The effects of aging are varying and can be hastened by mindset, diet, and activity. Watch for more information on health and aging, and my upcoming book: "Healthspan and Longevity: It’s Never Too Late to Take Charge of Your Life"
Click here to get on a mailing list for notifications about the book.
Click here to get on a mailing list for notifications about the book.
I have seen first-hand the problems caused by expectations of aging. People expect to feel older.
Personally, I have noticed dips in my physical wellness aligning with milestone birthdays like 40 and 45. Whether that was due to my environment or only due to my subconscious sending out damaging signals, I don’t think I will definitively know.
As I approached 50, I made a conscious choice to see improvements instead of decline. So far I feel better than I have in years. Understanding the power of mindset and psychosomatic influences to change my body’s production of hormones, acids, and other reactions has been a life-changer.
Personally, I have noticed dips in my physical wellness aligning with milestone birthdays like 40 and 45. Whether that was due to my environment or only due to my subconscious sending out damaging signals, I don’t think I will definitively know.
As I approached 50, I made a conscious choice to see improvements instead of decline. So far I feel better than I have in years. Understanding the power of mindset and psychosomatic influences to change my body’s production of hormones, acids, and other reactions has been a life-changer.
When you replay negative situations, strengthening the emotional and physiological reactions to that memory and to anything similar, you limit new choices, behaviors, and experiences which keep you stuck in the past both psychologically and physiologically.
Our constant negative self-talk has worn a groove into our brains. We have 60-70,000 thoughts a day, and 90% of those are EXACTLY the same ones that we had thought the day before. Circuits become hardwired into our brains when actions are repeated so many times. The same proteins are made by activating the same responses over and over and over. Those activated genes get worn out and the proteins they make have weakened structures.* This contributes to illness and premature aging.
Think of what those negative reactions that you have trained yourself to experience every day are doing to your health.
Think of what those negative reactions that you have trained yourself to experience every day are doing to your health.
Pessimism and anger also deteriorate our DNA, which causes shortening of our telomeres, increases stress which causes the hypothalamus to signal production of cortisol and adrenaline, which in turn increases blood pressure and heart rate. When this stress is chronic, it leads to migraines, worsened diabetes, skin conditions, increased depression, and increased anxiety.
Our thoughts can not only cause illness or disease to show up in our bodies but can generate healing and turn on a kind of time machine that reverses symptoms of aging.
*Reference: Joe Dispenza, You Are the Placebo
Watch for more information on health and aging, and my upcoming book:
"Healthspan and Longevity: It’s Never Too Late to Take Charge of Your Life"
Click here to get on a mailing list for notifications about the book.
"I lost all track of time!"
"I don't know where the time went."
Have you ever said this? What were you doing?
Chances are you were in what is called a "flow state".
Chances are you were in what is called a "flow state".
Click here for updates regarding the launch of my upcoming book: Flow State: Finding Your Groove.
I lose track of time and things going on around me while writing, reading, researching, and dancing. My daughters both get absorbed in baking. My son used to lose track of time playing with matchbox cars, now he gets lost in searching Facebook Marketplace for used cars.
Many creative professions require a level of flow to be successful. An artist friend of mine, Jessica, says that if she doesn't get in that state, it feels forced and her art doesn't turn out like she wants it to.
A dance fitness studio owner, Laney, does her best choreography when she is in a flow state.
My middle child who just started welding classes has found herself in flow while welding.
My middle child who just started welding classes has found herself in flow while welding.
What is flow? Verywellmind.com defines it as "a state of mind in which a person becomes fully immersed in an activity." Some call it hyperfocus, which has an unnecessarily negative connotation.
Living in the moment is part of the joy experienced while in flow state. You can be fully present, senses are heightened, and everything else falls away. The experience allows you to improve upon skills and do your best work.
Getting into that state requires a bit of prep work.
Three things you can do to help are:
Three things you can do to help are:
1 - Set clear goals. You should have a roadmap of sorts so you don't have to stop and redirect the project. You already know where you're going.
2 - Eliminate distractions. Distractions are annoying if you are on a roll. They force you to stop and start and you can "fall out" of the zone.
3 - Add an element of challenge. If an activity is too easy, your movements can be rote, routine, and unimportant. Daydreaming, zoning out, and thinking of other things is different than being in a state of flow, where your attention is directly focused on the singular activity.
For more on how to achieve flow and why it's amazing for work and creative endeavors, not to mention contentment and general joyfulness, keep an eye out for my upcoming book: Flow State: Finding Your Groove. Click here to get updates regarding the book launch.
You have a history. You have traumas, injuries, a family history of this or that disease, family issues. You have quirks. You are unique. You are accepted, brave, and beautiful.
If you are aware of and able to get in your feels then you will be less likely to pass on your trauma to your kids. They are watching how you handle your emotions. They also see how other people can dictate your responses or expression.
People around you don't need to know every detail. Even if you lined it out for someone, they can't experience it the way you did. You should never have to apologize for a feeling. I pray that you allow yourself to feel what you feel in the moment. You probably have the habit of stuffing your real feelings at inconvenient times. The last time I did that, it came up with no warning.
I hadn't cried or expressed any grief since my grandmother had died. One Sunday while sitting in church, my eyes just started leaking. I wasn't "crying". It was like someone just turned on the faucet. I wiped as much as I could and made my way to the bathroom where I ended up having a good old sob. Afterward, I felt lighter and sadder. My brain didn't want to process it, but my body needed to and forced up the grief.
I didn't explain what happened to others there. I didn't have to. After I cried, I felt more vulnerable as a wall had been knocked down and I was sitting on the sharp pieces. It was my current truth and one I had no need to share at the time.
My kids have helped to teach me to accept my feelings for what they are and not try to frame them from someone else's perspective. They have learned to communicate their truths to me and even when I don't understand it at the moment, the relationship is better when it is respected. I usually mull it over and try to see it from their point of view so I can prepare for future instances.
In this current craziness, you have permission to stand up for what you need: peace, protection, provision, prayer. If you need to cry, let it out in a safe place. If you need quiet, communicate that to others. I know that too much information all at once without time to process leaves me drained and angry. Learning to tell others respectfully when to stop talking or taking a moment by yourself is very empowering.
If you are overwhelmed, take a moment. Try meditation or stop everything to pray. Get tips here for breathing techniques to try to calm or wake or balance. If you feel too conspicuous or self-conscious doing those things at work or in social situations, get a glass of water. Walk slowly to where it is, take a sip and hold it for 7-10 seconds before you swallow it. Just the awareness of your body stopping for a moment can get you centered.
Here for you on this journey,
Christy
P.S. You are enough. Own it. Display that on one of our new t-shirts.
Thinking back on all the moments I have had to step up to protect or speak up for my children gives me all the feels. Ugh, and if I knew then what I know now, I would have been even more aggressive. I did the best with what I knew and experienced at the moment, and I hope you can give yourself the grace to believe the same if you have any regrets.
My goal is to encourage you to find similarities and search for your strength and power to be your family's best advocate.
My son was admitted to the hospital after my sweet, laid-back 15-month-old had a winter cold that turned into pneumonia. It went quickly from cough to pulling for breath. Very scary day for me. As I was still breastfeeding once a day, I could stay in the room with him. Good thing I hadn't weaned at 12 months as I had planned!
While in the hospital, he was getting breathing treatments every two or three hours, but it wasn't helping enough. It was November, and the peds ward was busy for the respiratory therapist. He was focused on getting from room to room, hardly looking me in the face, or speaking to anyone. Maybe he was having a bad day. That might have stopped me from "bothering" him before I had children, but my son needed more help. I didn't care if that man was busy or sad or whatever.
After a breathing treatment failed to stop his breathing struggle, he started to walk out of the room, but I called him back. I said, "it didn't work. My son needs something else. Now."
The therapist said, "I can't authorize that."
"But he needs help."
"There's nothing else I can do."
"He can't BREATHE!"
He finally looks me in the eyes and realizes I mean business and that my son wasn't doing as well as he may have thought. "Well, if his doctor recommends it, he can get continuous albuterol but will have to be moved to the PICU" (Pediatric ICU).
"Yes, let's get that done. When can we move him?"
Surprisingly, they found a bed in the PICU for us in under 30 minutes and started the treatments that had him so much improved in 2 days that he was discharged.
If I had just sat back, allowing the "experts" to treat my son as they saw fit, we could have been in the hospital for much longer or gotten into an even worse situation. I don't want to dwell on that, only on the blessings of breastfeeding, and the strength God gave me at that moment.
It really doesn't take much to be an advocate. Put your foot down firmly, ask ALL the questions (write everything down and WHO said what), and don't fade into the background. Your family, your goal, your focus is on one person. These doctors/nurses/therapists are humans who get overwhelmed.
Take the initiative to get what your person needs. You have permission to become the Mama or Papa bear that will growl until you get your way. Be the researcher that finds natural solutions in diet and remedies that work even better than what the doctor gives you. Look to your intuition to find answers. You don't have to rely on other people for every situation. You are capable and smart.
I give you permission to be the squeakiest wheel or most annoying parent ever - if you need it.
If you'd like to visit more in a community setting, jump over to my Facebook page: Dancing Through Eden.
I'm with you on this journey. Blessings!
It's comforting to pay attention to your own body and be aware of how health is attained. It's also fun when new information is published that confirms what you believed in your core!
I have been fascinated with the list of genealogy in the book of Genesis in the Bible. It is written that Noah lived 950 years, his son Shem lived 600 years, Shem's son Arphaxad lived 438 years, A's son, Shelah lived 433 years, his son lived 239 years, his son lived 239 also, his son lived 230 years, and his son lived 148 years. There have been so many theories associated with these ages: increased radiation (maybe an actual possibility but not provable), seasons or months labeled as years (easily debunked), and now telomeres!
I have read several books recently shining a light on this fairly new discovery. The short version of the information is that telomeres are like aglets on a shoelace, except the shoelaces are your chromosomes. When the chromosomes are copied to make new cells, the messenger RNA has to grab onto something at the end. That would be the telomeres. The area that the mRNA is grabbing cannot be copied. Now the resulting copy will be shorter and the part missing is a piece of the telomere. Telomeres are only 1/1000 of the chromosome, and the string of their DNA is repeated over and over and over and over thousands of times somewhat like disposable duplicates. When you run out of duplicates, the chromosomes unravel and make a mess in the cells causing inflammation, cell death (best case), or cancer (worst case).
The Hayflick limit describes the limited number of times that a specific cell can be copied. It seems to be about 50 times for human cells. The good news is that stem cells create new, better-functioning cells that replace the dead ones.
I know you're saying, "BOOOORRRING! What does this mean for me?" Or my favorite question: "What can I do about it?"
This means that we have information about how our bodies age and that it's not only your genes that cause acceleration or deceleration of aging. Aging is basically our cells losing their telomeres, causing inflammation, etc., and not having enough healthy stem cells to make new cells.
Turns out that there is quite a bit that you can do to increase the telomere length by helping to activate telomerase (the enzyme that replaces the lost telomeres). Can you guess one? Yeah, a healthy diet and schedule of eating are at the top. Reduced stress (by removing stressors or by meditation), moderate exercise, having social support from friends or family, sleeping at least 7 hours a night, avoid smoking and over-indulgence of alcohol, and being optimistic or having a positive/up-for-the-challenge attitude. Genes, of course, play a role, so you don't have 100% control over your aging, but your choices and environment play a large role.
Are you up for learning more about telomeres and aging?
If you're interested in learning how intermittent fasting plays a role in stimulating stem cells and flushing out dead cells, check out the Intermittent Fasting course on my website.
Never stop learning!
With you on the journey,
Christy
STOP. DOING. ALL. THE. THINGS. and listen to the whispers of your heart. You were wonderfully and fearfully made, unique and beautiful.
The mantra "self-care is the first step in any relationship" is only HALF right. Why would you "care"? If I asked most of my women friends if they love themselves, I assume most would say No, but they all seem to care about themselves. Almost like a first boyfriend that's not ready for marriage, we don't want to commit.
The real Step 1 in self-care, etc. is to get in the right mind-frame.
- Assess your state of being, physically. Touch is the easiest way to ground yourself and get centered. Both feet on the floor. Become aware of temperature, movement of the surrounding air, clothes on your skin, hair on your head and arms.
- Breathe, even in and out (4 in and 4 out, for example), brings balance and clarity.
- Feel the steady pulse of your heartbeat Take this time to correct posture to allow for the best alignment and blood flow.
- Pay attention to sounds around you while keeping awareness of skin and breath.
- Lastly, take a mouthful of water and hold it for 20-30 seconds.
Now that you are mostly present in your body, listen to what it needs.
Are you tired? Is the tiredness physical or mental? Are you in pain? Hungry? Thirsty? Hot/cold?
What can you do NOW to correct anything that is off? Drink water, stretch, grab a blanket, take a nap.
Next, why are you taking the time to do this? Why do you care? What are your goals for yourself?
Who is counting on you? Who could you help or support if you were able?
Having a purpose and goals keeps the focus on moving forward and positively rewards your brain even before anything is accomplished. This ends up encouraging you to continue to make more goals. Try it!
Day-to-day habits (including self-talk, affirmations, etc.) can significantly improve or destroy our health. You know that true self-care is an everyday activity, not a special occasion. True health is mental and physical well-being. If you are "all-or-nothing", stick with a daily affirmation book, Bible study, 30-minute exercise routine, and whole-foods, plant-based diet. If you can deviate from routine without being completely derailed or sliding back into bad habits, aim for 80/20 and enjoy a splurge now and then without guilt. 80% healthy foods and habits, and 20% splurges.
Did you realize that people with positive psychological health have a lower risk of physical illness? What you think and say to and about yourself matters. It matters.
Instead of getting your nails done, shopping 'til you drop, or taking a bath twice a day, or drinking too much wine, getting present and having goals to move forward is the cheapest, quickest way to reset your body and brain for a healthy long life journey.
Make a goal. Simplify the goal into 3-5 actions. Get to it. Ev Ree Day. Love, you! Love you!
A great bonus from cooking more often and my chickens laying more eggs again is the scraps I get for compost. I used to have a large compost pile for all the leaves, chicken coop droppings and shavings, and kitchen scraps, but then I built a new chicken coop that basically blocked that area. Instead of an all-in-one pile, I use the sleepy garden time to "plant" the compost. The first area was "planted" when the acorn squash was invaded by pests and suffered a quick death; I acquired space and popped in some compost. After that, the basil plants and okra succumbed to the cold, and I put compost there. Down the beds I went as winter continued.
When gifted with 20 baby broccoli plants, I planted them in the available spots all over the garden. The ones that are growing the fastest and the biggest so far are the ones over the old compost "plot". So now, whenever a plant dies or its season is over, I plant my next batch of compost. I've planted 5 batches so far and will continue until my gardens are too full of plants to dig. Then I may actually find a more permanent location for a bigger compost pile once more or try vermicomposting in one of these vermicomposters.
What methods of composting do you use?
People want change. A former POTUS even ran for office on that idea. Inspiring quotes like, "be the change you want to see in the world" focuses on actions to take. Yet, you can't act your way to real change. It starts with a state of being. This chart, taken from You Are The Placebo by Joe Dispenza, shows that you can't just change a few things to really improve your life. You have to become a different person.
Your past does not dictate your present or your future. Your "baggage" doesn't have to come with you. I experienced many shifts after my father died over a year ago. Old negative loops that I created around a situation I didn't understand at 12 years old have finally dissolved.
As a naive pre-teen, I watched as dad pursued a life away from our family when my parents divorced. Of course, being young I was self-centered and felt permanently wounded. I had no voice during that time. I had no choice. I carried hurts with me, even projecting those onto my husband early in our marriage. Evolution is a slow process and I worked my way through some loops through the years. I would still say "I AM ______" a morning person, a procrastinator, etc. like I had no choice in the matter. I had enjoyed studying genetics in college and knew my personality and path were rooted in my genes and that there were some faulty ones that would make me screw it all up.
Through prayer, counseling, and coaching, I have opened my eyes to the power of choice. You are not your genes as far as your personality or even your health. You're stuck with those ears, eye color, or height, but you get to decide your path and who you want to be all on your own. I choose to rise early and be productive. I choose to sleep in when I'm tired. I'm not defined by my morning routines. I choose not to get mad at stupid drivers (still working on this one), staying calm and safe, focusing on the destination. I choose to say "I'm not late, I'm in divine timing."
It begins with new conscious thoughts (decisions) which, as you keep the goal in the forefront of your mind, lead to new choices. Those choices require different behaviors which allow new experiences and feelings. We are all in process and I believe that we must keep progressing forward and evolving into the best person for our NOW. Do you want to become a new you, with new results? Stop sitting in the rut of thinking like the old you. Step bravely into your new journey. I'm right beside you.
