10 Ways To Stay Mentally Healthy

Enjoying mental health means having a sense of well-being, being able to function during everyday life and feeling confident to rise to a challenge when the opportunity arises. Just like your physical health, there are actions you can take to increase your mental health.

BOOST YOUR WELL-BEING AND STAY MENTALLY HEALTHY BY FOLLOWING A FEW SIMPLE STEPS.

1. Connect with others. Develop and maintain strong relationships with people around you who will support and enrich your life. The quality of our personal relationships has a great effect on our well-being. Putting time and effort intobuilding strong relationships can bring great rewards.

2. Take time to enjoy. Set aside time for activities, hobbies and projects you enjoy. Let yourself be spontaneous and creative when the urge takes you. Do a crossword; take a walk in your local park; read a book; sew a quilt; draw pictures with your kids; play with your pets – whatever tickles your fancy.

3. Participate and share interests. Join a club or group of people who share your interests. Being part of a group of people with a common interest provides a sense of belonging and is good for your mental health. Join a sports club; a band; an evening walking group; a dance class; a theater or choir group; a book or car club.

4. Contribute to your community. Volunteer your time for a cause or issue that you care about. Help out a neighbor, work in a garden or do something nice for a friend. There are many great ways to contribute that can help you feel good about yourself and your place in the world. An effort to improve the lives of others is sure to improve your life too.

5. Take care of yourself. Be active and eat well – these help maintain a healthy body. Physical and mental health are closely linked; it’s easier to feel good about life if your body feels good. You don’t have to go to the gym to exercise – home workouts, gardening, vacuuming, and dancing all count. Combine physical activity with a balanced diet to nourish your body and mind and keep you feeling good, inside and out.

6. Challenge yourself. Learn a new skill or take on a challenge to meet a goal. You could take on something different at work; commit to a fitness goal or learn to cook a new recipe. Learning improves your mental fitness, while striving to meet your own goals builds skills and confidence and gives you a sense of progress and achievement.

7. Deal with stress. Be aware of what triggers your stress and how you react. You may be able to avoid some of the triggers and learn to prepare for or manage others. Stress is a part of life and affects people in different ways. It only becomes a problem when it makes you feel uncomfortable or distressed. A balanced lifestyle can help you manage stress better. If you have trouble winding down, you may find that relaxation breathing, yoga or meditation can help.

8. Rest and refresh. Get plenty of sleep. Go to bed at a regular time each day and practice good habits to get better sleep. Sleep restores both your mind and body. However, feelings of fatigue can still set in if you feel constantly rushed and overwhelmed when you are awake. Allow yourself some unfocussed time each day to refresh; for example, let your mind wander, daydream or simply watch the clouds go by for a while. It’s OK to add ‘do nothing’ to your to-do list!

9. Notice the here and now. Take a moment to notice each of your senses each day. Simply ‘be’ in the moment – feel the sun and wind on your face and notice the air you are breathing. It’s easy to be caught up thinking about the past or planning for the future instead of experiencing the present. Practicing mindfulness, by focusing your attention on being in the moment, is a good way to do this. Making a conscious effort to be aware of your inner and outer world is important for your mental health.

10. Ask for help. This can be as simple as asking a friend to babysit while you have some time out or speaking to your doctor (GP) about where to find a counselor or community mental health service. The perfect, worry-free life does not exist. Everyone’s life journey has bumpy bits and the people around you can help. If you don’t get the help you need first off, keep asking until you do.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR HEALTH COACHING PROGRAMS HERE

Read More

Sweet Potato Pie

You may not know this about me, but I LOVE to cook...I've had a passion for healthy cooking eer since I started to realize that many of the foods I was eating didn't make me feel good, and ever since I've been a kitchen queen, modifying recipes to fall into my dietary habits.

NOW I BRING TO YOU A THANKSGIVING SWEET POTATO PIE.

This recipe was born due to the imminent haoliday gathering to which I needed to bring a dish, and a free 50 pound box of sweet potatoes I was given by our local pork farmer (pork rancher? I'm not really sure about that one...) and my new found ability to eat duck eggs.

I haven't been able to eat chicken eggs for years (think serious bloating to the point of uncomfortableness and gas that even my husband can't handle) even in baked goods, which typically puts a serious damper on pie making and all baking in general.

When you're trying to bake Gluten Free, Dairy Free, Soy Free, and Egg Free, most of the time it just doens't turn out. Add on top of this my aversion to added sugars and the last time I had a truly good baked product was so long ago I don't even know when.

I'd seen recipes for sweet potato pie before, but had never actually had one myself. Most of the time sweet potatoes at Thanksgiving involve marshmallows, which I think are disgusting, so I usually avoid them. I like my sweet potatoes roasted with a little salt, olive oil, and cayenne pepper...but that's another recipe.

So when I was asked to bring a dish to my aunt's house my first thought went to Sweet Potato Pie.

Unlike pumpkins, sweet potatoes are naturally sweet, so I probably wasn't going to need to add much sweetner (if any) to achieve a dessert. My afore mentioned dislike for sugar (thanks in part to a sugar detox I did several years ago) has led me to create desserts that other's have politely called "food". In otherwords, they don't taste sweet to people who's sensitivity to sugar hasn't been reset to normal, and instead simply taste like whatever food they were made from. My attempt at pumpkin pie last year was re-named Pumkpin Casserole.

"But this year will be different!" I told myself. Thus the following dessert was born.

IT IS PALEO FRIENDLY, GLUTEN FREE, DAIRY FREE, SOY FREE, AND SUGAR FREE.

SWEET POTATO PIE

FILLING INGREDIENTS:

~ 2 Sweet potatoes (about 1.5 lbs)
~ 6oz full-fat Canned Coconut Milk
~ 3 duck eggs (if you can eat chicken eggs they work just fine too!)
~ 1 tsp. Vanilla extract
~ 1 tbsp. Ginger Powder
~ 1 tbsp. Cinnamon Powder
~ pinch Himalayan or Sea Salt
~ Vanilla Stevia to taste (I used 15 drops of the NuNaturals Vanilla Stevia, which is the best tasting one I've found...stevia can add a funny taste if it's not a good one, or if you use too much, so go slow with this)

~ Note on the spices: I like my pie spiced. I started with 1 tsp. each of the cinnamon and ginger but couldn't taste them after mixing the filling, so I ended up adding 2 more tsp. of each for a total of 1 tbsp., but if you don't like as much spice as me, feel free to start smaller and work your way up. 

CRUST INGREDIENTS:

~ 1 cup Pecans
~ 1 cup Almonds
~ 1/2 cup coconut (or oat) flour
~ 5 Medjool dates, soaked in hot water till soft (save the soaking water!!)
~ 4 tbsp. Coconut Oil
~ 1 tsp. Cinnamon Powder
~ 1 tsp. Ginger Powder
~ pinch Pink Himalayan or Sea Salt 
~ water as needed 

DIRECTIONS:

~ Pre-heat your over to 350
~ Wash your sweet potatoes, place them on a baking sheet, and poke holes in them all over with a fork 
~ Bake them in the over for 45-55 minutes, or until tender all the way through

~ Once your potatoes are done, cut them up in to big chuncks so they cool faster. Meanwhile make the crust.

~ Place the crust ingredients into a food processor and blend until smooth. Add water only as needed to achieve a smooth consistency, but not so much that your crust gets soggy, you want it to be easy to work with to mold into your pie pan. I used the soaking water from my dates for this part.
~ Once your crust is mixed well, press it into your 9 inch pie pan spreading evenly
~ NOTE: This makes one thick pie crust. The filling recipe makes enough for two pies, but I didn't know this till I was done, so you could potentially make two pies with this crust, it will just be thinner. (Plus I only have one pie pan so I can only make one pie at a time ;) )

~ Once the sweet potatoes are cool and the crust is out of your food processor, add all of your filling ingredients to your food processor.
~ Make sure to wait to add all the spices and Stevia until it's all blended together so you can taste as you go along and adjust as needed. You can always add more spices and stevia, but you can't take it out again!!
~ Now some recipes called for you to peel the skins off the sweet potatoes, but I didn't and it turned out just fine.
~ Blend the filling in your food processor until smooth
~ Pour the filling into your crust and return to the oven for 45-55 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 160-180F

~ Remove from the oven and allow to cool. 
~ Serve to friend's, family, and yourself of course!!

I HOPE YOU ENJOY THIS RECIPE AS MUCH AS I DID, AND IF YOU LIKE IT , PLEASE SHARE IT! 

Read More

Tips For Fitness Success

Whether you’re following a routine for the first time (or for the first time in a long time) or just refocusing your efforts in the New Year, here are some of my favorite tips on what to keep in mind as you get started. These tips will help you stick with it when you’re feeling grumpy or tired or frustrated or hungry.

DO: BEFORE YOU START, LOG YOUR WEIGHT, YOUR MEASUREMENTS, AND TAKE YOUR PHOTOS.
DON’T: FREAK OUT OVER WHAT YOU SEE.

No one likes their Day 1 photos or measurements. But, by capturing all of the basic information (how much you weigh, how big your waist is, what you look like shirtless or in a bikini), you’ll establish a starting place. Then, when you take down all this information again (we usually recommend taking them every 30 days), you’ll see how much you’ve changed.

“I can’t tell you how many times one of our Success Stories has told me that their ‘before’ picture on the fridge saved them at some point along the way,” says Steve Edwards, Beachbody’s VP of Fitness & Nutrition.


Need some motivation and adivce for how to take your photos and measurements? Check out these videos:


How to take your Before & After Measurements


How to take your Before & After Photos

DO: WEIGH YOURSELF ONCE OR EVERY OTHER WEEK
DON’T: WEIGH YOURSELF EVERY DAY

Your weight can fluctuate every day based on how much sodium you consumed the day before, how much you sweated during your workout, whether you went to the bathroom, what time of the month it is, etc.

If you’re the type who could get discouraged from seeing your weight go up a pound or two (or more) in 24 hours, then I recommend weighing in approximately the same time each week. It’ll give you a better overall sense of the trend your weight is heading in. Just keep in mind you might gain a few pounds during the first few weeks of beginning a program. We explain why – and when you should see the numbers drop – here.

DO: EAT FOR THE BODY YOU WANT – NOT THE ONE YOU HAVE
DON’T: CUT OUT ALL OF YOUR FAVORITE FOODS

If you really want to be miserable and set yourself up for failure, cut out everything you like to eat. If your diet is really bad, a lot of stuff you like might have to go. Soda, fried food, super sugary coffee drinks…Think of this new journey as a boot camp. You’re training for the body you’ve always wanted. So feed that body with the food it needs. Lean proteins, complex carbs, and lots of nutrient-packed vegetables.

Think about your diet as an 80/20 split. 80% of the time, eat “clean.” The other 20% of the time, don’t stress about it. If you really want that beer or that cookie, have it. One cookie or one beer, isn’t going to be your downfall. If you need help tuning up your diet, consider joining one of our health programs

DO: PLAN YOUR MEALS AND ORGANIZE YOUR KITCHEN
DON’T: WAIT UNTIL THE DAY OF TO FIGURE IT OUT.

By planning your meals, you make it easier to eat healthier because you don’t have to think about it every day. You just grab your breakfast and/or your lunch and go.

DO: PUSH THROUGH THE SORENESS
DON’T: PUSH YOURSELF TO THE POINT OF INJURY

Whenever I start a new fitness program, I assume I’m going to be sore for the first two weeks. Even if the soreness doesn’t last that long, it helps my mind get in the right zone. Soreness is a right of passage, but it’s still difficult to deal with. Don’t go 100% on day one, and ramp things up each day based on how you feel. If you do get sore, back off but don’t stop. Doing a workout at 50% is a lot better than nothing. It will also help your soreness fade quicker.

DO: EXPECT TO BE A LITTLE HUNGRY AND MAYBE A LITTLE GRUMPY IN THE BEGINNING.
DON’T: FALL BACK INTO OLD BAD HABITS.

No matter what change you’re making – whether it’s a new fitness routine or a cross-country move – there are bound to be growing pains. Change is uncomfortable. Prepare to feel a little out of sorts – you might be hungry, you might feel sore, you might be a little grumpy in response – and it’s more likely you’ll have an easier transition into your new lifestyle. Soreness and hunger go hand in hand. When you’re sore you’re broken down and that incites hunger to repair your body. They’ll subside together. To speed things up, consider targeted nutrition or supplementation. The right food and the right time will minimize your desire to over eat.

DO: FOLLOW YOUR WORKOUT CALENDAR
DON’T: DON’T WAIT UNTIL MONDAY TO START AGAIN IF YOU MISS A WORKOUT.

If you missed a workout because of sickness or travel or you just didn’t feel like doing it, don’t worry. Just get back to it.

DO: GET BACK ON PROGRAM IF YOU FALL OFF.
DON’T: DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP, FEEL LIKE YOU’VE FAILED, OR WAIT UNTIL THE NEXT DAY/WEEK/MONTH TO START OVER.

No one is perfect. Not me, not you, and not our trainers. Everyone has an unhealthy meal sometimes or misses a workout. Don’t let that define your day, your week, or your month. Just get right back on track. You’re on a journey and along the way, there are going to be a few misses. If you pick yourself right back up and keep going, you’ll get there.

DO: SHARE WHAT YOU’RE DOING AND FIND PEOPLE WHO WILL KEEP YOU ACCOUNTABLE
DON’T: LISTEN TO THE HATERS.

If you share what you’re doing with those around you, there’s a greater likelihood you’ll succeed because you’re creating a social support system that you’re accountable to. There might be people who pooh-pooh your journey, but ignore them. They have their reasons for doing so (usually the reasons stem from jealousy or fear), so just stay positive and reach out to your support system when you need help. We’re here for you, so don’t hesitate to reach out!

In fact, we have an on-going support group for people who've done a program with us that you can interact with on a daily basis to help keep you feeling motivated and posiitve

HERE’S WHERE TO GET EVEN MORE SUPPORT DURING YOUR JOURNEY.

* If you have questions for our fitness and nutrition experts, schedule a consultation so you can get some one-on-one support, all first time clients get a FREE 30 minute phone consultation to find out if working with us is right for you

* If you need more peer support, consider joining our next health and fitness challenge to be a part of a group of others working on their fitness journey. You get access to our nutrition expert as well as our private online support group.

* Josey Fish Fitness can also be sound on our social channels on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram* If you need a little extra motivation that day, tag me in your photo on Instagram (I’m @JoseyFishHealth).


Good luck and I can’t wait to see your after photos!

Read More