weight loss - Manage Stress | Increase Energy |Simple Solutions | Rommy Kirby, Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Personal Trainer, Essential Oil Educator

44 Reasons Why You Need To Get a Good Night’s Sleep

Rommy Kirby — Fri, 11 Jul 2014 16:26:25 +0000

Once people find out I’m a Certified Holistic Health Coach, they tell me all sorts of things.

The other day I met a lady that told me she just could not sleep. Honestly, she was a wee bit proud of the fact that she didn’t need sleep “the way most people do.”

She is a wife and mother of 4, ages 11-20, has a successful, challenging career, and she is active in the community. When I asked what time she typically goes to bed she cheerily said, “oh anywhere between 11:30 and 1 (a.m.)”. WOW! Say it with me, chronic sleep deprivation.

Then, she told me about the personal trainer she recently hired. Her personal trainer has her up for 4:30 a.m for workouts, so she thought for sure she would be able to sleep better, but she isn’t. (I didn’t have the heart to tell her that her new 4 a.m. wake ups would not whittle her waist as hoped.)

She didn’t quite know what all the fuss was about, especially since she has been functioning fairly well. But, she is starting to notice hollows under her eyes, more hot flashes, and is concerned about inflammation because her doctor had warned her about it.

Actually, sleep affects our health on every level and lack of sleep can lead to serious complications.

“In a 2010 study of women ages 50 to 79, more deaths occurred in women who got less than five hours or more than six and a half hours of sleep per night.”

“As a result, sleep deficiency is not only harmful on a personal level, but it also can cause large-scale damage. For example, sleep deficiency has played a role in human errors linked to tragic accidents, such as nuclear reactor meltdowns, grounding of large ships, and aviation accidents.”

You don’t have to suffer, keep reading for my Get A Good Night’s Sleep Recipe.

Sleep deprivation is linked or leads to:

heart disease
stroke
diabetes
inflammation
pain
metal fog
micro-sleep
obesity
hormone imbalance
inability to focus
increased illness
low libido
wrinkles
skin disorders
anger
depression
impulsive or high risk behavior
binging
addiction
high blood pressure
muscle loss

Quality sleep results in:

healthy brain function
reduced inflammation
balanced emotions
improved immunity
craving control
cellular renewal
stress resiliency
clearer, radiant skin
sense of well-being
healthy weight
ability to make decisions
balanced libido
hormone balance
weight release
muscle mass
increased energy
creativity
productivity
improved memory
better stamina
longevity
improved physical performance
sharper attention

My “Get A Good Night’s Sleep” Recipe…I’m telling you I don’t even feel my hubby stir!

Drop 2 drops each of Calming Blend, Grounding Blend and 1 drop Vetiver into diffuser. (any residual left around the bottle collar I put on my neck and face…esp Vetiver because it tones the skin which is a bonus.
I put Grounding Blend, Clary Sage and Ylang Ylang on my feet and belly.
Get more...Sleep Well, Wake Refreshed

Links and resources

Work with me http://rommykirby.com/connect/free-consultation/
Essential Oils http://rommykirby.com/essential-oils/
http://longevity.about.com/od/lifelongenergy/tp/healthy_sleep.htm
http://www.health.com/health/gallery/0,,20459221_3,00.html
http://www.webmd.com
http://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/health-topics/topics/sdd/why.html

The post 44 Reasons Why You Need To Get a Good Night’s Sleep first appeared on Manage Stress | Increase Energy |Simple Solutions | Rommy Kirby, Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Personal Trainer, Essential Oil Educator.

How to set goals you want to achieve

Rommy Kirby — Tue, 31 Dec 2013 17:42:48 +0000

Goal setting is something with which most of us have a lot of experience. BUT realizing our goals, well, that’s another thing altogether.

There are 3 primary reasons why New Year’s Resolutions and goals tend to bomb.

The number one reason goals and resolutions fail is that they are generally made from a place of guilt, shame or a sense of unworthiness. For instance, the goal to lose weight is not only physical, it is emotional and full of shame. The goal to get out of debt is not just financial, it is emotional and generally filled with guilt for having made decisions towards instant gratification. Every time we bring that goal into focus, we also bring the guilt or shame that precipitated the goal into focus.

The second reason that goals and resolutions bomb is that achieving them is usually no fun. It is boring, mundane and takes longer than we expect. Sure, you can lose 5 pounds in one week with my detox. It’s an intelligent jump start. Keeping it off, though, requires you to employ the fundamental principles you learn at least 80% of the time.

It’s the same with all your goals. It isn’t the sweeping overnight change that will bring the long term success you desire. If that worked, every one of the lottery winners would still be rich. Instead, it is the everyday habits you tend to ignore as unimportant that will bring you success.

Depressed yet? Don’t be, knowing what is sabotaging you is like getting your hands on the opposing teams play book! It’s a life hack!!!

The third reason goals and resolutions fail is that…they are ultimately simple and easy to reach.

Okay, I know you’re saying…it’s not simple to lose weight, float into a handstand or build a thriving business. But it is. The steps to each of your goals are easy to take. The kicker is that they are just as easy NOT to take.

It is just as easy to take a daily 10 minute walk as it is to not take a walk today.

So how do you set a goal that you want to achieve?

You’ve got to have a good “WHY”. Why do you want to lose weight, float to crow or build a thriving business? Hint…it isn’t the number on the scale, the kudos from your yoga teacher or the deposits in your bank account.

Your “WHY” is rooted in feeling. How will you feel when you walk into your closet and can pull out that super sexy dress, slide it on and step out for a great night?

Focus on what you want to feel. Set your goal around that. Keep the feeling you desire in the forefront of your mind, not the number on the scale, the number of breaths you can hold Chaturanga, or the number in your bank account.

Believe me, there are plenty of unhappy 120 pound size 4-ers, yogies with mad skills and incredibly rich people.

Give yourself a chance to feel into your desired result, choose to do at least one thing every single day that will bring you that experience. The super secret sauce is sticking with it. Every time you get off track, stumble or fall, get back up.

You already know how to do this...you started doing it when you were about 11 months old learning to walk and experience life on two feet.

Tell me…

What do you want to enjoy in your health, your relationships or your business?

What are 3 easy things you can do daily that will bring you to that experience?

The post How to set goals you want to achieve first appeared on Manage Stress | Increase Energy |Simple Solutions | Rommy Kirby, Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Personal Trainer, Essential Oil Educator.

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.

Sleep well, wake refreshed and happy

Rommy Kirby — Tue, 10 Dec 2013 20:43:14 +0000

I’ve struggled with sleep most of my life.

When I was a little girl I hated naps and bed time.

My child mind told me that if I slept I would miss something, anything. Missing anything meant I was missing fun.

My eyes would just not stay closed, I would wake up really early and watch the shadows in the corners change as the light peeked through the window.

I remember one day in particular when my sister and I were sent to nap. Earlier that day, my 5 year old brain plotted a way of getting out of nap time.

I dragged a saw horse across the back yard and put it under our bedroom window.

After a lunch of peanut butter sandwich and chicken noodle soup, we were shuffled off for a nap. I’m pretty sure I had a sly grin on my face because even today, my face reveals more than I know.

We were tucked in and the door shut. My sister began arguing with me over my plan. But we were as quiet as a 4 and 5 year old can be…ever heard a 4 and 5 year old whisper?

I insisted that we were going out the window. She in good second sister form started to not come at all, but rather she was going to tell on ME. Somehow, I got her to put both her feet out the window, onto the saw horse and a quick hop to the ground.

Out the window we went.

We sneaked around the house and skittered across the street into the English woods on a grand adventure full of magic and myth.

We didn’t get caught the first time, not even the second time, but we did eventually get caught.

While I still recall the fun of finding a stable full of dairy cows and thrill of a gypsy (okay, maybe it was a hobo) campsite. I also remember the trouncing my tiny heiny took for scaring the pants off my parents.

To this day, I still wonder what’s happening when my eyes are closed and what grand things are going on that I’m not doing. When I wake up in the pre-dawn light, it’s very hard to stay in bed.

But…I have learned that Sleeping Beauty was on to something…remember, she awoke still looking like the teenager? That sleep has a magical (not really, it’s all science) effect on the body and the mind.

Sleep is the time when the mind resets and runs something like a de-frag program on a computer. It sorts through the days happenings and thoughts processing them into hopefully usable memories or ideas.

Sleep is when the body restores. Our body needs to rest. Even though every single cell in our body is different from the cells we were born with, just like a baby cannot thrive with sleep, we cant either.

Sleep is when the body balances hormones and releases excess hormonal waste (major simplification). Ever wonder why you are working out, eating all the right things and still have belly fat? Look at your sleep habits. Want to keep the belly fat? Keep your sleep habits. Want to release the belly fat? Upgrade your sleep habits.

Sleep is also important for regulating our vitality inducing hormones as well as our moods. Have you ever gone to bed with something heavy on your mind only to wake up with the realization that it isn’t as bad as you thought?

Sleep, whether good or bad will affect your weight, your skin, and your immunity to nasty bacteria, viruses and grumpy people. Want to get sick quick? Cut back on your sleep. Want to be mean to the meanies? Cut back on your sleep and your sweet loving disposition will disappear allowing you to feel justified to be mean and get even.

So whats a wide eyed, radiant optimal health seeker to do?

It’s simple really.

I’ll give you a hint…the very same thing you do to help an infant fall and stay asleep.

Have a schedule and stick to it. Yes, it really does a body good to go to sleep at the same time every night. Set a time that you will be in bed with no electronic distractions and put it in your calender. If it isn’t scheduled, it isn’t important to you. Seriously, if sleep is important to you, schedule it.

Did you know the National Sleep Foundation suggests that school age children get 10-11 hours of sleep daily, while teens do best with 8.5-10 hours and adults need 7-9 hours?

Create a sleep routine. I call it a ritual because the intention is to promote health and vitality in my body, my soul’s house. Keep it simple.

Did you know that lack of sufficient and quality sleep has been directly related to weight gain and mental impairment in both adults and children?

Dim the lights at least 45 minutes before bedtime. This helps your hormonal system to reset itself.

Turn off electronics unless you are listening to soothing music. Do not go to bed with your smart phone, iPad or TV remote!

Use soothing essential oils like Calming Blend or Lavender. Both are highly effective in promoting deep relaxation without groggy side effects.

Rub a drop on your feet, on your belly, on your forehead and the back of your neck for really great sleep. Put a drop on your pillow. I like to place 4- 8 drops in a cup of Epsom salt then add to my bath water for those evenings when I’m really wound up or over tired.

Be sure your room is dark, dark, dark or use a sleep mask. You know that light shining from your digital clock? It interrupts the hormonal changes your body needs to experience deep restful sleep.

Use a fan or get a sleep sound machine to block out noises that will interrupt your sleep. This is the one I use Marpac Dohm-DS Dual Speed Sound Conditioner. If your bed partner snores…get ear plugs.

Exercise appropriately. There are some new studies showing that the wrong kind of exercise will inhibit deep sleep and thereby, undoes all that good you thought you were doing. Try this video to unwind from a long day and get deep restful sleep.

Supplement your diet with high value supplements. Even if, like me, you juice, eat clean, local, whole foods 80% of the time, our food supply is deficient in nutrients. Our bodies are under tremendous stress and need the support. Our brains need optimal nourishment to regulate our hormones so we can sleep. Want to know which supplements I use and suggest to my clients? Send me an email and I’ll let you know.

Get out of bed at the same time every morning. You can always go back to bed if you want. Getting up at the same time every morning will help to reset your circadian (internal sleep) rhythms.

Tell me…

How do you feel when you wake up in the morning? Are you happy, ready to go and excited for the day? Do you have a good sleep tip to share, what is it?

The post Sleep well, wake refreshed and happy first appeared on Manage Stress | Increase Energy |Simple Solutions | Rommy Kirby, Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Personal Trainer, Essential Oil Educator.

The Smart Person’s Guide to Water – Stop The Every 20 Minute Pee Break Cycle

Rommy Kirby — Mon, 14 Oct 2013 14:43:44 +0000

Stop the “Every 20 Minute Pee Breaks”

courtesy of signicturesdotnet

You know irritating it is…

…you get ready to leave your house and you think ‘oops, what if traffic is bad’. So you stop, turn around and head to the toilet just to be sure.

…or how about when you’re on that deadline, and , you’ve been sipping water all day to keep you brain functioning at optimal…but…grrr…have to pee AGAIN!

…you’ve been on hold for 30 minutes and finally reached a real, live person…and bummer, you have to ring off to use the loo

…and most irritating…you’re just about to drop into the land of nod and, suddenly…‘no, surely not, no, I’ll make it through the night, oh yeah, I better get up and go pee’…you throw the covers back, leave your comfy spot and stumble to the toilet with half closed eyes hoping you will be able to fall back to sleep.

It happens to all of us. Especially, when we are focused on health, cleansing, weight release, optimal brain function or anti-aging.

All the experts tell us, drink water. Drink half your weight in ounces as a maintenance level. It’s so easy to give up on ever being well hydrated because all those pee breaks seem to eat away time.

Try this trick for staying optimally hydrated for optimal brain function, high productivity and H2-Obviously Better Skin.

Chunk It

Just like you chunk together errands and tasks, drink your water in chunks throughout the day.

Sipping water all day will make you need to pee every 20 – 30 minutes. Your hard working kidneys will feel like they are running a marathon every single day because they don’t get a chance to recover.

Instead, drink your room temp or warmer water in 16-24 ounce chunks 3-4 times a day.

Drink 16-24 ounces of water in 3 – 10 minutes for optimal results.

Benefits

kidneys will begin to flush out sediment
digestion will be stronger
increased productivity because of fewer pee breaks
better brain function because its easier to stay hydrated
boosts immunity
decreases inflammation
speeds recovery and healing

Optimal times to drink

Upon rising ~ Drink 24 ounces of water within 10 minutes of waking because your body is dehydrated when you wake up.
1 hour before meals ~ This will help to stimulate peristalsis in the digestive system without diluting precious digestive juices.
2 hours before bed ~ No one wants to wake up to pee. Take control and plan to avoid it and you will be able to process water through by bedtime.
1 hour before workout ~ Do this and you may not have to carry water or stop for that water break…unless you are over exercising…in that case, consider working with your body instead of against it.

BONUS Daily Detox Tip
Add a drop of lemon essential oil for added detox support. If you’re using essential oils, be sure that you have the best quality. Send me an email and I’ll tell you the oils I trust.

Tell Me Beautiful…

How much water to you drink a day? What is your best hydration tip?

The post The Smart Person’s Guide to Water – Stop The Every 20 Minute Pee Break Cycle first appeared on Manage Stress | Increase Energy |Simple Solutions | Rommy Kirby, Holistic Health Coach, Yoga Personal Trainer, Essential Oil Educator.