Some of my biggest takeaways… -Adding resistant starches to our diets can lower blood sugar and increase insulin sensitivity without any other changes to diet. Resistant starches include green bananas, cassava, cannellini beans. -the herb Withania is really good for supporting thyroid issues, and good sleep, along with a bunch of other benefits. Withania is also called Ashwagandha. - if someone is struggling with anxiety, a good first step would be to add Omega 3 fatty acids and magnesium. Sometimes those things alone can improve the situation dramatically. Omega 3 is in things like flax seeds, walnuts, wild fish I learned sooo much more, but these are some of my biggest takeaways. Excited to be a certified Nutrition Coach, rather than a certified Nutrition Nerd, which I’ve been for decades! I’m currently listening to the Nutrition Coaching module, which goes deeper into building a business centered around nutrition. Thank you @Laurentine Tenbosch for creating such an amazing program!! If you’re reading this, I encourage you to create your own Wins! post, about something you’re proud of, so we can all celebrate you!

What is this thing? Doing something kind for someone else! Doing something kind for yourself can count too. Why not do both?! It can be a random act of kindness, helping out a neighbor, volunteering for a cause you love, or just reaching out to someone in your life and letting them know you're thinking about them. It’s good for your health, good for the world and other humans, and it can feel REALLY good! It boosts your oxytocin, as well as your serotonin, both are associated with feeling good. High oxytocin is also associated with appetite suppression, and supportive to your insulin and cortisol hormones. Watch the video below for inspiration, Read this article to learn more about the many benefits of kindness.

Not the fluffy kind. The intentional kind. Because here’s what the science tells us: When you consistently focus on what is working in your life, your brain begins to rewire itself to notice more of it. This is linked to something called the reticular activating system, (RAS), which filters what you see and pay attention to each day. Over time, this means: • You notice opportunities more easily • You feel less stuck in negative loops • Your baseline emotional state begins to shift It’s not about ignoring what’s hard. It’s about training your mind to stop overlooking what’s good. We keep it simple. A daily prompt. A moment to reflect. A small shift in focus. And those small shifts add up. Curious, do you practise gratitude consistently, or is it something you come back to when life feels heavy? Come join us in The Change Makers, and make this a daily practice.

Find the answer in the comments :)

We lost a duck today. A fox ran through the yard and got her. Even though I saw the fox and ran over, I was too late to be able to save her. I feel heartbroken. It feels important to honor her, even though I have other things I need to post. I can post those later. She’s the black and white duck in the pics below, and she always went everywhere with Drake, who’s the brown duck. Drake is devastated today. Maybe in shock. He was there when the fox got her. She is in the video below with the guineas, you can hear a little of her signature quack. Foxes don’t usually come around during the day, they tend to lurk when it’s dark out. Maybe this one was extra hungry, who knows. The tool I used to help me process this is called the Nurturing and Limits Cycle, from Dr. Laurel Mellin’s body of work. We use her tools during our Stress Eating Support Group. Wanted to share how I processed this situation with you because it’s a tool you can also use when you feel devastated or frustrated, for whatever reason. I’ll probably need to do it a few times, to get through the emotions, it’s so hard to lose an animal. These are the types of tools I use instead of turning to food to help comfort me, like I have in the past. I find emotional processing tools to be much more effective in moving through emotions and less harmful to my health and well being goals. Here’s how it goes… 1.)Connect with feelings in a specific order.. Anger- I feel angry that I wasn’t there to be able to save Maggie. I’m angry that the Fox came by during the day, I can’t stand it that Drake lost his good friend and companion. I hate that this terrible thing happened. Sadness- I’m so sad that we lost this wonderful duck, who has so much sass and so much personality. I’m sad that I wasn’t there in that moment to chase the fox away. I’m sad that she’s gone . Fear- I’m afraid that the fox will come back and try to take more ducks. I’m afraid that Drake is gonna have a hard time. Guilt- I feel guilty that I let the ducks out earlier than usual. I feel guilty that I wasn’t able to protect her