Blog - Superior Self

Tips for Healthier Exercise Programs

8/9/2021

We all know that exercise is good for the body, mind, and soul. It keeps us connected to ourselves, our physical prowess, our friends, family, and even nature, seeing ourselves as part of something greater. When we move our body regularly, the reward is seeing real progress. Every day that we get out there (no matter how fast or slow we go), your body is getting stronger, you're building stamina, and your healthy choices will become easier.

Get a Good Night's Sleep:
The whole day feels better when we are well rested, and the body will perform better, no matter what form of exercise we partake in. When we sleep, the body goes into in rest, repair, and recover mode, so we can be ready to perform well the following day. If we are not getting enough sleep, the body doesn't have time to make all the repairs, which makes it more likely to feel tired, or some sort of muscle discomfort. Research suggests lack of sleep, on a regular basis can contribute to stress, anxiety, high blood pressure, irritability, poor performance, and muscle soreness or pain. Know when to take a rest day or reduce the effort to protect your body.

Take Deep Belly Breaths:

Professional singers and yogis train the breath like we train our bodies. Remember, the breath is a function of the body, perhaps the most important one. Deep breathing in the nose and visualizing it going down to the pubic bone actually helps us engage and take in more oxygen. More oxygen inwards creates more oxygen going to every part of the body, with less muscle fatigue after a good exercise session. Lie down and put one hand on the belly and one on your heart. Practice this a few times a day. As you inhale through the nose, feel the belly rise naturally, expanding the belly, pulling more air down into the lower part of the body. Relax the chest and shoulders away from the ears. Your hand should rise as your belly expands. As you exhale, contract your belly and feel the contraction, belly button pulls in to the spine. If you start panting during a walk, run, hike, or indoor exercise activity, slow down. Watch your breath, and try again to engage deep belly breathing.

Music:

Music has always been a part of humans' existence. Music has been an inspiration, a motivation, a release, and more. Music is shown to inspire exercisers to go longer, harder, faster, stronger, and with rhythm! Remember the theme song from Rocky? Or Chariots of Fire? Any music can add energy to your steps and to your life. I ran 16 marathons in my 40s, and I always said to myself that if my ipods die, I am calling a taxi. I am done. Don't place the music so loud that you cannot stay alert to your surroundings.

Be well,
KJ Landis
GO TO MY YOUTUBE: SuperiorSelf channel for more insight!

Glycemic Index and Glycemic Load

8/2/2021

This week, I was reading a blog on the Harvard Medical School website. I adore their research programs and how they share with everyone in an easy to understand fashion. Some of the information was gathered there and I encourage you all to subscribe to their free newsletter.

When we eat any plant food, there are carbohydrates in them. Carbohydrates break down into glucose sugar in the blood stream. The difference between spinach leaves and a candy bar is that the candy bar has more refined sugar and much less fiber, making the sugar load higher, creating a surge of energy as we digest and absorb the nutrients. Then we quickly reduce the high amount of sugar in the blood stream, lowering energy quite rapidly. The high fiber in the spinach leaves creates the glucose to move slower in digestion and absorption, creating a more even energy flow throughout the body through time. What are the facts about the glycemic load of foods? Since different carbohydrate-containing foods affect blood sugar differently, the effects can be quantified by measures known as the glycemic index and glycemic load. What do these numbers really mean — and just how useful are they?

The glycemic index (GI) assigns a numeric score to a food based on how drastically it makes your blood sugar rise. Foods are ranked on a scale of 0 to 100, with pure glucose (sugar) given a value of 100. The lower a food's glycemic index, the slower blood sugar rises after eating that food. In general, the more processed a food is, the higher its GI, and the more fiber or fat in a food, the lower it's GI.
What it doesn't tell you is how high your blood sugar could go when you actually eat the food. To understand a food's complete effect on blood sugar, you need to know both how quickly it makes glucose enter the bloodstream and how much glucose per serving it can deliver. A separate measure called the glycemic load does both — which gives you a more accurate picture of a food's real-life impact on your blood sugar. Watermelon, for example, has a high glycemic index (80). But a serving of watermelon has so little carbohydrate that its glycemic load is only 5. Does this sound confusing? It does to me, and I am not burdened with Diabetes 2. Some nutrition experts feel that focusing on the glycemic index and load adds an unneeded layer of complexity to choosing what to eat.

The American Diabetes Association focuses on the total amount of carbohydrate in a food, rather than its glycemic index and load, being a stronger predictor of what will happen to blood sugar. Staying healthy by eating less processed foods overall, and looking at the nutrition profiles of packaged foods are really important for our self knowledge and power to control our lives. Moving the body daily, drinking lots of water, having a connection to others, and finding quiet time for meditation, mindfulness, prayer, and silence are key to reaching and overall wellness.

Be well,
KJ Landis
GO to my youTube channel, SuperiorSelf, for motivation and inspiration!

Featured in this issue

L-Theanine to the Rescue!

7/26/2021

Recently I was reading a blog in the Miracle Noodle website. I am a big fan of konjac noodles and rice, first being exposed to the root vegetable pastes and cubes while living in Japan in the early 1990s. Miracle noodles are made from the konjac root, fibrous and low carb. I keep an eye on the blogs on their website and love how they bring the science of food to the regular person, helping the non-scientists learn more about what is in our food. This particular blog was researched and written by Judd Handler. As I learned, I was intrigued about the amino acid, L-Theanine. It is usually found in green tea. Green tea also has caffeine, so if one is sensitive to caffeine (I am), then we can reap the benefits of the amino acid without the caffeine by taking it as a supplement. I just ordered a bottle and we shall see how focused and calm I feel after taking it regularly. I am not an afiliate of any product or supplement

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. In addition to protein building amino acids, there are also non-protein amino acids. Researchers believe non-protein amino acids help protect plants against insects. This also allows for the plant species to not go extinct. They can procreate if protected from demise. They also play a key role in plant metabolism.

What is L-Theanine? L-Theanine is a non-protein amino acid that may help us balance our own metabolism, and assist with anxiety, helping us to be calm as we need to focus on tasks like work, school, errands, and chores. Modern society is busier than ever, and we need to perform, produce, and feel empowered doing so.

L-Theanine is naturally found in tea. It is more abundant in green tea leaves because green tea is not heated or fermented for a long time, therefore green tea is younger and dried more quickly. The compound L-Theanine is becoming more popular among consumers for its ability to induce calmness without drowsiness. Who among us doesn't need that these days?

Benefits of L-Theanine:

Cognitive-enhancing
Supports good mood
Anti-stress and anti-anxiety properties
Improves sleep quality
Increases attention span

How Does L-Theanine work? We have brain messengers constantly hard at work regulating our brain function, and all other vital functions. These chemical messengers turn on or off hormones which determine our psychological state. Serotonin is a happy, calm inducing hormone helping other hormones to control appetite, and sleep quality, attention span, memory, and mood regulation. Gaba is a hormone which regulates anxiety and also helps us not to receive pain if in a happy state. L-Theanine works in part by preserving chemical neurotransmitter messengers and elevating other non-protein amino acids in the body. Another way in which L-theanine works is by boosting alpha waves in the brain, seen to elevate during REM sleep and meditation. (Yet another reason to meditate!)

I want to thank Judd Handler for opening my eyes on yet another superfood! As always, do your own research, and try out things on yourself with a health practitioner's guidance.

Be Well,
KJ Landis

Neutralizing Polarities

7/19/2021

In my meditation practice, we are often reminded to steer away from cravings and aversions. If we feel a craving towards something or some action, when we do not get that, it causes a suffering from the desire, the craving. That creates a misery in our lives. When we feel an aversion away from something, someone, or some action, the experience in our past is placing the aversion there. We steer away from it in our future. If it presents itself again and we cannot get away from it, we create a misery in our lives.

How do we find relief from constant craving and aversion? How do we alleviate our miseries, though they may be slight or strong? Maybe our cravings and aversions are a result from a past life experience. Enjoy the moment without craving more and more exactly like it. Acknowledge the past aversions with an openness toward experiencing situations as if for the first time. Let the pendulum in our minds not swing. Stay in the middle mind, no cravings and aversions. Observe the breath more and more with each day, during each quiet time. We can observe with the equal mind by realizing that all of our energy rises up, passes away, and dissipates. Just like us. We are born, grow up, grow older, dissipate, and fade away.

This is the natural order of things. When we realize we are part of a much larger ebb and flow, we can remain in the middle. This is a way to stay focused on neutralizing our tendencies to be polarized so much of the time. I recommend mindfulness and meditation. My personal preference is Vipassana meditation, but there are many options out there. Our daily practice helps us find peace while in the human experience.

Blessings,
KJ Landis

Nutrition Basics: Fats, Carbs, and Proteins

7/12/2021

Today we will land upon a mini nutrition course. We will learn the basics of what general categories foods are in and what they do inside the body. All foods fall into three major categories: fats, carbohydrates, and proteins. These basic building blocks of nutrition are called macronutrients.

Dietary fats are oily, smooth in texture, and have a creamy mouth feel. They are very satisfying to the tongue and tummy. Fats are very satiating, which means after a fatty meal, we can go for a long time before we become hungry again. Some foods containing fats are nuts, seeds and their oils, meats and their skins, rendered lard or tallow, fish and seafood, olives and their oil, avocados and their oils, and dairy.

Fats slow down the absorption of the foods eaten alongside of them as well, helping the body absorb at a higher rate the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals in those foods. The term we use for the vitamins, minerals, and phytochemicals in our food supply is called micronutrients.

Carbohydrates are the rapid energy givers in our food. Carbohydrates come from fruits, vegetables (both starchy and non-starchy), grains, beans, dairy, and sugars. The textures in carbohydrates can vary wildly, and so can the fiber content. All carbohydrates break down into glucose sugar during digestion. Then our body knows to use it as energy. The glucose further turns into glycogen, which is then stored in our muscle cells for active use. Our body breaks down a candy bar, a glass of orange juice, and a bowl of cabbage into glucose. The difference between the rate of even, balanced energy in the body versus a spike of energy and then a crash, is the amount of fiber in the carbohydrate source. Fiber slows down the rate of absorption and transference into energy. This is better for regulating the body’s supply of energy. We can usually tell after eating each food type whether we feel tired or ready to take on the world.

Proteins are the muscle builders in our food. They are made up of amino acids, some of which our body can make, and others which our body cannot make. The amino acids our body cannot make we must get from food. They are called essential amino acids. Protein is found in meat, fish, seafood, nuts, seeds, dairy, and some fruits and vegetables. If we consume more protein that our body needs for fuel, the protein can convert into glucose. This is called gluconeogenesis.

As you may have noticed, some foods cross over into more than one category. A slice of cheddar cheese contains fats, carbohydrates, and protein. Black beans are thought to be a great source of protein, but a closer look reveals that they only contain about thirty percent protein. The rest is carbohydrates and fat. Then we must determine what percentage of that protein can actually be absorbed and used by the body. This absorption rate is called bioavailability. Nuts are another food source that have all three basic components in them.

A fun activity that the family can play around with is to list the most typically recognized foods in each category and then decide together which foods have more than one macronutrient in them.

All three components are vital for people to be well at any age. Excess fats, carbohydrates, and proteins can lead to body fat. That is, if you consume obscene amounts of food daily, your body must store the extra fuel somewhere, usually on the hips, thighs, and abdomen. If one is consuming refined, processed foods, convenience foods, and junk foods with little nutrient density, the process occurs rapidly and easily. Our bodies do not know what to do with the unnatural edible food “wannabes.” Real, whole foods slow down the digestion and absorption rate, therefore providing the body with what it needs to thrive. Doesn’t that sound good?

Be well,
KJLandis
SuperiorSelf on YouTube

Long Term Health Goals

7/5/2021

We are on earth for a limited time. Even our long term goals are really short term goals in the grand scheme of things. It is how we carry ourselves and what we choose to partake in every moment that will make a difference in our health and happiness. It will also make a difference in the legacy we leave behind. If we want to be truly healthy and balanced in mind, body, and spirit, we must change our behavior and then the rest will follow naturally, eventually. Self trust is key too. Trust the fact that you have arrived here and now, reading this blog at exactly the right time in your life. I have seen the perfect body out there...and it is mine. I have seen the perfect body out there...and it is yours. At any stage in our journey our bodies have provided us with our heart, legs, arms, breath, and life. Be grateful for your perfect body. I am.

I’m not special. I mean, I am extraordinarily special, but not any more special than you. I’m a normal human being going through the regular routines of any active mother, wife, and employee. I’m extremely busy catering to everybody’s needs while taking care of me, too. I am a server (waitress in old-school talk) at a busy restaurant that has food all around, all of the time. I am constantly offered leftovers, tastings, alcohol, food training, and food gifts brought in by coworkers. I have plenty of opportunities to indulge in the wrong foods and the right foods every single day. I must love myself more than the momentary dip into foods that don’t serve my higher purpose. You have the same health and food choices as I do. As I said, I am not that special.

I hope these words of wisdom hit you at the right time in your life.
Blessings,
KJ Landis
SuperiorSelf channel on YouTube

What's in My Food??

6/21/2021

There are so many words and images on our packaged food items that it can tend to confuse us or entice us. The front of packaged foods are the marketing heart of the food industry. Bold words like HEART HEALTHY, WHOLE GRAINS, ALL NATURAL, and NO ADDED SUGAR may not tell the whole story of what is in the product. To understand the whole story of what is in the food we need to turn the package over and read the back.

On the back we find the nutritional information and the ingredients list. In the ingredients list, the food companies must list the ingredients in the order which has the most to least. For example, if we have dates as the first ingredient in the list, there are more dates than anything else in the product. Does that mean we have a healthy low sugar option? Perhaps not. Dates are a naturally sweet fruit and even if the front of the box says NO SUGAR ADDED, ALL NATURAL, there will be a lot of natural sugar in the food. If one is monitoring their sugar intake overall, it may be something to note, especially if diabetic or on a wellness protocol that encourages one to lessen their overall sugar intake. In the nutrition list, there will be the portion recommended. That can be deceiving as well. Do we really eat a 1/3 cup of granola? I haven't met anyone who has. So the calorie and nutrition data is for smaller portions than folks really consume. Added sugars are listed, but it also shows total sugars, natural or not. Be mindful of that.

If you cannot pronounce the words on the ingredients list, it may be chemical, artificial, additives, and/or preservatives. With the world wide web in your hand, look up the item on your smart phone. Knowledge is power.

Be your best, dear readers.

Blessings,
KJ Landis

Exponential Energy

6/14/2021

I am studying a certification course for Vinyasa Yoga. During my hours of reading, lectures, and self inquiry, a lot of deep understanding of energy is seeping into me. The ancient texts reflect that the body moves in certain ways to conserve energy, expand energy, gain energy, and then to be still with our energy observed within ourselves. It is in the stillness that we can grow and assimilate all of the five senses of experience into our deepest selves. I call it my soul spot. Throughout the process of taking care of ourselves through movement and non-movement, we can then share energy.

Let us look at this from a plant perspective. When we grow a plant from a seed or observe plants in nature, it is obvious that plants seamlessly receive the sun's light energy, the water's replenishment, air, space to grow, and the earth's mineral nutrients. In nature, some plants take care of the other types of plants naturally. We find certain plants naturally growing together. They may provide shade, share information with their roots, and share water if one has too much or too little. In fact, using the underground fungal network, plants talk to each other. They can donate carbon to one another and even send warnings of chemical or insect invasion though the fungal "web." Do plants think with their ego? No. It is part of their DNA to care and share energy.

We can learn from nature and really take deep care of ourselves and others in the same way. Humans also need light energy from the sun, water, nutrients from the earth, air, and space to grow and to gain energy. Absorbing all we need is our birthright. When we take care of ourselves with movement, fuel, water, rest, and relationships, we gain energy. When we learn to move or sit in silence, we grow that energy even more.

When we serve others without resentment, we have more and more energy to give freely. When we take deep care of ourselves, we gain exponential energy to share even more. That is the work of love. How can a mother love her child so much that she just gave birth to and really doesn't even know all that well? That is the work of love. Then when a mother gives birth to her second child, the love grows exponentially, without even thinking of it, really. Where the energy goes, the love flows. That is exponential energy in action!

Blessings,
KJ Landis

Unconditional Love

6/7/2021

So many of us love and are loved by others. We usually seek idolization in a sense, meaning we want to be upheld with the utmost respect, care, consideration, kindness, and generosity of spirit. Can this be extended to unconditional love? What is unconditional love? Is it similar to universal love and compassion?

I may have some personal insight from recent events in my life. Last week our family adopted 2 kittens, aged 10 weeks old. They were a little shy for the first few minutes in the living room. Then they settled quite comfortably on my daughter's lap, where they relaxed for hours as she stroked them lovingly. Within a day we witnessed unconditional love. Even though the kittens play fight, and discover their fears and fearlessness, they love each other and us unconditionally. They accept us as we are. We also accept them with their messes, meows, and desires without any expectations. This is unconditional love.

We humans can learn so much from our animal kingdom. What if we treated everyone with the same demeanor with which we treat our beloved pets? Wouldn't that be wonderful? Is this the unconditional love we so desire? If we give and get this from our pets, what would our world look like if we extended the behavior towards all creatures, big and small?

Be loving, my friends.

In Gratitude,
KJ Landis

Why I LOOOVE Yoga

5/31/2021

Yoga is an ancient art of movement that is not quite as old as caveman activities, but very valuable for the body, mind, and spirit. I am a huge fan of yoga, especially hot yoga.

Yoga practices go back more than 5000 years. It originated in India. The word yoga means to join together the mind and the body. It naturally incorporates breathing, exercise, and meditation. There are thousands of poses that we hold for a short time. Physical yoga is meant to be a system of getting us ready for Yoga, with a capital Y. When we get the body ready to settle down through movement we are preparing for sitting and meditating for a while. Yoga with a capital Y is meditation.

My favorite type of yoga is Hot Yoga, 26/2 series. It has been my favorite style to practice for 9 years. Hot yoga is a guided 90 minute class in a room that is heated to 105 degrees Fahrenheit with humidity at 46%. There are 26 poses repeated twice and two breathing exercises. I sweat profusely during class, and usually I drink at least half of a gallon of water during practice.

My first class went something like this: I walked into the studio and it was eerily quiet. I thought it was an exercise class, not a meditation center! Then I went into the yoga room itself. I almost passed out from the stinky smell of sweaty feet and socks. There are no shoes or socks allowed in the area where yoga was practiced, so I knew it came from the buckets of sweat pouring off of the people practicing. Maybe it was the carpet absorbing the funk for years. When I asked about the odor, the staff said they steam cleaned the carpet daily. It is part of the culture of the environment, I guess. The room was damn hot too. The more people that showed up, the higher the room temperature got. It got up past 112 degrees.

I loved the fact that I was finally warm all over, from the inside out, from my bones to my skin! (After losing my chunk of weight, I was cold so often that I bought the biggest, baddest electric blanket I could find.) The class was hard and I perspired more than I had ever done before, with even more sweat dripping off of me than when I ran a marathon! Then, after my first class, I needed a nap.

Something clicked in me. A new challenge! I was not going to let the stink and exhaustion win. I went back a few times that week. After about three weeks the odor magically didn’t exist in my senses anymore, and exhaustion transformed into exhilaration. I am excited each night now to prepare my yoga bag for the next morning. On occasion, when I sleep only a few hours a night due to scheduling challenges, it is a complete deep sleep, and it leaves me satisfied and ready for more yoga.

The poses are meant for beginners. Every class is vocally instructed in the exact same way. It is up to practitioner to decide how far to push themselves. One gets more advanced by pushing deeper into the poses. Muscles are held tightly and blood flow is constricted, followed by release, and then fresh oxygenated blood travels rapidly to that area of the body. This is a high intensity cardio workout as well because when we grip with all of our God given power to our maximum capacity, the heart rate goes way up.

Stomach, stomach, stomach. The teachers emphasize tightening the abdomen throughout almost every pose to protect the lower back. This is beneficial to my body image and self esteem as well because the results are fabulous looking abdominal muscles. Strong abdominal muscles support the back muscles. I have recently seen tiny bulges of muscle in between my larger muscles, all over my body. (I have muscles. Even my muscles have muscles!) Hot yoga definitely supports the parts of our physique that some sports and exercise routines overlook. I’m over a half century old and I am as flexible as I was when I was in my late teens. Hot yoga never gets easier either! Every class is different depending upon my food and water intake, my mood, my quality of sleep, my work effort, etc. I keep waiting for it to become a breeze, yet it never does.

Some things I have noticed after more than 9 years of hot yoga are: my sweat does not sting my eyes anymore, I rarely catch a cold or flu, I heal rather rapidly from cuts and bruises, my menstruation does not provide me with mood swings, and I have a complete, restful sleep. I wake up thoroughly refreshed and ready to take on the day.

Hot yoga is a part of my regime, but not my complete routine. It prepares me for walking, spinning, weight training, hiking, and serving food and beverages as a server for six to eight hours in the evenings.

I heartily encourage everybody to search and experiment with many forms of physical movement. See what makes you happy for any amount of time each day. A happy exerciser will spill some of that happiness onto someone else. That contagious energy is a gift to somebody who may have just needed a jolt of love at that very moment. If you are not a loner by nature (and we humans are social creatures...), enlist others to join you. There is power in numbers and a sense of accountability too. Making plans with somebody else on their road to health and fitness may just push you to suit up and show up. That is one step closer to your superior self.

BIG LOVE,
KJ Landis

Fun Movement!

5/24/2021

Traditional exercise programs of the past fifty years varied immensely. Some schools of thought were focused on long bouts of cardiovascular exercise. Other programs were geared toward weight training only. Women were traditionally advised to do “aerobics” and “calisthenics.” If we go waaaaay back, exercise was more functional. We gardened, hunted, gathered, walked, and played. We squatted while cooking and cleaning. We moved heavy things and sprinted when being chased or chasing something. These types of activities used more than one body part at a time. Survival was a workout in itself!

The current trend is to go back to functional movement exercise in order to live to a ripe old age without aches and pains. High intensity interval training uses bursts of speed and strength followed by moderate exertion or a short period of rest. It is very useful, efficient, and takes less time than chronic cardio or hours in the gym. Some examples of this are cross fit training, TRX training, capoeira, sprints followed by walking, etc. There are many opportunities to explore the so-called “new” workouts on the internet. See what appeals to you, and go for it! You have nothing to lose and everything good to gain. If you try some new exercise program and it turns out not to be fun for you, I suggest that you try something different. The key word is FUN! If something feels fun, there is a higher motivation to stick with it. If you see results in your body image, or results are progressing in your strength and stamina, this is all positive reinforcement of your health getting better and better. That can be extremely motivating to us, and we will probably go back to that activity go back one more time (or more).

When considering the types of movement that hunter-gatherers participated in, we must acknowledge that they had calm times of sitting around their shelters, stretching or working on weaving, skinning animals, and doing domestic type activities. They also foraged for food by walking hours a day.

In today’s world, we have replaced walking all day looking for food with creating extra busy lives. We keep moving by over scheduling. We drive to most activities and usually sit at each event. Most desk jobs are done sitting. We look for things to do instead of looking for food. We look for money, relationships, clearances, clubs, and hobbies. Usually this disappoints us, so we keep moving on to other things to keep us busy. If we change this business of busyness, eat nourishing foods, and move around more, we can be happy with a less packed schedule.

Think about it.
Love,
KJ Landis

Reaching Waaay Back to the Future

5/16/2021

If we reach back far enough in human history, we find that human beings only began eating grains about ten thousand years ago, with the onset of the agricultural revolution. The population did not eat grains every day either, just like they didn’t eat fruit every day. They ate these things when they were available, when they grew in their area under ideal climate conditions, and when they were ripe enough to fall or be picked without too much effort. In grains’ case, they had to learn to soak and then grind them, before cooking over a fire. Only then, the grain was edible. Eating in a modern world with the principles of those who ate millions of years before grain was discovered and consumed is called many things. Some call it Paleolithic eating. Others refer to it as Primal eating. I have heard it named the Ancestral diet, the Evolutionary diet, and so on.

Fundamentally, if we eat as our forefathers did for millions of years before grains were consumed, we can see great improvements upon the Standard American Diet. Then we can see marked improvements in whole person care, not sick care. Taking the responsibility into our own hands instead of relying on doctors and pills to “fix” us is a large and empowering task. We are up to the challenge if we have the correct information and tools.

Many times when I am coaching people or when I am at the grocery store helping people learn how to shop to nourish the whole person, they will reach for the same edible food-like products they have put into their baskets for years. My eyebrows go up, my eyes widen in question, and this is usually the response given to me: “It’s low fat, it’s whole wheat, it’s got vitamins and minerals added, it has the American Heart Association logo stamped on it!” My favorite answer I heard is, “It’s not for me, it’s for the kids...”

You are not married to your past! Those past choices are what brought us to this disarrayed state of health in the first place. I am not saying that we are bad or guilty of wrong-doing. I’m saying that we have unfortunately been fooled for a long time by the mainstream food manufacturers and media dollars. Now we can choose differently. Now we have scientific research and success stories of friends and loved ones to provide both proof and anecdotal evidence that clean and green foods are the way to go. Create a new story.

Do I want my children to suffer the ups and downs of body weight and fat gain? Do I want my children to ride the emotional roller coaster of health drama and body image issues? No! So many of us have to come to this point in our lives where we have psychological damage caused by weight gain, as well as the mental and physical stress the accompanying chronic conditions create. I say it is time to think differently about body image. Create a new story for yourself and the generations to follow. One can be large and very fit and healthy. One can be lean and not fit and healthy.

I encourage you to reach waaaay back to our ancient people’s way of eating to ensure a brighter food and health future. Now is the time to go back to the beginning. We already have many convenience foods that are healthy for us when we are on the run. If you don’t have time to cook or clean your foods properly, there are ready-washed-and-cut vegetables and fruits at grocery stores and convenience markets. Single serve packets of raw nuts and seeds are available for reasonable prices. Even dollar store have healthy options. Read your labels carefully though. Use the modern conveniences without sacrificing your principles of health values and time values. It is doable. You got this!

With Gratitude,
KJ Landis
Visit me on the SuperiorSelf channel on YouTube

Impulse Eating

5/10/2021

Even the most healthy folks will relax and have a treat now and then. One who has food sensitivities after eating a more healthy lifestyle and avoiding certain foods for their health will have an impulse moment. Impulse eating is a normal part of our human experience. It is also a normal part of the human experience to judge ourselves afterwards. Let us first look at the difference between food sensitivities and food allergies.

Food sensitivities and food allergies are not the same thing. Allergies occur in the blood stream. Sensitivities occur in the stomach or intestines. Allergies can have a dramatic reaction that can sometimes be dangerous or even deadly. Sensitivities are usually milder and can resemble “normal” aches, pains, acne, flu, or cold symptoms. If I suffered from a rash, stomach pain, diarrhea, or back pain right after ingesting a particular food that I could identify, I would avoid it for a while. Then to make certain that the food in question was or was not the culprit, I would try it again. Sometimes our food sensitivities change over time and we can eat what previously made us feel discomfort.

Eating food that causes me headaches or stomach pain will make me eat it less often. It definitely has an impact on me, but I will indulge once in a while even though I know the discomfort that comes later. Humans naturally attempt to avoid pain. I will have "forbidden foods" now and then, fully knowing the consequences.

Let us now change the thought process which follows many of us after impulse eating. Focus on remembering that you are a spirit on a human journey and you choose to have this human challenge of optimum health and wellness. Love yourself a little more each day, each time that you reach for something nutritious and life giving. Moving closer to your true self is the real you, moving in a positive direction. I encourage you to love yourself a little bit more rather than beat yourself up mentally or feel guilty if you eat something that resulted in a gain or a pain. It is just information, not a judgement call. Of course you can have a treat now and again! Stop the insanity. Breathe slowly and say, "Food doesn't define me as a good or bad human."

Positive self talk on a daily basis affirms our strength and power from the inside out. It is a systematic way to successfully change one’s thoughts and habits for life. Our way of viewing who we truly are will improve.

Blessings,
KJ Landis

Their Stories, Part 3

5/3/2021

This is the 3rd in the series about folks who I have coached in health and wellness. Once we feel good inside, it reflects upon our whole lives, in many aspects.

Wendy~
Wendy works for a self help and transformative company. They host intensive, weeklong therapy sessions where true personal change can happen. At first I thought she may have tried to reach the wrong person. How could I help her? She has coaching available at her fingertips.

She asked me to coach her on a 26 day round of HCG because she heard my story and advice when I was a guest on the HCG Body for Life podcast. Wendy said she had been trying to reach me for a long time. She felt my messages of continued health and maintenance had concrete advice and spiritual wisdoms that resonated with her. She had done HCG before and had cheated every few days. She had gained and lost the same 10 to 15 pounds a few times. Her desire was to stop the yoyo dieting and finally be in a place where she could not obsess about her size. She wanted to breathe and be free!

Our work together has been very honest and fulfilling for both of us. She realized that her cheating while on the HCG was a reflection of her bucking authority. What a real breakthrough. Wendy is inspiring to me because she never gives up. The striving to better her life, to let go of the past, and to follow new rules that she makes herself is uncharted territory. Go Wendy, go!

Ricky~
Ricky was one of my biggest skeptics. He came to one of my wellness workshops in the middle of the nine week series. He was 30 pounds overweight. He had severe allergies and asthma his entire adult life. The allergies and asthma kept him from moving around very often or very well. Regular exercise was not available to him in his current condition. Ricky had constant constipation for ten years, caused by his medications.

He was jaded to say the least, but he stayed with me for the entire workshop, asked questions and proceeded to promise to do the first step, the gallon of water a day for a month (he chose the slower promises to himself rather than the weekly shifts, which is completely fine with me).

Ricky is in his 60s and is a talented painter and comedian. He made jokes about the Guide to Wellness from Within that got the whole room rolling with laughter, but I was well aware that his humor was an attempt to cover up his fear.

Fast forward thirty days: Ricky has lost 10 pounds without changing anything else in his diet. He is more energized to complete his honey-do list that the family gives him. He is clearer with his thoughts, and his relationships with his sons have improved. His battle with constipation is over. Ricky walks an hour every day around his neighborhood. He now is my biggest supporter, and is ready to take on step two, removing wheat and gluten from his diet. He is excited to see where the steps take him, now that he has seen proof that it works!

Vivian~
Vivian and I met in a silent, sweaty hot yoga class. She chatted with me after class, when usually people crawl to the door like limp rags. At age 83, Vivian had been doing hot yoga for years, took an eight year break, and then came back. She still worked, drove, and took care of a house with an extensive garden. Vivian and I talked every few days. One morning she shared that she had type 2 diabetes. She was shaped like an apple but not fat by any means. I was surprised that she had diabetes. Vivian asked me to meet her at the library and walk her through the Guide to Wellness from Within. We met and discussed the steps to help shift her eating and drinking, but she was already doing most of the program on her own volition. There were only a few corrections to be tackled. She took notes and took me seriously.

I checked in with her every few weeks and we have had some great conversations full of light and laughter. There is a great mutual respect there. I respect Vivian because of her agility and her ability to be fully active and vibrant as a senior in today’s world. Many folks her age are slowing way down. She respects me because I was willing to help her and take time away from my children and jobs in order to give her the tools that she could use practically to change her health for the better.

I’m beaming with pride at her progress. Vivian has reported to me that after just three months of using the guide, her doctor told her that her diabetes is completely gone. She continues to test her blood sugar levels with a glucose monitor and is sweetly satisfied that her numbers are now in the optimum range every day. Vivian is an inspiration to the rest of the world because she shows us that you can teach an old dog new tricks after all. It is never too late, especially when the results are proof that when one does the work, the work leads to measurable success.

Blessings,
KJ Landis

Their Stories, Part 2

4/26/2021

This week I continue the journey of sharing others' stories who have given me permission to do so.

Jessica~
Jessica had been withholding patience, respect, attention, and support from her own body for a long time. She loved herself, but did not know how to physically show that love to herself. She tried different cleanses and juicing techniques over the years, but seemed to bounce back into processed foods and sugary alcoholic beverages soon after.

Stress reared its head from a very young age. She dealt with the family and home stress through episodes of bulimia. The same thirty pounds came and went numerous times. In her head, she knew what to do to correct the problem. Making the brain-heart-body connection daily was an overwhelming challenge. Jessica asked me to coach her in a 43 day round of HCG.

During the protocol, Jessica learned what foods her body needed more of and what foods her body no longer craved. She gave up alcohol completely. Her resistance to exercise fell by the wayside. Jessica has actively been hiking, taking Pilates classes, and experimenting in new and unusual fitness classes. There is a renewed self confidence and self trust. She has said YES to herself and YES to life.

Danny~
Danny is a gifted massage therapist. He is intuitive in his healing and closes his eyes when he massages clients. When I first started going to him for my own massage needs, I was in the first thirty days of my HCG protocol. He watched me melt right before his eyes in the months that followed.

Over the years we have talked deeply about nutrition, fitness, and life goals. Eventually Danny asked me to guide him on his own Wellness From Within journey. Witnessing my transformation first hand motivated him to do something about his obesity.

The first week I took him shopping at an inexpensive produce market and a high end organic market. We swapped out his oils and nuts. We bought raw cheeses and healthy grain free snacks. Then I walked him through the Guide to Wellness from Within..

I feel like a proud mama! It takes a lot of courage to own up to yourself and to someone else that you know what you have been doing thus far has not been in your best health interest. Danny has been consistent in drinking a gallon of water a day. Danny fell off the wagon a couple of times in the ten weeks. After just two bites of pizza, he called me on the phone and shared that those two bites actually made him sick to his stomach. For the first time in his life he was tuning in to what his body asked for. It did not ask for pizza.

I am so happy that he entrusted me with his body goals and his future health. Danny tells me that he feels so much better physically these days. His struggle is with the rest of his family. They say they want to eat real, whole foods along with him, but they consistently buy packaged and processed foods. They overfill the pantry, cupboards, counters, and top of the refrigerator with temptations that Danny must resist. Every day is a battle, but he is winning the war.

Blessings,
KJ Landis

Their Stories

4/19/2021

I love to tell stories. I feel like stories help us to understand the meanings behind the points we are trying to get across to someone. When you read the following stories of my clients, friends, and family, see if any of their predicaments are similar to yours. If you can easily imagine yourself in their position, acknowledge it, and figure out how you would react. Would it be similar or different after recognizing that your feet could easily be in their shoes?

Most of my clients become my friends. I’m not only their mentor and coach, but also their confidante. We are intertwined in so many areas of each others’ lives. They are sharing their mental, physical, and spiritual struggles with me. I share my personal weaknesses with them too, in order to make them see that their crutches are not theirs alone. We are stronger together.

Emma~
Emma had a desire to stop eating junk foods and carbohydrates. She didn’t know anything about grains and sugars making her overweight and bloated. She just knew what she liked and had a cultural connection to many unhealthy foods. Family traditions are important to all of us. Unfortunately, for many of us, that revolves around foods that are high in processed oils, starches, and sugars. Emma had a love affair with diet cola too.

One day, she posted on a social network that she was a piggy because she ate pizza and garlic bread at the same meal. She insulted herself on the internet in front of the whole world! She deserved self love, not self loathing. I saw that post as a cry for help. I offered my guidance, and it was accepted. She promised to abide by new criteria for eating. For thirty days Emma did not consume bad dietary fats, sugar, artificial sweeteners, or grains. She increased her water to a gallon a day. She reported to me a month later that she had lost weight and her energy was renewed. Her soda consumption remained slim to none. Her family and friends noticed something shiny, sparkly, and different about her. I called it her superior self coming out of the shadows. Recently she has embarked upon green vegetable juicing as a way to increase micronutrients in her diet. Bravo!

Arthur~
Arthur is a devout Christian. He told me that one day God and Jesus helped him give up alcohol, drugs, and homelessness, cold turkey. I saw him struggle with sweets whenever our paths would intersect. One day I mustered up the courage to ask him why he could give up drugs and alcohol with the Lord’s assistance, but cave in to sugar and refined carbohydrates. I asked him to pray just as deeply for help in this area.

Soon after, he and his wife watched the documentary film featuring Joe Cross. It is called FAT, SICK, AND NEARLY DEAD. It chronicles a journey of an ill, overweight, Australian executive through his 60 day green juice fast. Joe’s illnesses cleared up, and he lost 100 pounds during the process. The film had an emotional impact on Arthur. He told me afterwards that he and his wife were planning on juicing with vegetables as a meal replacement for one meal a day. After that commitment felt comfortable, Arthur moved to two meals a day. He also increased his water tremendously. Whenever he sees me, he rushes to get a glass of water. I remind him that water intake is of the utmost importance when changing to a healthier lifestyle.

Arthur is certainly on his way. He falls off the food wagon from time to time, but we are all human. He stands up, dusts himself off, and walks tall and proud towards his healthier future.

Food addiction is not like alcohol and drug addiction. When we give up drugs and alcohol, the goal is to give it up completely. If we give up food completely, we perish and die. I believe this makes it even more difficult to evolve into superior habits with food. That is why I give kudos, huge congratulations, honor, and respect to those who finally do develop consistent eating habits that feed their brains, bodies, and spirits.

Blessings,
KJ Landis

More Q & A with KJ Landis

4/12/2021

Q: How have the nuclear disaster in Japan and pollution in general affected our seafood and fish supply? Isn’t it too risky to eat fish?

A: All living things have exposure to and accumulation of toxins from the environment. We are a product of our modern world. The longer an animal is alive, the longer amount of time one has to accumulate the toxins. The larger the animal, the more pollution one absorbs. Research shows that there are no serious poisons we should be overly concerned with. As a result of the nuclear disaster, Japan now has a stricter guideline than the world has ever had, ever, as far as radioactivity and metal toxicity in the seafood and fish supply.

We humans are very resilient. Fish and seafood are nutrient rich and healthy, especially if they are not fed grains on a fish farm. Smaller fish are less likely to have metals and toxicity in them compared to larger species. Bottom dwellers and bi-valve seafood like clams, oysters, mussels, etc. are extremely rich in zinc and other minerals that our body needs. Shrimp shells and fish bones are calcium rich, if you can stomach them. I love collecting the kids’ shrimp shells when we go out to eat, and hoard them for myself!

Q: What is GMO? What is GEO?

A: Genetically modified organisms are nicknamed GMO. It usually means crops that have been made resistant to pesticides. So when we spray the crops, the vegetables, fruits, and grains will grow while the pesty insects are killed.

Genetically engineered organisms are nicknamed GEO. It usually means foods that are engineered to be a new kind of food. An example of this is a pluot. It is a plum and an apricot cross bred to make a new fruit with flavors of both original fruits. When deciding what type of produce to buy, we must consider the earth’s environment and ways to sustain our Mother Earth. Usually non-GMO crops will be grown in more nutrient dense soil, but that is not always the case. That may result in more nutrient rich produce.

One problem in the United States with GMO foods is that there are no labeling laws for GMO crops. If an item at the grocery store specifically says non-GMO, then we can reasonably think that it is true. Other than that, there are no guarantees. Some organic crops have become GMO crops because of cross pollination in the air. If organic farms are near other farms that grow GMO crops, there is a chance they will become pollinated with GMO pollen.

Knowledge is power. Here is a list of the most common GMO crops in the USA:

soy
corn
wheat
alfalfa
papaya
canola (rapeseed)
cotton
sugar beets
zucchini
yellow squash

Recently I received a letter in the mail from my health provider. It stated that we should stay away from GMO foods. It encouraged people to stay away from GMO foods because the long term effects have not been studied yet. Eliminating those foods from our diet can resolve aches and pains associated with inflammation. These are the most common types of complaints at the doctors’ offices.

There are many more questions and answers than I could possibly include here. Please view my website, blog, YouTube channel, and Facebook page for weekly updates on queries. As you go through your journey to a happier and healthier version of yourself, do not hesitate to ask questions and seek out the answers. Do not allow the questions to keep piling up in your head to the point where you can’t move forward until you have your questions answered. Questions will continuously pop up our whole lives. That is the fabulous nature of the brilliant human mind!

Blessings,
KJ Landis

Q and A with KJ Landis

3/25/2021

Folks often ask me questions by email or in person after reading my website. The internet is full of answers, but sometimes the science changes, and so must we adapt to new information Here are some of the questions I received and researched diligently over the years to answer to the best of my ability. I am here to help you in your wellness journey.

Q: I thought I was the fittest and most committed one in the gym. Then this teeny, tiny, totally ripped woman walked into the room, and my self esteem plummeted. What gives?

A: This is a classic case of doing your best versus being the best. Showing up and working mind, body, and spirit toward your health and healing goals are huge steps to undertake. You are here and doing your best. You are reading this book for a reason. Honestly looking at yourself, the journey, and the transformation occurring right now is what counts. You are doing your best. Say this ten times and be happy where you are right now. I guarantee there will always be someone leaner and fitter than you. I also guarantee there will always be someone larger and less fit than you. That larger person may have felt defeated in the same way you did when she or he walked into the room. The smaller and fitter woman or man may have been you six months ago. We cannot figure out everybody else’s pathway to here and now, so just focus on you. Do you. Be you.

Q: There are so many fat burners out there. How do I know which ones really work?

A: After spending lots of money on fat burners purchased at the local pharmacy or health food store with no results except very expensive pee, I decided to use pharmaceutical grade fat burners with no fillers or binders. I use gelatin capsules that do not contain soy. After losing fat and weight, I reduced my collection to three that seemed to have the best effects on me. I take cinnamon, cayenne pepper, and carnitine tartrate. Two out of the three are food based so they are more bioavailable than synthetic fat burners.

Carnitine tartrate powder is an amino acid that supports fat burning and energy levels. Cinnamon regulates blood sugars throughout the day and reduces sugar cravings because there are less dips in energy. Cayenne pepper increases the heat in the body and revs up metabolism. The three fat burners together can lower cholesterol, balance sugar levels in the blood, and improve circulation. I stopped taking anything else because when I reduced my supplements, these were the deciding factors in my stabilization of weight and mood. When I experimented by taking away the synthetic fat burners, there was no difference in my health or my perception of my health. Again, read the labels. Products with less fillers and binders are better for us, and will be better absorbed by the body.

Blessings,
KJ Landis

Why Protein is Important

3/25/2021

Let's have a short discussion about protein and why it is an important part of our eating lifestyle. Proteins are tied into fats and probiotics, depending upon where they are sourced from.

Protein primarily feeds the muscle tissue, aids in repair and growth of the muscle tissue, and assists in the body’s physical performance. When the protein leaves the stomach, it has been broken down into amino acids and carries oxygen throughout the body. We rely on food for our nine essential amino acids. Those are the ones our bodies cannot manufacture on its own. Our bodies do have the capabilities to produce other amino acids without getting them from food.

It takes longer for the body to break down protein than sugars or carbohydrates, so protein keeps us fuller for a longer period of time. Protein uses up more energy in the digestion process too. Therefore, we burn more calories just by eating protein calories! Fat, however, keeps us fuller the longest of the three macronutrients; fat, carbohydrates, and protein.

I like more bang for my buck, so to speak. I like the most protein grams per portion of food. If it is a low fat option of a high protein source, I feel free to add a healthy fat to the meal.

My favorite sources of whole food protein are wild caught fish and seafood, alligator, pastured chicken, and pastured eggs. My favorite supplemental foods for protein are raw dairy foods, Quest protein bars, organic gelatin powder, plain, nonfat Greek yogurt, 100 % egg protein powder, Pure Protein brand (35 gram) vanilla shake, raw nuts, seeds, and coconut. Vegetables have protein too, research the highest protein sources on the web for a good variety of vegetables with protein. Remember, variety is key!

I don’t include beans in my diet because they take a lot of soaking and preparing for us to be able to digest them properly. They have way too much gas producing properties for me, and the carbohydrate load is way higher than the well advertised protein portion of beans. Then we have to look at the bioavailability of the human body to absorb the protein from beans. Some are better than others, but the body is trying to reject the bean in some way in order to cause such digestive distress (gas, bloating, diarrhea, etc.).

Notice the division between whole food proteins and supplemental proteins. One group is perfect for on-the-go days, and the other takes care and preparation. Of course the leftovers become the next day’s on-the-run, grab-and-go food! It is a combination of the proteins, fats, vegetables, and fruits that work in beautiful symbiosis creating optimum health. Also note that some foods overlap into more than one nutrient area. A superior health leads to superior self, in more ways than one. Your radiant energy will emerge, and others will benefit from that energy. It is inevitable. The math with love and energy doesn’t always make common sense. The more love and energy I feel, the more love and energy I have to give. And when I give it away, there’s no subtraction of love and energy. I just keep gaining more! You will too.

Blessings,
KJ Landis

Are You at War with Yourself?

3/21/2021

We are not meant to be at war with ourselves, especially not over food. When we give in to spontaneous temptation unconsciously, we are giving our power away. While on any protocol that enhances our health and power, if we suddenly say, “Screw it!” and stuff the highly processed chocolate chip muffin in our mouths, we have just given our power to that muffin. Then the muffin sits in our stomachs, we feel guilty, and maybe not so energized. Then the muffin makes its way through our digestive system and we use the restroom. Literally and figuratively, we have turned our power to crap and flushed it down the toilet. Take your power back.

The answers won’t be found in yet another new “clinically proven” magic diet pill or potion. The answers lie in your own head, heart, and hands. Take action for yourself. Research, read, and ask questions of the experts in this field. If we realistically and honestly take care of ourselves, we have the opportunity to take even greater care of our children. If we are not jumping in to our best life possible, we may not even be around or capable of caring for our next generation. I know I sound like a commercial and it seems a little cliché. I feel your heads nodding in agreement, while at the same time, slightly resistant to drastic change. I was in your shoes a few short years ago. I was trying to juggle two jobs, two kids, an insane workout schedule, friends, family, and a husband. I did not have time for me. I did not have time or money to cook clean and green, read labels, and prepare Paleo convenience foods.

So it is basically about prioritizing. Do you love yourself? Do you love yourself enough to streamline the excess stuff in your life so that you may be exuberant and full of the extra energy that the streamlining produces? The money for clean and green foods comes when we stop purchasing grains, sugars, and packaged processed foods. The money will come when we stop buying very expensive baby gifts when we know the baby prefers the pretty wrapping paper and bow the gift arrived in. The money will come when we don’t have to take the kids to the doctor for yet another cold, flu, or allergic reaction, probably caused by undiagnosed food sensitivities. Then, with that extra time away from the doctor’s office, we can go to the park and play with our children because we have time, money, and energy! Being energized and having fun play dates with my kids makes me happy. Having hiking and running dates with friends on my days off have replaced cocktails and all-you-can-eat pasta at the Italian eateries (before noon, at that!). Move more, lift heavy things, play, and laugh more. The answers are there, in your happy spot.
Blessings,
KJ Landis