From
SIMPLY :: the wellness place
a community with heart and compassion to guide you on your wellness journey
we partner with Young Living, a company with heart and compassion
A quick welcome from us
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a how to for you!
We get it. The struggle at this time of life is real and can be frustrating and so hard.
We want to help you get a handle on it!
Here at SIMPLY :: the wellness place, we want to help you live with wellness and vitality — AND still enjoy wine, chocolate and french fries!
We want you to have the energy you want, for the things you want it for without sucking the joy out of it!
You don’t need sweeping changes, shift a bit here and there and be consistent and you will get to your goal without losing the fun of living.
And we’re right here with you to support you along the way — no judging, just the support and community you need and deserve to step into your best. Nobody’s perfect and our goal is to give ourselves the same gentle compassion that we give the people we love.
We know that we’re going to eat the dessert, miss the workout, or take a break once in a while. (Or sometimes a lot…) And we can own our choices, keep learning, and still move forward on our goals. Yes, you can have your cake and eat it too!
So now that you know about us and our philosophy, let’s demystify (peri)menopause and especially the dreaded belly fat.
Here are two things to keep in mind:
1. It’s really about inflammation:
Okay, maybe not ALL of it, but definitely a place where we can make a dent. We aren’t going to go into a deep dive around the physiology of (peri)menopause, you can google to find out more.
But we do want you to know that a big source of belly fat for women of a “certain age” is systemic inflammation.
While inflammation is a challenge for pretty much everyone, during (peri)menopause, it is a significant factor associated with many of our symptoms. Inflammation goes up as we start to lose estrogen and inflammation leads to fat accumulation in the belly, sleep issues, join discomfort, energy issues, brain fog and so much more!
Any of those symptoms sound familiar?
And, yes, there are other factors that effect our symptoms, but there is much we can do to improve our body’s inflammatory response – which is what we will discuss in this tool kit! Each of these tips will make a difference!
Plus, each of these tips is connected – it becomes a beautiful, supportive circle. We’ll share more in the intro to the tool kit.
2. It’s also about ENERGY & Vibrancy!
Look, you will probably lose weight – and quickly – with these tips, depending on what you are already doing, how much you choose to change, etc.
But you will definitely feel more energy — and we mean vital energy, natural energy, not hyped on sugar or caffeine, TRUE ENERGY.
Honestly, we hope that gets you even MORE excited than the weight loss. We didn’t realize just how low our energy was or how foggy our brain felt until we started feeling the shift.
We know society has you thinking you will be happier at a certain weight but we want to encourage you to dig deeper, and seek more energy and vibrancy! When you have more energy you will be more active, too, which will lead to weight loss.
Let’s Get into the Took Kit!
We have a lot of info packed into this tool kit. Take a deep breath, we’ll keep you focused! Be sure to grab the workbook below to help keep you organized. You do not want to do everything at once.
You are also going to realize each step is linked to others. As you learn to relax, you’ll sleep better. As you sleep better, you’ll have more energy for more exercise. As you exercise more, you’ll handle stress better and sleep better. The more well-rested you are with more energy, the easier it is to be mindful about what you eat. See where we are going?
Because they are all linked, you truly can begin anywhere and start to experience the benefits so choose where it’s easiest to you.
For each of our tips, we have 4 sections:
1. Intro: Learn a bit about the topic and why it’s important.
2. Resources: We have a few free resources to give you a place to begin.
3. Products to Support You: We share products from our brand partner, Young Living, that can help you with the tip.
4. Ideas to Begin: We give you a few tangible ideas for how to incorporate that step into your life.
Read through the whole tool kit and stay organized with the workbook.
At the end of the tool kit, we will walk you through creating a plan. We recommend you choose ONE or maybe two things to start – and add on more when you feel ready. Small steps are easier to sustain than giant leaps. (Remember the tortoise and the hare?)
Watch for the emails:
We wrote them specifically to support you in this process.
Be sure to grab the workbook.
We created it specifically to help you put a plan together and stay focused – with tracking sheets for you to stay, well, on track. 🙂 ) (If you found us via a FB ad or you already signed up to get to this blog post, you already have the workbook! Check the first email.)
Once you grab the workbook: you will also get a few emails with more suggestions and inspiration coming your way!
SIMPLY :: CLEAN
A 14-day life reset
Give Yourself a Jump start!
Join us for a powerful, 14-day life reset!
Let us help support you with these steps - we will do it together.
Join us for our next SIMPLY :: clean when we put all of these tips together and jump start this process.
Click for more info:
Get your groove on! Dive into activities that make your heart dance — any movement is good movement, so find things that you love to do — that makes it all work. Because moving today makes it easier to move tomorrow, and we want to be moving and staying active for the long haul.
Cherish what you’ve got — build on it! Flex those muscles, crank up the stamina, and bend it like Beckham!
Here’s the thing, our bodies change when we reach perimenopause. As estrogen dips, we lose muscle fiber and our metabolism slows.
All of this leads to the dreaded weight gain.
We need to MOVE – BUT please, please, please, find something you enjoy doing!
By this stage in life, we know that life is too short to be forcing yourself to do things you don’t enjoy. (And it’s just harder to do it long term — let yourself have fun now!)
Go for walks, do some yoga, swim, bike, dance, garden, play pickleball, hike in the woods — find what YOU enjoy and just do it!
Break up your day with quick, 5-15 min activities, walking the long way to the bathroom at work, taking stairs instead of the escalator, take a 5 min stretch break, take a walk around the block at lunch.
These quick bursts make a difference and they are easy to keep up – – because you’ll feel better and it’s easier to keep going when you actually enjoy something.
Plus, you’ll start to handle stress better, sleep better, crave more nourishing foods. It’s so good!
Aim to get your heart rate up just a little — so you can still maintain a conversation but can’t sing — is a good everyday target. (Think Zone 2 on a heart rate scale.)
Oh, and, yes, exercise is anti-inflammatory!
PS:: Don’t stop yourself from even starting. What? I’ll say it again: Don’t stop yourself from even starting. Sometimes we say we’ll start the new thing when we think the conditions will be perfect: when we… have more time, or the right clothes , or when we can _________ as good as we think we ‘should’ be able to.
Just say No to that line of thinking and start! Remember:: Movement is an inside job. How it feels to you and how it supports your wellness are the only relevant factors!
Resources for Tip #1: MOVE
Here are some free resources to help you get moving.
Here are some resources to help you get walking:
AHA Walking Plan: If you need more specific guidance or a program, this is a great one. It’s helpful if you don’t do any kind of structured movement at all.
YouTube playlist to listen to while walking: A whole playlist – find what will help you!
Walk at Home: Workouts based on walking – in case you need or want to do it at home.
Get an audio book – for free – from your library, downloaded directly to your phone.
Tap into your FAVORITE classic dance music and we dare you NOT to start moving. 🙂 These playlists can also be a great addition to
Are you an 80s girl? Here are a couple of play lists:
Are you a 70s girl? Here are your play lists:
Just google what you want or ask your Alexa or Pandora to play a certain type of music. Whatever gets your toe tapping!
Study Yoga with Laura
Look no further if you want Yoga to be part of your fitness routine! 🙂 Seriously, though, one of our co-founders, Laura has been a Yoga Teacher for over 30 years and was literally the Yoga Teacher for Yoga Teachers.
If you want to LEARN Yoga, check out her:
Complete Beginner Yoga Series
Young Living Products for Tip #1: move
Suggestions from our Brand Partner, Young Living. We recommend them from our personal experience. For this section, we chose our favorite products that will help you feel more energy so you will actually get up and move. We know just getting up off the coach is the first hurdle. (Believe us! We know!)
Ningxia Red
NingXia Red® is a delicious way to power your day! This exclusive antioxidant drink is clinically shown to increase physical energy levels, improve sleep patterns, and reduce daily stress. It’s packed with powerful antioxidants to help against oxidative stress, support normal cellular function, and promote healthy energy levels.*
Learn about the science behind our popular NingXia Red® superfruit supplement. Watch the video here.
How we use it: We have all been drinking our 2oz of Ningxia for over 10 years. In fact, 3 generations of our family drinks it! It is also the magic behind the SIMPLY :: clean you are going to hear about over and over when we jump start our body by drinking 12 oz a day. It’s amazing!
Ningxia Nitro
NingXia Nitro is a delicious wolfberry drink infused with essential oils, botanical extracts, D-ribose, Korean ginseng, and green tea extract to increase cognitive alertness, enhance mental fitness, and support overall performance. When you need a pick-me-up, turn to NingXia Nitro to improve your physical performance, increase your overall energy reserves, sharpen your mind, and become more focused.*
How we use it: Do not be frightened by the “nitro” in the name, this is not a Red Bull! You will feel a gentle uplift and tons of focus with no crash. This is also our secret sauce for lifting the brain fog!
Vitality Oils
YL Vitality Drops feature Lavender and Lemon essential oils and natural electrolytes for an extra hydration boost. YL Vitality Drops let you hydrate naturally without sugar or artificial colors with the delicious flavor of Lavender Lemonade that takes your water or favorite beverage to the next level. With Lavender Vitality™ and Lemon Vitality essential oils, YL Vitality Drops will keep you hydrated and feeling great.
How we use it: Anything that helps us drink more water – it’s all good! YL also has a line of drops with caffeine – handy on those days when you need an extra boost.
More info about ordering: Click here.
Ideas for your next step on Tip #1: MOVE
We already shared a bevy of ideas so pick one! And use your workbook to keep track of it.
Here they are again:
Go for walks, do some yoga, swim, bike, dance, garden, play pickleball, hike in the woods — find what YOU enjoy and just do it!
Break up your day with quick, 5-15 min activities, walking the long way to the bathroom at work, taking stairs instead of the escalator, take a 5 min stretch break, take a walk around the block at lunch.
Pro Tip: New habits are easier to maintain when we tie them to something we already do.
- Stretch before washing up for the day.
- Dance to a favorite song to wind down after work.
- Take a walk around the block after dinner — you get the idea!
TAKE OUT YOUR WORKBOOK:
Take a moment to pull the workbook out and think of up to 3 activities you could begin to help you get more movement in. You won’t do all of them … yet, since you only want to focus on changing 1-3 things total at a time, BUT it’s good to choose what you are thinking right now while it’s fresh in your mind.
Did you grab the workbook yet? Click here to get it:
When our estrogen production starts slacking, our precious muscle fiber starts to diminish, taking our metabolism down with it. If you want to keep that metabolism revved up, it’s time to pump some iron and build those muscles, ’cause guess what? Muscles don’t just sit there looking pretty, they’re like little furnaces, burning through that energy like nobody’s business!
And not just doing bicep curls with those pink 2 lb dumbbells (you know the ones we’re talking about!)
You need to push yourself and build REAL muscles.
And not Arnold Schwarzenegger style, you don’t have to see the bulk, but you do need to feel them under your skin.
Strength training is super important — here’s why:
- Strength training builds muscle (read: you get stronger!)
- More muscle mass increases your metabolism (read: you burn more calories)
- Stronger muscles lead to stronger bones (read: fewer breaks)
- You can use dumbbells, machines, resistance or your own body weight! (read: you can do it at home!)
And, the exercise will help you feel more energy, handle stress better, crave more nourishing foods, sleep better. Did we mention there is a connection between all of these steps?
Most experts say to do strength training 2-3 times a week but you can do it more often as long as you give the specific muscles set you worked a good 48 hours rest between workouts.
Resources for Tip #2: strengthen
We know weight training can feel daunting if you’ve never done it. Take a deep breath and know you truly have done harder things – you just need to get started. These sites are some of our fave for starting to build strength. Ready set go!
Denae’s Fave Fitness YouTube Channel & Website: Fitness Blender
A huge variety of workouts from gentle to vigorous and meditations, stretches, menu ideas and more. This app also has programs and challenges – some are even part of the free version. The Pro has more available and it’s very reasonably priced.
Young Living Products for Tip #2: strengthen
Suggestions from our Brand Partner, Young Living. We recommend them from our personal experience. We chose products that will help you recover faster from your workout – as in half the recovery rate – and will help soothe those sore muscles!
Aminowise
AminoWise™ was developed and formulated to optimize post-workout product within the Nutritional Product Line. It is more than just an amino acid supplement. It is triple-targeted with branched chain amino acids for muscle building and repair, polyphenol and antioxidants for recovery, and a hydrating mineral blend to replace important minerals that are lost during exercise.
How we use it: We add a scoop into our water bottle for our workout and find our post-workout discomfort lasts half as long. it’s also great for recovery from gardening aches and shoveling and cleaning the carpets…Heard in Denae’s house, “Was it an Aminowise day today…?”
Deep Relief
Deep Relief™ Roll-On is one of Young Living’s most popular blends. It features penetrating essentials oils, including Peppermint, Wintergreen, and Copaiba, and is your perfect companion to soothe fatigued muscles after physical activity.
How we use it: This roller was Natalie’s huge “aha” moment – when she realized how amazing the oils are. Rolled on her lower back after a 17 hour car ride. So good!
Cool Azul Pain Cream
Cool Azul Pain Cream: Cool Azul® Pain-Relief Cream offers fast-acting relief from minor muscle and joint aches with the aromatic combination of Wintergreen premium essential oil and Young Living’s exclusive Cool Azul premium essential oil blend.
Cool Azul Sports Gel: Cool Azul® Sports Gel is a non-sticky, aloe-based formula that helps cool and soothe tired muscles when combined with massage after physical activity.
How we use it: The Pain Cream was a game changer for all of us. Penetrating, it makes a huge difference! The gel spreads more easily so is great for a large swath of body that needs to be covered. 🙂
CBD Muscle Rub
CBD Muscle Rub combines CBD, menthol, and a selection of Young Living premium essential oils such as Camphor, Clove, Lemon, Peppermint, Tea Tree, Wintergreen, and more. The result is a powerful balm that offers a cooling sensation you’ll love. Whether you’re relaxing after a workout or settling down after a long day, you’ll love the way CBD Muscle Rub cools your tired muscles after exercising or physical activity.
How we use it: Laura & Denae’s parents call this the “tub of black gold”. It feels gentler than Cool Azul Pain Cream which feels hot. From Laura: I usually alternate between the two and sometimes combine: CBD Muscle Rub with Cool Azul Pain Cream over.
More info about ordering: Click here.
Ideas for your next step on Tip #2: Strengthen
Just in case this one is a bit tricky for you, which it can be if strength training is new for you.
Here are a few questions to help you:
- Do you prefer to workout at home or at a gym?: If you are new to working out, a gym with some guidance can help. There is usually a circuit of machines that make getting a well-rounded workout so much easier. But if you prefer to be home, no worries! The resources we shared above will be a great starting place.
- Do you prefer a regular routine, or do you like to switch it up?: The benefit of a routine is it’s easier to see your improvement. “I did 5 of these last week and 7 this week.” BUT if you are easily bored, switch it up.
- Free weights, machines or body weight?: Are you a dumbbell gal or machines or sit ups and pushups? Choose one to start. If you prefer machines, you will probably need to find a gym you can go to. (Unless you have space in your house for one.)
- What time of day will work best for you?: When is a good time to work out for you? That can help you decide how and where you are going to workout. If you prefer morning, but don’t want to get up early enough to go to the gym, you know you’ll be working out at home.
- If you are new to strength training: Start slowly and give the muscle set you worked a full 48 hours to recuperate.
Pro Tip: If strength training is new to you or you haven’t done it in a long time, that’s a GOOD thing. You will find you get stronger really fast in the beginning which feels so satisfying!
TAKE OUT YOUR WORKBOOK:
Take a moment to pull the workbook out and think of up to 3 ways to start to build strength. You may not start them yet, since you only want to focus on changing 1-3 things total at a time, BUT it’s good to choose what you are thinking right now while it’s fresh in your mind.
Did you grab the workbook yet? Click here to get it:
Treat good sleep like it matters, because it does.
Beauty sleep is no myth—it’s science.
It’s normal to wake up feeling well-rested and rejuvenated. (If this is news to you, or feels unattainable, read on for things that will help!)
If you struggle with falling asleep, staying asleep or you wake up exhausted, there is something that needs fixing. Even if the sleep issues are years-long — it’s still possible to sleep better!*
Perimenopause + menopause mess with our sleep.
A lot.
It’s mostly because we are more sensitive to stress (specifically cortisol) and that can affect all of the sleep issues we mentioned above.
The quality of sleep can be more important than the quantity. (Except in extreme cases – you still need a minimum number of hours!) But it’s in our deep sleep that our bodies are able to rejuvenate. Even if you are sleep through the night, if you wake up feeling groggy and exhausted, chances are you aren’t getting enough deeper sleep.
Add to all of that: great sleep reduces inflammation and interrupted sleep increases inflammation.
It’s that pesky inflammation again!
BUT we can help ourselves — at least a little — with great sleep hygiene by giving yourself time to unwind before bed.
Just so you know, it can take time to figure out what will help you – and even when you find the right mix, it can take awhile for it to help, so be patient and KEEP GOING.
Getting better sleep – dare we say it maybe even GREAT sleep – is a game changer for so many things: more energy, better focus, more resiliency to stress. So. Many. Things.
*If you haven’t been able to sleep well for a very long time, you may want to seek medical help. Medical conditions can also disrupt sleep.
Resources for Tip #3: Sleep
We have some fantastic resources for you. Let’s get you sleeping!
BEDTIME ROUTINE FROM SIMPLY :: CLEAN
Here is a quick training we created for SIMPLY :: clean, the 14-day life reset on creating a better sleep routine.
Grab the worksheet and get planning!
Intro to Better Sleep
Designing Your Bedtime Routine
Bedtime Yoga; Done in bed, with pjs.
Laura started this class when Covid hit and we’ve continued it because it is truly a fan favorite.
Yeah, it’s pretty awesome! 🙂
Deeper Sleep Playlist from YouTube: One of Laura’s favorite tools when sleep is a challenge is finding a YouTube video with music formulated for deeper sleep. She wears airpods so she doesn’t disturb her husband and it helps her relax back into sleep.
Here is a play list for you to choose from.
Young Living Products for tip #3: sleep
Suggestions from our Brand Partner, Young Living. We recommend them from our personal experience. Over the counter sleep meds can be problemmatic, ultimately leading to a dependency – your body can actually lose the ability to fall asleep without them. These products form YL help your body reset so it can remember how to fall asleep by itself.
Sleep Essence
SleepEssence combines Lavender, Vetiver, Valerian, and Ruta essential oils with the hormone melatonin—a well-known sleep aid—for a natural way to enable a full night’s rest.*
How we use it: SleepEssence isn’t meant to be used long-term. It helps reset the body so you will then be able to fall asleep yourself. Laura and Natalie have the biggest sleep issues so when they are struggling, they will commit to using SleepEssence for 7-14 days in a row (depending on how much help they need) to get their cycle back on track.
Immupro
ImmuPro™ herbal supplement is a delicious, wolfberry-flavored chewable tablet that gives your body the extra immune system support it needs, day or night, and includes melatonin to encourage restful sleep.* This fruit and mushroom powder blend with pure Orange essential oil is sure to become your favorite part of your wellness regimen.
How we use it: We turn to this one when we are feeling rundown to get into deeper sleep for our immune system to do what it needs to do. It’a also great for travel – when you are exposed to new germs and it’s often harder to sleep those first few nights in a new place.
Ruta Vala
Formulated by Young Living Founder D. Gary Young, RutaVaLa combines three essential oils that are great for helping you create a sense of calm in your life. With its earthy, grounding aroma, RutaVaLa can create a peaceful environment. This blend has a reputation for its “interesting” aroma. It may not be your favorite scent, yet how you feel when experiencing it is worth it!
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Lavender: Has a peaceful aroma
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Valerian: Has a calming, grounding aroma
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Rue (Ruta): Has calming properties and is also known as rue or herb of grace
How we use it: This is a GREAT sleep blend. We find it especially helpful when we wake up in the middle of the night and can’t get back to school.
More info about ordering: Click here.
Ideas for your next step for tip #3: sleep
Follow the above video to create a bedtime routine that helps you relax so you can sleep better.
If you aren’t in the mood to watch that video – 🙂 – here are a few starting ideas to consider:
- Find out how many hours you actually need: If you don’t know, let youself sleep in for a few days in a row. Once you actually feel well-rested, see how many hours you need.
- At the same time, find your “right hours”: Is there a time you need to get to sleep by and wake up to feel your best? Laura finds if she is asleep by 10 and up by 6:30 with an alarm, if necessary, she does so much better than if she sleeps in until 8. At 6:30 she wakes up at a better place in her sleep cycle. At 8 she feels groggy.
- Go to sleep before your second wind hits: Somewhere between 10 and 10:30pm our melatonin peaks, the hormone that helps us sleep. If we push past that time, our body releases adrenaline to keep us going. Adrenalin is a stimulating hormone that can keep us from falling asleep later. Once the second wind comes, it can be really hard to wind down. But here’s the thing. Ayurveda teaches that from 10pm-2am, our energy is for repair and rejuvenation. But if we get a second wind, and stay active, we’re actually robbing our body of that healing opportunity. Test it for yourself and see how you feel.
- Get off technology 60-90 min before bed: Or, at the very least, wear blue light protective glasses (super cheap on Amazon) so your brain isn’t as stimulated by the screen.
- Give yourself some time to truly relax before going to sleep: Take a bath, read a book, Peace and Calming in the diffuser, do some Yoga stretches. Better yet, do some Yoga in the bath! See the next tip for some relaxation ideas.
TAKE OUT YOUR WORKBOOK:
Take a moment to pull the workbook out and think of up to 3 ways you can improve the quality of your sleep. You may not start them yet, since you only want to focus on changing 1-3 things total at a time, BUT it’s good to choose what you are thinking right now while it’s fresh in your mind.
Did you grab the workbook yet? Click here to get it:
Alright, listen up folks, because clearly, we all need a crash course on how to really chill out.
And let us tell you, what you think is relaxation? Yeah, it’s probably not hitting the mark.
Fun fact: stopping work, zoning out, watching tv, grabbing a glass of wine… are NOT the things we mean when we talk about relaxing. We’re talking about your BODY being able to relax and rejuvenate.
For this, you need to turn on your Parasympathetic Nervous System. This is the opposite of your Fight or Flight system that you’ve heard about. Fight or Flight springs you into action, but your Parasympathetic Nervous System is the Rest + Digest (Rest + Rejuvenate) system in your body. Turning it on helps your body know it’s safe and can relax and rejuvenate.
Frustratingly, the vegging in front of the tv or drinking wine can actually prevent your body from truly relaxing and may increase your physical stress. (We know, it’s a bummer!) We aren’t saying don’t do it, we are saying be aware of it so you are also making time to truly relax.
And, you saw this coming, right? Stress is a source of inflammation for the body, especially prolonged stress – which many of us are experiencing and don’t even know it.
Unless you are regularly practicing true relaxation, there is a good chance your body is running at a higher than healthy stress level even if you feel relaxed.
Think of it this way: Think about our experience of relaxation vs stress as a scale from 1-10 with 1 being totally relaxed and 10 being stressed. If your baseline is usually a 5 and you go through a stressful deadline at work for a few days so your baseline goes to 9.5. When you go down to 8, you will feel relaxed because relative to 9.5, you are.
You may still be super sleepy and fall asleep easily due to exhaustion, BUT you aren’t relaxed. So you don’t get rejuvenated sleep, you crave stimulating foods like sugar and caffeine, you have low energy levels.
We all need to have regular relaxation woven into our days – and it doesn’t have to take long.
Resources for Tip #4: Relax
Let’s help you unwind. We have a quick intro to this parasympathetic system and a few ideas to help your body truly relax.
Here is a quick video that is part of our SIMPLY :: clean educational package by Laura on why and how to relax. It’s a five cent tour on why relaxation is so important!
4-7-8 Breath: An incredible breath. Just 4 rounds and you will start to relax. It can be done anytime, anywhere, and no one around you will know.
Feet Up the Wall: One of Laura’s favorite Yoga poses – and it helps you relax quickly. In this video, Laura shares with you a bevy of variations to make it more interesting.
Vagus Nerve Toning: The Vagus Nerve stimulates the Relaxation Response in the body and it’s so easy to do! When Laura started doing it a couple of times a day, her morning neck tension went away.
Young Living Products for Tip #4: Relax
Suggestions from our Brand Partner, Young Living. We recommend them from our personal experience. These products have helped our bodies truly relax.
Cortistop
CortiStop is designed to address the way women’s bodies react to the cortisol produced when under stress. When cortisol is produced too frequently, it can have negative health consequences such as feelings of fatigue, difficulty maintaining healthy weight, and difficulty maintaining optimal health of cardiovascular systems. CortiStop helps the body maintain its natural balance and harmony and supports the glandular systems of women with a combination of pregnenolone, herbs, and essential oils.*
How we use it: Laura uses Cortistop every few months to deepen the release because she can get caught up in a stress cycle.
Unwind
KidScents Unwind is specially formulated to help children settle down and reduce restlessness even when energy is high – and adults love it, too! It uses calming ingredients—including L-theanine, 5-HTP, and magnesium—to promote a restful, relaxed state; help with occasional sleeplessness; and even reduce occasional irritability and stress.*
How we use it: We all love this one. It’s easily packed in a purse or bag and takes the edge off when you need it.
Stress Away
Stress Away™ essential oil blend features Copaiba, Lime, Cedarwood, Vanilla, Ocotea, and Lavender for an exotic aroma used for exactly what the name says and for achieving a happy and positive day.
How we use it: This oil blend is Laura’s favorite oil! It’s so calming. She carries it with her in her purse and she has one at her desk. Diffuse it or take a drop in your hands to breathe it in. Ahhh…
More info about ordering: Click here.
Ideas for your next step for tip #4: Relax
It’s time to relax!
- Commit to truly relaxing at least once a day. Choose a time of day that would be easy for you: Right away in the morning, after lunch, before bed.
- Choose one of the relaxation exercises listed in the Resources to play with.
- Here are a few more ideas:
- Hot bath (made even better with soft lighting, homemade bath salts w/Stress Away or Peace and Calming oils)
- Yoga
- Centering/Visualization
- Meditation/Mindfulness
TAKE OUT YOUR WORKBOOK:
Take a moment to pull the workbook out and think of up to 3 ways you can help yourself relax. You may not start them yet, since you only want to focus on changing 1-3 things total at a time, BUT it’s good to choose what you are thinking right now while it’s fresh in your mind.
Did you grab the workbook yet? Click here to get it:
Hey there, foodies! Let’s get real for a sec: what you chow down on seriously counts.
So, ditch the junk and get cozy with whole foods.
Oh, and keep those inflammatory culprits on a tight leash. Your body will thank you later.
Nourish with Whole Foods.
Add in anti-inflammatory foods.
Drink NingXia Red.
Let’s not complicate this one. “Diet” has become such a negative term in our society. But truly, who can live with strict restrictions? And calorie restrictions are counter-productive, especially at our stage in life. Our bodies need calories and will adjust by storing more fat if we don’t give it the calories it needs. (We know! Such crucial info!)
Let’s look at each of our 3 suggestions individually:
NOURISH WITH WHOLE FOODS:
So what do we mean by “whole foods?” We mean foods that are whole or intact — still in their natural state or pretty darn close. Think of it this way — it contains one ingredient: broccoli, chicken, strawberries.
When we eat whole foods, we get the whole deal — enzymes, nutrients, fiber, phytonutrients. Think: Could my great-great-grandparents have eaten this?
Much of what we find in the grocery store would have been unrecognizable as food to our great-great-grandparents. Look to the edges of the grocery store — produce, fish, meat — that’s where you find things in their natural state. Much of what’s in the inner aisles are the processed foods. And processed foods increase inflammation in the body.
ADD IN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY FOODS:
Let’s talk a bit more about foods and inflammation. Whole foods are great AND there are also certain whole foods that support the anti-inflammtory process in the body.
If you want a list, you can grab this one we put together for SIMPLY :: clean.
Work on adding a new one in each week and start to make the new food more of a habit.
Also, cut back the foods that cause inflammation. It’s not a never thing, especially if you enjoy it, but less.
Foods that cause inflammation:
- Red meat: steak and hamburgers
- Processed meat: bologna, bacon, sausage and lunchmeat
- Bread and pasta made with white flour
- Deep fried items: French fries, fried chicken and donuts
- Foods high in added sugar: candy, jelly and syrup
- Commercial baked goods: snack cakes, pies, cookies and brownies
- Sugar-sweetened beverages: soda, bottled or canned tea drinks, and sports drinks
- Trans fats: found in margarine, microwave popcorn, refrigerated biscuits and dough, and nondairy coffee creamers
DRINK NINGXIA RED
NingXia Red is the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory drink from our brand partner, Young Living. All three of us have loved Ningxia Red for over a decade, noticing how it gave us energy and focus.
Ningxia Red was clinically studied a few years ago and they learned Ningxia Red:
- supports a healthy inflammation inflammation response
- significantly reducess daily stress by 23% and improve mental wellbeing
- supports/promotes healthy respiratory function
- significantly increases physical energy levels by 35% and reduces physical limitations by 36%
- improves sleep patterns and increases time asleep by an average of 21 minutes following 60 days of continued use
[You can read about the study here.]
Antioxidants neutralize the free radicals in the body, helping us to mitigate the oxidative stress and decrease chronic inflammation. This supports our wellness, vitality, respiration, cardiovascular system and so much more! [Food for thought: According to NIH, Worldwide, 3 of 5 people die due to chronic inflammatory diseases like stroke, chronic respiratory diseases, heart disorders, cancer, obesity, and diabetes.]
In our 14-day Life Reset, SIMPLY :: clean, we jump start our bodies by drinking a lot of Ningxia Red – Laura lost 5 pounds the first time she drank so much Ningxia!
Resources for tip #5: Nourish
What are Whole Foods? If you still aren’t sure, you can learn more here.
And here’s a great list of: Foods that fight inflammation – Harvard Health
Want moreinfo? Here are a few prompts to help you learn more. Google:
- Effects of chronic inflammation
- Anti-inflammatory foods or lifestyle
- Dangers of modern hybridized wheat (or dairy, or red meat)
Young Living Products for tip #5: nourish
Suggestions from our Brand Partner, Young Living. We recommend them from our personal experience. We’ve already talked about Ningxia Red. We also recommend a really good multi-vitamin, one that your body can really use (it’s bioavailable).
Ningxia Red
NingXia Red® is a delicious way to power your day! This exclusive antioxidant drink is clinically shown to increase physical energy levels, improve sleep patterns, and reduce daily stress. It’s packed with powerful antioxidants to help against oxidative stress, support normal cellular function, and promote healthy energy levels.*
Learn about the science behind our popular NingXia Red® superfruit supplement. Watch the video here.
How we use it: We have all been drinking our 2oz of Ningxia for over 10 years. In fact, 3 generations of our family drinks it! It is also the magic behind the SIMPLY :: clean you are going to hear about over and over when we jump start our body by drinking 12 oz a day. It’s amazing!
Master Formula
We all need supplements – we just can’t get all we need from food. Master Formula is our favorite one. It’s a full-spectrum supplement that provides vitamins and minerals that can help support bone density and health, brain function, cellular protection, digestive health, energy levels, eye health, heart health, immune support, and skin health.
Master Formula’s food-based ingredients are delivered in three ways for a synergistic complex that supports digestive health, helps neutralize free radicals in the body, and provides gut flora-supporting prebiotics.*
How we use it: Laura LOVES this supplement It’s the first multi-vitamin she has ever taken in which she actually felt a shift in her energy.
More info about ordering: Click here.
Ideas for your next step for tip #5: nourish
Go slowly… changing our diet quickly is hard to sustain, but making small changes is easier to turn into habits and then you can change more.
- Start drinking Ningxia Red. Just 2oz a day can make a difference: It has anti-inflammatory benefits.
- Reduce some of the sources of inflammation: alcohol, processed sugar, white flour, red meat, precessed meat, etc. You don’t need to cut it out, just cut out some of it.
- Add in anti-inflammatory sources with intention a few times a week. Maybe a snack. Laura chooses one a week to buy and learn to incorporate it into her diet.
TAKE OUT YOUR WORKBOOK:
Take a moment to pull the workbook out and think of up to 3 ways you can begin to shift our diet. You may not start them yet, since you only want to focus on changing 1-3 things total at a time, BUT it’s good to choose what you are thinking right now while it’s fresh in your mind.
Did you grab the workbook yet? Click here to get it:
Yep, it’s a lot of info…and wouldn’t it be GREAT if we could tell you exactly what you should do?
BUT everyone is unique and we want you to succeed so…
… we’ve got you!
Let’s Put your plan together!
Let’s find what will work for YOU.
Put your plan together.
You need to find what works for YOU. Since each of these tips really do overlap as we mentioned in the intro:
– the more you move, the better you will sleep and the less stress you will experience.
– the better you eat, the more resilient your body will be to stress, the more energy you will have to naturally move more, the better you will sleep.
– the more you relax, the more energy you will have and you will move more.
See what we mean? So that means you can start anywhere so pick what is the easiest thing for you to begin.
Step 1:
Pull out your workbook and turn to the second to last page.
Go through your notes and summarize all of the steps you see yourself doing.
Step 2:
Pick up to 3 to start with. Make it easy. If you are choosing something that might take more time and energy, then just choose that one and no more.
Step 3:
Get specific on what you are doing and when you are doing it.
WHAT: If you are walking, where are you walking? Are you following the walking plan we gave you? If you are cutting back some anit-inflammatory foods, what are you cutting back on? Instead of wine every night, you are drinking it on Friday and Saturday. Instead of white bread on your lunch sandwich, you are having whole wheat bread. You are going to do feet up the wall every night before bed.
WHEN: Along the same lines, be very specific about when they are happining. Where do they fit into your day?
Step 4:
Choose your next steps – and when you want to tackle them. We provided a page in your workbook for writing down when you will take the next step. Wait until the first steps are habitual enough they don’t take much energy to complete.
SIMPLY :: CLEAN
A 14-day life reset
Give Yourself a Jump start!
Join us for a powerful, 14-day life reset!
Let us help support you with these steps - we will do it together.
Join us for our next SIMPLY :: clean when we put all of these tips together and jump start this process.
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