Brain Training Family Activity - Important and Relevant for Everyone!

While running yesterday I had a feeling in my heart to share a part of my story in order to help someone....maybe just one person.

2020 was a crazy year for everyone and for me as well. I have a long story to tell but not here and not now. I am saving that for my book which I will finish some day.

I retrained my brain in 2020 using neuroplasticity (www.retrainingthebrain.com). Neuroplasticity is how you recover from strokes. Neuroplasticity is how PTSD can be reversed. Neuroplasticity can help those who lost a limb with phantom pain. Neuroplasticity can heal so many health issues. I thank God for Annie Hopper and DNRS every day.

I changed my brain in 2020. "We have power over our thoughts." We have all heard that, but now I believe it with all my heart. WE can change our brains and WE can help our children change their brains. Please stay with me!

My brain was stuck in fight or flight which led to many physical and emotional health issues surfacing. I was focused on one thing, all my physical issues and my brain was stuck in fear and anxiety.  If you find your thoughts going rogue and always talking negatively to yourself, READ ON!

I think adults and children of every age could use help learning how to change their thoughts to positive, joyful and happy. Our children especially have had to deal with so much in 2020. I think they deserve to learn how to change their brains to protect themselves.

Perhaps our children will be more resilient than we were due to the strength they are developing by living through this Pandemic. Maybe they will have better coping skills from this episode in their life. I pray that is the truth.

I am sharing this information with the hope that this information might help just one person. 

I am no expert, but I now know that your brain remembers every single event and incident in your life AND the way you reacted to it. It repeats that reaction every time another similar event occurs (think stress).You can train your brain to react differently and help your brain get out of and stay out of that anxiety and fear track. (you can learn more at www.retrainingthebrain.com)

I am only allowed to share one part of the program for legal reasons. However, this FUTURE MEMORY exercise might help retrain the brain and give the person participating something to look forward to.

Here is the activity that you can do as a family to change your brains:

Each family member chooses a joyful, happy event from the FUTURE that they believe will bring them joy and happiness. Make sure that this future memory makes you feel "warm and fuzzy." The "warm and fuzzy" is very important. Emotion is the catalyst for changing the brain. You can all close your eyes for better focus (or keep them open if more comfortable). One family member describes their FUTURE memory with as many details as they can, using ALL of their senses: what do you see?, what do you smell?, what do you hear?, what do you taste?, how do you feel?

To help you pick a FUTURE memory ask yourself:

What are you looking forward to after the Pandemic?

You must state your FUTURE memory in the present tense like it is happening RIGHT NOW. I always close my eyes, it makes it more intense.

Here is what one of my FUTURE Memories sounds like: I am going out to dinner now with my husband Jim to our favorite happy hour place in Troy; Eddie V's. I am in the car driving over now.

Details: 

Who is there? Jim is waiting at the bar for me. Jim and I drove separately because we were coming from different places. I like doing this because it feels like a real date. Colin, our favorite bartender is there with Steve, Jeremiah and the two women bartenders whom we love. It is June 25, 2021 (Jim's birthday!) We are ready to have fun!

What are you doing? Jim and I are dressed up like it is a special occasion. We love sitting at the bar and ordering 2 or 3 small plates and spending the evening talking, people watching and enjoying conversation with each other. Jim is such a gentleman. I always feel like it is our first date when we go out to dinner. Tonight is no different. 

What are you and others saying? Jim tells me that I look beautiful. This is such a small thing but it makes me feel so special. I tell him that I was looking forward to this dinner since all week and that I am excited to celebrate his birthday with him. We admit how wonderful this is to be here right now. He is my favorite dinner date.

What do you see? Colin is connecting with a customer down at the other end of the bar. Colin is truly a professional. He makes every customer feel special. He always remembers small things about us that blow our minds. He is mixing up some fancy drink without measuring anything. The bar is almost full and people look so happy.

What do you smell? I smell my favorite appetizer, lamb lollipops with balsamic glaze. I always get these first. The person next to me ordered them and reinforced the fact that I am ordering them today! I smell the glass of red wine in front of me and like to watch the "legs" run down the interior of the glass when I swirl it.

What do you taste? Colin brings my lamb lollipops and they are so warm and wonderful. The balsamic glaze is drizzled on the warm lamb and I take the first bite just like I am eating an ice cream bar on a stick. The balsamic hits my palate. Oh Yum! So delicious.

What do you hear? I can hear the ice cubes crashing against each other in the martini shaker. I hear people laughing and talking at the bar. I hear the trio playing some familiar songs. I hear the sounds of people having fun and enjoying each other.

What do you feel? I feel so free being here today. I feel happy to see the smiles on everyone's face. I am so happy to be with Jim. I can almost feel the joy in the room rise above everyone's head and hover there as it mixes with the joy of the person next to them.

What emotion can you use to describe this memory? The emotion I feel is JOY!

What color would this memory have if it had one? The color would be yellow because JOY is always yellow for me.

The last part of the FUTURE Memory Exercise is to take the emotion and the color and put it together slowly and let it move through you, like this: The JOYFUL YELLOW is in my brain now. My joyful neurons are firing and changing my brain. Now I can see the yellow moving down into my neck and shoulders. It is making me feel so JOYful. It is warm. As it travels down my spine I see the yellow JOY like dripping paint through my body. It is taking with it all negative thoughts and moving them all the way down my torso and thighs, knees, calves and out my feet. Take three very slow deep breaths. It is proven that there is benefit for YOUR brain while listening to someone else's memory exercise. 

This of course can be uncomfortable for some children or teenagers (and maybe you) to do out loud. But if you as parents make a habit of doing this exercise out loud (maybe before dinner), the children and teens may want to join in down the road. They will benefit just by listening to YOU!!! Your future memory can include everyone in the family!

If you can do some physical activity after saying your future memory out loud, it helps to seat the positive memories. Jump up and down, run up and down the stairs, do some push ups. This does not have to be a long physical effort, 1 - 2 minutes is enough.

Over time, you will change your brain and will have taught your children how to change theirs. 

Our thoughts are the most powerful thing we have when it comes to wellness. I can answer any questions you have. Feel free to email me at: deniselovathealthcoach@gmail.com.

I wish you health and healing in 2021

Denise Lovat

Certified Health Coach

source: www.retrainingthebrain.com. This blog only references a small portion of the brain training program.  The entire program can be purchased in DVD form at www.retrainingthebrain.com, which is how I did the program. It was life changing.

Hey, You are a Health Coach....

Happy New Year to All. My prayer is that 2021 brings you the health you deserve.

It has been so long since I posted a blog. I get annoyed when I open someone else's blog which looks interesting only to find the person gets to the point after 15 minutes of reading. SO..I am going to get to the point right now.

Just because I am a health coach, it does not mean that I eat perfectly and have all healthy habits! (I ate 6 large scoops of organic ice cream yesterday and I feel fabulous!)

It is not what we do once in awhile that makes us unhealthy. It is what we do MOST of the time that makes us unhealthy. What habits do you need to change?

I have a cheat day. It is Sunday. I do not work out and I eat whatever I want (except Gluten). I look forward to it each week. I have been very successful keeping my weight optimum while using this cheat day to feel human. Guess what? Deprivation leads to uncontrolled overeating. This cheat day causes your body to question what you are putting in it (if you eat clean the rest of the week) and increases your metabolism. (see worth the read!)

I am a trained health coach and I found it to be the most wonderful year of my life while I was being certified. Yes, I was making changes that transformed my own life, health and career. I wanted my clients to have this same transformation and to attack their health with the same enthusiasm. I found out that most people will pay the money, but they won't do the hard work it takes to change bad habits. 

I have been disappointed with many of my client's enthusiasm and willingness to make simple changes. I learned that people are stuck where they are mostly because of emotions and life circumstances. I was told while being certified, that client's need us (health coaches) to help them crawl out of the stuck space and start to move in a different direction. "Yes!! I said, I can do this!" I can do it, but can others do the hard work, can you?

I still believe there is a place for me to do this work. It is my passion and makes me the happiest I have ever been. The best combination of training would be psychologist and health coach. So much emotion and unhappiness goes into the food we eat and the habits we form.

I am forever grateful that I am a trained health coach and would love to help others. For now, I am working at Whole Foods as the Wine and Spirits Buyer which helps pay the bills.

Get Healthy,

Denise Lovat

Certified Health Coach

Don't Let These Circumstances Stop You COLD!

I am trying to work out "as usual" during this crisis and it is not working. I need my gym and the routine that I loved for over 2 years. Today, I want to share my struggles to give you hope and encouragement to continue working toward optimal health....no matter what the situation! Do not let your circumstances stop you COLD!

When I was studying for my Health Coaching certification,  I was making many changes to my nutrition as well as lifestyle. I cannot even tell you how many things I changed. At one time I had a list going and it was over 60 things I changed or added to my life over a 1 year period. It was never about deprivation, but about adding new things in or taking things out that were no longer working for my health.

This may sound overwhelming. I did not change 60 things in 1 day, like we do on New Year's Eve.  When we overwhelm our human selves to change everything at once (like New Year's Eve) we break our resolutions 3 or 4 days later and think we have failed.

We need to love ourselves and be patient with ourselves over time.

I remember at the end of that year, I felt the best I have ever felt in my life. I had absolutely no aches or pains. I had so much energy from morning till night and could not wait to jump out of bed in the morning. I WANT THIS NOW!

I realize part of this new found energy came from helping people get healthy while also making many changes to my lifestyle.  It was an amazing season in my life.

Here are some of the 60 things I changed:

• my thyroid medication
• stop drinking tap water
• stopped eating gluten
• stopped eating dairy
• started eating coconut products
• added avocados to my diet
• stopped dieting
• started eating real food
• stopped going to the gym
• started moving my body naturally (bike riding, walking, yoga)
• started gardening and growing my own food
• sleep at least 7 hours
• started seeing a functional medicine doctor
• I connect with many people
• I get massages/chiropractic sessions
• I am grateful
• I have a spiritual practice, I trust God
• I practice kindness and forgiveness

Where am I now?

To be honest, I am struggling to get back to that place of pain free living, with boundless energy. I know that I can do it because I have been there before. That old ugly stress comes piling on us and we stop taking care of ourselves.  We stop paying close attention to what we are eating. We are not sleeping well. We let some old dietary habits slip back in (dairy because it is so delicious!). We would rather have two large coffees than two large waters. We let our minds go to negative places and start doubting ourselves and our resolve.

Does this sound like you?

I challenge you to take a step in the right direction today. I beg you not to go crazy trying to change everything over night. No one can sustain that type of deprivation. Deprivation leads to bingeing. Over time using that strategy will send you right back where you began or worse off than before.

Perhaps this list below could help you get started to make a few changes a week. Pick two that are manageable for you right now.  By the time you turn around, it will be November and you will have made many changes. We can never get today back so we might as well do our best here and now.

1. Drink more clean water - 1/2 your body weight in ounces (if you weight 130 lbs. just drink 65 oz /day and stop at 7:30 p.m.)
2. Eat green veggies at every meal of the day
3. Do not skip meals
4. Eat smaller portions
5. Minimize eating out (this is working for all of us right now!)
6. Cook for yourself/prep your meals a day in advance to control portions
7. Ask a friend to be your partner in your journey to health
8. Try eliminating dairy
9. Try eliminating gluten
10. Add good fats into your diet: olives, avocado, nuts and seeds, coconut oil, coconut flakes, avocado oil, olive oil.

I wish you the best health!

Denise Lovat

Certified Health Coach
"Change Your Life with Food"

You can reach me at deniselovathealthcoach@gmail.com

The Problem with Only Answering to Yourself.

On my bike ride to the Royal Oak Market this morning I was thinking about my journey over the last 3 years. I remember the frustration of starting a new diet every Monday only to fail by Wednesday and beating myself up until the following Monday when I started another fad diet. I could never make it through the weekend without cheating. I blamed myself and my lack of discipline. I know now that hormones, stress and not taking care of myself properly were all a part of the failure. My lifestyle was not ideal and did not allow enough time for self-care and figuring out how to feed myself in all areas of my life: spiritually, career, relationships, joy, creativity.

I want to share one of my favorite motivational quotes with you. This is the first motivation that I share with clients:

“You must promise yourself you will finish what you start, no matter what. That vow, although it might be easy to break, is by far one of the most important ones to honor. You see, the very essence of confidence is self-trust. Would you trust anyone who repeatedly lied to you? Someone who broke the rules of the game, again and again? Of course, you wouldn’t. So, if you’ve developed a pattern of not honoring self-promises, this is a great time to make a change. If you can’t honor, trust and depend on your own word, well that may be the root of a lot of the challenges in your life.” Bill Phillips author of “Body For Life” (one of the first diets I went on!)

You may think that your health is hopeless or too far gone or you do not have the willpower or stamina to make sustainable changes. That is selling your self short. Every one, when they are able to get unstuck and remove the obstacles to health, can heal and find their sweet spot of optimal health. How?

1. Choosing good habits over bad ones
2. Choosing whole foods over processed ones
3. Choosing sleep over television
4. Choosing exercise/movement over sedentary activities
5. Choosing water over wine (sometimes)
6. Choosing cooking versus eating out
7. Choosing self love over self loathing
8. Making yourself a priority instead of filling your life with busy
9. Experimenting with new foods
10. Knowing what stresses you and minimizing it at all costs
11. Taking responsibility for where you are
12. Setting short term small goals that lead to your big health goal
13. Have a partner to share your journey so you are not just answering to yourself

If we are only answering to ourselves, we can cheat ourselves and be dishonest to ourselves and no one will know. This leads to another new diet on Monday. I am done with that. I hope you are too!

Denise Lovat

Certified Health Coach

You can reach me at deniselovathealthcoach@gmail.com

Water, Fluoride, Plastic, Thyroid

Hello Health Enthusiasts:

One of the first things I did as I learned more about health was to stop drinking tap water and do my best unless I am dying of thirst not to buy bottled water in plastic.

For those with any thyroid issues (and it is an epidemic!), it is the fluoride and the fake estrogen that we should most adamantly avoid.

Here is why:

1. Fluoride - knocks iodine off the cells--so it cannot accept the thyroid hormones that you are taking in your medications. 
2. "Fluoride’s ability to damage the brain is one of the most active areas of fluoride research today. Over 300 studies have found that fluoride is a neuro-toxin" (a chemical that can damage the brain).
3. Plastic water bottles have fake estrogen in the plastic which reduces lithium in our bodies which is needed for stable moods and is required for getting B12 into our cells. This reduction of lithium causes brain shrinkage (I don't know about you but I cannot afford any smaller of a brain!) 
4. Here is a list of heavy flouride water brands:https://www.davidwolfe.com/bottled-water-fluoride-brands-avoid/. Have you been drinking them?
5. Plastic also increases TBG or thyroid binding globulin--which binds up T4 which means there is none available for cells to convert to T3 which in turn lowers T4 and T3. YIKES!!

Where else does fluoride hide:

1. Statin drugs contain fluoride 
2. Many antibiotics like Cipro have fluoride
3. Many antidepressants like Prozac have tons of fluoride
4. Here is a link to a list of drugs that have fluoride: http://www.slweb.org/ftrcfluorinatedpharm.html. You have to click on the drug category and it will list the drugs. Prozac for sure, many PPI's ( drugs for Heart Burn or GERD)  have it.

So this is one thing you can do for yourself is to STOP drinking TAP and BOTTLED WATER.

I use Walmart Reverse Osmosis water for .37 per gallon. I use a 5 gallon non BPA container and add ConcenTrace Trace Mineral Drops because we need the minerals and Reverse Osmosis water takes all the bad stuff out but takes out the minerals as well. This is not the best option, but it is the easiest and most cost effective for me at this time. Here is a link to the drops: http://www.vitacost.com/trace-minerals-research-trace-mineral-drops-concentrace-8-fl-oz-4. Health food stores may have these minerals cheaper.

I highly recommend the Berkey water filter system. It is most recommended by the circles I travel in and it uses tap water which is very convenient. Here is a link to check out hte Berkey systems available :https://www.berkeywaterfilter.com/product/big-berkey/.

If you do this one thing it could have a huge impact on your overall health!

Voila - Guilt-Free Pizza (riced cauliflower pizza crust)

I decided that I would write about how to make riced cauliflower pizza crust because it is so delicious and so healthy and so easy. Sometimes I just have to share. (the first photo is the crust cooked, the second is raw)

You a gunna need (oh that is an Italian accent)

• about 4 cups of riced cauliflower
• 2 pasture-raised eggs (or whatever you use)
• 1/4 cup of nutritional yeast ( you can get this at any health food store-it looks likes flakes of cheese and is a good cheese replacement in this recipe)
• 1 teaspoon of dried herb of your choice - (I like dill)
• Himalayan salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Mix all ingredients together in a large bowl until combined. Do not worry too much about exact portions, you cannot ruin this recipe.

Place on parchment that has been treated with fat of your choice...melted coconut oil or avocado oil (I don't like to heat olive oil). 

Place mixture on parchment and spread evenly forming a rectangle. Bake at 350 for 25 - 30 minutes depending on your oven. The edges should be a little brown and crispy looking. It may stick a bit to the parchment, but use a spatula as it cools to lift it off before you bake again with the toppings. 

While crust is cooking get your ingredients ready. Since we are not putting cheese in the crust, why would we put cheese on the top. Cheese -- not allowed!

I like to use organic fire roasted tomatoes cooked with basil and oregano and a wide variety of vegetables for my Paleo Pizza.

P.S. Many stores have already prepared riced cauliflower, so do not rice a head of cauliflower yourself...it is a waste of your precious time. Costco and Trader Joe's have bags of this precious item at reasonable prices. If you buy it frozen, just thaw it before you use it and let excess water drain out.

Take Rest

Lately, I have been thinking about our "no rest" culture that we have all grown up in. It is unhealthy to go through each day without resting your physical body..but what about your mental and spiritual self. It is so important to rest your mind and let your spirit come alive. When we are distracted by filling our day with work, texting, phone calls, driving kids around, running, running, running..how can we hear the voice of God within us helping us and guiding us along our day. 

Where do we find retreat or do we just drop in bed each night in utter exhaustion?

Where is there time for rest in your day?

• Get up in the morning and pray or meditate. Get in the habit, get in the routine. This focus will change your day and possibly your life.
• Pick up carry-out instead of cooking ( I cannot believe I am telling you to eat out!). If this gets you an extra hour to read, nap or watch a mindless show, just do it.

• Schedule rest into each day. Block off 30 to 60 minutes each day. Write it on your calendar. Do not miss this appointment. It might be the most important of the day.
• Get off Facebook, stop texting everyone you know, sit quietly with all electronics turned off. Enjoy the silence, you will be able to think and problem solve in this mode.
• Schedule less tasks on your calendar. Say no more often.
• Ask for help and delegate to the able bodied people you live with. Write down some tasks that you are willing to give up and give them lovingly to someone else. (if you can afford to pay someone to do your most dreaded tasks, that works as well)

Let me know how you are doing with rest. I wish you great health and happiness.

Denise Lovat

Certified Health Coach