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3 Elegant Holiday Strategies

Rommy Kirby — Tue, 17 Dec 2013 20:20:57 +0000

I love Thanksgiving, Christmas & New Years!

But these celebrations, long nights and short days can make for one really long, stressed out holiday season that can set us up for blues and flu. Bah-humbug and Yuck!

Because I know how brutal stress can be, the havoc it can wreak on your health, your skin, and your relationships so I want to share with you my Holiday Survival Kit.

First, there are 3 elegant strategies……that will help you enjoy this holiday season more, however you celebrate and what ever you do.

These are simple, easy, action steps.

But here’s the thing…they are just as easy not to do, okay, so you really must set an intention to keep it easy, do the easy and reap the benefits.

Stay Hydrated. You know I harp on this, I know I harp on this. For very good reason. Here’s what happened to me a few weeks when I let travel get the best of me and didn’t stay hydrated. I got a migraine…a full blown, throw my guts up, everything hurts migraine. Because I was so dehydrated, it took me a few days to fully recover. Click here for my tips.

Get enough sleep. Seriously, sleep is important. There is truth in the term Beauty Sleep. Click here for my tips.

Lighten your load. Look at your to do list for today. Chances are there is at least 1 thing you can take off. Delete it, scratch it off and don’t give it another thought. No one will ever know and if your mother finds out, she’ll forgive you.

Remember chronic stress adds pounds and inches to the waistline and it weakens our immune system. Because of the added stress, we all need a little more support and self care this time of year.

Tell me…

What is your #1 tip to thriving during the holiday season?

The post 3 Elegant Holiday Strategies first appeared on Manage Stress | Increase Energy |Simple Solutions | Rommy Kirby, Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Personal Trainer, Essential Oil Educator.

Simple, Immune Boosting & Skin Nourishing Detox Tip

Rommy Kirby — Mon, 21 Oct 2013 15:05:58 +0000

You know how when the weather changes, and your skin gets drab, ashy and flaky?

Do you know why that happens?

General wisdom says it’s because that air forced through the vents is dry. Dry air moving across the skin dries it in the same way that air moving across a lake causes evaporation.

Makes sense, right? It did to me until I started studying alternative health care like Ayurveda and nutrition. The explanation is true, at least partially.

There is a more colorful story than that…

According to Ayurveda, the sister science of yoga, our bodies move in concert with nature. Like it or not, our bodies experience weather changes, changes with the moon and sun cycles and changes of the seasons.

Take a moment, think about how stiff you felt last time there was a dramatic change in temperature or the restless energy you had on that sleepless full moon night.

That was your body responding to the cycles and shifts of nature. Your body is it’s own ecosystem within the greater ecosystem of nature.

To get a better idea of what is happening, let’s take a basic look at what nature does as she swings, shifts and slides from season to season. (science geek warning – this is a major over simplification!)

As summer becomes autumn, nature begins to let go of her green. The leaves dry and fall away.

Autumn’s wind blows the leaves until they blanket the ground spreading future nourishment.

Winter’s cold, damp days break down the leaves creating new soil.

Spring pulls the nutrients up to create buds, flowers, and seeds.

Spring blossoms float away to reveal summer’s supple bounty of fruits and vegetables.

Start to think of your body as an ecosystem with rhythms that flow in harmony with nature.

Think of it this way, if the atmosphere is the biggest organ of nature, then your skin is the largest organ of your personal ecosystem.

The big difference is that we tend to protect ourselves, our skin, from the elements of blowing wind, bitter cold and intense heat. The trick, then, is for us to stay in harmony with the cycles of nature so we can enjoy optimal health or even regain lost health.

The flaky, dry, and ashy skin needs to be sloughed off. The longer we experience life, the less we our skin naturally releases the dried dead skin cells.

This one, simple, and ancient tip will help your skin look more radiant, luscious. It will boost your immunity and cellular turnover, perhaps even help get rid of cellulite.

Dry (Skin) Brushing

Skin brush for supple healthy skin.

Your lymph system lives under the surface of your skin. It is responsible for cleaning the body of toxins and transporting white blood cells. You have more lymph fluid in your body than blood, but it doesn’t have a pump.

Because your lymph channels are thinner than a hair, to manipulate your lymph system, use a gentle touch and a soft brush.

Though it may sound weird, skin brushing is an ancient technique, used in many cultures for hygiene and optimal health.

Here’s how…

First, get a skin brush. I use the brushes in the picture. I took the handles off the softest back brushes I could find. You don’t need two brushes, I just like having one in each hand, one brush is all you need.

Remember that your lymph channels are very thin, use a light, soft touch.
Using a dry brush on dry skin, start at the top of your body, the neck.
Brush the palms of your hands, the inside and outside of your arms.
Be sure to brush your arm pits as well, (lots of luscious lymph nodes there).
You can gently brush your breasts in circular direction, but be sure to avoid the nipples.
Always brush towards your heart. Brush every bit of skin you can reach, remembering to move towards the heart.
When you get below the heart, move the brush in an upwards direction.
On your belly, move in a clockwise direction.
Spend a little extra time on those areas that look stagnate or have a bit more cellulite.
Then take a wonderful shower or detox bath.
Drink lots of water!

How often and when to Dry Brush?

At the minimum, with every change of season.

At the beginning, middle, and end of every cleanse or detox.

If you want to boost your immunity, at least once a month. Choose to do it around the moon cycles, like every full or new moon.

If you want more radiant, supple skin, once a week.

Benefits my clients see…

Increased immunity. (oo-la-la! healthy is the new sexy!)
Decreased appearance of cellulite. (who doesn’t want that)
Increase appreciation for your body beautiful, your soul house. (what you appreciate, appreciates)
Decreased stress. (you can be radically radiant)
Supple younger looking skin. (without toxic chemical creams)

My personal tip…

I learned from Nadine Artemis, holistic natural skin guru, to put a drop of essential oil in the palm of my hand and run the brush through it before starting.

This takes the dry skin brushing in the realms of an artful self care ritual.

I like to use, Lavender and Frankincense primarily, but will sometimes use Sandalwood, Bergomot or Ylang Ylang depending on my mood.

Tell me…

What is your favorite skin care ritual?

The post Simple, Immune Boosting & Skin Nourishing Detox Tip first appeared on Manage Stress | Increase Energy |Simple Solutions | Rommy Kirby, Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Personal Trainer, Essential Oil Educator.

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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