Superior Self - Blog

Stretching

3/18/2019

Is a good stretch even necessary? Isn't that why we rest at night? To let everything rest and reset for the next day?

We need to stretch because the human body (and everything else) is constantly being pulled towards the earth’s center with gravitation. So the bones and muscles are being compressed slightly all of the time. That’s why it feels so good as kids to jump up and down. We free up the compression and loosen up the spaces between the joints. We just know it’s fun!

As adults the weight and pull is heavier so we may suffer from stiffness or lower back aches from time to time. The more we sit, the more compression in the spine. Yoga and walking with long strides help to stretch out the body. After an intense workout with weights or cardio we should stretch out. We should practice breathing, long and slow, even breaths through the nose, to get the body ready for stretching. It doesn’t have to take a long time.

After my hikes with my clients or friends we hang our torsos over our legs, folded in half. We just hang and sway a little bit from side to side. This relieves the pressure on the lower back and loosens up the hip joints. The neck feels especially good when hanging out like this. Our heads are heavy!

A yoga class of any kind is a great purposeful stretch for a longer period of time. Usually yoga loosens up and relieves the body parts from the gravitational pull from the earth.

If one has access to an inversion table, it also reverses gravity for a little while. I suggest 5-10 minutes daily.

I hope this helps you, dear readers.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFI
-Nutrition Educator

10 Top Health & Wellness Trends this 2019

3/11/2019

10 Top Health & Wellness Trends this 2019
This article first appeared on MadebyHemp.com. Guest post by Justine Lopez and her team. She has reached out to me to share her research and writing skills!

2018 was a year when most of the world focused on health and wellness in a more holistic manner: both physical and mental wellness. And it is beginning to look like 2019 will be a glorious continuation of what we have been opening our minds up to in 2018. So what can we expect to see in the health and wellness sphere in the rest of 2019?

1. AyurvedaThe 5,000-year-old health system, Ayurveda (in Sanskrit means “knowledge of life”) was responsible for a lot of health movements in 2018. Perhaps the most familiar of which would be the ketogenic diet. Ayurveda is an old system of medicine that incorporates plants and animal products, particularly fats. The practice of Ayurveda involves using fats both for consumption, meaning eating fats like ghee, and external use, like oils for the skin. The practice connects both mind and body in bringing about wellness. There is a focused intention upon usage and the resulting improvements.

2. More Plant Based Alternatives2018 saw the rise of plant based food, a whopping 23% rise in sales. Gone are the days when the choices we had regarding plant based food were TVP and tofu. Now it is beginning to look like there will be a huge movement in the plant based fish sector. Expect your local Whole Foods aisles to have more plant based fish flesh choices. The plant based fish movement stemmed from the awareness of people of the negative impact of over fishing has on our environment.

3. More SleepA lot of people, students and workers alike, are severely lacking in sleep. In the coming year, we will have a better understanding of our circadian rhythms and the effects of melatonin and cortisol upon our sleep patterns. If these two hormones get out of whack, our circadian rhythms will be thrown out of their cycles and our sleep gets messed up.

4. CBD OilThe past few years has seen a massive rise in popularity of CBD oil. Despite its being taboo in certain circles, Whole Foods Market’s projection predicts that CBD oil will have an even higher spike in popularity for the rest of 2019.

Expect that in the coming year, we will be learning more about the endocannabinoid system or the ECS. This is a major bodily system which compounds like CBD and other cannabinoids interact with. We have seen how CBD oil has helped manage anxiety and we’ve marveled at its anti-inflammatory and anti-seizure effects. Cannabis might also help with setting our sleep pattern straight. It most certainly helps with keeping a lid on anxiety and stress.

5. Eco-consciousness
More and more people are becoming aware of global warming and the dire situation the Earth is currently in. Expect that in the rest of 2019, the strong rise of the eco-friendly movement will continue. It is predicted that the use of single use plastics and other single use items will see a further decline and the BYOB (bring your own bag) movement will continue to become more popular. The rest of the USA needs to catch up with Northern California, where one is charged a fee for using the store's bags.

6. Mental HealthThis year, mental health continues to be given its due importance. People are now realizing that in order to be physically healthy, you need to think about your mental health as well. Hemp based products (like CBD oil) has become a more popular alternative to the usual stress medications. It is predicted that 2019 will see the continuation of this mental health trend.

7. Oat milk
Is oat milk the new soy? This year, sales have grown by an impressive 45%. Lactose averse people have found a good alternative to dairy and soy milk and the rise of its popularity does not seem to be ending soon. Grab yourself a bottle of oat milk this 2019 because it looks like they will be flying off the shelves, still.

8. MCT oilAside from CBD, 2018 brought MCT (medium chain triglycerides) oil into the spotlight. This oil is odorless and colorless and stays liquid at room temperature. Putting MCT oil into your coffee, making it “bulletproof” is a good way of boosting your energy. Expect to see MCT become even more popular for the rest of 2019 as more people become aware of its benefits.

9. Body PositivityThanks to Rihanna and her Fenty brand, body positive feelings and actions moved from the fringes to mainstream. Body positivity saw a rise in popularity in 2018 as more and more people focus on loving their bodies instead of shrinking them to fit into the molds that social media and media in general promoted. As more people shift their focus to mental health, this 2019 will see an even bigger rise in the body positivity movement.

10. Hemp based productsAside from CBD oil, hemp based products have found their way into our lives from our beauty products, to our food. With the 2018 Farm Bill already signed into law, hemp based farming will be legal nationwide. Expect that in 2019, there will be more choices in hemp based products.

This article first appeared on MadebyHemp.com. Guest post by Justine Lopez and her team.

Procrastinating Kids

3/4/2019

Moms and dads know a thing or two about procrastinating kids. We used to be kids too! I'm a momma of 2, Sage is my girl, age 14 and Golden is my boy, age 18.

When they were little we would put music on for teeth brushing and getting dressed. It would be a mixed cd, so like musical chairs style, about 2 minutes of their favorite pop/hip hop/r and b/or kids fairy tale music. We would always have them choose their clothes the evening before and lay them out flat on the floor so they would be a willing participant all the way through the process. I found this stepped up the pace too.

Now that they are older and change clothes three times a day to look cool for their friends, constantly check themselves out in the mirror, etc., the challenge to get moving is sometimes harder for my husband and me. We have somewhat fixed this by having them responsible for choosing their own veggies and fruits for their morning smoothie. Golden and Sage are also responsible for packing up the pre-made salad, sides and water bottle for lunch. This tactic gets them out of the bedroom and bathroom faster. Also, we have a points chart on the wall. If they do activities above and beyond their normal duties of being a kid in a family, they receive points worth money. If they help each other get ready faster (without being asked by a parent), help me do the dishes without me asking, help make beds, throw in a load of laundry in the morning, all without being asked, they are going above and beyond. They are focused, on time, and deserve to be acknowledged. This motivates them to not procrastinate as well. Finally, my son Golden just passed his driver's license exam. If he wants to drive to school and help me with errands and use the car, he has to earn the privilege. There's a dangling carrot there every morning!

Blessings,
KJ Landis

Break the Rules

2/25/2019

This week I have been mulling over some thoughts around rules in our personal lives, the rules we place upon ourselves for no reason at all, other than creating them for personal boundaries or a sense of right and wrong in our own head and heart. Sometimes they are connected to society's rules, and sometimes not. For example, my own rule of leaving for work at least 90 minutes early, when I live 12 minutes away by car. It alleviates the "just in case" stress I place upon myself when I do not have a buffer of time between activities. Another one is saying please and thank you. Why? It is polite, and it is what I have been taught. It is an unspoken rule in civilized places to say those things.

In this past week or so, at hot yoga, there have been a lot of people with the sneezies, the farties, the burps, the noises we usually say, "Excuse me, God bless you," etc., and with the appropriate response. There is a golden rule in Bikram hot yoga that the teacher speaks and the students do not speak. So, there is a time in our polite society when it is inappropriate to say those niceties. The teacher can say, "God bless you," if someone sneezes, but it is completely unnecessary. I have had the burps a lot recently, and some poses on my stomach have had me actually throwing up a little bit on the towel and mat. No one is to come help me, no one is to ask if I am okay. And I am okay.

There is a sense of freedom in breaking the rules of polite society in yoga class. We are to look inward, focus inwardly, and ignore the status quo. I am embracing the freedoms of non-response! After all, what is the punishment or self affliction if I break a few unwritten rules?

What about you? Are you ever feeling risky or free enough to break the rules sometimes? What are your own unwritten rules for yourself? I want to hear from you!
Blessings,
KJ Landis

Talk to Your Organs

2/18/2019

Warning: The following information is revealing some personal medical information which may not be suitable for all audiences. If the elimination system and the correlating body parts make you squeamish, choose another one of my blogs to read.

Okay, now please allow me to begin this post with a little bit of personal information. I have had frequent urination my whole life. I have had frequent urinary tract infections most of my life. The doctors did a test years ago which revealed that I was born with a tipped urethra. This means that every time I use the restroom and relieve myself of urine, a little bit slides backwards and stays in the bladder and urethra. This gives me the honest feeling (not psycho-somatic) that I have to use the restroom......again...and again...and again.

As I have gottten into my 50s, it has messed with my hormonal system and has caused a load of systemic issues. Sleep deprivation is a disease maker because one is at dis-ease with his or her world, quite literally. I have tried medicines over the years to relax the bladder in order to excrete more and more at one time, but all the medicines have stopped working. Surgery isn’t an option for me. One of my friends had the surgery and has had multiple emergency surgeries to fix this experimental procedure. Now she is worse off than she was with the original problem.

Quite spontaneously, at work the other day in the restaurant at the Hilton, my coworker said to me, “You meditate daily and are quite committed to it, right?” I affirmed. Then he said, “Why don’t you meditate on your bladder before you go to bed? You should talk to your bladder. Say a thank you to your bladder for all the service it has provided for you all of these years. Thank your bladder for the efforts and work to make sure that wastes are removed from your body.” He went on, “You are a beautiful, strong organ and I am grateful for you. I love you, bladder.”

Well, mind blown. I promised I would talk to my bladder as an old friend as he suggested and meditate on its form and function inside my body. For the next three nights I had a real and honest conversation with my bladder. When I woke up in the middle of the night to use the restroom, half asleep, I thanked my bladder for doing its job so well and so regularly taking care of me. On day four I could not wait to see my coworker and share the results. I actually slept well for the first time in months.

My fit bit tracker for sleep showed deeper sleep and less times awakened at night. I only went to the restroom three times for the first three days of meditation on the bladder. It felt like a miracle was happening and I was creating it.

You see, God is in the details. When I thank myself for the little things, like peeing, I’m actually engaging in a conversation with God. So, my friends, if you are having health issues surrounding your organs, talk to them. It is the same as praying. Be grateful for having them and what they have done good for your life on earth so far. Even in the not so good moments your body parts are teaching you something. And that in itself is a good thing. Talk to your organs.

Blessings,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFI
-Nutrition Educator

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Sleep Like a Cavegirl

2/11/2019

I have been having neck and back aches when I wake up over the past 6 months. I went out twice this year and bought so many different types of pillows, all promising me the best night's sleep ever! I returned over a dozen of them. The oe that worked the best for me was the travel neck pillow for airline travel, the u shaped one. I have slept on and off with this one for years, eventually buying them for family members at the holiday season. Six months ago, it just wasn't the same anymore. Add to that my knee pain and elevated legs, plus the menopausal night sweats and frequent urination at night, I was tired most mornings. The only time my neck was comfy lying down was after hot yoga class, when we were still on our mats.

Two weeks ago I decided to try and sleep without any pillow, like our ancestors did for eons. Wow. What a difference. When I slept on my back I used no pillow. When I slept on my side, I had a small tea towel rolled up like a sausage to support my neck, and the travel pillow just in case...Here I am now, two weeks later and feeling little to no neck aches, so this works for me. I highly recommend you experiment as well. So many people I know are changing their eating and exercise lifestyle to the pattern of the cave people, or the hunters and gatherers. So why not give yourself a chance at really good rest without neck aches in the morning?

A good night's sleep is essential to the hormonal system running smoothly. This affects our physical and emotional well being on so many levels.

Be well,
KJ Landis
Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
CPT, CFI
Nutrition Educator

Fitness for Introverts

2/4/2019

Not everyone is an outgoing individual. That's what makes life's experiences so varied and juicy, our different personalities and choices. This week I wanted to answer the question someone sent me about how to cultivate motivation in someone who is shy. Maybe you are shy and are reading this right now. Here are some fitness tips for introverts.

As a fitness coach and wellness coach, I meet all sorts of folks in all sorts of places. Being a really good listener is key in figuring out what will motivate folks on their terms. All walks of life are welcome in my wellness practice.

I think if someone is shy or awkward in group classes, suggesting a one on one personal training experience in their home or in nature may help make them feel comfortable. Then it is repetitive encouragement that must follow. Kind words of encouragement to keep up the exercise the trainer and client have started is key. It may not even need be in person over and over again. A phone call or text might be just the thing to get the introvert moving on a regular basis.

Even though I am a people person, I prefer to exercise by myself most days. I put on my earbuds and go out for a walk in nature or ride the exercise bike with an attitude of “leave me alone.” Even when I go to hot yoga classes, I pick a corner so there are less people surrounding me. This gives me the little bit of peace I need to be myself by myself for a little while. Remember the key is to keep moving your whole life and trying new exercises may develop that keen curiosity that instills motivation for everyone, even the introvert!

I hope this helps you in your movement journey.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFI
-Nutrition Educator
Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

Plant Based Protein

1/28/2019

I love experimenting with my eating lifestyle! I have done vegan for some months, vegetarian for some years, hight fat, low fat, eaten food following the Paleo principles for the past seven years, and have dabbled into ketogenic eating for some time. I find that when I experiment with myself I find answers to questions my coaching clients ask of me, and then we experiment with them depending upon their goals and dietary restrictions. Some restrictions are faith based. Others are medically based, and still others are ethically based. People ask me if we can thrive only eating plant based protein.

Can we get enough protein from plants? The short answer is yes. For thousands of years, our hunter and gatherer ancestors lived mostly on plants, having a feeding frenzy after a hunt, and then returning to plants when meats were in scarcity. All whole, plant based foods contain protein, some more than others. Some have a more bioavailable protein. That means the rate at which the body can absorb the nutrients.

Beans and legumes have a high protein per serving, with lentils being the highest source of protein. If we prepare the beans and legumes correctly by soaking at least overnight, and ideally 24-48 hours, the protein becomes more bioavailable. This also helps release the gaseous properties for less discomfort. Cooking the beans and legumes for a lengthy time further breaks down the digestive issues one may have. I lived in India for some time in the 1980s, and I found that in traditional Indian cooking, most of the veggies are cooked for a long time, releasing the proteins easily for absorption.

With all the talk of tofu and processed foods being highly mimicking estrogen in the body, I stayed away from soy products for years. Then when I was vegan for 10 weeks last year, I craved the texture of hard tofu cooked in a myriad of ways. This did not make my blood test come back showing estrogen overload, or estrogen dominance. The cure and the poisons in our food supply is in the portion. Too much of anything will hurt us, and too little will also cause deficiencies.

Recently I have begun to listen to my food hunger signals and cravings. If I am really craving meat or fish, after eating mostly vegan for some time, I will honor my body knowing what nutrition it needs. Trying to eliminate the labeling takes the pressure off of my ego.

I hope this helps you in your lifestyle.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFI
-Nutrition Educator

Use Your Smart Watch to Increase Your Steps!

1/21/2019

We are so fortunate to be living in the modern age. There are gadgets and tools for making life easier and more convenient, allowing us to save time to do the things we really want to do. We have smart watches like Fitbit to increase steps every day. There are motivational apps to send messages to remind us to move our bodies, relax and wind down, and even track our sleep cycles!

My niece gave me a Fitbit for my 53rd birthday on October 26, 2018. I was a little hesitant to use it because I am not very tech savvy. Dannelle walked me through every fear and every function of the Fitbit during our time of celebration.

The device hasn’t left my wrist since then! I love using it to track my sleep, my hot yoga, my Pilates classes, and my walking. I walk a lot during the evenings when I am serving food and beverages in a restaurant. If I am folding napkins in the back room and I see a notification pop up that says, “Only 90 more steps to go to make it to 250 steps this hour!” I get up from the chair and walk around in the back room, maybe getting out some supplies or something needed for the floor. The Fitbit vibrates to remind me to move! I like the motivational accessories built into the programming.

Usually I have completed 10,000 steps by 8 pm and I work until almost 11 pm. On days when I hike before work, I can hit 17,000-24,000 steps! Even shopping at a mall has taken on a fitness theme. I see how many steps I can go before succumbing to coffee!

I hope this motivates you, sweet readers, to keep on moving!

Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFI
-Nutrition Educator

Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com
Superior Self with KJ Landis
This website is a marriage of science and spirituality, nutrition facts, and support to get you to your superior self!
www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

Group Meditation or Solo?

1/14/2019

When pondering the dive into meditation, we have so many questions at first. One important decision is whether to begin a meditation practice at home versus in a group setting.

I teach silence as a healer in some of my workshop offerings. I also have been meditating regularly for 6 years, both alone and in group settings.

My experience shows me that when first learning how to meditate (and there are many paths) one should seek out a class or group and stick with them only. Do not try different styles and classes without a full effort in one style. It slows down progression. After one has a few weeks of classes, whether once a week or more, then continue the practice as homework at home in a quiet space.

After 5 years of meditation by myself, focusing on only a daily 2 minutes to begin with in my car before work, or 2 minutes after a hot yoga workout, I signed up for a 12 day meditation course which was aimed at silence and scanning the body. I stayed at the course location, with no cell phones or to-do lists. The intensity of the group practice 12 hours a day or more and private practice in my bedroom at the retreat was a wonderful opportunity to figure this meditation thing out.

I think when we go it alone or only with an app on the cell phone it is easy to get distracted in the head as well as with the outside world. Once we have mastered tuning out, then the home practice becomes stronger.

It is always a struggle though. The thoughts and feelings do creep in, and sometimes while practicing home meditation, the grocery lists, tv shows, and music do take over my quiet time.

I think it is important to take time out once in a while and go back to a class setting. The group energy of everyone focusing on the same thing helps to strengthen one’s personal and private practice.

I hope this helps you.
Blessings,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-Life and Wellness Coach
-Nutrition Educator
-CPT, CFI

Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

Simplifying Our Lives

1/7/2019

During the New Year and during spring cleaning efforts we usually attempt to simplify our lives. What is that exactly?

Simplifying our lives can be in the mind and in our actions. It means ridding one of the thoughts and deeds which do not serve us. This is easy to say, but harder to do, as we live in a very modern and busy world with a lot of “stuff” and a lot of busyness.

It is helpful for us to simplify because it leaves a space for creative thoughts, imagination and playfulness to dwell.

Simplifying the mind can be doing one activity that is so new and difficult that we cannot focus on anything else. That allows the negative thoughts and mind fog to dissipate. It brings a ensemble of calm and happiness over time. Meditation is a way to simplify the mind too. Focusing on the breath, a candle, or a sound can allow a “shelf” to open up inside where there is nothing on it. We are more productive when we simplify the mind a little bit every day.

Simplifying the actions we do can be as easy as saying “no” to invitations and events that do not serve us or our inner purposes. This frees up time and space to really go after our goals. Another way to simplify our lives through action is to rid our dwellings of things we really do not use or receive joy from. I clean out my closet and trinkets monthly, allowing only the most memorable items to remain. This simplifies the home, making cleaning easier as well as making the home a sanctuary instead of a cluttered place. The stuff is just stuff, and we cannot burden ourselves with consumption. It takes too much energy to keep track of it all.

I hope this has helped your readers.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFI
-Nutrition Educator
- Happy, Healthy You, now available everywhere and in audio format!

Essential Oils as Perfume

12/31/2018

I have been teaching essential oils for healing for five years now and using them even longer. Many people are interested in essential oils as a natural source of a scent for fun, not for healing. We must first notice that essential oils come from the plants around us, either from the leaves, fruits, flowers, roots, or seeds.

In order to make them last longer as a perfume on the skin, we must first realize that our olfactory senses get immune to the scent after a half hour or so. That’s why we initially can smell the aroma of perfumes, but others who enter our space can smell them even after some time and we can no longer smell them.

I suggest increasing the amount of drops of essential oil to carrier oil ratio for a longer lasting scent. For example, I usually use 10 drops of essential oil in a 1/2 ounce vial with grape seed oil as the carrier. If it is a non irritating oil like geranium or lavender, I may use 20 drops from my dropper in the same amount of carrier oil. That will enhance the time frame the scent stays on the skin. It will also make it stronger initially.

Where we put the oils also has an affect on time. If we want a longer lasting fragrance, I suggest putting a little oil on the scalp and at the nape of the neck at the hairline. The head holds about 49 percent of the body’s heat and is emanating heat off of it. This lets the aroma waft up and out for a long time when compared to the dab of oil on the wrists.

As far as layering flavors, I’m pretty much a fan of food scents staying with food scents and florals layering with florals. For example, let’s have vanilla and orange as a combo, but I wouldn’t use cinnamon and gardenia as a combo. The most powerful scent will last longer than the softer scent. We initially smell the softer scent but the stronger scent will last longer. I always use a carrier oil such as grape seed oil or for a harder fat, coconut oil.

I hope this has helped you, dear readers.
Blessings,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFI
-Nutrition Educator

Food Found Anti-Oxidants

12/24/2018

We all love a quick and easy fix in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. That's why supplement companies make billions. More often than not, antioxidants work well in the body when found in their natural state: they are found naturally in food, specifically in plants!

The best food sources of antioxidants are those plant foods that are richly colored. The darker the pigment, the more antioxidants the foods contain. Antioxidants help with the cells’ natural damaging caused by free radicals, those substances that are in junk foods, pollution, and other unnatural sources of energy for the body.

Pomegranate seeds, blueberries, dark leafy greens are examples of foods rich in antioxidants. Extra dark chocolate, green beans, and kale are also examples of foods rich in antioxidants. As you can see, some bitter foods like dark chocolate, kale, and pomegranate are especially rich in antioxidants. The tannins, which are the bitter and acidic properties contain some pretty powerful antioxidants. Darker and even odd colored foods, like purple (plums, berries, eggplant, heirloom cauliflower) have a potent punch to the "bad guys" living in and around the body.

Plant food does a body good! Grandma was right in her advice to "eat your vegetables."

I hope this helps your readers.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFI
-Nutrition Educator

Has Food Shaped Your Identity?

12/17/2018

Food helped shape my childhood identity. My parents were the children of immigrants from the former Soviet Union, Hungary, and England. Before gift giving moments, like birthdays, Bar Mitzvahs, Bat Mitzvahs, and family weddings, my mother always used to make us five kids help her carry down the largest wooden cutting board from the attic. It had a lip which made it grasp the edge of the table. She would use it for making Hungarian pastries. Mama Hilda learned this from her mother and grandmother. The pastries were like rugalach or Hamentashen, some small Jewish flaky pastries filled with nuts, jams, or poppy seed paste. I used to love helping roll out the dough on the giant weathered wooden board. The flour would fly, we would put loud jazz on the radio, and have a ball! Then we would spread the fillings out and make the scroll shaped pastries. Ah, the aroma the whole house was consumed in! Mama Hilda always said that baking was a science and cooking was an art. She used to put club soda and 7-up in the dough to make it rise and be flakier then the other mothers’ pastries. That was her secret for winning the baking contests at the school fundraisers during the years. People came to donate to the school just to enjoy the baked goods my mom provided with love.

My identity as a young girl was intertwined with my mother's baking and cooking. She held great pride over her cooking and baking and would not sit down herself to enjoy the foods unless we said it was delicious, marvelous, great, the best we had ever eaten. Otherwise she would get upset and leave the kitchen and retire to the back porch with a cigarette. This instilled in me a need for being approved of by others, and a sense of perfectionism. So, thinking back, Hungarian pastries are the food that defined my childhood identity.

I hope this blesses your readers with some memories of their own!
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFI
-Nutrition Educator

What Does "Healthy" Mean?

12/10/2018

I’m a published author with four books, and I teach wellness workshops all over the SF Bay Area. This passion towards health began when I lost 50 pounds almost 7 years ago and began researching the most current scientific data surrounding food as fuel. What I learned I shared with others and began coaching others towards their healthier and happier selves. I began taking university course with certifications in movement, psychology, and nutrition. This opened my eyes to new research that was contrary to the past 70 years of health advice, like eat low fat or no fat, and eat less-move more for lasting fat loss.

What does it mean to be healthy? For me, it is an inner happiness and peace that moves outward through the body affecting the organs and tissues. Our minds are so powerful that we have to begin there. The mindset and support system around us can affect whether we are physically healthy or not. Be selfish. Use time to meditate, pray, and move. Remove toxic people from your circle, even if they are family. Then we can work diligently on the body’s systems without regret.

When we have abundant energy and less aches and pains we can turn our attention to helping the loved ones around us without resentment. That is a healthy and happy human!

I hope this helps you, dear readers.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFI
-Nutrition Educator

What a Mess!

12/3/2018

How Mess Can Affect Your Mind

We have all lived in a messy home at some point, and you have likely heard that a clean home results in a clean mind. There is a lot of truth to the saying, as your environment often reflects the way you are feeling. Mess can have a lot of negative impacts on your mental and physical health, so it is worth taking the time to try and clean up as much as you can. Here’s a little more information about mess can affect the mind.

How Mess Impacts Mental Health

For one, a messy home is often a sign that you are suffering with your mental health, especially depression, and you need some help to get back on your feet. It is one of the biggest signs of suffering, and not one to be ignored in yourself or those close to you.

However, mess also increases the amount of the stress hormone cortisol being produced by our bodies, and this can leave us feeling more anxious about our surroundings. Additionally, it increases heart rate and blood pressure to create even more tension in the body. It takes away your ability to focus properly and can lead to poor motivation when you need to get things done.

How Cleanliness Benefits the Mind

As you can imagine, having a clean home can massively benefit the mind. It reduces your cortisol levels so that you feel calmer and more relaxed in your environment, while also lowering blood pressure and heart rate. It can leave you feeling a lot lighter as well, alleviating anxiety and stress through the action of cleaning and the accompanying results.

When you are feeling depressed, it is easy to fall into a whirlpool of self-loathing and a lack of care for yourself. A clean home can help with feelings of self-worth and respect, as well as help you to feel more motivated to look after yourself better. Of course, this is easier said than done, but you can definitely do it, even if it is only slowly. Plus, if you are able to seek help from friends and family, it can make the process a smoother one.

Mess and Well-being

Having a messy home can have an impact on your general health and wellbeing as well as your mental state. It can lead to the air inside your home becoming dirtier than the outside, increasing the risk of allergy symptoms from occurring as well as asthma. It can even put you at higher risk of things like infections and illness as a result.

A lack of cleanliness and increased clutter can also affect our sleep, and studies have shown that we sleep better when the home is tidy. This is because the brain remains switched on a little during sleep when we have cluttered home because it is preoccupied with the mess we have left behind. Clutter and mess can also put you at risk of the following:

Fire
Broken bones
Falling

To Conclude:

Hopefully, this has shown you what happens when you leave your house a mess and the benefits that come with cleaning it up. We know it can be a struggle to motivate yourself when your mental health is suffering, but even doing a little bit every day can help massively and will eventually result in a tidy home. If you want to learn more about mess and mental health, we have a detailed guide on the topic that you can read through.

Guest Post by Will Tottle

About the Author

Will is a freelance writer, his blog can be seen here . If you are interested in more information on anything Vacuum related, then check out his ultimate vacuum guides for more details
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Life Hacks

11/26/2018

Today we are going to discuss life hacks. Life hacks are a convenient way of taking short cuts using tips and tools others have created for managing time, tasks, and stress. Then you can do what you do best! Sometimes that is to create, play, or connect with others in a meaningful manner for you.

My number one simple hack that works for my clients and myself is making lists. Whether they are the to-do lists, the life goal lists, the lists in creative writing, also known as free associations, they have allowed the mind-body connection. This helps with the completion of goals, tasks, and creative flow. It works with hand writing better than typing on a smart device or computer because it involves the brain, then moving the thoughts down through the body and out the arm in a mechanical way. I actually enjoy making lists and seeing the check mark next to each item as I complete the list, little by little. Feeling accomplished need not be a grand thing.

Try it!
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFI
-Life and Wellness Coach
-Nutrition Educator

Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com
Superior Self with KJ Landis
This website is a marriage of science and spirituality, nutrition facts, and support to get you to your superior self!
www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

Seriously, Are You Taking Yourself So Seriously?

11/19/2018

Are you taking yourself unnecessarily too seriously when losing weight? We all have desires, goals, wishes, and dreams. We work tirelessly and sometimes get tired on the way towards meeting our goals. It is natural to feel this way. When we are on our path we need eagle vision, but we must not block out all of life's simple joys and gains while working towards the goal, whether in diet, exercise, education, career, or relationship goals.

During the journey of lifestyle changes for the better that include losing weight and fat, we should go seek out comedy as much as possible. Go to the movies, go to a comedy club, watch old, favorite tv shows with comedy in them, and remember to tickle your kids! Laughing is so good for satisfying the body and brain on so many levels. The happy hormones are released, the circulation improves, the mood improves, and along with the laughter comes better choice making surrounding life's goals. I also know that laughing is a great abdominal workout. Laughing reduces blood pressure and anxiety. There’s even a whole movement around the world called laughter yoga that has been around since the 1980s.

I hope this helps you, dear readers.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

Sleep Tips

11/12/2018

Is Poor Sleep Making You More Anxious?

Anxiety and sleep are connected: When we sleep less, we can feel more anxious. And when we feel anxious, it's harder to sleep. This cycle can be tough to break—and the consequences can be devastating. Insomnia can cripple school and work performance. When you don't get enough sleep, you have a higher risk of developing high blood pressure and heart disease, and may even be at a higher risk of some forms of cancer.

If you're struggling to fall asleep, or to sleep through the night, consider making some changes to your sleep hygiene. These are your nightly pre-sleep rituals and habits. Good sleep hygiene gives you a better chance for that refreshing night of sleep that makes you feel less anxious in the morning.

Keep a Tight Sleep Schedule: Sleep, like any habit, is highly sensitive to change. A consistent schedule sends strong signals to your brain about when it’s time to sleep and wake.

Exercise Regularly: Exercise is as good for your mind as it is for your body. Plan your exercise regimen for morning or afternoon. Give your body time to come down and soak in the relaxing effects of physical exercise.

Meditate: Mindfulness meditation brings your attention to the present experience by eliminating thoughts about the past and future. Since the past and future are the subject of most worries, mindfulness helps eliminate those anxiety-producing thoughts.

Dampen Distracting Noises: Sounds slightly above a whisper can disrupt our sleep. With sleep disruptors this quiet, you may not even know they’re affecting you. Try earplugs for a week and see if you notice a difference.

Turn Off Bad Lighting: The blue light of computer, tablet, and cell phone screens can make our minds think it's still light out. Avoid them before bed.

Get a Mattress and Pillow That Fits You: Pressure points build on our body while we sleep, and can cause pain that wakes us up. Change your mattress or pillow if you feel discomfort during the night.

For more helpful information, visit this guide to better sleep for people with anxiety.

Guest Post by Alyssa Eniss

Juggling Work and Family

11/5/2018

I think juggling work and family is difficult, especially as one's career gets more advanced.

As a life and wellness coach, I have always worked in the food service industry as well. When things in my entrepreneurial career were slow I always had the Hilton hotel restaurants to support me and my family, especially with health insurance for everybody.

As my life in fitness and writing advanced, the workshop bookings came pouring in, and I began to be asked to teach various exercise classes at different studios, as well as privately. I help people get healthy, please fat, and turn down the negative Nancy in their heads.
Losing 50 pounds myself gave me credibility, and so I needed to re-organize my work life in order to fit in my personal endeavors and my beautiful family of four.

The Hilton hotel is very gracious and allowed me to switch my shift so that I could finish earlier in the evenings, and then still get a good nights sleep in order to take my kids to school in the morning, teach exercise, exercise myself, and write weekly blogs and create videos.

I think having a personal need it to be early everywhere has afforded me the time to sit in my car and write my books. I literally hand wrote four books on composition notebooks that I purchased from the dollar store. Then I transferred them to the computer and edited, edited, edited.

Asking for help is one tool I used to organize and juggle my life. I asked for help from the Hilton, I ask for help from my husband with early morning childcare duties, I asked for help from the neighbors as babysitters, and I asked for help from my kids as they got older in order to be able to learn the technology stuff. My kids are my “mouse squad!”

I hope this helps readers jungle parenting in work.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-CPT, CFI
-Nutrition Educator