Hormones and Breakouts and Cramps..oh my! The Women’s MONTHLY issues alleviated

Hormones haven’t always been my best friend but they are now! Now that I’ve figured out how to work with them and not let them take me over “whenever” they feel like it..and girl, does it make me POWERFUL! Also there’s so much more info in my head that I can’t write all out in 1 article but can answer questions and will write a lot more in the future! I have done a ton of research on myself and have read a ton of scientific research, and have taken several courses, and continue to educate to keep up to date with the always evolving information.

Okay so here’s what happened! I became a woman and for years and years and years I just accepted that every month I’m going to get a couple of pimples, I’m going to be irritable, throw tantrums and cry for no reason, and then once my period finally hits I’m going to feel it with painful sometimes debilitating cramps…what?? Why? I don’t know either when I turned 30 I finally started figuring out how to avoid ALL these things!

Really I started to try to figure it out when I took myself off of birth control a little over 2 years ago and completely lost it!!! I mean completely just had no control over myself, my thoughts, my emotions, nothing..and then was angry about having no control…I mean a credit card transaction wouldn’t go through and that was more then I could take..I was crying, and felt out of control at all moments of the days…I had NO idea that that could happen…until it did, then I researched for hours, days, weeks, months! I was going to figure this out! I’ll write about coming off of birth control pills in another article soon because there is SO much that you need to know..it is NOT a thing you just do cold turkey.

Anyway here is what I’ve learned about how to control everything ALL month long..just reading this last line I laugh at myself….I am such a control freak..oh well..sorry I like to be perfect and mentally stable, but I DO!

Let me just start by saying that if you have breakouts all month then it’s probably not your hormones but what you’re eating, what your putting on your face or even your pillowcase….separate article to go over how to not have breakouts coming soon.(or link will be here)

So the deal is all throughout the month our hormones are changing..yes literally everyday…doctors have broken it down into 4 or sometimes 5 different “phases” within your 28-35 day cycle..pretty nuts…and yet explains a lot as to why right when you feel like everything is under control something else is out of whack! I use to joke with my roommates that we always have an excuse..we’re either about to start period, on period, or just had period as reasons why we’re emotional, act crazy, say dumb things….but after researching the monthly cycle and our hormones A LOT..I realized it’s actually true..

Okay so anyway..you already know all this…what you want to know is HOW TO REMAIN STABLE, NOT HAVE CRAMPS, AND NOT BREAKOUT?

So although it may vary on what works for you, something will work for you! I’ve tested it out on a lot of peeps, myself to start and this is what I’ve discovered.

 

REMAIN STABLE:

Balance your mood, prepare your mind, warn+ pre calm yourself, supplement.

The EASIEST mood balancer is 1 tablespoon of coconut everyday. I personally eat Artisana Organic Coconut Butter (warning the top layer..4 days are a little rough..but then it’s DELICIOUS!) I usually give 1 spoonful to myself after my morning workout. It’s good to take in the morning around the same time…it’s the 1st thing that goes in me besides water. It not only balances mood but keeps body healthy..I personally think it lubes me up so everything can go through me easier for the rest of the day! I have been purchasing it at whole foods but JUST discovered Thrive Market who has it for $4 less and delivers! I’m def going to start being on the ordering program once I run out!

Meditate! If you’re not meditating…or you’ve tried and have been unsuccessful at feeling any benefits please try and try again..meditating will truly change your life! I previously wrote an article on how to meditate..step by step…Jenius Meditation Article that you can check out or there’s a ton of other resources out there, brainjohnson.me has a ton of helpful advice also if that doesn’t work for you but I promise you..meditating = best possible life in all aspects!

Warn and pre calm yourself is part a period tracker app with alerts and part taking supplements

The period tracker that I have is called period tracker by monthly cycles/Deltaworks they have a free and paid($1.99) version. The free version is fine and has what you need…you just get ad’s..so your choice. Okay so once you download the app, you have to enter your period info..like your last period, whatever the questions it asks…THEN go to Settings > Notifications > turn on Period Alert > select Alert Time..you’ll then be given choices of 7 days before, 6 days before…etc select ALL of the days by checking off each box. Then select whatever time you wake up at on a daily basis! Literally whenever that is….I once had it for an hour later then I was awake from had an “episode” and then was alerted! HA! Thanks…it’s too late now…LOL. Okay so once you’re all set there then go back and select Alert Text > type Hello Beautiful, stay calm, take a deep breath and take your happy vitamins! 🙂 (primrose oil/bee pollen/ honey/maca/whatever supplement you’re going to take) Or whatever it is you want to write to yourself that will a. make you feel good, b. make you laugh, c. open your awareness, and d. remind you take your happy mood vitamin. It may seem silly but it’s NOT! I promise this will make a huge difference in how you interact with others and makes it easier for you to calm yourself down or not even let yourself get worked up…it’s the unawareness that gets us all worked up. I mean it’s the hormones…but being aware really helps you help yourself be your best possible you without overreactions.

The supplements that I quickly referenced primrose oil, bee pollen, honey, maca are known mood elevators/hormone balancers that may or may not work the same for everyone..you kind of have to try out the different ones and see what works best for you…When I had my super freakout I tried ALL of these and more…I was going to MAKE SURE something worked! It is worth noting that you don’t need to and shouldn’t take these supplements all month long…only starting the week prior to your period…7 days before and then the first 2 days of your period so that they have the most impact and actually increase mood, balance hormones. That is why I love the app so much..it really helps because it’s hard to remember on your own that you’re period is going to start in a week.

Once it’s already too late..you’ve forgotten to take your vitamins and you have crazy bad thoughts.

Chewable Pharma GABA or GABA-Pro are AMAZING…what I mean by crazy thoughts are when you start to think and nightmare day dreaming…something happens or doesn’t and then that thought creates another thought and that thought creates another thought and you’re in this crazy negative spiraling out of control head that makes you depressed, angry, sad, and/or NOT productive..yeah..it’s a miracle worker for that situation. I just started selling natural factors chewable Pharma GABA & biconic naturals GABA-Pro because it has helped me, my friends, family, and everyone I’ve recommended to. The best thing is it’s natural..and it calms you within minutes! It has been reported to help with ADHD, relieve anxiety, improve mood. If you research anywhere you’ll see that it is an amazing vitamin and I vouch for it 100%! Gaba on WebMD. Please
send me an email
if you have any questions or would like to purchase these products or any of the Natural Factors or bioclinic naturals products…I will give you a good deal and my products are ALWAYS FRESH! 🙂

ALSO SIDE NOTE FOR THOSE CURRENTLY ON BIRTH CONTROL PILLS: If you’re on birth control pills you are being depleted of B Vitamins..unless you’re supplementing(which is a good idea as lack of B Vitamins can cause premature graying hair, easy bruising or bleeding, diarrhea or constipation, tiredness, weakness, light-headed and more. But don’t take just ANY B Vitamin or any type of vitamin for that matter…VITAMINS ARE NOT CREATED EQUAL! Cheap vitamins with fillers and chemicals can actually cause more harm then good. Please let me know if you want recommendations on good vitamins or show me yours and I’ll tell you.

HOW TO NOT HAVE CRAMPS:

The easiest remedy is to walk, jog, or run…right when you start to feel that you’re going to have cramps get your body moving! The more you move the less cramps you have..or at least I have…once you already have really bad cramps it’s WAY HARDER to get yourself on the treadmill or the street but it’s still just as beneficial..trust me I know it the LAST thing you want to do but it’ll be so much worth it and is way better then staying crunched up in a ball in bed if you’re like me an refuse to take pain-killers.

Another way to lessen the affects of cramps is to not drink caffeine. I don’t drink caffeine at all at this point in my life but for those of you that do they are increasing your cramp pain! Why do that to yourself…there is a side effect of removing caffeine out of your life and that is that you might get really bad headaches..if this happens to you then you just have to choose or put up with the headache and drink extra water and b vitamins for a few days…personally I quit caffeine when I realized that whenever I didn’t have caffeine I would get a headache…it really made me think..and research and I realized caffeine just can’t be good for you! You only think you need it because it’s a drug and the withdrawal symptoms…tired, irritable, headaches seem unbearable and lifelong but I promise you they are not…I have more energy then anyone I know and I never need coffee or anything for that matter to stay awake.

Really as you become a more healthy person you just won’t get cramps..at least not like you do…they are not who you are they are what you are doing to yourself and how healthy you are. Over the past year I’ve had “cramps” twice and they weren’t unbearable or even that noticeable..and popping on the treadmill relieved them. Be healthy and live a pain-free happy life. 🙂

HOW TO AVOID HORMONAL BREAKOUTS:

This might be the easiest and the toughest one…don’t eat sugar, processed foods, dairy or too many nuts..especially right before you’re period when that’s what you’re craving!! Simple right? HA! I know it is and it isn’t….but know that is the main cause of your breakouts especially around your period time….because you crave and eat more badness and it then shows up on your face…simple! Truth! Some months I’m successful at not eating 2 bars of chocolate..some months I’m not..but I always know what I’m doing and what the consequences will be. I’ve noticed that months that I’m good at not giving in I’ve prepared snacks that I like that are easy to grab! My favorites are grape tomatoes, red bell pepper slices, cucumbers, medium boiled eggs, and sliced carrots(NOT baby carrots.) Then I tell myself I have to eat the entire supply of good healthy food before I’m allowed to have the food I’m craving and usually by the time I’m finished the craving has gone away, I’m full, or I’ve said to myself “I love my clear skin, I love my flawless face” enough times to myself to not eat it…if I MUST eat something I eat 73% or more dark chocolate..it’s the least of the bad and has some antioxidant properties…and then some months…like during christmas when I’m PMS’ing I just say oh well..I’m going to have bad skin next week…LOL

Note: Eating the healthy veggies, particularly greens is nutritious and will help alleviate the severity of the breakouts. What will also help is taking a probiotic after you make a bad decision and DRINKING ALOT OF FILTERED WATER throughout the day.

Change your pillowcase, especially if you go to bed with not freshly clean hair the night before…all the oils from your hair soak into the pillow and then cause bacteria clogged pores…yuck and yay, easy fix!

Also read the previous sections..as balancing hormones with coconut and other foods/supplements really helps also.

ONCE IT’S TOO LATE..the breakouts have come.

#1 DON’T pick your face! Don’t touch it, don’t even look at it..the more you touch, especially with dirty hands, and the more you stress about it the WORSE IT’LL be! Okay so you have to touch your face to clean it..so wash your hands – you could maybe use a bottle of Hand Sanitizer just to keep them germ-free throughout the day… then wash your face with water and dry off with a paper towel…I personally LOVE Viva soft and strong paper towels…they feel like a soft cloth but are disposable=more sanitary..NEVER use a pre-used hand towel or wash cloth to dry your face. Next step is to spot treat, I use a product with oregano oil,

 

CONCLUSION:

It’s kind of crazy how crazy we can be inside and out but if you make yourself aware, prepare yourself, you can live everyday loving life to the fullest!

 

My mission is that ALL women are connected, balanced, and unstoppable!

 

Please let me know if you have any questions, if you need help understanding or putting action in place, or if you’ve try this out and what your result was! I really hope I’ve helped you become more stable, pain-free, flawless and overall healthier!! 🙂

🙂

Jenius

[email protected]

 

I am also NOW offering a Jenius LIFE Kit that comes with: (these are most the vitamins that I take within a monthly basis..not all during same time of month.)

1 – 14oz glass jar of Artisana Organics Raw Coconut Butter

1 – 180 tablets of Dr. Murray MultiStart Women’s Vitamins OR 60 v caps Whole Earth & Sea Women’s Multi(vitamins+minerals)

*1 – 60 v caps of BioSil also comes in liquid, whatever you prefer..I feel like the liquid tastes plastic-ish and I like being able to keep all of my vitamins prepared for the days and obviously liquid you have to take on it’s own..but everyone has their own routine. 🙂

*1 – 60 chewable tablets or v caps Pharma GABA

1 – 60 v caps of UriSense with probiotics(5 billion) and cranberry(500mg) OR just 60 v cap womens probiotic

1 – 120 RxOmega 3 Women’s Blend OR 90 softgels of Ultra Primrose oil 1000mg

1 – 60 v caps of Vitamin D3, 5000 IU

1 – 300 v caps of Health-ful-bone

1 – 90 softgels of BioCgel Buffered Vitamin C

1 -20 min call to help set up your app, answer any questions

 

ALL for $200 (which is OVER 30% off retail prices) you can remove or add whatever you want/change quantities…just let me know.

ALSO NOW available the 2 piece Hormonal Balancing Kit with Pharma GABA & Ultra Prim (Evening Primrose Oil) for $35.

 

I currently carry very quality brands of vitamins; Natural Factors, Healthful Balance Vitamins, Whole Earth & Sea Vitamins if you need any vitamins that they carry, I can get them for you..I’m now a Healthy Vitamin Dealer! 🙂

 

*the Pharma GABA comes in 120 as well as the BioSil which would be a 2 month supply)

If you get skin breakouts

1oz of oil of oregano for use topically and internally is a great addition to your essentials.

Jenius Meditation TIPS…+VIDEO!

Jenius Girls Photo Shoot

WHY TO MEDITATE:

I finally learned how to ACTUALLY meditate and once I had that breakthrough meditation I personally have had amazing willpower, I literally got my self off of cookie butter and I didn’t even feel like I was depriving or wanting something that I couldn’t have..I just decided I’m not eating it..I have 4 jars in my pantry as we speak that have now been there for over a year since I started meditating..just waiting to not be eaten. 🙂 Also I’ve been able to read! I mean I can actually read! For as long as I can remember I try and try to read but I have always had SOOOO many thoughts in my head that I couldn’t get through a page and actually understand it..now I CAN! I can have conversations with people and actually listen to them and not have my thoughts wondering..if this happens to you then you understand already but if not..basically most of the time I use to talk to people while planning my day or thinking whatever..and it seemed like every word they said would spark a new thought about SOMETHING! Making it so I really wasn’t listening. ALL of my relationships have improved significantly! I’m able to stay focused! (and just as an FYI…I had thought that I had meditated many times before I actually had..or at least before the “breakthrough” meditation and was wondering what all the fuss was about…MY key was not learning to get the mind silent, but controlling my mind when thought did come up to get back to the mantra and control it away..I think that’s what really helps…CONTROLLING YOUR MIND, not letting your mind run on its own.) All this was possible for me by spending 20 minutes per day with myself and actually MEDITATING and going within!

BrianJohnson.me has a great lesson on meditation..meditation 101/How to Meditate Without Moving to the Himalayas…my additional Jenius Meditation Tips: When you meditate with the Oprah and Deepak Chopra 21-day Meditation series’  FOLLOW these directions for ideal meditation. 🙂

HOW TO MEDITATE:

When the recording starts(with Oprah) already be relaxed, either sitting comfortably or laying down(I lay down on the ground)

Start taking deep slow breaths, my favorite breath is the inhale through your nose for 6 seconds, hold breath for 2 seconds, exhale through your mouth for 7 seconds…(there are many breathing styles out there so if you don’t like this then do another one.)

Close your eyes, calmly resting eyes in your head as if they are looking out your “3rd eye” in the middle of your forehead, if it hurts your brain, be more gentle, no one wants a headache..but sometimes it takes a lot of times to not get one..you are literally working your pineal muscle..and it’s just like any other muscle and can hurt when you’re strengthening it. 

Once Oprah and Deepak have spoken and you’re on your own with the mantra repeat the mantra, when other thoughts come into your head don’t get frustrated, just repeat the mantra, the key to meditation is getting those thoughts out pleasantly..but it’s natural to have them.

At end of Meditation stretch and have a great day or night. The “experts” say it’s best to meditate in the morning, I like to meditate in the morning but I ALWAYS mediate at night right before bed, it puts me into a great sleep.

**extra Jenius Tip: If you have A LOT of thoughts while you’re meditating and you’re actually trying to not forget them..try writing out everything you have to do, everything you’re thinking in a journal or on a piece of paper BEFORE you start the meditation process so you can be more present and have fewer thoughts to fight off. 🙂 (repeated below in Journaling!)

EASY 20 MINUTE MEDITATION: Download Meditation to your iTunes or music player.

I promise you this video is really boring…it’s just to show what 20 minutes of meditation with crystals really looks like. 🙂

 

 

WLUF Lincoln High School Mentoring

At Lincoln High School in downtown Los Angeles we spent 3 semesters teaching girls a wide range of topics including:

Beauty

Charity Work

Create Goals and Reach Them

Etiquette

Finances

Giving Back

Hair

Health

Homemade Natural Face Scrub

Interview Skills

Life Efficiency Skills

Makeup

Meditation

Peer Pressure

Personal Development

Raw Cooking

Relationships

Resume Building

Self Confidence

Sex Education

Social Media

Vision Boards

Women’s Issues

 

Women Like Us Foundation

Women Like Us Foundation

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ONE GIRL AT A TIME IS THE SIGNATURE PROGRAM OF THE WOMEN LIKE US FOUNDATION!

One Girl at a time is the signature program of the Women Like Us Foundation.  Teen girls learn the value of living purposely and are educated in life skills and the importance of leadership.  Mentors empower them through workshops that target these topics and others like True Beauty, Gender in the Media, Human Trafficking, Eating Disorders, and Bullying.  Through knowledge of important topics critical to their health development, these girls will be contributors to a better society and their own families.

Laundering Leg Lifts!

Laundering Leg Lift Action

Yes Laundering Leg Lifts are simply doing your laundry while doing leg lifts.

I feel like every day people ask me how I stay in such great shape, that I must work out ALL the time! Well I guess they’re right because I’ve figured out how to turn my ever day, mandatory, brainless activities into WORKOUTS! Not only making ALL of the time spent doing chores more FUN! But also useful for keeping me fit and obviously efficient! I love it! Life for me is so much fun! Literally everything I have to do I make game, a challenge, SOMETHING to make it ACTUALLY ENJOYABLE! 🙂

HOW TO DO LAUNDERING LEG LIFTS:

1. Have Laundry on a surface that is easily accessible while standing..I use my bed

2. Lift leg using your butt muscle, squeeze and then lower…then repeat, repeat, repeat….

3. Fold laundry as usual

4. When your leg or butt starts to hurt, do 5 more lifts and then switch to the other leg

5. Continue to fold laundry

6. When both legs are tired, squat for up to 20 seconds and then start to do leg lifts again.

7. Complete ALL laundry!

8. Be happy that you just completed your laundry and worked your buns/back legs!! ACCOMPLISHED!

EGGS! How to Boil Eggs & Their Health Benefits….EASY & Delicious!

Do you want eggs that look like this??

ENJOY your nutritous, delicious egg!

How To Boil Eggs:

  1. Fill sauce pan a little more then half way. (I use my filtered water)
  2. Cover pot and bring to a rapid boil.
  3. Use a large spoon or wooden ladle to gently set your eggs, one at a time into the pot. I usually set up the spoon in the pot and then add one egg after another, without removing the spoon and the eggs just move down and around. Just get them in the pot without cracking them, however you do! 🙂
  4. Set timer for 6 minutes. (after ALL eggs are in…it’s okay to go to 6:30 not to be less then 6:00)IMG_4816
  5. After 6 minutes remove from heat, drain the water, add ice and cold water, if the water quickly becomes hot, drain the water and add more ice. (VERY IMPORTANT to cool IMMEDIATELY or they will still be cooking)
  6. Eggs are perfectly soft boiled with a little bit of runny yolk! mmmm…my favorite!
  7. Enjoy eggs or store them for later. I put my eggs back in the carton and label it appropriately so you know which ones are soft boiled.

 

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Eggs are amongst one of the most nutritious foods and I personally find them delicious.

What Are The Health Benefits Of EGGS???

1. Eggs Are Incredibly Nutritious

A whole egg contains all the nutrients required to turn a single cell into a baby chicken.

A single large boiled egg contains:

  • Vitamin A: 6% of the RDA.
  • Folate: 5% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin B5: 7% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin B12: 9% of the RDA.
  • Vitamin B2: 15% of the RDA.
  • Phosphorus: 9% of the RDA.
  • Selenium: 22% of the RDA.
  • Eggs also contain decent amounts of Vitamin D, Vitamin E, Vitamin K, Vitamin B6, Calcium and Zinc.

This is coming with 77 calories, 6 grams of protein and 5 grams of healthy fats.

Eggs also contain various other trace nutrients that are important for health.

Really… eggs are pretty much the perfect food, they contain a little bit of almost every nutrient we need.

If you can get your hands on pastured or Omega-3 enriched eggs, then these are even better. They have more Omega-3s and are much higher in Vitamin A and E.

Bottom Line: Whole eggs are among the most nutritious foods on the planet, containing a little bit of almost every nutrient we need. Omega-3 enriched and/or pastured eggs are even healthier.

2. Eggs Are High in Cholesterol, But Don’t Adversely Affect Blood Cholesterol

It is true that eggs are high in cholesterol.

In fact, a single egg contains 212 mg, which is over half of the recommended daily intake of 300 mg.

However… it’s important to keep in mind that cholesterol in the diet doesn’t necessarily raise cholesterol in the blood.

The liver actually produces large amounts of cholesterol every single day. When we eat more eggs, the liver just produces less cholesterol instead, so it evens out .

The response to egg consumption varies between individual:

  • In 70% of people, eggs don’t raise cholesterol at all.
  • In the other 30% (termed “hyper responders”), eggs can mildly raise Total and LDL cholesterol.

However, as I will outline later in the article, the situation is a bit more complicated than that and these changes are actually beneficial.

(Exceptions… people with genetic disorders like familial hypercholesterolemia or a gene type called ApoE4 may want to minimize or avoid eggs.)

Bottom Line: Eggs are high in cholesterol, but eating eggs does not have adverse effects on cholesterol in the blood for the majority of people.

3. Eggs Raise HDL (The “Good”) Cholesterol

HDL stands for High Density Lipoprotein. It is often known as the “good” cholesterol.

People who have higher levels of HDL usually have a lower risk of heart disease, stroke and various health problems

Eating eggs is a great way to increase HDL.

In one study, 2 eggs per day for 6 weeks increased HDL levels by 10% .

Bottom Line: Egg consumption consistently leads to elevated levels of HDL (the “good”) cholesterol, which is linked to a reduced risk of many diseases.

4. Eggs Contain Choline – an Important Nutrient That Most People Don’t Get Enough of

Choline is a nutrient that most people don’t even know exists.

Yet, it is an incredibly important substance and is often grouped with the B vitamins.

Choline is used to build cell membranes and has a role in producing signaling molecules in the brain, along with various other functions.

Dietary surveys have shown that about 90% of people in the U.S. are getting less than the recommended amount of choline.

Whole eggs are an excellent source of choline. A single egg contains more than 100 mg of this very important nutrient.

Bottom Line: Eggs are among the best dietary sources of choline, a nutrient that is incredibly important but most people aren’t getting enough of.

5. Eggs Turn LDL Cholesterol From Small, Dense to Large, Linked to a Reduced Risk of Heart Disease

LDL cholesterol is generally known as the “bad” cholesterol.

It is well known that having high levels of LDL is linked to an increased risk of heart disease.

But what many people don’t realize is that there are subypes of LDL that have to do with the size of the particles.

There are small, dense LDL particles and then there arelarge LDL particles.

Many studies have shown that people who have predominantly small, dense LDL particles have a higher risk of heart disease than people who have mostly large LDL particles.

Even if eggs tend to mildly raise LDL cholesterol in some people, studies show that the particles change from small, dense to large LDL… which is a good thing.

Bottom Line: Egg consumption appears to change the pattern of LDL particles from small, dense LDL (bad) to large LDL, which is linked to a reduced heart disease risk.

6. Eggs Contain Lutein and Zeaxanthin, Antioxidants That Have Major Benefits For Eye Health

One of the consequences of ageing is that eyesight tends to get worse.

There are several nutrients that help counteract some of the degenerative processes that can affect our eyes.

Two of these are called Lutein and Zeaxanthin, powerful antioxidants that tend to build up in the retina of the eye.

Studies show that consuming adequate amounts of these nutrients can significantly reduce the risk of cataracts and macular degeneration, two very common eye disorders.

Egg yolks actually contain large amounts of both Lutein and Zeaxanthin.

In one controlled trial, eating just 1.3 egg yolks per day for 4.5 weeks increased blood levels of Lutein by 28-50% and Zeaxanthin by 114-142%.

Eggs are also high in Vitamin A, which deserves another mention here. Vitamin A deficiency is the most common cause of blindness in the world.

Bottom Line: The antioxidants Lutein and Zeaxanthin are very important for eye health and can help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. Eggs are high in both of them.

7. In the Case of Omega-3 or Pastured Eggs, They Lower Triglycerides as Well

Of course, it doesn’t just matter what we eat… it also matters what the foods that we eat, ate.

In this regard, not all eggs are created equal. Their nutrient composition varies depending on how the hens were fed and raised.

Eggs from hens that are raised on pasture and/or fed Omega-3 enriched feeds tend to be much higher in Omega-3 fatty acids.

Omega-3 fatty acids are known to reduce blood levels of triglycerides, a well known risk factor for heart disease .

Studies show that consuming Omega-3 enriched eggs is a very effective way to reduce triglycerides in the blood. In one of the studies, just 5 omega-3 enriched eggs per week for 3 weeks reduced triglycerides by 16-18%.

Bottom Line: Omega-3 enriched and pastured eggs contain significant amounts of Omega-3 fatty acids. Eating these types of eggs is an effective way to reduce blood triglycerides.

8. Eggs Are High in Quality Protein, With All The Essential Amino Acids in The Right Ratios

Proteins are the main building blocks of the human body.

They’re used to make all sorts of tissues and molecules that serve both structural and functional purposes.

Getting enough protein in the diet is very important and studies show that currently recommended amounts may be too low.

Well… eggs are an excellent source of protein, with a single large egg containing 6 grams.

Eggs contain all the essential amino acids in the right ratios, so our bodies are well equipped to make full use of the protein in them.

Eating adequate protein can help with weight loss increase muscle mass, lower blood pressure and optimize bone health… to name a few

Bottom Line: Eggs are fairly high in quality animal protein and contain all the essential amino acids that humans need.

9. Eggs do NOT Raise Your Risk of Heart Disease and May Reduce The Risk of Stroke

For many decades, eggs have been unfairly demonized.

It has been claimed that because of the cholesterol in them, they must be bad for the heart.

Many studies published in recent years have examined the relationship between egg consumption and the risk of heart disease.

In one review of 17 studies with a total of 263,938 participants, no association was found between egg consumption and heart disease or stroke.

Many other studies have led to the same conclusion.

However… some studies have found that people with diabetes who eat eggs have an increased risk of heart disease.

Whether the eggs are actually causing the increased risk isn’t known, because these types of studies can only show statistical association. They can not prove that eggs caused anything.

It is possible that diabetics who eat eggs are less health conscious, on average.

On a low-carb diet, which is by far the best diet for diabetics, eating eggs leads to improvements in risk factors for heart disease. However, there are lots of other things diabetics can eat so if a diabetic wanted to avoid eggs in their diet, they could quite easily.

Bottom Line: Many studies have looked at egg consumption and the risk of heart disease and found no association. However, some studies have found an increased risk in people with type 2 diabetes.

10. Eggs Are Highly Fulfilling and Tend to Make You Eat Fewer Calories, Helping You to Lose Weight

Eggs are incredibly fulfilling.

They are a high protein food… but protein is by far the most fulfilling macronutrient.

Eggs score high on a scale called the satiety index, which measures the ability of foods to induce feelings of fullness and reduce subsequent calorie intake.

In one study of 30 overweight women, eating eggs instead of bagels for breakfast increased feelings of fullness and made them automatically eat fewer calories for the next 36 hours.

In another study, replacing a bagel breakfast with an egg breakfast caused significant weight loss over a period of 8 weeks.

How Many Eggs Can Safely Be Eaten?

The studies clearly show that eating up to 3 whole eggs per day is perfectly safe.

There is no evidence that going beyond that is harmful, it is just “uncharted territory” as it hasn’t been studied.

Nutrition facts from http://authoritynutrition.com/10-proven-health-benefits-of-eggs/

My Happiness has been GROWING through OPTIMIZING MY LIFE! :-)

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Optimize Your LIFE!

So I’ve always been what I believe to be a healthy person,(for the most part, I’ve at least always worked out on a consistent basis, ate healthy foods(sometimes really bad foods as well!!), taken vitamins..basically I’ve always been healthy as I know at the time!! Looking back I realize that I had no idea about GMO’s, dairy, rice..etc but once I know I ween off and become healthier every moment!.) I’ve also have always tried to be a good person (honest, trustworthy, caring, giving, loving, dependable.) And  for sure I’ve always been TRYING to help those around me, not always coming out right and sometimes seeming judgmental to people who refused to be as healthy or as good or as whatever as me..I know it’s silly but I really couldn’t see how or why people would be so terrible to themselves and others….OKAY so OFF of my ramble..what I’m trying to get out is I’ve always wanted and strived to be the person that I’ve FINALLY become! Now I feel balanced, calm, compassionate, understanding, direct, confident, focused, and JEN-UINELY HAPPY! AND it feels wonderful.. No I’m still not perfect! But guess what I’m not thinking I’m going to be I’m totally happy and good with striving to be my best, I’m enjoying the ride of “LIFE” while still kicking butt and planting seeds daily for a future even more awesome me..YAY!!

I’m sharing this all because what was 100% to thank for all of this has been the most amazing Optimal Living 101 program put together by brianjohnson.me!

The most useful life lessons that I was never taught growing up have been on:

Meditating

Gratefulness

Journaling

 

 

Further Breakdown on how those things have DRAMATICALLY changed my life for the better!

Meditation: I finally learned how to ACTUALLY meditate and once I had that breakthrough meditation I personally have had amazing will power, I’ve been able to read! I mean I can actually read! For as long as I can remember I try and try to read but I have always had SOOOO many thoughts in my head that I couldn’t get through a page and actually understand it..now I CAN! I can have conversations with people and actually listen to them and not have my thoughts wondering..if this happens to you then you understand already but if not..basically most of the time I use to talk to people while planning my day or thinking whatever..and it seemed like every word they said would spark a new thought about SOMETHING! Making it so I really wasn’t listening. ALL of my relationships have improved significantly! I’m able to stay focused! (and just as an FYI…I had thought that I had meditated many times before I actually had..or at least before the “breakthrough” meditation and was wondering what all the fuss was about…MY key was not learning to get the mind silent, but controlling my mind when thought did come up to get back to the mantra and control it away..I think that’s what really helps…CONTROLLING YOUR MIND, not letting your mind run on it’s own.)

BrianJohnson.me has a great lesson on meditation..meditation 101/How to Meditate Without Moving to the Himalayas…my additional Jenius Meditation Tips: When you meditate with the Oprah and Deepak Chopra 21-day Meditation series’ ( I STRONGLY recommend starting with them..they are very good!! Oprah makes a great headliner for Deepak) The net free one starts VERY soon Monday July 13, 2015 you can sign up for FREE at the Chopra Center Meditation Website. 

Download Meditation to your itunes or music player.

FOLLOW these directions for ideal meditation. 🙂

When the recording starts(with Oprah) already be relaxed, either sitting comfortably or laying down(I lay down on the ground)

Start taking deep slow breaths, my favorite breath is the inhale through your nose for 6 seconds, hold breath for 2 seconds, exhale through your mouth for 7 seconds…(there are many breathing styles out there so if you don’t like this then do another one.)

Close your eyes, calmly resting eyes in your head as if they are looking out your “3rd eye” in the middle of your forehead, if it hurts your brain, be more gentle, no one wants a headache..but sometimes it takes a lot of times to not get one..you are literally working your pineal muscle..and it’s just like any other muscle and can hurt when you’re strengthening it. 

Once Oprah and Deepak have spoken and you’re on your own with the mantra repeat the mantra, when other thoughts come into your head don’t get frustrated, just repeat the mantra, the key to meditation is getting those thoughts out pleasantly..but it’s natural to have them.

At end of Meditation stretch and have a great day or night. The “experts” say it’s best to meditate in the morning, I like to meditate in the morning but I ALWAYS mediate at night right before bed, it puts me into a great sleep.

**extra Jenius Tip: If you have A LOT of thoughts while you’re meditating and you’re actually trying to not forget them..try writing out everything you have to do, everything you’re thinking in a journal or on a piece of paper BEFORE you start the meditation process so you can be more present and have less thoughts to fight off. 🙂 (repeated below in Journaling!)

 

Also there is a GLOBAL MEDITATION that Deepak Chopra is putting on Saturday July 11, 2015 9am PST that’s free for everyone to join.

Gratefulness: No matter what is going on there is a positive thing to be grateful about…literally in EVERY situation I have faced to date. The key is knowing that so you can focus on what to be grateful about in every situation. At first figuring out what that is can be difficult..Like in death or something really bad happening to you or something good happening to someone who you know is rotten…but trust! Everything happens for a reason and be grateful for that. The more you practice being grateful the more great things happen..it’s so true though…I personally also try to avoid the news, negative movies, things, conversations, etc that will put negative or ill-willing thoughts in my head. I mean why? What good does following, knowing about a shooting do for you or anyone? Does it scare you? Does it make you more cautious in your life? I mean like I said you can be grateful about anything…so I guess you can be grateful it didn’t happen to you..but why even seek out that type of entertainment? I don’t! To be super honest I went to one of the best Broadcast Journalism schools, The Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication and it was then that I realized I dislike the news! I was assigned to go to cover a shooting for our Cronkite News and as I was there the energy was so somber, I was nearly in tears feeling terrible for the dead victim, scared to even be in the area..and as I reported I was thinking my job is to scare people? They wanted to WOW the audience in anyway they could…personally I don’t think that the news people understand what they’re doing to their audience when they run scare stories but it really is terrible for our metaphysical selves and is the root of many illnesses in my opinion…Anyway that was the last time I did HARD NEWS..I was made fun of as being a “fluff reporter” and my grades went down because I refused to cover anything real…oh well, I knew for sure that I wasn’t going to be in the “real news” business anyway at that point so I graduated with cum laude instead of magma cum laude..no one cares and I got to be a happy being. 🙂 Sorry to go off on a tangent but it definitely leads me into journaling.

Being grateful can be as simple yet impactful as just feeling grateful about waking up, smiling because something made you smile, to journaling about things you’re grateful for..which is also fun because then you accomplish 2 things at once(my favorite thing..is to be efficient.) really 3..because when you list out what you’re grateful for on a daily basis..you’re being grateful, journaling, AND keep track of your life(I keep my grateful journal on a dated paper pen journal AND/OR en*theos which dates everything and spreads LOVE & HAPPINESS into the world. 🙂

Journaling: Just to start off with there are many ways to productively journal and everyone should do what makes them feel the best. I personally even mix up different journaling styles on a daily/weekly basis depending on what I feel or for what different projects/goals I’m going towards. What I love about journaling and why it has changed my life is that I have a record of EVERYTHING! It’s so nice to want to remember something and you can flip through a couple of pages and there it is! Exactly what you’re looking for and with a lot of details!! SO awesome. So everyday my journal is dated! I feel like not matter what style works for you it should be dated. So if I’m having a physical or mental issue I write that in my journal along with as many details as I can about my diet, people I’ve talked to, activities I’ve done, movement or lack of, vitamins, how much sleep I’ve been getting, along with bedtime, wakeup time, what time in my cycle it is..I mean anything and everything. I figure that way when I have the same issue/feeling in the future I can write out everything and see what things are similar so I can figure it out! I love figuring stuff out. I also journal about my goals, my companies, the steps I need to take to get something done, things I want to accomplish, daily tasks, notes while watching documentaries, pretty much anything and everything. I also journal when my mind is overthinking especially before bedtime or meditation so I can actually fall asleep or meditate..which to be honest has been necessary less and less as I’ve been figuring myself out more and meditating daily. But when I use it for this I write out EVERYTHING that I am thinking, people I need to call, shopping list, things I need to do, just random thoughts and then presto peace is had. It’s a beautiful thing.

 

Every Morning new page of life  IMG_2698

DANCING…if you do nothing else! Improved everything + it’s FUN!

 

The best form of working out that I’ve seen…..DANCING!!

https://youtu.be/Vg9gYEYqxcM

Dancing can be a way to stay fit for people of all ages, shapes and sizes.

It has a wide range of physical and mental benefits including:

Increases mental capacity by exercising our cognitive processes
Improved condition of your heart and lungs
Increased muscular strength, endurance and motor fitness
Increased aerobic fitness
Reduces stress and depression
Creates new neural paths
Improved muscle tone and strength
Weight management
Stronger bones and reduced risk of osteoporosis
Better coordination, agility and flexibility
Improved balance and spatial awareness
Increased physical confidence
Improved mental functioning
Improved general and psychological wellbeing
Greater self-confidence and self-esteem
Better social skills.

AND can even reduce the risk of dementia by 76% if frequently!! WHAT!?!
Other physical activities in comparison:
0% by Bicycling, swimming, playing golf
35% by reading
47% by doing crossword puzzles at least 4 days a week

#DanceYourSocksOff of ellentube

 

It’s all in your MIND. Lesson: E-Motion

Are you ready to free yourself from pain? For sadness? It’s all in your MIND!

Hay House Summit May 9-30 2015

This is the best documentary that I’ve seen on it. Really easy to understand, interesting, and doable!

https://www.hayhouseworldsummit.com/lessons/e-motion/

I wish I could post it here but this video is only available for a limited time and they want your email to even view. It’s a part of a 20 day summit that I haven’t had much time to check out but I’m sure it’s all good stuff!

They say the topics covered are relationships, self-empowerment, spirituality but really I don’t think they could figure it out because it’s so much life changing info….so don’t let those “topics” scare you away.

Lesson: E-Motion

Imagine a world where the trapped emotions, fears, anxieties, and unprocessed life experiences we hold in our bodies are the source of everything that ails us. That’s the world we live in. Now imagine a world where everyone is manifesting from their heart the perfect creation that’s inside each of us. Featuring E-Motion Experts such as Neale Donald Walsch, Sonia Choquette, Dr. Joe Dispenza, and Dr. Bradley Nelson, E-Motion invites you into a world where abundance, inner peace, longevity, and loving relationships abound, with experts from around the world sharing their wisdom and negative-emotion clearing techniques to light a new pathway for humanity.

Delicious, Healthy, AND Easy to Make “Superfood” Raw Cacao Brownies!

Are you ready to make the most delicious raw cacao brownies from scratch in only 10 minutes??

If no, please scroll down and read  the AMAZING HEALTH BENEFITS of ALL the ingredients in these Superfood no bake brownies.

If yes then bam here’s the recipe:

Raw Cacao Brownie (Jenius Style) Recipe: (10  minutes-TOTAL)

2 cups of organic walnuts (Because walnuts have a lot of pest issues and as such are saturated with pesticides and                                                       more chemicals than any other nut.  Their fat content allows them to absorb these                                                                 chemicals..so ORGANIC is very important when it comes to buying walnuts.)

1/2 cup of raw cacao power

**1/3 cup of maca***add in

pinch of  real salt

1 cup of de-pitted dates or date paste

(Yes only 4 ingredients unless you add maca and cinnamon..which are both new additions!) **Note you could add some cinnamon as well for some additional health benefits….what ever amount you want..the more you add the more it taste like gingerbread cookie.**

You will also need a food processor..and that’s it!

1. Put 2 cups of walnuts into food processor and grind until fine.

2. Add 1/2 cup of raw cacao powder (maca if adding) & pinch of salt into food processor….30 seconds or until blended. If not blending properly then use a spoon along the side to loosen. (while food processor is OFF of course.)

3. De-pit 1 cup of dates and slowly add them into the food processor..between each addition wait for food processor to “calm down.”

4. Once well mixed remove and shape as desired. I like to make small balls (the size of a whole date.)

5. Eat! Try not to eat all of them…SHARE!!

(6.) If you don’t eat them all, put them in a sealed container and put them in the refrigerator, then when wanting to eat again, remove from refrigerator and sealed container for 1-2 hours. FYI: They’ll never be as good as they were when first created but pretty close!

Health benefits of these easy to make, raw cacao brownies:

Walnuts

1. They’re packed with omega-3 fatty acids. A diet rich in omega-3s is beneficial in reducing depression, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), cancer and Alzheimer’s disease and there’s also strong evidence that omega-3s counter inflammatory diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis and Crohn’s disease.

2. They can reduce risk of diabetes Women who reported eating one ounce (30 g) of nuts at least five times per week reduced their risk of type 2 diabetes by almost 30 percent compared to those who rarely or never ate nuts, say researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health. The mono- and polyunsaturated fats in nuts are good for insulin sensitivity.

3. They contain antioxidants that boost heart health. A new study from the University of Scranton in Pennsylvania shows walnuts have higher quality antioxidants and a mix of more healthful antioxidants than any other nut.

4. They can help you deal with stress. A diet rich in walnuts and walnut oil may help the body deal better with stress. Research published last year in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition found that walnuts and walnut oil lowered both resting blood pressure and blood pressure responses to stress in the laboratory. The researchers said the study shows that a dietary change could help our bodies better respond to stress.

5. They can reduce the risk of breast cancer. Eating about 28 walnut halves a day provides antioxidants and phytosterols that may help reduce the risk of breast cancer, according to a study at the Marshall University School of Medicine in West Virginia. Mice were fed a daily diet with the human equivalent of two ounces (60 g) of walnuts. Compared to mice fed a control diet, the walnut eaters had significantly decreased breast tumor incidence and a slower rate of tumor growth.

Raw Cacao Powder

1. Raw chocolate can lower blood pressure & improve circulation. Flavanols, theobromine, and other components found in cacao may lower blood pressure and enhance circulation by promoting dilation, strength, and health of blood vessels

2. Raw chocolate can promote cardiovascular function & health. The antioxidant power of flavonoids and essential minerals and vitamins found in cacao can support healthy heart functioning5 by lowering blood pressure, improving blood flow, lowering LDL cholesterol, and reducing plaque buildup on artery walls.6

3. Raw chocolate Can Neutralize free radicals/ Shields nerve cells from damage. High levels of antioxidants protect the body from a buildup of free radicals from sun exposure, pollution, cigarette smoking, etc., which may damage healthy body tissue giving rise to cancer and cardiovascular disease. So basically cacao also reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease & stroke.

4. Raw Chocolate can improve digestion. A sufficient amount of fiber delivered with each serving of cacao supports digestion while cacao stimulates the body’s production of digestive enzymes.

5. Raw chocolate can enhance physical and mental well-being. There are many components of cacao including alkaloids, proteins, beta-carotene, leucine, linoleic, lipase, lysine, and theobromine, that all work together to improve physical and mental health.  For example, theombromine helps to stimulate the central nervous system, relax smooth muscles, and dilate blood vessels, giving the body a boost of energy;  “bliss” chemicals found in cacao help to increase circulation and availability of serotonin and other neurotransmitters in brain, improving mood and combating depression. Cacao can increase levels of certain neurotransmitters that promote a sense of well-being, which is the same brain chemical that is released when we experience deep feelings of love – phenylethylamine.

6. Lowers insulin resistance (great for diabetics)

7. Protects your nervous system: Cacao is high in resveratrol, a potent antioxidant also found in red wine, known for its ability to cross your blood-brain barrier to help protect your nervous system

8. Reduces your risk of cardiovascular disease: The antioxidants found in cacao help to maintain healthy levels of Nitric Oxide in the body. Although Nitric Oxide has heart benefiting qualities, such as relaxing blood vessels and reducing blood pressure, it also produces toxins. The antioxidants in cacao neutralizes these toxins, protecting your heart and preventing against disease.

9. Guards against toxins: as a potent antioxidant, cacao can repair the damage caused by free radicals and may reduce the risk of certain cancers. In fact cacao contains far more antioxidants per 100g than acai, goji berries and blueberries. Antioxidants are responsible for 10% of the weight of raw cacao.

10. It is rich in minerals: magnesium, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, copper and manganese.

 

Real Salt or himalayan sea salt or any health salt (but NOT table salt)

Real Salt® brand sea salt comes from an ancient sea bed in Central Utah, where for more than 30 years we’ve delivered completely natural sea salt — nothing added, nothing taken away. That means you get more than 60 trace minerals in a delicious, healthy salt that is never chemically treated, bleached, or kiln dried.

Dates

1. Promotes Digestive Health, Relieving Constipation – Fiber is essential for promoting colon health and making for regular bowel movements. The insoluble and soluble fiber found in dates help to clean out the gastrointestinal system, allowing the colon to work at greater levels of efficiency. Some other benefits relating to fiber and colon health are reduced risks of colitis, colon cancer, and hemorrhoids. (Dates could even be coupled with other home remedies for hemorrhoids.)

2. Boosting Heart Health – In addition to promoting colon health, fiber is also known to boost heart health.

3. Anti-Inflammatory – Dates are rich in magnesium – a mineral known for its anti-inflammatory benefits. One study found that “inflammatory indicators in the body such as CRP (C-reactive protein), TNF (tumor necrosis factor alpha), and IL6 (interleukin 6) were all reduced when magnesium intake was increased.” Further, inflammation in the arterial walls was also reduced with magnesium intake. Based on magnesium’s anti-inflammatory properties and the findings of this study, magnesium can effectively reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease, arthritis, Alzheimer’s disease, and other inflammation-related health ailments.

4. Reduced Blood Pressure – Magnesium has been shown to help lower blood pressure – and again, dates are full of the mineral. Additionally, potassium is another mineral in dates that has several functions within the body, aiding with the proper workings of the heart and helping to reduce blood pressure.

5. Reduced Stroke Risk – After evaluating 7 studies published over a 14 year time period, researchers found stroke risk was reduced by 9% for every every 100 milligrams of magnesium a person consumes per day. The research can be found in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

6. A Healthy Pregnancy and Delivery – Further adding to the health benefits of dates, one study performed by researchers at the University of Science and Technology set out to discover how the date fruit impacted labor parameters and delivery outcomes. After studying 69 women for a year and 1 month, the researchers found that “the consumption of date fruit in the last 4 weeks before labour significantly reduced the need for induction and augmentation of labor, and produced a more favorable, but non-significant, delivery outcome. The results warrant a randomized controlled trial.”

7. Boosting Brain Health – Some studies, such as one found in JAMA Internal Medicine, found that sufficient vitamin B6 levels are associated with improved brain performance and better test scores.

Basically these are the best thing ever and good for diabetics, pregnant women, and pretty much everyone! ENJOY!!

Love, US!

Ashley & Jenius

@ashleyiocco & @jeniuslife

@shopashleylove & @jeniushealth