Info

Fitlandia | Fitness for Your Mind

It’s time to get over self-sabotage, negative thoughts, and obstacles to getting fit again and staying fit for life. Christa is a certified hypnotherapist, life coach, nutritional therapist, and founder of Fitlandia on a mission to end the vicious yo-yo dieting cycle. Join her each week as she sits down with top fitness and wellness experts to discuss nutrition, exercise, and mental health. Loaded with quick healthy tips and Fitlandia’s signature Mind Zoning® meditations, The Fitlandia Podcast gives you all the tools you need to commit to a permanent lifestyle change.
RSS Feed Subscribe in Apple Podcasts
Fitlandia | Fitness for Your Mind
2019
April
March
February
January


2018
December
November
October
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2017
December
November
October
September
August
July
June
May
April
March
February
January


2016
December
November


Categories

All Episodes
Archives
Categories
Now displaying: June, 2018
Jun 25, 2018

Welcome to the Fitlandia Summer Series. Christa is prioritizing her self-care and taking a bit of a twist on the show by gathering the greatest insights and wisdom from her week in Fitlandia, delivering it to you as you continue your health, wellness and weight loss journey.

                                                      02:52                       I'm calling it my summer series, the week in review and Fitlandia. But the second part to that, I'm working to get fitter by the time I turned 46 than I was at 26. So, my healthiest that I ever was, was it 26 years old…

                                                      04:51                       I can't believe we're already coming up on 100 episodes, but I wanted Steph Gaudreau to be my guest. She said yes. And through our discussion we focus on talking about breaking negative self-talk and excuses…

                                                      05:51                       You've got to love the process, you've got to find a way to enjoy things in your day to day so that as you reach your goals, you're in love with the journey and you're not so fixated on the outcome and that kind of like ties to another experience that I have…

                                                      07:40                       The last lesson that came up through all my workshops this week was this idea of vulnerability. So, if any of you know me, um, especially in my transformation in the last six years, the more I do this work and Fitlandia, the more vulnerable I become, the more of an open book I am…

                                                      08:40                       And I was already an open book. You know, that, you know, I wear my heart on my sleeve. I've gotten a lot better at managing my emotions and my reactions. But this idea of being vulnerable, right? We are all stumbling through life. We are all learning lessons. We are all coming to this with the reality that we're human beings and figuring it all out together…

                                                      12:35                       Start with taking a video of your why. Why is it important that you reach that goal? You've got to tap into that why, but record it because then you can go back to it and watch it and just reconnect with all that delicious energy of what comes when you can manifest something special in your life that means something to you.

                                                      17:13                       I'm so proud of the protocol that I've put together. I'm proud of the community that we've built. We have such an amazing safe community and I love that people are smashing through their craving cycle. They're healing a damaged relationship with food and alcohol and finding the strength through the power of mindset to move forward and not just food and nutrition, but all areas of their life… 

                                                      19:13                       That's really my desire with the Mind Zoning® Academy, is to help you unlock the power of your mind to keep moving forward and all areas of life. Yes, I talk a lot about health and fitness, but certainly these techniques show up whether it's career, relationship, finance, all of it…

Jun 18, 2018

Background

When Jessica was introduced to tapping by her brother, Nick Ortner, she was absolutely blown away by its effectiveness. An “over-thinker” since childhood, Jessica describes how she struggled to use positive affirmations and other techniques to shift her brain’s way of thinking. Like many of us, the anxiety and worry that clouded her mind not only affected her brain but she felt it throughout her whole body. Since tapping helps to relieve the physical symptoms associated with anxiety, Jessica found that it worked to quiet her mind but also to calm her body and reduce the corresponding physical stress. She and her brother became proficient in using tapping and eventually filmed a documentary where they brought in experts and followed ten people to chronicle their success using this technique. This video documentary has been widely used by tapping followers to demonstrate how it is done and to teach and inspire others.

Jessica explains, “Tapping is a stress relieving technique to do while focusing on what’s causing you anxiety while tapping on acupuncture points”.

Our ancestors needed to have that flight or fight response to stay alive; producing physical strength and increased cortisol. Then we evolved, and although our fears are normal everyday things like our jobs and family life, our bodies continue to react in the same way as our ancestors did – with a physical reaction. Our heart begins to race, we start sweating, our stomach might start to turn and our whole body will be in a stressed state. Although our mind will usually start to rationalize with a positive outlook, it is the body’s natural reaction is to keep us safe, so the physical symptoms remain. “We are wired to have a negative bias to keep us safe”, Jessica explains. We need to train both our body and our mind that it’s safe to relax, but first we must get clear on what is causing the stress and access the pressure points at the same time to help us relax.

When we tap on these acupressure points, it calms us physically. Naturally, we do things with our hands when we’re anxious anyways. For example, when we’re tense and press our fingers in between the eyes at the top of the nose or on our temples, we do this to comfort ourselves. Now we’re using these points and stimulating them by tapping and while doing so, we focus on a thought, it sends a calming signal to our brain that tells us it’s okay to relax.

From the age of 14, Jessica struggled with her weight. She was “brainwashed” by believing the only way to lose weight was by diet and exercise. She was caught in an endless cycle of Yo-Yo Dieting and what she calls a “Pattern of Panic”. The panic state would be caused by an unflattering photograph or an upcoming event that would propel her to start another fad diet or exercise program. She would follow a strict set of rules about what to eat and actions to follow but this structure was exhausting and Jessica would always find herself resorting back to her old self-sabotaging and rebellious behavior. She explains, “The panic does make us take action but it is never sustainable. You don’t have to be in a state of panic to make changes like many of us have been taught to believe. It’s when we completely accept ourselves that change becomes sustainable.”

Jessica had an epiphany when she realized that she had achieved success with her tapping education and her books, but this success did not carry over to her struggle with her weight. It was then she realized that she had been using tapping for everything except weight loss.

“When you make weight the excuse to not be happy, sometimes we don’t want to let go of that excuse. Doing new things is still scary, expansion doesn’t have to be so terrifying that you freeze but there’s a level of vulnerability when you do something new. When you hold onto an excuse your whole life there comes a moment when you begin to sabotage yourself because success becomes scarier than failure”.

Jessica concluded that her weight was not the boundary but more importantly it was her self-loathing and condemnation she had about her body image. She shares two important concepts:

  1. It’s easy to take care of something you value. The more you hate on your body the more stuck you are in that. Many times, we think of food as a reward but when you value yourself, you’ll pay a lot more attention to what your body needs. It’s okay to indulge in wine or chocolate on occasion but to do it in a loving nurturing way and not to escape an emotion.
  2. Diets have a time frame – 30 days for example, but what happens on day 31? It makes much more sense to be on an “experiment”. The difference between a diet and an experiment is that an experiment is continual and flexible, but a diet has an end date or an “I’m exhausted date”. It takes experimentation to get your body adjusted off the inflammatory foods while working on the mind so that you can make healthy choices moving forward. Our bodies are continually aging and changing, and we need to adapt and learn what works for our bodies every single day. Every body is different; what works for one person may not work for someone else.

“If you’re waiting for someone to give you the answer for your perfect body, you’re never going to get there”. Jessica says, “You have to go within.”

Jessica points out it's important to know that foods are designed to be addictive so we need not blame ourselves entirely. There’s a physical component of course but we’re sometimes looking for comfort or a familiar connection that makes us think we need to eat or have that daily glass or bottle of wine. Our brains are wired to have a positive outcome – to take care of us now; that is why we sometimes act in ways that bring a negative outcome even when that was not our intention. These acts which we think are going to be enjoyable, often create the opposite result.

Jessica offers a great quote by fellow tapping practitioner, Brad Yates, “Self-sabotage is simply misguided self-love”.

When people understand where they’re at and can be present in that stress, they can use techniques like tapping to free themselves of their negative behaviors. “It’s easy to focus on what’s not working but when we make it fun we can make it last; happiness is an adventure”, Jessica exclaims. We must intentionally reverse our brain’s natural reactions to make positive, sustainable changes.

Christa recommends an awesome book on this subject, Presence-Process-Healing-Journey-Awareness, by Michael Brown.

Steps to Transform with Tapping

Jessica leads us in a tapping demonstration (view the video for a visual instruction).

  • Tap on a craving
  • Think about what makes your mouth water (salty chips, sugary chocolate, wine?)
  • Let the craving intensify and notice where you feel the craving (mouth, chest, stomach?)
  • Rate the craving level from 1-10, with 10 being the highest most intense level
  • Set-up Statement: helps neutralize judgement. “This is how I feel and it’s okay”

 The Tapping Points

Side of the hand (doesn’t matter what side of hand)

Eyebrow (right on the bone on the inside where the hair begins)

Side of the eye (on bone)

Under eye (follow bone underneath eye)

Underneath nose

Underneath lip (at crease between lip and chin)

U-shaped bone on collarbone (tapping with whole hand on your chest also stimulates that point)

Underneath the arm (hand with underneath the armpit, at bra strap for ladies)

Top of the head

Begin with the side of the hand and make an affirmation statement like:

“Even though I’m craving this wine, I accept myself and how I feel. Even though I really want this wine because it’s been a long day, I accept myself and how I feel. Even though I’m really craving this wine, that is okay.”

Continue to give a voice to the craving.

Eyebrow – This craving for this wine.

Side of the eye – This craving in my chest.

Underneath the eye – This intense desire for wine.

Nose – I really want it right now.

Chin – I’m craving this wine.

Collar bone – My whole body wants this wine.

Underneath the arm – This intense craving is so strong.

Head – I’m fighting this craving I feel like I am losing, I really want this wine. It’s been a long day and I really want this wine.

Repeat and affirm reasoning

Side of hand – It’s been a long day.

Eyebrow – I have a lot to think about and have a lot on my plate right now.

Side of the eye – I give myself permission to relax.

Nose – With or without the wine.

Chin – I give myself permission to relax.

Collarbone- Even though it’s been a long day.

Head – I give Permission to relax now and to take a break.

Take a deep breath in and while tuning in to your solar plexus notice has this craving shifted and do you feel still the same tension? Most often, the craving is reduced or lifted completely!

When you’re in a relaxed, focused state, that’s when you can access all the wisdom you already possess. Through tapping you can access that connection you have with foods or alcohol which many of us are usually just not aware of those patterns. From where you are you can’t see it, but when you’re relaxed and not in a panic state you’ll recognize and understand what drives your cravings and learn how to not allow them to control your behavior.

What an informative and exciting interview! Be sure to check out Jessica’s website (including guided tapping meditations for morning and night) her book, Tapping-Solution-Weight-Loss-Confidence and also her Adventures in Happiness podcast on iTunes.

Jun 11, 2018

If you have been contemplating a switch from carb-loading to fat-fueling, today's repeat of an interview with guest Leanne Vogel is for you! Join Christa and Leanne as they discuss overcoming the fears and getting in touch with your core desired feelings along the way to permanent lifestyle change. They also address important distinctions between healthy and unhealthy approaches to a keto diet.

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 dream of a diet like this but Leanne wondered: "How are you supposed to lose weight?" and "How could this be healthy?"

Leanne explains that the problem isn't with the ketogenic diet, or really with any dietary style of eating. This issue is that we often have the mindset 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, and greater focus. Healthy fat intake also contributes to 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 for 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 eat a standard American diet, we burn sugar for energy. This is 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 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 birthright 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.

Jun 4, 2018

 

Does your nutrition dogma get in the way of the wisdom of your body?  Do you rationalize your commitment to a food paradigm instead of honoring when change is called for? Do you have unresolved emotional pain that expresses as self-sabotage when it comes to your wellness? Harness the power of your mind to re-evaluate your perspective with a sense of humor, common sense, and a great deal of gentleness.

Today, enjoy a reboot of an honest, compassionate, and funny conversation between host Christa King of Fitlandia, and guest celebrity JP Sears.

Here’s what JP had to say:

“From the bottom of my heart, I would dare say, virtually anything the American Heart Association says deserves to be flushed down the toilet.”

Because of the corporate agenda and funding into research, these studies aren’t for the greater good of people, but instead putting dollars into their pockets. Christa concurs. She points out that there is conflicting info in the industry and JP uses the example of the days when margarine was touted as being healthy.

The Power of Meditation

Christa reminds newcomers to the show that Fitlandia is on a mission to end dieting by first helping people change their thought-patterns using Mind Zoning®. Because these are like guided meditations, she explores the power of meditation with JP.

JP provides an amazing suggestion for those short on time or starting out. Personally, he does 10 minutes per day and focuses on a practice he learned from Thích Nhất Hạnh, which is a simple breathing meditation. As you breathe in, say to yourself, “I’m breathing in.” As you exhale, say to yourself, “I’m breathing out.” This is easy and approachable for anyone to try.

“Meditation is a great service we can give ourselves.”

Christa & JP discuss the challenges with life and busy schedules and that we don’t have to be perfect in our health practices. In fact, being aware and open about our triggers can help us keep moving forward.

“I used to shame the living crap out of myself. How I’m shaming myself is probably more toxic than the cookie I ate.”

End the Shaming Cycle

The shaming cycle can take someone back into an old, viscous addictive pattern, but Mind Zoning® can help, as well as being thoughtful about the benefits of that pattern. Looking at things that feel unhealthy always has an element of comfort and provides a sense of feeling in control.

Christa & JP speak on the power of planning for travel and staying healthy on the road and rely on Whole Foods to help stay healthy during travel and even search AirBnB listings to ensure access to being able to cook their own meals.

So what do Christa & JP eat? It’s similar: focus on veggies, higher on the side of healthy fats, and high-quality protein…and most importantly, don’t follow a dogma and instead focus on growing intuitively with what to eat and learning what’s best from how the body feels.

Christa shares a cautionary tale and that if you’re struggling with sugar, refined carb and/or alcohol addictions then tuning into your body could be challenging and her #1 tip: FOOD JOURNAL.

Self-Sabotage and Unresolved Wounds

Together they get heavy with regards to self-sabotage and looking at the root of self-sabotage. JP speaks to childhood experiences and how we reaffirm disempowering beliefs due to unresolved emotional pain.

Christa adds it’s connected to a lack of self-worth and the need to become aware of traumas. She gets inspired to create a Mind Zoning called “The Journey of Courage.” Doing inner child work can be an incredibly powerful process of healing and moving forward.

JP and Christa wrap up the show speaking to the power of vulnerability and community and/or tribe to help guide you through your transition. Also, working with a coach or therapist can have a powerful impact. He mentions Brene Brown’s TEDTalk on the Power of Vulnerability where she talks about connection and its power in our lives.

“Embrace discomfort. Nobody has ever excelled at anything by avoiding discomfort.”

Connect with all of JP’s awesomeness here:

Awaken with JP website

Awaken with JP YouTube channel

Buy the book: How to Be Ultra Spiritual with JP

Follow on InstagramTwitter and Facebook

Gratitude for today’s sponsor!

Portland Community College Functional Nutrition Program Check out their 100% online functional nutritional program today.

If you’re looking for a holistic nutrition program to connect with others, learn how to connect with your body and overcome addiction for the next 30-day program with Fitlandia.

 

1