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Benefits of Guided Visualizations

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Meditation provides a lot of amazing benefits for your mind, attitude, and physical health. If you have been wanting to try meditation, but find it intimidating, you might want to start slow with guided visualization. Here is a quick rundown on how that works and what you need to get started.

Benefits of Guided Meditation on the Go

Guided meditation is a type of meditation where you listen to someone’s voice instructing you throughout the entire process. While you can definitely do this at home, you can also do some guided meditations while on the go. Here are some benefits to choosing this method.

You Can Get into a Different Headspace

Guided meditation, whether on the go or right at home, can instantly transform your mind and thought process. It is helping to clear your mind of worries and negative thoughts, and replacing it with images that bring you into an entirely new place. This alone causes a lot of relaxation that is wonderful for anxiety and self-care in general.

No Worries About Home Distractions

The reason you might want to try this on the go is because you won’t have to worry about home distractions. When you try to do any form of meditating at home, there tend to be a lot of noises and excitement around you that bring you out of it. From barking dogs to demanding kids or just a loud TV in the other room, it makes it really hard to focus.

Guided Meditation is Less Stressful for Beginners

Guided meditation is also perfect for anyone who is stressed by meditation. It does take practice to get used to it, but when you are using a guided meditation, you just imagine what the person on the recording is telling you.

Tips for Doing Guided Visualization

Guided visualization, or guided imagery, is a type of meditation where you don’t just clear your mind, but you enter a different place that is guided by your own imagination or an actual recorded voice that is encouraging your mind to go to a certain place. This can be just as therapeutic for you as traditional forms of meditation.

Try it with a Recorded Meditation First

Guided visualization or imagery is not something you can master immediately, though for some people it is actually easier than other forms of meditation. However, if you are having trouble really getting into that visualization you are hoping for, listening to a recorded meditation session that actually guides you through the imagery can help tremendously. Get into a comfortable place, close your eyes, and listen to the voice to imagine what they are describing.

You can find recordings in many places, both free and to pay for. If you want something free, either look online in places like YouTube, or go to your local library. You are bound

Experiment in Different Environments

Once you get used to guided visualizations, you can start doing them on your own, imagining anything and everything you want. You will be able to choose whatever relaxes you and helps you to clear your mind the best. This not only differs based on your personal preference, but also in different environments. Try heading to different places like the beach or park or hiking trail and see what visions come to you.

Practice Makes Perfect

The more you practice, the easier this type of meditation is going to be. Keep at it every day and soon you will be able to do the meditation exercise with ease.

More Styles of Meditation

When you are ready to get into different types of meditation, you can try the following:

Loving-Kindness

Do you feel that you should live everyone, even your enemies? Loving kindness meditation is a type of meditation used to create peace within a person. It does this by channeling the natural urge to avoid or dislike things into loving and cherishing energy. When you try to find the power to love something that is uncomfortable, you can grow an attitude of appreciation.

This can be done by repeating a love message that is directed towards a person or a thing that has negatively affected you. As you continue to think of the things that bother you, simply place your message of love over the object of focus. This helps you to fight off depression and many aspects of PTSD.

Progressive Relaxation

This type of meditation teaches you to be more aware by having you try to find any part of you that might have a lot of tension. Once the tension is found, then you focus on it until it releases. This can help people who suffer from anxiety, and has some effectiveness for chronic pain. This method relies heavily on visualization so that you can mentally interact with the areas.

Mindfulness

Sometimes it can be easy to attribute negative feelings toward certain environments and situations. In many of these cases, it will be suggested that you use Mindfulness as meditation. This attempts to get you to absorb the sights and sounds of the world around you without any kind of judgment. You stay focused on the day instead of worrying about the past or future.

Breath Awareness

Another great form of meditation is breath awareness, which is exactly what it sounds like. You simply focus on your breathing. This can be very helpful towards reducing stress and anxiety. In this technique, you will slowly focus on deliberate breathing for a period of time, and focus on the silence.

Zen

This is typically referring to a type of meditation found in Buddhism. Zen is generally taught by teachers who have studied the positions and breathing found in the Buddhist practices. It takes a bit more practice to utilize but can be rewarding for many people. It fosters peace because you attain through a comfortable position and non-judgmental feelings about your thoughts. This helps reduce stress and anxiety.

Just start…

I hope something resonated here for you. I would’ve never imagined I could tame the Monkey Mind and just Be. But I can. And I do. What a gift to give yourself!

Let me know how it goes!

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What’s The Skinny on the Super Seeds? Chia Seeds vs. Flax Seeds

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These little guys, chia seeds and flax seeds, top the list of superfoods. They are both easy to add to your salads or smoothies for a nutritional punch.  But is one better than the other?  Let’s compare.

Benefits of Flax Seeds vs. Chia Seeds

  • Both flax seeds and chia seeds contain lots of fiber and the type of omega-3 fatty acids called alpha-linolenic acid, or ALA. Flax is a better source of ALA than chia seeds, although chia seeds also have many health-promoting effects. One ounce of flaxseeds contains about 6,000 milligrams of ALA compared to about 4,900 in the same amount of chia seeds.
  • Chia seeds are small, round, either white or black seeds that originated thousands of years ago in Mexico and South America. Like flax, chia can absorb lots of water, contribute to the feeling of fullness, prevent constipation, and help with digestive health. This helps you feel satiated longer and not reaching for unhealthy snacks between meals.
  • Flaxseeds contain less fiber than chia seeds. Flax has about eight grams of fiber in one ounce compared to about 11 grams in one ounce of chia seeds. Both form a gel during digestion when combined with liquid, which blocks the fiber from releasing sugars and being fully broken down. This helps with blood sugar control, forming bowel movements, and lowering cholesterol.
  • Only flaxseeds contain high levels of lignans, while chia seeds do not. However, chia seeds have other antioxidants, especially black chia seeds, which are very nutrient-dense.
  • Chia seeds contain more calcium than flax seeds do, making them a good addition to a vegan/plant-based diet. They also provide other vitamins and minerals, like zinc, copper, phosphorus, manganese, magnesium and potassium (similar to flaxseeds).
  • Flaxseed protein levels are impressive, with slightly more than chia seeds, although both are good sources.
  • Chia seeds can be consumed in any form, while flax should ideally be sprouted and ground. Flax are more susceptible to going rancid over time, so they should be kept in the refrigerator to prolong their freshness. Both are very useful in gluten-free or vegan baking and cooking.


 Chia Seeds/2 Tbsp. Flax Seeds/2 Tbsp
Calories 122 110
Protein 4g 4g
Complete Protein? Yes No
Fiber 6.9g 4g
Omega 3 (EFA) 5,000mg 2,700mg
Calcium18% of RDA4% of RDA
Magnesium23% of RDA14% of RDA
Trace MineralsYesYes
Taste Faintly nutty/ Earthy Whole grain/Nutty
Storage Keep for 2 years Spoil quickly
Versatility Don’t need to grind Must grind
Gluten Gluten-free Gluten-free

Ways to Use Chia Seeds

Did you know chia seeds are from a species of flowering plant in the mint family? They are native to areas of Mexico and Guatemala but are commonly cultivated in many areas in North and South America.

Check out the easy ways to incorporate them into your daily diet!

Chia Gel: Chia seeds absorb water quickly (up to 10 times their weight in liquid!). Place ¼ cup seeds in 1 cup liquid, stir well, and cover. Allow to sit for about 15-20 minutes until the texture changes to a soft gelatin. Store in refrigerator for up to one week. Add to smoothies and soups to boost nutrient value and create a thicker, more satisfying consistency.

Chia Pudding: To make a dessert variation, mix ¼ cup of seeds with one cup of liquid such as milk (almond, soy, or dairy all work) or 100% fruit juice. Allow to sit for at least 15 minutes refrigerated. Add nuts, chopped fresh fruit, or cinnamon if desired.

Chia Sprouts: Place chia seeds in a single layer (use only about a teaspoon to allow enough space to grow) in a terracotta saucer or unglazed clay dish. Spray the seeds with water several times and cover with plastic wrap or a clear glass dish. Put in a sunny spot. Spray morning and evening until green sprouts appear, about 3-7 days. Use these microgreens to garnish salads and sandwiches.

Egg Replacer: This may be used to replace whole eggs in baking. For 1 whole egg, mix 1 tablespoon of whole chia seeds or 2 teaspoons ground chia seeds with 3 tablespoons water. Allow to sit for at least 5 minutes or until the mixture thickens to the consistency of a raw scrambled egg.

Depending on what source you check out, either could win out. If you had to choose based on the above comparison, it looks like chia seeds win out, but not by a landslide. Use both. Each have their own nutritional benefits and are an easy addition to your healthy diet where variety is key.

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7 Ways Juicing Can Help You Lose Weight

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Unless you have been living under a rock for the last few years, you would have no doubt heard about the amazing health benefits of juicing. But did you also know that a juice elixir can also be a healthy and safe way to lose weight? When consumed in complement to an existing weight-loss plan, juicing provides a high level of quality nutrition, which will assist in weight-loss. Read on to find out how.

1.  Easy Digestion

One of the best benefits of juicing fresh fruit and vegetables is that drinking them (as opposed to eating them) makes them really easy for your body to digest. If you are to juice say a couple of tomatoes, celery, cucumber, spinach, and carrot, you will make a delicious and easy to drink fresh vegetable cocktail that will provide a huge amount of nutritional benefits to your body. If you were to actually consume those same vegetables raw, from a plate, in one sitting, you would find the process to be quite difficult. It would take a lot of effort to eat and digest the same quantity of food. But by juicing those vegetables, you get to drink in one glass a dense quantity of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients really easily.

2. Reduction in Cravings

When you drink a glass of freshly made vegetable or green juice, you are loading every cell of your body with detoxifying minerals. By drinking your veggies and fruit, you are giving your body all the amazing nutrients that it needs to heal, stay healthy, and reduce the risk of illness. In turn, you will also find that you experience a reduction in cravings, particularly for sweets or processed foods. This is because you are feeding your body all that it needs. Your body won’t be sending messages to your brain that make you crave particular foods that contain certain minerals or vitamins that you might otherwise lacking. It is in this way that you will start to lose weight, often quite quickly. You simply won’t be eating the bad foods that make you gain weight, and you won’t feel like you are even depriving yourself of these foods like you might if dieting.

3. Tasty Fuel

It is also handy to know that green juices taste great! You can make your juice really flavorful by adding in lemon, mint or ginger to really add a tasty punch to your juice. You will enjoy the flavors of the juice so much that you will choose to make a juice rather than eat another less healthy snack food. It is also worth noting that juice you make at home on your own is a much better option than that which is store bought. Fresh juice made with a base of vegetables is going to contain much more nutrition than the kind that comes from a carton. Even fresh, store-bought juices will often have sugars and other additives as well as preservatives added to the juice. This kind of juice means you are drinking a lot of unnecessary calories. On the other hand, a homemade vegetable and fruit juice delivers nothing but goodness that is healthy fuel for your body.

4. Filling Snack or Dessert

Another amazing thing about juicing is that by drinking a freshly made juice, your appetite shuts off. This is because your body (which is amazing at knowing just what it needs!) is getting all that it is looking for. You will feel satisfied and satiated, much more than you would by eating empty calories in junk food. Your body will feel revitalized, not sluggish or heavy, and instead of searching for more food even after you have just eaten something, you will find that you don’t really want or need anything more.

5. It is not a fad diet

Once you start making juicing a regular part of your lifestyle, and start to experience all the health benefits and begin losing weight without a struggle, you will realize that incorporating fresh juicing into your life is definitely not a diet fad. Unlike regimented diets that are difficult to follow and which can often make you gain weight, juicing works in such a remarkable way that you will want to include juicing in your life forever. Unlike fad diets, you will never feel deprived or hungry. Not only that, but other aspects of your health will also improve. You might notice your skin is clearer, your eyes are brighter, and your nails and hair grow more quickly. You will also have more energy and you will start to feel amazing. Juicing will seriously become a way of life you will want to follow forever!

6. You invest in your health

In order to start juicing regularly, you will need to invest in a juicer, which initially will mean setting aside a bit of money. You might feel like this is an expense you don’t want to have, but by making that purchase, you are committing to your health and weight loss. It gives you a reason to stick to the concept of juicing for long enough that you will start to notice the difference in how you feel. It is also an investment in your health and well-being, so not only does juicing help you to lose weight, but it will save you money in medical fees in the future.

7. Fun and Variety

In order to lose weight and to stay motivated, life needs to be fun, right? Juicing is the ideal way to bring this into your life. As you start to get into juicing, you will find it great fun making new combinations of fruit and vegetables cocktails. You will make all kinds of unique and interesting drinks, and you will find that you never get bored from the endless variety of beverages that you can make for yourself and others. You will also want to share these drinks with others, which will also mean getting encouragement and support from those around you as you continue your weight-loss goals. Support is super important when it comes to making, and sticking to, healthy changes in your life.

Really, juicing is a fabulously fun, easy, and healthy way to shed those unwanted pounds without any struggle or deprivation. You have got nothing to lose by starting to make green juicing a regular part of your lifestyle. To get you started, here is a delicious and easy juice to kick-start your weight-loss:

Trim and Delicious Green Juicejuicing greens

4 carrots

2 apples

1 cucumber

½ beetroot (peeled)

1 rib celery

1 lemon

1-inch piece of ginger

Run the vegetables through your juicer and enjoy!

Looking for some tasty juicing recipes? Joe Cross from, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead fame has a fabulous website full of amazing juice recipes.

Ready to Learn More?

The addition of a green juice daily has helped me ditch the cravings and get my glow on! Here are a few ideas to help you burn more fat each day.

Ready to make the next step to becoming the most VIBRANT you? Let’s connect

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Fat: Tips To Burn More Daily

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In order to lose weight, you want to become a fat burning machine. There are many ways to do that, most of which are not difficult at all. Here are some things you can do every day that will help you to burn more fat.

Increase Your Protein

One great way to start burning more fat on a regular basis is to eat more foods that contain protein. With more protein in your diet, you are going to start increasing your energy. Higher energy, as you know, also means a higher metabolic rate, which helps you to burn more fat and calories. Protein also helps to build lean muscle, which can also help to burn more fat throughout the day. Some good options for lean protein are turkey and chicken, nuts, and some veggies.

Stop Skipping Breakfast

Breakfast still remains the most important meal of the day, so if you only have time to cook one meal, it should be breakfast. This is going to get your engine running, providing the energy you need for the day. Plus, if you enjoy a filling meal in the morning, it can help to curb your appetite and reduce cravings throughout the rest of the day. For breakfast, try to enjoy high-protein foods like eggs, oatmeal, or a smoothie with protein powder in it. This is going to get you ready for burning fat all day long.

Mix Up Your Workouts

A common mistake people make when they start exercising more often is doing the same type of workout constantly. If you want to lose weight and burn fat, you need to mix it up. Weight loss plateaus are often the result of eating the same thing, but also doing the same workout. So if you can, try circuit training or at least different types of workouts each week. Add an extra day of weight training or try indoor rock climbing over the weekend instead of going on your normal run. This will work different muscle groups, burning more fat in the long run.

Drink More Cold Water

Not only should you be drinking more water in general, but you should try to drink cold water. The colder the water it is, the higher it raises your metabolism. Keep a pitcher of water in your fridge so you aren’t using plastic bottles all day long. This is also a good time for making infused water and keeping the pitcher cold in the refrigerator.

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Tuning Into Your Intuition

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Intuition is defined as 1. knowledge or belief obtained neither by reason nor by perception: 2. instinctive knowledge or belief: 3. a hunch or gut feeling. How many times have you had a gut feeling about something and pushed it aside for what you thought was rational choice? I’m willing to wager we all have! I know I sure have. And I bear life’s battle scars to prove it! Lessons learned, right? Absolutely!

My journey at this moment in my life had nothing to do with my rational mind. I’ve been a caretaker all my life … from stray animals to stray people and family. After my mother passed away from years of lingering illness my intuition didn’t nudge or gently speak to me. It screamed, “It’s Joni time!” To which my reply was instinctively, “I’m ready!” I’m following my passion and am in love with my intuition. She’s my new BFF!!!

Connect with YOUR Intuition

So, how do you connect with your intuition? Is it hard for you to trust your inner voice? Trust is a big obstacle in allowing your inner voice some volume. Let’s face it, it is hard to trust your inner voice if you don’t trust yourself. This is easily overcome. For real! It starts by keeping your word to yourself. If you tell yourself something, follow through. Be aware of the promises you make to yourself. Once you begin to honor Self, Self honors you.

Now that our self-trust is healthy how do we translate what our intuition is telling us? Here are a couple of tips that work for me.

  • Is it Fear or Intuition? – Fear is the breeding ground for excuses. Yep, trust me. All those excuses and justifications that pop in your head are a smoke screen designed by fear to confuse you. True intuition is visceral. Think gut reaction. You pull back and can’t really explain. Intuition is clear. Period.
  • Is it Excitement or Intuition? – I’ve learned this one the hard way. Can’t tell you how many times I’ve gotten caught up in the excitement of something and pushed it forward only to be overwhelmed and in the end disappointed. The push is from the ego and mental excitement. Intuition pulls you forward. Not to mean there aren’t bumps in the path along the way, but the energy is completely different. If you aren’t sure which it is – excitement or intuition – focus on where the energy is coming from and that will guide you!
Intuition & Health

Let’s talk intuition in terms of our health! Do you listen to what your body is telling you? Have you honed your sixth sense when it comes to your health? Get tuned in to your body and feel – not think – that you KNOW what is good for you. This knowing will lead you down a path of truly sustainable health.

Nutritional advice is a tricky thing. Have you ever noticed how contradictory it is? You read a compelling study that assures you fat is bad and then, seemingly all of the sudden, the rules you’ve dedicated your eating habits to are blown out of the water. Learning to trust your intuition is a valuable tool in building a sustainable life.

Tuning into your intuition is powerful. Think of it as something you desire to nurture and honor. After all, it is the core of YOU! Please share any tips you have for tuning into the power of intuition. What works for you?

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DIY Elderberry Syrup

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Elderberry syrup is all the rage for good reason. So, what’s all the chatter about with this tiny deep purple berry, Elderberry?

The glorious aubergine liquid has been a staple in our house for a few years due to its powerful ability to support our immune systems especially during cold and flu season. Neither one of us will even slightly entertain the idea of taking a flu shot. I wanted something that we could trust and that we were very sure of what was in it.

We all know there are two types of evidence. Empirical and anecdotal. I’m happy to report there are several studies showing the efficacy of elderberry to help boost the immune system and ease the symptoms of cold and flu. Anecdotally, I can tell you we’ve had great success avoiding the creeping crud and if it does start to take a hold of us, we stop it in its tracks!

black elderberry

What is Elderberry?

Elderberries are the fruit of the Sambucus tree. The most common type is the Sambucus nigra. The tree has clusters of small white or cream elderflowers and bunches of small blue or black elderberries.

The berries and the flowers each hold their own when it comes to supporting our immune systems.

Elderberry: Flavonoids (rutin, quercetin), terpenes, sambunigrin, sambucine, chlorgenic acid, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin B6, Potassium.

Elderflower: Flavonols; quercetin, anthocyanins, and isoquercitrin. Chlorogenic acid, erythrodiol and oleanolic acids.

Health Benefits

This natural remedy is packed with antiviral properties, especially against different strains of influenza virus. As a matter of fact, research has shown a standardized black elderberry extract to be effective in vitro against 10 strains of influenza.

But the benefits don’t stop there. If you are unfortunate enough to contract the “creeping crud” as I call it, researchers also show that black elderberry extract reduced the duration of flu symptoms by 3-4 days.

And it gets better!

For a healthy immune system black elderberry extract still shows benefits. Elderberry stimulates cytokine production in a healthy immune system to help ward off viral infections.

You can find commercial Elderberry products everywhere these days. Your options run the gamut from lozenges to gummies to syrups. Just be sure to opt for organic if possible!

The best way is to make your own! It is super simple and not too time consuming.

Elderberry Syrup

Try this simple elderberry syrup recipe as a daily immune booster or a delicious syrup on pancakes, crepes, or waffles.

Prep Time 5 min / Cook Time 1 hour / Inactive Time 15 min / Total Time 1 hour, 20 min

Yield 4 Cups

Ingredients

1 Cup dried elderberry – TIP: I use Frontier organic bulk elderberries because they are non-irradiated.

3 ½ cups of filtered water

2 tablespoons of fresh ginger root – TIP: I’ve used powder in a pinch, but the flavor is best with fresh!

1 teaspoon ground Ceylon cinnamon

½ teaspoon of ground clove or 1 tsp whole clove – TIP: I’ve used both the ground and whole clove in batches. We like the flavor profile when using the whole clove best!

1 cup raw honey – Tip: I use a local raw honey that is cultivated for allergy support!

Directions

  1. Pour water into medium sauce pan and add elderberries, ginger, cinnamon, and cloves.
  2. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce to a simmer for approximately 45 minutes to an hour. You want the liquid to be reduced by about half.
  3. Remove from the heat and let cool until it is cool enough to be handled.
  4. Mash the berries carefully using the back of a spoon or a potato masher.
  5. Pour through a strainer into a glass bowl or jar.
  6. After the liquid is no longer hot, add your honey and stir well. Adding the honey to hot liquid diminishes its power. Be sure it is cooled to just above room temp!
  7. Pour your syrup into glass jars to store. TIP: I use dark colored jars to store my syrup!

And that…is that! You just made nourishing elderberry syrup. Since your immune boosting elderberry syrup doesn’t have any preservatives it’s important to store in the fridge. You may store and use for up to 3 months if kept refrigerated.

Standard dose is ½ – 1 teaspoon for children and ½ – 1 tablespoon for adults. If the flu does make an appearance, take the normal does every 2-3 hours instead of once a day until symptoms disappear.

Looking for more information on boosting immunity? Check out the power of essential oils! They are a great tool in your wellness toolbox. 

1 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11399518
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