Integrating movement, mindset and flow
-
Protein pointers
Experts recommend consuming 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight, but many people find reaching that level almost impossible, especially if they have a plant-based diet or food-allergies. Girls Gone Strong recently shared a cheat sheet with certification students like me, with ideas for carnivores, vegans and everyone in between. Sign up for…
-
Sleepless in Seattle – Part 1
And Bellingham. And Tacoma. And Hood River. And Portland. I was exhausted and needing to nap almost daily for more than five years before I started resolving the problem. Everyone talks about sleep hygiene – Huberman Lab (one of my favorite resources for geeking out on the science behind health) has a never-ending array of episodes…
-
How drinking is different for women
Follow along for insights about how alcohol affects women differently, especially in menopause. Fact #1: Women process alcohol differently than men Compared to men, women have less water in their blood to dilute alcohol. So the alcohol they do drink is going to be more concentrated. Their brains and organs will likely be exposed to more…
-
The joys of alcohol-free imbibing
YMMV, but one thing I quickly learned in alcohol-free life was that my palate really preferred drinks that didn’t pretend to be cocktails. Maybe because my two favorites, dirty martinis and lemon drops, were both ethanol-heavy, and replicating that flavor without alcohol didn’t work. (I have receipts for many middle-to-high-shelf non-alcoholic spirits to prove it.)…
-
Pain, uncertainty and endless work
Though that’s not an especially cheery way to introduce a story, Phil Stutz noted yesterday in “Meet the Shrinks” that those are the “three things that everyone has to face.” One of the tools that the psychotherapist uses to transmute pain is the “Reversal of Desire” tool – those in yesterday’s Zoom call were privy…
-
Learning about flow
Flow is defined as an “optimal state of consciousness, a state where you feel your best and perform your best,” according to Steven Kotler. Flow is being in the zone, where everything unnecessary to life in that moment is stripped away. Flow is also key to peak performance, which has an obvious tie-in to wellness.…
-
Diary of a water-hater
“I hate water. How can I hydrate enough?” Don’t worry. I get you. Throughout most of my life, the only reason I could find to hydrate was to perform better in competitions. Everyday life? That’s what coffee and Red Bull are for! Eventually, my body rebelled if I didn’t give it the same amount of…
-
Rethink menopause
Thinking of saying goodbye to alcohol? If you’re a woman in/near menopause, you have more reasons than you might realize. Hot flashes and mood changes tend to be more pronounced when women drink. So do sleep problems. And perhaps most concerning, those who imbibe face higher risks of potentially-deadly cardiovascular and bone health problems. Even…
-
Adventure isn’t only about adrenaline
Here’s a continuation of thoughts about my core values – health, curiosity, challenge, adventure and peace. Aligning our actions with our values is key to true wellness. For me, adventure might look like: Adventure is defined as “an unusual, exciting, and possibly dangerous activity.” A lot of people focus on the “possibly dangerous” part of the definition, but I focus…
-
The power of breath
When I woke up today, I was excited about being introduced to holotropic breathwork, but didn’t realize it was going to be such a transformative experience. Stanislav Grof created this modality that utilizes controlled, rapid breathing alongside music to create healing. Today’s session was facilitated by Vic Oddo, who I met via the Conscious Business…
