Are you too excited to sleep at night?

Maybe you’re having trouble falling asleep and staying asleep?

The culprit may be additives in your food.

Aspartame, MSG, artificial coloring, nitrates, and even soy contain “excitotoxins.”

These chemicals can alter brain chemistry and lead to insomnia.

Stay away from foods with these additives.

You’ll get a better night’s sleep.

And you’ll lower the risk of damaging your brain’s sensitive nerves.

And that’s not the only reason to avoid these poisons. They can cause many health problems, including obesity, migraines, memory loss, and hearing loss.

As we discuss week after week and blog post after blog post,, eat REAL food.

That keeps it REALLY simple, ensuring the best possible night’s sleep.

That way when people ask you if you’ve heard about the side effects of additives in food, you’ll answer, “Yes, but it doesn’t pertain to me!”

shelli

Warning: this blog post contains a humorous yet thoughtful look at
fear!

We hate to admit it but most of our fears are irrational.

And I’ll even admit that most of my fears are irrational.

On one hand, everyday life just isn’t that dangerous anymore.

Technology, engineering, and modern medicine have eliminated so
many of the things that people used to fear.

Fears rise up in response to perceived threats, and trigger a “fight or
flight” response from us. They evolved as a basic survival mechanism.

Studies show what we fear is fairly universal: spiders,
snakes, heights, public speaking, and death.

As Jerry Seinfeld once said, “According to most studies,
people’s number one fear is public speaking. Number two is death.
Does that sound right? This means at a funeral most people would
rather be in the casket than doing the eulogy.”

We all might agree that one of our greatest, if not THE greatest
fear, is fear of failure.

Whether we are aware of it or not, it can paralyze us and keep
us from taking action, taking risks, and having experiences that
might benefit us greatly.

It’s easier for all of us to stick with what we perceive as
safe, comfortable and familiar.

Yet many times when we choose safety we reinforce fear.

We nurture fear. We let it dictate the terms by which we live our
lives and make our choices.

When we overcome our fears we begin to live.

“He who is not everyday conquering some fear has not learned the
secret of life,” said Ralph Waldo Emerson.

How is fear conquered?

That can be a complicated question that keeps you from ever
actually conquering your fears.

So let’s keep it simple.

We conquer fears by doing what we think we can’t do, again and
again.

Let me give you a personal example.

When I was young, and even to this day, I stutter. Being called
on in class or in any social outing terrified me.

Today however, I seek out opportunities to speak in public. It’s
one of the best ways for me to meet people and let them know who
I am and what I can offer them.

I see fear as a barrier to success.

It can give a small thing a big shadow.

I also see fear as the opposite of faith.

It keeps us stuck in between regret over the past and anxiety about the
future.

These days I’m feeling like very few things warrant the fear
energy we give them. Often we’re running not from genuine threats
but from what we’re imagining.

That’s why my favorite acronym for fear is False Evidence
Appearing Real.

There are many rewards for conquering fear. The biggest one is
the other F word; freedom.

Freedom from anxiety.

Freedom from regret.

Freedom from a life unlived.

Do you think fortune really does favor the brave? I do.

As Marianne Williamson wrote, “Our deepest fear is not that we
are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond
measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens
us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented, and fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? … We
are all meant to shine, as children do. And as we let our own
light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do
the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence
automatically liberates others.”

As middle aged women, we have lived enough life to know which
fears are still holding us back.

Air them out, one at a time.

Know them, and work through them and don’t let “false evidence
appear real.”

As for me, I’d much much rather be the one giving the eulogy
than the one in the casket!

What do you think?

shelli

No matter what your sport or what your health and fitness goals are in life, here are 5 perspectives to use that will enhance your experience, guaranteed!

1. Cultivate an Attitude of Gratitude

Be thankful for your body. It’s such a gift to be able to be physically active and see your body support you in your physical endeavors.

You likely put many hours into your training, so sometimes it’s easy to forget and take for granted our body’s response to the load we place on it.

Recall how far you’ve come as an athlete and how much progress you’ve made.

Play golf? Recall how awkward you were during the early days on the driving range.

Swim? Remember when you could barely swim two laps in the pool?

Training for a marathon? It’s taken months of dedication and adaptation as you ran mile after mile.

Sometimes when you stop and realize where you WERE as an athlete and how much progress you’ve made, it’s quite an eye opener.

Think about injuries you’ve overcome, obstacles you’ve busted through and choices you’ve had to make to enjoy an active lifestyle.

None of these are easy to handle, so bring that attitude of gratitude with you as you pursue activities that bring you pleasure and you’ll enjoy them even more!

2. Believe

Believe in yourself.

It’s easy to get discouraged and think you won’t ever reach your goals.

Setbacks happen, it’s normal. Get back in the game and start from where you find yourself and keep going!

Surround yourself with a good community of like-minded people and learn to use their support. They’ll help you stay the course, however, the core belief in yourself must come from you.

3. Understand your Nutrition and Hydration Needs

As an athlete and active woman you should know what your nutrition and hydration needs are. Don’t get caught up in what someone else is doing. You have your own needs.

Also, make sure to learn what it takes for your body to recover. Being smart about your recovery time is essential to keeping yourself training long into the future.

4. Stay in the Moment

I know you’ve heard this before, but it can be tricky to really grasp what it means.

Simply put, stay tuned in to what’s happening with your body. Stay present in both your mind and body to what you’re experiencing. Stay focused on what you are doing and how you’re feeling while you’re exercising, training, or racing.

You can do a body scan asking yourself questions such as: am I feeling hydrated, how is my heart rate, how do I feel?

Think about what you are doing in this moment. Don’t fall into the mental trap of spending too much time in future planning.

For instance, if you’re out for a hike and your thoughts turn to “what am I going to have for dinner tonight?” it’s likely that you’re probably hungry and should take in some fuel NOW!

Staying present fosters a sense of enjoyment and enriches your experience and memory of what you’re doing. It takes practice, so if you’re not already working with this idea, start now.

5. It’s All About the Journey

I know, this sounds like a platitude but it’s really true. As athletes we reach for new goals and experiences. We can be overly result-oriented so we have a tendency to forget to enjoy the journey and focus too much on our improvement or lack of results as a measure of success.

I train many first time marathoners.

The first goal I look to instill in them is that they finish the marathon with a smile on their face.

Their result time for that first marathon is insignificant compared to having a great experience. There is only one first, and I want them to enjoy it and perhaps even think about doing it again. It requires that their mindset focus on the journey!

There will always be rough spots and obstacles to overcome if we’re active and pursue an active lifestyle.

I think these five focuses help us keep one foot in front of the other, doing our best and moving forward.

Your perspective is key to how you’ll experience your life, so add these five to your perspective checklist and let them enrich your active lifestyle!

shelli

Are you up for success? I sure hope so!

Here are some ideas about how to set yourself up for successful, healthy living.

We are all influenced by our environment when it comes to our levels of physical activity and how much and what we eat. Our environment creates what’s “normal”, and so by changing our environment we can increase success.

Eating junk food, not exercising, sedentary living, hours and hours of TV watching or time on the internet; these take away from healthy living.

Here are some ideas and action steps you can take to help your environment lead you to more success:

1. Use smaller plates and cups. Most of us are used to just filling our dish and eating until the food is gone. The smaller plates strategy is a great one that I have been myself for years. It works!

2. If there’s a food you don’t want to eat, don’t keep it in the house. Make it harder to get. Now while I recognize that we do need to make peace with food and shouldn’t be scared of any particular food, I am also a pragmatist. For me, a box of cookies or salty foods can sit in my cupboards forever and not tempt me. Ice cream is a different story! I don’t keep it in my house, and make eating it a special occasion activity done OUTSIDE my home.

3. The flip side to that is if there’s a food you “should” be eating, make it easier to get.
*Sign up for a CSA (community supported agriculture) box so that fresh, healthy produce and/or organic meat is delivered to you.
*Have fresh, healthy whole foods on hand and prepared. You can buy pre-cut vegetables, if that makes eating them easier for you.
*If you don’t want to cook, hire a personal chef. While on the surface that may seem more costly, if you eat better and choose your foods wisely, it may be cost effective and well worth the money. Check it out.

4. Put the television in an inconvenient place and don’t watch it while you eat. Watching while you eat makes you much less aware of what and how much you’re eating. If you find that you’re watching too much and your healthy living rituals are falling by the wayside, cut your cable package down so you don’t have 100 channels. Or get rid of the television altogether. I haven’t watched television in ten years!

5. Park your car farther away from where you’re going. Walk the extra distance. Or sell the car and get a bike. Or commit to walking when you have errands to run within a close proximity to where you live.

6. Join a social group organized around activity: a class, club, or a group that meets for certain events like hiking. Find a workout buddy. Surround yourself with people who are also working on their health, fitness, and nutrition. Organize your social events around activity; get a bunch of friends together in the park for some games like softball or frisbee.

Notice two things about these strategies:

1. They make problematic behaviours inconvenient.
2. They make healthy behaviours convenient.

Knowing and doing are two very different things.

Environment influences us to DO, and will often win over knowledge when it comes to the choices we make.

If your environment needs a tune-up, then get to it and do it. You will progress along your road to successful, healthy living!

Let me know if you try any of these strategies and how they work.

I always look forward to hearing from you!

shelli

Women wonder whether midlife weight gain is a fact of life.

Both perimenopausal and menopausal women write me with this question.

Let’s take a closer look.

It’s true that during perimenopause and menopause there are many hormonal changes taking place.

You may have noticed some weight gain, particularly around your middle.

What’s happening?

Because fat calls produce estrogen, as your levels of estrogen diminish, your body will compensate by adding more fat cells.

However, there are other hormones to consider. Do not focus on only estrogen.

Adrenaline and cortisol also play a role in adding fat during menopause.

Adrenaline is a stress hormone. It’s the hormone that comes into play when you need to be ready for action. It’s that “flight or fight” behavior that is induced by adrenaline.

Cortisol calms you down after you’ve experienced a high degree of stress. Your cravings for fats and sugars come from your body being depleted and out of energy. You need to be ready for that next burst of stress and adrenaline production, so the cravings are indeed real.

During menopause you have an elevated level of both adrenaline and cortisol.

So, we’re back to the question, does menopause by itself cause weight gain or does what we choose to do when our hormones are elevated cause the weight gain.

It’s like answering the question, “What comes first, the chicken or the egg?”

It depends on how you look at it.

It also goes back to asking whether weight gain is INEVITABLE.

It might be more likely, given the hormonal changes that are naturally happening as we age.

Not inevitable though.

Lifestyle choices during this time in a woman’s life have a huge impact on whether weight gain is “inevitable.”

If you find yourself moving less and eating more, you need to ask why.

These factors are totally within your own ability to change, once you put your mind to it.

Decreasing the likelihood of gaining fat during menopause is easier with an active menopause lifestyle, proper nutrition and a stress management plan.

So, if you’re concerned about fat gain during menopause, just remember that you have the power as you go through menopause to avoid some of the potential negative side effects like weight gain.

It’s up to you to take control of your life and make better choices!

shelli

Wipe the slate clean!

That’s one of the things I find myself saying over and over again to my clients, students and even to myself!

That doesn’t mean forget the past, or don’t learn from the past.

It simply means, start with a clean slate.

It’s so easy to fixate on your mistakes and the things you meant to do but didn’t.

Revisiting mistakes is fine for learning from them.

Dwelling on a mistake can do more damage sometimes than the mistake itself!

Sometimes you just have to say, “that’s OKAY,” and start with a clean slate.

Going through menopause is hard.

Change is hard.

Changing your diet, changing your training, changing your body, changing your life, is HARD.

You will have bad days.

You will make mistakes.

You will have awesome days as well.

Let yesterday be yesterday.

It’s what happens TODAY, right now, that really matters.

So give yourself permission to leave yesterday behind.

Wipe the slate clean and get on with making it an awesome day!

shelli

What I eat seems to be a subject people are curious about.

For years when it comes to nutrition, people have been trying to pigeon hole me.

I’ll admit, having been in the health field since 1980, I have tried every “diet” and eating lifestyle out there.

How do I choose what to eat?

I listen to my body and then eat accordingly!

Why is there no diet plan called the “listen and eat” diet?

Perhaps because of the burger smack-down episode (if you haven’t read my April 2009 Joyinmovement newsletter check it out), I’ve been thinking a lot about my own nutritional choices and I had an insight that I think is quite profound.

At some point in the spring, I started feeling afraid of what food could be doing TO ME if I wasn’t eating the “right” foods.

Am I taking in too many pesticides, too many preservatives, too much sugar; questions like these were guiding my choices, and I was feeling tense about enjoying food.

It was as if I was doing “damage control eating,” which made me feel very defensive, only focusing on what damage the food could be causing in my body and to my health.

I began to realize how stressful it is when you eat in reaction to the question, “What’s this doing TO ME?” when a MUCH more useful question is, “What’s this doing FOR ME?”

When I ask myself, “What’s this doing FOR me?” changing that one word has a big effect on how I react and how I feel.

I don’t want to be scared or worried about what I choose to eat.

When I’m considering what to eat, and I think about what it’ll do FOR me (will it give me energy, will it replenish my body with nutrients, will it hydrate me, will it provide me with fiber), I make better choices and in a more relaxed manner. I feel informed, proactive and empowered rather than defensive and scared.

When you’re making nutritional choices, ask yourself if your choice will do any of the following FOR you: will it provide you with nutrients? Better health? Energy and stamina? A fit and trim body? A heart that’s healthy and bones that are strong? Will it satisfy my taste buds?

These are just a few possible FOR questions to ask.

Make a list of questions based on what’s important and necessary to you.

This idea of substituting FOR for TO can also be used when you’re making exercise choices or choices about how to handle any of the challenges that come along during life.

Remember, it’s not about perfection and doing it “right” every single time.

Any step is a good one when it’s a step in the right direction.

Let me know if you try out this question substitution exercise. Did it help you?

shelli

Have you ever choked up in an interview, stumbled over your lines in a play, or missed a chance to speak up for yourself?

I know I have.

Your self-esteem can take a little dip when your actions don’t meet your expectations.

And if you feel like you have failed in a BIG way, you can feel crushed. It’s hard to recover from that kind of blow.

During menopause, because it occurs at mid life, we often take stock of where we’ve been and where we’re heading.

Often, if our expectations have not been met, our self esteem suffers.

One way to better meet your expectations is to ask better questions.

What do I mean by that?

Good question, so let me explain!

Asking yourself, “Gee, this isn’t working anymore. How can I change to prosper in my life?” will get you thinking more creatively than bemoaning how and why you feel so badly.

You must detach yourself from the idea – if you have it – that your self worth is measured by ONE aspect of your life, like money, career, looks or accomplishments.

The lesson here is that you don’t want to link your self-esteem to any one ability but rather to your life as a whole.

As billionaire businesswoman Oprah Winfrey says, “Be thankful for what you have; you’ll end up having more. If you concentrate on what you don’t have, you will never, ever have enough.”

In The Power of Positive Thinking, Peale says: “The blows of life, the accumulation of difficulties, the multiplication of problems tend to sap energy and leave you spent and discouraged. It is easy to lose track of your abilities and powers” – but by re-appraising your personal assets, you can convince yourself that “you are less defeated than you think you are.”

If you practice ALL OR NOTHING THINKING (which we all do on occasion) then Peale has a good idea for you.

When your self-esteem has suffered a blow, take a piece of paper and write down what you DO HAVE that you feel good about. Your list might include:

a wonderful spouse
children who are thriving and healthy
devoted friends who are there for you
good physical health
integrity
work that you enjoy
hobbies you’re passionate about

Things are probably looking better already, right?

Make your own list right now.

If you have trouble making a list, try this.

Imagine yourself as an observer at your own funeral. Surely you wouldn’t want to hear your spouse, your children, your friends and colleagues say things like, “She was never able to enjoy all the good things she had during her life.”

Think about what you would like them to say about you. Those are the things that really matter – positive personal assets that you don’t lose just because times are tough.

If you’re feeling down, focusing on those positive personal assets will help you overcome the worst feelings you could possibly have about yourself.

And no matter what happens in your life, you won’t despair. You’ll be able to use all your natural resources to regroup any time you need to.

Hope this helps lead you away from self-esteem-crushing all or nothing thinking and on to feeling better about yourself and your life!

shelli

I have been focusing my own personal efforts on cultivating and building a strong, positive state of mind in the face of what often seems like an overwhelmingly negative barrage of news.

In fact, I feel that we are all watching, listening and reading way too much negative news.

This isn’t hard to do.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find a whole lot of positivity out there with respect to the world and the economy.

That’s why I am dedicating this blog post to what I’m calling my “positivity offensive.”

I started this offensive in the past few weeks, and I consider it a much-needed antidote to all of the doom and gloom that comes my way.

It is also important, I feel, because handling STRESS is one of the three BIGGIES during menopause that helps us feel and look our best and continue to optimize our health.

In my opinion, wallowing in pain and suffering is not a solution.

Stress is a form of pain and suffering, and if you are taking in too much media information and feel yourself affected by it, taking in MORE of it will not help.

In fact, it’s exactly the wrong solution!

The cure cannot be found by continuing the behavior that created the pain in the first place.

Think about any addictive behavior and what people are told when they go to support groups: become aware, change the behavior and practice these new behaviors every day.

The right solution, then, is to focus on the positive, and to cultivate the kind of positive mentality that works for you so that you feel less stressed.

I’m not talking about pretending or ignoring what’s going on. That’s also a VERY stressful approach.

I’m talking about realizing what’s within your realm of control or influence, taking positive actions with those, and letting the rest go!

Here’s what I am doing right now to make my life the best it can be.

1. I am focusing on both my short- and long-term life goals.

2. I am making an effort to always focus on the positives.

3. I am spending time with positive people, and I am avoiding negative people. This is so important to do.

Can’t find positive people? Be one, and I guarantee you others will flock to you.

4. I have stopped focusing on negative news.

5. I am reading more, and reading material that enriches my life.

By taking these steps, I have created a stress barrier between myself and an often negative world intent on bringing down even the strongest-willed among us.

Whatever you do, please don’t let the negativity out there get to you.

Get positive, get focused — and get out there and make a positive difference in the world.

I’m sure you all have your own wisdom about how you’re handling stress in your life.

If you have a favorite quote or any comments and suggestions, send them to me and I’ll be glad to share them!

So here’s the point: create your own positivity offensive.

Customize it and make it fun. Being overly serious about stress is STRESSFUL, so a positivity offensive with a flare that is uniquely your own is calling to you! 

Let me know how it goes!

shelli

Three simple health tips (remember I said simple, not easy!):

Staying healthy before, during, and after menopause is not as hard as you probably think it is.

While genetics do play a role, too many women blame “poor genetics” for everything.

Let’s not blame, let’s take action!

1. Stay as active as possible!

Again, this is not as hard or as complicated as you may think.

Simple things like choosing the stairs instead of the elevator, or walking your dog an extra block or two can do wonders.

Feeling fit? Take those stairs two at a time. I do all the time and sometimes I’ll even jump from stair to stair.

A study I just read published in Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise found that three brisk 10 minute walks per day were as effective as a daily 30-minute walk in decreasing risk factors for heart disease.

Remember too, that if you sit all day at work take frequent breaks to get up, stretch and go for a little walk.

2. Take a Saturday afternoon nap!

Taking naps every now and then is great for stress reduction. It’ll recharge your batteries and you’ll feel more productive when you’re awake.

Lack of enough good quality sleep has serious long-term health repercussions.

In some cases a simple 30 minute nap can make all the difference in the world. If you are not already a napper, try taking a few naps and see how it feels.

3. Write down everything you do for a week!

EVERYTHING!

I did this a few months ago and it sure was eye opening. It’s truly amazing how much time we all waste and what we give our time and attention to.

Once you do this and look at it with an open mind, make some changes. Even small changes in time management will add YEARS to your life.

Think of it like this: cutting 20 minutes of wasted time every day gives you 10 extra hours of productive time every month. Interesting math lesson, don’t you think?

When you write EVERYTHING down you will be embarrassed by how much time you waste every day, and that’ll help motivate you to make the time management changes.

And you’ll likely find that 30 minutes you thought you didn’t have for your nap!!!

shelli