13 Oct 2020
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Overcoming Overwhelm (EP 27: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

When we get to a state of overwhelm, it goes beyond being busy. It’s when you get to the point where you are being controlled by your thoughts and it feels like life is happening TO you. It can be debilitating!

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.

In this episode we look at some actual steps you can take to prevent or reverse becoming overwhelmed…

1- Start giving yourself permission to say “NO” (Stop saying yes to shit you don’t want to do)! 

Remember our training on people-pleasing? When saying, “yes” will take you into a state of overwhelm, you must learn to say no. Consequences are worse than if you say, “it’s easier if I just do it then if I say no”… Leads to resentment, overwhelm, being pissy to people you care about (“taking it out” on family). And when you’ve said yes to more things than you can handle, the quality of what you’re doing declines… a lot of things get accomplished half-assed.

And remember where people-pleasing is rooted… In a lack of self-worth (feel guilty when put yourself first).

2- Eliminate unhelpful, self-imposed rules for yourself.

“Rules” which are different than commitments. Rules are inflexible. They do not take into  consideration changes in circumstances. Part of the “all or nothing” mindset. Rules like, I have to attend every one of my daughter’s swim meets. Well that’s an awesome thing to want to do, and you certainly can make the commitment to attend your daughter’s swim meets, but maybe you’re studying for an important exam and you have to choose between studying and giving yourself a shot at an A, or going to your daughter’s 3rd swim meet of the week. Well maybe you ask her dad to be there this time so you can stay out of overwhelm. 

3- Prioritize Self-Care

How do you recharge (this looks different for everyone)? Down time, being alone, being around positive people (extrovert), reading, working out, sexy, meditation, going out on dates, bubble bath, etc.) Pick 1 thing you can do this week to take better care of yourself (addition to your morning or nighttime routine) that will make the biggest difference and make the commitment!

4- Prevent unimportant things that feel urgent distract you from what’s actually important.

Often times things are presented in such a way that they feel urgent. And when something feels urgent, we tend to automatically bump it to the top of our priority lists. Boss, friends, family/kids, can bring the drama and that’s when we let their drama override our other commitments (usually the ones we make to ourselves).

How to prevent: Run it through the test – Eliminate, Delegate, Postpone

  1. Can you eliminate the task all together?
  2. Can you delegate the task to someone else?
  3. Can you postpone the task to revisit later (different from procrastinating)?
  4. Create solid systems to help you stay out of overwhelm through organization. Personally Trello has been the tool that is saving me (before that it way sticky notes and to-do lists that did not give me a system and made it so things often had to get to the place of urgency in order for them to take priority. Set up systems for even the simplest tasks like taking out the garbage, walking the dog, laundry… figure out what you can delegate. 
  5. First thing to schedule into your week is planning time to organize your upcoming week, figure out what might overwhelm you, and creating a plan. 

5- Ask for help! Or at least accept people’s offers!

An unwillingness to do this has to do with a lack of self-worth or inflated ego. When you choose to stay in overwhelm, you’re choosing to play the victim (I said this to myself on Sunday!) Accept and be grateful. Think about it as giving others an opportunity to give… and when people give, they get back. And you know you’ll pass the favor along when you’re in a position to do so. 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy

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06 Oct 2020
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Practical Tips for Busy People to Eat More Whole Foods (EP 26: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

Christin McKamey is the owner of VeggieChick.com, a site dedicated to whole food, plant-based recipes with a strong focus on the world of produce.

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Christin creates delicious veggie-focused plant-based recipes (with many oil-free and gluten-free options), as well as offering tips and tools to help others live and maintain a plant-powered lifestyle.

She has a Plant-Based Nutrition certification from e-Cornell, a certification from the Forks Over Knives Rouxbe Cooking School, and has also attended Vegan Fusion plant-based cooking classes. Christin lives in Royal Oak, Michigan with her husband and cat, Chloe.

Here is a summary of what was discussed in this podcast episode:

  • Batch Cooking Tips– things I do to ensure success for the week. Note: I don’t always do this, but when I do, I do find I make healthier choices.
    • Grocery shopping on Saturday, prepping a couple hours on Sunday
    • Things I do during prepping:
      • Wash, dry and chop vegetables; place in airtight, sealed containers.
      • Chop veggies that are versatile in many dishes, such as bell peppers, mushrooms, and onions.
      • Soak nuts and seeds if required.
      • Marinate tempeh or tofu.
      • Make a couple of versatile dips or dressings that will last in the refrigerator for a few days.
      • Freeze grains- portion into 1 or 2 cup portions and freeze in freezer bags or containers.
    • Decide a few ways you can make multiple dishes with the same ingredients. I love making what I call multi-way bowls (see more info below), soups, salads, tacos, chili, etc. You can also do a stir-fry or a salad bar.

 

  • Time Saving Techniques
    • Always read recipes once or twice to make sure you have everything before going to the grocery store. Some recipes might be missing an ingredient in the ingredients list that is listed in the directions instead.
    • Plan your route at the grocery store. Once you create your shopping list, put things in order of where they are located in the store.
    • Stock your kitchen with simple bulk ingredients to use in a pinch, such as all types of grains, dried beans, pasta, spaghetti sauce, frozen and canned vegetables.  Think of a few meals you can make for dinner throughout the week and how you can use some of those same ingredients in other recipes.
    • Add veggies to everything! I try to make sure every meal I have, has at least 2 (and most of the time many more) veggies. Onions, peppers, and mushrooms are very versatile.
    • Don’t like veggies? Try a new vegetable every week (or month).
    • Batch cooking can save a ton of time! Chop veggies or prepare grains in advance. Make variations of salads with different toppings, etc. Freeze scraps of veggies and make homemade veggie broth. Pick one day for grocery shopping, another for prepping. Setting aside 90 minutes-2 hours per week is all you need to save yourself tons of time during the week.
    • Make double or triple the amount the recipe calls for. You can enjoy it for at least a couple meals, or have a healthy lunch the next day. Pack away your lunch immediately after dinner and you’ll be all set.
    • Experiment with one-pot meal recipes. It makes life a lot easier when you only have one pan to wash. These types of dishes also tend to freeze and reheat well. You can even label with cooking instructions to make it easier for you or your family to reheat.
    • Easy smoothie prep: add fruit, veggies, etc. to a blender and put in the fridge the night before. In the morning, all you have to do is take out the blender, add liquid, and blend.
    • Serve your dinner in large glass containers (instead of serving bowls) so you can go straight from the table to the fridge. Less dishes.

And lastly, she has included 2 PDF’s to share…

  1. Time-Saving Techniques- tips for saving time and making healthy choices in your kitchen.
  2. Multi-Way Bowl– an easy option for meal ideas, and so versatile! Start with a grain. Add a protein if you want (lentils, tofu, seitan, beans, etc.). Add vegetables. And then top with a sauce. Add some toppings (nuts, seeds, etc.) Enjoy!

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy

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29 Sep 2020
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10 Tips for Transitioning That Will Save Your Relationships (EP 25: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

 If going vegan has put a strain on your current relationships or you want to avoid ruining your relationships as you transition to a vegan lifestyle these ten power tips are sure to help. 

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Going vegan and obtaining the support of friends and family is a common struggle for many who make the choice to live a vegan lifestyle. On last week’s episode Stephanie shared her story of going vegan and broke down the 5 stages that family and friends go through. 

Today Stephanie is giving 10 tips for transitioning that will save your relationships. If going vegan has put a strain on your current relationships or you want to avoid ruining your relationships as you transition to a vegan lifestyle  these ten power tips are sure to help. 

Stephanie discuss these tips in depth in this episode: 

  1. Define your boundaries.  Once Stephanie committed to veganism, she decided she was no longer going to or cook meat. 
  2. Talk about going vegan and answer questions.  Stephanie decided to use a lot of I-statements to demonstrate that she was taking responsibility for her own choices. Often times talking about veganism can challenge the way people see themselves as ethical, whole, compassionate human beings. So she plans ahead for these moments when she will be asked questions.
  3. Have a sense of humor. Because Stephanie is able to laugh at herself she believes that really rebunks that stereotype of the angry, raging vegan. And thus laughing about these things becomes easier for my family and for my relationships. Most vegans will be the victims of malicious jokes, Stepahnie says, but generally the people in our lives are really just poking fun.
  4. Get educated about nutrition for yourself and your kids. And this is the right spot for you. This program was the foundation for Stepahnie’s nutritional metamorphosis for my family. There are tons of great cookbooks and resources out there. Getting educated about nutrition is not only good for you. It’s good for your kids. And it’s good for that mom guilt too. When Stephanie knows that what she’s putting in front of her kids is nutritionally sound, then she knows that without a shadow of a doubt that mom guilt can not creep in. And if it does, she can challenge it at every level.
  5. Keep it simple. Especially if you’re cooking for a family. When Stephanie’s family got curious, she  started with breakfast smoothies. Now everyone gets a smoothie for breakfast. 
  6. Stop preparing two completely different meals. You are not a restaurant.  When Stephanie went vegan she started preparing one dish and it was always a vegan main dish. She was okay with them adding animal protein to the side themselves. but she stopped saying she was going to prepare what everybody’s dish was. She wasn’t a short order cook. 
  7. Veganize your favorite dishes. Stephanie suggests exploring new dishes with familiar flavors. One of her families favorites? Stir-frys, and mexican food. 
  8. Honor other people’s gestures and be flexible without compromising your values. Stephanie says to be appreciative of the steps that people take that might help you feel included and comfortable. Make a really big deal out of it. The one gesture Stephanie does that has never failed her? Telling her friends and family how much she loves to cook and offering to bring whatever they’d like her too. 
  9. Connect with other vegan families. Stephanie has a a great Facebook community in her local area that has meetups and suggest finding on in your local area to connect with others who are like-minded and whose beliefs are similar. 
  10. Promote vegan role models, especially if you have kids. Stephanie sees the importance to introduce her children to people that they can look up to in all aspects of their lives. 

We hope these 10 tips are useful for you and your family. We encourage you to take an honest account of where you are in your own journey and where your loved ones might be in theirs. Accept where you’re powerless and challenge yourself to control the way you respond to what’s happening because that’s really where your power is in your own response to what’s going on around you. Use these tips as you transition to navigate the tough terrain of relationships with family and friends. 

 

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy

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22 Sep 2020
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Going Vegan: When Your Family or Friends Aren’t on Board (EP 24: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

Based on a recent survey we did with our listeners, going vegan without the support of your family or friends is a struggle that a lot of people share.

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Based on a recent survey we did with our listeners, going vegan without the support of your family or friends is a struggle that a lot of people share.

My story is exceptional in that I knew when I was just 7 years old that eating animals was a hard “No.” It didn’t matter to me one bit that nobody I knew was vegetarian. At 15 I fully understood the suffering of all farm animals and went fully vegan and knew my purpose in life was to save animals. My compassion for animals ran so deep that ridicule was not a deterrence. (My family followed in my footsteps and went vegetarian and then vegan as well!)

Stephanie however, represents our listeners to a much higher level. In this episode, Stephanie shares her personal story, discussing what went down each of the 4 times she attempted to make the transition to a vegan lifestyle. It took 4 attempts before it stuck, and she has dissected the reasons why, all of which are likely to resonate with others in similar positions.

In short, here are the reasons:

Attempt #1: Stephanie’s family was quick to remind her that she was raised by farmers, and that her family’s background in farming was how she was afforded a comfortable upbringing. Family guilt!

Attempt #2: Stephanie’s Insecurity as a new mom, being told by others that her children would not thrive on a plant-based diet, led her to succumb to “mom-guilt!”

Attempt #3: Stephanie’s overall lack of self-confidence caused her to give into what was comfortable and safe. She wasn’t confident in her choices, and wasn’t able to counter the criticism and ridicule from others from a place of compassion and education. 

Attempt #4 (Success!): Here are the self-realizations as to WHY Stephanie was successful…

  1. Stephanie realized that her relationships are equally important as her life choices. She concluded that other’s thoughts and feelings about her choices are not important, BUT her relationships ARE important. This is a distinction that takes a lot of self-awareness and self-confidence!
  2. Stephanie realized that she was the one changing the rules, so she was required to fuel her own progress with empathy toward the people in her life, giving up the idea of perfection in relationships. There were going to be tough conversations, and she was able to be assertive instead of aggressive.
  3. She was able to embrace a vegan lifestyle with the consideration of being the caretaker of her three kiddos. She was able to set boundaries and not succumb to handle her “mom guilt.” She had to step back and explore her conflicting feelings with, as we say in VLCA, approach her thoughts with curiosity and compassion. From that place she has been able to navigate the changing dynamics within her family.
  4. Stephanie made the transition solely about herself. She went vegan in “stealth mode,” didn’t make a big announcement until she had established her vegan lifestyle with confidence.

Once she felt good about her own journey, Stephanie started sharing her new lifestyle with her family and friends.

In doing so, she noticed that most of the time, people she told went through 5 stages. The stages, which she describes in depth in the episode are:

  1. Defiance 
  2. Resistance 
  3. Curiosity 
  4. Acceptance
  5. Embracing

On our next episode, we’ll be sharing 10 powerful tips for going vegan without ruining your relationships in the process.

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy

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15 Sep 2020
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Scale Obsession: How to Let Go Without Letting Yourself Go (EP 23: The Vegan Life Coach Podcast)

According to Harvard Health, for most dieters, preventing the pounds from coming back, after working so hard to lose them, is the biggest challenge. On average, people regain two-thirds of the weight that they’ve lost within two years.

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One way people try to prevent gaining (or regaining) weight is through daily weigh-ins.

On one hand, this idea makes logical sense. When the number on the scale starts to increase, you know it’s time to tighten up the diet and/or hit the gym more. We hear clients say, “I’ve got to catch myself before my weight gets out of control.”

For some people, keeping a high level of awareness on small  changes in their weight can be motivating… But at what mental and emotional cost? True health isn’t just about the number on the scale… It includes mental and emotional health too.

First off, one problem is that daily fluctuations in weight is normal and to be expected due to differences in water retention from one day to the next. People often interpret a one-pound weight gain as FAT gain, and freak out. The scale doesn’t differentiate the weight of bone, fluid, muscle and fat.

The number on the scale all too often dictates a person’s mood. So what is a normal variation in weight, can literally ruin someone’s day for no logical reason.

At Vegan Life Coach Academy we talk about “finding your why.”

Next time you get on the scale we challenge you to ask yourself, “Why?”

Your answer is going to come from one of two places:

  1. FEAR. Fear of not being _____ enough. (Fill in the blank (e.g. skinny, pretty, etc.)
  2. LOVE. Loving and respecting yourself and your body so much that you make conscious and mindful choices about what you put in your body and how you move your body. (Hint: If you self-sabotage you’re not embodying true self-love.)

In this episode we explore why your obsession with the scale is causing more harm than good. Why daily weigh-ins are setting you up to stay stuck in a cycle of self-sabotage. Why constantly worrying about your weight is likely a reflection of low self-worth and shame.

What if you could focus on eating and training out of love and respect for yourself and your body? I’ll tell you! You will eat healthy, whole foods and workout the right amount so that the pounds will take care of themselves. 

No scale necessary!

We finish up with a challenge… Ditch your scale for an entire month and binge listen to the Vegan Life Coach Podcast!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Episode 17: Busyness   |   5-Day Quick and Simple Whole Foods & Fitness Challenge  |   Vegan Life Coach Academy

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04 Aug 2020
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Episode 17: The Busyness Trap

Busy is a drug that a lot of people are addicted to.  -Rob Bell

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Busyness is not a reality, it’s only your perceived reality. It’s a state of mind, meaning it’s all in your head, coming from your thoughts. 

Think about it, for someone who’s used to doing very little, having a few errands to run one day can have him/her saying, “It’s a busy day.” It’s simply about WHAT you’re busy doing!

Busyness is a perception of your reality. Life is made up of present moments, and life therefore cannot be busy. Only your mind can be busy. We’ve programmed our brains to believe being busy is how we operate, and that it’s outside of our control. We’ve created a personality of being busy, and our personality creates our personal reality!

We are the energy we create and put out into the Universe, so as long as we keep saying we’re busy, we will always let busyness run our lives and keep us in a state of overwhelm.

Saying you’re busy is also a great cop-out. It’s an easy excuse. We can justify anything by blaming it on being busy.

The word “busy” tends to have a negative connotation in a lot of cases because of the feelings of overwhelm, worry, and anxiety that come along with it. Busy can also have a positive connotation though. If you’re an entrepreneur and you’re busy with an influx of business, chances are you are pumped and excited about being busy!

So, what are you really telling yourself when you say you’re busy? What are you making it mean?

The thought, “I’m busy,” could mean, “I don’t think I have enough time to check everything off my to-do list” which can trigger negative emotions/anxiety. Consider this though… There will ALWAYS be something on your to-do list! Once you check one thing off, you add another. There is no “arrival.” So what are you in such a hurry for? This is a journey!

When you think, “I’m busy,” ask, “So what? What does that really mean?” Maybe it’s that you have booked your schedule solid and did not plan for any rest, time to simply “be”, or for self-care including meal prepping and being physically active in an enjoyable way.

Being busy has nothing to do with being productive. In fact, thinking you’re busy is counter-productive. If your mental space is consumed with thoughts of how busy you are, that space and mental energy is not being used to actually get anything accomplished. It’s more of a distraction than anything. 

By the way, you simply can’t be busy (or think you’re busy) when you’re truly living in the present moment. So when you decide on what you’re doing during a certain time frame, be there and put your full attention and focus on that thing you’re doing. Like magic, the busyness disappears. Why? Because it actually doesn’t exist! That’s why being present is one major antidote to busyness.

Great things happen when we give up the myth of busyness. In the mindset of busyness, the  thought is often, “my plate is full.” But watch what happens when you give up the notion that you’re busy. All of a sudden, your plate actually expands. It’s quite amazing!

We encourage you to commit to going the next month without saying, “I’m busy.” And when you think it, acknowledge the thought, and come up with a new thought to clarify what’s really going on.

———————-

We’d love to hear about your experience listening to this episode, and how helpful you found it to be (or not to be)! Email [email protected]. I read and reply to every email myself because your feedback is so incredibly valuable… This podcast is for YOU!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy | Episode 4

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21 Jul 2020
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Episode 15: Vegan Fitness – Why You Can’t Outrun Your Fork

vegan fitness

I was recently asked to give a talk about vegan fitness. I had to think about what valuable information and insights I bring to an audience… I mean, who doesn’t already know that it’s important to make consistent exercise a part of your lifestyle?

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Exercise has been a part of my life since I was 5 years old, starting on the swim team, gymnastic team, dance classes, and later, after my growth spurt, volleyball in high school. 

From there I became a gym rat and personal trainer. I even won first place in the bikini division of the Fame World Championships, which I did to prove that it was possible as a vegan in fitness, at a time when many people didn’t even know what the word vegan meant, and those who did, thought of vegans not as fitness buffs, but rather as scrawny hippies who grew armpit hair and didn’t wear deodorant. 

What I found, working in fitness, was that the industry had very little concern for true health. Instead, it was all about what you looked like on the outside. And for me, having become a walking billboard for the strong, lean physique that was possible to build as a vegan, I put a ton of pressure on myself to stay in fighting shape in order to inspire others to go vegan. 

I became programmed to believe that my worth was based on the shape of my body and it sent me down the road of disordered eating and a distorted body image. 

To the world I looked like the shining example of a healthy, fit vegan, but I felt like a fraud, because I was not healthy mentally or emotionally. 

Maybe you have that voice inside your head that says, “I’ll be happy when… (fill in the blank). I’ll be happy when I lose this weight, or when I’ve got the body I’ve always wanted.”

Well we’re here to tell you that happiness is not on the other side of weight loss. It’s actually the other way around! Weight loss is on the other side of happiness.

It’s important to change your mindset around exercise and (vegan) fitness from what most people use as motivation… a means to lose weight, to a means of being strong, healthy and active into old age with weight loss often being a welcomed side effect.

In this episode we give you three shifts that you can make starting today to create a vegan lifestyle that will result in a strong, healthy, fit, body for life. These are shifts we help people make permanently through the Vegan Life Coach Academy membership.

Shift #1 is based on the philosophy that you can’t outrun your fork. What I mean is that no matter how insanely hard you workout, if you’re not fueling your body with nutrient packed whole plant foods, you won’t achieve a healthy, fit body, at least not for long. 

First off, you can only over-train for so long before your body starts to break down, from overuse injuries, to acute injuries, to adrenal fatigue. (I have experienced all three thanks to all my years of over-training).

Second, let me ask you a question: You know what burpees are right? 

Well most people, myself included have a love hate relationship with burpees because they are one of the toughest, yet most effective total body exercises that exist. 

How many burpees do you think it takes to burn off the calories in just 3 Oreo cookies (which are accidentally vegan by the way)?

Over 100! Yes, that’s right, so if you’ve ever eaten something, thinking, “It’s okay, I’ll burn off these calories at the gym tomorrow,” good luck! Constantly working out for the purpose of burning off calories you feel guilty about consuming will keep you spinning your wheels, frustrated, and exhausted.

So I encourage you to use food and exercise as complements to each other. Use food to fuel your body so that it can perform at it’s best, so you can be energized and feel strong day in and day out.

This leads me to Shift #2: Loving yourself unconditionally is a prerequisite for changing your body. In other words, transformation occurs from the inside out. 

This can be a tough concept to wrap your head around right? 

We spend so much time and energy doing research and trying to find the right meal and workout plans to finally get us in good shape. But ultimately what happens? How often do you eat something, knowing very well it’s not going to help your cause? 

How many times do you find yourself in a cycle of self-sabotage, where you are super motivated, stick to a strict diet, and exercise like a crazy person, only to eventually find your willpower has run out, your life is completely out of balance, and you end up “falling off” the wagon, overeating, under-exercising, and ending up back where you started or worse off?

Well what if we spent that time and energy first learning to respect and accept ourselves exactly as we are? 

What if we truly loved ourselves, and started listening to our bodies, and making the choices that will serve us and our bodies best? 

What if we started eating and exercising because we LOVE our bodies, not because we hate them?

I’ll tell you, because we have helped hundreds of clients do just that.

I’ll tell you about Mary, who enrolled in my program because she was pre-diabetic, had hypertension, and a decent amount of weight to lose. 

She, like so many, said to me, “I’ve tried EVERYTHING” to which I asked, have you tried NOT dieting, and NOT trying to lose weight by burning calories at the gym? Have you tried overcoming the mental and emotional hurdles you may not even know are standing in your way? 

Well, she had been through some individual therapy for some serious trauma she experienced as a child and teen. Despite the therapy, she was still carrying around the weight of shame, and the beliefs that she was unlovable and unworthy. 

We gave her a safe space to be vulnerable, and the tools and coaching she needed to build a foundation of self-love, and when she did, everything else began to fall into place. When she began eating and exercising out of true love for herself, 25 pounds melted off, and she regained her health. 

And finally, Shift #3: Get curious and find the fun in vegan fitness!

Let me tell you about my boyfriend Christian.

Christian grew up a band geek (his words not mine), so music was his thing, whereas vegan fitness and sports were mine. 

Before I met him, he had the goal of getting up to 185 pounds by building muscle (don’t us women love it when men complain about not being able to gain weight?!). 

He had hired a trainer and was meal prepping as his trainer recommended. Side note… When I first looked in his kitchen I was horrified, I mean absolutely horrified… from turkey burgers and canned tuna, to terrible protein and other supplement powders, to diet coke and seltzer water sweetened with aspartame and sucralose). 

He was working his ass off at the gym and was seeing very little results. 

He was beyond frustrated, and not long after we started dating, he got on board the vegan train, but fell off the wagon when it came to exercise. “What’s the point?” he asked me. 

Well, I threw a lot of points at him! I told him that getting big muscles was one aesthetic reason to workout, but what about all the benefits that would set him up for a lifetime of activity? The strength, mobility, flexibility and agility you can get from different types of exercise. The heart health he could experience as he prevented heart disease. Fending off back problems and osteoporosis as well. 

What if he could find motivation in wanting to feel his best and enjoy a high level quality of life into old age? If you really think about it, our looks are going to change regardless. We get older, we get wrinkles, we get age spots, things sag, but if you’re able to continue to move with ease and access the joy and freedom from within, the golden years really will feel golden!

That being said, I like to get creative and have fun, which often means mixing things up. 

I go through phases where I’m really into one type of physical activity, let’s say training and sparring Muay Thai, and then I’ll go through a phase where I’m into calisthenics, and then heavier lifting, or cycling, the possibilities are endless. 

So recently, Christian and I came up with a competition between the two of us. I’d call it a friendly competition, but we’re both competitive so there’s a lot of friendly shit-talking taking place let me tell you! 

And what will happen after our competition? I’m not sure! Maybe Christian will be in the flow, feeling so good from the inside out he will keep it up on a more moderate level. Maybe he’ll be achy and ready to join me for some yoga. Maybe we’ll take couples yoga classes, or I’ll join him for some workouts at the park or track since. We’ll see! I’m not worried because there’s always a solution when you think outside the box.

So ask yourself, “What could I do to make working out something I WANT to do?” Give it some thought!

Here are some ideas: 

  • Take on fun challenges.
  • I’m a huge proponent of classes, though right now with the Pandemic they may have to be virtual. I really like the Social/community aspect of classes, the energy, and accountability. Have you tried (Kick)boxing classes, indoor cycling, or bootcamps? 
  • What about yoga, which has become a moving meditation I can’t live without. (And if you “hate yoga” I get it. I resisted it for years until I found the style and instructors that worked for me at which point it was life-changing!)
  • There are also programs that last a certain number of weeks/months which make it possible to really test your progress if that motivates you.
  • And what about recreational sports like tennis, volleyball, cycling, swimming, that you could make part of your weekly routine?

Don’t think, just do! You talk yourself into going to work, and doing things for the people you love, not necessarily because you feel motivated, but because it’s a responsibility you’ve chosen. Time to choose exercise as one of those responsibilities!

I’ll finish up here with this thought… 

You are not a body. You have a body. You are a soul. Take care of your body, so you have a healthy vessel for your soul to reside while you navigate this game we call life.

We encourage you to join our uniquely powerful and compassionate Empowered Vegan Life group on Facebook for more coaching and support around this topic.

We’d love to hear about your experience listening to this episode, and how helpful you found it to be (or not to be)! Email [email protected]. I read and reply to every email myself because your feedback is so incredibly valuable… This podcast is for YOU!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy | Episode 4

CONNECT WITH US!

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

14 Jul 2020
Empowerment, Holistic Health, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle
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Black Health Matters with Gigi The Vegan

We are so excited for our listeners to hear this episode!

We have a really fantastic guest today who has a fascinating story about how she healed her body with food as her medicine. She didn’t stop with her own health though… She started a health movement in Kansas City, focusing on the Black community in particular. Her name is Annette Jones, but she’s better known as Gigi The Vegan.

Gigi is leading the way for black women entrepreneurs and vegan businesses in the Kansas City Area. Stephanie came to know Gigi through her line of kale chips. (They are SO delicious!) 

This week is Gigi’s birthday, and she is opening Gigi’s Vegan Cafe where she will not only be cooking up delicious and health-promoting meals, but also growing her own produce and providing a sanctuary for healing through meditation and other types of practices. Gigi is a beautiful soul and she is not afraid to tell her own story which includes her journey to becoming a vegan and healing her body from cancer. 

In this episode, Gigi really opens up the conversation concerning systemic racism that has led to inadequate education and healthcare for the Black population in our country, in turn this has created a generational pattern that Gigi is fully committed to changing in her community.

In August of 2015, Gigi was diagnosed with colon cancer. Her doctor told her that she would need surgery but Gigi felt that she needed to find an alternative. At that time, she had a lot of stress in her life and wasn’t conscious of how she was eating, and wasn’t truly taking care of herself. That is when she decided to educate herself on cancer and how to make her body stronger for surgery. 

But what happened was remarkable! After educating herself, Gigi decided to go the holistic route with an all raw, vegan lifestyle. She learned to combine different herbs together to heal her body, and now, Gigi has been given a clean bill of health! 

It was more than just her diet Gigi changed. She also changed her mental health and stress levels. “It pretty much changed my entire life and my lifestyle. And since then, I decided to help others. I went to receive training through Parkinson’s Health Institute, as well as Dr. Campbell. And here I am. It wasn’t an easy journey for me, but it was the journey that I needed to take to make myself whole again. I’m getting another opportunity to do things over again with my children and grandchildren, inspiring them to change and live their best lives.”

At Vegan Life Coach Academy we place a high level of importance on mindset work. Mindset is important to Gigi as well, and meditation is now a vital part of her life. She had to reconnect with self and with God. 

In a world where we are so busy taking care of other people, we often forget about ourselves. Gigi said she always tells people when they first start on their journey toward a healthy lifestyle, that the first thing they need to do is, “spend time with yourself. Get quiet.” 

“Fill yourself up with so much love for yourself, and then we can distribute that to others.” And we couldn’t agree more. Gigi helps people become centered in quiet, and embody a state of peace.

Gigi attributes the success of her business to the mind, body, spirit connection. 

 “It doesn’t feel like a job. It just feels like something that I am supposed to do and I never get tired of doing it. I feel honored to be able to assist people, and their lifestyle goals and changes that they want to make in their life, and inspire others.”

Gigi’s desire to make a difference in her community is visible in everything she does . Gigi believes not only that black lives matter, but also that black health matters. She believes that African American health is in a state of emergency.  

African Americans are leading the numbers when it comes to COVID deaths, high blood pressure and diabetes. Forty percent of African American men are hypertensive, and forty four percent for African American women.  Thirty-seven percent of African American men, and fifty six percent of African American women struggle with obesity.

“So, for me, I think that there has to be a focus on black health care because black health care matters.” Gigi says. “I’m just here as a vessel to do the work, the information that I have, I just want to be able to give that to my community.”

And that is exactly what Gigi is doing with the opening of her cafe, Gigi’s Vegan & Wellness Cafe, where they grow much of their own food, as well as her line of Kale Chips, and her 21 Day Detox program. 

It was an honor and pleasure to have Gigi on our show. Her story is so very inspiring. We want to wish Gigi the Happiest of Birthdays and massive success for her restaurant!

 

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MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

 Vegan Life Coach Academy | Gigi’s Wellness Cafe | Connect with Gigi on Instagram|Connect with Gigi Facebook | Gigi’s Website

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Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.

07 Jul 2020
Empowerment, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle
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Cravings: Causes and Cures

Let’s talk about food cravings!  What are some of the foods you crave?

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*Learn about group and 1:1 coaching opportunities HERE.

If you’re curious about why you have cravings, and how to cure them, this episode is for you!

You may have heard me share my former struggles with foods like peanut butter and granola (we make plenty of jokes about my granola addiction, so feel free to make fun of me)!

For Stephanie, it’s the sugar that’s her kryptonite. She even tells us her dirty little secret that she’s a recovering Mountain Dew addict. 

Every person experiences cravings differently, but often cravings are for processed “junk” foods because they are high in sugar, salt and fat (all of which are highly addictive.) The desire for these foods that don’t nourish our bodies can be so intense and seem uncontrollable to the point that your “hunger” might not be satisfied until you consume that particular food.

Cravings are not actually caused by the stomach or the taste buds, but the regions of the brain that are responsible for memory, pleasure, and reward… A powerful combination of forces! We remember how these foods make us feel, and we want to replicate the pleasure experience.  

Our brains are so efficient at steering us to what is going to make us feel good. Unfortunately, this often overrides the centers of our brain that control our logic and reasoning. So it’s easy to see how food cravings present a major roadblock to forming new, healthier nutritional habits.

A couple of causes for the brain’s reaction that produce the cravings are very intimately connected.  First is an imbalance of hormones such as leptin and serotonin. Commonly craved foods release endorphins after eating, which mirrors addiction in many ways. The brain knows how to make the body feel good, so it signals the craving to get the flow of endorphins, but after the flow, comes the crash.

As temporary as the relief is, junk food can fulfill the need for relief from negative emotions very quickly.   

When it comes to overcoming or curing cravings for unhealthy foods, we give a number of helpful tips and strategies in this episode. 

The mindset strategies we cover in this episode are an extension of our Self-Empowerment Coaching System (Episode 4). 

One such strategy is as follows… When you feel like eating, give yourself a little test and ask yourself, “Would I eat kale right now (or any nutrient-dense plant food you like, but don’t feel addicted to)?”  If the answer is yes, go right ahead and eat kale.  If the answer is no, then you probably are not hungry and may be wanting to eat out of habit and/or to suppress emotions.  

If eating to suppress emotions is any part of that answer, then it is time to take a step back and suspend your judgment. Look at yourself and your situation with compassion and curiosity, and then ask yourself some questions.  

First, “What’s bothering me?” or “What’s really stressing me out?”  Then, “What can I do about it?”  And finally, “Why am I NOT doing something about it?” If you commit to facing the stress and underlying emotions first, you can usually bust through the craving.  

In other words, you are really facing your stuff, rather than stuffing your face!

It’s really important to explore what’s underneath that has you looking for comfort, pleasure, and a reward that is momentary, and actually deal with the root issue rather than making a self-sabotaging choice.

By giving into a craving rather than dealing with the fuel behind it, you find yourself then dealing with guilt, sadness or stress about the craving and the rest of the muck that you were escaping from in the first place.

Remember this… It’s rarely about the food!

We encourage you to join our uniquely powerful and compassionate Empowered Vegan Life group on Facebook for more coaching and support around this topic!

We’d love to hear about your experience listening to this episode, and how helpful you found it to be (or not to be)! Email [email protected]. I read and reply to every email myself because your feedback is so incredibly valuable… This podcast is for YOU!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Episode 4 

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Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Interested in getting coaching? Learn more HERE

Want to work directly with Ella? Visit her website HERE and email her: [email protected]

30 Jun 2020
Empowerment, Podcast, Vegan Lifestyle
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Body Image: How You Can Love Your Body AND Change It Simultaneously

Today’s episode focuses on a topic that our listeners have been requesting… body image (a “fun” one I know)!

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*Links mentioned in the episode are at the bottom of this page.

The VAST majority of people are walking around uncomfortable in their own skin.

Most people that we encounter every single day have a negative view of their bodies, so if that’s you, you’re FAR from alone.

Stephanie and I can relate on both a personal level, and through the hundreds of clients we’ve worked with who struggle with their body image and self-esteem. 

It’s important to make a distinction between self-esteem and body-image, because people often use those terms interchangeably. Though they can be intimately connected, they are actually quite different.  

Body image is specific to the body while self-esteem is an evaluation of our worth as a whole, and is not just specifically related to our bodies.  We can see the impact and the over emphasis many of us put on our physical bodies, and the way we feel about our physical bodies, has a large impact on how we really feel about ourselves.  

I share about my struggles with body image, and Stephanie talks about how at one point, she was in such a horrible place with her body image that she would avoid pictures at all cost. This was even after taking care of the dysfunction of her eating disorder. 

Stephanie talks about how, early in her law enforcement career, she became a part of the crisis negotiation team as a negotiator, and when it would come time to get fitted for uniforms or take team pictures, she would actually use a sick day to avoid having to participate. She realizes now how much time and energy she spent locked into core beliefs that weren’t serving her. (I’m not good enough. I’m not skinny, so I’m not worthy.) 

We talk about clients like Erin who carried a scale around in her purse because she was so obsessed with her body image she couldn’t go out to eat without weighing and measuring her food. 

One important distinction that we make, that was helpful for Erin and so many of our clients, was that you can love and accept your body for everything that it is and does in the present, while also working toward changing it on your quest to becoming the healthiest version of yourself.

In so many ways, the diet culture has really sold us a system that keeps them in business. If they continue to make our bodies the enemy and not the expert, then they are able to sell us on their products.  

The truth is, no lasting change can occur until you start treating your body with love, acceptance, respect, and gratitude.  The body is forgiving. It’s responsive and patient. 

Learning to eat and exercise INTUITIVELY is key. Your body is unique, and it’s been trying to tell you what it needs, but you’ve been trained by society to listen to diet rules instead. 

Creating a healthy body image is the basis for change, not the result of it. It’s a privilege to simply live and move. The only way we get to experience life is in our bodies. I eat greens and beans in the morning because I love my body enough to fuel it with good stuff. I feel so energized and powerful when I exercise, so I do it, not because I want to burn calories or punish myself for the vegan pizza or extra margarita. 

At Vegan Life Coach Academy, our clients very quickly learn that the food and exercise become the easy part of the equation! Changing your beliefs about your body, so that you can come from a place of love, is the more difficult thing to do.

Coming from a place of love is also the only way to make lasting changes and move to a place of freedom from all of that self-doubt and counting macros and having the number on the scale or the size of your jeans rule your day.

If you want support with this topic, we invite you to join our Facebook group where you can find so many people who are on this journey with you!

Stephanie gives three strategies that will help to really bring awareness to those beliefs and help you challenge those negative beliefs about your body.  

The first, Check Your Inner Critic. Having a negative body image is like having a critic in your head. The critic is a harsh, derogatory narrative that makes nasty comments about you. For example, “I look disgusting in this outfit” or “I can’t believe how fat I am”. The critic makes you feel awful, because you believe it. 

Because you feel terrible about yourself, you look for ways to feel better. You may eat something, which gives momentary pleasure, but minutes later the critic is back to comment on how much of a pig you are for eating. One key to changing negative body image is to banish the critic, and learn self-acceptance. This means accepting yourself as you are, and to do this, we invite you to really challenge those critical thoughts.

A second strategy involves this exercise: Create a list of 10 things you love about your body…10 things that have nothing to do with weight. Stop focusing on the bits you don’t like and start seeing your body as a whole.  Do you have a smile that lights up the room? Do you enjoy the way your body feels when you are hugging your boyfriend or girlfriend?  

Think about not just attributes but experiences that you can only have with your body like finishing a hard workout, petting your dog, your first kiss….  Once you’ve created this list, use it to challenge those negative thoughts that your inner critic is throwing at you.

Finally, catch yourself when you go into COMPARISON MODE. This is a nasty habit that so many of us find ourselves in. It can be really challenging to stop because it has become so automatic and you do it a hundred times a day, but this behavior is not serving you. 

In fact, the comparison game is causing you a lot of damage, so get very firm with drawing this internal boundary, and do NOT accept this from yourself any longer.  

When you find yourself in this comparison trap ask yourself, am I being fair to myself or this other person?  The answer is always NO.  And then ask yourself what can I say that will be helpful for building a more realistic and positive body image?  This takes a lot of self-discipline, but it isn’t unlike any other habit you have broken in the past.

Remember… reprogramming your mind and creating a healthy relationship with your body is a process! There is no “arrival” either, the process is life long, so you may as well embrace the ride.

We’d love to hear about your experience listening to this episode, and how helpful you found it to be (or not to be)! Email [email protected]. I read and reply to every email myself because your feedback is so incredibly valuable… This podcast is for YOU!

MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE

Vegan Life Coach Academy | Episode 4

CONNECT WITH US!

Grab the valuable gift we have for you HERE.

Have a question you’d like us to answer, or feedback you’d like to give us (we love hearing from you!)? Leave us a voice (or written) message HERE.

Interested in receiving a free coaching session to air on an upcoming episode? Apply HERE.