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.

• What were the pros in taking a break from alcohol for you?
• What are the fears you have?
• What strategies did you come up with for support?
• How long are you abstaining from alcohol?
• What are the healthy replacements you can enjoy?

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.

So, What Is a Craving?

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.

Kirstin says, “The better the food you eat, the more good bacteria will stick around.”

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.

Christa explains, “It is not about willpower. We have programmed our brain through the reward system from infancy to equate sugar, refined carbs and alcohol to safety and pleasure.”

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.

Kirstin’s Tips for Healthy Pickings at Thanksgiving Dinner.

• In preparation for the holiday season, Kirstin encourages her clients to think of one or two of their absolute favorite foods that they must have. For her it’s pumpkin pie. It’s important to really embrace that celebration with your favorite treat which will leave you feeling much more satisfied.
• If you know Granny is having her traditional holiday bake-off at Thanksgiving, Kirstin encourages you to bring a vegetable dish to contribute that you know is healthier for you and everyone else.
• When you start to dish up your Thanksgiving plate, go for mainly veggies and eat them first so they begin to fill you up.

Oops, I Overindulged. Now What?

• Probiotics will jumpstart getting more healthy bacteria to your gut quickly
• Boost your water intake
• Start with a green smoothie in the morning
• Plan your meals and batch cook for the week

Helpful Tips to Stay on Track Afterwards.

• Take time to breathe. Kirstin recommends a 20-30 second meditation-like “moment” to get centered on what your body truly needs in the moment.

Need an example? Check out Christa’s Simple Breath Work Mind Zoning®

• Bring some oxygen to the brain even if it’s just a walk outside and stand up when you’ve been sitting for more than 30 minutes.
• Connect and check in with your body. Drink a glass of water and ask yourself if you’re actually hungry or just bored. Take the time to determine if you’re craving something sugary or salty and would something like fruit or nuts curb that craving?
• Put the electronics down and turn off the TV.
• Throw out what tempts you in the pantry. If it’s there, you’ll eat it and if it’s not there, you likely won’t.

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.

Resources: 

30 Days to Thriving

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!

Subscribe to the show today a review on iTunes and leave us a rating and review telling us what you LOVED about today’s show.

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.

Healthy Keto vs. Unhealthy Keto

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.

Afraid to Eat Fat?

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).

Alcohol and Keto

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 says, “The cyclical practice is really helpful in being able to live your life and not feel deprived.”

Core Desired Feelings

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

• The Keto Beginning - This 30-day guide is designed to help you learn how to transition from overloading on carbs to stocking up on healthy fats. She explains what fat is, what protein is, why and how we need them in the body and how different carbs are better for blood sugar than others. This also includes a 30-day meal plan for beginners!
• Fat Fueled - Playing off the Keto Beginning, Fat Fueled helps you take it a step further as you dive into how to heal your body from various diseases and dysfunctions.
• Keto Diet - the book! Leanne’s goal was to design a strategic, easy way for anyone to start a Ketogenic diet with budget friendly tips, quick meal prepping and affordable substitutions you can make at home.

“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.

Show Leanne the Love!

Subscribe to the show today a review on iTunes and leave us a rating and review telling us what you LOVED about today's show.

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!

30 Days to Thriving:

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!

Mind Zoning® for the holidays:

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/