As our understanding of nutrition and its impact on our well-being and the environment continues to evolve, many consider plant-based or plant-centered eating a viable option. Plant-based or plant-centered diets emphasize consuming whole foods derived from plants while minimizing or eliminating animal products.
I was considerably resistant when plant-based eating was introduced to me ten years ago as an option for our lifestyle. I loved the foods I ate; I grew up eating the Standard American Diet of animal products, fried foods, processed snacks, and cheese on everything. But as I investigated the nutritional attributes of plant-based eating and the impact on the environment and animals, I couldn’t help but lean more heavily toward plant-based eating. I started plant-based eating over nine years ago, focusing on the motto: Eat More Plants. If you're contemplating whether it's time to try plant-based eating, this blog post will help you explore some key indicators that may suggest it's the right choice for you.
If you're dealing with particular health concerns, such as high cholesterol, hypertension, type-2 diabetes, or digestive issues, transitioning to a plant-based diet may be beneficial. Plant-based eating can provide an abundance of nutrients, fiber, and antioxidants, which are known to promote better heart health, improve digestion, and support overall well-being. Additionally, plant-based diets can be low in saturated fat, which is known to help our bodies process blood sugar better, reducing pre-diabetes symptoms. Consulting with a healthcare professional or a registered dietitian can provide personalized guidance based on your specific health needs.
For some individuals, the decision to adopt a plant-based diet stems from ethical concerns regarding animal welfare. If you feel strongly about reducing your contribution to animal suffering or the environmental impact of animal agriculture, embracing a plant-based lifestyle can align with your values. You can support a more compassionate and sustainable food system by choosing plant-based foods.
The environmental impact of animal agriculture is a growing concern worldwide. Livestock farming contributes to greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, water pollution, and excessive resource consumption. If you're passionate about reducing your ecological footprint and mitigating climate change, transitioning to a plant-based diet can be a powerful step. Plant-based eating requires fewer natural resources, reduces land use, and can contribute to a more sustainable future. Even participating in campaigns, such as Meatless Monday, can impact the environment.
If you enjoy culinary adventures and love experimenting with new flavors and ingredients, plant-based eating offers a world of exciting possibilities. Shifting to a plant-based diet can inspire creativity in the kitchen as you explore the diverse array of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. It encourages you to try new recipes, cooking techniques, and cultural cuisines, making mealtimes a delightful and enriching experience. One of my favorite parts of cooking and preparing plant-based meals is to challenge myself to eat the rainbow, the meals are beautiful, and I benefit from a diverse array of plant foods.
Many individuals struggle with digestive sensitivities or intolerances to certain animal-based foods, such as lactose. Plant-based eating can provide a solution by offering a wide range of alternative food options that are easier on the digestive system. Eliminating or minimizing animal products from your diet might alleviate discomfort, bloating, or other digestive issues you may be experiencing.
If you often find yourself feeling sluggish, low on energy, or experiencing mood swings, adopting a plant-based diet may help revitalize your overall well-being. Plant-based foods are rich in essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, providing sustainable energy and nourishment. You may notice improved energy levels, mental clarity, and overall vitality by fueling your body with wholesome plant-based meals. You know the saying, ‘Food affects our mood,’ well it is entirely true!
Embarking on a plant-based journey can be an opportunity for personal growth and self-discovery. It challenges you to expand your nutrition knowledge, explore new foods, and adapt your lifestyle. The process of learning, experimenting, and making conscious choices aligns with a growth mindset, allowing you to develop new skills, broaden your perspective, and deepen your connection with your body and the world around you. Adopting a plant-based lifestyle has actually fostered growth for me in a myriad of ways, mindset growth and shifts, healing old diet culture beliefs and conditioning, and promoting empowerment and freedom around food and food choices.
Transitioning to a plant-based diet is a personal choice influenced by various factors. Whether driven by health concerns, ethical considerations, environmental consciousness, culinary exploration, digestive sensitivities, a desire for increased vitality, or personal growth, embracing plant-based eating can have profound benefits. Remember, it's essential to approach this transition mindfully, seeking guidance from healthcare professionals or registered dietitians to ensure you meet your nutritional needs. By listening to your body and aligning your choices with your values, you can embark on a plant-based journey that nourishes both your well-being and the world you inhabit.
If you're considering transitioning to a plant-based diet and would like further support, I'm here to help. Feel free to reach out to me via www.veginspired.com or on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/veginspired to discuss your questions and concerns or simply to share your journey. Together, we can explore the possibilities of plant-based eating and empower you to make informed choices that resonate with your goals and values.
Remember, every step toward a plant-based lifestyle contributes to a healthier you and a more sustainable future. Let's embark on this journey together!
Love what you’ve read so far? Check out the vault for more on plant-based eating from Kathy!
For more on creating a successful and inspired life fueled by plants or to learn more about healthy habits, connect with Kathy on Instagram, @veginspired, or Facebook in the Plant-EmPowered Entrepreneurs Community
Kathy A. Davis is a Wellness and Mindset Mentor, Best Selling Author, and founder of VegInspired. Kathy leads other female entrepreneurs to live their most inspired and successful lives fueled by plants.
Kathy is honored and excited to be a US Happy Healthy Women Trailblazer.
Words have power. There is an energy to the words you think, hear, feel and speak.
It’s important as you are interacting with words to make sure you are using them to lift yourself and others up, to edify, to pour love into yourself and others.
Because words can also be heavy, and cause hurt and pain as they are uttered. This happens every time you replay the limiting beliefs you have about yourself, or the hurtful words you heard shouted at you as a child.
You can allow those heavy words to define you, to have meaning about you, to affect your sense of being.
As you consider your relationship with words, the thoughts that come from those words, and how you define yourself, here are five ways to consider how the words you are speaking or thinking affect you.
1. Are you speaking your words at the right time?
If you’re in the middle of a disagreement or argument with someone, is now really the time to say that thing? Or, would taking a step back, cooling down, and then giving thought to what you want to say be better?
Another point on speaking at the right time—are you an interrupter? Allowing the other person to finish what they are saying before you respond is one of the ultimate ways to show respect.
2. Are you speaking facts?
Gossip and tale-telling are not factual. We so want to spill the tea, that we forget the damage our zest for being a part of, or fitting in, can have.
Real consequences. Sometimes to someone’s reputation. Or to our relationships. Once those words are spoken, they cannot be taken back.
3. Are you speaking gently?
Whenever we feel like we aren’t being heard, sometimes we turn up the volume. Get loud.
We might want to throw a snarky or rude comment back at someone. The result is broken communication between the two of you. AND, you might find that you regret that comment and feel shame about how you behaved.
4. Are your words filled with value?
Is your talk just idle chatter? Or are you adding to, enhancing and benefiting the conversation?
When you’re speaking, is there wisdom flowing from you? Are you seeking to understand a situation? Are you contributing?
5. Are your words coming from a kind heart?
We’ve all seen the vitriol that consumes our news, airwaves, talk shows and social media. Are you a part of that?
Or, are you distinguishing and setting yourself apart by speaking from a place of love and kindness?
These five methods can be applied to both the running dialogue you have with yourself, about yourself, as well as in your conversations and interactions with others.
If you find that you’re having a hard time speaking lovingly, kindly, with purpose to yourself, then you’ve probably got some limiting beliefs that could be cleared.
In your interactions with others, pay attention to what flows from you. As you start to make small, incremental changes, you’ll be surprised to find that your ability to get along with others will improve.
Judith Richey is A Force For Transformation. As a spiritual and transformational healer, she helps women entrepreneurs use unconventional and non-traditional methods to create the life of their dreams.
Judith is happy to be a Happy Healthy Woman Trailblazer on the Global Level.
Did you know that what you eat can directly impact your ability to perform and show up at your optimum potential?
What if you took small steps to create lasting change?
Let me introduce you to the Butterfly Effect. The Butterfly Effect is a series of small, seemingly insignificant changes that can compound into a significant impact. Little changes can expand and grow into big results.
Small changes in the food you eat, the amount of water you drink, the daily exercise you get, or the amount of time you slow down to rest and recharge… all compound to bigger results.
I noticed more energy, better moods, and productivity when I changed my eating—the more whole, plant foods I consumed… the more significant the impact.
What if you could Unlock your Potential in Life and Business by Leveraging what is on your plate?
In December 2019, I parted ways with my “day job” and dove into my VegInspired business full-time, errr - well, I tried to. I lacked energy, struggled with inspiration, and battled health issues. Every day I would wake up wanting to “get to work” but lacked the energy to make it happen.
Hindsight is 20/20, and it is easy to see that the fantastic and delicious vegan takeout and high-fat, highly processed vegan foods were causing all these issues. I was battling obesity and all the symptoms of pre-diabetes. In a nutshell, I was NOT a beacon for health and wellness or an excellent role model for what plant-based eating could be.
My food directly affected my physical, mental, and spiritual bodies in so many ways.
The Transformation
It was a seemingly small decision to shift from my vegan diet to a whole-food, plant-based way of eating. I began to adopt habits around healthy eating… more whole foods, more greens, more vegetables, more fruits, more whole grains, more beans, and reduced the overly processed vegan foods and high-fat foods. And things started to happen.
The more clean, plant-based foods I ate, the more energy I had and the more inspired I was.
Going from where you are eating to following a completely whole-food, plant-based diet may seem like a stretch, but what small changes can you make?
Maybe it looks like this:
“The most ethical diet just so happens to be the most environmentally sound diet and just so happens to be the healthiest.” ~Dr. Michael Greger, nutritionfacts.org
And what if those small changes begin to compound into new healthier habits, and you begin to notice more energy, more confidence, more productivity, and a clearer mind… how would that help you in your life and business?
My transformation over the last 3+ years has led to increased energy, reversed markers of prediabetes, overall better health, increased confidence, 50+ weight loss (and maintenance), and better, more consistent delivery in my business, which led to 4 best-selling publications and the launch of the Eat More Plants Academy Coaching Program and a 10X in business revenue.
To say that changing the way you eat and overhauling it is easy would be an understatement, but it is worth it.
If you want to Unlock your Potential in Life and Business, start with what is on your plate.
Want to learn more about Meal Planning like a CEO and start leveraging what is on your plate? Click here to access my How to Meal Plan like a CEO webinar, and resources today.
Love what you’ve read so far? Check out the vault for more on plant-based eating from Kathy!
For more on creating a successful and inspired life fueled by plants or to learn more about healthy habits, connect with Kathy on Instagram, @veginspired, or Facebook in the Plant-EmPowered Entrepreneurs Community
Kathy A. Davis is a Wellness and Mindset Mentor, Best Selling Author, and founder of VegInspired. Kathy leads other female entrepreneurs to live their most inspired and successful lives fueled by plants.
Kathy is honored and excited to be a US Happy Healthy Women Trailblazer.
As a wellness-minded coach or entrepreneur, you know that your clients come to you seeking your expertise and guidance to help them achieve their goals. While working with your clients on a one-on-one basis can be effective, incorporating an online course into your coaching or consulting practice can enhance their success white providing significant benefits to you and your business.
Here are a few ways in which an online course can help enhance your success as a coach or consultant:
Provides a passive income stream: Creating an online course can provide a passive income stream for your coaching or consulting business. It allows you to create something once and sell it to many clients over time, providing additional revenue and scalability to your business.
Increases your visibility and reach: An online course allows you to reach a wider audience beyond your local area or personal network. With the power of the internet, you can attract clients from all over the world, expanding your business reach and potential revenue.
Establishes your brand: Creating an online course is a great way to establish your brand and showcase your unique approach to coaching or consulting. It sets you apart from others in your field and can help you become known as the go-to expert in your niche.
Improves client retention: By offering an online course, you can provide your clients with ongoing support and education beyond your 1:1 sessions. This can lead to better retention rates, as clients feel more connected to your business and motivated to continue working with you.
Enables you to scale your business: With an online course, you can teach multiple clients at once, freeing up your time and resources to take on more clients or focus on other aspects of your business. This scalability can lead to increased revenue and growth opportunities.
Creates a legacy: An online course is a great way to leave a lasting impact on your clients and the industry. By sharing your knowledge and expertise through a course, you can help educate and empower others, leaving a legacy that goes beyond your individual coaching or consulting sessions.
As a wellness-minded coach or entrepreneur, creating an online course can provide additional benefits to your clients and your business. It offers a structured learning experience, additional resources and support, saves time and increases efficiency, provides a passive income stream, and reinforces your expertise and authority in your field. By taking advantage of these benefits, you can enhance the success of your clients and grow your coaching or consulting business.
Tracy Sherriff is a Certified Director of Operations and Curriculum Expert who helps coaches, consultants, and industry experts successfully scale their business online with high-quality, high-impact courses and programs. She is the host of the Scale Your Course Podcast and the founder of Course Design School.
How do you process and release emotions? This has been a big question in my community lately and I wanted to share with you some practices that I've been using for years now to really help me tune into my body and my inner wisdom and release what no longer serves me. These practices have been life changing for me and I've seen the change in my clients when we start incorporating body work into the mix.
You see, every emotion that we feel and do not process gets stored in our bodies. And most of us don't know how to process emotions so we have decades of emotions that are stuck in our energy body creating havoc on our system.
When you find yourself struggling, feeling anxious, disconnected from yourself, feeling down , your energy is low, when you are sick, these are all clear indications that their is a block in your energy system.
THE ONLY WAY TO START RELEASING AND UNBLOCKING YOUR ENERGY IS TO BRING YOUR AWARENESS AND CONNECT TO YOUR BODY!
Our energy body (system) is the part of us that keeps us healthy, that keeps our life force alive and drives us to follow our purpose and our soul path. It is a vital part of who we are!
Mindset is a huge part of our growth and so important to keep us aligned but we also need to start looking at the intelligence that we have within us. This intelligence is what will guide us to find our joy and fulfilment in our lives.
When we tune into our bodies and the intelligence within:
Working with your inner wisdom, understanding it and how it communicates is going to be key for your transformation and in order to do that we need to start by processing the emotions that are stuck and stagnant.
WE NEED TO FEEL OUR FEELINGS VS THINK OR FEELINGS!
These practices will help you to feel and process the emotions that are ready to release. Have compassion for yourself and truly be gentle with yourself. Processing emotions is hard work. Go into it with a curiosity and free of judgement.
Let's go beyond the thinking mind and into our body to really see what it's trying to communicate with us. Leave the ego and the logic mind at the door and step into a journey of self-discovery and acceptance. Give yourself time and space to truly experience the following practices:
1. BODY KNOWING
Spend some time feeling into your body. Bring your awareness from your thoughts into your heart and start feeling the different sensations. What is happening in your body? What do you feel? What are the sensations? Are you feeling heavy and restricted or expansive and light? Our body is always talking to us through these sensations. Start paying attention to what it's saying. Don't think your way through this... FEEL!
What do you know intuitively? What are you not wanting to see or feel? Be in the present and just feel and release what needs to be released.
Here’s a quick practice to help you get unstuck and process emotions, click here for the video.
2. MOVE YOUR BODY
The easiest way to release stagnant and stuck energies is by moving. Have a dance party, shake your body, do some yoga flow or a workout. Take yourself outside for a walk. Get moving and make sure to bring some awareness to your breath. Be mindful and send it up and down your spine. Let yourself be free!
3. ENERGY HEALING
Through energy healing, we can pin point the emotions that are stuck, the beliefs that are holding you back and the fears that paralyze you. When we look at your energy body and start releasing the blocks, you are opening yourself up to your intuition and your inner guidance. You grow your connection to yourself and find peace within.
If you are ready to explore energy healing and how to tune into your body, let's connect.
4. JOURNALING
Journaling is a great way to get beyond the thinking mind and into your emotional body. What needs to be released that is stuck? What emotions are you keeping at bay to make sure everyone around you is ok? Who are you trying to protect by keeping the emotions in? Let your pen flow as you answer these questions without thinking about it. Let the words spill onto the paper and feel yourself releasing what you no longer need.
Let's bring ourselves back to our natural state of being which is fully connected with our body and the intelligence within. Use these different practices and see how you can strengthen your intuition, your awareness & expand your growth.
These might seem simple but they are SO POWERFUL! Try them and let me know!
Sending you so much love,
Rachel xo
Rachel Benton is a Licensed Life & Embodiment Coach and a ThetaHealing Energy Practitioner. She helps women step into the essence of who they are so they can build a business in complete alignment with their truth, intuition & integrity and guides them to create a soulful life that FUELS and IGNITES them!
Rachel is also the branch director for Happy Healthy Women - Cambridge (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1761666377428793)
Connect with her today:
Website: https://rachelbentoncoaching.com/
Instagram: @wildroserising
“I’m too busy to eat healthily!”
I hear it all the time, intelligent, successful, driven women putting their health on the back burner for everything, and everyone, else!
As successful women entrepreneurs, we write business plans, we write social media plans, we write marketing plans, and we likely even write launch and strategic plans on what we do tactically to achieve our goals. But we need to do better at writing a meal plan that aligns with our health goals, wellness goals, or our well-being in general.
We plan everything except the one thing that provides our body the energy to do all the other things!
The benefits of meal planning for women entrepreneurs are enormous, massive, and tremendous!
They are:
Meal planning isn’t just about writing “tacos” in a square box on a dry-erase board on your fridge. How I teach meal planning is built on the foundation of your schedule, favorite meals, dietary preferences, time, budget, and more. I incorporate into my meal planning frameworks all the reasons people should meal plan and overcome all the reasons they think they can’t!
Source:Photo from Super Easy Plant-Based Cookbook, by Kathy A. Davis, published by Rockridge Press. Copyright © 2021 by Callisto Media, Inc. All rights reserved.
Imagine waking up in the morning and knowing that you have a bowl of Apple Cinnamon Breakfast Quinoa awaiting you or that you can make a sandwich for your ”grab-and-go lunch” with this Creamy Chickpea & Fruit Salad! How confident would you be in choosing healthier options despite your packed schedule?
Imagine it’s 5:00 pm, and you walk into the kitchen hungry, a little tired after a full day of work, tempted to reach for the take-out binder, but you don’t! You don’t because you are excited to see that you have these tasty and easy Chickpea Al Pastor Tacos on your meal plan! You toss the ingredients on the sheet pan, get them in the oven, change into your comfy clothes, do a quick workout, take the dog out, or play with your kids while a delicious and healthy family dinner cooks.
You see, meal planning is about creating order, intention, and ease around something we encounter three times daily. When you plan your meals like a CEO, with your vision of healthy eating and living as the guiding light, you reap tremendous benefits of health, wellness, energy, productivity, and peace of mind. And what other benefits do you need to live a fulfilled and successful life?
Want to learn more about Meal Planning like a CEO? Click here to access my How to Meal Plan like a CEO webinar, and resources today.
Love what you’ve read so far? Check out the vault for more on plant-based eating from Kathy!
For more on creating a successful and inspired life fueled by plants or to learn more about healthy habits, connect with Kathy on Instagram, @veginspired, or Facebook in the Plant-EmPowered Entrepreneurs Community
Kathy A. Davis is a Wellness and Mindset Mentor, Best Selling Author, and founder of VegInspired. Kathy leads other female entrepreneurs to live their most inspired and successful lives fueled by plants.
Kathy is honored and excited to be a US Happy Healthy Women Trailblazer.
I have a mentor who shared with me that the word ‘goal’ is one of the most misunderstood words. It really got me thinking and reflecting.
I operated for many years without setting my own goals. I had dreams, but not goals. And GOALS, real inspiring goals, are what will move you towards your dreams.
For most of my adult life, my goal was always to find the next best thing. I graduated college for the first time in 2008, and ended up finding myself working in the restaurant industry. I turned my part-time job that got me through college into my full-time job.
I stayed in the restaurant industry for ten years. Trading my evenings and weekends for money. I grew tired of this and in my mid-twenties decided to go back to school for Public Relations. In 2015 I got my first full time career, a 9-5, what had really been my goal at the time. Let’s just say, this career move was a massive pay cut. That’s when my life started to not make sense. That is when I felt truly lost. And that is when my debts started to accumulate, my anxiety started to rise and I really felt like I had no idea who I was…
Why am I sharing this? Because the more people I talk to, the more I realize this is the most common type of goal. The goal of getting to the next thing. Whether that be a career move or retirement.
Those goals don’t inspire me now and they definitely didn’t when that was my reality.
In 2016 I was introduced to Network Marketing. What this did was open my mind up to goals. REAL INSPIRING GOALS. Goals that change lives! It also opened me up to personal development, which led me to where I am today - a completely different person, living a completely different and improved life. A happier, more fulfilled life. A purposeful life. A life filled with faith, hope, love, joy and alignment.
There are 3 types of goals.
The first type of goals are goals you have already achieved once before. The second type is a goal you think you can achieve. Both of these goals are very logical and also very uninspired. This is where I find most people live. And that is ok, but I want to show people another way. A way that will truly impact every single area of their lives..
Inspired goals are goals that you want to achieve and have no idea how to get there. There is nothing in your current reality that reflects that you can achieve this goal.
When I first set this type of goal, my life started to change. I started to attract the awareness, the people and resources to me to achieve the goal. I started to grow. I changed. I released years of debilitating anxiety, because, through setting these types of goals, I invested in my first mindset coach. This is where everything started to unfold. And where I attracted my current mentor and role on his team, and my life has continued to expand.
The truth is, the goal doesn't change, but sometimes the plan will. The HOW for our goal is not up to us. When we focus on an inspired goal, we really do attract the people and resources to us to gain the awareness we need to achieve the goal. What we are looking for is that awareness, it is also ideas. Ideas that we only find when we grow our awareness, step out and really GROW!
The true purpose of a goal is not actually to get. The purpose is to grow. Growth is where the true unfoldment takes place. And what I have observed over my two-years working in the personal development space, the growth is what attracts the goal.
I have a client who started working with me in the fall of 2022. She was earning around 10K a month in her coaching business. By December, she earned almost $100,000 in one month. That is a fantastic result and definitely a quantum leap. But what is most interesting is watching her grow. She isn’t even the same person as she was even three months prior to that.
Growth is what we are all seeking, whether we are seeking in consciously or unconsciously. My husband mentioned to me once that I had grown so much he didn’t know who I was any more. When he first shared that, it opened my eyes to how much I have grown, but also to the opportunity for us to get to know one another again. Our relationship has never been better.
Are you constantly going after quantum leaps? The truth is, if you are, you are in for the most wild and most amazing ride. Quantum leaps in business always lead to quantum leaps in life. When you grow and expand, everything around you changes. The old model disintegrates to make way for the new model; one that is on a higher frequency. People around you elevate with you. You let go of the old and make space for the new; for what you really want.
I invite you to look at the goal you set for 2023 and ask yourself, is this an inspired or a logical goal? Is this the goal I really want? Is this a goal that is going to stretch me, drive me and grow me?
My life just continues to expand, and yours will too! If you want to connect and start to set bigger goals, and achieve them, reach out! You can book a call with me here and I can help you unlock your true desires!
4 years ago I was working in a cubical barely making ends meet and now I am now living a life I had only once dreamed existed. The how isn’t up to you. Just ask yourself, what do you really, REALLY, want?
Kayleigh Kennedy
Senior Consultant, Sales & Mindset Coach, Conway Consulting
kayleigh@conway.consulting
Are you winning your day? Your week? Your life?
Do you know where you are going and setting small actionable goals to get there?
Are you setting yourself up for success?
Are you doing consistent daily practices to help you grow, evolve and expand as an entrepreneur?
GROWING A BUSINESS AND YOURSELF = DAILY PRACTICES
Yep, I said.. you need to develop daily habits that will support your mindset, your emotional state, your self-esteem, your state of being.
You see I used to dabble.. A LOT.. with daily practices.
I would start my daily work and then things would get better, so I would stop and eventually go back to my old ways and then I’d regress. Then it would take me a while to realize that I had done it again so I would start my daily work, get better and stop again and regress… It was such a vicious cycle.
One thing that I have learnt in the last 8 years of being an entrepreneur is that if you don’t do the daily work, you stay stuck. Your old habits that you worked so hard to get rid of take over and you are right back where you started.
I have been doing consistent daily work for years now. Why? Because…
I have a clear idea of the person that I want to be and the goals I want to achieve and by doing the daily work and taking care of myself, I show up ready, with confidence and with knowing AND my business grows.
I take some time for myself every day to do the things that will help me become a better version of myself, that will help me show up and set myself up for success.
This time is NON-NEGOTIABLE for me. It keeps me grounded, keeps me focused and helps me grow everyday.
HERE IS YOUR SOUL MISSION:
Start making time for yourself every day, get focused, do the work and start becoming a better version of yourself.
Carve out some time in your agenda for YOU. May it be 10 min a day or an hour, what capacity do you have? White that out in your calendar for YOU TIME.
Honour yourself enough to keep this time for you. You are worth it! Most of us tend to not take this time seriously and if something comes up we easily give it up. DON’T DO THAT!
Take some time to breathe, meditate, read, journal, listen to a podcast, whatever you are being called to do to pour back into your own cup and to help you become a better version of yourself. Elevate your state of being.
Taking a step back and giving yourself the space you need opens up your intuitive channel and helps you live a life aligned with who you are and want to be.
You got this!
Much love,
Rachel xo
Rachel Benton is a Licensed Life & Embodiment Coach and a ThetaHealing Energy Practitioner. She helps women step into the essence of who they are so they can build a business in complete alignment with their truth, intuition & integrity and guides them to create a soulful life that FUELS and IGNITES them!
Rachel is also the branch director for Happy Healthy Women - Cambridge (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1761666377428793)
Connect with her today:
Website: https://rachelbentoncoaching.com/
Instagram: @wildroserising
Picture this: In high school (think 90s hair), they would play the William Tell Overture over the PA system before first period, which meant a thousand teenagers running through the halls to get to class and pure chaos for 2 minutes and 5 seconds EVERY. MORNING.
Why am I telling you this? Because when I think about how my mornings have been (up until a few weeks ago), that's the energy I was feeling. Anyone else?
3 weeks ago, I made a decision to say goodbye to the morning hustle, and hello to morning bliss. I realized that it was a social construct I was buying into, and feeling like I would fall behind if I didn't do all the dos for my business right away in my day.
I made a decision to take WAY MORE TIME (like, until NOON!) to put me and my wellness first in the morning, VS HUSTLING to get to where I need to be and do what I need to do.
Now, my mornings aren't for hustling. They're for me. For meditation, for fitness, for self care, for chiropractic adjustments, for massage (thank you HHW health benefits!), for feeling into my vision board...and whatever else I want to do with MY time.
I have stopped listening to social constructs and have started listening to my body, and it feels empowering, It feels like freedom, and most importantly, I feel whole....and isn't that what we all want?
Now, I fully realize that this particular scenario isn't possible for everyone as we all have different obligations - BUT - I do know that we could all start to look within and see where we've been doing things according to what we think we should do V.S. a way that FEELS way better and is totally possible.
Our Manifest Magic Retreats are a reflection of this "wholeness". We tune out so that we can tune in. We slow down and pay attention to all the parts of us AS WELL AS our businesses.
If you feel the need to start shifting into the feeling place of what taking care of YOU feels like, and experience the clarity and high-vibe energy that comes along with it while you map out your goals and business - this is the retreat for you.
Will you join us? It's THE PERFECT time to show yourself some love.
xo
Natalie
As the founder and CEO of Happy Healthy Women, Natalie thrives on building community, and leading women to be happier, healthier and abundantly successful.
Learn more about Natalie
“Eat Your Veggies!” We’ve all heard it. We all know that eating healthier is essential, but do we know how important it is?
Studies show that eating 5- 7 servings of fruits and vegetables a day may increase productivity by up to 25%. Imagine for a minute that you could be 25% more productive - what would that do for you? for your business? for your family?
Mind and Cognitive Function. Ever get that brain fog midday? Maybe you skipped breakfast or had the “coffee or latte” breakfast? Or perhaps you had breakfast, but it was a sugary, over-processed granola bar or pastry.
Energy. You’ve been there, you worked through lunch or had a “light lunch” only to feel a slump midafternoon - maybe you drag yourself to the coffee cart or Keurig, or you pick up a coffee on the way to the car pick-up line… it might “help” for a bit, but your frustration, impatience, and overwhelm hits the minute you walk into the kitchen after dinner.
Mood. Food affects your mood. Feed your body nourishing, energizing, and life-filled foods, and you will attract a brighter, more energized mood.
Hydration. Fresh foods and water are hydrating and detoxifying. Hydrated people have better blood flow and more astute senses.
If eating more plant-forward meals can increase our productivity - let’s talk about how to add more plants.
1. Eat a veggie-heavy salad or soup before each meal - focus on hydrating and energizing vegetables, greens, and starchy veggies like potatoes, squash, or sweet potatoes, and add some beans, nuts, or seeds for a punch of protein. Use homemade dressings like this easy Tahini Blue Cheez Dressing, or mix vinegar with herbs and spices and a secret ingredient, like in this recipe: Oil Free Basil Vinaigrette. Simply dress your salad with vinegar or citrus or blend veggies like avocados or berries to increase your whole-food consumption.
2. Add a second side of veggies to your meal. It sounds simple, but how many of us double the veg when we cook? Simply fill ½ your plate with veggies - cooked or raw or a combo, add a whole starch (see #3), and then reduce the processed or animal-based foods to fit the remaining ¼-⅙ of your plate.
Tempeh and Vegetable Grain Bowl with Tahini Sauce Drizzle
3. Let the whole grains and starches energize you by eating them with other energizing foods, don’t pair your starches with inflammatory oils, dairy, and processed ingredients. Enjoy your baked potato topped with pico de gallo and avocado, whole-grain or bean pasta with a red sauce and lots of veggies, or jazz up that whole-grain pasta with hummus and veggies for a fun twist on pasta primavera. Whole grains and starches are necessary for energy and cognitive brain function. Don’t eliminate them!
4. Reduce the dairy and use whole plant alternatives. Now, hear me when I say this-find dairy alternatives that use few ingredients. - 2 ingredients unsweetened nut, soy, or oat milk can work for creamer, baking, and even mashing potatoes. So find the alternatives that work for you. And I know giving up cheese can be a challenge - there is science behind the casein in cheese that links it to morphine - give yourself grace. I’ve found that focusing on adding other ingredients in place of cheese and making new concoctions is better than incorporating 1:1 swaps. Because let’s face it, despite their efforts, plant-based cheeses aren’t a 1:1 swap and are often filled with processed ingredients. I like to get veggie pizza and add fresh avocado or an avocado cream drizzle for a creamy topping; I use tofu or cashews (or other nuts/seeds) to create a creamy alternative to ricotta, buttery sauces, and mayo.
5. Focus on familiar foods. Love sweet potatoes? Swap them into your favorite meals like sweet potato chili or sweet potato tacos. Do you love broccoli or cauliflower? Try subbing those where chicken or shrimp is used (broccoli packs quite a punch o protein too). What about chickpeas? Are they a favorite? Try these tacos: Chickpea Al Pastor Tacos.
If you are looking for ways to eat more plants and increase your productivity to achieve your personal and professional goals, start with an intentional and committed decision and take action. Baby steps move you forward; keep taking steps toward your goal to eat plant-centered and note how the foods make you feel.
Love what you’ve read so far? Check out the vault for more on plant-based eating from Kathy!
For more on leveraging plant-based eating and healthy habits, connect with Kathy on Instagram, @veginspired, or Facebook in the Plant-Based Lifestyle Support for Women Community.
Kathy A. Davis is a plant-based lifestyle and mindset coach, 3x cookbook author, and the founder of VegInspired. Kathy helps leaders, entrepreneurs, and professionals leverage the power of food to achieve their personal and professional goals.
Kathy is honored and excited to be a US Happy Healthy Women Trailblazer.
Nine years ago I quit my stable corporate job to pursue my dream of becoming an entrepreneur.
My job wasn’t fulfilling me anymore and I needed more! I wanted to inspire and empower. I wanted to make a difference & an impact.
But what I didn’t realize then is that I wasn’t quite ready for that YET. I hadn’t grown into that person YET!
THERE WERE SO MANY STEPS TO TAKE TO GET HERE.
I came face to face with my fears and so much resistance. I questioned my abilities, my beliefs and my worth.
It was a battle between staying inside my comfort zone and expanding and growing. I felt so much fear..
Fear of failure
Fear of being rejected
Fear of getting it wrong
Fear of being seen
And through my journey.. my ups and downs.. my wins and lessons, here’s my biggest lesson:
You might have an amazing service or product but when you overlook your ENERGETIC ALIGNMENT, your INTUITION, your EMOTIONS, your MINDSET, your FEARS and HOW YOU SHOW UP, you will find yourself stuck and struggling. Your business will plateau and you’ll be frustrated and lost.
When you start looking inside yourself, connecting to your soul and the energy of who you are you start releasing and letting go of what holds you back.
You know..
- The self-doubt and second guessing (Can I do this?, Who am I to do this? Maybe this isn’t for me?)
- Saying yes when you really want to say no (Wanting to please everyone)
- Criticizing yourself (There is no way I can do this! I’m not good enough, confident enough, knowledgeable enough)
- Comparing (What are others doing, maybe I can do that too or there is no way I’m that kind of person)
- Being paralyzed by fear (letting it consume you and lead you)
I see you! Cause I went through it, ALL OF IT!
It was definitely a process but I learnt every step of the way.
It’s what I needed to move my business forward because..
YOUR BUSINESS WILL ONLY GROW AS MUCH AS YOU DO! (Read that again!)
So as I was feeling resistance, doubt and fear I started putting together a method to help me move past my limitations and stepping outside my comfort zone so I can connect to my authentic self and my inner wisdom.
This method helped me grow into the successful soulful entrepreneur I NOW AM and helps me and my clients every day.
HERE IS YOUR SOUL MISSION:
Take an honest look at your business (and your life) and ask yourself:
Is there an area that feels stuck? Take some time here and go through what is not working for you. Write it down, have the courage to look at it and acknowledge it.
Start looking at how you show up - what is your state of being:
How is your energy, your emotions, your thoughts, your habits and your self-talk. Are they working for you or against you? What and how are you holding yourself back?
Check in with your beliefs: Where are the cracks in your belief system? Ask yourself, what do I truly believe about myself and my business? Do I believe I deserve and am worthy of being successful and fulfilled?
We have a tendency to not want to look at the dark shadows within that are holding us back from living the life we truly want. It’s looking at these that we shift the energy that we project and start attracting what we want.
Take some time, reflect on the questions and have the courage to be honest and truthful about what you are feeling and thinking. The only way to change anything in your life is to be aware. That is your first step - Discovering the Self. Bring awareness to what is really going on so you can make the changes you need to find joy and fulfilment in your every day!
I am cheering you on!
Much love
Rachel xo
Rachel Benton is a Licensed Life & Embodiment Coach and a ThetaHealing Energy Practitioner. She helps women step into the essence of who they are so they can build a business in complete alignment with their truth, intuition & integrity and guides them to create a soulful life that FUELS and IGNITES them!
Rachel is also the branch director for Happy Healthy Women - Cambridge (https://www.facebook.com/groups/1761666377428793)
Connect with her today:
Website: https://rachelbentoncoaching.com/
Instagram: @wildroserising
In a time with so much uncertainty, how do you remain calm and not react to the turbulent situations that seem to arise in the world every day?
How do you avoid the ‘fight or flight’ response in the body when particular circumstances could cause you to feel anxious?
When it feels like nothing is going your way, do you quickly blame others?
When it seems that outside forces are blocking your path, do you give up and think, “I just don’t have what it takes to succeed.” Whether at work, in your relationships, or even with everyday problems, what is your typical reaction to adverse situations? Do you immediately move toward feelings of “Ugh, why me?” Or do you pause and think, “What is my life trying to tell me right at this moment?” or “What is my body trying to tell me right now?”
How you respond to difficult things that have happened to you or are happening around you can mean the difference between a life of anger, anxiety, depression, and despair, or a life of joy, peace, tranquillity, and hope. Especially in uncertain times, forces out there feel beyond our control, and fear can hold us back. Ultimately it is not the unpredictable political or personal circumstances outside of us that determine whether we respond with fear or with peace and hope. Instead, one must accept the reality that external events are not under our control; the only thing we can control is our response to those external events.
One’s perspective of change and the uncertainty that comes with it will determine whether they see it positively or negatively. Great things can emerge from uncertainty, as the next important discovery, realization, or insight.
With change comes renewal, which we see in nature every spring, every sunrise, and every new birth. Everything depends on how we choose to relate to uncertainty, which is just life’s constant stream of new events and challenges. What can allow you to embrace uncertainty is becoming a source of hope, strength, and optimism.
Having hope enables us to place our trust in the belief that with great change comes new possibilities and opportunities. “A pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity, an optimist sees opportunity in every difficulty,” said Winston Churchill. There is always something valuable that can be derived out of difficulty, adversity, or change. Without this inner strength of hope, we are left to suffer through crises and uncertain times with self-doubt and fear, leaving you feeling weak and afraid. This is not because of outside forces beyond your control, but because of the self-doubt that comes from being disconnected from your true self.
When you are disconnected from your true nature, fear and doubt leave you feeling helpless and insecure. When you doubt yourself, you cannot trust anyone or anything. People who have been wounded by failure in their career, finances, or personal relationships, typically believe circumstances outside themselves are at fault for how they feel or for what happened. Life they feel is unfair, and others cannot be trusted. With that mindset, you have already surrendered your power to the ‘thing out there’ that defeated your hopes.
Being at ease with not knowing what to do or how to react is crucial for answers to come to you. When you are dissatisfied in the unsettled state, you cannot hear the guiding messages from your higher self. Your feelings of fear, worry, and uncertainty are really your spirit’s way of whispering, “I’m in flux. Something is off-balance here.” Feeling anxious or stressed is your body’s way of telling you that what is happening around you is not in alignment with your higher self. This is your body sending you signals to take action to realign yourself with your true nature.
Your inner spirit’s natural state is joy, love, and peace. When we lose touch with our spirit is when we can start to feel negative emotions, have doubts and are not sure what to do. When you do not know what to do, that is the time to get still. Meditation is a practice that can assist with centering yourself and opening yourself up to Spirit. Eckhart Tolle says to wait for a guiding message from your higher self. If you clear space and allow it to come to you, you can reconnect with the peacefulness of your inner spirit. Practicing mindfulness at any point during the day when negative emotions seem to be getting the best of you, can allow you to take a few long, deep breaths and bring you back down to zero in just a few minutes. By centering yourself and ‘being in the now,’ you can connect with your true self who, once secure and grounded, is unmoved by fluctuations in your surroundings.
Especially in times of instability, it is vital for us to remain rooted in the vision of change as a source of hope, creativity, and renewal. Rather than approach uncertainty with fear, worry, and pessimism, try switching your mindset to instead: embrace the new possibilities that can arise; having a confident, flexible response to change (understanding that change is inevitable and a natural part of all life); and finding solutions when problems and obstacles block the way (knowing you have what it takes inside you to rise to the challenge at hand). Take time to participate in activities that you know make you feel calm and at peace, like being out in nature. Mother Nature has a way about her that inexplicably grounds us and makes us feel at peace by just being outside or even by a window.
Exercise is also a sure-fire way to get your happy endorphins released into the body, helping you to relieve stress, ward off anxiety and depression, and improve your sleep. Lastly, listening to music, getting creative (like painting or writing poetry), or reading books can be the escape you need to reconnect with the happy place inside yourself. Choosing these positive responses does not depend on having specific attributes, good luck, or an open schedule. They are awareness skills that with consistent practice are realistic for you to develop until they become a part of who you are and how you live your life.
By changing our mindset, practicing meditation and getting still, and staying connected to our spirit (our true nature), we remain untouched by fear and instead are at one with love, hope, joy, peace, and the Source of infinite life itself. We know that life is unfolding exactly as it needs to, and we can place trust in our true self at every moment to remain grounded in hope, peace, and happiness.
Teresa Greco is a happiness life coach and the host of a weekly internet TV show called “The Steps to Happiness Show With Teresa Greco.” She is an educator and educational technologies consultant with a master’s degree from Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Teresa is a 3x best-selling author, and the editor and senior writer at two Canadian lifestyle magazines. As a coach and reiki master, she does public speaking, holds workshops, and mentors others about embracing, honouring, loving, and celebrating their true authentic self and achieving their own personal happiness and fulfillment.
You can follow Teresa on her Instagram page @teresagreco_stepstohappiness and Facebook page, Steps to Happiness with Teresa Greco.
You can also connect with Teresa by visiting her website, www.teresagreco.ca, or by email at stepstotruehappiness@gmail.com about speaking engagements, workshops, and services.
