® to make it all a little bit easier throughout the process.
Make sure to find a quiet, comfortable space where you’re not driving or distracted
Sit or lay down, however your body feels most relaxed
Start by taking a few deep breaths in through the nose and exhaling through your mouth
Allowing every inhale to refresh and clear your mind
And with every exhale giving you the ability to release any stress or tension
Let go
Be present here
Allow yourself the opportunity to relax
If you have other thoughts imagine there’s a cloud floating by you can put them on
Trusting that they’ll come back to you when you them need to
Let your mind focus on taking a break from alcohol
We’ll start with a question to ask the deepest part of your mind
Why?
Why are you considering taking a break from alcohol?
Think about all the reasons you want to take a break
Let it all bubble up in your mind now
Maybe you notice it can be a crutch from stress and you want to find healthier ways to manage it
Maybe it’s preventing you from reaching your greatest level of health and wellness
Maybe you notice you don’t like the way you feel the next morning
Maybe you want to invite more focus, greater productivity and all the things that come with taking a break from alcohol into your life
Now for a moment think about all the cons when taking a break from alcohol
Maybe there’s fears
Or concerns
Allow yourself with full honesty to think about all the reasons you wouldn’t want to take a break from alcohol
Are you afraid that social setting will be challenging?
Are you feeling a sense of deprivation that you can’t just eat and drink what you want?
Are you worried about being bound by rules?
Are you just afraid that your relationship with it is so strong that you couldn’t?
Think about all the things that have prevented you from taking a break from alcohol previously
Calling all those cons and all the pros
Imagine the two lists
Do you notice one is longer than the other?
Which one is it?
Studying your pros and cons list, what have you determined what you might want to do?
Are you okay with things just as they are?
Or, are you seeking change?
Are you seeking to connect with an even healthier version of you?
Connecting with that powerful part of you
That wants to connect with all the pros that come with taking a break
Whatever you decide is perfect
And you can decide that right now
If you’ve decided you’d like to take a break from alcohol
Think of how long you’d like to do this
Is it one day?
one week?
a month?
Is it forever?
Ask yourself, what is your deepest desire?
Go ahead and lay down that timeframe
Commit to that in your mind
Whatever is right for you
We Invite you to find strategies that will support you in taking a break for the length of time you’ve chosen
What do you need in place in your life to be successful to take a break from alcohol?
As you continue to think of all the resources to support you
Maybe it’s an accountability group?
Or having conversations with your partner, or friends and family asking them for support?
Maybe journaling your emotions everyday would help you?
Or having a really strong exercise and meditation practice can help calm your mind and ease any stress
Trust that you know the strategies that are perfect for you
Continue to think of those right now
Now for a moment think about the times you want alcohol
Maybe it’s at night or during dinner?
At parties or in social settings?
Think about a healthy replacement you can enjoy in these moments while attaching the same benefit to it
Maybe sparkling water with a splash of grapefruit juice
Or even a flavored mineral water
Or a nice warm tea
Think about something that you can enjoy that supports all the pros that you came up with
In this moment I want you to think about, is there anything else that you need that would help you be 100% successful in taking a break from alcohol?
In a moment we will come back to our day
And our thoughts
The pros and cons
The strategies
The excitement that comes with taking a break from alcohol
All the possibilities
Recall everything that came up during this session
As the days and weeks unfold, you may become even more excitement to take a break from alcohol
You might find it easier
Thinking of new ways to support yourself on this journey
Reaching out to the resources you need and putting plans in place
When you’re ready, come back to the space you’re in
We encourage you now, to write down all the things that came up today.
If you need further inspiration or resources, don’t hesitate and join us in the Fitlandia Facebook group! If you’re ready to not only give up alcohol but also create a new relationship with food, make sure you sign up for the 30 Days of Thriving! In this program we will fight the tough battle against our reliance of sugar, refined carbs and alcohol together. Christa explains this as a “beautiful time of awareness.”
Hello Fitlandians! We have a very special treat for you today as we welcome, Dr. Kirstin Lauritzen to the show. We’re continuing our holiday series of podcasts to provide information and tools to keep our listeners healthy and on track through the holidays. Kirstin is here to teach us some easy tips to fight against those holiday cravings!
Located in Sherwood, Oregon, Kirstin works as a chiropractor and helps people find a better nutrition route for their everyday lives. She has a Bachelor Degree in Psychology, Spanish and Human Biology as well as a Doctorate of Chiropractic and soon she will have her Masters in Human Nutrition and Functional Medicine.
Physiologically, cravings typically come from the brain and the gut. The gut, often named the second brain, has similar nerves and hormones and is being linked more frequently with our craving cycles. There is good and bad bacteria in the gut and due to limited space, there is always competition for space. A poor diet enables the bad bacteria to flourish if we allow it by eating foods that are fried, high in sugar and overly acidic.
The bad bacteria causes us to have a spike in sugar cravings because it simply wants more of that substance as its primary fuel source. Kirstin explains that we all have addictive centers in our brain and sugar can be 8 to 9 times more addictive than any other drug so when these bad bacteria act up, it causes our brain to go haywire with the craving.
So, during the holidays, when there is an abundance of sugary treats all around, it’s important to be prepared to resume clean eating in the days following any consumption. By quickly resuming our healthy eating habits, we can stop the sugar cravings before they take over.
When we feel down or stressed, our brain utilizes these substances to make us feel “safe”, causing intense cravings. Not only do these cravings come from a primal safety perspective, but also from the bacteria in our gut which sends a message to our brain that it needs to be fed.
Need an example? Check out Christa’s Simple Breath Work Mind Zoning®
The most important part of bouncing back towards your health goals is to remember to NOT shame or guilt yourself about enjoying those holiday goodies – just focus on getting back on track.
Make sure to check our Kirstin’s website and her customized programs geared towards boosting performance in athletes working with nutrition, lifestyle and daily stressors and increasing exercise.
Need some accountability and inspiration to get your healthy self back? Join Christa for the next 30 Days to Thriving session launching January 2018. Save $100 with early bird pricing when you sign up by 12/7/17. AND get an additional $50 off when you sign up for 2 or more programs. Enter COMBO50 at checkout.
Our method is NOT about deprivation. It’s about detoxing wisely.
You’ll be giving your body a much needed break from foods that have been contributing to your weight loss challenges, poor mood, fatigue, chronic pain and low energy. Once you start feeling better with Fitlandia’s 30 Days to Thriving, you’ll be craving a healthy lifestyle moving forward.
Get over the hump, get a little kick in the pants to get started, and commit to yourself today!
We have an exciting show for you today as we help you get over the fear of jumping into the ketogenic diet with the Queen of Keto herself, Leanne Vogel!
Leanne started studying nutrition in 2007 to help her better understand her body and how it worked with the foods she was putting into it. Originally going to school to help herself, she discovered after graduation that she had learned too much not to help other people and that’s when her blog, “Healthful Pursuit” was born.
Being a super athlete, Leanne noticed after years of not having her menstrual cycle that she wasn’t performing at her best and was continually struggling to put on muscle. This sparked her interest in regulating her cycle, but after starting hormone replacement therapy she discovered it was stunting her training even more. She went to a naturopath begging for help and that’s where she was introduced to a ketogenic diet.
Desperate for a change, Leanne who was a vegan and whole-foods fanatic made it her mission to eat avocados, mayo and bacon for 30 days! She did it and found she could finally get off her ADHD medicine she had been taking since she was 11, her anxiety dropped, her mood improved, she lost 12 pounds, was at 8% body fat and was finally back to training like a beast in the gym.
This was a huge transition for Leanne and her body, but also for her business which included many “vegan health-nut” followers who previously looked to her as a mentor, was now eating bacon on daily basis. Now, three years into keto, Leanne says they’ve been the best years of her life.
When Leanne first heard about the ketogenic diet from her naturopath she found herself scrolling through Instagram that evening and clicking on #Keto. She saw tons of images of processed meats, cheeses, creams and Diet Coke. Many of us having been dreaming of a diet like this but Leanne wondered how are you supposed to lose weight and how could this be healthy?
Leanne explains the problem isn't with the ketogenic diet, or really with any dietary style of eating. This issue is we often think that if it fits within your macros (meaning it meets your protein, fats and carb ratios), it’s good to go, regardless of the quality of food. In our culture, we connect weight so closely with our health that if we’re losing weight by eating this way, we rarely consider the micronutrients we’re missing out on. It's simply not true that weight loss alone equates to health so the quality of food is important too.
Moving from the old paradigms of the low-fat movement can be tough but, we now know that healthy fats have so many important health benefits, including weight loss, balanced hormones, elevated mood, greater focus and improved health markers such as resting heart rate, fasting blood sugar and HDL levels through a high-fat, low carb diet. For more info and inspiration of getting over the fear of fat, check out Leanne’s 10 Reasons Why I’m Not Afraid of Eating Fat (and why you shouldn’t be either).
When we burn sugar for energy like most people eating a standard American diet, it’s extremely inefficient and causes us to feel hungry soon after meals. When we burn fat as our main energy source we don’t have to eat as much, or as often, which is much more metabolically efficient. Your body will use its own stored fat during fasting periods, but when alcohol is consumed, your body will burn that before anything else, making results harder to see in the beginning. After your first 30 days, Leanne says, “If you must have a drink, stick to dry wines, clear hard alcohols and mix them with low-sugar mixers like tonic or soda water. “
When you are keto adapted, having a piece of cake at a birthday party or glass of wine won’t make you have to start over again. After burning the carbs and alcohol, your body will jump back into fat burning mode - just don’t let that one celebration turn back into an old habit.
Leanne shares that her natural desire when told not to do something, like to cut carbs and sugar, is to do it full force. A rebel at heart, she now looks for ways to break rules, but not at her health’s expense. She recently died her hair purple, sold her house and moved into an RV with her partner!
Danielle LaPorte’s Core Desired Feeling Practice supports this notion. It’s not the certain things in life we’re chasing after that make us feel free or supported or spontaneous, it’s the feeling itself. When you’re aware of your core desired feelings you can start to design a life that says ‘yes’ to those emotions and ‘no’ to the ones that don’t work for you. Leanne’s three core desire feelings are spontaneity, exploration and connection.
What are your core desired feelings?
“When your life is aligned that way and you’re saying yes to the feelings that you want, and no when that doesn’t align to your feelings, then all of a sudden you’ve created this life that means so much more to you than, "Did I have too many carbs today?” Leanne states.
Leanne’s Programs to Help You Start a Ketogenic Program
“It’s your birth right to take care of yourself and your body”
Access Leanne’s digital programs, helpful holiday recipes, meal plans, podcast episodes and so much more on her website and follow her on Instagram @HealthfulPursuit. You can find her book, Keto Diet at Barnes and Noble, Costco, Amazon, Ebay.
I'm so proud of this episode where I am 100% open and vulnerable about my personal fitness journey. I'm not perfect. I'm not your guru, but gosh darn it if I don't work my a** off to keep myself and YOU moving forward.
Listen to my real journey about my everyday struggles and how I keep moving forward with my own goals!
Want to work with me? Grab your spot in the next 30 Days to Thriving and still snag early bird pricing of $100 off.
I can't wait to help you get your healthy self back!
Holiday Bundle: https://www.fitlandiafitness.com/shop/mind-zoning/holiday-essentials-mind-zoning-bundle/
Simple Breath Work: https://www.fitlandiafitness.com/shop/mind-zoning/simple-breath-work/
Healthy Holiday Season: https://www.fitlandiafitness.com/shop/mind-zoning/healthy-holiday-season/
Developing a Positive Attitude: https://www.fitlandiafitness.com/shop/mind-zoning/developing-positive-attitude-mind-zoning/
It happens every year, October 31st rolls around and the next 2 1/2 months feel like a roller coaster of battling with food - specifically sugar, refined carbs and alcohol.
It starts with Halloween, creeps into Thanksgiving, escalates to December holiday events and crescendos into the big binge finale of New Years.
You give yourself permission to "enjoy the holidays," but really what's happening is your brain has hijacked your greater desire to stay healthy and still enjoy the holidays as an excuse to go wild with overindulgence.
What would it feel like to enjoy the holidays and still maintain focus on your goals and NOT gaining the average 7 – 10 pounds?
Enjoy a guided meditation today to help you embrace the holiday season with a new thought pattern so you feel in control. Engage the power of your mind today and maintain some boundaries to keep you on your fitness journey!
Chad’s Journey to Sobriety
Although Chad grew up in a Mormon household, he had five generations of alcoholism passed down to him. Chad’s first “infatuating buzz” was at age 18 and he spent the next ten years chasing that exact feeling, resulting in a cycle of binge drinking and heavy daily alcohol consumption. In 2013, Chad injured his back, which left him with a herniated disk and paralyzed in bed. The doctors told Chad he must attend physical therapy sessions and have steroid shots before surgery could take place to repair the disk. After five months of limited activity, on OxyContin, although not drinking; Chad found he was severely depressed. He was finally able to have a successful surgery on his back, but by then he was addicted to opioids. It was during this time that Chad turned back to alcohol to ease the discomfort of opioid withdrawals and the associated insomnia. During one irrational drunken night, Chad found himself locked out of his house. He drove out to the desert where he laid with a bottle of vodka and a bottle of Nyquil. Chad describes this night as one of the darkest times of his life. Something or someone pushed him forward through it and he somehow managed to text his brother for help.
Chad returned home, sobered up and got honest with his wife and doctors about what had been going on. It was a false start though because after a few weeks of not drinking, Chad thought things had returned to normal and that it was okay to start drinking again.
For the next two years, he drank a fifth of vodka a day. Chad knew his drinking was a problem when it wasn’t fun or relaxing anymore but a necessity. He says, “I just didn’t feel like a normal, functioning person unless I had alcohol in my system.”
Chad worked hard at protecting his addiction. Chad says his family and friends knew he was a big drinker, but did not know to what extent. At his sister’s wedding, Chad thought he played the part of the “functional alcoholic” well, but to his surprise, he learned he had not. Chad’s wife and brothers were worried he was going to die, so they intervened with an invitation for him to attend The Riversource Recovery in Arizona. After much arguing, Chad complied.
While in rehab, Chad learned about his illness and he connected with some of the most genuine people he had met in his life. His counselor at The Riversource Recovery Center is now his Alcoholics Anonymous sponsor and a dear friend. Chad continues to work day by day to be sober.
What Have You Learned from Transitioning Back into Day to Day Life?
In recovery Chad says he’s learned, “The beautiful thing about being a human is we don’t have to hit that brick wall to be moved. We can be moved by being inspired to change and to change our path.” That “bottom” is wherever you decide to stop digging and if you decide that bottom is today you can start to make changes.
Release the shame and guilt of your disease. It’s important to understand you are still that amazing person but was struggling with an illness bigger than you could have handled alone.
Christa says, “You must love yourself as you are today and know that just because you want something else in your life or for your body, you are not broken.”
In September 2016 at one year sober, Chad’s brother introduced him to the ketogenic diet. Chad embraced it, immediately felt better and has dropped 65 pounds while inspiring thousands with his openness and vulnerability in the Keto Connection Facebook Group where he met Christa!
Continuously focusing on a lifestyle of recovery from food and alcohol addictions, Chad knew the last piece of the puzzle was to give up cigarettes. During a family trip he discovered he was upset and raging over things he didn’t need to be upset about. He took a step back and realized that his subconscious mind was throwing a fit because it wanted a cigarette. Chad thought, “Why would I give my brain a cigarette because it’s throwing a fit? I don’t give my toddler everything he wants.” This is when Chad quit smoking!
He explains, “You have to exercise your willpower like you exercise your bicep. It doesn’t get better or bigger unless you put it under pressure.”
Now realizing the freedom he’s gained from getting healthy, Chad says he never realized how gross he felt for so many years but is grateful for even the dark years because coming out of it he was able to make little changes that were sustainable.
We’re all struggling with something whether it be food, alcohol or drug dependencies but with the Fitlandia community you are safe, welcomed, cherished and honored. Please leave us a review on this podcast with some gratitude and let’s all continue to celebrate new beginnings, vulnerability and sobriety!
Today we have the pleasure of introducing Ashley James to our Fitlandia podcast! Ashley is a massage therapist, Reiki Master, a Neuro-Linguistic Programming (NLP) master practitioner and trainer, and does Time Line Therapy Hypnosis and Coaching. In addition to all this, Ashley is the bubbly podcast host of Learn True Health, where she interviews holistic health experts and doctors of Naturopathic medicine.
As a reformed dieter herself, Ashley says she spent her time beating herself up about her weight until she concluded that, “Diets don’t work because they go against our physiology.” As humans, for much of our history, we were hunter and gathers and now we’re supposed to cut our calories? It doesn’t make sense because our physiology tells us we have to eat and gain weight to live; it’s what we were designed to do.
After many years of stressing over her weight, Ashely was finally able to let go of the associating negative feelings and beliefs and now is excited to share with the world just how good it feels to eat healthy. She says, “When you’re excited and motivated to fuel your body with whole foods, your health will improve and that weight will eventually fall off.”
Life coach turned health coach, Ashley had to let go of the idea, or excuse, that she had to be a size 6 in order to pursue and inspire people as a health coach. She knew how important holistic medicine and nutrition had been in her life and she wanted share that with others. Holistic practices helped Ashley reverse her diabetes, eliminate chronic adrenal fatigue and monthly chronic infections and improve her fertility. After reaping so many of the benefits of Naturopathic Medicine, Ashley started pursuing it more seriously and began her podcast.
Not only does Ashley learn and benefit from the information shared by people she interviews, she says,“That it’s amazing to see the positive health shifts in her listener’s lives and it makes her excited for what they’re doing to reverse and/or to manage a variety of chronic diseases.” Bringing life to holistic health, Ashley found herself in a place of intense study of the mind and how it creates our behaviors and reality.
For years, Ashley has been dedicated to breaking the stigma that your body size and weight is a direct reflection of health. Instead, Ashley says she’s working to reinforce the blueprint with our brain for what we’re manifesting in our life instead of being solely interested in being skinny.
Ashley says, “If we are trapped in our mind, we will stay there no matter whether you’re a size 6 or 16. When we shift our mind and focus to be about health and not about weight and staying positive (no matter what the scale says) is what leads us to make healthy decisions. “
So, how do we reduce or eliminate anxiety?
Ashley explains that anxiety is often seen as a negative emotion like guilt, fear, sadness or anger which the feeling can be experienced again by thinking of a past situation that brings up these emotions. For example, being sad about the loss of a pet can make you feel upset even after the fact. However, with anxiety, the feeling cannot be re-experienced because it hasn't already happened. It is not a negative emotion of the past but a completely different kind of emotion. Ashley describes it as, “the check engine light of our spiritual dashboard and our unconscious mind.” Anxiety can act as a survival mechanism and it’s a message from our unconscious mind to warn us of possible dangers. Our brain can’t differentiate what is imaginary and what is real and when we begin to think about a worst-case scenario of a situation, our body responds as if it is truly happening.
Ashley's Technique to Completely Eliminate Anxiety Whenever You Feel It
Pick something in the future that you have anxiety around
On a scale 1-10 notice your anxiety level when thinking about this activity or thing
Close your eyes
Float up above your time line (past is in one direction and the future is the opposite)
Float 15 minutes PAST the successful completion of the event and look down at it
Imagine that you’re 15 minutes past the completion of what you were worried about and see where your anxiety is now
If anxiety persists, ask yourself if you focused on the successful completion and did you look forward 15 minutes past the successful completion?
If you didn’t - do that now
If you did - ask yourself what you are anxious about now and if it’s a deeply rooted issue
Repeat technique again
Ashley says, “We can consciously interrupt the pattern that will rewire the conscious programming of our brains.” This not only relieves anxiety but also allows your brain to do brilliant work when that event occurs because you already gave your mind that positive programming.
This time line therapy technique is amazing for rewiring your brain and you don’t need to have anxiety to use it. Ashley says she practices it while “habit stacking” where she adds a new activity to a series of activities she already does religiously every morning in order to make the new habit stick. While making her bullet proof coffee in the morning, Ashley imagines the successful completion of her day. Whether it’s a simple day of grocery shopping, a workout and making dinner, she imagines everything going perfectly. “If you’re continuously focused on the best-case scenario, your unconscious mind, the reticular activating system, will delete and generalize information in your favor so that you start to see the little times in your day that go right when you couldn’t before because you were running on an old belief system that deleted it.”, explains Ashley. “Your life will get better with this technique because you’re actually looking for the evidence to support it!”
Christa's bringing you a sneak peak of her new book coming out, "Strategic Vitality: 11 Small Steps to a Big Transformation" as she goes through the 11 steps and reads excerpts from the book due out on 10/17/17.
Does the idea of getting healthy seem overwhelming? Are you filled with a sense of deprivation or even fear about creating a change in your health habits? You’re not alone. I’ve been there before and I’m going to help you move forward.
It is possible to regain your health, get your fitness back on track and make it stick.
This book will help you manage those overwhelming sensations to getting back on track with a healthy lifestyle. When our brains consent that something is easy—when we’re given a clear path with instructions—we can make small, attainable goals, and feel successful, which then leads to us craving more progress.
"Strategic Vitality is a powerful, concise book guiding you through a personal journey of permanent change. Christa shares her passion and knowledge teaching us how to acknowledge our internal challenges, explore self-awareness, release guilt, create new habits and resolve stress. Using simple techniques, she gives us the tools and resources to realign our lives." Nikki C.
"No fluff, just what I needed to get my mind clear and back on track. Fitlandia really delivers on the '4 cornerstones of fitness' and I totally get now why this is necessary and how to gain mental strength along the way.” AJ D.
"Finally, a resource that explains why diets have failed and how to create true, lifelong wellness without it being "all-in" approach that isn't sustainable. This book outlines the value of the 4 cornerstones of fitness and the small steps to integrate them into everyday life." Sarina S.
Christa King is the CEO & Founder of Fitlandia. She’s also a recovered dieter. After reaching her highest weight of 192, she hit a wall and was determined to crack her own code for a making a healthier lifestyle change. She became a certified hypnotherapist, life coach, and nutritional therapist. By putting these pieces together, she saw what was truly missing in the diet and fitness industry: a holistic approach that starts with strengthening the mind.
We are thrilled to welcome Katherine Feeney to the Fitlandia Podcast this week! Katherine is a certified holistic nutritionist and the mastermind behind The Dieting Redefined Summit. She has a drive to educate and empower others to create a positive relationship with food, revolving around whole foods, intuitive eating, and kicking calorie counting and restricted mindsets to the curb!
Kat has been working on refining dieting by moving away from the traditional diets we’ve all tried, failed and felt frustrated about. She helps her clients understand and connect with their body resulting in a customized “diet” that works to fuel each person properly which ultimately allows them to reach their goals. Just like here at Fitlandia, Kat’s mission is to end the cycle of yo-yo dieting; the feelings of shame and guilt that come with restricted eating plans or calorie counting; and get back to a place of nourishment and empowerment.
“It’s really about finding that positivity that can actually be reached in the process,” Kat says.
Many people may be confused when it comes to the “anti-diet” chatter with all the Paleo and Keto programs that are popular today. Holistic programs are designed around adding more whole foods in, followed by the elimination and reintroduction of certain food groups so that you can find what works best for your specific body. Discovering which sensitives, dependencies, cravings and even food allergies you have can be a huge step in getting you closer to how you want to look and feel. Instead of traditional dieting which consists of calorie counting, quick fixes, and that new detox you just have to try, these holistic approaches to nutrition are focused on sustainability instead of restriction.
An example is Christa's 30 Days to Thriving, providing guidance and support as you work to eliminate legumes, grains, dairy, gluten, soy, refined sugars, alcohol and even fruit. Her intention is help others release their reliance of sugars, refined carbs and alcohol to create a lifestyle that fits you. This helps people find what what their food triggers are for pain, mood disorders, inflammation and digestive issues.
This gives us permission to explore and enjoy the journey of finding what dietary plan works for our specific body and the freedom to enjoy a slice of birthday cake when celebrating with friends - or that glass of wine, all while keeping our goals in mind.
Let us know what you thought of this amazing anti-diet duo and give a rating or review on iTunes and Stitcher! Also, make sure you check out Kat’s website for blogs, private coaching and the Dieting Redefined Summit!
Episode 54 - Manage Your Stress by Calling upon Your Parasympathetic Nervous System
Welcome Fitlandian’s to Episode 54. We have another exciting guest with us today, wellness consultant and life coach, Cheri Anderson and she's going to teach us how to use our parasympathetic nervous system to manage our pain and stress.
As a wellness consultant, Cheri provides services in three areas which are focused around helping people live a lifestyle of wholeness. In order to accomplish this, Cheri says it’s necessary to first locate where constraints exist within a person’s “whole being.” The whole being is made up of the body, the spirit and the soul. When there are incongruences in one of these areas, there will be some type of mental, emotional, or physical conflict occurring.
“My passion is identifying those incongruences and then creating solutions” Cheri explains.
One way Cheri helps her clients find solutions, is through the practice of Holistic Biomechanics™. Holistic Biomechanics™ are the mechanics of all of the systems of the body working together as a whole. Cheri works one on one or in small groups helping people understand the biomechanics of movement in their bodies through sensory work with their nervous systems.
The nervous system has a parasympathetic (rest and digest) function and a sympathetic (flight or flight) function. When a body is in a parasympathetic state, it’s functioning in an optimal way; the way it was designed to work at that moment. However, when we get in our head about a pain we’re experiencing, our mind jumps to worry and judgement, thinking things like, “Will it always hurt like this?” and/or “Why is this hurting and will it last forever?”
This internal fight or flight dialogue continues to trigger more flight or fight type responses in the nervous system for protection, but never truly realizes the pain for what it is. By doing this, Cheri describes it as, “reinforcing the patterns of protection out of a false place.”
But when you stop, observe and recognize the pain, it creates sensory awareness in that area giving your brain more of a concrete answer instead of letting your mind wander and worry. It is our brain’s job to execute what we are telling it to do and with better instructions of what’s happening in the body it allows the nervous system to automatically shift to a parasympathetic state where it can calm and heal itself. Simply, when we have specific information that our brains can be sensory around, it allows our body to do what it is designed to do.
How Do We Sustain This Parasympathetic State?
When contacting Cheri for a private session, you’ll find there are different methods she uses depending on the client’s needs. When working with Christa, Cheri chose compression which consists of light touching of the skin. By lightly touching and engaging a specific area of the body, that area opens up and becomes available to give and receive information. While gently pressing on Christa’s neck and shoulders, Cheri facilitated more information being sent to Christa’s brain instead of letting her nerves try and gather the information. While creating more “chatter” in that specific area, it creates new pathways and gives Christa’s brain clearer feedback, allowing her nervous system to do what it does best.
Cheri’s Tips on How to Escape Your Brain's Food Loops:
Cheri's Easy 4-Step Process When Dealing with Stresses, Pain or an Obsessive Food Loop:
These simple but not easy tips are extremely effective in helping us create a lifestyle of wholeness!
Lainey always loved and wanted to own goats while growing up, but never lived in a place that could house them until she built her No Regrets Farm located in the beautiful Willamette Valley of Oregon. Lainey tried breeding first, but after one round, she realized that wasn’t the road she wanted to follow. She then began adopting and now owns 11 goats, most of them rescues.
Following her divorce Lainey discovered she was feeling extremely tired and sick with pain in her hands leading to her elbows. After many different tests, she was diagnosed with Sjogren's Syndrome. According to the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation, this is "a systemic autoimmune disease that affects the entire body. Along with symptoms of extensive dryness, other serious complications include profound fatigue, chronic pain, major organ involvement, neuropathies and lymphomas."
Struggling with extreme fatigue that debilitated her, Lainey wasn't able to do much, but she vowed to sit outside with the goats every single day. The goats made her smile and laugh and gave her relief her from her pain, more so than she felt from any medication.
This is how “Goat Happy Hour” came into existence! Animal assisted therapy (AAT) is used to improve a person’s social, emotional or cognitive functioning and has been proven to reduce anxiety and produce calmness. All types of animals can be used for AAT but goats are especially therapeutic. Even when chewing their cud, Lainey says, “They go into a meditative state and are truly present in the moment.” Humans get an overwhelming calming sense just being around them - happiness, joy and calm. The goats wander around the class and might sit on your mat, lick your face or even jump on your back when you’re in a table top pose.
After starting with Goat Happy Hour, Lainey was auctioning off a kid’s birthday party at the farm for charity when Heather Davis, a yoga instructor said, “You should let me have a yoga class here!” Little did anyone know that a couple promo shots and videos later, the yoga class with goats would have over a million views. People loved how the goats romped all over the yogi’s and although the session was extremely fun, it was also very relaxing. Lainey was interviewed by Modern Farm Magazine soon afterwards, and then by The Oregonian Newspaper. She has now gone international with Australia just launching their first goat yoga session this month.
Lainey discovered a special connection with her goats early on and when Goat Happy Hour came along she saw others found it impossible to feel sad around them as well. Lainey says videos and messages have poured in from around the country about how powerful even watching the videos of the goats have been for people suffering from physical and mental pain. The calmness and presence of these adorable, friendly and loving animals transfers over to the viewer.
What Science Says Animal Assisted Therapy Can Do!
For Mental Health:
For Physical Health:
Lainey is dedicated to providing people with the same therapy that helped her bounce back with Sjogren Syndrome. She will be doing Goat Yoga at Hanson Country Inn in Corvallis where she hosts annual events but Lainey will also continue to focus on small therapy groups doing Goat Yoga in a nature place for healing.
What are your tips for listeners feeling stuck?
If you want to get your goat on, check out Lainey’s website and hurry to sign up for one of her events before they sell out! You can also sign up to receive her newsletter with updates on holiday goat yoga, special events and pictures of these beautiful creatures when you can’t make a yoga session.
To stay in touch with Lainey and the goats, follow No Regrets Farm and Your Daily Goat on Facebook for a behind the scenes look at goat life.
Today we are ecstatic to welcome VH1 celebrity, designer, and life coach and superhero mom, Christina Johnson to the Fitlandia Podcast! After seeing the Starting Over TODAY segment on the Today Show, Christa knew she had to share Christina’s health journey and resilience to overcome extreme obstacles with her Fitlandia listeners.
Born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, Christina characterizes her upbringing as being “turbulent,” being a teen mom born to a teen mom, struggling with being abandoned by her father and growing up with a misconstrued definition of love. After having two girls by the age of 20, Christina moved to Atlanta and worked briefly in the nursing field. She left that job to work for Steve Madden and soon after, met and fell in love with the artist CeeLo Green. During their five-year marriage, they shared their mutual love for artistic expressions, launching Christina in a successful interior design career and consulting company, InnerPiece Designs (IPD).
During this time, Christina experienced weight gain and later was diagnosed with Graves disease, an autoimmune disorder that affects the thyroid gland. This is when, she explains, “the reset started” and she began her weight loss journey. Amidst her divorce Christina had a defining moment as she sat in the parking lot of a McDonalds wolfing down more junk food than she ever had eaten before. Breaking down in tears Christina told herself, “I don’t know what you’re hungry for Christina, but it’s not this. Something is going on internally.”
While still living with her ex-husband, and trying to save face for their children, Christina knew she was crumbling on the inside and had to make some changes for herself. To push her be consistent and disciplined, Christina called her trainer and soon dropped 40 pounds. Moving into her new home she started yoga and dug into loving herself from the inside.
Her message to woman is to make sure you make the time to love yourself, forgive yourself, forgive your past and the mistakes you’ve made.
During her near life-threatening struggle with Graves disease, Christina relied on the promises of faith and with the power of gratitude and affirmations, her health actually shifted. By tapping into her inner wisdom and forgiving others and herself for past doings she exclaims, “I’ve learned to turn my pain into compassion.” This is what drives Christina and allows her to help others during the process.
When asked about the show, “Atlanta's Exes”, Christina was extremely hesitant to participate because as a hands-on mama bear, she didn’t want the opinions or actions of others to manipulate her family dynamic. Instead, she used the show as fuel for inspiring other woman and daughters who may be suffering from domestic violence, struggling with an unhealthy habit or battling a disease. Christina’s experiences and how she worked to overcome her challenges has helped many women conquer their own fears and obstacles.
Today, Christina has learned exactly how to listen to her body and fuels it with an 80% plant-based diet but enjoys a well-deserved celebratory meal or glass of wine on occasion or at events. When doing so, Christina makes sure she rises early the following day so she can hydrate and begin to work towards her goals again and doesn’t get in a physiological craving spiral. Her extreme gratitude for her body and its healing abilities motivates Christina to always keep herself well rested, hydrated and property fueled.
If you struggle with getting out of bed early and starting your day off productively, make sure to include this rising early Mind Zoning® into your daily routine!
Here are Christina’s tips for the person who still hasn’t experience their “defining moment” but is itching for change:
“Let go of your always and become something new”
If you’re ready to reset your life, make sure to connect with Christina for personalized life coaching, videos and retreats through her website, or follow her on Instagram @christinajohnson_ and @InnerPiece on Twitter!
This is part 2 of our two part series of top tips from the fitness experts attending the IDEA World Fitness Conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Michael runs BeachFit Long Island in Oceanside, NY, a small group TRX studio and Mike Soster runs Functions of Life out of Broadview Heights, OH where they specialize in American Ninja Warrior training for children 6 though 12.
Shelby is a yoga and group fitness instructor in Ft. Collins, CO and owner of the blog Live Fierce Wellness. Christa again asks what her top tips are to get over the hump of getting started with a healthy lifestyle. It’s no surprise she reinforces the common thread the others have:
Elizabeth is the founder of Cirqueit Fitness to help people get Fit, Fun and Done in 45 Minutes and bring the playground back to fitness. Her philosophy is that you can make great use of 45-minutes, focusing on a structured class that goes by super fast so that her clients have the best workout possible. She and Christa bond over their work to revolutionize the fitness industry and break through old paradigms. Elizabeth’s tips to include:
Today’s Sponsor: Dr.’s Mark and Michelle Sherwood of the Functional Medicine Institute. Check out their DNA test today to help you identify food sensitivities to support your health, wellness and fitness goals.
Welcome to our 50th podcast! In celebration of this exciting milestone, we are giving you Fitlandian’s an insider’s view of the people and trends from the Idea World Fitness Conference that Christa attended in Las Vegas in July. This two-part series includes interviews from the fitness industry experts she encountered at the conference who focus in the cornerstone areas that Fitlandia is founded on; better nutrition, more daily movement, positive mindset and encouraging community.
Our first guest is Anna Gemma with ChoreoBarre®Fitness. This company was created in 2014 in the San Francisco Bay Area. It’s formatted from Vaganova’s Method, a training devised from a Russian dancer, fusing together elements of Italian technique and traditional French ballet. ChoreoBarre® Fitness involves the entire body using cardiovascular intervals, core stability exercises, ballet inspired moves and can be done at three different levels so it suitable for everyone to try.
Want to give it a go?
ChoreoBarre®Fitness classes are in Danville, California at The Studio, as well as in Livermore, California located at LifeStyleRx in the Stanford Health Care – Valleycare Recreational Center.
Tips when feeling stuck:
“We all started from somewhere, you can do it!”
Also at the conference, Christa found some fellow Oregonians, Derek and Shaelah who work in La Grande, Oregon at the Mountain Valley Fitness and Health. This holistic gym and physical therapy clinic has a variety of services they provide including acupuncture, group fitness classes, personal training which Derek has been involved in since 2013, a nutritionist to help with meal prepping and sports performance training to help everyone reach their health goals.
Shaelah, the manager at Mountain Valley Fitness and Health helps people daily face their mental challenges in their health journey by introducing them to other clients so they feel more comfortable in a “transitional program”. When working with his clients during personal training sessions, Derek explains that he focuses on finding what people want specifically from their training and then helps them break down walls and barriers to achieve it.
Tips to keep moving forward and making fitness a priority:
At Mountain Valley Fitness and Health, they work hard to provide members with the highest quality of individualized fitness experience to maximize functional abilities and improve overall quality of life.
Welcome back to the Fitlandia Podcast! Today, Christa treats us with a Mind Zoning® session to help us tackle that “setback bug” once again. As we talked about previously with DeShawn Fontleroy, of Sports Mastery during Episode 45, slip ups are sometimes unavoidable, but becoming aware of the behavior and the reason for why you fell back into an old pattern is crucial. Harnessing the power of your mind through Mind Zoning® and working to forgive yourself helps you quickly recover from a setback so you can continue to move forward towards your goal. Whether you missed a workout or a handful of workouts, gave into those cravings or simply stayed in bed too long and didn’t have the productive day you’d planned, this Mind Zoning® session will help you get back on track, every time.
While allowing your eyes to close, take three deep breaths in and slowly exhale out
Clear away any worry, frustration or busyness from the day
Be at peace in this moment
Tap into that deep knowing of your mind, the beautiful part of you, that knows how to forgive yourself
That knows that in every experience, even the negative ones, there are
insights to be gained and lessons to be learned
In this moment, we are focused on recovering from a setback
Invite the mind to recall a recent setback where it didn’t feel like it was on its path to achieving its goals
Maybe binge eating?
Missing a workout?
Falling back into an old pattern?
Well, you are here today
Call at this time to reengage the mind and move forward in your goals
It’s all about forgiveness and understanding
Reflect on what triggered that event or the old pattern
What allowed you to miss a workout or choose a food that you later regretted?
Reflect on that time
Visualize yourself moving forward
Knowing that was a temporary moment in time
But you’re here now
With everything within you to continue to move forward
You never again have to let a setback take you back to an old pattern
You can trust that you have a deeper desire
A wonderful plan for your mind, body and soul
The growth you’re doing, the fitness that you’re developing in your soul, in your mind and in your body
You can continue to move forward quickly and easily
Recovering from a setback like never before
Honoring what it was and releasing any shame or guilt in this moment
Let it be carried away as if a cloud was absorbing it and moving it further away from you
Honor the essence of who you are
That person who is moving forward
And anytime you need a reminder to release the shame or feel you’ve had a set back
Come back to this meditation
So, you can recover quickly and easily
And continue to give yourself permission to move forward
Seal it with one last deep breath and come back to the time and space of this beautiful day
Feel the awareness you have and the excitement to keep moving forward in your journey
You have everything in you to be successful
Although an alarm clock beeping at you at 4:30am may not seem like the perfect way to greet the day, rising early has been proven for many as the most productive and routine way for your body to function. Winding down from electronics and life’s distractions might be hard for the usual night owl but this Mind Zoning® session will help you experience a deeper night’s rest, allowing you to rise early and set you up for a super productive, healthy day.
Take three deep breaths in and exhale deeply and begin to close your eyes, allowing your body to relax wherever you may be
Allowing your mind to slow down in thought
Take a break from analyzing, processing and planning
Let go for a few minutes
Take another deep breath in from the nose and let it out fully and completely
Release any tension from your neck and shoulders
Letting your belly be full and relaxed
Releasing the muscles in your hips and legs all the way to your ankles and toes
It’s that quickly from head to toe you can release, relax and let go
As you tap into the power of your mind
It’s a clear blue sky
Wide open and receptive to all thoughts and ideas you have
Any healthy lifestyle is possible with your mind
You are creating that right now
Appreciating it in this moment
To start a new pattern
This involves waking up
Rising out of bed
And starting your day’s journey
Early
Imagine through that process you’re able to first start by giving yourself permission to go to bed early
To make sleep your number one priority
Trusting how restoring it is
The repair your body will gain
How a good night’s sleep will set you up from a successful, productive day
That night around 8pm you begin to wind down
Wrap up the days tasks
Prepare your mind for sleep
At least one hour before bed, you turn off all electronics
As you climb into bed – think, write or reflect on all the things you’re grateful for
Creating the most beautiful intention to take you into your dreamland
Giving your mind permission to rest fully and deeply
Set aside any worry
Honor the beauty of sleep in this moment
Imagine you easily fall into a deep sleep
Because of this you can rise early
You know all the benefits of waking up early
You know the time that gives you all the space you need
To prepare your mind and soul
For a successful day
To set you up for productivity and peace and joy
You do that through rising early
Every day
Creating that beautiful rhythm in your body now
You’re creating a pattern that gets easier
This energy last throughout your day
Now you can prepare healthy meals when you get home
And then winding down
Preparing for a deep, restored sleep
Creating a longing to get to sleep early and to rise early
When you’re ready, come back to this place
Creating wonderful energy back in your body
And rise for the rest of your day
Subscribe to the Fitlandia Podcast today:
Have you heard about the numerous health benefits of fasting and might be considering giving it a try? Well then, you’re in for a treat today as Christa shares with us her very own reasoning and experiences during her first extended fast!
Disclaimer: *** DO NOT ATTEMPT A FAST WITHOUT THE SUPERVISION OF YOUR HEALTHCARE PROVIDER. *** Important: this should not be used as a tool for quick weight loss but instead to become quickly keto-adapted or for ultimate vitality.
While already practicing intermittent fasting, a daily eating pattern that cycles between a fasting and eating window, Christa typically eats her last meal around 6 or 7pm and fasts until the following day between 11AM – 12PM. After reaping the benefits from this, she decided to try an extended fast of 72 hours.
Along with these benefits, Christa experiences a heightened awareness of eating habits and dependencies, a boost in energy and extremely important for her, a deeper, more rested night’s sleep.
Day 1 – While continuing her intermittent fasting pattern, Christa says she didn’t notice missing lunch her first day but did feel a true hunger around dinner time. With the help of Mind Zoning®, (a process of listening to a guided meditation or repeating a positive mantra to oneself), she was able to break through periods of increased hunger.
She explains sleeping deeper than usual, a common benefit, giving your body a much-needed break from being in a constant digestive state.
Day 2 – Getting a break from having to prep meals? “What a nice surprise,” Christa exclaims. Although this may be true, it’s important to maintain hydration and boost electrolytes throughout fasting so packing teas and filtered water for a busy day is crucial.
Recipe for Christa’s electrolyte blend:
Day 3 – Christa explains feeling like she was on “autopilot.”
After successfully completing 69 hours, Christa and her husband listened to their body’s innate wisdom and broke their fast early. This extended fast helped Christa further her intuition of her body’s needs aside from her normal eating habits.
She explains it as, “An amazing ability to trust my body and to learn what it needs while allowing myself permission to listen and end the fast early.”
With hunger decreasing after time during a fast, the thought patterns and actions you have surrounded by food are heightened. With increased awareness and harnessing the power of your mind, you now can create new patterns without linking food with daily stresses or boredom, reach your fitness goals and end the cycle of yo-yo dieting.
If you’re ready to start working towards your goals, no matter what your beginning stage looks like, Christa offers three different stages of programs online to best suite your needs. It’s important not to go from one extreme to another and to be in the right head space to take on any intermittent or extended fast and we’re here to help!
Which Program is Best for You?
If you’re interested in The Keto Kick-Off make sure to take advantage of this exclusive offer as we partner with Dr. Jerome Craig for our 3rd keto program launching September 6th! While vacations are over and maybe the cravings have crept back in, this is the perfect time to get back on track.
Subscribe to the Fitlandia Podcast today:
Today we welcome Maigen Thomas, a personal and professional development consultant, to teach us about strategic vitality and how to create holistic fitness in every area of your life!
Maigen helps people “be and do better.” With a strategy-based approach, Maigen helps her clients:
“There’s a difference between being good at what you do and being good at business,” she says. Maigen found herself in a position of transition when she expanded a wedding information business and blog to a business for the wedding vendors to use. This enabled the photographer or the cake baker to focus on their specialty and she handled the business end of things.
As a development consultant, Maigen helps her clients turn their professional life around by building the strategy to get to the next step in a career, or to entirely change a career, to do whatever it is they want to do. From idea to execution, Maigen is very hands-on with her clients as they make their transition to a happy holistic life.
Christa and Maigen connected several months ago and quickly recognized their similar approach with working with their clients. Christa’s focus is fitness and Maigen’s is business, but their strategies are practically identical. Christa is on the same journey as Maigen with the goal of improving people’s lives not only through health and nutrition but also by focusing on what other areas are in need of a vitality boost.
Fitlandia’s core values incorporate:
Maigen encourages her clients to find someone, a peer, a consultant, or what she calls a “tribe” to bounce ideas off of. These people, or group of people, help to hold you accountable during times of transition depending on what your goals look like in specific areas of your life. These “tribes” may vary based on need or purpose, for example, you may have a tribe for work and a different one for fitness.
Want change? Here are your first to-do’s
Don’t forget to request to be part of the Fitlandia group on Facebook. It is a closed group but is free and everyone is welcome to join our “tribe” of supportive fitness friends!
If you’re looking to make a big career move, pursue your health journey or simply aren’t happy with how your life is currently going, Maigen encourages you “get radically clear” about what you’d like your life to look like, what you want to do and how you would like to interact with the world. If you’re here with us in Portland, she will be talking about this at an upcoming free NedSpace event, “Do What You Love with Maigen Thomas” at 12:00pm on August 22, 2017 at 707 SW Washington St, Suite 1100.
She’s also working on a workshop “What does it mean to do what you love, while doing what you do,” which encourages and guides people to get in touch with their core values and see the reflection those values have in what you do or want to do. These personal core values dictate our friendships, our decisions, our personal and business relationships and subconsciously make those career life decisions for us. Maigen finds it incredibly enlightening helping people get focused on their core values in order to define their ultimate goals.
For her, she describes her core values as being perseverant and determined, with a need to complete service to others. Maigen is happy by helping others reach happiness, protect their legacy and feel truly fulfilled.
Christa, on the same wave length, describes her core values as being a resilient guide for others, helping people tap into their subconscious minds to achieve more than their conscious minds ever imagined while continuously working towards her bigger purpose to help people along their fitness journey’s even when getting knocked down.
How do I determine my core values?
Maigen helps her clients determine the values that drive them and move them forward in life by looking at the setback moments you barely managed to get through, compared to the euphoric seasons where everything seemed to fit in to place. The beliefs or thoughts that carried through each of these times are engrained in you and will continue to move you forward.
If you’d like to learn more and gain more vitality in your own life stay tuned for Christa’s newest project, a book called “Strategic Vitality: The 11 Small Steps to Big Transformation” a collaboration of small things we can do, using strategic approach to help us take action and ownership with our health and wellness goals.
To be a part of the book launch’s first release, send Christa an email with “BOOK LAUNCH” in the subject line. Also, make sure to stay in touch with Maigen through her website or shoot her an email for any support or to set up your free 20-minute consultation appointment!
Never miss an episode. Sign up on iTunes & Stitcher today and leave us your honest review!
Today we welcome DeShawn Fontleroy of Sports Mastery. Sports Mastery was created to bridge the communication gap of between the student athlete and their parents and coaches. He begins by mentoring athletes first on how to overcome fear and then by making the most of any obstacle or setbacks they may face. All while challenging their sacrifices and social conflicts to help them reach their goals.
DeShawn begins with many of his clients by first explaining the process of fear, followed by a list of everything that they find to be a fear in their own life. Common fears are rejection, criticism, ill health, poverty etc., which as DeShawn says, “Are all taught by our friends, family and environment.” He describes the only true fears we’re born with is the fear of heights and of loud noises. These are fears engrained in us, but not often found when looking at what cripples us on a daily basis.
The true definition of fear is an unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous and likely to cause pain or threat.
DeShawn says, “The opposite of confidence is doubt and fear.” Your desire to improve has to include overcoming that fear factor if you truly want to overcome the emotions that are holding you from acting towards your dreams.
Many of us have these fears when it comes to making lifestyle changes or even a taking a break from things like sugar, caffeine, alcohol and refined carbs. It’s easy to wonder if you’re even capable. Well, you are!
Christa’s corner stones to fitness:
Life comes with challenges and the brain likes to go back into old habits in these times in an act to keep you safe. If your setback is a place that returns you to community it will bring you back to a place of progression. Being a part of a community, with mentors or what DeShawn calls a “corner man,” that always demonstrates acceptance and inclusion, will make you feel welcomed no matter where you are in your journey. This support will fuel you forward.
Both Fitlandia and Sports Mastery are deeply ingrained in the concept of community as a fundamental component to success, including the need to be deeply intimate with yourself. This intimacy includes all your accomplishments and your weaknesses. It’s important to know how to recover without feeling guilty when setbacks occur and to have that community of people in that time of need.
Recovering from setbacks quickly:
Make sure to list out your fears, work towards your goals by accepting the wins and the setbacks and go to iTunes and rate Fitlandia and Sports Mastery both with five stars! And if you haven’t already, click to join the closed (but completely open to everyone) Facebook group to be welcomed into the community!
For more of Sports Mastery, check out DeShawn’s Podcast and make sure you download his PDF to learn basic definitions and workbook assignments that will help determine your fears and how you feel and deal when challenged or threatened with them. You no longer have to deal with the bear of fear, “You just have to do the work”!
Thank you again to Portland Community College’s Institute for Health Professionals Functional Nutritional Program for sponsoring today’s show! This wonderful program is one year and 100% online making it doable for the busy entrepreneur who wants to integrate more holistic nutrition into their practice or if you’re just starting out. This program can completely boost your healthcare career in nutrition, just like Christa did back in 2015. The course is taught by practitioners who are experts in their fields who teach a science based curriculum; and for a well-rounded perspective, also incorporates traditional wisdom such as Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda. To learn more or to enroll for the next course starting September 25th, check out PCC’S functional nutrition program.
Never miss an episode. Sign up on iTunes & Stitcher today and leave us your honest review!
Welcome back to the Fitlandia Podcast! Today we have the pleasure of meeting with Thubten Comerford for another inspiring story of weight loss and transformation.
Thubten Comerford has come a long way from his elementary school days when his mother placed him on the Cambridge Weight Plan and he was constantly being reminded he was bigger than the other kids in his class. Growing up active but not athletic, Thubten always struggled with his weight. Upon entering college, he was in the early stages of substance abuse due to conflicting religious boundaries relating to his decision about coming out about his sexual identity. Thubten describes himself at that time as, “a “hot mess.” With no attention being paid to nutrition, he gained the "freshman 50” during his first year of college. He left school soon after and joined the National Guard and then enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After leaving the military, he went back to his parents’ house for a short time and then returned to school only to find himself living in a fraternity house, which escalated his negative drinking habits.
A few years after college Thubten became a practicing Buddhist Monk. While traveling and still struggling with his weight, he found himself reading Dr. Peter J. D’Adamo’s, Eat Right 4 Your Type and was quickly motivated for change. He soon dropped 50 pounds by eating right for his blood type and after starting a prescribed diet, dropped another 50!
Today, Thubten is 29 years clean and sober, describing it as a yo-yo rollercoaster journey that so many of us can relate to regarding dieting and self-mastery. He has lost another 40 pounds this year, on what he calls “the potato-based coffee diet” and is working to share his impactful story.
Books like, Presto! How I Made Over 100 Pounds Disappear and Other Magical Tales, by Penn Jillette, have inspired Thubten during his transformation journey. He’s learned it’s about finding what works for his body while being aware that things change depending on time and environment. Today he knows how to be mindful of his actions since they are often related to deep-rooted thought patterns and forgiving of himself when working past negative emotions or during a setback.
With his vast knowledge of business and marketing, culinary skills and understanding of video and YouTube, he recently started producing a cooking show, Thubten’s Kitchen, a 13-episode, multi-segment program that will launch soon on YouTube and be formatted for network television. His Facebook site is live, and has more information, but here’s what each episode offers:
The business allows you to pick and choose the cured or fermented ingredients, including Thubten’s own line of products. There’s also a monthly pop-up episode, available on Feastly Portland where Thubten shares his very own recipes and plant-based meal tips.
Stay tuned for the Thubten’s Kitchen website for his great information on weight loss, healthy eating and everything nutritionally plant and nutrition based.
Closing Tips:
Huge shout out and thank you to today’s sponsor, Portland Community College and their holistic nutrition program. This 100% online program is 1 year and provides students with science-based principles while integrating in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda for a well-rounded perspective on nutrition to start your healthcare career in nutrition or to supplement into your current holistic program. Christa did this course back in 2015 which launched her into creating what Fitlandia is today! To learn more or enroll for the next course starting September 25th, check out PCC'S functional nutrition program.
This week Christa is joined by Daniel Thomas, CEO of Evolution Eat, to help you release the guilt of a sugar addiction. Daniel is also partner and cofounder of Rich 20 Something, an education platform for millennials and entrepreneurs. Daniel teaches a counter-intuitive strategy to weight loss, dieting and lifestyle transformation that’s all about mindset, habits and skill development. Where self-development meets diet and wellness, Daniel helps individuals all over the world connect with their truest selves to begin a life of control over their bodies, minds and spirits; releasing all guilt from the past.
Daniel didn’t always associate with such positive principles or self-discovery. He describes growing up as a difficult time of being overweight, allergic and inflamed, feeling as if he had no control over his overall health. With a loving mother who saturated him with love and food, he was quickly tied into an unhealthy relationship with food. Being an only child, Daniel often felt bored and lonely and found a reward loop with food that made him feel loved and entertained but lead to a reliance on food for fulfillment and to displace boredom.
This pattern continued for years after attending the best private high school in New York City, Georgetown University for undergrad, and almost stepping into Law School, as Daniel felt immense pressures to perform. He continued to gravitate towards things like caffeine, sugar and illegal uppers as a dynamic to feel better instead of looking for a solution from the inside.
When discovering the Paleo Diet, (before it was a hip thing), Daniel found it was the first time he had sunk into an “embodiment of control” over his emotions, cravings and old habits. He says that Evolution Eat was created almost by accident when the community surrounding him were so curious about his new discovery that as Daniel taught himself he built his practice by coaching others simultaneously.
He dives deep with his clients, as he states on his Website’s About Me, “The process of mastering a skill, diet, mindset, or lifestyle requires relentless effort, deep focus, and enthusiastic concentration. You must go deep to get something out of it.”
This is married with one of his core values of transparency as that it sets the stage to promote change. Being aware and externalizing your fears, guilt, shame or setbacks allows you to objectively look at it and release it from defining you any longer. Many of us live in fictional worlds and are never able to make a change or impact because we’re constantly maneuvering around what others think.
As we’ve discussed in other podcasts, everyone is so different and learning what your triggers are and the emotions that follow them, will continue to vary.
Daniel’s tips on how to bounce back from cravings:
There’s a solution to every single problem and we can change our lives at any second through Mind Zoning® and meditation, connecting with community, healthy eating and daily movement. Daniel does this every day by running down to the beach by his house at 4:45am, meditating for 20 minutes and then jumping in the freezing water. This daily practice sets him up for success, whatever his day may look like. His healthy routine is on his own terms which ensures he’s following his intentions and goals.
To connect with Daniel, make sure you check out EvolutionEat for mini courses, newsletters and blogs, or connect individually by emailing him at daniel@evolutioneat.com.
And, don’t forget to head over to the Fitlandia Podcast on iTunes and subscribe, rate and review us! Make sure to put in your keystone habit about how you’re starting your day off right. We can’t wait to read them!
Huge shout out and thank you to today’s sponsor, Portland Community College and their holistic nutrition program. This 100% online program is 1 year and provides students with science-based principles while integrating in Traditional Chinese Medicine and Ayurveda for a well-rounded perspective on nutrition to start your healthcare career in nutrition or to supplement into your current holistic program. Christa did this course back in 2015 which launched her into creating what Fitlandia is today! To learn more or enroll for the next course starting September 25th, check out PCC'S functional nutrition program.