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Put Your Oxygen Mask On First

Rommy Kirby — Sun, 09 Nov 2014 20:18:06 +0000

In today’s busy, hectic world, it’s a challenge to take care of ourselves.

Generally, the minute we wake up we don’t give our body, our health, and it’s needs, a second thought.

Seriously, what was your first thought this morning? I’ll bet it went something like this…

‘uh-oh, I hit snooze one to many times, I have got to stop that, why did I do that, I’m going to be late, I hate being late, at least I’m not the only one, Sherry is always late, crud, it’s raining out, gotta leave a little earlier, oh no, I totally forgot that I’m supposed to…, now I have make another stop, I’ll grab something in the drive through on my way, I wish I felt better, did I even sleep last night, I have got to start taking better care of myself, no time for that today, let’s see….maybe next week, where are my keys, oh for crying out loud”

Does that sound like your inner monologue?

If so, how does that make you feel?

When my monologue gets that panicked, I feel

POWERLESS and OUT OF CONTROL.

And then, I get RESENTFUL.

I resent everything I’ve said “yes” to.

Oh, and then, I resent everyone I’ve said ‘yes’ to.

AND then I feel GUILTY!

There is only one way to fix this, so get ready, you’re probably going to bristle against it like I sometimes do.

“Put YOUR oxygen mask on first.”

The one and only way that you will be able to handle everything that goes on in your life, your health, your relationships, and even your career is to take care of your physical health needs first.

Make your physical a priority so that you can enjoy doing everything you really want to do, take care of the people that mean the most to you, and be your radiant best.

Prioritize

Do you remember when Franklin Covey became a household word back in the ’80’s?

One of the tools and skills taught in this efficient organizational system is to prioritize action items.

It’s the same with your health, you have to prioritize the actions that will support your health first.

Number 1 – Rest to nourish.

Sleep is the number one method, but so is prioritizing quiet time. Yep, give your ears at least 5 minutes of quiet during your waking hours. Hearing is the one sense we cannot turn off.

Give your eyes a tech break. Our eyes feed us with such beautiful information, but they also need daily stillness.

Check out my 7 Super Self Care tips here.

Number 2 – Hydrate for optimal decision making.

Those thoughts are electrical impulses. Water is a fabulous conductor for electricity.

Check out my Smart Person’s Guide to Water here.

Number 3 – Eat to improve your energy.

This is where is can get sticky. Planning your weekly meals can seem like drudgery, but if you don’t plan it, you will end up eating that frozen pizza, picking up take out, or even worse, hitting vending machine or drive through.

Pull together a few healthy meals that are easy for you prepare and that you like to eat and rotate them through your week or month.

It really doesn’t take anymore time to prepare a chicken breast, roasted veggies and side of greens that it does to order it, go get it and bring it home.

The time is the same, the benefits are not.

Here’s an Ayurvedic Digestive that will jump start your digestion and metabolism.

Number 4 – Move appropriately for your energy level.

Going to the gym after a grueling day, burning up your reserve energy will only make you fat, grumpy, age faster, and then you’ll want that second, third and forth glass of wine.

Seriously, have you ever wondered why your friend the marathon runner has a belly and a rather large pair of saddle bags even though she only eats salads and runs about 12-24 miles a week? It’s because what she is doing is the opposite of what her body needs, so it isn’t really healthy at all.

This simple 7 minute yoga practice will change your life.

Number 5 – Stop saying Yes!!!

This is a toughie, I know. I want to say yes whenever possible. In fact, there are times that I say yes, when know for sure that following through will mean that I have to put something else on the back burner to simmer, hoping it doesn’t burn, over cook or get forgotten.

Begin to use the popular 1980’s slogan…

Saying no to things that make no sense for you, actually frees you up to say YES to the things that light you up. You will have more fun, you life will be more exciting to you and your radiance will be seen and felt by everyone around you.

When you begin to make your physical health a priority,

you will experience greater satisfaction in all areas of your life.

Go ahead, try it, I triple dog dare you!

Tell me…

What is the hardest part of taking care of yourself? Then give me one easy step you can take to make it easier.

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Immune Boosting Strategy

Rommy Kirby — Tue, 21 Oct 2014 21:17:55 +0000

Who needs scary movies anymore?

I know I don’t, as a recovered Germaphobe, all I have to do is turn on the news and BAM…niggling little fears of real life, creepy, crawly unseen threats start gnawing on my ‘oM shanti’ state of mind.

While it can get really scary out there, there is a lot we can personally do to boost our immune system and support our body’s natural “Threat Protection” troops as our first line of defense.

We may still catch a few bugs, but our resiliency to them and our ability to recover will dramatically increase.

This is what I do when I feel that tell-tale tickle in the throat, general achey-ness or fatigue…

Become Aware ~ First I notice that I am not feeling well. I might notice that I’m getting tired faster, feel grumpy, stiff, or stuffy and congested. Because I know that my body never ever lies, it’s a great source of information.

So the next time you tune in and notice something is not just right, celebrate. Yep, listening to your body is one of the strongest things you can do for your health and happiness. You know your body better than anyone, even your doctor, so pay attention to it and treat it right.

Think Positive ~ Then I consciously choose to stay well . Do you remember that tag line, “a mind is a terrible thing to waste”? Well, it even more true when it comes to the state of health you want to enjoy. When our body speaks to us through sensations or symptoms we either a see this as a choice to stay as well as possible or we make a choice for the status quo.

Be Proactive ~ Then I take action. When my I feel something coming on, I start the day lots of H2O-bviously Better Skin (water), even more than usual, and follow that with a power breakfast of greens and protein. I get my essential oils out, the Lemon and a synergistic essential oil Protective Blend. I use the Lemon throughout the day for it’s natural detoxifying quality and I drop a few drops of Protective Blend in the back of my throat every 2 hours because it’s super high in anti-oxidants..

I eat only foods that I know would support my body and stay away from the white dietary devils, sugar, flour, and processed dairy. Bone broth is one of my favorite healing foods because it’s soothing, nourishing, warm and hydrating.

I also go into active-inaction. I rest and allow myself to be quiet and still. I take a nourishing bath with Essential Oils and Dead Sea Salts. I keep warm and don’t allow myself to get chilled feet or hands. I don’t rush to do anything, even if it takes all day, that is okay by me cause I am T-I-R-E-D. It takes a lot of energy to for the body to heal and even more to ward off microbial treats. If at all possible, I spend time cuddling with my hubby. (bonus hint here – cuddling boosts your immunity).

When you know that life is going to be more stressful…like that upcoming wedding, adult kids move back or parents in need of parenting, a sick spouse, lots of travel, moving house or a job change…be sure that you tune in to what your body is saying. Yes, it’s a balancing act and balance is dynamic.

Balance is fluid, supple, agile and it shifts in response to the circumstance…stiff, static and rigid balance, sweet one, there really is no such a thing.

Tell me…

Have you been ‘too busy’ and ignored your body only to end up sick? Do you have a Super Self Care tip to share with me? Comment below, you just might inspire someone!

Email me to learn about the resources I use and recommend.

resources

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21078173

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Healthy Legacy – Part 2, Reduce Your Toxic Load

Rommy Kirby — Sat, 05 Jul 2014 22:07:48 +0000

Shockingly, for most Westerners, the most toxic part of our day is before we eat breakfast, during our morning shower.

Pin me!

When we shower, we use municipal water that is loaded with chemicals to make the water “safe” for drinking.

We slide into a nice hot shower and our skin pores open wide and say “ahh” to things like chlorine, herbicides, pesticides and pharmaceutical drugs. On top of that, we use synthetic, toxic chemicals in our hair care, skin care and even our dental products.

Then adding insult to injury, we climb into our car or onto a train for the morning commute and once more we are bombarded by chemicals.

It’s enough to make you want to stay under the covers because…

Many of the chemicals we breathe in and slather on can not be recognized or metabolized by our body. Unchecked, this can lead to Toxic Burden.

A key factor in reaching optimal health, longevity and weight control is prevention by not doing the unhealthy things. On a physical level, this includes reducing our toxic load in order to support optimal immunity, organ health and cellular function so that we are more resilient to stress and inflammation.

The three easiest areas to reduce daily toxins are

food, personal care and cleaning products.

When it comes to food, think CLEAN.

It’s great to eat right, begin now to upgrade your food choices. Look for…

Grass Fed, Grass Finished – the only way you can get better is if you raise your own herd.
No Hormone or Anti-biotics – there is a saying, you are what you eat eats. Some scientists think that rampant hormone use is what is causing such high numbers of reproductive disorders, like man boobs and early onset puberty.
Organic, Non-GMO and Local – check out your local farmers market, join a CSA or even grow your own.

When it comes to skin and hair care, think FREE.

Remove toxic skin and hair care products from your home.
Look for and choose products that are free of the chemicals listed in the image at the top. I use a fluoride free, essential oil based toothpaste, skin and hair care.
Subscribe to EWG, Environment Working Group, newsletter. This is a secret weapon for reducing daily toxic burden.

When it comes cleaning the house, think GREEN.

All it takes is a few simple items and spectacular essential oils and you will have the cleanest, best smelling and healthiest home on the block.

Photo Credit: Bigstock 60927968

Because I’ve used essential oils since 2005 for my health, skin, and home care, I only use and recommend pure, certified, and therapeutic essential oils. Send me an email to get my Easy DIY NON Toxic Home Care Recipe Tip Sheet

Leaving a healthy legacy is more important than having a healthy legacy.

Make an intention to leave a healthy legacy, regardless of the legacy passed to you. Because as we build a legacy for optimal health, through our actions we become healthier by modeling healthy choices for our family, children and community. We can actually undo and allow the body to restore a great deal of wellness just by changing our actions.

There are three fundamental steps for creating a healthier, more vibrant you so you will have a healthy legacy.

Remember, the foundation of optimal health and wellness begins with the food we eat.

Proper food, aka fuel, for our body allows us to let go of insane, grueling workouts so we can exercise appropriately, in order to maintain a healthy weight.

The essential key to anti-aging, longevity and vitality is appropriate sleep and rest. It is when we sleep that our cells repair, our energy restores and our organs rejuvenate.

The forth step, reducing your toxic load, is a powerful way to change the world because you are showing your family, children and friends a gentler, more effective and sustainable way to live.

Tell me…

What simple, easy action will you take this week to reduce your toxic load?

Links and resources.

Essential Oils http://rommykirby.com/essential-oils/
Free Essential Oil Handbook r ommykirby.myoilproducts.com/
Local Harvest http://localharvest.org/
Environmental Working Group http://www.ewg.org/

The post Healthy Legacy – Part 2, Reduce Your Toxic Load first appeared on Manage Stress | Increase Energy |Simple Solutions | Rommy Kirby, Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Personal Trainer, Essential Oil Educator.

Juicing Made Easy, 10 Time Saving Tips

Rommy Kirby — Wed, 16 Oct 2013 18:46:34 +0000

Juicing is a wonderful way to flood your body with nutrients.

During the Spring, Summer and Autumn months, I like to start my day with a home made juice because it’s a great way to load up on vital and easily available nutrients. Because it is easy on the digestive system it increases energy.

Juicing is the ultimate adventure for your taste buds. From day to day and week to week, vegetables and fruit have different taste depending on their growing environment, freshness and storage.

Use these 10 tips and after a few days you may find it a decidedly decadent way to nourish yourself. To me, it’s the ultimate decadent drink and morning meal in under 10 minutes!!!

10 Time Saving Tips

Use a juicer that meets your needs and fits your budget.
courtesy of men’s fitness

I got my first juicer from Ron Popeil years ago. I’ve owned 2 Breville Ikons, I really liked them and best of all, I used a 20% coupon when I purchased it from a big box store.. Now, I have the Harom slow juicer that suits my needs. Choose one that you will use.

Use organic vegetables when possible. Join your local CSA for local produce!

Wash all produce when you bring it home

Bag it and Grab it – Plan 5 days of juices, use vegetable bags or storage containers for each juice.

Use a plastic bag in the hopper for easy clean up if you DO NOT plan to make soups or stocks from the pulp. The pulp is Composter’s Gold, so if you know a gardener, offer it to them.

Read the book that comes with your juicer. This will help you get the most juice from your veggies.

Brace your greens, like spinach, cilantro and dandelion, with celery – this prevents them mashing down into a great big green goop that will burn your juicer’s motor out. Caution, it’s important to avoid forcing greens through your juicer, pulse the pressure you use with your plunger.

Rinse juicer under the hottest water possible immediately after juicing. If you let it sit, it will be very difficult and time consuming to wash.

Store your juicer and parts in an easy to access place. Perhaps in the space your coffee maker once sat.

Drink your juice as soon as you can, within 30 minutes is optimal.

Bonus Tip

Be a Scrap Saver – as you prepare other meals, vegetable scraps can be saved and juiced the next day

What to do if hunger strikes…
If you are finding that you are hungry or feeling dissatisfied with your juice, experiment with adding a splash of oil. I favor organic olive or coconut oils. Or make a smoothie with your juice, add half an avocado and blend briefly, under 1 minute.

Experiment and have fun!!! Juicing is a great way to start your day with intense nutrition.

Tell me…

Do you have a juicing tip that will make it even easier? What is your favorite combination?

Archived Comments:

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3 Simple Upgrades to Improve Your Diet

Rommy Kirby — Sun, 08 Sep 2013 01:54:58 +0000

Are you

ready to

upgrade

your

health?

Your body is pretty awesome! It’s also as elegant in it’s simplicity as it is intriguing in its complexity. An absolutely lovely work of experiential art.

It always responds perfectly…to whatever we give it.

If we give it higher quality food and nourishment today than we did yesterday, on a continual basis, it will respond with increased energy and vitality, until we reach our optimal health.

Here’s where ‘responds perfectly’ isn’t as glamorous as it sounds. Because the same is true if we give it lower quality food. It will respond with bloat, sinus drainage, stiff muscles and joints along with mental fog, energy dumps and fatigue. Until eventually, we are in a constant state of decline into disease.

So…if overtime we continually give it higher and higher quality food and nourishment, it will give us greater vibrancy, increased energy and more radiant skin, eyes and hair. It doesn’t have to be hard, just take baby steps to upgrade your health.

Commit to your health. Allow yourself to upgrade one step at a time so your lifestyle will support the long term results you desire.

Here are 3 Simple Upgrades you can make in your food choices…*

If the majority of your food comes in a crinkly wrapper or box, upgrade to canned food.
If the majority of your food comes from cans, upgrade to frozen fruits and vegetables.
If the majority of your food comes from the freezer aisle, upgrade to fresh fruits and vegetables.

Bonus Upgrade – For every 3 meals that come from restaurants and drive thrus, upgrade to at least one additional home cooked meal a week.

*Choose Organic whenever available to you.

Don’t be so hard on yourself. Changing your lifestyle is the way you improve your health and get the results you want.

Change, even desired change, is challenging and sometimes stressful. Decide to do just one thing today that you know will move you towards the body and health you desire.

Tell me, comment below…what did you like best about this article? What upgrade will you make today that will bring you one step closer to the result you want? What is the biggest challenge you face when you start a new health or fitness plan?

Previous Comments (7)

I love the upgrades you offered. Taking one step at a time and trying not to be so hard with ourselves!

Thank you, Keren! Being hard on ourselves is a symptom of overwhelm, right? When I start in on that, I know it’s time to get back to taking just one step at a time…life really isn’t a Hop Scotch game even though we play it like that.

I believe I’m in category 3. I would love to upgrade to relying less and less on frozen foods. This week I plan on trying a new fresh vegetable that I normally don’t make! My biggest challenge is usually time management and fitting in the extra cooking time.

That is a wonderful plan Shawne! What are you going to make? My new vegetable this week was a Rutabaga. Wasn’t sure about it, it tasted close to a turnip, but I did like it. And, yeah, I get the time management with the extra cooking. I try to bulk prep as much as possible.

Such great advice

WOW! Thank you Rachel! Sooooo glad you stopped by!

I love your advice – impactful, yet direct and one step at a time approach makes things like big dietary changes seem not so big!

I agree, Aliza. I’ve struggled with sweeping changes and just ended up frustrated. One step at a time suits me, and my clients so much better! xo

I love the concept of the ‘upgrade’. We can all apply it somewhere in our eating!

Thanks Marie! Traveling with my hubby has really opened my eyes to the value of ‘upgrades’.

Awesome. I like the 3 simple upgrades

Thanks so much, Richard.

Great advice from an amazing woman and Health Coach, Rommy it was a pleasure training with you. You are an inspiration. Lucie.

Reply by Rommy Kirby on Fri, 08/30/2013 – 04:01

OH LUCY! Thank you so much! It is a blessing to be sharing this purpose with you!

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The question I get asked most often is….

Rommy — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 18:05:11 +0000

What do you eat every day?

It’s a good question, it really is. It’s a good question because when you are trying to get in shape, lose weight, increase your energy and feel younger, you want to know what works for people who have done it. It just makes sense to take advice from someone that has the results you want, right?

You see, 6 years ago, I weighed 30-40 pounds more than I do today and I was three sizes larger. Six years ago, I was sick more days than I was well, I had no energy, couldn’t sleep through the night, and I was debilitated by Migraine and Multiple Chemical Sensitivity Disorder. I was addicted to sugar, coffee and pity parties, because at the time…well, I felt my life sucked.

All that has changed for me…

Today, my energy levels are generally through the roof and when they’re not, I have sustainable energy. I know that when I walk into my closet, I can wear anything I want. I’ve maintained a 40 pound weight loss for 5 years. My body is more toned, supple and capable than when I was in my 20’s. I also get lots of compliments on my skin.

So it just makes sense that people ask me what I eat every day. But this question is truly not the best question and I really don’t like answering it.

Here’s why…

We all know there are some basic universal guidelines to creating a healthy body. Like sugar is deadly, caffeine is not only addictive it’s hard on the kidneys, and vegetables are fabulous, right? But there are differences for each and every one of us. AND that’s why there is so much confusion in the nutrition world.

Two sisters can do the very same ‘diet’ and have very different results. One sister may lose 20 pounds and the other suffer through a restrictive diet and not lose a pound, she may even gain weight.

You see, our bodies are bio-individual. That means our life experience has as much to do with how we process food as the food we are eating. Our inner ecosystems are different and constantly changing in response to our lifestyle and the stress we put it through.

Here’s how…

Say sister one, let’s call her Molly, was often sick as a child and was given lots of antibiotics and she developed belly, and later menstrual, difficulty. While sister two, Jennifer, was very healthy, had perfect attendance at school and spent most of her time outside. They have the same parents, they ate the same food and shared most life experiences.

What’s different?

The difference may be that Molly’s body can not efficiently digest the foods that make Jennifer’s body healthy. Her immune system is weakened by the constant challenge to digest so she gets sick. Molly’s immune system is further challenged by the well intentioned antibiotics that kill what little digestive ability she does have. She gets well but her body still struggles to process the same food that Jennifer’s body easily processes. Molly gets sick again.

This creates an inner ecosystem for Molly that is fragile and needs support. Jennifer’s body is thriving on the family’s meals. This isn’t Molly’s fault, it’s her body trying to correct when given incorrect nourishment.

Flash forward 20 years…

Molly and Jennifer decide they will cheer each other on through the diet they saw on Dr. Oz. Jennifer wants to lose 15 pounds and Molly wants to lose 10.

Week one goes by and they are excited, it’s difficult but doable. They are cheering each other on, talking every day, following the ‘diet’ to the letter. They both lose a little and feel validated…they are on to something!

Week two and Jennifer is experiencing gas, bloating and constipation, her energy level is low. But Molly is loving it! Her energy has increased, she has a glow in her eye and her skin looks fabulous. Molly is now down a healthy 2 pounds but Jennifer seems to have stalled…really she gained but didn’t want to tell her sister.

Week three comes and goes and Molly can’t believe how good she feels. She really doesn’t understand why Jennifer, the healthy one is having headaches, crying jags and came down with the flu. Jennifer tells Molly the diet doesn’t work but Molly can see for herself that it does.

Week four, Molly is down 6 pounds and feels great but Jennifer quit last week.

What happened?

The ‘diet’ was more suitable to Molly’s body than it was to Jennifer’s. Jennifer’s body needed different nutrient sources.

That’s why I don’t like to tell people what I eat every day. The food that works really well for me, may not work for you. In fact, it just may work against you. I work very closely with my clients to help them find their optimal food plan. I can’t tell you what I eat daily, but I can give you my 5 universal food principles that I share with my clients.

5 Universal Food Principles

Eliminate Sugar – it isn’t a food, it is highly addictive and it FEEDS cancer
Eat as many fresh vegetables as you can in a day. Let your plate be 80% vegetables. If you don’t have fresh, use frozen.
Chew your food well. Chew it until it is liquid. Your body will be able to process it more easily and here’s a bonus, you will feel more satisfied.
Drink plenty of H2Obviously better skin aka water. Too often we mistake thirst for hunger.
Add fermented vegetables to your diet. Fermented vegetables are things like sour kraut (not vinegar based), Kim Chee and cultured vegetables. These fabulously tart veggies are great for your digestion.

Tell me…

What do you think is holding you back from feeling great and enjoying the body your soul lives in?

Which of these 5 Universal Food Principles will you focus on this week?

Do you know the foods that are right for your body?

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