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Health Trends Read Critically

1/29/2018

We all have been influenced by television stories and magazine articles about health and the latest studies, for longevity, fat loss, and endurance or body building. To see if an article is a credible source or not, I look first to see if they have references.

We must learn to have a critical eye as consumers because sometimes the companies writing the health trends are selling us something. If the article has references, I quickly google the references and see if they are from doctors, scientists, and prestigious universities studying the matter at hand. If there is a website with NIH or PubMed cited, then there are usually studies and research done according to the scientific method. I ask if large groups of people were used in the research and for a lengthy period of time. And finally, have the studies been published in peer reviewed professional magazines? That means the studies for new health trends have been experimented with and are also reproducible results when other professionals in the field do the same experiments.

We know if something sounds wildly outrageous it usually is not credible. “Lose 20 pounds overnight! Free bottle of this miracle supplement for 24 hours only!” I would steer away from believing these claims. Sounds like the snake oil salesman from the olden days.

I hope this helps you to have a critical eye and develop critical thinking when checking out new health trends.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-Life and Wellness Coach
-Workshop Host

Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

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Health Coach Gets the Flu

1/22/2018

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News Flash! Health coach gets the flu! How and why? Is she doing something wrong? Is she secretly going to McDonald's or closet eating Oreos every night? Is she partying until 4am at the hottest nightclubs in the city? Just like we enjoy the celebrity gossip, we enjoy seeing when our health gurus have conflict in the news. It validates that they didn't know what they were doing after all, and we can continue with our less than healthy choices in eating and exercise, rest and mindfulness practices. Dr. Atkins had a heart attack, Bob Harper had a heart attack, famous marathoners die while in mile 23...

Well, my friends, I had the flu for 10 days and I am still recovering from it now. My eating is good, still grain free and sugar free for the most part. I work out with yoga, hiking, running, lifting weights, and meditate daily. I sleep about 10 hours a night (thanks to my husband taking the kids' morning duties). So, as my body ached all over, the fever raging, and the breathing became more and more difficult, I asked myself why this occurred to me. I am the health coach. I am the one people come to for answers when they are sick. Am I a failure when I could not prevent this for myself? Am I wrong? Is my research on essential oils, foods, hormones, epigenetics and movement all for nothing?

No. I am not wrong. I am human. Every year the flu viruses around the world change. The smart viruses adapt to the environment and to the people. As we eat more and more fake foods, we are weakening our immune systems. As we stress out more over the little things and sleep less and less we are inviting in the viruses into our homes, our bodies, our sanctuaries. When we wash our hands so often and then use anti-bacteria gels and lotions, we don't allow our own immune system to strengthen. No matter what we do for ourselves in terms of personal responsibility in our prevention health care, sometimes we will fall ill. As my mother used to say, "Shit happens." When she was sick with this malady or that, she would finish every phone conversation with positive words, "I'm going to be okay. I'm going to be fine." I wasn't sure if she was saying those words for her comfort or for mine, but to hear them aloud was a proclamation, a form of positive psychology. I write about the I AM statements in other blogs and in my books, but Momma Jane had them down in the 1970s and 1980s and 1990s, even before positive psychology was a science!

So, as I was laying down in my bed hallucinating with fever and bronchitis, I was at first thinking I was a failure. Then slowly as I slept and dreamed, I realized I was not. My body had told me to rest before I got sick. I went to work with a terrible sore throat. I was having a headache and still went to work as a server at night. (For the record, I don't get headaches.) I didn't listen to those clues. My body was talking to me and I ignored it. Yes, I was eating my veggies, drinking a gallon of water a day, and exercising, but I tuned out my inner instinct of listening, really listening to my body's signals. No wonder we tune out others we love! We don't even listen to ourselves sometimes! The revelation I had was wonderful, a gift. Listen. Slow down and listen to my own heart beat. Imagine how ill I would have been if I didn't have a healthy lifestyle! My condition would have been worse and for much longer. I see that now that I'm climbing my way back to normalcy. Lesson learned. I'm grateful for every breath.

I am not a failure. I am human, and that connects me to every one of you.
Thank you for allowing me to share my heart today. I want to hear from you.
Blessings,
KJ Landis

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The 80/20 Rule

1/15/2018

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As a fitness and nutrition educator I focus on the 80/20 rule. Eat clean and green 80 percent of the time, and enjoy treats without the guilt 20 percent of the time. When we do not mentally label treats as cheats we change the language. This allows us to thoroughly enjoy the foods without the negative self deprecating thoughts accompanying the treats. Try this the next time you decide consciously to have a piece
of pecan pie or chocolate truffle.

Know that you also have choices in how the treats are made. If you are on a specific protocol for eating, you can make the recipe yourself with healthier alternative versions. For example for a paleo template, make a grain free and sugar free pie or truffle. For a pasta with cheese dish when on an auto immune protocol, create a spaghetti squash variety without tomato sauce and use a cheese alternative like nutritional yeast flakes. If sensitive to gluten and at a pizza party, offer to make a cauliflower crust pizza.

I always encourage my clients to continue their water consumption and workout program no matter where they are in any season. And know that with mindfulness and good sleep, they can recover from weight gain within a few weeks. A good attitude is key in recovery after a break from healthy eating! You have your whole life to be healthy. Look at the bigger picture.

I hope this helps.
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of Happy Healthy You! Available now wherever books are sold. Just in time for the holidays!
Visit me at www.superiorselfwithkjlandis.com

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Heirloom Veggies

1/8/2018

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In the summer we see heirloom tomatoes at the store. Sometimes we see them at the farmers’ market. The colors and shapes may be very different than the traditional shiny red tomato at the big box stores. Usually heirloom vegetables mean that they are ancient species of the original vegetable that have not been hybridized or genetically modified to be perfect and resist pesticides. Usually they are organic. I see heirloom plums, apples, carrots, and squash quite often at inexpensive stores, even at Trader Joe’s. The colors of the carrots may be yellow, white, blue or purple, even! Originally most carrots were purple, but they did not look attractive so it was hard for the farmers to feed humans with them, but the horses loved them anyways.

I’ve seen purple tomatoes too. The darker purple the fruits and vegetables, the more antioxidant properties and rich bioflavonoids they have inside of them. That makes them more healthy for us humans too.

Prepare the heirloom produce as you would any other type. Enjoy with healthy fats like raw, grass fed butter and extra virgin olive oil to have the highest absorption rate.

I hope this helps!
Sincerely,
KJ Landis
-Author and Creator of the Superior Self series
-Now available! HAPPY HEALTHY YOU, wherever books are sold

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Health Trends Read Critically

Health Coach Gets the Flu

The 80/20 Rule

Heirloom Veggies

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