How many times in your life have you thought to yourself, "I have no idea what I'm doing?" 

If you are a human being, and I'm assuming you are, you probably have thought this more than one time. But we rarely hear people say this out loud. And the higher up you go in the world, saying these words is like uttering Voldemort's name...it shall not be said. 

I am usually the first to admit that I don't know what I'm doing. In fact, I'll even say that I'm scared about my career shift from a stable (yet boring) industry to the holistic wellness industry. But I will also say that I'm confident in my decision and the process of growth. 

The truth is no one has life figured out no matter how things may look from the outside. And if they say they do then that's usually a good indicator that they really don't. 

It's okay to not know what you're doing. It's not okay however, to be stuck in that space. Let me explain. 

You may be in a job you hate, a relationship that's unhealthy, or a behavior pattern that doesn't get the results you want. And you see all the negative things that support what you think: "See there's evidence that I have no idea what I'm doing." You may want something different but you don't know what to do because you want a guarantee that it's going to work.

There are no guarantees.

But there are new revelations and discoveries that could lead to something better. The only way to make those revelations and discoveries is by doing something different. So you need to take action. 

Update your resume and send it out to your contacts. Take a break from an unhealthy relationship. Realize that you need to change your behavior to get different results. 

You may not know what you're doing but you don't ever have to stay stuck. All you need to do is be brave enough to do something different. 

That's exactly what I'm doing right now, and you can too. 

Mindfulness may be in its hey day. Not only are yogis practicing it but also major companies around the world, schools, and even the military. 

Most people think mindfulness is meditation, but it's way more than that. It's an approach to living that is weaved into every day activities. 

Mindfulness is being aware. It’s noticing and paying attention to thoughts, feelings, behavior, and everything else. Mindfulness can be practiced at any time, wherever you are, whoever you are with, and whatever you are doing, by showing up and being fully engaged in the here and now.

There is also "mindfulness meditation." In meditation, attention is paid to the natural rhythm of the breath while sitting, or to the rhythm of slow walking. When your mind wanders (and it will) simply catch it wandering and return to paying to attention to the breath. That's it. 

Sounds super simple. So why all the hype? 

I think there are two reasons why mindfulness has caught so much mainstream attention recently. 

We are a stressed, overly-stimulated, constantly-on-the-go, never-rest-our-minds kind of society. At some point, we burn out and we search for reasons why this happened as well as remedies so we can get back to our crazy-pace lives. Enter mindfulness, which is all about slowing down, being in the moment, and accepting whatever is in the moment. It's like a breath of fresh air to frazzled minds. 

Another reason mindfulness has swept across the West swiftly is that science has taken an interest; the University of Oxford established an entire Mindfulness Centre dedicated to studying it. Research has shown that the benefits of mindfulness include: stress reduction, improved concentration, boosts to working memory,  less emotional reactivity, more cognitive flexibility, and more.

In a society that's starved for calm, mindfulness sounds pretty good because as of yet, there are no major side effects like most medications for anxiety and stress. 

What about the woo woo? Is mindfulness just for people who wear hemp, chant mantras, and only eat kale?

The truth is, there are a lot of non-conventional ways to become more centered and calm. Mindfulness is only one of them. There's prayer, breath work, visualization, exercise, and countless other methods. You have to find what works for you. If mindfulness seems to woo woo for you, then try something else.

Whatever you do, find ways to allow space for your mind. Put down your phone. Turn off Netflix, the news, or Internet chatter. Our minds weren't meant to be on 24/7, which is why so many of us are stressed and burnt out. 

Saying you can't do yoga because you're not flexible is like saying you can't take a bath because you're dirty. If you are not flexible...then that's a VERY GOOD reason to do yoga.

Start Where You Are
I know it's tough in a yoga class where everyone is touching their toes and you can barely touch your knees. But here's the thing you might forget: all those people touching their toes were at one point just like you. 

My hamstrings (muscles in the back of my thighs) were so tight when I first started yoga 20 years ago, I thought they were going to snap whenever I tried to touch my toes. 

For some reason, we look at all those bendy yogis and think we should be just like them on our first few attempts at a yoga practice. The key word there is practice. What you don't know is they probably do it every day for an hour, which is why they're good at it. Why do we all think we should be that good on our third try? I don't know.

Remember to tell yourself: I am starting right where I am on this day. 

That may mean that you can't touch your toes. Oh well. But you're doing it and that's better than most people who don't even try, or worse they try and give up.

Discovery on the Path to Flexibility
As you work your way down to your toes (or into whatever position you're working on), you make many discoveries. You learn that if you breath deep enough, you can stay in an uncomfortable position for longer than you thought. After a while, you see that on some days you CAN touch your toes with no strain.

You might find that you started your yoga practice with a bad attitude or you were super stressed but after about 30 minutes, your mood and attitude have completely changed. Maybe, you even look forward to the time you spend on your mat because it's the only time in your day where you can just be you.

Flexible in More Ways Than One
The funny is if you keep it up, you'll start to notice that you become more flexible both on and off your yoga mat. 

When things don't go the way you planned (and that never happens, right?), you don't get as flustered. If someone disagrees with you on an important topic, you let it go and choose not to engage. Should disaster strike, you take in the situation and just deal with it without freaking out. 

With yoga, there's way more to flexibility than you might think and because we're all flawed humans it's a practice that never ends. My question to you is not do you want to do yoga, it's do you want to be more flexible to deal with life better?

These are crazy times. Nearly everything has been canceled for at least two weeks and we have been asked to practice "social distancing." Kids are home from school. People are buying toilet paper like there will never be any ever again. And the numbers of those who've contracted COVID-19 keep going up. It's enough to make anyone have a panic attack.

Now is the Time to Practice EXTREME Self Care
But what exactly does self care look like now? I mean, likely your family is at home trying to work or bored out of their minds. How the hell are you going to take care of yourself with everyone around? 

Well, if you freak out then everyone will too. You've got to muster up your strength to be the calm example they need. I'm not saying that you should stuff down your feelings of anxiety, but quoting every click bait headline to your family that reads: COVID-19 Heralds the Coming Apocalypse, doesn't help at all. Here are some simple things you can do to practice self care in the time of COVID-19:

1. Stop Reading/Watching the News and Social Media
Get updates if things change in your local area then get off! I was driving myself mad by checking news sites every five minutes. Things are changing rapidly but not that fast. You can check once or twice a day but then stay away. It's only going to fuel your anxiety, and most of it is total crap. 

2. Read/Watch Content that Makes You Laugh
We all need a little laughter right now. So binge away on SNL, funny cat videos, Schitt's Creek, or anything that you enjoy. Fuel your mind with things that aren't so gloom and doom.

3. Take a Walk
If the weather permits, go outside and take a walk. Notice the blue sky, the flowers in bloom, and your neighbor's pristine lawn. Walking can be very meditative so take breaks as often as you need. 

4. Get Some Rest
We've got a real opportunity here to slow down. Isn't it kind of nice not to have to get up at the crack of dawn and cram down breakfast, rally up the kids, or whatever your morning routine usually entails? Now you can put on a pot of coffee and some light jazz (or other music you enjoy) and ease your way into the day. 

5. Prepare Your Own Food
Many of us love to dine out of the home. For me, it's because I hate the clean up after preparing a meal! But there's something very nurturing about preparing your own meals. You know exactly what went into your dish so there's no concerns about how healthy it is for you. You can even make it a family affair (but be sure to wash your hands!).

6. Breathe
Deep abdominal breathing sends a signal to your brain that everything is okay. Essentially you turn off your "fight or flight" response. Read more about this here​.

We don't know how long social distancing will last but we can do things that bring more calm and self nurturing so we can deal with whatever happens.

​Wishing everyone health and peace!

Most people think of fiber as basically tree bark. It's unappetizing and something that old people need to help keep them regular. And it's definitely not something gourmet foodies talk about because it's not sexy. But fiber is the key to health and something we all need a lot more of in our diets. Everyone (not just the elderly).

What is Fiber and Why is it so Important?
Fiber is a non-digestible carbohydrate and naturally concentrated in only one place: whole plant foods. Processed foods have less, and animal-products have no fiber at all. Animals have bones to hold them up. Plants have fiber. There's soluble fiber that dissolves in water and can be metabolized by the "good" bacteria in the gut and insoluble fiber that does not dissolve in water. Both forms have health benefits. 

While fiber definitely helps keep you regular and maintains healthy bacteria in your gut, there are also a ton more health benefits to making sure you're getting enough of it in your diet. High fiber intake appears to reduce the risk of colon and breast cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and premature death in general. A number of studies now show that high fiber intake may also help ward off stroke. Current nutritional guidelines recommend that men should eat 39 grams of fiber per day and women 25. Sadly, most Americans only eat about 15 grams a day.

How to Add More Fiber to Your Diet
This is where Michael Pollan's famous quote on what we should eat from his book, In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto, holds true: "Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." Whole plant foods —fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes—are good sources of fiber. Processed foods--chips, cookies, crackers, burgers, chicken nuggets—aren't.

Legumes in particular are fiber superstars. A cup of peas, beans, lentils, peanuts, and other legumes give you twice as much fiber as fruits or vegetables. And if you're worried about gas from consuming too many beans, gas is one of the byproducts of the kind of healthy soluble-fiber fermentation. So you can take your increased flatulence as a sign that you’re doing it right. And maybe not go out in public places after you consume a bunch of beans. 

What about Fiber Supplements?
While fiber supplements like  Metamucil, Benefiber, Fiber Choice, and Citrucel can give a boost to diets low in whole plant foods, they're no substitute for the real thing. research suggests that aiming to meet fiber needs—or at least a large portion—through naturally occurring fiber in foods is ideal. When food choices focus on getting fiber, an individual typically consumes fewer calories, chooses foods that have a lower glycemic index, consumes more whole foods like fruits and vegetables (and thus more nutrients), and consumes fewer processed foods. Relying primarily on supplements or fortified foods means missing out on these things. So, while you may be getting plenty of fiber, overall diet quality hasn’t improved. Also, most research looking at health benefits is based on higher dietary or intact fiber intake, so consuming fiber from a supplement doesn’t necessarily guarantee the same outcomes.

Fiber also has different effects based on its solubility. An insoluble fiber like wheat bran helps constipation, but has little to no effect on glycemic response or heart disease. A soluble fiber such as b-glucan lowers cholesterol, but isn’t the most effective when it comes to regularity. And, not all soluble and insoluble fibers are equal. In fact, research has linked only a handful of specific fibers as being effective when it comes to inducing certain health benefits. This means that consuming a supplement or fortified food has little effect if it doesn’t contain a specific type associated with health benefits.

So, instead of reaching for your Metamucil, why not whip up a black bean burrito? It has more fiber that will give your more health benefits, and if you add guacamole it tastes delicious! That sounds like a friendship made in heaven to me.