Side Plank is an excellent way for athletes to build strength
This is an excellent visual on the goings-on of side plank. For those that are interested, the yoga name is Vasisthasana.
I’ve recorded a video for you on the in’s and out’s of this wonderful pose.
Athletes check out the plethora of benefits:
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Great for developing/maintaining shoulder strength for the athletes. Or rehabbing an athletes injured shoulder. When done with proper instruction, the athletes can learn to activate and stabilize the shoulder girdle in a very strong and positive way. Working to external rotate as well as internally rotating the forearm which is on the mat, helps to “co-activates” the infraspinatus and teres minor (external rotation) and the subscapularis (internal rotation) muscles of your rotator cuff.
Good place to work to develop core strength, and to learn how to put the entire kinetic chain together. Foot to trap. By pressing the edge of your lower foot/side of the foot into the mat, and then gently draw it upwards towards the shin to “evert” the foot activates a series of muscles-including the “lateral subsystem”, which connects yours shoulders and legs to your core. When you press the side of your foot into the mat, you activate the peroneus muscles as well as the abductor muscles up at your hip (the TFL and gluteus medius). These muscles have a fascial connection to your abs, specifically the external oblique (which attaches to the rim of the pelvis). The external oblique connects to your shoulders via the serratus anterior muscle. The serratus anterior is a scapular stabilizer that works in concert with the rotator cuff. So the whole operation helps to integrate your feet, legs, pelvis and lumbar–all the way up to the shoulders.
Will slim down the athletes waist. 🙂
Can give the wrists a much needed rest if you are an athlete new to yoga.
Can help athletes to identify imbalances in the core/shoulders one side to the next. And also provides you with the pose to work on to even things out. This will benefit the athlete in a really big way in the pool especially, but in general as well.
What you feed your dog is SUPER important for how she feels and how long they live.
I love dogs. LOVE LOVE LOVE them. I’ve always the rotties, pits and boxers. THE FUN DOGS! Two years ago I lost my precious girl boxer dog, Lexi, to cancer. I researched the breeder. I drove a long time to pick her out and visit her. I worked hard and took really good care of her. I still lost her to cancer too early.
After doing a lot of research in the later stages of the game for her and connecting with a really good vet, I found that what you feed your dog has a HUGE IMPACT in how they feel, the diseases that they get and how to prevent that. Just like with humans.
It’s my mission to help spread the word for our dogs. We want them to live a JUICY, FULL life and pass away well.
Here are three things that you need to know. And changes you can make TODAY without a lot of effort.
GRAINS in dog food are highly inflammatory
Ask yourself, “what does healthy look like for me?” Keeping that vision in your mind is an excellent way to move forward. You can even create a mini vision board with images of what healthy looks like for you. Try to imagine and experience what it will feel like to ACHIEVE IT. Identifying and connecting with your goals emotionally is a powerful way to rock it out.
Just like us, they need more nutrients
We are beginning to believe that humans eating out of a box is unhealthy for a lot of reasons, but this point is that there is a lack of nutrients in the food. And one BIG reason for that is because of the amount of processing involved in making the “food”.
Just the sheer amount of “messing around with it”, cooking, heating, grinding, squeezing, etc, ZAPS out all of the nutrients.
Think about this thought, for the dog and yourself. The dog in nature would have killed and eaten something fresh, which that animal would have eaten fresh stuff too. So the nutritional value would have been EXCEEDINGLY HIGHER than in a bag of dried up dog food that can (and probably has been) sitting on the shelf for…
Brands that I like: Blue, a fish flavor without grains. Call of the Wild is good too.
WATER WATER WATER
What you are feeding your dog, regardless if you are adding stew or not, the dog food needs to be WET! Soupy!
Dog food kibble is dehydrating to the dogs dry.
They must add their own fluids in the belly in order to digest it. Just like us. You add milk into your cereal to eat it.
So, this step is the EASIEST that you can do. TODAY (so do it!!!). Though if your dog is like mine, it gets a big messier.
I will be emailing out more information on how to REVAMP your dog’s nutrition. Get signed up below if you want more info!
Know why you want to get HEALTHIER!
Ask yourself, “what does healthy look like for me?” Keeping that vision in your mind is an excellent way to move forward. You can even create a mini vision board with images of what healthy looks like for you. Try to imagine and experience what it will feel like to ACHIEVE IT. Identifying and connecting with your goals emotionally is a powerful way to rock it out.
Take the plunge!
Just DO IT!!! Go try a different class. If you really want to kick it up a notch, try something that really gets your legs moving. Like a spin class. Or a step class.
Keep it loose!
When you are doing any type of exercise, always keep your knees and elbows slightly bent.
This will keep your joints happier, as they won’t be hyperextended as well as developing more strength around the joint itself.
Count down!
When doing reps, decide how many you are doing, then count down. Help you to finish it up. And finish it STRONG! This will add to your staying power. And develop more mental toughness. Closer you get to your goal of 1, like a finish line, harder it is to quit.
Take it outside!
Taking your workouts outside every now and then is a great way to feel rejuvenated. Plus you could use the sunshine and fresh air. Have a dog…take your bestie out and enjoy nature!
Simple Food Habits to Help You Preserve Your Precious Brain
Although the brain is such a complex organ, determining who we are and how we navigate our way through this world, its maintenance and care doesn’t have to be complicated. Just keep these basic facts in mind:
Your Brain Loves Fat
60 percent of your brain is made up of fat, so the kind of fat that you need to consume has to be of a very high quality. Your brain is especially fond of omega-3 fats, but it also needs omega-6 fats. These essential fats are very delicate and prone to damage, so you need to consume an undamaged blend.
Your Brain Loves Water
The largest component in your body is water, so you need to consume enough clean, uncontaminated water to keep your body and brain well hydrated.
Your Brain Loves Protein
Protein is important not just for building muscle, but also for keeping your neurons talking effectively. If you don’t eat enough good quality protein, your neurons battle to chat to each other, and you could find it difficult to concentrate, leading to memory challenges. Protein should be organic if it comes from an animal, and you need to combine grains with legumes to make complete protein if you are a vegetarian.
Your Brain Is The Greediest Organ In Your Body
Your brain is the most energy hungry organ in your body. It needs a constant, stable supply of good quality carbohydrates. Vegetables and low-sugar fruit provide good, fresh sources of carbohydrates for sustained energy production, while processed and refined carbohydrates provide short-term energy fixes.
Choose whole grains and legumes for sustained energy release too, and your brain will enjoy optimal energy supply. A wide variety of fresh produce will also supply vitamins and minerals that your brain needs to function optimally.
Your Brain On Coffee
Caffeine supplies a quick rush of energy to your brain, because it stimulates the release of adrenaline. This makes you feel energetic to start with, but this soon tapers off, leaving you in need of another “fix”. Try one of the great herbal teas available, or opt for plain old-fashioned water, with a dash of lime. Most people don’t need another stress kick, and this is exactly what coffee provides.
Your Brain Needs The Right Carbohydrates
Think of what you crave. If it is chocolate and lollies, you are probably experiencing unstable glucose levels because of processed carbohydrate consumption, so you have to wean yourself from these insidious addictions. When people are tired from lack of sleep, ongoing stress and feeling overwhelmed, they usually reach for a quick sugar-fix to give them a spurt of energy.
A great green drink, full of nutrient-rich compounds, can help to get your blood glucose more stable, and lead to less cravings. Eating the right fats helps immensely too, because when they are supplied with the right fats, your cells produce energy more efficiently. This keeps your energy levels high, which leads to less energy slumps and chocolate-fixes.
What Goes On In Your Gut Will Affect What Goes On Between Your Ears
Contrary to popular belief, you aren’t what you eat – you are what you absorb. This means that you need to sort out any digestive difficulties you may be experiencing. Your food needs to be digested, absorbed and waste eliminated effectively, before you can be optimally healthy. Your brain can only receive the nutrients that are absorbed, so it makes perfect sense to ensure your gut is working well.
If Your Body Doesn’t Like A Food, Your Brain Will Object Too
If you are intolerant to any food, such as wheat or dairy, your brain will battle to stay alert and focused. This will of course affect your memory negatively. Researchers are still working on exactly why food intolerance affects the brain so negatively, but if you suspect you may be intolerant to a specific food, leave it out of your diet for a couple of weeks, and see how you feel. Interestingly, the foods that you crave are often the ones that don’t agree with you, as they produce an addictive-like response in your body. So, if you think you can’t live without it, the chances are your body – and brain – can do without it.
Food Additives Don’t Add Up To Better Brain Function
Check the labels on the foods that you are eating. If you eat lots of fresh produce there are no labels, but there are additives in tinned and processed foods that may be causing harm to your body and brain. Many additives are simply present in the product to make the product shelf-stable, thus avoiding any loss of income for the manufacturer. Furthermore, some additives are actively dangerous, like MSG, which is an excitotoxin, causing neuron damage, and eventually loss, when consumed in excess.
Eat Breakfast Like A King To Keep Your Brain Happy Throughout The Day
Whether you have breakfast doesn’t just determine your weight, it also determines how your brain will work during the day. When people miss breakfast they are setting themselves up for weight gain, because they tend to eat more during the day. Furthermore, focus, memory and mood are all influenced negatively by a lack of breakfast. If you are not hungry when you wake up, consider taking your breakfast with you.
As it’s best to eat only after you’ve been awake for about an hour, it may pay you to prepare your breakfast, and eat it when you arrive at your destination. It sure beats a cup of coffee and a muffin at your desk. Otherwise, you can go to bed earlier, wake up in time to exercise, and then eat your breakfast.
These tips may take some time to implement, but even changing only one to start with is a move in the right direction.
How Many Of These Brain Tips Are You Already Doing?
Delia McCabe lost her enthusiasm for the “talking cure” after completing her Master’s degree in Psychology. She had discovered that what you eat affects your brain function and that until the brain is properly nourished, no amount of talking will get it working properly. With the brain being 60 percent fat, Delia decided to devote her time to extensive research into the biochemistry of fats and oils. She wanted to understand what kind of fats the brain requires to function optimally. She discovered how toxins and fats are linked and how your cells work poorly when exposed to toxins and suboptimal nutrition. Her research led her to study how poor nutrition exacerbates stress and impacts mental health. Delia’s goal is to arm people with the knowledge they need to minimize their stress and help them live their lives optimally through feeding their brains correctly. She developed a unique step-by-step plan to help them modify their eating habits without adding stress to their lives. Her motto is “Feed Your Brain, Change Your Life”.
I’m not sure what happens, but we end up 40 a little beat down and out. We have picked up a ton of mis-beliefs, things false, blah blah blah. We have forgotten how to get to what we really want. WHAT LIGHTS US UP!
It’s a truth that what you FOCUS your ATTENTION on you attract more into your life.
We might be a little bit conditioned to get stuck in our minds on focusing on what isn’t going ok, what is negative. Maybe a slightly different version, that we need to “fix” this or that. Which I believe is fairly negative in that you are thinking something is broken, which we label negative.
I suggest that we focus on what is good. Focus on what lights us up. Makes us smile real big.
Our inner most desires and dreams is connected to what is SUPER AWESOME about ourselves.
When we connect with that part of ourselves, what truly lights us up, we hop on a path of life where things are fun, become easier and get really juicy. Struggling to make things happen lessens, things become easier. That’s because our deepest desires and dreams are GOOD and our attention on those things aligns up with some SUPER AWESOME energy. More than likely, what your inner wishes are directly maps up to your gifts, what makes you unique. Those are the things the world needs more of. So when you focus your attention on shining more, you brighten the world. And the world wants to brighter.
YOU ARE A GIFT. Your dreams and desires brighten the world.
So, where is a couple of steps that will help you to do just that.
Have a clear intention. Don’t muddy it with compromises and excuses on why it won’t come true.
Have clean and positive emotions around your desire. Feel how good it will be to fulfill it.
Believe what you want is beneficial to you without negative consequences to those around you.
Be prepared for what happens next, doing your best to be flexible about how you go from there.
Be confident that the help you need to rock our your desires and dreams will show up when you need it.
Being really busy through the holiday season can rob us of our energy and leave us feeling depleted and not able to deal with the stress.
We can roll through the holidays in a better fashion though! With lots of energy and on a more even keel.
Take a crack at this list of 7 simple ideas to help you feel SUPER FABULOUS!
Focus on nutrient-dense foods most of the day
Working to keep your focus on clean, nutrient-dense foods will help you maintain high energy, combat the holiday stress AND not get sick. Think green leafy veggies, raw fruits and don’t forget about the healthy fats. Eat you some nuts!
Eat healthy fats
Healthy fats help you to feel satisfied and are needed by the body. Eating healthy fats will help you not eat a ton of junk. Think olive oil, real butter, coconut oil, seeds and nuts and avocados. Healthy fats will help you keep your cool during the holidays while sugar, alcohol and what not can make you a bit crazy.
Eat breakfast
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Set yourself up right! Keep a good clean breakfast. Think oatmeal, chia seeds, honey, rice milk eggs and smoothies.
Keep the caffeine and alcohol in check
While caffeine seems like a good idea of the short term, it really does take a toll on your body and end up leaving you more tired. Try drinking water first. A full glass. Then have your coffee or wine. This habit will leave you feel more energetic.
Water water water
Drinking more water is the number of biggest habit that you can change to make a big impact on how you feel. And PEOPLE! Its the easiest! Being dehydrated leaves us feeling tired, anxious and might even cause your heart to beat irregularly. Think adding cucumbers, berries or a fresh slice of lemon into your water to jazz it up (and make it more nutrient-dense).
Eat small meals frequently, regularly
Your body will feel a ton better if you fuel it regularly. When you eat a ton of calories all at once, part of the reason you feel tired is that your body is re-directing it’s energy to digesting food. Eating smaller meals will help your energy stay on a more even keel and will keep your waist line slim and trim.
Schedule in some “you-time”
Taking care of yourself during the holidays, even just 20 minutes of alone time, will help you to feel less stressed and capable of dealing with all the things to do. It can be very easy to get caught up in all the excitement, just remember, slowing down, relaxing and doing some “self care” will recharge you. Think bubble path, quiet walk with yourself, sitting in the park for a moment or taking a quiet drive.
Try one of them or all seven! They will certainly help you enjoy the holiday season even more! Which is what it’s all about. Right, folks?
Side Plank is an excellent way for athletes to build strength
What you feed your dog is SUPER important for how she feels and how long they live.
Delia McCabe lost her enthusiasm for the “talking cure” after completing her Master’s degree in Psychology. She had discovered that what you eat affects your brain function and that until the brain is properly nourished, no amount of talking will get it working properly. With the brain being 60 percent fat, Delia decided to devote her time to extensive research into the biochemistry of fats and oils. She wanted to understand what kind of fats the brain requires to function optimally. She discovered how toxins and fats are linked and how your cells work poorly when exposed to toxins and suboptimal nutrition. Her research led her to study how poor nutrition exacerbates stress and impacts mental health. Delia’s goal is to arm people with the knowledge they need to minimize their stress and help them live their lives optimally through feeding their brains correctly. She developed a unique step-by-step plan to help them modify their eating habits without adding stress to their lives. Her motto is “Feed Your Brain, Change Your Life”.
