Trust Your Body: A different piece of healthy holiday advice

I am writing a different kind of "healthy holiday advice." Something that isn't in the mainstream "how to avoid gaining weight over the holidays." But I think it's equally as important to consider.

It's about trusting your body. It's about trusting it to know when it's hungry, when it's full and when it does and doesn't want to eat. Granted, this is a mindful and intuitive habit that comes with practice. But if we ever want to get to a place of trust and intuition when it comes to our bodies and eating, it's a good idea to start thinking about it now.

A lot of the advice we see plastered all over the place during the holidays is valid. It is, in many ways, needed and necessary. But it also feeds the belief that we don't trust our bodies enough to not gain weight over the holidays. This mainstream advice stems from the belief that our bodies don't know any better. Without tons of rules and mind control, it will go on a rampage at every holiday party and stuff itself silly.

That's not what our bodies want. Ever. Our bodies want ease, nourishment and equilibrium. As do our minds. But we allow our minds and bodies to be on two different teams, one against the other. If we don't control our bodies with our minds, we'll over-eat and gain weight.

But if we trust our bodies, its signals and cues, we most likely won't gain the 10-15 pounds of weight over the holidays. We'll naturally know when to eat and when to stop. We'll naturally know that we don't want any more rich, sugary foods or alcohol. Bring your minds and bodies back on the same team and go into those parties and holiday gatherings with complete trust that you, your mind and body, know what's best and the healthiest.

Respect and love yourself enough not to create a self-fulfilling prophecy of "Oh, I'm going to gain weight over the holidays. I'm going to eat so unhealthfully. I'm not going to be healthy." When we tell ourselves that, it usually becomes true. So trust your body, there's no need to over think. If you do eat a more than usual one day, we naturally eat a little less the next day because we aren't as hungry. Our bodies instinctively know how to balance out and create equilibrium once again.

Mindful and intuitive eating comes with practice. So begin practicing by holding this advice in the back of your mind when you enter the holidays. While you're creating that trusting relationship with your body, certainly, look toward the healthy eating and fitness advice going around. It's not a bad thing! I myself have proudly made "Your Guide to Healthier Holidays" and a "Christmas Day Action Plan." But it can subconsciously feed the modern belief that our bodies don't know what to do, so our minds have to take the lead and control, control, control around food. Consider that.

I made a video about the topic as well. It basically reiterates everything I said here....but in video format ;)

I wish you all love, peace and happiness during this time!! Sending my best <3

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Kick off December the right (and healthy) way! My weekend of creating free programs, watching Twilight and listening to Michale Bublé.

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving and happy (almost) December! 

As a self-proclaimed Christmas whore, I get such joy out of Christmas trees, lights and decorations, the crisp "winter" air, listening to Christmas music (can I please sing the "White Christmas" duet with Michael Bublé?!?)...ahhh. Love it. 

Anyhoo, this past Thanksgiving weekend was awesome. I had the apartment to myself for 4 days and between seeing friends and running the occasional errands, I basically made it into a mini-vacation. Lots of Christmas music and wine, I watched the entire Twilight series, gave Pearl wayyy too much attention and didn't leave the apartment (or change out of my pajamas) until late afternoon some days...

But beyond my seemingly lazy weekend, I was productive AS HELL. Kicked it into high gear when it came to creating and starting some groups and programs that I'm really passionate about. Until now, they were just little ideas in my brain. But this weekend, I had the brain space, inspiration and general ballsiness to actually START them. And I. am. so. excited. Being proactive = one of the recipes for happiness. 

I wanted to give you a little more information about my groups! 

I have a Free 5-Day Clean Eating Group (more info under the "Clean Eats" tab) that I host the first week of every month. You receive a grocery list, meal plans and recipes for every day and support through a private Facebook group. I always add some bonus videos and nutrition information as well ;) Click here to learn more and sign up for my next one!

I also started a "21 Days of Gratitude" Group (more info and a FREE Gratitude Guide under the "21 Days of Gratitude" tab). I was inspired by Marie Forleo's TV episode about re-vamping your gratitude list...it got me thinking. I want to create a structured group where people I could put the spark back into their gratitude practice (or start one) and be uplifted by a positive community. Even if you journal all the time, you'll want to try out this new twist to your gratitude list. Any and all are welcome to join and there are more details on the group page. I'll also post some positive tasks or "happy hacks" every so often. You can do the challenge for the 21 days or, if you enjoy the group, you can stay as long as you want. 

I'm super excited about both these groups. The women in my 5-day clean eating group haven't even technically started and I can already tell it's going to be an awesome, supportive group. So much fun! If you have any questions about these groups or how they could be a positive addition to your life, you are welcome to email me at: theglowstickdiaries@gmail.com

Alright, it's time to head home, make dinner, food prep for the week and give my spoiled bird more attention. Ciao for now <3

How to Rock Your Goals and Be More Productive

I'll never forget watching a video lecture called "Big Rocks" during my training at the Institute for Integrative Nutrition. The video focused on time management and prioritizing our tasks throughout the day.

The idea was that we tend to fill up our day (represented by an empty mason jar) with getting all the little, piddly-ass things done on our to-do list. Insignificant tasks (little rocks) that keep us busy, but don't move us closer to our goals and dreams (big rocks). But those larger goals seem like monstrous tasks, ones we can't even begin to think about until we get all those little things out of the way...

For example: I have been wanting to write a blog post for a week and a half now. Have I? Nope. Not until tonight. I wanted to get all the other little things out of the way first, so that I could focus entirely on writing a good blog post.

A week and a half later, the "little things" keep making their way to the top of my to-do list, despite their true insignificance and my desire to sit down and write. I let things like cleaning the apartment, food preparation, doing my nails, grocery shopping, setting up social media outreach for the week, catching up on emails, etc., rise to the top of my list and get ahead of the things I really want to be doing. The tasks that will actually propel me closer (ok, I'm talking like "baby steps" closer) to my goals and dreams.

Which are, by-the-way, to be a writer/self-empowerment guru. I'll be honest.


Back to the video lecture. The instructor filled up the mason jar with a whole bunch of pebbles (the small, busy-work tasks). The jar was full and there was no space for the big rocks (larger tasks and goals). #storyofmylife

But then he emptied the jar and began again. This time he started by placing three big rocks in the jar. They fit fine. He then poured all the little rocks into the jar, which fit snugly in the spaces not filled by the big rocks.

To someone (me) who is blazingly awful at all-things spacial/mathematic/scientific, that visual was amazeballs.

Think about it: So often we prioritize busy-work tasks and small to-do's over the "big stuff" because we assume they are easier to finish and accomplish. But they are never-ending and have a way of continuously filling up our mind...like the way popcorn fills up the bag while being cooked in the microwave. Our bigger tasks, the ones that seem too beastly or "time-consuming" to finish, are pushed further and further down our to-do list.

After a while though, we begin to tread water. We're going no where. If we don't tackle those bigger tasks, they'll just sit there and collect dust. No one likes dusty goals.

Here's the take-away:

\

1) The sky won't fall if we don't get allllllll of those little tasks done in one day.
2) We can still do those little things after we finish a big rock.
3) Sometimes after a larger task is finished, you will feel so relieved and accomplished that the little things don't seem as important any more.

I find it helpful to write down everything (big and small) on a list. Then categorize the tasks by "big rocks" and "little rocks." Choose one big rock and two or three little rocks to accomplish each day. For me this was writing a blog post (huzzah!), exercising, laundry and food prep for the rest of the week. My clothes still got washed even though I was bound and determined to finish the "big rock" of writing a post.

Because in the end, we tend to spend more time thinking about those big tasks for longer than it actually takes to do them. I spent a week and a half thinking about writing and here I did it in a 26-minute wash cycle.

Why it is Important to Disconnect from Technology Once in a While...

Thought for the evening! Enjoy :)

Let Go of Perfect

My vlog topic today: Perfection. 

How our idea and definition of "perfect" or "perfection," can be really limiting. 

For me personally, I tend to not post videos or blogs because I don't think they're "perfect" enough. Or I don't look "good enough" to post a video. I'm too embarrassed. Or I'm afraid that my idea isn't be "perfect" enough to be shared. Hell, it keeps me from wearing certain clothes sometimes because I don't think my body looks "perfect" or "good enough" to wear it. 

But I don't think I'm the only one being held back by that unattainable ideal of "perfect." It's ok for us to want things to be polished, professional, well-thought out, etc...but when it comes to us limiting or holding ourselves back because we're waiting for ourselves or something external to be "perfect"....Eff no. Let it go. Release it. 

So this video (far from my idea of "perfect") is me standing up to my standard of perfect when it comes to my writing and sharing of ideas. Shit, the video doesn't even fill up the entire YouTube screen ;) 

Enjoy! I'd love to hear any thoughts/ideas on this topic!

P.S. Since making this video I have found out my "temporary" living situation will now be my "permanent" living situation. Huzzah! 

OMG I'M BAAAAACKKKKK!

In my new neighborhood

Hello Beautiful Cyberspace Blog World!!

I'm back.

I know, I've been MIA for the past month or so.

Lots of (positive) change has been going on in my life, which required a lot of time/effort/energy/brain power/emotional endurance, so I gave my semi-Type A self permission to put The Glow Stick Diaries on a temporary "hold" while I focused my energies on my transitions.

Transitions include:

1. Deciding I wanted to pursue a job/career in holistic health and wellness in San Francisco.
2. Applying, interviewing and getting a new job in SF.
3. Putting in my two-weeks notice at work and packing up my apartment.
4. Saying good-bye to very special and wonderful people in my life (although I will see them fairly often...Napa isn't too far away ;)
5. Apartment searching in SF (what a shit show).
6. Putting my stuff in storage, moving into my apartment, starting a new job...

And currently tying up a few loose ends here and there. But other than that, my decision to move to San Francisco has been one of the best I made. Although I ran the gamut of emotions over this past month with all the change, it was all positive and so invigorating.

View from Alta Plaza park...a few blocks away.

I've only been in the city two weeks, but I feel so at home, so inspired, so comfortable and already feel like I have a work family. So grateful.

And might I add...after just 2 weeks of walking up these damned hills...my butt looks fantastic.

Anyways, even though full-on writing was on the back burner this past month, I certainly wasn't short of ideas, thoughts, inspiration, etc. Every time something popped into my mind, I wrote it down on a scrap piece of paper, on my iPhone, emailed it to myself - anything!

Blue Bottle Coffee = <3

So what I'm trying to say is, get ready for an outpouring of Lindsey's brain.

I'm so excited to get back to my passion project again :) I love writing, helping and inspiring in any way I can.

And as I sit here in my new, basically almost permanent (the landlord still needs to do *final* approval of my application) apartment, I am filled with such peace and gratitude.

Sending so much love to everyone and all my friends and family who have been there every second for me during this transition. I am one lucky girl to have so many supportive, encouraging people in my life. Thank you!

Why it's ok to not finish EVERYTHING on your to-do list

I love to-do lists. 

It’s like an organized brain dump onto paper. And ahhh, that satisfactory feeling of crossing/marking/checking something off. Or if you’re like me, you just ink the shit out of one item until it’s a black blob on the paper. Weird? 

But I used to be a little obsessive about finishing my to-do lists. If I felt stress, pressure or lack of control in my life, I "controlled" everything by becoming overly focused on my to-do list (and usually creating more work/activities/tasks that was remotely necessary).

I would put off fun, spontaneous adventures with friends or just simply relaxing because I was so driven to finish every. single. item. on my list. 

As you can imagine, that all went really well. (Not.) 

I would end up overwhelmed by the amount of items I had on my list, I would deprive myself of doing anything but those to-do’s and would feel guilty and angry with myself if I didn’t get through it all. 

Can anyone relate? It was like I was judging my success and productivity as a person on how much I accomplished on my to-do list...yeeesh.

But lately I seem to be having a new realization. A simplistic, "well-no-duh" kind of realization. One that makes the whole to-do list thing a lot more approachable, healthy and gratifying. 

I don’t have to get through the whole damn list. 

Accomplishing 2-3 things (or even just ONE) will still put me ahead of where I was when the day started. Baby steps forward, right?! I'm not a failure if I don't power through everything. 

I have released myself from the idea of "I need to finish everything." I am now content and pleased with the things I do accomplish. This new mindset allows me to have spontaneous adventures, go out with friends, have relaxing moments to myself and…just enjoy my day a whole lot more. The memories and experiences I’ve had in lieu of getting a few (now long-forgotten) tasks finished have been much more meaningful. Taking care of myself and engaging with others is more productive and satisfactory than crossing off one more item on my list. 

If I don’t get myself to the gym, that’s fine…I drank my lemon water in the morning and I did some yoga before bed. Granted, the gym has more of a direct effect on making my ass look good, but drinking lemon water is naturally cleaning for my body and kick-starts my digestion. And yoga calms my mind and body before bed. So, I still took care of myself today, even without the elliptical or weight room. 

I didn’t come up with some grand marketing plan for my website and blog today, but I created a newsletter sign-up form and embedded it into my website. I also wrote a blog post and promoted it. See? Still moving forward with my dreams and passions.  

Didn’t get my car washed, but I made it to the grocery store, cleaned my apartment and FINALLY took out my trash. Look, I’m still functioning! Even with a dirty car. 

And…there’s always tomorrow. A new day. Full of 24 hours.

Of course, you don’t want to use that excuse for everything on your to-do list, especially the items that you really don’t want to face… better to set aside a couple hours to get that one, or few, things done that aren’t fun. Because after a while, you end up thinking about those dreaded tasks for longer than it actually takes to do them. (Believe me, I’m saying that from personal experience!)

So, go into your day with 2-3 things you intend to accomplish. Be content with your decision. And now your energy is focused positively on those few tasks. 

If we go into our day thinking we need to get everything done, we tend to set ourselves up for failure and feeling guilty. Because no matter how super-human we are…sometimes completing our entire list isn’t possible. And it’s not worth staying up until 3am to finish. Seriously, dark circles under our eyeballs are not cute. 

Release yourself from the notion that you need to get everything done. Control and self-worth are not derived from a completed to-do list. Choose 2-3 things that are important to you to finish. And at the end of the day, be proud and grateful of what you accomplished. Focus on what you DID do, rather than what you DIDN’T do. You'll be amazed at how positive and at-peace you feel. 

(A cute notebook like the one pictured above isn’t required, but it certainly makes it all a little bit more fun.) 

Your New Favorite Drink! (and it's not what you think...)

Aaaaaand drumroll please...your new favorite drink is....

Water. 

WATER. WATER. WATER. 

WATER. 

I cannot stress how important this is (or did the all-caps give it away?) Our bodies are made up of 65-70% water, so we, kinda, you know, need it to live. And the crazy thing is, almost 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Yikes.

So how much should we really be drinking? A good rule of thumb is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day. For example, if you weigh 140 pounds, you should be drinking at least 70oz of water daily. And no, coffee/soda/milk/vitamin water/Red Bull/sugar shit does not count. Fresh, clear, plain ole water. Bonus: if you eat lots of (raw) veggies, water-filled fruits (think, watermelon) and green juices you are hydrating body even more. Huzzah!

Dehydration can lead to headaches, fatigue, drowsiness, increased cravings and even cause sluggish bowel movements. And when we feel hungry, a lot of the time we're actually thirsty! It's a good idea to drink a glass of water when you start feeling hungry...because more often than not, you're probably just thirsty.

Hydrating yourself with enough water will have a natural cleansing effect on your body, as it helps flush out toxins and keeps your bowels regular and flowing (which is super important when it comes to your health. We won't "go there" today, but much of your overall well-being is a direct reflection of your gut health.)

Drinking lots of water will also help reduce cravings. When you hydrate your body properly, you won't go as cray cray with those sugar/junk food/cheese/bread cravings. By drinking half your body weight in water, you will begin to feel more refreshed, awake and revived as well. Clients I've worked with have reported that their mid-morning and afternoon slumps became much less noticeable when they drank enough water (diet also plays a role in those "slumps," but again, another article for another time). Also...clearer, brighter, less wrinkled skin? Yep. Water. You'll have a more glowing complexion.

Put It Into Practice: 

1. Before you start sipping chugging your coffee and/or tea each morning, have a big glass of water. You don't have to stand at the sink and throw it back like you're having a beer drinking contest, but sip on it throughout the morning while you're getting ready or before you sit down to eat breakfast.

2. One of the easiest ways to ensure you are drinking enough water is to buy a reusable water bottle. Get a pretty one ;) Keep it by your side, on your desk, in your purse, take it with you on car rides, have it be your gym buddy...you get the picture. My reusable water bottle is 20oz...so I'm able to keep track of how much water I'm drinking by how many times I refill it. Pretty handy.

3. When you start to feel hungry, have a glass of water or take a few sips from your water bottle. Most of the time we feel hungry, we're actually just thirsty. That begin said, if you're still feeling hungry after you have your water, definitely eat!

4. Start small. Replace one caffeinated or "fake" drink with water each day. Instead of reaching for a third cup of coffee, a soda or Red Bull in the afternoon, etc., replace it with agua. Just give it a try :)
And here's a handy 7 Reasons to Drink More Water guide. Pin it, share it, love it, save it to your phone, print it out, hang it on your fridge, frame it (just kidding).