Stop Comparing Your Body to Others

Archives for August 2017

Facebook, Instagram and blogs have all become a part of our everyday lives.

We all check in to see what our friends have posted and what people we admire have written.

But here’s an important question.

When you read a blog or scroll through your friends’ glowing photos, are you simply happy for them?

Or are you comparing yourself to what you see and finding yourself wanting?

There’s a famous Teddy Roosevelt quote that goes:

“Comparison is the thief of joy.”

Roosevelt died in 1919 — there’s no way he could have known how true his words would be in the 21st century.

stop comparing body social media

Social media has made it so easy for us to see other people’s bodies, vacations, homes, jobs, children, but this isn’t just about the Internet.

We're all guilty of looking at what our friends have and measuring it against ourselves. It may be a natural thing to do, but that doesn’t make it right or good for us.

If what you’re seeing is making you feel bad about yourself, it’s time to stop.

You may think that when you are looking at what others have, you are simply joining in their community and sharing their happiness. It’s easy to tell if that’s what you’re really doing.

If that’s the case, it doesn’t make you feel bad.

But if what you see is triggering a sense that you’re not good enough or that you need to do better, then you’re not just joining … you’re comparing.

Comparing can have two outcomes.

You can feel that you’re better than the other person, or not as good as them.

  • Both lead to disconnection.
  • Both lead to mean feelings.
  • You’re either being mean (in your head) to the other person, or mean to yourself.

So How Do You Stop the Process?

The first step is to realize that making comparisons is never a fair process. That’s because it is never based on reality.

You're comparing your worst view of yourself to somebody else’s best view of themselves.

When you do this, you risk falling short and driving your self-esteem and self-confidence down.

When you hear or feel yourself comparing what someone else has or does to what you have or do, you need to take control. The hardest part is recognizing that you're doing this, but once you start seeing your patterns it gets easier.

Arm yourself with some positive words, or images of things that you’re proud of.

Give Yourself a Pep Talk

Try saying these positive affirmations out loud to yourself every day. It may sound like you're lying to yourself at first but these affirmations are more powerful the more you say them. I'm a living testimony to their power!

<3 I am enough ?

<3 I am divine just as I am ?

<3 I am standing in a body I love ?

<3 I am living a life of abundance ?

<3 I am the very definition of success ?

? I am surrounded by love ?

? I am powerful ?

? I am creating my dream life every day ?

After you’ve stopped yourself from comparing, you can start over. Look again at your friend’s photo or post and use it as inspiration for happiness.

You need to be fair to yourself, and stop beating yourself up!

When you see others expressing how confident and happy they feel, let that serve as a reminder to feel happy about yourself and what you’ve accomplished.

Celebrate every small victory and most of all learn to love the body you live in. Every one of us is uniquely created in divinity and you are worth celebrating just as you are!

I've opened up (and spared no detail) how I overcame the death of my son, an ugly divorce and complete financial ruin in my new book, The Rise. You can order the book HERE.

Yours in health,

Danette

P.S. I hope you will help me raise awareness about this by sharing this with your friends and I'd love to hear your comments on this topic below. Have you caught yourself comparing yourself to other more often with the rise of social media?

Do you start your day with coffee?

You’re not alone.

Coffee is a $30 billion per year industry in the United States alone.

organic coffee

Americans drink about 400 million cups of coffee each day.

The coffee bean is one of the world’s most actively traded products.

Coffee’s big sales mean more than just great cafes on every corner. It also means that growers have come up with many shortcuts to help them grow it as fast as they can.

Shortcuts don’t make things better. In the case of our favorite drink, it may mean harm to both health and the environment.

Coffee is a shade-loving plant. But to make growing it easier, farmers cut down trees and grow it in full sun.

This destroys the homes of birds and other animals. It also means more and more chemicals are needed to grow it. Things like:

  • Fungicides
  • Herbicides
  • Insecticides
  • Pesticides
  • Synthetic fertilizers

Coffee is one of the most chemically treated crops in the world.

Drinking coffee treated this way exposes us to these chemicals. It also exposes farmers, pickers, and processors to these chemicals.

The impact of these chemicals is profound.

Coffee farmers are often plagued with health problems, including “dizziness, headaches, difficulty breathing and tightness in the chest.”

organic coffee infographic

How Can You Protect Yourself and Still Enjoy Your Java?

There are things you can do to protect your own health and the safety of people in the coffee industry.

The answer is simple. Choose organic coffee.

Coffee that is organic uses no synthetic fertilizer or chemicals. Crops are rotated to keep the soil healthy. The beans are clean, and so is the land, air and water around it.

As a bonus, organic coffee is better for you and tastes better.

organic coffee farm

Unfortunately, coffee that is grown organically is much more expensive. There’s a reason for that.

One report showed that farmers get 485 pounds of coffee from an acre grown using chemicals.

Only 285 pounds can come from an acre that’s grown organically.

Still, the cost is worth it.

Coffee beans that are grown organically contain higher levels of antioxidants. They're also free of chemicals and don’t have a harmful impact on the area where they’re grown.

Don't throw the baby out with the bath water and just stop drinking coffee because there's evidence that coffee can protect your liver.

How to make sure you're choosing a chemical-free coffee

  • Look for beans grown in traditional coffee-growing regions where chemicals are not used.

These include Yemen, most of Ethiopia, and Sumatra.

  • Even better, limit your coffee purchases to beans that are certified organic.

These are monitored on the farms where they are grown. Their processing, preparation, transportation, storage and roasting is also checked.

Organic coffee is grown with an eye to skipping chemicals and protecting the health and environment near where it is grown.

  • You can take your efforts one step further by buying “fair trade” coffee.

Fair trade products are those that ensure workers are treated well. Most fair trade coffee comes from small farmers who are guaranteed to get a fair price. They ban child labor and other unfair labor practices.

Both fair trade coffee and organic coffees have labels that indicate their status.

Does all this coffee talk leave you looking for a nice hot cup of java? My Super Healthy Coffee recipe will hit the spot!

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. Make sure you share this important info. with your coffee loving friends and I always love hearing from you in the comments below! Do you buy organic coffee now?

If you have cellulite, you know you’re not alone.

All you have to do is look around and you’ll see plenty of others who have the same lumps and bumps on their thighs that you do.

But just because you have this in common with millions of others doesn’t mean that you have to be happy about it!

Cellulite is one of the most-complained-about body issues, and that’s in part because it is just so hard to get rid of.

Some people say that once you have it, there’s not much you can do.

But is that true?

Can you get rid of cellulite with diet and exercise?

Or should you just accept it?

cellulite infographic

What is Cellulite?

People think there is something special about cellulite, but the truth is that it is just fat, plain and simple. The reason that it looks different from other fat is all about where it is located.

Because of where it is located, it pushes against the connective tissue, and that pressure is what makes the dreaded ripples under the skin.

People can have cellulite whether they are old or young, fat or thin.

It happens more to women than to men, but that’s because of the way we store fat – not about the kind of fat that it is.

6 Things That Make You More Likely to Have Cellulite

reasons cellulite

  • Not exercising or moving enough
  • Poor diet
  • Hormonal imbalances
  • Fad dieting
  • High body fat levels
  • Thickness of skin

Cellulite is a very hard thing to get rid of.

The only way to get rid of it permanently is to get rid of the fat under the skin.

Though losing weight can help, you need to remember that spot reducing is impossible. But if you build muscle in your legs while you reduce fat, you can make the ripples much less evident.

So exercise and fat loss can help reduce the look of cellulite. 

2 More Steps You Can Take to Hide the Ripples

reasons cellulite self tanner

1. Many people use self-tanners to make their skin darker, and this does help a bit.

Why? It's because cellulite is much more visible on light skin than it is on dark skin.

2. There is some proof that massage can help get rid of cellulite.

The idea behind this is that when you boost blood flow to the area, you get rid of toxins and cut extra fluid that may be stored in the area. You can use a dry brush to massage the affected skin. This is a short-term solution, but it can work.

It works even better if you combine it with a product that breaks down fat and softens and smooths your skin.

One of my favorite ways to cut the look of cellulite is to use a scrub that includes ingredients known to break down fat and benefit skin health.

Here’s my recipe for a great cellulite scrub you can massage on in the shower each day, then rinse off.

cellulite scrub

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. Share this encouraging information with your friends so they know there is a way to lessen cellulite and please leave me a comment below. Have you tried this cellulite scrub yet?

A lot of health experts will tell you to drink 8 glasses of water per day but I don't think that's enough.

You should really make drinking a gallon of water your daily goal.

A gallon of water sounds like a lot, doesn’t it? It looks like a lot too – 16 cups!

There are very good reasons why you should drink a gallon a day, and as soon as you start you’ll feel a real difference.

The first thing you need to understand is that clean water is a nutrient. It’s just as important as the vitamins and minerals that we strive to include in our daily diet.

But it also gets lost more easily than most of those nutrients.

water poured from pitcher outside

We lose water through our skin, when we breathe, when we exercise, and as part of our normal bodily functions. Because we can’t see that water is lost, it is hard to remember to replace it.

But once you start drinking more of it and feel the difference it makes, it will be hard to forget!

When you take in less water than you lose, you get dehydrated.

You need water constantly – your body is 60% water – but the signs of dehydration aren’t obvious.

In fact, you can be tricked into thinking that thirst is something else, like hunger, or skin problems, or being tired.

Being dehydrated means you’re operating below optimum level for some of your most important functions, including carrying nutrients to cells throughout the body.

The amazing thing about drinking a gallon of water a day is that you can’t appreciate how much good it does until you start doing it.

You’ll start seeing and feeling the results right away.

7 Things Happen When You Drink a Gallon of Water Every Day

1. Bumps up your energy level. You’ll find that you feel more spring in your step, and much more wide awake.

2. Helps you think more clearly. More water in your diet helps you stay focused.

drink gallon water daily clear skin

3. Your skin will clear up. The more water you drink, the more toxins you flush out. Plus, your skin will be moister and you’ll see fewer wrinkles.

4. Helps you lose weight. Water not only helps you feel full, it also carries out toxins that cause the body to cling to fat cells and boosts your metabolism.

5. Fights infection and disease. It carries out germs and bacteria and helps fight against colds, flu, and other illnesses.

6. Keeps you regular. The more water you have in your system, the more effective your digestive system is at carrying out waste, and the lower your chance of getting constipated.

7. Eliminates headaches and cramps. You'll be surprised how many of these pains and aches are happening just because you're dehydrated.

Since most people don’t drink nearly enough water in a day, it can be a big change to start drinking an entire gallon.

But once you start to make it a habit, you’ll find yourself missing water when you can’t drink all you want.

4 Fun Hacks for Drinking Your Daily Gallon of Water

If you don’t enjoy the taste or miss sugary drinks, try getting creative.

fresh fruit drink gallon water daily

1. Add slices of fresh fruit or herbs to make it more palatable. What’s most important is that you stick with it.

2. Mark up a gallon container with the times of day that you should have consumed that amount of water. Divide the lines evenly and know that if you're awake for 16 hours then make 16 lines on the gallon jug. Mark each with times like 8 AM, 9 AM etc.

When the clock strikes that hour you'll know that your water jug should be down to the corresponding line to stay on target for your daily gallon.

3. Play a drinking game to make it fun! This will be a much healthier drinking game than the one that you may have played in college. Tell yourself that every time a certain thing happens, you'll drink your water.

Choose an event that happens a lot in your daily routine. Examples could be:

  • every time you get an email, text message or phone call if you do a lot of communicating during your day
  • every time your child says “mom”
  • every time you see a commercial if your television is on during the day

alarm drink gallon water daily

4. Set a timer on your phone to remind you to drink every 10 minutes. There are even some water drinking apps you could try!

You’ll be amazed at how different you feel within a few days of starting so bottoms up!

 

I'm often asked “WHAT IS MY FAVORITE SUPERFOOD?” so I invite you to tune in as I share my very favorite one and a great recipe in this episode!

detox tonic recipeIf you love turmeric as much as I do, you'll want to try this Turmeric and Lemon Morning Elixir and my Golden Milk recipe too!

… And don't forget to grab your pouch of Earth Echo Golden Superfood Bliss

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. If you enjoyed this video, please share it with your friends and family and leave me a comment below. I love hearing from you! Is turmeric a staple in your kitchen too?

Have you ever had the “yam vs. sweet potato” debate?

You know, the one about whether the orange or white-fleshed vegetable is a yam or a potato?

Do you think you know which is which?

Chances are very good that what you think you know about yams is wrong. In fact, you may never have actually had a yam.

When you go to the market, you may see sweet potatoes that are labeled as yams, but the signs are rarely right.

The two are very different. In fact, they are almost nothing alike other than that they are both tubers that come from a flowering plant.

Difference Between Yams and Sweet Potatoes

  • A yam comes from either Africa or Asia and sometimes from the Caribbean. They're one of the world’s most consumed foods and have been grown for over 50,000 years.

Sweet potatoes are grown in the United States.

  • Yams can grow as long as five feet, but most are the same size and shape as a normal potato.

Sweet potatoes are the size of potatoes, though they may be a bit longer with tapered ends.

  • Yams have skin that is hairy or scaly like bark, and it is either black or brown. superfood yams sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes have skin that can be brown, purple, red, white, or yellow.

  • The flesh of a yam is usually white, purple or a red color.

Sweet potatoes can have flesh that is white, yellow or a range of orange shades.

Yams are drier than sweet potatoes. They also have more starch.

I should make it clear that sweet potatoes are a great choice but my point here is that too many people think they're eating yams when they're really eating sweet potatoes.

Most chain grocery stores don’t sell them, though their signs say that they do. Grocery stores use a lot of tricks like this.

In most cases, the items that grocery stores sell as yams are actually soft sweet potatoes that have deep orange skin and flesh.

To find true yams, you may have to go to an international market.

Health Benefits of Yams

Yams are:

  • an excellent source of energy since they're a complex carb with a low glycemic index.
  • a great source of soluble fiber and B complex vitamins.
  • high in Vitamin C and contain lots of antioxidants and minerals, including potassium, copper and iron.

They've been used as a traditional medicine for hundreds of years, in large part because they contain allantoin, which is known to heal skin diseases.

Allantoin is also used to treat respiratory issues like coughs and bronchitis.

Surprisingly, yams are also known to be a beauty product!

They're a well-known anti-aging remedy that fights wrinkles, protects from the sun’s rays and stimulates the production of collagen.

  • Some people boil yam flesh and then mash it with a teaspoon of honey to make a facial mask. Since it's hard to find yams, I make a mask out of chocolate instead.
  • Others use slices of yam and lay them on their eyes to relieve stress and remove dark circlessuperfood yams sweet potatoes hair growth
  • Yam are also high in vitamin A, which can stimulate hair growth and hydrate the scalp.

 

Yams must be cooked before they are eaten because the raw plant contains toxins.

Yams can be prepared in many ways, but most people believe that they taste best and maintain the most health benefits when they are roasted.

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. Help me end the confusion between yams and sweet potatoes by sharing this article and I love to read your comments below. Did you realize there was such a big difference between yams and sweet potatoes?

Have you ever heard of Neem? Some refer to it as the “wonder leaf” and you're about to learn why!

It’s a large evergreen tree that grows in India, Pakistan, and similar tropical regions.

It thrives in dry climates and sandy soil, and many think of it as a weed, but it's super useful!

For centuries, people have used Neem leaves to keep bugs away from clothing and food stores, as well as to ward off mosquitoes.

wonder leaf neem leaves

The tree’s flowers and seeds are used in soup and as vegetables.

The tree’s gum contains high levels of protein and the leaves are sometimes pickled as a condiment.

The tree has been viewed as a healing marvel that fights diabetes, kills bacteria and viruses, stops fungus, and prevents pregnancy.

It's also used to treat skin diseases and to improve the strength of hair and liver.

Most importantly, it is being viewed as a possible cure for cancer.

There have been a number of lab studies that have shown that extracts drawn from the Neem leaf have been able to stop cancer cells from growing.

These studies are early, and Neem has not been used in human trials yet.

11 Things Neem (the Wonder Leaf) Does for You

1.  Ulcer cure

The bark of the neem tree has been shown to cut stomach acid.

2. Antiviral

Neem leaf extracts have improved the overall health of patients with HIV.

This isn't the only extract that is more powerful than antibiotics either!

3. Oral Hygiene

Bacteria in the mouth can lead to plaque and decay. Neem can be used as a mouth rinse that kills these germs.

4. Pesticide

Neem kills lice and other pests. It also kills fungi. Neem oil keeps mosquitos away.

5. Skin Cleanser wonder leaf neem oil and leaves

People who suffer from acne have found that neem oil kills the bacteria that cause breakouts.

6. Wound Healer

Neem leaves can be made into a paste to treat bug bites and wounds. It has also been mixed with turmeric, a spice that has anti-inflammatory properties to treat itching and skin diseases.

7. Hair Treatments

Neem oil is used to strengthen hair and promote growth. The leaves can also be boiled in water and the water used as a rinse to fight dandruff.

8. Eye Treatment

An eye rinse can be made from Neem leaves to ease eye redness.

9. Lowers blood sugar

Neem leaves and bark can be boiled and drunk to strengthen the immune system and lower blood sugar.

10. Nausea

Neem’s flowers are said to help intestinal problems, including parasites, anorexia and nausea.

11. Cancer treatment

Researchers have shown that compounds found in the Neem tree can induce cell death in malignant tumors.

It may also prevent cancer from forming and stop it from metastasizing to other areas of the body.

Other studies have shown that Neem can boost the effect of known anti-cancer drugs.

How to Get Your Hands on this Wonder Leaf

If you want to use Neem for cosmetic or medicinal purposes, you should look for high-quality, cold pressed pure oil.

It is usually available online, as well as in Indian specialty stores.

It is very potent, and when used in its purest form may irritate the skin, so it's best to dilute it with coconut oil, mixing in a few drops of a pleasantly-scented essential oil such as lavender or lemon.

Caution is urged before using Neem internally.

Though it may seem like a miracle drug, experts advise that it can have harmful side effects. It is common for people to be allergic to Neem.

This can lead to hives, wheezing, and difficulty in breathing. It can also harm the kidneys and liver if not used appropriately.

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. I hope you will share this with your loved ones who may not know the powers of this “wonder leaf” and I love hearing from you in the comments below. Have you ever heard of or used Neem before?

Ask any teacher if the moon impacts how people act, and you’ll get a quick “Yes!”

In fact, one teacher I know says a full moon makes people act crazy. She says the effect is even worse on the parents than the kids she teaches.

Nurses will tell you much the same thing. They say more patients go into labor, and that patients with mood disorders’ symptoms get worse.

How much of this is true?

It’s hard to say. Many cultures and religions believe that the waxing and waning moon affects the fluids in or bodies.

They also believe that we become more or less creative with a full moon.

Scientific studies have provided conflicting answers but I'll leave it up to you to decide.

Let’s take a look at what we know the moon does to us, and how we can prepare and react to it.

6 Ways the Moon Affects Your Body

1. Women’s period may be tied to the lunar cycle.

According to a study conducted in 2011, there is a strong link between a woman’s 28-day menstrual cycle and the moon.

They found that almost 30% of the 826 women they studied had their periods on or around the full moon.

This represented a big jump from the next highest group of women and the association between another lunar phase.

2. Male hormone levels may also rise and fall with the moon’s cycles.

Studies have shown that testosterone levels fall with the full moon.

This can make men grumpy and prone to anger, mood swings, frustration, sadness and anxiety.

3. Some studies have shown that body fluid and basal body temperature is impacted by the moon’s cycles.

This theory makes sense when you consider that humans are 70% water and could be affected by the moon's tidal pull

This can have an impact on fertility and the ability to conceive.

4. A Japanese study showed that the closer the moon is to the Earth, the more babies are born. sleep like a baby moon affects body

The study followed 1,000 women whose labor was not induced. This study tracked the effect of a “supermoon” – when the Earth and its moon are closer than at any other time.

The same effect was not found from a normal full moon.

5. The moon has a strong effect on sleep.

It takes much longer for people to fall asleep when the moon is full than at other times during the lunar phase.

Some people believe that this is simply because the sky is brighter.

But studies have shown that during the full moon we have lower levels of melatonin, the sleep-inducing hormone.

Less sleep can have a profound impact in many ways. It affects our mood and our energy levels, as well as our ability to think clearly and remember well.

6. In India, many believe that eating certain foods in sync with the moon’s cycles can help you to detoxify your body.

This is based on the belief that the moon’s pull impacts the fluids in our bodies.

They suggest a 24-hour fast during the full moon, drinking only water, green tea and fresh fruit juices.

This is said to help flush out toxins.

Others encourage what is known as “moon eating”, which promotes eating organic, unprocessed foods timed to the phases of the moon. Moon eating is said to provide a sense of well-being based on mindful eating.

Many people believe that by syncing their lives with the moon’s cycles they are able to live in a more natural and connected way.

moon infographic

Want to try it?

Check out this guide to Moon phases and how to plan around them:

  • New Moon – The best time to get creative. Start a new project. Make a list of things to do. If you find you have low energy levels during the New Moon, some have found that fasting on water and lemon helps.
  • Crescent Moon – This is a high energy time, and the best time to bring new things into your life. Attack ongoing projects and take advantage of increased intention and focus.
  • First Quarter – Your power is growing during this moon phase, so create an action plan to take advantage of it.
  • Gibbous Moon – This is the time to focus on creative visualization. Focus on what you want in your life. Take the time to help others.
  • Full Moon – This is the time for reflection. Look at your New Moon list and see whether you’ve accomplished what you planned. Be grateful for what you’ve received. The Full Moon is also an excellent time to make important decisions and review what in your life needs to be changed.
  • Disseminating Moon – This is the time to let go of things that are hurting you or that no longer provide you with a benefit, including old relationships and habits.

More research is needed, but these theories are worth exploring in your own life to draw your own conclusions.

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. Help me get the word out about how the moon cycle can affect our bodies by sharing this with your friends and I welcome your comments below. Do you notice changes in yourself or others during a full moon?

When you were a kid, did you make your mom peel your apple slice snack?

Did you only eat the inside of your baked potato?

Little kids tend to avoid the skins, but as adults, we know better. Skins and seeds of produce are loaded with nutrients and that removing them loses those benefits.

A lot of fruits and veggies store most of their goodness right inside their peels and seeds. Those peels and seeds that often wind up in the trash are also one of the best sources of fiber.

So, which peels and seeds are best for you?

And which ones should you look out for?

peeling produce infographic

Apples

apple skins never peel potatoes

Apple peels are loaded with antioxidants. These may help prevent cancers.

They also contain pectin, a soluble fiber that lowers cholesterol and helps control blood sugar.

Apple flesh is loaded with vitamin C, and almost half of that nutrient is just under the skin. This benefit could be lost when the fruit is peeled.

The best way to get the benefit of the vitamin C and other nutrients is to eat an apple with the skin on.

Apple seeds are a different story.

Though they do contain loads of vitamin B-17, the pips (as they are called) contain amygdalin.

This can release a poison called cyanide if the seeds are chewed.

Swallowing one or two seeds is not a big deal. But if you chew a lot of apple pips, you are likely to get very, very sick.

Potatoes

Potato skins are loaded with so many nutrients that it’s hard to keep count!

Potassium, vitamin B, antioxidants and loads of fiber are all in there.

So, when it comes time to mash your potatoes (no matter which type you like), leave the skins on. And make sure you eat the inside AND the outside of your baked potato!

Avocados

avocados never peel potatoes

There’s been a lot of buzz recently about avocado seeds and the benefits they may offer.

Though there has been some preliminary information saying that there are nutritional values to extracts from the seeds, that doesn’t mean that the seed itself is healthy.

Even the California Avocado Commission has said not to eat the avocado pit, as it may “contain elements that are not intended for human consumption.”

Stick with the luscious green fruit for now. There's plenty to feel good about when you enjoy your guacamole!

Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a fruit that seems like a vegetable. Besides being delicious, they offer a ton of health benefits.

They contain beta-carotene and all of the other carotenoids in a single package that maximizes their benefits.

Tomatoes contain lycopene, which is touted by many as the best of all the antioxidants.

They fight prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer, and they’re rich in potassium.

Best of all, the part of the fruit that's highest in all of these nutrients is the tomato peel.

One of my favorite ways to get the benefits of vegetable and fruit peels is through a refreshing gazpacho.

Here’s a twist on the traditional gazpacho recipe that is quick and easy to make, and loaded with health benefits.

tomato gazpacho recipe

Yours in health and happiness,

Danette

P.S. Help me spread the word about peels and seeds by sharing this and I want to hear from you in the comments below! Do you love Gazpacho too?