4 Tips for Healthifying Your Food

What’s you absolute favourite food? 

Does it happen to be something you “shouldn’t” be eating? Something you’re sensitive against or even allergic to? Or something that isn’t good for your condition, but it’s not causing you enough trouble to let it go?

Oh boy. The amount of times I’ve had to battle this for myself.

Since forever, my favourite food was pasta with a green pesto sauce. I LOVED that stuff and could have eaten it at any given point of time.

It’s something about the slight chewiness of the al dente cooked pasta in combination with the fresh, green and actually quite healthy taste of the pesto that has always been AHMAZING. Also given the carb and fat combo that the pasta and the oil makes, it starts off a whole array of reward reactions in the brain.

And before you ask, yes, I definitely used to eat this while being diabetic. But it was before the start of my earth-shattering New Life that I started at the time of my education to become a nutrition coach. With that came all the information and knowledge of what starches get up to in your body, and although I didn’t see it coming, it changed everything.

In many cases, it’s too easy to get stuck on the foods you used to eat. What’s even harder is to get used to the “new food” that you’re most probably feeling a little “meh” about.

Why should I eat this healthy crap instead of my favourite dish in the whole wide world? I don’t feel THAT bad when I eat the good stuff? How much would it REALLY change if I went for the healthy version of it?

The answer is: quite a lot, actually.

Do you honestly feel better when you eat the stuff you know you shouldn’t? Not necessarily mentally, but physically? After which food do you have more energy? Does it have any consequences on you, your body and your health when you gulp down that burger? Transfats, pure sugar and artificial flavours is just the beginning of your problems.

Add to that the inflammation response in your body that an elevated blood glucose causes, for example. Can you see the spike of insulin your body needs in order to fix that?

I think both of us knows what happens when your blood glucose is elevated for too long (days, months, years) and the body has to produce more and more insulin to compensate…  After a while it’s pretty easy for the insulin receptors in your cells to not recognise the insulin anymore, causing something called insulin resistance and, eventually, Type 2 Diabetes. Not fun. And nothing you will want to handle.

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When it comes to healthifying your food, the biggest issue is that you’re definitely looking to find foods that “replace” the old yummies. But what if you could find something else entirely that makes your mind and body sing? And that this food also “happens” to be healthy?

These are my top 4 tips for when you’re changing your food:

1. Do an elimination trial

Try to eliminate the food you think might be causing you problems (most commonly gluten, grains, milk or soy) for 1 month and see if you notice any changes.

2. Focus on how your food makes you feel.

Really feel how your body reacts to certain foods. Do you feel tired, sluggish and out of sync? Perhaps try something else next time. On the other hand, do you get happy, feel full and energised after a meal? BINGO, you’ve found something great!

3. See the “new food” as a welcomed addition

If you only think of the foods you miss and aren’t “allowed” to have anymore, instead of seeing it as adding a plethora of new tastes and culinary experiences, you’re starting off on the wrong foot. Sure, you’ll be putting aside a few good old go-to recipes for a while, but what about the things you’re about to taste, feel, see and enjoy? Give it a chance! You might just experience something wonderful.

4. Remember, it’s probably not forever

When you start out trying to figure out what’s good and not-so-good for you, it’s a bit like an obstacle course of trial and error. While you say good bye to milk products for a while, doesn’t mean you’ll never have it again. If your body can handle it, and you feel good eating it after your break from it, then by all means, go ahead and keep it in your cooking repertoire.

The important point is to try how you do without the food in question. Do you feel better without? Then you should probably leave it for a longer period of time. Do you feel fine (or even better!) with it? Add it back in!

 

What about you? Have you discovered a particular food that wasn’t that good for you anyway? Have you tried to eliminate a type of food for a while? Please comment below and help others who might just be like you!

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Are you ready for it?!

Here it finally is.

You’ve been asking me several times, and all I’ve answered is that it’s coming “soon”.

Well, “soon” is here!

What if you could still eat bread without having any trouble? And not even realise it wasn’t traditional bread you were eating, but an awesome healthy version of it? This “bread” recipe is a collection of the most awesome bread recipes I’ve found out there. So I picked the raisins out of the cake and took the best features of each bread to make my own.

It’s suitable for allergies such as gluten, sugar, lactose, milk and yeast, but if you’re allergic to nuts (almonds) or eggs, I’d suggest you try to find alternative ingredients. I can help you with that, just comment below!

bread1

GrainBrain’s Awesomest “Bread”

You’ll need

• 5 dl almond flour
• a little less than 1 dl ground flaxseed (you can find this at a health food store. Or DIY!)
• 1 teaspoon whole flaxseeds
• 3/4 tablespoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 + a little dl psyllium seed husk (you’ll find this at a health food store, too)
• 6 tablespoons butter, ghee or coconut oil
• 4 whole eggs
• 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
• 1 dl coconut milk (I’ve also used goats milk yoghurt, which was good too. Experiment depending on your boundaries!)

Do like this:
1. Mix all dry ingredients in one bowl
2. Melt the butter/ghee/coconut oil in a saucepan. Let it cool for a few minutes.
3. Mix the wet ingredients in another bowl.
4. Mix the dry and wet mixes together until it forms a batter but not longer than that.
5. Put your awesome batter into a greased loaf pan. Put some seeds on top of the loaf (flax seed, hemp seed, sunflower seed…)
6. Bake your yumminess of a bread at 180 degrees for about 25 minutes. Check with the good old toothpick trick to see if it’s done.
7. Try it in a big slice with your favourite sandwich toppings. Enjoy!
(8. Don’t blame me if you get addicted. 🙂 Yes. It’s that good.)

Please let me know what you think once you’ve tried it out!

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Should lactose intolerant people drink milk?

I bet your answer is HELL NO.

So.

Let me ask you this: should people with diabetes eat pasta?

A little more hesitant perhaps? You know, because I’m asking, the answer should be no. But what about all you’ve heard and all the advice you’ve gotten from health professionals?

I took a stand 2,5 years ago.

During my education as a nutrition coach, I was taught how the body digests different foods, what happens in the body as a result, and how to best avoid unwanted effects. And this was for healthy people, without diabetes or other chronic diseases.  I was shown, and I swear I saw it in slow motion, how insulin reacts in a healthy body when you eat sugary and starchy things. When you use this process too much (aka eat too much sugar and starch), it puts a tremendous amount of stress on your body. I quickly transferred this into my own body, that happens to not even produce insulin. At all.

And there the fundamental question was born: why the hell am I being advised to eat 60% grains with every meal when I can’t even produce the hormone that converts it into energy?!

I felt cheated. I felt lied to. I felt sick.

I wasn’t even given the chance to respect my body enough to be able to take care of it as well as I possibly can. Because that’s what it is about for me, respect. Respecting my body and my disease and keeping it as manageable as possible.

So I drew the following conclusion that I still swear by to this day: if having diabetes means your body can’t process sugar and starches very well (if at all) and using common logic, you should stay away form something you can’t process properly.

That’s the moment I cut out all grains, sugar and processed crap (also known as “food” 😉 ) from my life. And I have rarely looked back.

When you feel like shit for a long time, it becomes your new “normal”. When you’ve been made to feel like shit for 25 years, starting to feel better feels crazy weird. (This happens when I do look back and “treat” myself to something I know I shouldn’t have. I feel like shit.)

Starting to feel better is a long journey that only you can do for yourself, if you have the willpower, the desire and are only a little scared of what awaits you. And in many cases you need to try out different things to see what works for YOU. But although you are ultimately responsible for your own transformation, you’ll still benefit from supportive people around you, perhaps even someone who has gone through this transformation themselves.

If we stick to the example of diabetes, although similar changes can benefit everybody, whether you have another chronic condition or are perfectly healthy, and we shouldn’t be scoffing down pasta, rice, potatoes, cereals, grains, sugars and sweets, what should you do?

Go back to the roots. Go back to the pre-1970’s idea of not being afraid of good, healthy, beneficial fat sources. Because that’s what happened when the whole low-fat and light BS “food” came about – the fat was removed from the food and substituted by a bucketload of sugar. And I certainly can’t deny that things like avocado and olives impact my blood glucose readings differently than pasta and bread.

Cutting grains out of your diet is no miracle cure, as a diabetic you would still use insulin. I do too. But it makes it that tiny bit easier to manage. There is no magic formula to keep your blood sugar fully at bay. But there are ways you can minimise the bumps as much as possible. Does this mean my values are always perfect? Definitely not. Not by far. But mine are one heck load better than they were when I was still eating cereal and grains.

But hold up!

What about the holy grail of “health” – whole grains? Now that IS healthy and everyone should be eating it, right? Well. No. Not everyone. It still has a huge impact on your blood sugar, it just takes a slightly longer time.. So if you do have problems with elevated blood sugar – stay away from that too. In my world of number crunching and guesstimating, whole grain is the same as wheat – same shit, different name. 

If it was as easy for me (and every diabetes is different. its a very individual disease) as to eat whatever i want, count the carbs and then inject insulin for it to have relatively stable numbers I would definitely do that (although because I know the science of what sugar etc does to you body, I’m not sure I’d do it every day. But i’d definitely treat myself to things more often!) But it’s not. And I can’t. Also, why should I add to the already numerous chances I take every day with adding some serious guesstimation work in terms of dosages and food choices? (A carb is not always a carb either, just like a calorie isn’t a calorie.)

It’s essentially all about finding smart substitutions for foods that you used to eat. I, for example, found an amazing recipe for a grain free bread that barely impacts my blood glucose levels at all. (Would you like the recipe?! Comment below!), I use zoodles (zucchini noodles) instead of pasta. And you can see all of this in my virtual food diary over on Instagram. Or, you can get an idea of what I eat by signing up at the top of this page to get 11 recipes I frequently use!

 

 

When big pharma companies and nutritionists tell us to eat starches, grains, rice, bread and pasta with every meal, it is really like telling a lactose intolerant person to drink milk instead of water. And who would want to cause that pain on a person whose body can’t break down lactose?

What about you? Are you eating something you know you shouldn’t? Or would it be time to thoroughly go through your eating habits?  Maybe  you have questions about diabetes and carbs? Please leave a comment below!

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What defines you?

I had something completely different in mind for today’s blog post.

But then I stumbled upon a TED talk that I just couldn’t ignore.

It hit me right in the heart. My soul summersaulted, and I couldn’t look away.

It’s just so amazingly impressive.

And although you may have already seen it, I ask you to watch it again. It’s 13 minutes better spent than scrolling Facebook, that’s for sure.

This is Lizzie Velasquez TED talk. She was named the world’s ugliest woman.

Just listen to the power in this amazing woman.

 

Wow.

“Can I scrub this syndrome off? It would make my life so much easier if I could.”

 

I don’t want to draw parallels to my diseases from Lizzie’s. She’s going through something completely different, and I don’t want to even try to claim that our situations are similar in any way. For one, most of my stuff isn’t visible, so they go unnoticed easier by people I meet. But: there are similarities in the personal perceptions and reactions toward the conditions.

She brings up a super valid point, that it’s important to take a step back and look at the benefits of your disease with some distance from yourself – what have you gotten from your condition that no one else has?

For me, it’s the courage to say when something doesn’t feel right. To realise that I’m so much stronger than I ever thought I was. I’ve become so good at always being on time. That I can help people in similar situations. I very rarely forget to so or bring something somewhere. That, until recently, I had no problems jabbing myself with a syringe in the middle of a restaurant (now I’m on an insulin pump, significantly lessening the jabbing incidents). To mention a few.

You do have to acknowledge the difficulties too, though.

It’s  a roller coaster life, but that’s OK (But I don’t enjoy them much at amusement parks, either.). And scary things have happened. And that’s OK, too.

And for a really long time I’ve let all of what’s going on on the inside of my body define me. I’ve been defined by a number, a value, most days even several different values a day. Judged by doctors and caretakers, saying it’s “not good enough”. Dreading the next check up, blood test and “what if’s” and “oh no’s”.

It took me an even longer time to realise this. And do you know what helped me? What made me see that I’m so much more than some diagnoses on a piece of paper? My top 3 is:

  1. Acceptance. Accepting that this is part of my life, and will most probably always be so. It’s given me a sense of freedom, to keep fighting and to never give up.
  2. Ignoring smirky caretakers. The number of times I’ve swapped doctors because I want to be taken seriously is not few. (Just did it again this week, actually, after a particularly rude doctor didn’t do his job well enough.) It sounds really harsh. But, I do expect the doctors that treat me to do their job properly. Especially in this part of the world.Building my awesome dream team of doctors, nurses and yes, even receptionists, ready to help me, has helped me so much in realising that yes, this is part of me, but it’s not ALL of me.
  3. Eating properly. My values are volatile as it is, and I really do not need to complicate everything further by eating a menu full of BS that has been fed to me by aforementioned (and “fired”) care takers. That’s why I’ve come up with my own solution, that doesn’t clog up my system as much. That leaves me feeling better, with more energy and a happier perspective on life. (And if you want, I can teach you how to do it, too!)

You have to be able to mourn a bad result or a flare up; you have to trust that you’ll pick yourself up again after a set back or break down. That’s part of having a chronic condition. But it’s up to you to choose to accept it as a part of you and decide where you want to go in life. You can use the negativity to make you better, just like Lizzy says.

I really take my hat off for Lizzy, whilst giving her a standing ovation. For having the immense courage it takes to talk about yourself in such an amazing, authentic and open way. For not giving a damn rats ass about what people think. For being a fighting spirit and so crazily strong. And for being an incredible inspiration. If she can, so can you and I.

“My goals, success and achievements define me, not what i have.”

The world’s your oyster and the sky’s your limit.

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Chronic Revolution

Are YOU ready for it?

I’ve been so eager to tell you about this for the longest time. Or at least it feels like it.

But the timing hasn’t been right. And then came Christmas. And New Years.

Now that we’ve both moved past those, let’s take a good look on what 2014 will bring!

I’m not a huge fan of resolutions, especially not those fuelled by a few (too many) glasses of champagne on New Years Eve. On the other hand, I think setting goals can really help you develop as a person. There’s a big difference between those two, though.

So, your current goal is to finally get your chronic disease on track, right?

I’ve got the answer for you, right here.

Let me introduce to you my newest offering, fresh of the press, especially for you:

Chronic Revolution 

This is a program that lies very close to my own heart. As you may remember, I’m fighting a few myself.

So what can you expect?

The results vary from person to person and obviously it depends on the energy YOU invest, but here are some results you can expect:

Alleviating symptoms, like sky high blood sugars, or blood pressure, head fog and bloatedness, to mention a few.

Become more confident and secure about the control of your health  (no more hiding your results from your care team!)

  • Get super supermarket confident
  • Know what YOU need to feel better
  • More freedom
  • Have a longer, more qualitative life
  • More stable blood glucose levels, lower cholesterol and lower blood pressure
  • Take less medication
  • Get restaurant cocky
  • More joy
  • Get more energy
  • Become a brunch goddess
  • Less stress when it comes to food
  • Have more time left for things that matter, more fun!

And how do we get to all these fantastic things?

Your Chronic Revolution is a 60-day online program for you, if you live with a chronic disease and want to turn your life around, as well as take back your health with the help of proper nutrition (and without further medication.)

It’s all about changing your life in easy steps. A fun take-you-by-the-hand mentoring program, leaving you hopeful about your future.

It’s completely tailored to your needs, no cookie-cutter approach because we’ve learned that two people with the same chronic disease will still have completely different challenges to cope with.

ChronRev

So, if you’re a fun-loving person with a chronic disease (such as: diabetes, thyroid problems, Crohn’s disease, celiac, arthritis, fibromyalgia, epilepsy, osteoporosis etc) with a positive attitude who are ready to feel empowered in your health, read more here!

Are you tired of terrible and agonizing advice that only confuses you more? Jump on board! Are you also willing and eager to do the work to get clarity and more energy, then this is just for you.

You can read all about it right here!

 

Even if you don’t feel ready for this just yet, it’s ok too. But stick around for more great information, fun facts and fantastic ideas! 🙂 You can also schedule a Pay What You Want call with me to figure out questions or thoughts you have. (Or forward this to someone who might be ready for it.)

I’m so glad I’m able to offer you this amazing opportunity – it’s helped me so much to go through this and I know it would help you too.

 

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Supplementation Station (& sneak preview!)

The debate about whether or not you should take nutritional supplements is boring. Fact.

Different people have different needs, which is why there is no such thing as “one diet for all” or “one size fits all” for that matter. You have completely different needs to me in terms of nutrition. And that’s actually a great thing.

In today’s post, I wanted to show you what supplements I take on a daily basis.

With my previously mentioned auto-immune issues comes a few extra needs that you might not have. A few substances my body craves, that I can’t get from the food I’m eating alone.

“But wait, if YOU’RE a nutrition coach, shouldn’t you know what to eat in order to get everything you need from the food?” you’re asking yourself now.

And the answer is simply no. No, there isn’t a way I can get everything I need from my food alone. Mainly due to that I can’t eat that much quantity-wise, but also because some vitamins and/or minerals just don’t exist in food in the way I need them.

There is of course a big difference between having a daily multivitamin from the supermarket, and more goal oriented supplements focused on your individual needs. Most of the time, the multivitamins you buy at the supermarket is just a fast way of buying yourself extremely expensive pee.

So, what do I take to make my life a little easier? And how do these things help me?

 

Vitamin D3

Your body actually produces this on its own, from the previously rumoured life-threathening cholesterol in your skin. But only when in direct sunlight. With a SPF less than 8.

Living where I do, this is not possible at all times of the year. So I have to supplement it.

Why is it that important, though?

There is a myriad of things Vitamin D is good for in the body, especially in chronic auto-immune diseases, and it’s almost impossible to detect a deficiency. It’s been shown to help regulate blood glucose, it lowers inflammation levels in the body, it helps the immune system, weight management, prevents heart attacks…. And so on.

Honestly, I can’t see a reason NOT to take it!

The one I take is a Vitamin D3 oil, by Wild. I use an oil based one, as vitamin D is oil soluble, it’s easier for the body to absorb.*

 

Omega 3

Omega 3 is fish oil. What importance does this fatty acid actually have?

Well, the main one is that omega 3 fights inflammation in the body. It lowers nasty triglycerides in your blood. It can help recovering from depression. It can ease arthritis pains. And it might even help prevent dementia.

It’s really not a bad list of positives. If you ask me, vitamin D and omega 3 are the two very essential supplements (almost) everybody should take, whether you have a condition or not.

The one I take is Krill Oil by Alpinamed.* What’s krill, you say? It’s tiny little plankton that are eaten by fish, and they are the purest form of animal based omega 3 fatty acids there is. I choose animal based, as this form (DHA & EPA) is easier to absorb than the vegetable counterparts.

 

Thyronyl

I also take a supplement that is full of yummy things that keep my thyroid in check.

Tyrosine, selenium, zinc, and vitamin B3 (amongst other things) are what keep my thyroid from freaking out. All of these help different functions of the thyroid and its hormones, in their own way.

This is the only thing that has so far kept me off of hormone replacement therapy for my lazy thyroid (it’s underproducing hormones).

I take Thyronyl by Bonusan. I like them because there’s no funny stuff in their products, only what is promised.

 

Supergreens

Superduper greens are super duper good for you!

Containing high levels of fibers, vitamins, minerals, proteins, antioxidants, phytonutrients, digestive enzymes, and are even rumoured to heal tissues. Due to the high level of nutrients, they give the immune system a kick, reduce inflammation, and detoxify the body.

I use the pre-packaged super greens from Amazing Grass. * It’s easy, because it’s portion packaged and easy to take along.

 

Others

At the moment, I’m also doing an intestine-recovery program. This means that I’m building my intestines up from scratch. I’m doing this because next to our skin, nose, eyes, ears and mouth, the intestine is one of our biggest sources of immune system.

If the immune system isn’t covered in all places, including the intestine, there might be things (virus, bacteria, yeast….) that slip by, through the intestine and attack the body. Another reason is that without a full immune system on hand, the immune system can start attacking the body’s healthy tissue (also called auto-immune disease).

This means I’m additionally taking pro-biotics, L-Glutamine and Vitamin B. These work together in re-forming my intestine, kicking my immune system up a notch. Pro-biotics to create a better bacterial environment in the gut, Glutamine is what the intestine cells feed off of and vitamin B because this process needs tons of it.

 

So there you have it.

In addition to my daily mediations, I’ve also created a combination of really awesome supplements that help my body keep up the great work.

Now it’s your turn; do you take any supplements? Why? Or why not?

Ps. I’m super excited to give you this SNEAK PREVIEW!! Please check out my NEW OFFER for you here! Let me know what you think?!  🙂

Ps2. Have you seen my free holiday guide yet? If not, find it here!

* I’m not affiliated with any of these companies, these are just the ones I use. There are many more fantastic ones out there.

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Nobody’s Perfect

It’s easy to assume that people around you are perfect.

That they have all those things that you (secretly) wish you had, too, such as better health, more creative diets, more money, a nicer home, more friends, more inspiration, endless laughs, nicer families or better technology.

These people are very seldom real, however. Most of these qualities only exist in our brains, created by our ever-frightful ego in order to keep you in your comfort zone and keep you from sticking your head out.

comfort zone magic

I’ll give you an example from my own life. Being a nutrition coach focused on chronic conditions and health, people easily assume that my own health is great, and that I always have super creative meals with all the necessary food groups, vitamins and minerals on my table.

While this is exactly what I’m striving to achieve, every day, this is sadly not always the truth. At all.

Knocking furiously on wood, I often manage to fight off the common colds, stomach bugs and other quite minor issues. Thank you, my dear immune system for that!

At the same time, that immune system I’m often so thankful for is also attacking things in my own body that it should really steer clear of. Like my insulin-producing beta cells in my pancreas. Or my thyroid. Or my skin. And there’s nothing I can do about it, apart from treating the conditions accordingly.

Being diagnosed with at least 3 auto-immune diseases is no walk in the park. There are many things I have to take into consideration that many others can just blissfully ignore. Food, exercise, stress, sleep, medication, medical equipment and even weather all play a role in my well-being. Relying your life on a small piece of medical equipment is no easy task to overcome, but what choice do I have?

But at the same time, it is so incredibly important not to see myself as a victim. I have gotten these conditions because I can handle them somehow, although I’m still unsure where they’ve come from originally. They are my life-long companions that I’m even unsure of how to live without by this point. I can achieve whatever I put my mind to, despite my diseases, but the road there is not always straight-forward.

icanandiwill

It’s so easy saying “just do it”, but when your whole body is protesting against it, you just need to take a break, re-assess what is important and what it means to you and get back on it again when you feel better.

Having said that, a lot of handling a chronic disease is in the mind and in you attitude. I’m still unsure if my mind can cure me of any of my companions, but I do know that my thoughts and emotions can either improve or decline my health. This is a recent discovery for me, and I’m working on developing it further.

Despite near-optimal nutrition, and super-high efforts regarding sleep, exercise, stress and mindfulness, there are still things that jeopardize everything from time to time. A new medication? No thanks, I’d rather not, there’s a chance I’ll make something else worse while making something better. Weather’s turned cold? Ok, let’s see what reaction that has on my numbers. Sudden traffic-jam on the way to the airport? Just keep breathing, it’ll be ok. Just. Don’t. Stress.

I’m sure some of you can relate to my reflections here.

It’s extremely easy to see the people around you as amazing, perfect human beings that have it all. But this is just not the case – nobody’s perfect. Not even people like Oprah, duchess Kate of Cambridge or Gisele Bündchen.

They all need to work on something, believe me. And they need their support network too, just like everybody else.

Now. I’d like to hear from you. Do you have a chronic condition? Or do you have anything else you’re battling on a regular basis? Please tell me in the comments below!

Hanna

Ps. I’ll tell you the story of my imperfect food choices another time. Those meals that definitely don’t end up on my Instagram feed. But only if you’d like me to, of course?

Pps.Did you check out my Healthier Happier Holiday Guide yet? 

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Is Gratitude Your Attitude? (+ freebie!)

Health is not only about food. It would be silly if it was.

Health has so many aspects to it, many that are very personal. But one thing that can’t be denied when it comes to health is your own mindset.

I’ve heard a lot of buzz about being thankful and grateful lately. Is the Universe trying to tell me something?!

As an example, I’ve just listened to Gabrielle Bernstein’s fantastic book “May Cause Miracles” during my daily walks (it’s even been a motivation for me to get out, “oh, I get to listen to more of Gabby!”), where love and gratitude are among the very key concepts. I’m not going to give the content away, but let’s just leave it at that she’s pretty clever, that Gabby Bernstein. That’s also where I got the title from, “make gratitude your attitude” really hit me right in the feels when I heard it in Gabby’s book. In 42 days she single handedly manages to change your (my) perspective on many things, such as relationships and money. This is some incredible work!

Add to this an article on Mind Body Green I stumbled upon yesterday, where Lissa Rankin talks about the scientific proof of that being thankful improves your health. Imagine if a key to the lock of the Healthier You was just the fact you’re not thankful?! (You can read that article here!) By the way, Lissa’s book, “Mind Over Medicine”, is next on my list of walking companions. Can’t wait!

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So, what have I done to spread thankfulness in the world, and hopefully made gratitude someone’s attitude? I decided to pro-long Thanksgiving over on  my Facebook page this week, by asking you to tell me what you were grateful or thankful for. And what amazing replies I got! Here are a few that really warm my heart:

“My wonderful husband!”

“I am grateful for my ability to stay grounded, centred and still when there is a storm raging around me. I am grateful to my Reiki master who opened my eyes to a different way of being. I am grateful for all the love, health and abundance in my life, and in the lives of those in my community.”

“I’m grateful for everyday that passes so that there is one less until I come home!”

“the sunshine and the crisp air.”

“I’m thankful for the technology that keeps me connected to friends and family far and wide. I am grateful for the business opportunities I receive, and most of all, today I am thankful for being alive!”

“My health. Friends, family and Christmas…”

“family, friends, health, wealth and sense of humour in the face of adversity”

This is so amazing! Thank you guys for contributing to me and others giving a thought of what they are thankful for in this moment.

I’d love, love, LOVE to continue this list, so please tell me in the comments below: what are you thankful for today?

thanx_heart

 

What I’m thankful for today? You. Yes, that’s right, it’s you, my wonderful reader, for whom I do this! If in no other way, keep reading for a small token of appreciation. 🙂

As one last point, I’d like to say HAPPY THANKSGIVING! This truly marks the start of this years Holiday Season! If you’re feeling a little unsure of how your healthy eating will be affected by the Holiday season, and all the yummy food readily available, stop right now!

I’ve got the solution for you, right here, for free! In my guide, you’ll find 14 tips on how to survive any holiday themed gathering! Click to download your copy right now.

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My healthiest year ever.

This post won’t be about food. (Well, a little maybe, but I put that down to occupational hazard.)

Instead this post is about personal development.

About improvement.

About growth.

And how I plan to continue improving my own health.

As this weekend means that I’m moving away from my twenties and into the much more respected thirties (right?!), I feel that there needs to be something extra done to celebrate this wonderful occasion.

Something for me. That will help me (and perhaps even inspire you a little too?)

I’ve decided that my next year of life is going to be my healthiest year ever. So far, at least.

I can hear you thinking “but wait, if she’s a nutrition coach and self confessed health nut, what can she still improve?”

Believe me – there’s tons that can be done better or differently to fit me and my life even better. There always is, no matter how much you work and try to improve your health.

So, how will achieve a healthier life and a healthier me?

I’ve identified 10 points at I could  (significantly, in some cases) improve in my life that will all contribute toward a better and healthier life.

Naturally, there are many more points, but 10 are just about what I can handle in one go.

#1 Work

I’ll start off with a biggie: work. I can think of more than one occasion lately where I’ve said “yes” to something but meant “no”.

This doesn’t really help anyone, as I won’t do a good job if I’m not passionate about it, and I’m only spreading myself thin.

I promise myself to have the courage to say “no” more often. I also promise myself to be more courageous in my professional life. 

#2 Appreciation 

I want to be proud of the things I do. I want to appreciate myself and what I do for me. But I also want to appreciate others more, and what they do.

I’ll try to appreciate myself and others more often. 

#3 Relationships

If I could count the amount of times I’ve spent time with someone I know I don’t particularly enjoy hanging out with, or with a person that only steals my energy, I’d need many more fingers and toes.

For my health, I will surround myself with people that I like spending time with. 

#4 Exercise

I can be horribly lazy. This is although I know that exercise is about the best thing I can do for me (see #2).

Even if it’s “just” a 30 minute walk, I promise myself to do some form of exercise every day.

#5 Meditation

For those of you who know me, it might not seem like I do any type of relaxation exercises. (For those of you who don’t, let’s just say patience isn’t really my thing…)

But I do. Just not often enough. I will start practising meditation regularly, as this can have an effect in many areas of life and health. It also helps you focus on the present.

#6 Happiness

All points on this list will naturally increase my own happiness. After all, they are my points of improvement, and most improvements makes a person happy.

More specifically, living in a city like Zürich, it’s increasingly difficult to remember to smile. Most people walk around looking like they’ve just left the lemon factory.

I promise to smile at at least one stranger a day, spreading happiness whenever I can.

#7 Diabetes

Those of you who know me (or those of you who’ve read my “About” page), know that I’ve had Type 1 Diabetes since the age of 2.

Living with a chronic condition is very rarely a dance on roses (apart from the thorns, they feel pretty real), and the only thing you can really do is to hang on for dear life and make the best of the ride and situation.

I’m changing my treatment next month, and hoping for more stable results through that. This will, of course, initially mean more pokes and thorns, but in the end it will be worth it.

#8 Nutrition

As I said, even a nutrition coach can always improve her nutrition!

I promise to pay more attention to organic produce; it’s something I can no longer ignore. I will also start buying grass fed (and finished) beef instead of the supermarket variety, which is almost always form questionable origin.

#9 Alcohol

I will not burden my body extra with unnecessary alcohol. 

#10 Challenge myself

All these points culminate in this last one.

Without a challenge, we can’t grow. If we don’t grow, we can’t improve.

I will (almost automatically) challenge myself on a daily basis, doing one thing that scares me every day.

 

If it’s written on my blog it’s basically set in stone, isn’t it?!

My heart is now poured out on my webpage, and I really can’t wait to see what this new year of life has in store for me.

Now I’d love, love, love to hear from you!

Do you have any areas in life that you know you could improve? Please let me know in the comments below.

Thank you so much for reading, and as promised (almost) no food talk! 🙂

Hanna

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