Health

5 Ways to Cultivate a Positive Mindset

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Beyond the Mat Lesson #6: Change Your Mind and Your Life will Follow This Beyond the Mat lesson is both timely and frustrating. My meditation practice over the last year-plus uncovered some very deep rooted emotions regarding self worth that simple affirmations don’t touch. Most of the time, thanks to what I call “mental hygiene,” I function pretty well with a decent amount of self-esteem. Sometimes, though, it takes a hit, and as I mentioned in my previous journal entry — it took a hit this week for sure. Positive affirmations are a great tool for mental hygiene, so you…
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The Importance of Rest and Recovery During Training

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Last week was rough. I was physically and mentally all kitty-whack. On at least two separate occasions, I put my shirt on backwards. My max reps in my conditioning log were at all-time lows. I downright stank at checklisting pretty much every time I tried. I managed not to cry on the mat, but that’s not to say I didn’t shed a tear or two of exhausted frustration over a paloma at my favorite Mexican restaurant. Thank goodness I had a long holiday weekend to recover a little!

Giving Yourself A Peace Of Your Mind

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So, before I start gushing about my new favorite web and mobile health app, let’s get something straight. One in five women will develop depression at some point in their life, and anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in the country — with women twice as likely to be affected as men. Additionally, antidepressant use in the United States rose by 400% between 1998 and 2008.

Holy Cow! Whole30 (or, How To Lose 10lbs in 30 Days)

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Reading over past blog entries, I hadn’t realized how much I’ve changed since I started this blog two years ago. I went from an aspiring vegetarian and marathon-hopeful with worsening digestive issues, mood and skin problems to an aspiring cavewoman and black-belt hopeful with ever-increasing energy, well-being and self esteem. I intend on explaining this transition in more detail in subsequent posts, but I’d like to start today off with a huge success! As of yesterday, I have successfully completed my first Whole30 program, which is basically a 30-day, strict introduction to the wide range of paleo, primal, or ancestral…
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The Blood Donation Diet

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Oreo cookies

A few weeks ago I made an appointment to donate blood at United Blood Services. If there’s one thing that makes me totally uncomfortable, it’s needles. I hate needles. I hate mosquitoes. My skin is there for a reason, and that reason does not include getting poked, by human or otherwise. However, I decided recently that I really should get over myself and make an effort to donate blood regularly. (It saves lives you know. Yes, plural. One blood donation can be separated into its various parts and used to treat multiple people.) If it wasn’t for my hangup about…
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