Begin this week in PEACE.

Have you ever had a stressful situation in which you wished you had a magic tool to remain calm? Well there is one, it’s called the 4-7-8 relaxation breathing sequence.

This technique relaxes the nervous system and allows you to be calm and think clearly.

Here's how you do it:

1. Sit up straight in a chair.

2. Place the tip of your tongue up against the roof of your mouth. Keep it there through the entire breathing process.

3. Breathe in silently through your nose to the slow count of 4.

4. Hold your breath to the count of 7.

5. Exhale through your mouth to the count of 8, making a slight audible sound.

6. Repeat the 4-7-8 cycle another three times, for a total of four breathing exercises.

Have a calm Monday ; )

 “When the breath is calmed the mind too will be still…” Svatmarama

Work less, achieve MORE!

This week we finish the working at home serie with 4 tips, I hope your work at home is becoming more fun and you've improved your productivity:

• Use a chronometer

If you get tired easily and tend to check facebook or waste your time on the web, set a chronometer. It is proven that our brains are able to stay focused for 45 minute increments.

Try to work for 45 minutes and rest for 10-15 minutes, you will feel refreshed and will concentrate easier after a little rest.

• Leisure time

We spend most of our days doing intellectual work, using only one side of our brain. In order to feel balance, try to include some leisure time every week. 

Activities like painting, singing or gardening can help you to relax and use your creative side with no stress or deadlines… just for fun.

• Exercise

 If we spent most of our days sitting, exercising becomes a requirement. It will reduce stress and help our system stay healthy and balanced. 

If your work is stressful I recommend one or two hours of yoga per week. It will help you train your body and your mind to stay calm.

• Get Social

Simply by changing your work location – to  a coffee/tea house maybe for a couple of hours a week.

So, If you have more tips or secrets that you like to share, please do!

Is CELLPHONE and Wi-Fi RADIATION affecting our lives?

Back in 1996, the Federal Communications Commission- FCC set a legal maximum on cellphone radiation.  Twenty years later, cellphones have revolutionized how we communicate and the technology has evolved dramatically. Today’s smartphones vibrate, sing, show HD movies, make photos and videos, check email and navigate with global positioning systems.

Yet those 20-year-old FCC rules still stand. Are they protecting the public from radiation coming out of cellphones and the networks that enable them? We doubt it.

Scientific studies by numerous research teams in several nations have raised troubling questions about possible associations between heavy cellphone use and serious health dangers. The World Health Organization has declared that cellphone radiation may be linked to brain cancer. Many fertility studies connect cellphone radiation to diminished sperm count and sperm damage. Others raise health concerns such as altered brain metabolism, sleep disturbances, and behavioral changes in children.

These studies are not definitive, and much more research is needed. But they raise serious questions that cast doubt on the adequacy of the FCC rules to safeguard public health. The FCC rules does not account for risks to children’s developing brains and considers only short-term cellphone use, not frequent calling patterns over decades.

In the meantime, here are 6 things you can do to protect yourself from this kind of radiation:

1. Use a headset or a speaker.

Choose either wired or wireless. If you go wireless, make sure to take your headset out of your ear when you’re not on a call. Use your phone in speaker mode.

2. When in use, hold phone away from your body.

Why? The amount of radiation absorbed by your head and body decreases dramatically with even a small distance. Don’t put the phone in your pocket or clip it to your belt, even when using your headset.

3. Text more, talk less.

Phones emit less radiation when sending text rather than voice communications.

4. Call when the signal is strong.

Fewer signal bars mean the phone must try harder to broadcast its signal. Research shows that radiation exposure increases dramatically when cell phone signals are weak.

5. Don’t store your phone in your pocket or on your night stand.

When a phone is on and not in use, it still sends out an intermittent signal to connect with nearby cell phone towers, which means radiation exposure is still happening.

6. Turn off your home router when not in use

You will reduce radiation in a simple way, sleep better and maybe even reduce your monthly internet bill.

7. Put your phone in “airplane mode” when you sleep.

This will reduce the amount of radiation that you get during the night.

Based on mind body green “Cellphone radiation is real”

FINISH what you STARTED on time and easy!

I hope last weeks advise was helpful, this week I give you specific ways to become more productive and finish on time the projects you have set for this year:

• 5 days a week 8 hours per day

It may sound too little but our system is not made to work every single day or to focus on the same thing the whole day.

When you run your own business  there's always more work around the corner and with endless things that you can do, sometimes it's difficult to stop working when there is no one to tell you the work day is over.

You can deal with this by setting a specific time to start and stop working, then making a point to appreciate how much you have done during the day. And if you finish early, enjoy your productivity.

• Calendar Management

If you are self-employed, your calendar can be your best friend. Having a clear picture of what you need to accomplish each day, week and month will save you so much time in the long run.

I like to create a weekly schedule with each day broken down by project, appointment and activity

• Take a lunch break.

This one is simple: eating lunch at your desk is not productive. Whether you take 15 minutes or an hour and half, it's so important to take a complete break from your desk and work.   

• Your area

Whether you work from a home office or your laptop on the kitchen table, it's important that your workspace helps you feel energized, happy and focused. You have the luxury of not working from a cubicle so take advantage of it! 

Surround yourself with things that make you happy like family photos or fresh flowers. Having a clean desk feels like cleaning your brain, and it can do wonders for your productivity.

See you next week!

Working from home? Be super EFFECTIVE and work LESS

I used to imagine that being self-employed or working from home was a luxurious lifestyle, free of rules or scheduling. 

Couldn’t be more wrong!

Over time I've developed a way of working that increases my productivity and allows me to enjoy the benefits of working from home. 

Here are 12 tips on how to successfully work from home:

• Rise and Shine

It is important that you set a time every day to start your journey, it will set the tone of your day and you will feel productive from the beginning.

• Establish a morning routine.

Your morning routine sets the tone for your day. It gives you time to clear your head, get focused and enjoy the extra time you have because you don't to have to commute to work.

I always start my day with setting an intention (be present, content…), then I eat breakfast and take a shower. Taking an hour to do this every day helps me feel centered, focused and energized before starting my work day.

• Get dressed.

While the idea of spending all day in your pajamas might sound appealing, getting dressed can actually increase your productivity.  In theory you could get the same amount of work done in a business suit or a flannel onesie, but getting dressed for the day helps delineate work time from sleep/relax time.

When you look and feel put-together, you tend to be more productive. Wear what makes you feel comfortable and confident and you'll be off to a great start.

• Meditate

Even 5 minutes can make the difference. It is scientifically proven that meditation relaxes you, increases creativity and productivity. I can’t begin my work day without the refreshing feeling of a quick meditation.

See you next week with some more secrets!

Small changes that have MADE the difference.. here comes the secret.

To all of those who took these small challenges with me: CONGRATULATIONS!

We managed 28 days (or more) of healthy changes. I hope you enjoyed the process and that these new habits remain in your daily life.

How many changes were you able to maintain? Which were your favorites? Did you experience something new? Did you improve your quality of life? Enjoy a little bit more daily activities?

Let me explain the reason of this challenge:

Did you know that our brain is able to control our weight?

There are several mechanisms designed to keep us in a healthy weight:

1. At the time you sit down to the table and see the food, your brain starts a countdown of 30 minutes within which you will feel real hunger.

2. At the end of the 30 minutes, when foods fills your stomach, you feel the first sign of being sated.

3. When food passes the first part of the intestine, the brain releases the latest sign of fullness.

4. If you obey the signs: eat when hungry and stop eating when you feel "full", you maintain a healthy weight, however, if you disregard it your weight will increase and this system loses it’s effectiveness.

That's why it is very important to take the time and space to eat, enjoy every bite and listen to your body so you stop eating when necessary, it will help you feel good, keep your weight and not starve during the day .

Congratulations, you have began 2016 healthier.

Small changes... BIG results

For those who are new, we are taking small challenges every week in order to enjoy food more, eat better and why not? Eat a little less...

The purpose of this week is:

At dinner, plan a self-pampering night (alone or accompanied), light some candles, serve your food on the fancy china, take a seat and enjoy the moment.

Tell me how did it go? ...

Discover NEW flavors and eat LESS.

Hello again! How are the little challenges going? Were you able to eat in 30 minutes? Did lunch taste different?

The challenge this time is very interesting since you will discover new flavors:

 

When you sit down to eat (and with every dish served at the table) try to close your eyes with every bite.  

If you want to do it more interesting and you are eating with someone, you can blindfold each other.

Tell me how it went and what discoveries you had...

Want to LOOSE what you GAINED in Christmas? Follow me.

Hello again! How are the little challenges going? Were you able to eat in 30 minutes? Did lunch taste different?

The next seven days will be a challenge for all:

Try to sit down to lunch or dinner only when you feel really hungry, stay aware of the feeling of fullness and stop eating when you feel the first warning.

Remember: In order to enjoy much in life you don’t need to have too much...

Want to EAT less and ENJOY more in Christmas?

For those who haven’t joined, we are making small weekly changes in our habits which will help us to get away from the routine, eat healthier and feel better.

Last week we turned off the TV and tried to enjoy a little more time for eating. 

How did it go? Were you able to enjoy a little bit more pause in your day? 

Maybe you had a more comfortable (or longer) conversation or just felt less anxious…

For this Christmas dinner try something that will help you enjoy the food and at the same time eat less:

Eating in 30 minutes, no more no less.

Do not set a timer, just check the time when you sit down to eat and when you remove your plates, I was impressed at how quickly and how little I was savoring food, the interesting thing was that at the end of the week I ate a little less than before.

Merry Christmas!

Looking amazing in CHRISTMAS part 2.

Last week’s challenge was to serve every dish before sitting down at the table.

Did you feel full faster? Was it easier for you to be calm when eating?

If this worked for you, continue to do it so that it becomes a habit.

For this week try:

Before you sit down to eat, shut off the television, radio or music.

I hope it doesn’t cause a revolution at home.  You will be able to talk with your family or couple more at ease and you will see how lunchtime becomes more pleasant.

Wanna look amazing in Christmas?.. join this 7 week challenge.

It has been proven that only by making small changes over long periods of time, can we achieve permanent success.

I challenge you to make a change per week, or choose one with which you feel comfortable and make it part of your daily life.

I propose:

This week try to serve all you're going to eat before sitting down to the table.

Let's see what happens...

The secret to live HERE and HAPPY

In our rush to get through the tasks of our day, to complete our errands and answer emails, to look at the next video… when do we think we’ll find happiness?

If it’s not here right now, when will it come?

Maybe we think it’ll come when we improve our lives, or meet our goals, or succeed at our business, or finish our college degree, meet someone or have our first child.  Maybe it’ll come when we go on vacation, or when we find time to relax. Maybe tomorrow.

Or we could try this:

• Slow down instead of rushing. Breathe deeply.
• Pause to savor the current moment.
• Really notice everything about the moment, and find small things to appreciate.
• Be grateful for what there is right here, right now. Count your blessings.
• Allow the things that are bothering you to just be in your life, without fighting with them, without pushing them away.
• Don’t allow little things to offend you. They’re not worth ruining this moment.
• Let the beauty of this moment wash over you.

These are all things we already know. But we don’t actually do them. The key here is practice.

If you don’t practice being present, slowing down, enjoying the moment right now, when will you practice? 

What are you practicing now instead?

Start your practice this moment.

"In this moment you are here, you are living, you are present, you are fully blessed” Fiji Mc Alpine.

Based on: Practicing Slowness & Being Present (Leo Babauta).

Make your cleaning products... with 3 ingredients.

Hi, this time I will share with you my ecological cleaning products. They are cheap, simple and good with the environment.

With just 3 ingredients you can make almost every one of the products you need at home.

All-purpose cleaner

• 3 tablespoons of dish soap
• 75mL water
• Lavender oil or tea tree (optional)

Combine all of the above in a spray bottle, shake well.

Clogged WC

• 70 to 100 mL of hot water
• Half a cup of baking soda
• 100mL of vinegar

Pour the warm water with baking soda add the vinegar  and wait until it stops bubbling. Use a toilet brush for cleaning.

All Surface polish (tiles, bathroom floor…)

• Sodium bicarbonate
• Water

Mix baking soda with water until  it becomes a paste. Place it on a sponge and polish the surface you need.

Toilet bowl cleaner

• 50ml vinegar

Pour it in the toilet, let sit overnight. In the morning scrub and flush.

Glass & Window cleaner

• 100ml vinegar
• 100 mL of water

 Mix vinegar with water and pour into a spray bottle.

Floor Cleaner

• 3 tablespoons of dish soap
• 3 tablespoons vinegar
• 4 ½ lt Water
• 10 drops of essential oil (lavender or tea tree)

Mix the ingredients in a bucket and go!

Kitchen Cleaner

• 250ml water
• 5-10 drops of lavender oil

Mix the two ingredients in a spray bottle. Lavender oil will leave a wonderful smell in your kitchen and will relax you.

See you next week!

Difficult week? Try our secrets to make it GREAT!

Your mornings set the tone for the rest of the day. 

If you get off to a crummy start, chances are the rest of your day will look the same. Rolling out of bed with your mobile in hand, scanning the latest Facebook posts and checking your email may not be the best start if you’re already super stressed.

More and more people are finding a meaningful morning practice to be the solution. By adding this practice in between waking up and starting the day, you’re sure to move through the world more grounded and connected.

I created a simple practice to help you move through the day without stress calling the shots.

• Place 1 to 2 drops of grapefruit or wild orange essential oil in the palm of your hands.  Rub your hands together, cup your hands over your nose and mouth and breathe in deeply for five rounds of breath.
• Set an intention for the day  How do you plan to be happier today? What are you going to learn from this day? How are you going to live and enjoy it?
• Be grateful  Count your blessings and appreciate them.
• Take a glass of water  This helps your body to begin the day and wakes you up softly.
• Move your body, stretch a little bit  It really doesn’t matter what you do here; just move out of your head and into your body. Stretch your body, do some head rolls or shoulder shrugs, move in a way that feels good to your body and your natural rhythm, you can even dance to your favorite song.

By giving your body the chance to practice dealing with stress in a different a way, you’re creating a new positive pathway. This simple morning practice can be done in 10 minutes or less from anywhere in your home.

Try it and notice how it sets you up to move through your day more aware, present and with less stress. The most effective practices are the ones that find a place in your daily routine.

Taken from “A 15-Minute Morning Ritual To Dramatically Reduce Stress” by Megan Roop

What you eat it’s FINE ... what you DON'T EAT can make a difference.

What would you think if I told you that what you eat is not what makes you sick. 

What would you do if I told you that instead of choosing a diet in which you have to avoid eating certain food, I give you one in which you HAVE to eat ...

Let me explain:

We are so used to follow diets that exclude certain foods and teach you to count portions every day. In my experience this rarely works and as soon as we lose the weight we wanted, we return to our previous habits and regain it.

We need a healthier way of life that is attractive, simple and easy to keep forever… yes forever.

Let's start by making a list of healthy choices:

- Water

-  Fruits

- Vegetables

- Whole grains

- Legumes

- Vegetable protein

I'm sure that we are missing at least one of these healthy choices. Pick one that you almost never eat and include it your next week´s menu.

I recommend that if you choose water, drink at least 3 glasses a day. If you choose fruits and vegetables, try to eat at least one cup a day. If what you're missing are whole grains and legumes, try to include half cup a day and if it is vegetable protein, try 30g.

No need to remove anything from your regular diet.

What is going to happen?

When you include at least one healthy option every day, you cease to eat a bit less junk food. Over time, you'll feel better and you will include more healthy options, progressively diminishing the not so healthy ones. 

After six months of following this method, you will have established a habit and your chances of success are very high

I know it will work ... begin TODAY.