Eat Your Way out of Depression or Anxiety

Everyone has felt depressed or anxious at one point or another in their life. For some, it may be something they constantly struggle with. The World Health Organization rates depression as the leading cause of disease burden to countries with a high income.

Most people turn instantly to prescription drugs to “fix” the problem. Having learned firsthand all about this system I can tell you that a) they are addictive b) your body will build up a tolerance – just like anything else, and eventually they will stop having the same effect. Where does that leave you? In the exact same situation, or even worse. While I believe that working through depression and/or anxiety is not an overnight solution and cannot solely be healed with food alone. I do believe that what you are eating is certainly affecting your mood and eating a healthy diet is the easiest and quickest thing you can do to feel some relief.

I have put together a list of 10 simple foods to include in your diet right now that are proven to easy stress, promote well being and calmness, and nourish your brain.

1. Omega-3 Fatty Acids: brain foods. Oily fish such as salmon, herring, sardines, mackerel, and trout. Also flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, seaweed, mustard oil, beans, winter squash, leafy greens, and cabbage family.

2. Avocados: rich in glutathione, which blocks absorption of some fats in the intestines, that cause oxidative damage. They also contain lots of B vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin E, and the most folate of any fruit.

2. Berries: high antioxidants, linked to sharper cognition and lower stress levels

3. Cabbage: contains vitamin C and folic acids, protects against stress, good source of blood sugar stabilizing fiber.

4. Garlic: neutralizes free radicals, and can even reduce damage caused by free radicals, make sure you sauté in broth and not oil

5. Green Tea: contains an amino acid called thiamine protects against some types of cancer, it also enhances mental performance

6. Spinach: has comforting effect, lots of magnesium, which helps to regulate cortisol (stress hormone) and promote feels of wellbeing

7. Oysters: the mother load of zinc. Zinc plays an important role in the brain and body by modulating stress

8. Gaba – is an amino acid that works in the brain like a main down switch, slows the brain down, out of the anxious state, find this in kefir, kimchi, and oolong tea

9. Oatmeal: a complex carbohydrate causes your brain to produce serotonin, which has antioxidant properties, soothing feeling, and helps to overcome stress.

10. Chamomile Tea: promotes sleep, relaxes mind and body, soothing, more evidence than ever that chamomile calms

Processed/ packaged foods, preservatives, GMO’s, additives, nitrates, fast food, antibiotics, hormones, sulfites, and junk food is a recipe for depression and anxiety. Stick to whole foods and this list to start naturally healing now. It’s your life, fuel yourself with real food.

If you are healing from depression and/or anxiety having the support of a health coach will drastically improve your results. Schedule a completely free health consultation with me today. Email me at agreenthumb1@gmail.com and we will set it up.

Vinegar Cleaning

Cleaning, the Simple Way

Keep it simple, save money on all those cleaning products, just use vinegar.

Dilute your vinegar into water in a spray bottle from the dollar store. You can also use lemon juice and water. It cuts grease and cleans just the same, but you are saving your home from a blast of unneeded chemicals.

I use this on everything, even glass when I switched over to the darkside I noticed the money I saved on cleaning products, how crazy is that?!

Think of the money you will save by keeping it simple with vinegar.

Bring the Outside In

Bringing plants into my home affected me and more ways than I would’ve imagined.
I really enjoyed my new green spaces, and decided to research them a little bit more. When I did this I realize that we are connected to plants in more ways than one. Here’s a few simple reasons why we should all have indoor plants:

Breathing Easier:
Plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen that makes us natural partners!

They also pulled contaminants into the soil where root zone microorganisms convert it into food for the plant!

Releasing water:
Plants release 97% of the water that they take in, so please put us together to increase the humidity in a room. (this also keeps respiratory distresses at bay..)

Improving health:
There have been studies that patients who have plants in their hospital rooms often use less pain medication, have lower heart rate and blood pressure.

Plants in your home have also proven to decrease anxiety and fatigue.
Along with a decrease of colds, headaches, coughs, sore throats and flu like symptoms!!

A few of the best indoor plants:

Spider plant – purifies air fast! Best for living spaces ie. kitchen, living room

Gerbera – releases oxygen at night and also purifies air! Best for bedroom

Boston Fern – your own green, good looking, natural humidifier! Dry winters will be hard on your fern, so mist it!

Peace Lily – Removes mold! Guess where? Bathroom and any other damp place like a basement or cold storage!

Long Distance Relationships

This is a fun one! We’ve been talking about keeping it simple all month. So far, I have really slowed down and stopping to smell the roses.

I did something awesome!! I surveyed a group of people in long distance relationships so I could share the results with you! Fun right?

I asked 5 simple questions, and got a bunch of different responses, this is a simple way to check in with your long distance relationship!

#1 What is the best thing about a long distance relationship?

– The best thing about being in a long distance relationship is the absolute trust which has to be reached in order to feel real, comfortable and happy.

– The best thing about long distance is that it’s healthy to have time apart and you get that much more excited every time you get to see your partner. Also you can fart in your sleep and nobody is the wiser

– When you have not seen someone in a year or so, and there was no cyber communication only letters.  The time you spent talking, walking and catching up was a real heart-felt moment!  Seeing the persons face while they describe their year is truly beautiful!

– best thing id have to say is unwind time while you are away you’re able to see and show yourself you really care about the person not just because they are a constantly reminding you that you should in your life but on your own away from them you still care.

– I am not sure there is a best thing about ld relationships. They suck and leave you constantly wanting more and feeling lacking in one way or another. If I had to pick one thing i guess it would be that you know that there is always someone “there”

– The best thing about a long distance relationship is when you do see each other you don’t take it for granted

#2 What is the most common method of communication used? (ie. phone calls, skype/facetime, etc)

– the most common method of communication used is text. The ability to sustain a conversation over breaks at work and in life is a beautiful thing. Skype/FaceTime fill in when we need to see each other smile.

– Most common methods are phone and FaceTime

–  text and phone calls….skipe is going to be a new-found thing, but I want to save those conversations for face to face as I do not have anyone at war!

– facebook

– phone is most common – or facetime when we remember that amazing option

– never more than a phone call away and most often talk more than if you lived closer and know and care about what’s going on in each other’s lives

#3 How often do you see each other?

– whenever humanly possibly while still sustaining our careers. Overall, twice a month for between two days to over a week at a time. We have resigned ourselves to making every effort to be together when we can, that commitment is just as important as the commitment of trust.

– Marks shifts are from 25-43 days gone (he will have to take one or two days off while out there for safety/legal reasons) and then 7-11 days off

– not often enough – every couple of years – which in some relationships it would be fine, but when it was someone who you previously lived with or had the option to see every day it makes it hard.

– No matter how little of often you see each other it is never enough, but when you do meet it’s a joyous occasion

#4 What is the most creative way you’ve shown someone you care?

– My partner has a strong but distant connect with his father. I was visiting in States and I had to leave after he left for work. The night before he told me a story about his dad putting frosted flakes and chocolate sauce on his ice cream when he was young and it was such a fun treat. After he left for work I went out and bought him a jug of vanilla ice cream, chocolate sauce and frosted flakes. I left him a love note on the counter “look in the freezer”… Then in the freezer with the ice cream “look in the fridge” then in the fridge with the chocolate sauce “look in the cupboard” where a last note thanking him for the great visit and saying how important he was. He loved that I remembered and that I made an effort to be silly and leave my mark for him to find, especially since saying goodbye can be so hard on both of us.

– There are many creative ways to show you care examples for us are: he will send surprise flowers, video me first thing in the morning and plan surprise trips for when he gets home.

– when you asked me to make you a poem and didn’t know I was home already so picked you up from work and said “there once was a girl named ******** who’s boyfriend was home and she didn’t know it”

– its been a while but sending “care” packages of funny things.

– painting a personalized welcome poster for an awesome friend to greet her at the airport

#5 What is your fondest memory of your long distance relationship?

– my fondest memory of my three-year multi-country relationship is when my partner surprised me on my birthday. He was working in Halifax and apologized for not being about to make it. We were texting all day and he was asking about my day. I was going to my favourite deli than meeting a girlfriend for pedis. When I walked into the deli my mom was there… Which was strange but when I turned the corner I saw him standing there. It was such a beautiful moment; I was so surprised and so happy that he would think to do that… And get my mom in cahoots with him! It makes me smile just to remember.

– We have “fond moments” by sending each other videos of what we are doing that day.. We talk the first thing in the morning and until we fall asleep and we work together via phone scheduling our whole lives together. Obviously it would be fantastic to be together every  day but this does work for us

– Seeing a man you were so infatuated with after 2 years and never skipping a beat.  Letters, phone calls, flowers, pictures!  Just the look face to face was amazing to see the person who lived on the other side of the world.

– the fondest memory….nothing really specific. One awesome thing is that you can go weeks without talking and years without seeing each other but when you finally get to talk its like there is no distance at all between you. You could be right beside each other not 3576 km away. You pick up right where you left off last time – no awkwardness. and still the connection – you can feel when something is up even if you haven’t talked. also day drinking together is awesome.

Best Advice

– never give up, nothing is forever and if it’s real it will withstand the distance and time!

I loved this blog post, super cool to see into other’s relationships no?

Post a comment below!

Go for a Walk

Walking

Keep it simple, go for a walk.

I have dogs, so walking is part of my daily routine. I truly appreciate our walks, I feel a spiritual connection by being outside in nature and love to watch my little idiots playing and finding only the best sticks.

Walking is one of the easiest ways to reduce your risk of diseases, improves your heart and cardiovascular system, aids in weight loss, counts as a weight-bearing activity which reduces risk of osteoporosis and arthritis, boosts vitamin D levels when you are walking outside, gives your energy by increasing oxygen supply to all of our cells, eases muscle tension and improves joints, and it makes you happy by releasing endorphins!

How simple is that? Go for walk today!

We want to see the pictures from your walk!! Post Below!!

Posture

Bad posture is characterized by slumped shoulders and a curved upper back. This affects a lot more than just appearance, it puts an unnecessary stress on your spine. That’s an unnecessary stress on one of the main things holding ourselves together!

Ever notice when your body aches, life seems to get harder?

Here’s proof.

Sit with a rounded back.

Now take a deep, deep breath.

Not so easy, is it?

Continuous strain like this can cause stress on your nerves, leading to some serious muscle and neck pain, headaches – the list goes on.

But don’t stress! Here’s some simple steps to take without making any huge sacrifices in your busy life!!

Speaking of being busy; Work.

If you sit at the desk, raise your computer to eye level. Way less slouching!!

If work is walking distance – do it! We’ve made it through winter, show mother nature your appreciation and get out there!

Sometimes just thinking about work is tiring: Let’s Sit.

If you tend to lean forward, position yourself at the front of the chair and vice versa if you find yourself leaning back.

Your legs and arms should always be at a 90° angle if you’re sitting at a table or desk, this will keep you aligned.

I once saw an Ellen clip that changed the way I sit!!

Take a break!  Once an hour or so stop what you’re doing and stretch your neck and shoulders. Get up and grab a glass of water, improving hydration and circulation!

So there it is! If you’re seeking more improvement in your posture, try core strengthening exercises found in yoga and Pilates!

@beachyogagirl has inspiring yoga pictures and videos on her Instagram account – also sometimes has awesome giveaways!!

 

Mantras

From talking with clients, I have found there are two very different views on mantras. One is that they are very personal, and almost secret, and the other is shouting it from the roof tops. Whichever team you are on, it is agreed that mantras are extremely beneficial.

Our thoughts control our feelings.

So telling yourself all day something negative is going to make you feel terrible and rob you of energy and happiness. We’ve all done it, crying saying the same thing over and over. I always think about Dane Cook crying…

On the flip side, saying something positive to yourself will lift your spirits, turn your mood around, and create confidence.

Keep it simple, use a mantra today, if you are stuck for ideas try “I am enough”

I would love to hear from you, post a comment below!

Keep it Simple – Organizing

Get Organized

It’s June!

Summer is here and I am keeping it simple all month-long. The first step, getting organized, I’m talking about a clean house, food prep, scheduling, paperwork, the whole nine yards.

I think it’s a great way to keep it simple. It saves so much time, not having to look for anything, quickly making meals, and not missing any important events.

Investing time at the beginning to think everything through, get organized and prepared helps to make your goals real, whatever they are.

I love to use Sunday as my day to set up my whole week, I make my schedule, mean plans, clean the house, and file papers.

Set aside time right now, get organized today. I promise this simple trick will energize you and your goal will start to PULL you forward!

to do…schedule – A HA

I was just talking about this to a client, and she totally had an A HA moment…

 

1. Monster to-do list – with no dates.

I’m sure you have had this happen, random genius thoughts? I always get the best ideas, just popping into my head. I started writing them down on small pieces of paper, to be lost approximately 47 seconds later. I started not being able to sleep because I was trying to remember all these things I wanted to do. You know, blog posts, get turmeric, find work shirt, call my sister…

I took a white board and divided into 4 columns, to do soon, to do later, to do in the future, and notes.

You wouldn’t believe how much better I felt! I got it all out of my head and organized where I can see it. I just pick away at it everyday and eventually everything gets done.

2. Scheduling

In order to be the most productive, I schedule my time everyday. I use a planner with times and block off what I am doing. This helps me to stay on track with my goals and use my time most efficiently. I also tend to work in 1-2 hour time blocks, which helps me to give all the areas in my life some love and attention. For example, I schedule in time for myself, like yoga, meditation, Epsom salt baths, etc. I also schedule in time for client sessions, writing, cooking, running errands, you name it!

I like to make my schedule once a week, usually on Sunday.

Clearly life happens, and I can’t stick to 100% but these simple tools have really made me feel better and certainly more productive. My clients who have tried it out, have had the same results!

Love to hear how your experiment goes, leave me a message below!

Now Accepting Clients!!

I am so happy to announce that I am now accepting clients for my 6 month program!

I work with clients one on one to reach their health goals, such as healing from emotional abuse, weight loss, clean eating habits, having more energy, building self confidence, clearer thoughts, skin complexion, organic vegetable gardening, and growing into the best version of YOU!

My program includes 12 50 minute sessions over 6 months, free e-mail support between sessions, a full set of session notes, monthly webinars (or tickets to my monthly events if you are located near Fernie, BC), gorgeous handouts and recipes, free giveaways, how-to gardening videos to get you growing now, and 2-5 recommendations per session to help you to create small changes to reach your goals.

I meet with clients via skype, FaceTime, in person, or over the phone. We meet every two weeks and partner together to reach your personal health goals. I personalize all aspects of the program to be tailored to your individual needs. I focus on bio-individuality, the concept that one person’s food is another person’s poison, so there cannot be one diet or way of eating for everyone. Primary and secondary foods is another concept I use to create healthy changes to your lifestyle. Secondary food is anything that you eat, while primary food are areas in your life that impact your health even more than the foods we eat, such as career, relationship, spirituality, and physical activity.

If any of this intrigues you, try out a FREE health consultation today. It is so simple, you can sign up right from this website. I would love to support you reach your goals and blossom into the strong, confident, fun loving you that you deserve to be.