10 Ways to Increase Energy and Reduce Stress

We have every reason to be stressed out these days. I'd say it's a pretty rational response to what's going on in the world. But stress comes not just from the stressor (i.e. the economy, the job market) but also from how we react to it. If our energy and vitality remain high, we'll be more likely to see the opportunity in any crisis.

Remember, some people are going to do just fine in this downturn and some are even going to thrive and prosper. Why shouldn't you be one of them?

And it all starts with attitude and energy.

Here are ten simple "to-do's" from my latest book The 150 Most Effective Ways to Boost Your Energy. Beginning immediately, you can use them to banish the low-energy/high stress doldrums:

#1: No more multi-tasking! Focus on the task at hand-even if it's as simple as organizing your paperwork-- and finish it.

#2: Have a protein shake for breakfast. I personally recommend PaleoMeal or Whey Cool Protein and this is my favorite quick recipe: 1 scoop high-quality whey protein powder; 1 cup water; 1 cup frozen blueberries or strawberries; 1 tablespoon uncooked oats (optional) and two tablespoons Barlean's Forti-Flax. Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

#3: Double or triple the amount of water you drink. How much should you drink? Use this formula: Take your weight and divide by 2- aim for that number of ounces per day. (Being even partially dehydrated will sap your energy like nobody's business.)

#4: Do something for someone else. Examples: A genuine compliment, an act of forgiveness, a donation of food or clothing. (Trust me on this one!)

#5: Eat plain nuts as a snack instead of hitting the vending machine. Nut butter on an apple is also energizing and delicious.

#6: Tell the truth. Deceit takes a lot of psychic energy. The truth will not only set you free, it will also fire up your energy tanks.

#7: Begin the No Frills, No Excuses, Anytime, Anywhere Workout. The No-Frills Workout is the simplest way to get a huge energy boost with a 20 minute investment:
Run a mile. Do some squats. Do some push-ups. Do some crunches. (If you can't run a mile, do some jumping jacks till you're out of breath and then continue with the rest.)

#8: Create a new soundtrack: Music energizes everyone, and can change your mood in a heartbeat. (It can even influence your shopping behavior as most boutiques have figured out.) Your soundtrack can be your favorite year in pop music, or an all-disco extravaganza or the best of Guns and Roses mixed with Lawrence Welk- whatever turns you on. Make it your soundtrack and get buzzed just listening to it (perhaps while doing your workout or dancing).

#9: Dance! If you're an exhibitionist, do it on the front lawn. If you're shy, turn off the lights, double lock the door, pull the shades, and begin!

#10: Have sex. And if for whatever reason this just isn't the time, start enjoying the sexy foods I talk about in "Boost Your Energy", so you'll be more than ready for the next opportunity: almonds, avocados, celery, chile peppers, chocolate (in moderation, of course), oysters (only if you can afford the extra bucks), figs, and nutmeg.

You'll find even more tips- 150 of them in fact- on how to boost your energy and well-being in The 150 Most Effective Ways To Boost Your Energy. I hope you'll check the book out and even more important, I hope you'll benefit from the information inside!

7 Simple Ways to Look Better Fast!

All kinds of foods can make feel bloated and look a lot heavier than you really are. Here are 7 Simple Ways to look Better Fast, courtesy of my friend JJ Virgin, PhD. For those of you who don't know JJ, she's was formerly the nutritionist for the Dr. Phil weight-loss challenge. She's also the author of "The Art of Losing It". Enjoy!

1. Sip on green tea (unsweetened) throughout the day. The mild caffeine has as diuretic effect, the theanine is great for your mood, and the antioxidants can help reduce inflammation and slow down the aging process.



2. Have 1-2 servings of melon (honeydew, cantaloupe, canary, Tuscan...) per day. These fruits are natural diuretics as well.



3. Load up on green veggies that are specifically known for their diuretic effects -- asparagus, celery, watercress and cucumber.



4. Sweat. Get in the sauna for 30 minutes-be , and be sure you are rehydrating with plenty of pure spring water too. (Jonny's Note: I love my far infrared sauna.)



5. Double your bursts and add cardio recovery. For each 30 second all out burst you do, add 1 minute of active recovery and keep moving for 8-12 minutes total of bursting. And yes, you should be wiped out by the end.... You can divide this into 2 or 3 sessions as well. An example of this would be to get on a stationary bike and pedal at 70 rpm and low resistance for 60 seconds, then crank up the resistance, stand up and pedal at 100+ rpm for 30 seconds, alternate between the 70 rpm active recovery and the 100+ bursting. You can, of course, do this with any type of exercise. (Jonny's Note: A great way to do this in a few minutes a day is with the Xiser.)



6. Take 1000-2000 mg of taurine 50-100 mg of B6. Both of these nutrients have been shown to help with fluid balance. (Jonny's Note: Water Ease is the perfect blend of 900 mg of taurine together with 50 mg of B6.)



7. Pull the Hollywood cheat. Invest in some slimming SPANX hosiery or tights!

8 Ways to Eat Healthy During the Holidays

The following is an article written by Karly Randolph Pitman that I am sure you will enjoy...

Holidays and sugar are intertwined in our culture. How do you enjoy the love, intimacy, and celebration of the holidays without the sweet stuff?

We use sugar to express love, both to others and ourselves. It's a glue that connects us with our families, particularly when the sugar involves celebration: birthdays, holidays, graduations, and anniversaries. Abstaining from sugar can feel like a lack of love, can make you feel deprived, and can make you feel like an outsider.

We all want to belong. This need to feel loved can persuade us to go along with the crowd, to do things that hurt ourselves. On a simple, practical level, this can mean eating foods that make us feel (and look) like crap. But sugar is not love. Here are 8 ways to have the intimate, joyful holidays that you desire without the guilt, frustration, and extra pounds that come from eating junk.

For further reading, you may want to read this article on how to avoid holiday weight gain and stress: two seemingly dissimilar things that share the same cause.

8 Ways to Eat Healthy During the Holidays:

1. Question your thinking. You are not your mind, your thoughts. Detach from what it says: you do not have to obey, listen, or feel trapped by its ramblings. When my mind's critical, telling me I'm pathetic because I can't eat sugar, or offers sly suggestions: You're feeling so good, it won't hurt to have one bite of pie, I label it as such. Not helpful, I tell myself, sometimes even out loud. This mantra silences that voice and enables me to see those crazy thoughts for what they are: crazy. Observe; pause, then react. Give yourself time and space to question your thinking.
2. Give what you want to receive. Love has a rebound effect. As you give love, you feel beloved yourself. We can be so focused on our own wants and needs, that we miss out on the very thing that we desire from others. Instead of focusing on what you do or don\'t get from your family, friends, spouse, or children this holiday season, give the love you seek. A few years ago, when money was tight, I gave handwritten letters to friends and family for Christmas. I shared how grateful I was to have them in my life; I shared what I loved about them. I felt more love and holiday spirit that year than every other Christmas combined. Funny, I didn\'t crave or eat any sugar that Christmas, either.
3. Be proactive. If you're trying to abstain from your Aunt Flo's famous pumpkin pie, figure out your plan before you're sitting down to Thanksgiving dinner. Will you bring a healthy snack that you can eat instead, such as a baked apple with cinnamon? Will you talk to Aunt Flo beforehand so that she understands your not eating her pie is not a personal attack? Other ideas: seek out an ally. Ask your spouse, mom, or sibling for support. Say to them, "I'm trying to stay away from sugar this holiday. Can you help me if I'm feeling tempted?" Other ways to help yourself: rehearse what you'll say to well-meaning relatives who try and persuade you to have "Just one bite." Bring a dish that you can eat, so even if there aren't many healthy options at the table, you won't be too hungry. Or eat a light meal beforehand so you don't show up starving: a slippery road to temptation.
4. Find the essence of what you want. What's driving your need for ice cream, cake, and candy? How does eating sugar with loved ones make you feel? The answers to these questions hold the key to easing your desire for sugar. After all, if we don't want it in the first place, it's much easier to say, "No." I felt lonely during much of my childhood. But when I was with my large, loving extended family, I felt as if belonged. It's no wonder that I craved the sweets that I had during these times together: they were my favorite childhood memories, times when I felt secure and loved. It's taken me a long time to figure out how to create those feelings of belonging without indulging in the sugar: the essence of what I want, the need underneath the crazy sugar binging. Here are creative ways that I create belonging without sugar: I go to mass on Christmas Eve with my favorite aunt. I do arts and crafts with my children and nieces and nephews instead of cookie baking. I go Christmas shopping with my mom and sister-in-law. I host a potluck with friends, with carols, games and plenty of non-sugary healthy foods. These examples create a lush, celebratory holiday feel, and intimate connection: what I wanted in the cookies in the first place.
5. Seek accountability. Be kind to yourself: find support. We spend so much time toughing it out on our own, trying to do it all ourselves. But we aren't meant to live this way. Find a partner, a friend, your walking buddy, or even a counselor who can provide support. Share your intention with loved ones so that they can help keep you on track. Otherwise, it's too easy to bargain with yourself, to falter because "one piece of pie won't hurt." I have a coach that I speak with every week. She keeps me accountable to my goals and breaks through my stinking thinking when I'm trying to justify eating crappy food. My children know about my sugar abstinence, and will remind me if I try and tiptoe into the granola. For online support, try the forums at radiantrecovery.com, 3fatchicksonadiet.com or check out this list of resources.
6. Be prepared. I guarantee that if you don't keep your home stocked with healthy eating options, you will eat sugar. Plan ahead so that you don't eat junk just because you're famished and you don't have anything healthy to eat. Here's how I do it: I cook a bunch of food on Sundays, and then eat them throughout the week. I make a huge tossed salad with a variety of raw veggies. I bake a bunch of sweet potatoes and winter squash in the oven. I cook up a pot of black beans that I can add to salads all week long. I grill some fish, bison and chicken to have for easy protein options. I keep my fruit bowl stashed with bananas and apples to eat with almonds for a quick snack. My freezer always has bags of frozen veggies that I can use to make a quick stir fry in a pinch. I roast whatever veggies are in season (right now I'm doing a mix of eggplant, zucchini, yellow squash, onions and potatoes) in a big batch, and then add them to my meals. While it may sound like a lot of work, these steps take very little time. My planning is the difference between eating processed junk or healthy, whole foods when life is hectic.
7. Take food with you. If you spend a lot of time in your car or away from home, take food with you. This is another example of how preparation can keep you on track. If I'm going to be gone for an hour or so, I always take a piece of fruit, some almonds and a bottle of water. For longer trips, I pack an insulated lunch box with fruit, nuts, cooked veggies, some protein, and several bottles of water. These steps can keep you from grabbing a Coke and fries at the food court, because when you're hungry, you'll have healthy food to eat.
8. Rest. "Fatigue makes cowards of us all." Physiologically, a lack of sleep can make us crave sugar, because we're looking for a way to boost our energy. This is why solid sleep is so important. But fatigue also erodes our willpower. Structure goes out the window: we skip meals because we don't feel like cooking; we avoid the gym because we're too tired to work out. We grab junk on the go instead of sitting down to real food. Pencil in rest. Schedule downtime, transitions, and margin for yourself: a space between activities. Give yourself a cushion --- is it realistic to accomplish 10 errands today or 3? --- so that you're not pushing yourself too hard. This gives you room for the entropy that accompanies daily life (missing keys, a broken printer; a sick child) without grabbing a candy bar for stress relief.

About the author: Karly Randolph Pitman struggled with depression, sugar addiction, low self-esteem, a negative body image, and mom overwhelment for several years. But this mother of four learned to mother herself, transforming her health, family life, relationship with food, and her relationship with her body. Learn more about this evangelist for self-care at FirstOurselves.com

The Silver Lining in the Economic Downturn

If you've ever listened to any inspirational speaker you've heard talk of finding opportunity when the universe presents a challenge. In fact the "opportunity in a challenge" theme runs through just about every inspirational talk I've ever heard. It's the meaning of popular comforting sayings ranging from "When Life Gives You Lemons, Make Lemonade" to "The Universe Never Closes One Door Without Opening Another", not to mention the classic phrase by Nietzsche, "That which does not kill us makes us stronger".

That stuff is all "easy to say" but hard to remember (let alone apply!) when times get really tough. Yet the truth is that the economic downturn really has presented itself with some opportunities, and we'd all do well to spend a few minutes thinking about them.

There'll be no shortage of commentators on how to learn from this mess on a personal and financial level, so let me concentrate on the opportunities in the areas of health and nutrition.

First- If you can't eat out as much, consider counting that as a blessing. We eat out way too much anyway. Use this period of belt tightening as an excuse to start eating home more. Every study over the last several decades has confirmed that the more meals you eat out the more likely you are to be overweight. Prepare some of your own food, and learn to put mindfulness into it.

Two- Since most folks have less dollars to spend frivolously, spend your food dollars wisely. Make coffee at home a few days (or more) a week and skip the $4 lattes. (You can buy an awful lot of fruits and vegetables on a Starbucks budget.)

Three- Since there's less money for gas, not to mention going out and "doing stuff", use that as an opportunity to rediscover the home (and the people who live there with you). I know it's a really "retro" concept, but what about meals together as a family? There are studies on that as well, and every one of them shows better performance in school, better well-being and better mental and physical health in kids who eat at least one meal a day with their family.

Four- If you're cutting back on expenses, cut back smartly. If you eat meat, for example, continue to eat the expensive grass-fed kind but eat much less of it. (As Michael Pollan put it, "spend more, eat less".) I'd rather have one grass-fed burger a week than 7 Happy Meals. Believe me your body will thank you for that choice.

Five- Rediscover your own ability to amuse yourself. Those of us who grew up a few decades ago know well that it's actually possible- amazing as it sounds- to survive without constant texting, iPods, messaging, social networking, YouTube and even Google. I'm not suggesting you turn everything off, but you might use this extra "stay-at-home" time to discover how interesting actual old fashioned conversation can be when you do it with people you like (or love). Not to mention really old-fashioned entertainments- like reading!


Finally, consider this post that I found on one of the financial message boards the other day that really inspired me. We had just had one of the worst days in the market, and people were discussing what to do with their diminishing portfolios. There was a clear mood of panic all over the place. Here's the post that caught my eye:

"What's the worst that could happen? That we'd lose all our money? This has just gotten me to focus on the important things we do have- our health, our family, our kids, our dog. If we lose it all, so be it. We can rebuild. As long as we have our health and our love, we'll survive this. It's only money."

What a great time to reassess your life and focus on what's really valuable and be thankful for what you do have.

Nine Tips for Cooking Healthy over the Holidays

Here are a few things that might come in handy as we move into the holiday season. I'll give you more as I think of them!

1. Make your own butter. For spreading on food (including cooked vegetables), try 2/3 butter mixed with 1/3 flaxseed oil; mash together and then put back in the fridge so it will solidify. It's a great blend of healthy fats. If you're using it for cooking or stir frying, mix 1/2 butter with 1/2 coconut oil, or even 1/2 and 1/2 with olive oil. (My personal recommendations: Barlean's Flax Oil and Barlean's Organic Virgin Coconut Oil are the best in their categories!)


2. Replace potatoes with mashed cauliflower- add a little butter (see above) and season with fresh herbs. And speaking of herbs, if you use fresh, fragrant herbs in your turkey, you'll be able to get away with a lot less stuffing- or even none!


3. Go organic to avoid hormones, pesticides and antibiotic residues in meat.


4. Replace mayonnaise with low-fat yogurt for tasty dressings without the extra calories and artificial stuff. (Note: There's absolutely nothing wrong with mayonnaise, especially when you make it yourself from whole eggs, but you'll save some calories this way. During holidays, every little bit helps.)


5. If you're going to have desserts, consider building them around nutrient dense foods like sweet potatoes, pecans and pumpkin. Even without a boatload of sugar these make great basics for a terrific desert, and they're way more loaded with nutrients than the usual cream pies. You might even feel a little better about overindulging if your choices are healthier.


6. Check the ingredients label on canned foods! High-fructose corn syrup is lurking everywhere and is certain to be in a lot of canned cranberries. Avoid sugar as much as possible. For small amounts of sweetening consider Xylitol or cold pressed raw honey.


7. When choosing honey try to find the raw, unfiltered, cold-pressed kind. It's still sugar, but at least it's actually a food and has some good stuff in it like enzymes and nutrients.


8. Don't go overboard on the number of courses. Studies show that the more options we have at the table, the more we eat. Stick with a few basics. You'll create a satisfying meal that doesn't overstuff your guests.


9. Consider serving a salad as the last course. You can make a really good (and small) dessert salad out of some crumbled blue cheese, candied walnuts or pecans, dried cranberries and a whole bunch of greens. Add a little raspberry or pomegranate dressing and you're in business!


Adapted from my book, "The Healthiest Meals on Earth"