Here is the thing, we all deal with stress in our daily lives. But have you ever noticed that some of the most successful people seem almost stress-free? Often it can be a sore issue for those of us struggling to manage and deal with our never-ending stress loads. What if I told you that the key to success was how you personally dealt with stress on a daily basis? I am sure there are those of you out there that are more than skeptical which is why I am going to challenge you. In this blog, I am going to break down one of my favorite stress managing tips of all time. After which I would like you to try it out for 30 days straight. If the 30 days come and goes and you don’t see a difference let me know!

Stress the Not so Silent Killer

Did you know that almost every health-related issue can be traced back to stress? When our bodies are under stress they release a number of hormones into our bloodstream: Cortisol, Epinephrine, Norepinephrine, Corticotropin-releasing Hormone, to name a few. These hormones trigger a cascading effect on a long list of additional hormones (Estrogen, Progesterone, Testosterone, Ghrelin, Leptin, Melatonin, Dopamine, and Serotonin to start). When Cortisol levels increase due to stress our bodies kick into high alert which can be extremely beneficial for our health in short bursts. Unfortunately, due to our fast-paced lifestyles, we experience excess amounts of Cortisol inducing periods. As a byproduct, our bodies start to attack themselves and begin to break down.

What’s Going On Upstairs 

Your mind is by far the most powerful tool you have at your disposal. It can literally make or break your chances of success in ANYTHING that you do. Stress is easily one of the most common causes of weight gain. With everything that has been going on in the world as of late, it is easy to see just how damaging stress can be to our bodies. From weakening our immune systems to forcing our body to hold onto unwanted excess weight. Getting into the proper mindset for success is critical to ensure you take and keep the weight off. While there are a number of things you can do to naturally help reduce your stress levels and get your mind in the right place. I like to focus on options that are going to offer you multiple benefits.

Stress Reduction 101

I recently started an early morning meditation practice and, although it definitely takes some effort, it is simple to do and has enormous benefits. I started with just two minutes every day. You have two minutes, right? It may not seem like much, but with consistent practice, those two minutes can become more, and you will begin to see a real change in your mental health and your mindset.

What is Meditation?

Meditation can be many things to many people.  At its core, meditation is mindful thinking and focused attention. The intent is to focus on one thought or on nothing while ignoring all other distractions.

Meditation is essentially deliberate concentration. The more we practice and strengthen our concentration, the harder it becomes to get distracted. 

It also gives your mind a chance to rest, to stand still for a while, and learn to refocus.  

Meditation Techniques

1. Comfortable & Breathe

Meditation, especially just two or five minutes is not very technical. It starts with just sitting, perhaps in a chair.  Placing your feet on the ground allows peace to travel up through your body. You begin by focusing on your feet, and only your feet. Take deep breaths and concentrate on feeling your feet, feeling the floor beneath your feet.  

2.  Feeling from Body

Once you are focused on your feet, slowly shift your attention from your feet up to your legs and to other parts of your body. Focus on one body part at a time.  What do your legs feel like?  What do your arms feel like?  Your hands? You also shift your attention to one organ at a time.  Feel your heartbeat.  Feel your lungs move air in and out. 

3. Not to Lose Focus

This is usually about the time your thoughts start drifting to all the things you need to do that day, or what stressful things happened earlier. Let those thoughts come and go; do not dwell on them. Acknowledge the thought and then let it drift away, each time refocusing on a part of your body. You are learning to manage your internal anxiety. 

4. What is the Priority? 

We often become consumed by everything happening around us, and we let ourselves be told what to think, what to feel, and when.  We forget that we are the ones in charge of our minds. You can direct your thoughts and your mental efforts.  What needs attention, and how much? You decide. You choose what you want your mind to focus on. 

The goal of meditation is to learn to focus on the present and not to dwell on what has happened or worry about what will come; you have no control over either of those. Direct your attention to being present in the moment and to the positive energy you have inside you.

One Day At A Time

Regular meditation can be extremely effective in shedding excess weight and maintaining long-term physical and mental health. Take a few moments to catch your breath and save your health. One of my favorite things about meditation is that it costs you nothing to do it. Not only is it free, you really don’t have to devote a crazy amount of time to do it. While the best results come from devoting 5 minutes a day to meditation some people have trouble getting their minds to stay still. As such, a great way to ease into it is by starting with shorter intervals 1 minute to begin, and add 30 seconds every week. It will get easier and easier to do as time goes by. For those of you who still need a little help to ease into meditation try guided meditation that has sound to naturally relax your mind. 

Lime Coconut Cupcakes

Gluten-Free Vegan Serves 12-14

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 Cup Vegan Butter
• 3 Limes Zest
• 1 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
• Juice of 1 Lime
• 1 1/2 Cups Cashew Yogurt
• 1/4 Cup Almond Flour
• 1 cup Coconut Flour
• 2/3 Cup Shredded Coconut
• 1 tsp Baking Soda

Curd

• 1/4 Cup Vegan Butter
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Sugar
• Juice of 2 Limes
• 1/4 Cups Cashew Yogurt

Frosting

• 1 Can Coconut Milk Full Fat
• 4 oz Vegan Cream Cheese
• 1 tsp Cream of Tartar
• Zest of 1 Lime
• 1/2 Cup Vegan Butter
• 1 1/4 Cup Powdered Coconut Sugar

Directions

In a medium bowl, combine flour, baking soda, coconut, and zest. Mix well and set aside. In a separate bowl, combine butter, sugars, yogurt, and juice. Once the wet mixture is combined, slowly mix in the dry ingredients. Pour batter into cupcake tins (I use parchment-lined cups for nonstick) and bake at 375 until a toothpick comes out clean. Let cool in pans for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the curd, combine yogurt, sugar, and juice in a pot. Transfer to the stove and cook over medium heat until it thickens. Once the sauce can coat the back of the spoon, remove from heat and add butter. Set aside to cool.

For frosting, combine all ingredients into a mixer and blend until fluffy. When assembling, cut out a hole in the center of the cupcake add curd and pipe frosting on top. I like to garnish with coconut flakes, zest, or even slices of lime. Enjoy!

Portabello Mushroom Burger with Green Bean Fries

Gluten-Free Vegan Serves 2

Burgers

• 1Tbsp Miso
• 2 Large Portobello Mushrooms
• 1 Tbsp Sesame Oil
• Pinch of Sea Salt and Pepper
• 1 Tbsp Sriracha

Toppings

• 2 Turkish Cucumbers Thinly Sliced
• 1 Diced Scallion
• 2 tsp Rice Vinegar
• 1/4 tsp Sea Salt
• 1/2 tsp Sesame Seeds
• 1 Hot Pepper Thinly Sliced
• 1/4 tsp Coconut Sugar
• 1 Avocado Sliced
• 3 Tbsp Shredded Carrots
• 4 Butter Lettuce Leafs
• 2 tsp Pickled Ginger

Directions: 

Preheat the grill. In a small bowl combine the ingredients for the burgers. Make sure to coat the mushrooms on both sides. Grill mushrooms topside down first for 4-5 minutes before flipping and grilling an additional 2-3 minutes. For a quick spicy pickle combine all ingredients listed under toppings except lettuce, carrots, ginger, and avocado. Let pickle sit for 1-2 hours before placing onto burger (the longer it sits the better it tastes I do mine the night before). When ready to eat assemble with lettuce, ginger, carrots, mushroom, pickles, avocado, and lettuce.

Green Bean Fries

• 1 1/2 Cups Fresh Green Beans
• 2/3 Cup Grated Vegan Parmesan
• 1/2 tsp Pink Himalayan Sea Salt
• 1/4 tsp Black Pepper
• 1/2 tsp Garlic Powder
• 1/4 tsp Paprika
• 1/2 Cup Coconut Milk

Directions:

For green bean fries, combine cheese with seasonings into a shallow plate. Once you have cleaned and trimmed the green beans tossed in milk followed by dredging them into the dry seasoning mixture. Toss with hand to ensure even coating. Once coated place fries into an aluminum baking dish onto the grill and bake for 10-15 minutes. Serve with a spicy vegan mayo dip (Siracha and Vegan Mayo mixed). 

 Need A Hand?

A happy and healthy life is closer than you may think. We all have to deal with our health daily, and when we don’t feel our best, it shows. If you are tired of just making it through your day, you NEED to start investing in your health today! You are not alone on this journey. If you ever need any help, I am always here to do just that. Even if it is something as small as acting as a sounding board, do you have any questions or concerns I can help you with? Feel free to contact me directly at [email protected], or you can even book a one-on-one call with me. Be sure to subscribe to gain access to tons of free goodies and check back daily for more great recipes and information!