Prosper Where You Are Planted!
September is Prosper Where You Are Planted Month. The saying “prosper where you are planted” means to accept your present situation and to take advantage of all the opportunities around you. That is easier said than done! We often find ourselves resisting the current situation and thinking to ourselves “the future will be better when…” This is a slippery slope that actually prevents us from having what we want. Oftentimes when people are unhappy in life they’re focusing on the negative aspects of their situation. Let’s use this month to rewrite our narratives. Let’s break free from the constraints of waiting for the “perfect” moment and start seeing the potential within each moment. It’s a shift in perspective that empowers us to cultivate a garden of opportunity right where we stand, embracing the gifts that our present situation offers. With practice, we have the power to transform adversity into growth and flourish in even the most unexpected circumstances. Life’s twists and turns might not always lead us down the path we envisioned, but they can lead us towards remarkable personal growth and resilience.
Here are some tips on how you can learn how to thrive and prosper where you are planted!
How to Thrive:
Step 1: Shift your mindset to an attitude of gratitude. Be grateful for everything in your life, even the negative things. When you’re in a tough situation, be grateful for the lessons it’s teaching you and the opportunity to grow. I challenge you to take any negative thing in your life and find 3 positives that have come out of it!
Step 2: Be present! Usually when we’re feeling upset it’s because we’re regretting the past or worrying about the future. Take some deep breaths and realize how amazing it is that you’re alive right now. When you focus on the present moment, most of your negative emotions will just fall away. The easiest way to focus on the present is to focus on your breath as it goes in and out of your nose.
Step 3: Look for opportunities around you. This is often tricky when you’re feeling negative emotions, so get creative! Make a list of 10 opportunities that are available to you right now in the situation you’re working through. It might feel like a stretch to get to 10, but I know you can if you brainstorm! This may involve doing new things, taking risks and getting out of your comfort zone. It may also involve making connections, asking for help and working diligently.
Step 4: Make the most of each day. Don’t let yourself get stuck in procrastination, fear, anxiety or any other negative emotion! Be a positive force in the world by bringing positivity into your life and the lives of others! Brainstorm 5 ways that you take action in the day and get moving on them! They can be little things, like smiling at people on the street as you walk by.
When you focus on these 4 steps, you will bloom in your life and grow into the person you want to become!
I just want to note that this is easier said than done because sometimes it’s hard not to be negative! Our brains are actually conditioned to focus on the negative evolutionarily, because having an eye on the things that are “wrong” in the situation – like a sabertooth tiger on the other side of the field – actually kept you alive. Unfortunately this means that we will naturally tend to focus on and talk about what we don’t like instead of what we do like. Training your brain to focus on the positive can be tricky without guidance. It’s important to show yourself a lot of grace while you’re practicing on improving your mindset. If you are having trouble shifting your mindset or feeling stuck and want some support to prosper in your current circumstances, then check out the EVOX. It’s a biofeedback device that literally rewires your brain for more happiness and success!
To learn more about how Kitty can help you make your lemons in life into lemonade, book a free discovery call.
National Fruit and Veggies Month!
Fruits and veggies are amazing for our health! They help our brains and bodies function optimally. What’s even better is they’re a natural source of energy that increases our performance, focus, concentration, and productivity! It is recommended that everyone eat 5-8 servings of fruits and veggies every day! Sometimes it is hard to consume all of the fruits and veggies that our bodies need each day. Check out our creative tips for getting those servings!
Here are 8 Tips to Increase Your Fruits and Veggies:
- Start with the first meal of the day! Eating fruit for breakfast is an easy way to get in a few servings of healthy foods right away. Plan on eating a serving or two of fruit first thing in the morning.
- Snack on fruits or veggies for extra energy! Did you know that carbohydrates in fruit and veggies are sources of fuel. Combine these with some protein like cheese, yogurt, or peanut butter for an extra boost.
- Use fruit and veggies as ingredients. Some different recipes that you can create with veggies are chili, cauliflower pizza crust.
- Get creative! Try a new fruit or veggie recipe each week. Meal plan and think ahead of time of something new that you could try.
- Smoothies are a great way to consume more fruits and veggies. Combine blueberries, spinach, bananas, and some greek yogurt for a delicious and nutritious drink.
- When making your dinner plate double up on your veggie serving.
- One of my favorite things to do is turn vegetables into noodles! Zucchini noodles are delicious with some pasta sauce on top.
- Prep meals ahead of time so you have a plan to consume more veggies. Make a list of meals for the week that have both fruits and veggies so you can make sure you’re getting the nutrients you need.
If you would like more support in finding ways to add fruits & veggies to your diet to increase your performance and productivity, consider private coaching with Kitty! I can help you create custom action plans to help you implement healthy habits that are tailored specifically to your needs. Learn more about private coaching here!
Good Eyesight is Key for Performance!
It’s National Eye Exam Month, which is the perfect time to get your yearly eye exam! Seeing clearly is essential for performance. In sports 80% of you sensory input comes from your eyes, so it’s important to have regular eye exams to make sure that you have good eyesight!
Being able to see things clearly is called visual acuity, which affects our:
- Eye hand coordination (ability to connect visual info to direct hand movement)
- Depth perception (ability accurately assess the speed and distance of objects)
- Eye focusing (ability to change focus from one object to another)
- Eye tracking (ability to keep your eye on objects as they move)
- Peripheral awareness (ability to see out of the corner of your eyes to see surroundings)
- Dynamic visual acuity (ability to see clearly see objects as they move)
As you can see from this list, it’s essential to get yearly eye exams to ensure we have the best visual acuity possible! This is especially important as we age because our eyes slowly lose the ability to focus clearly, which decreases our performance.
However the benefits of having good eyesight go beyond athletic performance because visual acuity improves your reaction times and ability to process visual information. This leads to safer driving, better reflexes, less strain on the eyes when working at a computer and many more benefits in everyday life! So if you have not had your eyes tested in the last 12 months, it’s time to call and make an appointment today!
Product Review: Hempworx CBD Face Mask
August 8th is National CBD Day! This is a perfect day to celebrate the amazing benefits of CBD, an all-natural supplement that has the power to change alternative medicine as we know it!
What CBD is and is not: CBD stands for cannabidiol, which naturally occurs in hemp plants that offers many benefits for our overall well being. Many people associate cannabinoids with marijuana, but this is a common misconception CBD and marijuana are not the same. Marijuana contains a cannabinoid called THC, which results in a “high.” CBD is a cannabinoid that is not psychoactive and contains only trace amounts of THC, so it won’t make you feel high.
What are the benefits of CBD you might ask? There are many studies showing the efficacy of CBD in supporting the healthy function of basically every body system. This makes it a great supplement for overall health and wellness! Specifically it supports a healthy immune & digestive system, improves brain function, and promotes a healthy mood. It can even improve the appearance of your skin!
I recently discovered the incredible benefits of CBD skin products and my skin has never looked better! These products reduce redness and provide lots of moisture to your skin (which is essential in dry Colorado). It also reduces the appearance of wrinkles, blemishes and skin damage caused by the sun.
My personal experience:
Just last week I got to see first hand how powerful the CBD face mask was to support my skin and reverse my sunburn! I went out golfing early in the morning and forgot to put on sunscreen and left my hat at home. The morning started out overcast, but quickly the sun came out and was beating down on my face. After a while, I definitely had pinkness and a first degree sunburn (with my sunglasses on, so I looked like I had a racoon mask). I came home and immediately put the CBD face mask on. Not only did it soothe the sunburn and make it more comfortable, it actually reversed my sunburn dramatically! It was amazing and I was so grateful as it completely eliminated tan lines on my face which are the worst.
Personal Product Rating: 5 stars
Don’t take my word for it, try them for yourself! Hempworx offers a 60 day money-back guarantee on all of the products. This is because they want you to be able to try the products risk free!
Place an order for this product to start supporting your skin today! If you have questions or would like to chat with Kitty to find out if these are right for you, feel free to book a FREE 30 minute call.
Hemp Week History & Hemp Momma Clothing Product Review
It’s Hemp History week!
What is hemp?
Hemp is a plant that can be used for just about anything that is woven into American history! Hemp is a cannabis plant that is grown specifically for industrial use. As one of the most versatile plants on earth, hemp has a staggering number of uses including clothing, textiles, paper, food, biofuel, paint, insulation, animal feed, rope, biodegradable plastics, building materials and many more! Different from other commonly thought of cannabis plants, hemp has high concentrations of CBD and very low concentrations (<0.3%) of the psychoactive THC. Hemp has been demonized over the years due to lack of understanding around the differences between marijuana and hemp. Let’s talk a little bit more about the fascinating history of hemp!
Hemp History:
Hemp has a long history in American. European settlers in North America started growing hemp in the early 1600’s. Even the founding fathers grew hemp – the Declaration of Independence was written on hemp paper! In 1937 hemp was lumped in with marijuana and effectively became illegal. Then during World War II, the need for hemp made materials became an essential part of the war effort. The USDA created the “Hemp for Victory” program to encourage US farmers to grow hemp.
Then in 1970 hemp was classified as marijuana under the Controlled Substances act despite decades of government funded research showing it was distinctly different in structure and function. Sadly hemp became illegal again and the US saw a dramatic increase in synthetic fabrics. After decades of effort from hemp advocates, the Federal Farm Bill of 2014 made growing hemp legal again. Colorado, Kentucky, and Vermont were the first trailblazers to start growing it. Finally in 2018 the Farm Bill and the Hemp Farming Amendment removed hemp from the Controlled Substances Act and hemp farming became legal all over the US!
Hemp Week celebrates this amazing plant that has regenerative agricultural properties, creates renewable resources and supports plant-based nutrition and healthy lifestyles! Agriculturally hemp nets 2.5 times the value of corn and soy, helps with soil remediation, creates prolific pollen production for bees, does not require any fertilizers to grow, does not need any pesticides or herbicides (which also supports the bees!) and requires 50-70% less water than cotton!
Hemp Clothing & Sustainability:
I would like to highlight my favorite hemp product – hemp clothing! Hemp is a very sustainable source of clothing because it requires less water, does not deplete the soil, and does not require pesticides and herbicides – so it is good for you and for mother earth! It is naturally stronger and more durable than cotton and linen, leading to longer lasting clothes that do not wear out quickly and end up in a landfill. Since it’s naturally antimicrobial, it is ideal workout clothing as it will not smell after you sweat in it. Plus modern day processing helps transform this super fiber into a soft, lucious, form fitting clothing!
Hemp Momma Product Review
Hemp Momma is an amazing new sustainable clothing line that believes style and sustainability should go hand in hand. They have a burning desire to turn the throwaway fashion industry on its head and create a sustainable fashion revolution! I can attest firsthand that their clothes have incredible style, high quality fabrics and the softest clothing I have ever touched! Hemp Momma has everyday essentials, lifestyle, and activewear – all of which is cute and comfy. They launched with 17 different clothing articles and promise to release more every month!
I purchased the Julz Tee Dress and will definitely buy more Hemp Momma clothing! The Julz Tee Dress is extremely comfortable. It is versatile enough to be worn around the house or dressed up to go out on the town. Besides being soft and stylish, my favorite part is that it has POCKETS! Almost all women’s clothing does not have pockets, clothes with pockets gets me really excited! I strongly recommend checking out Hemp Momma clothing benefits for yourself – go to this website to learn more!
How to pick the best sunglasses
Sunglasses are essential for personal self care. So many people will skip wearing sunglasses for convenience, but ultraviolet (UV) rays from the sun can be very damaging to your eyes! Extensive UV exposure can even lead to early development of cataracts, which are a big problem in the US as they affect 50% of people by the age of 70. To protect yourself, it is best to wear sunglasses yearound whenever you’re outside (even if it is cloudy because you are still being exposed to UV rays). This is especially important when around bodies of water or snow as these are very reflective. Wearing sunglasses regularly also helps protect the delicate skin around your eyes, which reduces wrinkles and slows the signs of aging.
Thankfully sunglasses help reduce the UV exposure for your eyes, but not all sunglasses are created equal. There are 2 really important things to remember when you are picking your sunglasses:
- 100% UV protection: this is the #1 most important factor because this means the sunglasses will filter out damaging UV rays. This usually comes in the form of a protective coating, but your sunglasses must be labeled as having UV protection, otherwise they are not really protecting your eyes!
- Polarized: these reduce glare and reflection, which give you clearer vision especially in bright light. This increases contrast without distorting color and also reduced eye strain (which makes your eyes tired and negatively affects your vision) and squinting (which causes wrinkles). This is based on preference as well, but there is a noticeable improvement in visibility when wearing polarized lenses.
Unfortunately these features are often confused with each other, but they are not the same. It is important to ensure that your sunglasses have both of these features to have the biggest protective effect for your vision.
Here are a few more tips that are helpful when picking out your shades:
- Bigger is better as this provides more protection for your eyes and the skin around your eyes. The more coverage your sunglasses have on your face, the more protection they provide, so consider buying wraparounds or oversized sunglasses.
- Color and darkness of the lenses do not matter. Choose whichever color and darkness you like, it is your preference. Many people think that darker lenses protect your eyes better, but this is a myth.
- Cost does not matter. As long as they have UV protection (and polarization if you want to see things clearly), the cost is irrelevant.
Smile to improve your health!
June is National Smile month. Smiling and laughing so many benefits that support you on mental, emotional, physical and social levels. Here are 8 reasons to smile as much as possible!
- Smiling activates brain chemistry that boosts your mood! When you smile your brain releases dopamine, endorphins, and serotonin – all of which are feel good molecules that increase your feelings of happiness. Regardless of how you feel, smiling boosts your mood and increases positive thoughts!
- Reduce your stress with a smile! Studies have shown that smiling decreases cortisol (stress hormone) production which lowers your stress levels. Smiling also decreases feelings of anxiety and depression.
- Did you know that smiling boosts your immune system? One study showed that smiling and laughing actually increased the number of infection-fighting antibodies and immune cells. So give your immune system a boost with a good belly laugh!
- Smiling decreases your pain! The endorphins released by smiling and laughing actually reduce your feeling of pain. Which means laughter really is one of the best medicines!
- Lower your blood pressure with a smile! Studies have shown that laughing can briefly increase your heart rate followed immediately by a slower heart rate and decreased blood pressure. Even small amounts of laughing can help reduce your risk of heart disease!
- Did you know that smiling makes you look younger? One study showed that subjects who were smiling were rated as looking younger than the same person with a neutral or angry expression. Be sure to smile to embrace a youthful appearance!
- Smiling can help you have better relationships! People who smile often are described as more likeable and positive, which leads to better relationships and improves overall well-being.
- Would you like to be more attractive? Smiling makes you appear more attractive to others. Multiple research studies have found that people who are smiling are rated as more attractive.
No matter how you feel, you are only one smile away from having a better day! Anytime you are looking for a quick “pick me up,” turn on a funny video or do something else that gets you smiling and laughing!
Baked Avocado Eggs with Bacon
Baked Avocado Eggs with Bacon
Avocados are an amazing healthy food because they have lots of healthy fats, which is great for supporting your brain by reducing your blood pressure and may even prevent Alzheimer’s. Avocados are amazing to eat for breakfast as they are full of healthy fats that keep you fueled all day long! Baked avocado eggs with bacon is a favorite breakfast of mine – try it out for yourself!
Ingredients: Serves 2
- 2 avocado
- 4 eggs
- 4 pieces of bacon
- 1 tsp Mrs. Dash seasoning
- 1/2 bundle green onions
- salt & pepper to taste
- Optional: other spices or toppings!
Instructions:
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (ensuring that there is a lip of parchment paper so that it can contain all the bacon grease). Put the bacon on the parchment paper. Bake in the oven for approx 13 – 17 minutes or until desired doneness. When bacon is done, dab with paper towel to remove excess fat.
- While bacon cooks, wash the avocados and eggs.
- Cut avocados in half and remove pits. Scoop out a little of the avocado flesh from each side of the avocado (just enough to fit 1 egg). You can either eat this while you cook or you can save it for a topping on the eggs.
- Crack 1 egg into each half of the avocado. Sprinkle with Mrs. Dash seasoning, salt and pepper.
- Bake avocado eggs in the oven at 400 degrees for 15 minutes or until egg is desired consistency.
- While the avocado eggs cook, wash and chop green onions.
- When eggs reach desired consistency, pull out of the oven, top with green onion, serve with bacon and enjoy!
How to pick the best sunscreen!
Summer is here, which means it’s time to get outside and enjoy some sunshine! Since the sun is out in full force, it’s really important to wear sunscreen to prevent sunburns that can lead to skin cancer. June is Skin Cancer Awareness month. Unfortunately skin cancer affects 1 in 5 Americans by the time they are 70, which is why it is so important to protect yourself! Thankfully sunscreen can reduce the risk by more than 40%! Not all sunscreens are created equal, some are much better than others. This article is designed to teach you tips on how to pick the best sunscreen!
Sunscreen Recommendations:
- Choose a broad spectrum sunscreen as this protects against ultraviolet A (UVA) and ultraviolet B (UVB) rays.
- Get SPF 30 or higher. Many people don’t know that the SPF number is the number of minutes of protection (i.e. the time duration you should reapply). The higher the SPF number the longer you can go between reapplication! Be sure to apply at least once every 2 hours at the maximum.
- Water resistant does not mean waterproof. Even water resistant sunscreens are only water resistant for 40 to 80 minutes. Sunscreens should be reapplied after you’ve sweat or been in the water.
- Apply liberally! Maybe people will put on a light layer, which does not fully protect your skin. Be sure to add enough to get a thick layer on your skin.
- Mineral based has less potentially toxic ingredients. Try to find a sunscreen that uses zinc oxide or titanium oxide as a
- Check the expiration date before using. Sunscreens that are expired have lower effectiveness.
- Read the ingredients carefully! Choose sunscreens that have Avobenzone instead of Oxybenzone (an ingredient found in some chemical based sunscreens but it has been found to be a hormone disruptor and potentially lead to skin sensitization, so it’s best to avoid).
- Here’s a list of things you want to make sure are not in your sunscreen:
- Aminobenzoic acid
- Trolamine salicylate
- Cinoxate
- Dioxybenzone
- Ensulizole
- Oxybenzone
- Meradimate
- Sulisobenzone
- Padimate O
- Here’s a list of things you want to make sure are not in your sunscreen:
My Favorite Brands:
- Whole body = Alba Botanica – Hawaiian Sunscreen Fragrance Free Sunscreen Spray SPF 70
- Face = Sun Bum – Original SPF 50 Sunscreen Face Lotion
Other Considerations:
Sunscreen cannot prevent 100% of sun damage. If you’re going to spend an entire day outside, consider getting SPF shirts and SPF hats!
Product Review: Hempworx CBD+Curcumin
Inflammation is the root cause of most diseases and sadly many of us are living with chronic inflammation without realizing it. Everything from chronic stress, not getting enough sleep, what we eat and the toxins we are exposed to increase our inflammation levels (among many other things). Sadly the rise of inflammation in people has led to a laundry list of diseases that currently affect large amounts of the American population. Arthritis is a big one and is considered to be very common in the US. There are many different types of arthritis and most of them are caused by joint inflammation.
Turmeric has been used in medicine for centuries because of its full of curcumin. Curcumin is the active ingredient creates the bright yellow color in turmeric and is a natural anti-inflammatory that has many different uses to support optimal healthy body functions! What even better is that CBD is also anti-inflammatory, so this product is amazing at helping to reduce inflammation in the body!
Benefits of Curcumin:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Antioxidant (reduces free radicals in the body)
- Supports healthy antioxidant enzyme levels in the body
- Supports healthy immune system function
- Supports healthy brain function
- Supports a healthy cardiovascular system
- Supports healthy, balanced mood
Benefits of CBD:
- Anti-inflammatory
- Reduces aches & discomfort
- Supports healthy immune system function
- Supports healthy brain function
- Supports a healthy cardiovascular system
- Supports healthy, balanced mood
Having both of these ingredients in this product creates a powerful synergy. That means it supports healthy joints, energy levels and a healthy immune system! This product contains Broad Spectrum CBD, which means the THC has been removed.
My personal experience:
I love CBD+Curcumin! I used to have aches and joint discomfort after my workouts. I now take this product before every workout and I find that my aches are totally gone! I have been on an Anti-inflammatory Protocol (AIP) diet for the last 5 months and have dramatically reduced the inflammation levels in my body. When I venture away from this diet plan, I can definitely feel it in my body. I am always sure to take one of these and immediately notice the reduction in inflammation!
