Live Love and Eat by Bernadine

LIVE LOVE AND EAT Heal t h | Wellbeing| Nutrition

TRAVEL TIPS ON THE GO! FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES THE WEDDING EXPENSES: EARNING MONEY FOR YOUR DREAM DAY

The Missing Link to Healing Body Image

ISSUE 76|JULY 2022/ ISSN 2689-7741

A Healthy

Balanced Diet The Divorced Woman’s Guide™ to …. Creating balance during and after divorce STAYING HYDRATED IS VITAL TO A HEALTHY FUNCTIONING BODY

YOUR PATH

In the Meantime...

Astrology and the Moon Healthy 4th of July Recipes

My Health Journey to Finding Functional Medicine

Three Hacks to Boost Your Frequency Higher Frequency, Better Life

LIVE LOVE AND EAT

WHAT IS INSIDE ISSUE 76

MEET OUR SPOTLIGHT Alice Dartnell Life coach - specializing in time and energy management

RECIPES Looking for a healthy recipe for the 4th of July? We have you covered. Enjoy these simple recipes.

63 MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS

All articles are written by health coaches and professionals whom have all overcome their own personal life and health challenges.

LIVE LOVE AND EAT

ARTICLES 13 A Healthy balanced diet 19 First comes love, then comes the wedding expenses: Earning money for your dream day 22 In the meantime.......... 24 The missing link to healing body image

ARTICLES 36 Staying hydrated is vital to a healthy functioning body 40 3 Hacks to boost your frequency higher frequency, better life 44 The divorced woman guide to..... creating balance during and after divorce

ARTICLES 49 My health journey to finding functional medicine 52 Astrology and the moon 61 Your path

New Stories, New writers

513 2758081 bernadine@liveloveandeatmagazine.com www.liveloveandeatmagazine.com

NOTE FROM EDITOR It is the month of July and Summer is in full swing. Last month I took some time off from social media by focusing on myself and my upcoming book. It was always my dream to become an author and help so many women with their health. I want to share with you 3 things I've been loving in June. I loved the warmer weather, Late night walks and spending time with my family. In this issue, we have amazing articles. If it is your health, fitness, or goals we have you covered. We partnered with Energy Bits, Get a 20% discount by using the code: LiveLoveEat. https://www.energybits.com/ Be sure to check out our Recipe section for healthy Summer recipes. Meet our Spotlight for the July issue Alice Dartnell and read all about the wonderful work she is doing in the world. Please share with us your favorite summer activity on our Facebook page, be sure to use the hashtag #summer and you can win a free printed copy of Live Love and Eat Look out for our Podcast, The Live Love and Eat Show. We have amazing speakers lined up. Kick back, relax and soak up some quality time with Live Love and Eat

We hope that you enjoy this issue. BERNADINE OTTO Editor-In-Chief

EDITORIAL BERNADINE OTTO Editor-In-Chief

SUBSCRIPTIONS SUBSCRIBE ONLINE https://www.liveloveandeatmagazine.co m/order-your-copy

MEET OUR CONTRIBUTORS 4497 Wyndtree Drive , West Chester 45069 513 275 8081 | bernadine@liveloveandeatmagazine.com

Managing Editor Bernadine Otto Contributor Jace Jacobs Contributor Judy Brown

Bernadine Otto

Jace Jacobs

Judy Brown

Victoria Kleinsman

Tracy Markley

Linda Watson

Dr. Danielle Litoff

Sherry Parks

Contributor Victoria Kleinsman Contributor Tracy Markley Contributor Linda Watson Contributor Dr. Danielle Litoff Contributor Sherry Parks Contributor Wendy Sterling Contributor Virginia Cooper Spotlight Alice Dartnell

Alice Dartnell

Wendy Sterling

Recipes Bernadine Otto 4497 WYNDTREE DRIVE, WEST CHESTER, OHIO, 45069 513 2758081 BERNADINE@LIVELOVEANDEATMAGAZINE.COM WWW.LIVELOVEANDEATMAGAZINE.COM

JULY

4 TH OF JULY On the 4th of July, we enjoy the benefits of the freedom which the framers signed and ultimately fought for. It is a time for baseball, hot dogs and family picnics. Summer is in full swing. Fourth of July is not complete without parades and fireworks.

NATIONAL BLUEBERRY MONTH Enjoy some fresh blueberries! They’re in season this month.

STAY OUT OF THE SUN DAY This holiday is on the 3rd of July. We're in the middle of summer when the temperatures are the hottest, and the sun is the brightest. It's not a bad day to take a break from catching all of those rays and stay out of the sun.

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ALICE DARTNELL

Life coach - specializing in time and energy management

'''It is not about having a “perfect” Instagram-worthy life but about creating the balance, success, and happiness that YOU want (and so deserve by the way so don’t let you tell you otherwise!) I want to create a world where we all do that!

Alice currently lives in Valencia but is also based in London, and often heads out to S.E Asia where her parents live! You can learn more about Alice here: Get in Touch: alice@alicedartnell.com Website: : www.alicedartnell.com IG: @alice_dartnell

How did you get started in your career? In What Year? I officially registered my business in February 2019 but didn’t actually get my business started properly until January 2020, launching it officially just before the world was thrown into the chaos of a global pandemic! Of course, this caused a lot of fear but I was absolutely determined though because I had already had a ‘false start’ in 2019 and didn’t want to stop before I had started again. I registered my business in 2019 but at the same time, hit a severe burnout! I had to make a tough decision to stop the business before I had even started because I knew getting my health back on track was crucial! I wouldn’t be able to create and have a business if I didn’t have my health! This experience gave me a whole new perspective on my passion topic of time management – I was shit hot at time management, but I had managed to burn out! I excelled at the usual “’ time management techniques such as planning, and prioritization, I didn’t procrastinate, I met all my deadlines, and I easily juggled multiple projects at once. I was an advocate of my health, eating five a day and going to the gym! So, my burnout was a complete shock. But in reality, now I can see that I never looked after my energy! I was constantly taking, taking, taking… until I bankrupted myself! So, when it came to my business and specializing in time management for busy business owners and leaders with my coaching, I approached it from a different standpoint. To encompass energy management and mindset with the ‘traditional’ time management techniques. Who or what has been your greatest professional inspiration and why? I wouldn’t say there is one role model, but I look to people like Marie Forleo, Dorie Clark, Jay Shetty, Vishin Lakhiani, Sara Blakely, etc who fill me with inspiration and words of wisdom through their content that I consume. I love people who have a story (and some scars) to share. And got where they are today through grit, determination, and constant learning (rather than a handout). We look at “successful” people in any field and are quick to forget that they have had their fair share of ups and downs. I also love the wisdom they impart!

What advice would you offer to someone starting out in your industry? Whilst I studied business at university, I don’t really use any of what I learned in my business today! Learning from a textbook and following frameworks such as the marketing 4 P’s or Porter’s Five Forces isn’t what has contributed to a successful business. It is about the daily actions that matter and the ones we don’t associate with a business that needs our attention – things like overcoming your imposter syndrome, managing your time, shifting and aligning your identity with whom you want to become, big vision and goal setting, how to manage every element in your business… Business is much a mental game as it is practical and technical, and this is often forgotten about! My advice is to make sure you look at your mindset and energy as well as the practical side of starting a business, and also to get support! Success is never created alone.

What professional challenges have you faced that have contributed to your overall success? Funny enough, I think for me, my personal hurdles over the last 2 years have contributed to my business success more than my professional ones! I started my business just before the world pandemic, which threw my business plan completely out the window (a nightmare for a time management expert who loves planning! A few months later, my husband then unexpectedly walked out on me which shattered my whole world. But as a coach whose mantra is “progress over perfection” and as someone who helps others to create a “life by design, not by default”, this was a test of everything I support my clients with – from mindset to energy management, from dealing with setbacks to selfbelief. I think showing up despite my personal world falling apart has shown my audience I walk my talk, that my techniques work and that I am always there 100% to be the best coach for my clients whatever I am going through! What do you do in your free time (volunteer, work, hobbies, etc.) I am super blessed that I love what I do, so working on my business rarely feels like a chore for me! But this can also have its downsides because you have to remember to take time out to recharge those batteries! I love traveling and adventures, which come in all sorts of shapes and sizes for me! I just think the experience of exploring and trying new things is so enriching! Whether that is just trying a local dish or trying an activity that you wouldn’t normally. I am also an avid personal development fan and love my books (no surprise that I founded Success Box, a personal development book club as part of my business). I am currently in Valencia living a lifelong dream of learning Spanish at language school, which takes up my mornings during the week at the moment! I am a big fan of being active too, so whilst I love getting dressed up and going for cocktails to unwind, I also love doing something like a hike!

What would you like readers to know about you and why? I want readers to see the real me, and that my life has had its fair share of hurdles. When I started the business, I wanted to make sure I was always honest and raw with my audience because it is so easy with social media just to show the highlight reels! But life has its challenges, and I am always so open and honest with my clients about my own ones, so I can share back the learnings and what I have done to overcome them to get to where I am. Every day is a chance to create your life by design and we have to utilize our time in the way we want. I advocate it is about this rather than trying to create a perfect “Instagram-worthy” life!!! I want readers to know that what you get with me is raw, honest, open, and no BS! What is your favorite quote and why? “Whether you think you can or you can’t, you are right” – Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor company. I love this quote because it simply highlights the fact of how important mindset is to anything that you do! It is our choice to set our mindset for success. And as the quote says, when we think we can, we will. But if we think we cant, well that is right too, so guess what! You would achieve!

What 3 tips will you give someone who is struggling to live healthy? Whilst health is a priority for me nowadays and I have never been fitter and healthier, it wasn’t always the case – I struggled with an eating disorder for a decade and the burnout was a clear sign that I wasn’t living healthy even though I was over my eating disorder. Your actions have to align with how you see yourself, so if you’re not seeing yourself (your identity) as someone who is healthy then it will always be a struggle with the actions – get the mindset and identity right first! This is something we cover in the “Health, Habits and Happiness” program https://alicedartnell.com/health-habits-happiness/ Baby steps! Don’t try to overhaul everything overnight. If you just made one small tweak a week to your health, like walking a few more steps, drinking more water, and going to bed 30 mins earlier, then you would make over 50 positive changes in one year! Small steps add up! See it as a return on investment rather than a chore! Don’t work out because you have to, see it for all the energy and endorphin you will get in return! Don’t see it as a ball ache to do meal prep but realize the time saved later in the week because you were organized.

What kind of legacy would you like to leave the world? I am only a couple of years into the business, and only just getting started! I plan to build an empire that is going to empower people to create a life by design not by default so they can live life in the way they want. It is not about having a “perfect” Instagram-worthy life but about creating the balance, success, and happiness that YOU want (and so deserve by the way so don’t let you tell you otherwise!) I want to create a world where we all do that! I want everyone to use their time and energy in a way that serves them so they can maximize their precious time.

So, what is “energy management” all about then? Time management isn’t about managing time. After all, you can’t really. It just ticks by regardless. It is actually about managing you, your tasks, your priorities, and your energy! Energy management is about living life to your energy, not just the clock - it is about living life in alignment with your energy rather than against it! When we do this, we can maximize our energy, replenish it when we need to and have more flow in our life. What is the one thing we all need to do to improve our time management? PLANNING! This is always my number one. This is your time management superhero! When we plan, we are putting ourselves in control and in the driver’s seat. This helps us include everything in life that matters (because we never find time to do the things we want; we have to make time). I like to plan on a Sunday – this is a nonnegotiable for me, wherever I am in the world! I don’t just plan in work but I also plan in my workouts, life admin, social calendar, time for my health and energy replenishment, etc.

A HEALTHY BALANCED DIET Wr i t t e n By Shar on Cl ar e

Quick facts on a healthy, balanced diet Healthy eating is about having a balance of different foods and nutrients in the diet for good health and wellbeing. No single food or food group can provide everything we need to be healthy. Eating a variety of different foods from each of the food groups can help us get the full range of nutrients our bodies need. Fruit and vegetables are a key part of a healthy diet, and we should aim to get our 5 A DAY or more if we can. This can be from fresh, frozen, dried, or canned fruit and vegetables. Starchy foods like bread, potatoes, pasta, rice, and other grains are part of a healthy diet, but the quality of what we choose is important. It is a good idea to choose wholegrains like wholemeal or rye bread, wholewheat pasta, oats, and potatoes with skins to help us get enough fiber and other important nutrients.

Plant-based protein foods like beans, lentils, chickpeas, and other pulses provide protein and fiber and are naturally low in saturated fat. It is good to include these regularly in the diet. Animal protein foods like fish, eggs, meat, and dairy (milk, yogurt, cheese) provide a range of vitamins and minerals and can be part of a healthy diet. It is best not to eat too much red and processed meat. It is recommended that we have two portions of fish a week, one of which should be oily fish like salmon, mackerel, or sardines. Dairy foods provide protein, calcium, B vitamins, and iodine. It is best to go for lower sugar versions (for example natural yogurt) most of the time. If choosing plant-based dairy alternatives, then look for those that are fortified with calcium and ideally other vitamins and minerals. It is best to choose healthier fats like vegetable, nut, seed, or olive oils most of the time and not to have too much of sources of saturated fat such as butter, coconut, or palm oils. We probably know that we should not have too many foods or drinks that are high in saturated fat, salt, and sugar such as chocolate, cakes, biscuits, pastry, crisps, and fried chips. If you include these, try to keep portion sizes small.

Quick facts on eating a healthier and more sustainable diet The foods and drinks we choose are important for the health of the planet as well as our own health. Globally, food production is responsible for about a third of all greenhouse gas emissions (which drive global warming) and uses over two-thirds of freshwater and over a third of available land. The environmental impact of different foods can vary greatly, but there are some general principles we can all follow to aim for a healthier and more sustainable diet.

Eat a more ‘plant-rich’ diet overall: Finding ways to get more vegetables, fruit, beans, pulses, and wholegrain foods into our diet can be good not only for our health but the health of the planet as well. We can do this by following the UK healthy eating model, the Eatwell Guide.

Get your 5 A DAY: Eating plenty of fruit and vegetables is important for health and these foods also tend to have a lower environmental impact than some other types of food. Shift towards more plant-based protein sources: Expand your choice of protein foods to include more beans and other pulses, nuts, seeds, and plant-based meat alternatives (for example soyaand mycoprotein-based alternatives, or tofu) that are not high in saturated fat or salt, alongside some lean meat and poultry, fish, eggs and lower fat and lower sugar dairy foods. Eat fewer foods high in fat, salt, and sugar: We all know foods such as cakes, biscuits, pies, and pastries are not healthy choices, but limiting these foods in our diet can also be a good way to reduce our environmental footprint.

Choose sustainably sourced fish: If you eat fish, choose two portions of fish a week and make one of these an oily fish (like salmon, mackerel, or sardines) from sustainably managed sources – look out for logos such as the blue Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) mark on products (https://www.msc.org/). Waste less food: Food waste costs the average UK household over £60 a month and is a major contributor to climate change, accounting for as much as 10% of total greenhouse gas emissions globally. So, finding ways to waste less food can be good for your pocket and the planet!

Sharon can help you achieve your fitness goals in the gym, at home & also outdoors. Personal training is available 1-21, in couples & also small groups. Body coach fitness has a holistic approach to health & wellness, fitness, nutrition & sports performance & is dedicated to educating people on the benefits of a healthy lifestyle! Whatever your goals Sharon will help you achieve them. When not training others to achieve their goals Sharon works towards her own, training hard to compete at an international level as a natural physique competitor. www.bodycoachfitness.com www.bodycoachfitness.org www.bodycoachfitnesseducation.com www.businessvault.net 07875086760

FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES THE WEDDING EXPENSES: EARNING MONEY FOR YOUR DREAM DAY WRITTEN BY VIRGINIA COOPER

Getting married is exciting. You cannot wait to express your love in front of friends and family. It's a moment that should be perfect, full of joy and promise. Still, weddings can be expensive. They're even more costly when they happen in exotic, far-flung locales. Despite the additional costs, XOGroup states that a quarter of all nuptials are destination weddings. Who can blame such lovebirds? Nothing compares with the grandeur of getting hitched against a romantic backdrop. Imagine the rush of sharing your devotion on a Hawaiian island or in Paris alongside the Eiffel Tower. It's worth working harder to pay for such an experience. Here are some additional money-making strategies from Live Love Eat Magazine that can help turn fantasy into reality. Choosing a Side Gig You're already thinking about everything that goes into your celebration. Start mulling business ideas that relate directly to your matrimonial concerns. By developing a relevant ability, you can simultaneously take care of your own wedding needs and start earning money from helping others. Take centerpieces. Every marrying couple wants beautiful ones. Designing your own is less expensive than buying retail. If you're already creating them, why not sell the extras online?

In all likelihood, other couples could also use what you're making. If you enjoy building table decorations, continue down this path. Get creative and expand your inventory. Then, get serious about selling your wares on the web. Wedding planners have the potential to be extremely helpful. You'll save money if you elect to do everything independently. Once you've absorbed enough about what goes into arranging an unforgettable ceremony, become a wedding planner yourself and help other brides and grooms. Learn the business by taking online courses, and ask the person who helped you to be a mentor. Whatever way you choose to make money, make sure it matches your skillset. The better the fit, the more successful you're likely to be.

Forming a Business Ultimately, you might want to turn your temporary venture into an official business. There are tax advantages to incorporating companies, including business and social security deductions. You have numerous legal structures (i.e., LLC, corporation, partnership, etc.) to choose from, each with differing benefits. Before filing, check the laws and fee requirements as they apply in your state. Also, verify that the name you want for your entity is still available. Utilizing Accounting Software Many small business owners feel that they can save money by managing their finances themselves. However, this is often not the case. Without proper training, it can be difficult to keep track of all the different aspects of accounting, such as invoicing, tax compliance, and financial reporting. This is where implementing accounting software comes in. More specifically, cloud accounting software gives business owners the ability to manage their finances in a simple, efficient way. In addition, it can provide valuable insights into where money is being spent and help to identify areas where cost savings can be made. Finding Customers The more patrons your side hustle has, the more lucrative it will be. There are plenty of methods you can use to attract customers. Asking satisfied buyers for referrals is wise. Plundering your network for potential leads also comes recommended. At some point, your immediate contacts will run out. Casting a wider net becomes necessary. Create an eye-catching and effective website. Design Shack points out that Internet page design is something you can master on your own. If you enjoy bringing your site to fruition, web building is another freelance avenue you can try. Use social media to your advantage. Create a stream of appealing content, and address commenters directly. You can also market your business on Facebook. With time-tested strategies, paying customers should start coming your way. It's thrilling to get hitched, although the cost is oftentimes a hurdle. Thankfully, there are pathways for fattening your wallet that make the financial aspect of the big day less worrying. Explore tactics for earning money, form your business, invest in accounting software, and market your products and services. Do this right, and your special moment can live up to your wildest desires.

Virginia Cooper is a retired community college instructor. She always encouraged her students to see the real-world value in their education, and now, she wants to spread that message as wide as possible. Her hope is that Learn a Living will be a go-to resource for adult learners embarking on starting, continuing, or finishing their education. https://learnaliving.co/

IN THE MEANTIME…… Written by Judy Brown

Life seems hard these days. There is a lot going on and it challenges our psyche. Our spirits can feel depleted. What can we do? We can pause. We can breathe. We can go out in nature. We can, with intention, remember the positives in our lives. We can do this to maintain hope. And….in the meantime……thankfully……

Summer continues. Flowers bloom. Babies coo. Lovers go on dates. Dogs bark at the door. Cats nap. Stars appear and twinkle in the night sky. We make dinner for the family. The sun rises and sets. Laundry piles up. The butterfly emerges from the cocoon. Owls hoot in the night. Friends meet for coffee. Our lawns get mowed. Blueberries get picked. Cities lights sparkle. Ants nibble at our picnic lunch. The river flows. The moon changes shape. Mosquitos bite. Children play and laugh. Books and movies and music entertain. Fall and winter and spring always follow. Hope lives in all of these. The list can be long. Most of all, in the meantime, it is comforting to remember that smiling makes others smile. So make sure you smile! Hopeful, indeed, to smile every day. And….in the meantime……thankfully……

Judy Brown has a BA in Biology from Connecticut College and is a Certified Holistic Health Coach trained by the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. She coaches women in their midlife years who want to reclaim their health and discover a more balanced and vibrant lifestyle. Judy provides individual and group coaching, workshops, smoothie demos, guided meditations for groups, and is an active blogger. She has two grown children. Judy loves to read, write, walk in the woods, sail, have afternoon tea, and explore the world with her husband. www.judyswellnesscafe.com https://www.facebook.com/judyswellnesscafe/ https://www.instagram.com/judyswellnesscafe/

THE MISSING LINK TO HEALING BODY IMAGE WRITTEN BY VICTORIA KLEINSMAN

Ah, Body Image… what a complex conversation to be had. There are so many layers to body image and we each have different trauma and trigger responses around it. We weren’t born with anxiety about what our bodies look like… or with chronic overwhelm, worrying about what others might think of our appearance. We have learned all of that (consciously and unconsciously) through the world we live in. If we hadn’t experienced body image trauma before, then we wouldn’t be fearfully anxious about what size or shape our bodies are. We wouldn’t even think twice about what others thought about our bodies. We would be fully happy with the body we have and we’d just eat whatever we wanted without weight loss or weight gain even entering our minds… imagine that! So it’s clear that most of us (from the research I’ve done and continue to do, I’d guestimate around 80% of women in the world) suffer from body image trauma. AKA the way they think their body looks is significantly negatively affecting their lives (and most likely their relationship with food).

Mindset alone is not the answer Mindset is amazing and necessary however that’s not all you need to heal your body image. It goes deeper than that. When I first started my journey and therefore my education around healing my relationship with food and my body, I thought that in order to feel ok in my body, all I had to do was to lie to myself and say things like: “My body is fine as it is, it doesn’t matter if I don’t love the way it looks.” “My body is beautiful.” “I love the fat on my body” Whilst all of that is indeed true, at the time it felt like a big lie but I didn’t know then what I know now. I genuinely thought that the only way for me to live in food freedom was to ‘Positive Mindset’ my way through any uncomfortable feelings and to just tell myself that “I was fine” and it “didn’t matter.” Whilst your mindset is absolutely necessary on your journey to food freedom and body love, it’s only going to get you so far all by itself. And this is what I see a lot of coaches doing, (it’s what I used to do too) but we’re missing a hugely important step before we bring in the power of positive thinking. But before I go into that, we need to be familiar with what trauma actually is.

What is trauma? When you experience intense emotional and/or physical pain where your nervous system can’t cope. As humans, we’re wired for survival and so when our nervous system can’t cope with an event, we literally think we’re going to die! Especially if we experience this as a child. As children, we become so overwhelmed with the emotions that we feel during a traumatic event that we literally think we’re going to die. “Trauma is the response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, causes feelings of helplessness, and diminishes their sense of self and their ability to feel a full range of emotions and experiences.” -God Google An example I thought about when writing this was when my mum and I were walking my dog, Hero, and we walked past a rabbit hut with rabbits in it. My mum was holding Hero and he jumped forward to get to the rabbits and she let go of the lead as she was caught off guard. Hero was trying to get to the rabbits by chasing them back and forth along the length of the hut. I obviously grabbed him as quickly as I could and I couldn’t stop thinking about the poor rabbits.

The rabbit’s natural response would be to run as fast and as far as possible. They couldn’t run away because they were trapped in the run. This type of experience can cause death in animals due to the shock. Humans are different from animals because we have a conscious mind and we have language, therefore we think in words. But we still have the animalistic survival part of our brain (the brain stem) that drives our behavior if we’re in a fight, flight, or freeze response. This overrides everything and sends the logical part of our brain offline. Therefore we experience trauma similar to an animal – life or death – and sometimes it can be. There are three main types of trauma: Acute, Chronic, and Complex Acute trauma results from a single incident. Chronic trauma is repeated and prolonged such as domestic violence or abuse. Complex trauma is exposure to varied and multiple traumatic events, often of an invasive, interpersonal nature. In my experience (personal and with my clients), body image trauma is usually a mixture of all 3 types; acute, chronic, and complex.

What they all have in common is they each cause feelings of helplessness, and diminish our sense of self and our ability to feel a full range of emotions and experiences. Trauma is also subjective meaning that two people can have the same experience yet one could be traumatized and the other may not be affected at all. The reason for this is multilayered and too complicated for me to go into here (AND I’m not a licensed trauma therapist) but simply put, how each of us experiences events depends on our past experiences, our conditioning, our upbringing, how much our emotional and physical needs were met as a child how we see the world internally. Body image trauma Body image trauma is when you experience body ridicule toward your own body or someone else’s body due to its size or appearance. Put in another way; Poor body image is due to personally experiencing trauma around our body’s appearance or witnessing someone else experience body image trauma. We then experience body shame. We feel like there’s something wrong with our body and therefore we are ashamed of it. We want to hide away so others can’t see. We start diets or fitness regimes in an attempt to change our bodies. Desperate to fit in We are literally coded to want to fit in otherwise we could die. This stems from when we needed our human tribe to survive. If we were thrown out for any reason, it would be a matter of life or death. This is also why we compare ourselves to others so much. We’ve not only been conditioned to do so but it’s also coded within us for “survival”. When we are judged or ridiculed because of our body appearance, we don’t feel safe. AKA it feels like a matter of life or death. And let’s be honest, society is a shit show and does ridicule those bodies that are far from the “ideal” so no wonder we feel this way about our bodies!

Trauma is stored in the body Our bodies and emotions can only safely handle a limited amount of stress, trauma results whenever an experience exceeds our abilities to handle and cope with its consequences. The energy of the trauma is stored in our bodies’ tissues (primarily muscles and fascia) until it can be released. Now consider for a moment, how many times over your life span you’ve experienced trauma around your body or someone else’s body. I can honestly say that personally, I’ve lost count of the number of little t traumas I’ve experienced around body image. From seeing Britney Spears ridiculed in magazines for weight gain and cellulite to hearing someone comment negatively about someone else body, to my Grandma saying my legs were like tree trunks. If I allow myself to go there, I can remember my big T traumas. One of them was when I was on a night out and a group of lads was looking and pointing at me laughing. I then saw my ex in the crowd with a panicked look on his face… one of his friends came up to my friend and me and showed us a picture of a girl who was

naked, legs spread. The friend who I was with was drunk and didn’t really read the situation. She looked at the photo and said “whos that fat slag?” It was me. My ex had taken the photo after we had just had sex and somehow it had been passed around his mates… Oh, the joys of being a teenager. As you can imagine that was very traumatizing for me. How many times have you experienced little t and big T trauma? How many times after having experienced that have you processed your emotions, felt them, understood them, and released them physically…? Unprocessed trauma gets “stored” not just in your unconscious mind and memory but throughout your physical being.

Trauma & Body Image: Triggers Have you ever heard of flight, fight, or freeze? During times of crisis, chaos, and traumatic experiences we enter “survival mode.” You might have heard this phrase before; but what does it mean? When we experience stressful events our brains begin to function in a different capacity. Before we go any further, it is important to mention that these experiences can either be real-life threats or perceived threats to our safety; our brain does not always differentiate between them, it just reacts. When we are experiencing an actual threat, our sympathetic nervous system is activated and we go into either: Fight Flight Freeze When we experience a trigger from past trauma – in the context of body image for example; putting on a swimsuit – it also activates our sympathetic nervous system. Your brain doesn’t know the difference between an actual threat or a perceived threat. So if you have body image trauma, simply putting on a swimsuit can cause you to feel immense overwhelm and panic if you think that it’s not safe. The primary response we often have to trauma is fight or flight. The heart beats faster, blood pressure goes up, big muscles get tense and ready to run or fight, and digestion slows down. The other reaction we can have—often when the trauma is overwhelming and inescapable, as might be the case with rape or an ongoing abusive relationship—is to freeze, or go into a kind of a detached state. AKA freeze.

During these responses, which are mediated by the autonomic nervous system, areas of the brain responsible for fear, anger, and emotion, particularly the amygdala, become much more active, while areas in the frontal cortex, responsible for selfawareness, thoughtful decision-making, human connection, and compassion, become less active. Put into simpler terms: When you experience a body image trauma – depending on how deeply your past experiences have affected you – it can unconsciously feel like a matter of life or death. To your body, it is. And so it’s extremely hard to relax, move through it, connect to self-compassion and just “put on the swimsuit” like it’s no biggie. It is a biggie because this is a TRAUMA RESPONSE.

Fight, flight or freeze? The most common sympathetic nervous system response when it comes to body image is “flight”. To run away from the situation, to hide away at all costs. This is due to the shame that we feel. Healing body image trauma So what the fuck are we supposed to do to heal body image trauma? You can’t mindset your way out of it that’s for sure. Trauma is complex but there is one common denominator when it comes to healing stored trauma; You gotta feel it to heal it… For more extreme trauma such as PTSD, other methods are used to help with this such as EMDR and using MDMA is proving effective at treating severe trauma when used in therapy. The best way to heal body image trauma is to get help. I support my clients through nervous system regulation, mindset work including neuroplasticity (rewiring the brain) and knowledge and understanding which are all key in helping to heal trauma. I’ve come up with a 10-step framework to heal body image trauma. It can also be used to guide yourself step by step through negative self-talk and selfflagellation. I call it the 10 Rs:

The 10 Rs Recognize – your trauma response is happening and notice what you are saying to yourself without judgment. Don’t identify with how you feel, just notice. You are not the sadness/fear/shame you are simply experiencing it. You are not what your thoughts are telling you that you are (eg- fat, ugly and gross) you are simply noticing that the thoughts are there. Reassure – yourself. Pour compassion into yourself. Selfkindness is key here. “It’s ok that I’m feeling this way, it’s just a trauma response. I am safe now. Relax – your physical body. You need to activate your parasympathetic response via nervous system regulation. This could be deep breathing. A meditation. Mindfulness. Soft music. Foam rolling. Yoga. Asking your loved one for a cuddle. Anything that helps you to relax.

Resonate – with your feelings. Let them in. Really FEEL them in your body. Where do these feelings live in your body? If the feeling were a shape, what shape would it be? If it were a color, what color would it be? If it could move around, would it be moving, swirling, or blobbing about? Radically accept – that you are where you are right now. You feel this way and that’s ok. You are exactly where you’re supposed to be. Forgive yourself. Realize – when you first ever felt this way. Where has this fear stemmed from? More often than not, it will be from childhood. The body image trigger you’re experiencing isn’t about your body now, the pain has already been experienced years ago. It is stored in your body and hasn’t been fully felt and released. There will also be many layers to this feeling. You may think it’s about your actual body, but it’s not. Fat doesn’t grow with shame cells. Release – the feeling after you have felt it fully. Let it go. Go back to your younger self in your mind’s eye and comfort her if you need to. What would you say to her? What does she need to hear? Release the stored trauma by touching yourself lovingly such as gently massaging and caressing your tummy or the cellulite on your thighs. Dance – move – get a massage. Do something to physically move the stored trauma through and out of the body. Reframe – this is where mindset comes into play. Tell yourself a new empowering story and write down some positive affirmations – that you believe to reframe the situation. If you find it too difficult to reframe straight to positive, start with neutrality and build from there. Respond – to the situation as the unconditionally self-loving version of you would. Act as if you are already healed, free, and living a life fuelled by self-love. Rejoice – celebrate and acknowledge yourself for doing the inner work. It’s not easy my love. Be there for yourself through it all.

Your window of tolerance In order to act as the self-loving version of you, it will need you to get outside of your comfort zone. It’s important that when doing this that you stay within your window of tolerance. This is your edge. It’s stretching you but it’s not so far out that it will cause overwhelm and create another traumatic experience. We don’t want that. We want growth, not a panic attack. So it must feel uncomfortable but not completely out of reach. If you feel fear and excitement when you think of doing the thing, that’s a sign that it’s absolutely meant for you to do it!

A great quote I live by: Repetition Keep repeating the 10-step framework whenever you need to. Each time, you’ll become slightly more emotionally resilient and you’ll teach yourself that it’s safe to feel your difficult emotions. You’re strong enough to feel them. You’ll also be releasing stored trauma from your body and so you’ll feel freer, happier, and more at peace with fewer and fewer triggers as time goes on and you continue to do this work. You’ll also have a huge comfort zone and a huge window of tolerance. Hello, peace and happiness!

“I am not who you think I am; I am not who I think I am; I am who I think you think I am” Charles Horton Cooley If you think that others think that you’re the sexiest and most incredible woman they’ve ever met then most people will treat you that way. Then the more positive experiences you have, the safer and more relaxed you’ll feel. But you have to move first. You have to take the action (or the non-action, such as body checking) first. It takes time to feel safe in your body. Keep repeating the framework every time you experience a trigger and you’ll heal. You gotta feel it to heal it. Be gentle with yourself If you’d like support, guidance, and a completely personalized path for you to heal your relationship with food and your body, I’m your woman.

Victoria is a Certified Transformational Life Coach specializing in helping high-achieving women to heal their relationship with food & their body. She is a coach, mentor, speaker, and writer; working with women from all around the globe, speaking at worldwide events, and is a writer for Live Love And Eat Magazine. Victoria has lived with eating disorders and body hate for over 20 years. (she was diagnosed with Anorexia Nervosa in her early teens and then Binge Eating Disorder and Bulemia in her early twenties). Through her own personal experiences, education, certification, and countless hours spent on personal development, she holds the skills, knowledge, and empathy to guide and support you to food freedom whilst building a loving relationship with yourself and your body. Victoria has profoundly helped many women around the world to transform their lives and she knows the importance and value of constantly investing in and improving herself in order to serve her clients powerfully. Her goal is to positively impact millions of women from all around the world. https://www.victoriakleinsman.com/ info@victoriakleinsman.com https://www.facebook.com/victoriakleinsman https://www.instagram.com/victoriakleinsman/ Podcast: https://anchor.fm/victoria-kleinsman “Victoria’s Secrets To Health & Happiness” on any podcats platform Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC1g1H40rbSQ6Trmcha59kDg

Staying Hydrated is Vital to a Healthy Functioning Body Written By Tracy Markley The body is approximately 75% water, and the bones are approximately 25% water. Your brain is an organ, and it's one of the largest and most complex organs in your body, with approximately 80% water. We need to drink water and stay hydrated. Your brain needs water! It provides a fluid balance for all chemical reactions in the body. It is a lubricant and plays a vital role in regulating your body temperature. Water flushes out toxins and waste from our organs. When the brain is dehydrated, the very complex functions of the brain get disorganized and creates the whole body to have issues. Even a mild or temporary dehydrated brain can alter brain function. If the brain is dehydrated or slightly dehydrated, it can lead to the feeling of brain fog. Even very slight dehydration can cause a person to feel sluggish, tired, and irritable. Every cell in the body requires water to support all body functions. Hydrated cells help transport oxygen and nutrients critical to the brain for optimal function. Not drinking enough water can slow down the physical performance of an athlete. This is a perfect example of how not staying properly hydrated can and will slow down anyone's daily performance, balance, and reaction time in everyday activities. This can happen at any age, but in seniors, it can be more dangerous. It can increase falls and accidents.

Pain in joints and muscles can increase when one is dehydrated. It can also affect one's memory. It can slow down the process of the brain, making neurons, and other incredibly essential functions the body needs from the brain to stay healthy and fit to function at its best. Cognitive skills, balance, and coordination can be altered as well as thinking clearly. If you are someone who is in recovery from a brain injury or a stroke, you are already facing many of these challenges. Staying properly hydrated during such recoveries is essential for the brain to repair and build new cells and pathways. Water also provides cushioning and lubrication to the brain tissue. Research has also shown that the brain volume peaks at age 40, then begins to decline by 5% every ten years. We must do everything possible to fight against this process by not adding to that percentage with poor hydration. A dehydrated brain shrinks in volume and slows down metabolism and can increase cholesterol levels.

Heat Stroke – Sun Stroke Heat Stoke which is also known as Sun Stroke Is the most serious heat-related illness. It occurs when the body cannot control its temperature. The body’s temperature rises fast, and the sweating mechanisms fail. This leaves the body unable to cool down. It can happen when the body’s temperature is 104°F or higher. Some studies show that when heat stroke happens a body’s temperature can rise to 106°F or higher within 10 to 15 minutes.

When your first wake up in the morning, drink a glass of water.

Always keep water with you.

Drink a glass of water before meals. You won't eat as much.

Drink 3-6 ounces of water every 10-15 minutes during a workout.

Drink 1/2 ounce of water per pound of your body weight per day. Even more if highly active. For example, A man weighing 200 pounds needs at least 100 ounces a day. Take the weight and divide it in ½. As with this man, ½ of 200 is 100.

If you have kidney disease or congestive heart failure, ask your doctor the best recommended ounces of water for your daily need.

Eat Your Hydration Too

Here is a list of just some foods and their approximate percentage of water that is them. Cucumbers 96.7% Iceberg Lettuce 95.6% Celery 95.4% Red Radishes 95.3% Zucchini 95% Fat-Free Skim Milk 85-95% Tomatoes 94.5% Bell Peppers 93% Asparagus 93% Cauliflower 92.1% Watermelon 91.5% Spinach 91.4% Star Fruit (Carambola) 91.4% Strawberries 91% Broccoli 90.7% Grapefruit 90.5% Baby Carrots 90.4% Cantaloupe 90.2% Peaches 89% Oranges 87% Pineapple 86% Raspberries 86% Blueberries 84% Banana 75% Tracy Markley is the owner of Tracy's Personal Training, Pilates & Yoga Studio. She is the author of 9 books. Her work is known for training stroke survivors. She also created the CEC course "Stroke Recovery Training" for the fitness industry. Tracy was one of the IDEA 2020 Personal Trainer of the Year Finalists. She is recognized for her work, books, and for helping stroke survivors worldwide. She is an NFHOF Pro (National Fitness Hall of Fame) and was Recognized as one of "Today's Top Trainers" in 2019. She believes “Knowledge is Power” and has earned many certifications in the fitness industry. She is the 2021 IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year. www.tracymarkley.com www.tracyspersonaltraining.com www.amazon.com/author/tracymarkley www.instagram.com/motivate_healthyfit www.facebook.com/tracyfitt www.twitter.com/tracysfitnesshb www.tracys-healthy-365.blogspot.com www.linkedin.com/in/tracymarkleyfit

M O CER

D O DO OG SI YAD A

N E M

TO ONE A ½ VO AT H CA T D

DLUO

W I Bernadine Otto CTNC and Managing Editor

OCADOS

Avocados are a healthy fat-filled superfood. They are packed with vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that can help keep you healthy.

THREE HACKS TO BOOST YOUR FREQUENCY HIGHER FREQUENCY, BETTER LIFE By Sherry Parks

We live in a world of frequency or vibration. Frequency is the number of repeating vibrations that occur in a second. These are measured in hertz (Hz). All things have a frequency; even the human body. The human body has vibrational frequency down to the cellular level. Higher frequency in the body results in better health. It has been shown that a normal healthy body has a frequency of 62– 72 MHz. When the body drops below this frequency, we begin to get into illness and disease states. For example, if our frequency drops to 58 MHz, then we are likely to get a cold or flu. If our frequency drops to 42 MHz, we become susceptible to cancer within the body. The lower the frequency, the closer we are to death. Today, I am sharing my top three tools for increasing personal frequency, so that you can feel your best and have a life you love!

Thoughts I believe our thoughts are connected to our frequency. Think about brainwaves and the frequency emitted through the brain's electrical current. Our thoughts and emotions control those brainwaves. If we are perpetually thinking negative thoughts, we are emitting a negative or low frequency. On the other hand, if we are thinking positive, upbeat thoughts, we are emitting a positive or higher frequency. These frequencies go out into the world just like radio wave frequencies. Those around us pick up on and respond to whatever type of energy we are emitting; be it positive or negative.

In my own life, I’ve seen evidence of my negative thought patterns drawing negativity to me. During the time that I was most unhappy with my life and felt the most unfulfilled and stuck; I was stuck in a pattern of thinking about doom and gloom and how much I hated my life. I was also overweight, on four medications, and feeling horrible physically. I was in a disease state, so my frequency had to have been low. That low frequency was also doing something else in my life. It was drawing out negativity from other people as well. That time in my life was also my lowest point in my career as an accountant. People were questioning my ability to lead and my ability to run the business. I firmly believe that all of these things came about because I was putting negative energy out into the world from my frequency (i.e. my own negative thoughts). Once I started shifting those negative thoughts and replacing them with positive ones, I began to see my career restored, but more importantly, my health was restored!

Essential Oils One of my favorite ways to raise my own personal frequency is by using therapeutic-grade essential oils. Essential oils have a frequency ranging from 42 MHz up to 428 MHz. Essential oils are the liquids found in plants and trees that protect plants from insects and disease. These liquids are more powerful than the plants themselves. The molecules are so close to our own cell structure that our body recognizes them and they begin to work within seconds of use. Rose essential oil is one of the highest frequency essential oils at 320 MHz. Idaho Blue Spruce has the highest documented frequency at 428 MHz. When I started using essential oils, I was feeling really negative and simply hated life. That first month I used a lot of essential oils but the two that I used the most were Frankincense (147 MHz) and Lavender (118 MHz). Within just a few weeks, I was feeling more positive and better about life. In fact, it was so dramatic that my friend noticed immediately and asked me what I’d changed in my life! Essential oils aren’t meant to replace the advice of a medical professional; however, I feel they are an important part of my own journey to healing and they definitely raised my frequency.

Food/Cleansing Did you know that food has a frequency as well? It does! Thinking about something we eat having a frequency and knowing that frequency impacts our body is one of the big reasons for my passion for good food! When I realized that processed and canned foods have a frequency of 0 (zero), it totally changed how I view cooking! I decided long ago to avoid processed foods as much as I could. However, I still ate some canned foods. And occasionally still do; however, I eat them knowing that I need to add something else to my day to support my energetic frequency. Dried herbs and foods have a frequency of 15 -22, and fresh foods and herbs have a frequency of 20–27 MHz. Yes, that is low compared to essential oils; however, this is much better than a frequency of 0 (zero)! This is one of my big reasons for completing for myself as well as suggesting food cleanses to my clients. Our focus during a food cleanse is to avoid processed food completely and to make sure we are eating more fresh fruit and vegetables. Those two things alone are going to increase the frequency in the body! During a cleanse we also avoid things that lower our frequency such as coffee (caffeine) or alcohol. Not only are we ingesting things that increase or support our healthy frequency, but we are also avoiding things that lower our frequency. This is one of the main reasons you feel so good after completing a cleanse of just five days! How about you? Have you explored your energetic frequency?

Sherry Parks, CPA, is a Money Mindset Coach who helps women escape feeling trapped by their finances. She is passionate about helping women change mindsets, emotions, and actions regarding money so that they learn to keep what they have and generate more. Check out her 5 Steps to a Better Money Story workbook https://livesinbalance.lpages.co/5-steps-to-a-better-moneystory/) or join her women-only Facebook group More Than Enough Money Sisterhood.

The Divorced Woman’s Guide To . . . Creating Balance During and After Divorce BY WENDY STERLING

When navigating divorce, it feels like you are standing in the ocean during high tide. The waves come crashing into you and bounce and toss around. You feel off-balance, gripping the sand hoping not to fall over or to have your biggest fear of drowning come true. You are juggling so many balls in the air, while all these waves are coming at you unpredictably. It feels impossible to regain your footing, and balance as you're going through this process because life is unpredictable. Just like the ocean. As we go through life and learn new things, you can root yourself in the sand, so that no matter what waves come in, you find your footing. You see the waves and know you are going to get knocked off at some point. However, until you get to that point, you keep doing your best to stand upright. And even when you tilt over or go underwater, you know how to hold your breath and stand back up when the waves pass. Creating complete balance is impossible. Instead, we navigate life as though we are on a teetertotter. It's like you are riding a surfboard for the first time and navigating the waves. Or you are on a boat on the ocean and swaying with the waves until you see (or don’t) a wave coming, you instinctively steer the wheel or put up a sail to catch to the wind. If you are someone who does not know which way to lean or which sale to put up, I am going to share 5 ways to create balance starting today.

Deciding what is important to you and acting accordingly To know what is truly important to you, you must know what your values are. Our values reflect what is important to us in life and are often referred to as our personal guiding principles or life goals. Knowing your values is like having a life compass – guiding you in the direction you want to live your life. Values guide our behavior in all aspects of our life, including our home life, our work life, and our social life. They guide our beliefs, attitudes, and behavior. Identifying our values and taking committed action towards our values – even when it is uncomfortable or difficult – is how we live a life of vitality, meaning, and fulfillment. Avoid negativity We all struggle with negative self-talk. Have you ever wanted to make a change, try something new, or ask for help? Then as you muster enough courage to take a step towards those changes or situations you start to feel anxious, nervous, or fearful? You may even notice a voice inside your head constantly evaluating why these changes could never happen – you’re not capable, everything you do is wrong, you’ll regret it, or a variety of other distorted thoughts. You are NOT alone – you are human just the rest of us. We all have this self-criticism and quite often self-sabotaging voices inside our heads that hold us back. When your inner critic runs the show, your relationships, work, and self-esteem plunge. It seems like you can never do anything right, no matter how much you try. The first thing is to realize that you are not your inner critic so stop listening to it! When you distinguish who you are from your inner critic, you can begin to live life on your own terms Decide on a self-care practice Self-care is the practice of being kind and compassionate to yourself, with the goal of improving your emotional, mental, and physical well-being. Self-care increases your self-esteem, worth, and confidence. This means setting aside time daily for yourself – walk, reading, exercise, fresh air, mani/Pedi, bath, takeout, music, sleep in, mental health day, etc. Self-care is giving the world the best of you instead of what is left. I know how hard it can be to prioritize self-care when we have such busy schedules and are caregivers. When we give ourselves the opportunity to engage in self-care, we learn how much we are worth, how much we do, and how much we grow from both difficult and joyful moments in our life.

Learn to prioritize You are in control of your own life, no one else has that right or power. So why do we try to wear a cape daily? Instead, try to focus on what is important (and what is not) and how much time/energy you invest in things that matter (and don’t). Doing so helps build confidence! When you do not know how to prioritize, it makes focusing a challenge, which leads to no achievement, failure, and lack of confidence. We tend to concentrate on the wrong things because we have no vision/focus. Therefore, it is so important to get clear about your goals and intentions. Learn to let go and accept Not accepting your emotions about your divorce will not help you to create balance in your life. Instead, you are perpetuating a state of delusion. Acceptance is hard as is forgiveness. However, when we confront the emotions, we name and acknowledge them. It means you accept your reality. Acceptance is the willingness to experience ourselves and our lives. So, it is about moving away from self-deception and taking a step into reality. When you are unwilling to accept where you are, how are going to move forward? How is it that you are going to create any balance? What are you not accepting? Acceptance means that you stop identifying with the thing you aren't accepting. In other words, when you are practicing acceptance, it means that you're not being consumed by the feeling that you're trying hard to avoid. Acceptance is what makes change possible. It is what gets you unstuck.

Having a balanced life means being realistic about the fact that some things are just not going to get done. And, you have to be okay with that. Life will continue to present daily challenges, but you can choose to face them with the right attitude and prioritize the people and things that are most important to you. From time to time, step away to relax and take a moment to refocus. When you’re feeling lost or need some encouragement, remember that your accountability partner and support system can help you stay on track. You’ll find that as you put these tips into daily practice, you’ll begin to live a wholesome life! The past is loaded with anxiety and thoughts about things you “should” or “ought to” or “could” have done. The future is packed with unknowns and ideals of what should happen. Constantly struggling between the past and future will leave anyone unbalanced. The present is the center. To find a balance you have to accept the moment you are living in now. The past has already played out, and the future will unravel as it comes. The time worth thinking about is now. There are things in life that are going to knock you off your feet, and there are times that you are going to lose balance. Maintaining inner balance isn’t just learning how to stay grounded. It involves finding the strength to get back up after you fall and to try again. Remember, you don’t find balance; you create it.

Wendy Sterling is a Divorce Recovery Specialist, writer, author, and speaker who founded The Divorce Rehab™. Wendy helps divorced women recover from their divorce by finding their true identity and voice by ending their pity party, mourning the loss of their marriage to create a new, better life they design. Prior to becoming a certified life coach, Wendy established her 18-year career as a top-level advertising sales executive in the digital space, at the world’s most progressive social and lifestyle website brands (such as Who What Wear and Refinery29). After learning of her own unexpected divorce and finding the world of coaching, she realized she could combine her 20 years of experience in Corporate America as a leader with this new coaching methodology and make a profound impact in the world. She helps women see their divorce as a gift, it happens FOR them not TO them. Wendy is a graduate of UCLA and a Certified Professional Co-Active Coach (CPCC) from The Co-Active Training Institute. She is also an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coach Federation. She is a guest blogger on Hello Divorce as well as a Contributing Writer for Divorced Girl Smiling. https://www.facebook.com/wendytsterling/ https://www.instagram.com/divorcerehabwithwendy/ https://www.wendysterling.net/

My Health JOURNEY TO FINDING FUNCTIONAL MEDICINE

DR.

DANIELLE

LITOFF

Functional Medicine saved my life. Before I found functional medicine, I spent years feeling tired, bloated, cranky, and just plain crappy. As a physical therapist, I have been healthy and active my whole life, but when I hit my late 30s something changed. I was stressed and the definition of “wired and tired.” I over-exercised and ended up gaining weight instead of losing or maintaining; my gut was bloated no matter what I ate; I was anxious, and I was in some sort of pain constantly.

Initially, I turned to traditional medicine and was diagnosed with everything from early menopause to a bacterial infection. I was prescribed nine different antibiotics or steroids in 18 months, mostly for assumed respiratory issues. The antibiotics and steroids triggered all sorts of terrible side effects making the “cure” worse than the disease. But the worst part is that I never felt heard. All these specialists and doctors spent about 10 minutes with me and then sent me for labs or gave me a prescription and a follow-up appointment in six weeks. No one took the time to look at me as a whole person, they were only interested in treating the symptoms.

As a practicing Functional Medicine health coach now, I know that we have to look at the whole body as a system vs. individual pieces (e.g. just the knee). Body + rest and recovery + right foods = whole system.

I found a functional medicine health coach who took the time to listen to me and get to the root of my issues, not just treat the individual symptoms. My immune system was out of balance and needed to be reset. I went on a stricter diet to heal my gut and took a combination of supplements. Additionally, I stopped over-exercising because I was overstimulating my fight or flight response. Fight or flight makes it impossible for our bodies to heal. By resting and recovering, I was able to re-establish balance in my body and my pain went away. After my experience, I trained in functional medicine and incorporated it into my practice. My story is why I am so passionate about functional medicine. I have been where you are. I know how you feel, but more importantly, I know how to make you feel better.

Dr. Danielle Litoff DPT is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Health Coach at Battle Born Health in Reno, NV. Her practice focuses on the principles of modern, proven medicine, delivered with an old-fashioned commitment to patient care and one-on-one relationships. For more wellness tips, visit her blog where she writes about various topics of nutrition, health, and physical therapy." https://www.battlebornhealth.com/ https://www.facebook.com/battlebornhealth/ https://www.instagram.com/battlebornhealth/

ASTROLOGY AND THE MOON W r i t ten By Lin d a W a t s o n As you have probably figured out, I write a lot about the Moon, the phases, and how each phase affects our lives. Following the cycle of the Moon is a powerful way to connect with our energy and an invaluable way in which we can organize our life to its fullest advantage. Getting in touch with her cycles helps to remind us that we are all a part of something so much bigger than ourselves. I use the New Moon and Full Moon phases in my monthly horoscope predictions, usually focusing on the houses or areas of life that the Moon is inhabiting at those times of the month. The one area I haven’t discussed is what it means when the New and Full Moons are in the different zodiac signs and how amazing it is to work with the energy of each sign that the Moon is in. I am going to take a journey through each sign and share specific ways to word intentions based on the energy of that particular Moon sign. I always find it much more powerful to perform a New or Full Moon meditation before I write down my intentions. When you handwrite your intentions during a New Moon, you are letting the Universe know your desires and you will begin to see the manifestation of your dreams. When you align with the New Moon to put your desires and dreams out there, you are activating the Law of Attraction.

During a Full Moon, you will learn the things that you need to release control of, discover where forgiveness is needed and the things you are grateful for, and you may see the results of your intentions begin to manifest. If something hasn’t worked out, release it in love, and be grateful for all the good things in your life. The Moon moves so quickly we barely have time to register how we feel. We are very used to her movement. The Moon orbits one full turn around the Earth in 28 days and passes through each of the Zodiac signs for about 2 to 2 1/2 days. The sign of the Moon on any given day will transmit a very subtle emotional feeling. It is sometimes hard to put our finger on why we feel different on certain days, but there is something there. Almost a background vibration. This is why I will just focus on the New and Full Moons in this article. First, as a general explanation to describe the collective tone of a Moon phase we can look at the modality of the sign. Is it Cardinal, Fixed, or Mutable? The modalities refer to the behavioral style of the sign. The modality of the Moon’s sign will have greater influence over how you process or react to anything emotionally driven. The Cardinal signs are Aries, Cancer, Libra, and Capricorn. We automatically will know these are action moons. These signs like to take charge, showing leadership, and being initiating and enterprising. We can expect to feel this energy as part of our behavior for the month. The Fixed signs are Taurus, Leo, Scorpio, and Aquarius. This suggests the energy will be more serious, focusing on responsibility and practical matters. This is a time to take off business and show our reliability. The Mutable signs are Gemini, Sagittarius, Virgo, and Pisces. The energy of the Moon in a mutable sign will be all about variety, change, a flurry of thoughts and ideas, spontaneity, and enthusiasm. We will tend to feel more flexible and social. Now that we know the overall tone of each sign, let’s look deeper at the individual sign and what it means when I write about the Moon in Aries, or Taurus, or any of the other 10 zodiac signs.

Moon in Aries Brings courage, independence, and a time to initiate something new in our lives. This would be the time to put yourself out there in the world and engage in the things that encourage actions regarding who you want to be and how to get there. With a New Moon in Aries, you may want your intentions to include high-energy initiatives, intentions that would further self-discovery that would lead to personal growth or wishes that give you courage and strength to use your leadership qualities to pursue your dreams. With a Full Moon in Aries, you are being asked to align with your true self and release any old versions of yourself that may be holding you back from your life’s purpose.

Moon in Taurus Provides calmness and serenity to our emotional lives. There is a steadiness or grounded energy with this Moon. This is a time to enjoy the simple pleasures of life, to concentrate on the beauty surrounding you, and to pamper yourself a bit. It is also a good time to re-evaluate how you stand with your finances and possessions and discover what you truly value. With a New Moon in Taurus, your intentions could include ways to appropriately create financial independence or provide clarity in handling your resources, ways to appreciate and feel gratitude for the blessings in your life that bring in more love and joy, or intentions to increase your self-worth, determination, and selfacceptance. A Taurus Full Moon wants you to release any behaviors that may have created selfindulgence. Have you been eating too much, NOT exercising enough, or spending too much money? Find a balance and get grounded in a plan to bring beauty and abundance into your life without overdoing it.

Moon in Gemini Everything is about intellectualizing. There is a need to communicate our feelings and moods. This is a time that brings in more socialization and a desire for lots of mental stimulation. With a New Moon in Gemini, your intentions may include ways to enhance learning, promote effective communication, develop and improve your social skills, or improve your relationships with your siblings, family, or neighbors. A Gemini Full Moon is asking you to slow down and find a balance between wanting to know everything about everything and taking the time to really learn something useful that will help you on your life’s path.

Moon in Cancer The Moon is in her rulership in this sign and is very sensitive, nurturing, and caring. Be prepared for some emotional ups and downs and a need to be near your home, your comfort zone, and security. With a New Moon in Cancer, your intentions should include ways to strengthen your personal foundations of home and family, ways to increase feelings of safety and security, ways to increase emotional closeness and caring within personal relationships, and positive ways to nurture and be nurtured. A Cancer Full Moon reminds us to learn to nurture ourselves and allow our own emotional needs to become illuminated. It can be a time of enlightenment marking a new path in our selfknowledge and emotional maturation.

Moon in Leo This sign brings out our warm and generous emotions, as well as our passions and creativity. This Moon wants us to shine our light, have fun, and be recognized. This is a time when you will have more self-confidence and radiate a strength of purpose. With a New Moon in Leo, if you are looking for love, this is the time to ask for a healthy, happy, and fun romantic relationship. Your wishes could also include ways to stimulate your creative projects, artistic expression, and innate talents, as well as ways to enhance your desire to be recognized and take center stage. A Leo Full Moon is the time to release any blockages around your heart’s desires and anything stopping you from expressing your creativity and passions. Move forward with courage and show up for yourself with confidence.

Moon in Virgo Virgo brings more caution to our emotional state. It is more difficult to show how we feel, and we may do this through acts of service to others. This is a time when we may show our feelings through being that person in the background keeping everyone on point through organization and routine. With a New Moon in Virgo your intentions could include ways to create a healthier lifestyle through better diet and exercise, ways to begin creating efficiency and order in your home and life, become more aware of ways to use critical thinking, discernment, and problem solving efficiently, or consciously be able to feel satisfaction through service to others. A Virgo Full Moon is all about self-forgiveness. To forgive yourself for the ways you perceive your imperfections, the mistakes you felt you made, and the areas where you expect too much of yourself so that you can move forward with self-love and align with your true gifts that you can share with the collective.

Moon in Libra This sign has strong emotional attachments to intellectual and artistic activities. Anything too deep and disturbing does not bode well with Libra. They like everything balanced, peaceful, and harmonious in their lives. There is fairness and beauty to everything attached to this sign. With a New Moon in Libra, your wishes could include attracting, creating, and having happiness, love, respect, and passion in a committed and monogamous relationship. It could also include anything to do with promoting fairness and equality, creating beauty, attracting sociability with others, or attracting more elegance in your life. A Libra Full Moon wants us to find peace and balance within all of our relationships, both personal and business. Reflect on how the people in your life are supporting you and how you are supporting them. Decide on which relationships need some adjustment and which ones need to be released. You’ll want to move forward with those you want in your life to support your growth, encourage your creativity, and help you enjoy life, and vice versa.

Moon in Scorpio Scorpio provides powerful feelings of intuition, intense emotions of love bordering on a need to completely merge with another, and deep emotional sensitivities. A Scorpio Moon can bring out your secretive side. With a New Moon in Scorpio your intentions could include asking for positive transformations and empowerment to promote psychological healing, you may want to include right ideas to improve your intimate relationships, or perhaps finding ways to successfully manage financial partnerships, debts, loans, or financial negotiations. A Scorpio Full Moon is all about shadow work. This is the time to look beneath the surface of your psyche, face your deepest fears and blockages, and take control of your life and personal behaviors. This gives you an amazing ability to transform and empower yourself.

Moon in Sagittarius Such a happy placement. It brings feelings of enthusiasm, the quest for new adventures, the search for higher truths, and the desire to expand our horizons. The feeling is that of the glass being half full instead of half empty. No matter the difficulties of life, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. With a New Moon in Sagittarius, your wishes may include your desire to enlist a Higher Power in your life direction, intentions to include spontaneity and freedom to experience positive adventures and exciting travel in your life, ways to enhance higher education or accepting more philosophical points of view, or perhaps finding a mentor to help you on your journey. A Sagittarius Full Moon is a good time to reflect on the times when optimism and faith worked in your favor. Release any attitudes that are blocking your hidden truths and be open to opportunities that will allow you to pursue the things that will uplift your soul.

Moon in Capricorn Brings a serious and responsible vibration. This sign likes to have a very stable and drama-free emotional life. You may feel more ambitious and goal-oriented during a Capricorn Moon. With a New Moon in this sign, you may want to focus your intentions on preparing for the future such as retirement plans, sensible financial decisions, and so forth. You also could wish for mature and responsible behavior within your relationships, in achieving professional success and recognition or gaining clarity on your professional goals and career. A Capricorn Full Moon is all about centering your energy and releasing any heaviness you may have been carrying. It is time to balance your outside world with your inside world and bring in the emotional nurturance of home and family that provide a different kind of security and structure.

Moon in Aquarius Emotions tend to be guided by intellect and a sort of detachment. Aquarius is compassionate, but more in a big picture way. This energy will steady your emotions. You may feel more inventive and progressive with the Moon in this sign. With a New Moon in Aquarius, you may wish for ways to be more inventive and unique with your ideas, to become aware of ways to adopt new trends into your life and follow your dreams, to find ways to support humanitarian issues for the good of others either on a global or community level, or wish for ways to promote healthy friendships and feelings of comfortability in group situations. An Aquarius Full Moon is the time to reflect on any friendships or groups of people who are no longer vibrating with your soul purpose. Find a way to begin networking with others who share a common goal and provide support to your dreams for the future.

Moon in Pisces This is highly sensitive, intuitive, and compassionate energy. Inspiration and creativity will be a driving factor in everything you do. It can inspire strong feelings of faith and spirituality, or some may find ways to escape the intensity of emotions through drugs or alcohol. With a New Moon in Pisces, your intentions could include ways to support your psychic sensitivities at this time and increase your connection to source/spirit, to trust in a High Power to guide your life and enable you to make the right choices, to have an easier time focusing on things that bring inner peace such as meditation, journaling, yoga, or nature activities, or to be open to creating artistically with the support and help of spirit/angels. A Pisces Full Moon wants you to release any and all things that are clouding your vision or judgment. Allow your creative visions and ideas to flow and know that your gifts and creations are valuable assets just waiting to be manifested.

When we follow the phases of the Moon, it enables us to understand how best to utilize our energy each month. Each phase brings its own flavor and guidance to our lives. Eclipses bring their own unique perspective for a longer period of time. By just finding out the phase you were born under brings a greater understanding of your purpose for being, then following each phase through a certain time period in your life can show the evolution of your story and its timing. It takes much longer than a month to flesh out a full cycle in your life. And of course, there are the lunar progressions, which is another level of the story. Just know that our lives are divinely guided and be open to the magic. This month’s Full Moon occurs on July 13th in the sign of Capricorn followed by the New Moon in Leo on July 28th. You can start thinking about the adjustments you would like to make according to the information you now have available to you. As an added bonus, Jupiter goes retrograde in Aries on the same day as the New Moon, so this is a good time to develop any personal talents you have or to work on self-improvement projects. Jupiter retrograde in combination with the New Moon in Leo is a big factor in being able to reassess what inspires and motivates you, what your beliefs and values are, and where you find meaning in your life. It is a time to come to a realization of what your core desires are and work toward manifesting those wishes when Jupiter stations direct again in November. Take the time to fully fine-tune your ideas so that you can finally execute them. *For a more personal and in-depth look at your chart and what may be coming up for you, please visit www.soulguideastrology.com and schedule a one-on-one reading. When you sign up for my newsletter, you will receive a complimentary Moon Phase Guide to help you plan your monthly activities.

Linda Watson is the owner and creator of Soul Guide Astrology. She is a member of the American Federation of Astrologers. She provides birth chart readings and solar return (yearly) chart readings, offering support, insight and guidance to better help others find their focus and move forward with their dreams. You can schedule a consultation by visiting her website, www.soulguideastrology.com. Find her on Facebook at Facebook.com/linda.watsonastrolog or on Instagram at instagram.com/soulguideastrology

Written By Jace Jacobs

There are no guarantees in life so right now is all you have. Your path is up to you. When it comes to your thoughts and actions, they are either leading you towards what you want or directing you towards what you don't want. It's called vibrational momentum. The good news is you can change your direction at any time. It's all up to you. Are you moving towards what you want right now? That can be a tough question to ask yourself and yet very powerful if you offer an honest answer. Try checking in with yourself every day through meditation. Sometimes you'll find yourself off track from where you want to be. If that is the case, take that moment alone to navigate and adjust your course. As for myself, I love to use meditation daily along with Happy Mindset Poetry as an aide in shifting my momentum. Trust that this is a journey and you will experience joy along the way. Just like those three little birds say, everything is going to be all right. Thank you, Bob Marley! What is a song or poem you turn to when you need a self-love to pick me up? Here is one I use below. The Path from my book titled, Peace & Love. Namaste Jace Jacobs Appreciate Everything ~ Love Fully ~ Need Nothing

The Path Always and forever Things working out for me Those joyful thoughts and feelings Attracting what can be Each day I express my desires I say them to create my grid And I actively appreciate All the best things that I did I'm cautious with my views I choose when to break the link My beliefs are just my thoughts The ones I continue to think The road may change directions The journey that I see Another exciting story The path doesn't end for me

Meet Jace Jacobs! Jace Jacobs is a Happy Mindset Poet, Performer, and Creator @ jacejacobs.com. Jace is an author and spoken word poetry performer. His Happy Mindset Poetry books are available on Amazon or via jacejacobs.com. Jace enjoys helping cool souls raise their vibrational state so they can experience more confidence and clarity in their life.Appreciate Everything ~ Love Fully ~ Need Nothing#HappyMindsetPoetryVisit the social media links below for video performances of spoken word rhyming happy mindset poetry. https://www.facebook.com/jacewjacobs/ https://www.youtube.com/jacejacobs https://www.instagram.com/jacejacobs https://twitter.com/jacejacobs

Healthy

RECIPES FOR FOURTH OF JULY

Watermelon Pizza Watermelon Pizza is the perfect treat for a hot summer day or for the 4th of July

The Ingredients Cottage Cheese Mint leaves fresh-squeezed orange juice 2 cups sliced strawberries, diced peaches, blueberries, raspberries, kiwi, halved cherries, etc. (you can use different kinds of fruit)

The Method On a plate slice watermelon into triangles. Add fruit, cottage cheese, and fresh-squeezed orange juice. Top with mint leaves.

Red, white and blue 4th of July smoothie The Ingredients 6 Bananas (Frozen is best) 16 oz package of strawberries (or small bag of frozen strawberries) 1 can of coconut cream 1 heaping teaspoon of blue spirulina

The Method Blend all of the strawberries with half of a banana and 1/3 of the coconut cream. Pour the strawberry smoothie on the bottom of a clear cup or mason jar, filling no more than 1/3 of the cup. Blend the rest of the bananas and coconut cream together. Pour the white smoothie mixture slowly over the red layer in your cups, leaving ½ of the white smoothie mixture in the blender. Return the blender reservoir with the remaining smoothie mixture back onto your blender base and add in blue spirulina smoothie.

Turkey Burger The Ingredients 1 lb. ground turkey 1 tablespoon bread crumbs 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 2 tbsp. freshly chopped parsley Kosher salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil Hamburger buns Lettuce Sliced tomatoes Mayonnaise

The Method In a large bowl, mix together turkey, egg, garlic, Worcestershire sauce, and parsley, then season with salt and pepper. Form mixture into four flat patties. Add to a medium skillet over medium heat, and heat oil. Add patties and cook until golden and cooked through, 5 minutes per side. Serve on a bun with desired toppings.

Fruit Skewers Try Cheesecake Dip, Marshmallow Cream Cheese, or even Chocolate Hummus to dip these skewers in!

Ingredients Strawberries Oranges, you can leave the peel on or take it off. Kiwi: Peel and cut Blackberries Red Grapes that are firm and crunchy. Green Grapes Blueberries Wooden Skewers: Use new wooden skewers to avoid cracks or splinters.

The Method Using a skewer thread the strawberries, orange slices, kiwi, blackberries, grapes, and blueberries. Enjoy with your favorite sauce

Health & wellness tips Health & Nutrition & Wellbeing

T O

Y O U R

H E A L T H

and Wellness From eating the right food to the perfect exercise routine, find the best path to a healthier and happier you.

Food Tip: Use Extra Virgin oil Extra virgin olive oil is one of the healthiest vegetable oils. It’s loaded with hearthealthy monounsaturated fats and powerful antioxidants that can fight inflammation.

Wellness Tip:

Develop at least one new stress-buster .Instead of a bowl of ice cream or alcoholic drinks, treat yourself to a bowl of tasty, exotic fruit, take a long walk some place pretty, or enjoy an afternoon out with your spouse or best friend.

'''Wake up with determination, go to bed with satisfaction - Unknown

TRAVEL TIPS ON THE GO!

Sticking to a healthy diet while traveling can be difficult, but these simple strategies will help you maximize your health even while traveling.

What to Bring:

What to buy

Protein Powder and all your supplements

Fresh fruits and veggies for Smoothie and snacks during your trip.

• Enough fresh fruits, veggies and raw nuts for the road (or flight). Pack them in an insulated lunch bag for longer trips.

• Almond or coconut milk. You can also bring raw almonds and blend your own fresh milk!

• Your blender. • A knife to cut fruits and veggies. • A small, flexible cutting board. • A water bottle with a filter such as the Brita Bottle Aqua. You will have clean water anywhere you can find a running tap! • Ziploc bags so you can bring your healthy snacks on the go. • Lemons for your morning lemon water.

You can also bring the nonrefrigerated boxes with you instead of buying when you arrive.

Sticking to a healthy diet while traveling can be difficult, but these simple strategies will help you maximize your health even while traveling.

What to do:

Make sure your hotel has a refrigerator in the room. • Research grocery stores and healthy restaurants beforehand. • Plan for exercise each day, whether it is walking around to see the sites, or heading to the hotel fitness center or pool. • Plan your meals and snacks each day. If you do not have a plan, you are more likely to end up making poor decisions. • As with your at-home diet, aim for an abundance of whole unprocessed plant-based foods. It may require a little extra planning to get these foods, but it’s totally possible. Always set yourself up for success!

Healthy Snacks:

Vegetables: Carrots, celery, English cucumbers, sugar snap peas, mini bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, sliced jicama, toasted nori sheets, and kale chips (you can make your own!) - Fruit: Apples, grapes, pears, tangerines, bananas, peaches, nectarines, plums and cherries - Miscellaneous: Raw nuts and nut butter (excluding peanuts), hummus, salsa and tahini. *Tip: Aim for foods that do not have a complicated peel, are not super sticky and cannot be squished easily.

TRAVEL ITINERARY THINGS TO SEE

ACTIVITIES

PLACES TO EAT

TRAVEL TIPS

LOCATION

TRANSPORTATION

“Always do what you are afraid to do.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson