Facilitating a Healthy Environment

You know that blobby stuff that hangs out over your pants known as the Muffin top. Yeah that stuff is hard to get off as you get older – no matter the exercise. No dieting or cleanser is going to rid of that excess belly fat, which is contributed from cortisol until you start incorporating a healthy environment into your lifestyle.

“Cortisol is a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, which sit atop the kidneys. The hormone has earned the nickname ‘the stress hormone,’ because it's released as the body's natural response to stress. Cortisol can be helpful on the short term, but chronic stress can cause the adrenal glands to become overworked and this oftentimes leads to a medical condition, known as adrenal fatigue” (http://www.bodylogicmd.com/hormones-for-women/cortisol).  

Symptoms of cortisol imbalance in women (http://www.bodylogicmd.com/hormones-for-women/cortisol):

•Fatigue

 •Depression

 •Weight gain

 •Bone and muscle loss

 •Foggy thinking

 •Anxiety

 •Irritability

Cortisol can also lead to weight gain such as, belly fat. Additional weight can start to appear as we get older, for many reasons; however, one significant reason is due to stress, which can be brought on by worrying or over extending your mental and physical capacity (http://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/fitness/weight-loss/why-anxiety-and-stress-might-be-causing-your-weight-gain.html). We as women must remember that we are not Super Woman; our mind and bodies can only do so much within a 24-hour span of the day and part of those 24-hours should be donated to sleep. Just like we plan our weekly or daily schedule, we must also facilitate a healthy environment around our schedule. This means, avoiding negativity. Ask yourself this simple question, “How will ______ (fill in the blank) enhance my lively hood and the well being of my family or personal relationships with others?” This question does not only apply to things, but people as well. You may not be able to avoid negative people your entire life because you will run in to them everywhere you go, but you can choose how you will respond to them. You can allow them to upset you or you can choose not to dignify their ignorance with a response. Sometimes, not saying anything, can be saying a whole lot.

Be mindful of the people you keep company, the things you watch on T.V., the music you listen to, the things you read, and the places you go. All of these impact your mental and physical being. Your mind and body is like a sponge, it absorbs whatever you put into it. So just remember, what goes in must come out and I don’t know of any woman who enjoys sporting a Muffin Top.

XOXO,

Jay

Don’t Settle For Loose Change

February is the month of love, so If you’re single, you may be disheartened by the fact that you’re not attached to a significant other, while you watch other women receive gifts of love, you may feel alone, but do not allow your temporarily loneliness to cause you to settle for, “Loose Change.” Remember, your loneliness is only temporary.

I have friends who are unhappily married with children or they are in unfulfilled relationships because they decided to settle for, “Loose Change.” Many of my friends rushed into marriages or relationships because they were lonely or they were getting older and didn’t want to be by themselves and not risk ever having children. But one thing I notice that they all have in common is that they are miserable because they settled for temporary happiness or the second best thing. My dad once told me that when you date or marry a man, he’s supposed to enhance your life spiritually, physically, and mentally and vice-a-versa, meaning, if you were happier or doing better off without him, then he’s not the man for you.

Those same attached friends don’t understand why I am content with being single, temporarily. Because of my past relationships, I am very hesitant on who I allow into my heart, so I am not in a rush to get married and nor am I looking for a man to marry. I get asked a lot by younger women and girls, being in my early thirties, when am I going to get married and have children or do I want to get married and have children? I respond with, “In God’s timing.” Of course I want to get married and have children one day, but I am no longer bothered by my biological clock ticking because I have come to learn that when God has a purpose for your life and you follow the path that he has set out for you, everything has its perfect timing, including love. Love cannot be rushed, forced, or planned. The biggest mistake that you could make in your love life is to go looking for love. Let love find you. When you go looking for love, you end up with, “Loose Change,” someone whom you’ll be unhappy with later because you chose them and not God. God does not give temporary happiness and leave out the joy. When he chooses someone for you, he judges their heart and intentions, while we judge appearances and their actions, but not knowing their motives behind their actions. Stop short changing yourself. What God has for you, is for you.

In the meantime, enjoy being single and following the adventurous path that God has set out for your life. Eventually, He’ll put someone in your path who will turn out to be the man beyond your dreams and you will be ever so joyful that you waited and did not settle for, “Loose Change.”

 

XOXO,

Jay

Becoming the Best Version of You Part 3: Don't Look Back

I believe part of the reason that women struggle with liking themselves is because they are constantly comparing their achievements and success to their peers’. STOP DOING THAT! You are only holding yourself back because you’re stuck measuring your success to the next woman. It’s okay that you finished your degree at 40 rather than 21 and it’s okay that you waited later in life to get married and start a family. What God has for you, is for you. Everyone’s life is measured at a different pace and timeline. You have to take your own path. Stop focusing on past setbacks and mistakes. What’s done is done, now move on. Focus on the goals that you have established for yourself and work towards them. In the meantime, don’t worry, love will come when you least expect it. But you have to STOP focusing on what you could’ve done…be grateful that now you know better and when you do accomplish your goals, you’ll be much wiser. Life doesn’t consist of who is the strongest or who finishes first – the whole goal is to finish, but you can’t get to the finish line if you keep looking back.

XOXO,

Jay

Be Aware of the Female who is Unhappy with Herself

Be aware of the female who is unhappy with herself. Take heed to the following, she may possess some of these traits:

·         Yes, some women have bad days, but the unhappy female ALWAYS has a happy face that is turned upside down.

·         She is always on notice when another attractive woman steps into the room because she gives her the, “stank face” – nose turned up and looks the woman up and down.

·         Every time your phone rings, she NEVER has anything good to say and by the time you get off the phone with her, you feel down and don’t even have a reason why.

·         She feels like she’s always in competition with another woman (whom she secretly admires), so she is always trying to find a way to bring her down or one-up her.

·         She cannot stand to be by herself: she doesn’t like living alone and is uncomfortable going to places solo.

·         She is only happy (pretending) when her external surroundings are on the up-and-up.

·         She doesn’t like to see other women happy.

If you recognized any of the previous traits in any of your female counterparts, you should start distancing yourself from her immediately because the, “Unhappy with Herself Female” has detrimental side effects  that can rub off and lead to you always being in a bad mood when you’re around her, partaking in degrading other women, always complaining, and gossiping. Where ever this woman goes, drama follows her.

Now if any of those traits sound like you, then clearly, you don’t like yourself, so you need to ask yourself, “What is it that I dislike about myself?” Then go back and read the blog, “Becoming the Best Version of You!”

XOXO,

Jay

                                                         

Becoming the Best Version of You: Discovering Your Purpose

Of course you want this year to be better than last year, so why continue to waste your precious time sitting on your God given talent(s)? Go discover your purpose in the world and the woman that you were called to be.

If you’re unsure what talent(s) you may possess in order to fulfill your purpose, start with asking yourself: what is it I enjoy doing? What could I do and not be paid for it? What do others say I do well? Maybe your talents are not tangible; consider being a service to others. Do your family and friends resort to you for advice? Do you enjoy helping others?

If you need help discovering some of your strengths, you may want to consider taking a personality or career assessment. Try CareerPath by CareerBuilder http://www.careerpath.com/, a site that provides free career assessments and advice that may help you with discovering some of your talents.  After gathering the results from your assessment, start researching careers that would emphasize your talent(s). You may want to consider going back to school or starting your own business.

Discovering your purpose will not happen overnight, but you can start setting short term goals throughout the year that will lead to meeting your long term goal. Stop making excuses such as, “I am too busy,” “I don’t have enough time,” or “I don’t have the money.” As long as you have breath in your body, you still have access to all the resources you need to make things happen. So start today, by making a phone call or doing research that will get you closer to your ultimate, divine purpose in becoming the best version of you.

Xoxo,

Jay

Be the Best Version of You!

 

You can't be every woman, you can only be you, so why not be the best version of you.
 

You were fearfully and wonderfully designed by God.There is no other like you and when you're gone, there will not be another like you. You're one of a kind.
 

Your uniqueness, which may be considered flaws is what makes you awesome. So stop comparing your physical attributes and talents to other women. God physically designed you with a purpose in mind and gave you innate talent(s).
 

Your design and talent(s) may differ from another woman, but that doesn't make you less than or greater than any other woman. So before you start to criticize or put yourself down, remember that you were created with a purpose in mind, God does not make mistakes.
 

Now go and be the best version of you!

xoxo,

Jay

Happy 2013, Start a Healthier Version of You!

Health Segment

 

If you plan to start your year with a New Year's resolution of getting in shape, why not make it a lifestyle? Start a plan that is simple and easy to commit to such as, drinking 64 oz. of water per day. Start each week by adding an additional healthy routine. Sooner than later, you will start to notice that your healthy routines turn into good habits.

 

The following are suggestions that can help you along the way to having and enjoying a healthy lifestyle:

 

• At the beginning of the week, set a work out goal such as, committing to walking a total of 120 minutes during the week. Each week, change up your goal or activity so you don't get bored.
• If you're a night owl like me, then commit to going to bed an hour earlier for a week.
• For lunch or dinner, eat a vegetarian dish in order to add more consumption of vegetables to your daily diet.
• Start a walking group within your neighborhood and walk a mile per week, working your way up to five miles.
• Instead of joining the gym, check out your local community YWCA to see if they offer fun and invigorating activities such as, water aerobics or belly dancing.
• If you're into sports, join a community sports team, like a bowling league.

Remember, keep it simple and make small gradual changes, thus you'll be more likely to commit to having a healthier lifestyle.

 

XOXO,

 

Jay