conniekayash@yahoo.com

How to Improve Gut Health

As I continue on my journey to health I keep finding new ways of looking at the body and how to keep it healthy. This week I found some interesting thoughts on how to improve your gut health. Did you know Hippocrates said, “All disease begins in the gut”?

And while this may not be 100% true for every disease in every person, more and more research shows that our gut (digestive system) has a bigger role in many diseases than we used to think. And we’re not just talking about heartburn, constipation, diarrhea, IBS, IBD, etc. We’re talking about all kinds of issues like allergies, pain, mood disorders, and nutrient deficiencies.

There are a lot of reasons for this. Our gut is the portal to the outside world. It’s here where we take in disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and parasites. We also take in nutrients (and toxins) through our gut. The nutrients we ingest and absorb are the building blocks of every single part of our body. We’re just learning the connections between our gut and other areas of our body, like our brain (have you heard of “the gut-brain axis”). Not just our gut per se; but, its friendly resident microbes too. These guys also have newly discovered roles in our gut health and overall health.

So, let’s talk about the roles that our gut and our gut microbes play in our overall health. Then I’ll give you tips to improve your gut health naturally.

Our gut’s role in our overall health

Our gut’s main role is as a barrier. To let things in that should get in, and to keep things out that should stay out. Think of “absorption” of nutrients as things we want to let in; and “elimination” of waste as things we want to pass right through and out.

This seemingly simple role is super-complex! And it can break down in so many places.

For one thing, our guts can “leak.” Yes, like a long tube with holes in it, it can allow things to get into our bloodstream/bodies that can wreak havoc (bacteria, undigested food, and toxins). You name it, whatever you put into your mouth can be absorbed by your gut and get into your bloodstream, even if it’s not supposed to. And when your gut wall gets irritated, it can “leak.” When this happens, you get inflammation, which is a starting point for many diseases that don’t seem linked to the gut but have a sneaky connection there.

FUN FACT: About 70% of our immune system lives in and around our gut.

A healthy gut is not a leaky gut. It maintains its barrier and shuttles things through to be eliminated. Maintaining a healthy gut barrier is the first pillar of gut health.

The second main part of your gut are the billions of friendly health-
promoting microbes. Gut microbes help us digest and absorb nutrients. They fight off disease-causing microbes,

make some vitamins for us, and have all kinds of other health benefits, like mental health benefits, reducing

inflammation, and stabilizing blood sugar. So, keeping your gut microbes happy is the second pillar of gut health!

How to improve gut health

There are a lot of natural ways to improve gut health. Let’s start with what to stop. It’s always best to eliminate the cause, so let’s stop giving our guts junk to deal with. How about eliminating added sugars, processed foods, and alcohol? Try that for a few weeks, and you may be amazed at how much better your body (and gut) feels.

You may also want to eliminate other gut irritants. Dairy and grains contain common compounds known to irritate some people’s guts. Sometimes you only need to eliminate them for a few weeks to see if it makes a difference for your health.

By eating nutrient-dense foods, we allow ample macro- and micro-nutrients into our gut to maximize the chance for absorption. These nutrients help our bodies build and repair our gut, and every other body part as well. Some of the most nutrient-dense foods include dark leafy greens, colorful fruits and veggies, liver, and fish.

The second pillar of gut health is our microbes. By ingesting probiotic -rich foods and drinks, we can help to replenish our gut microbes. These are found in fermented foods like kombucha, kefir, miso, sauerkraut, and kimchi. Make these a part of your daily diet.

Whole foods are full of gut-friendly fiber. Not eating enough fiber increases the risk of heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity. Fiber plays lots of roles in our gut, including whisking away some of those pesky bad bacteria and toxins so they can be eliminated. Fiber also helps to feed the friendly resident microbes that help us absorb and digest our food better. What foods have a lot of fiber? Fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and even cacao.

And don’t forget the uber-important lifestyle factors like getting enough sleep, stressing less, and getting the right amount (and intensity) of exercise for you. It’s easy to forget some of the simple, but key links there are between what we do with our bodies and how well they function.

Conclusion

The function of your gut is key to your overall health. There are two pillars of gut health: maintaining a good barrier and maintaining healthy gut microbes.

The main ways to improve both of these naturally is by eating nutrient-dense whole foods. Foods filled with nutrition, probiotics, and fiber. And eliminating common gut irritants like added sugar, processed foods, and alcohol.

Three Must Eat Breakfast Foods

Do you love your breakfast? We do, but we usually only eat breakfast at home on the weekends when the Big Man cooks breakfast for the family.

Do you have a short list of “go-to” recipes? Do you need a bit of inspiration to start eating breakfast again?

Getting some protein at each meal can help with blood sugar management, metabolism, and weight loss. This is because protein helps you feel fuller longer and uses up a bunch of calories to absorb and metabolize it. So I’m going to show you how to get the protein, as well as some veggies and healthy fats for your soon-to-be favorite new “go-to” breakfasts.

Breakfast Food #1: Eggs
Yes, eggs are the “quintessential” breakfast food. And for good reason!

No, I’m not talking about processed egg whites in a carton. I mean actual whole “eggs”. Egg whites are mostly protein while the yolks are the real nutritional powerhouses. Those yolks contain vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and healthy fats.

Eggs have been shown to help you feel full, keep you feeling fuller longer, and help to stabilize blood sugar and insulin.

Not to mention how easy it is to boil a bunch of eggs and keep them in the fridge for a “grab and go” breakfast when you’re running short on time.

And…nope the cholesterol in eggs is not associated with an increased risk of arterial or heart diseases.

One thing to consider is to try to prevent cooking the yolks at too high of a temperature because that can cause some of the cholesterol to become oxidized. It’s the oxidized cholesterol that’s heart unhealthy.

Breakfast Food #2: Nuts and/or Seeds
Nuts and seeds contain protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Nuts and/or seeds would make a great contribution to breakfast.

You won’t be fooled by “candied” nuts, sweetened nut/seed butters, or chia “cereals” with added sugars – you know I’m talking about the real, whole, unsweetened food here.

Nuts and seeds are also the ultimate fast food if you’re running late in the mornings. Grab a small handful of almonds, walnuts, or pumpkin seeds as you’re running out the door; you can nosh on them while you’re commuting.

Not to mention how easy it is to add a spoonful of nut/seed butter into your morning breakfast smoothie.

Hint: If you like a creamy latte in the mornings try making one with nut or seed butter. Just add your regular hot tea and a tablespoon or two of a creamy nut or seed butter into your blender & blend until frothy.

Breakfast Food #3: Veggies
Yes, you already know you really should get protein at every meal including breakfast; but this also applies to veggies. You know I would be remiss to not recommend veggies at every meal, right?

Veggies are powerhouses of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, phytochemicals, fiber, and water. You can’t go wrong adding them into every single meal of the day so if you don’t already you should definitely try them for breakfast!

And no, you don’t need to have a salad or roasted veggies for breakfast if you don’t want to but you totally can! You wouldn’t be breaking any “official” breakfast rules or anything like that.

Adding some protein to leftover veggies is a great combination for any meal. Including breakfast.

I’ve included a delicious recipe below for you to try (and customize) for your next breakfast.

Veggie Omelet

I make this recipe using fresh eggs from our little coop.

Servings 1 person

Ingredients

1 teaspoon coconut oil

1 or 2 eggs
1/4 cup veggies (zucchini, sliced mushrooms, and diced peppers q
dash salt, pepper and / or tumeric

Instructions

Add coconut oil to a frying pan and melt on low-medium heat (cast-iron pans are preferred).
In the meantime grab a bowl and beat the egg(s) with your vegetables of choice and the spices.
Tilt pan to ensure the bottom is covered with the melted oil. Pour egg mixture into the pan and lightly fry the eggs without stirring.
When the bottom is lightly done flip over in one side and cook until white is no longer runny.
Serve & Enjoy!

Do you have a favorite breakfast recipe? I would love to hear about it.

~ ConnieKayA ~
A Southern Girl sharing her passion for living an abundantly blessed life.

Five Cholesterol Myths and What to Eat Instead

Over the last week I have been focusing on healthy eating. My main focus has been to eat a healthy, fresh, and low carbohydrate diet. Someone ask me about my cholesterol, why am I not focusing on eating for my cholesterol. The answer is if I focus on healthy, fresh, and low carbohydrates, I will also be focusing on my cholesterol.

Below are a few myths about cholesterol that will help you understand how a healthy, fresh, low carbohydrate diet will improve your cholesterol.

Myth #1: “Cholesterol” is cholesterol
While cholesterol is an actual molecule what it is bound to while it’s floating through your blood is what’s more important than just how much of it there is overall. In fact depending on what it’s combined with can have opposite effects on your arteries and heart. Yes, opposite!

So cholesterol is just one component of a compound that floats around your blood. These compounds contain cholesterol as well as fats and special proteins called “lipoproteins”.

They’re grouped into two main categories:

HDL: High Density Lipoprotein (AKA “good” cholesterol) that “cleans up” some of those infamous “arterial plaques” and transports cholesterol back to the liver.
LDL: Low Density Lipoprotein (AKA “bad” cholesterol) that transports cholesterol from the liver (and is the kind found to accumulate in arteries and become easily oxidized hence their “badness”).

And yes, it’s even more complicated than this. Each of these categories is further broken down into subcategories which can also be measured in a blood test.

So “cholesterol” isn’t simply cholesterol because it has very different effects on your body depending on which other molecules it’s bound to in your blood and what it is actually doing there.

Myth #2: Cholesterol is bad
Cholesterol is absolutely necessary for your body to produce critical things like vitamin D when your skin is exposed to the sun, your sex hormones (e.g. estrogen and testosterone), as well as bile to help you absorb dietary fats. Not to mention that it’s incorporated into the membranes of your cells.

Talk about an important molecule!

The overall amount of cholesterol in your blood (AKA “total cholesterol”) isn’t nearly as important as how much of each kind you have in your blood.

While way too much LDL cholesterol as compared with HDL (the LDL:HDL ratio) may be associated with an increased risk of heart disease it is absolutely not the only thing to consider for heart health.

Myth #3: Eating cholesterol increases your bad cholesterol
Most of the cholesterol in your blood is made by your liver. It’s actually not from the cholesterol you eat. Why do you think cholesterol medications block an enzyme in your liver (HMG Co-A reductase, to be exact)? ‘Cause that’s where it’s made!

What you eat still can affect how much cholesterol your liver produces. After a cholesterol-rich meal your liver doesn’t need to make as much.

Myth #4: Your cholesterol should be as low as possible
As with almost everything in health and wellness there’s a balance that needs to be maintained. There are very few extremes that are going to serve you well.

People with too-low levels of cholesterol have increased risk of death from other non-heart-related issues like certain types of cancers, as well as suicide.

Myth #5: Drugs are the only way to get a good cholesterol balance
Don’t start or stop any medications without talking with your doctor.

And while drugs can certainly lower the “bad” LDL cholesterol they don’t seem to be able to raise the “good” HDL cholesterol all that well.

Guess what does?

Nutrition and exercise!

One of the most positive ways to lower your cholesterol with diet is to eat lots of fruits and veggies. I mean lots, say up to 10 servings a day. Every day.

You can (should?) also exercise, lose weight, stop smoking, and eat better quality fats. That means fatty fish, avocados and olive oil. Ditch those over-processed hydrogenated “trans” fats.

Summary:
The science of cholesterol and heart health is complicated, but, there is a lot you can do from a nutrition and lifestyle perspective to improve your cholesterol level.

Why is My Metabolism Slow?

Lately, I have felt a little more tired, a little colder than everyone else, and I have gained a few pounds. I have been thinking about m metabolism – it seems to have slowed down.

So, why does this happen? What could be causing my metabolic rate to slow down? Below is what I have reviewed and thought you might find benefical.

What can slow my metabolism?
Metabolism includes all of the biochemical reactions in your body that use nutrients and oxygen to create energy. And there are lots of factors that affect how quickly (or slowly) it works, i.e. your “metabolic rate” (which is measured in calories).

But don’t worry – we know that metabolic rate is much more complicated than the old adage “calories in calories out”! In fact, it’s so complicated I’m only going to list a few of the common things that can slow it down.

Examples of common reasons why metabolic rates can slow down:

low thyroid hormone
your history of dieting
your size and body composition
your activity level
lack of sleep

We’ll briefly touch on each one below and I promise to give you better advice than just to “eat less and exercise more”.

Low thyroid hormones
Your thyroid is the master controller of your metabolism. When it produces fewer hormones your metabolism slows down. The thyroid hormones (T3 & T4) tell the cells in your body when to use more energy and become more metabolically active. Ideally, it should work to keep your metabolism just right. But there are several things that can affect it and throw it off course. Things like autoimmune diseases and mineral deficiencies (e.g. iodine or selenium) for example.

Tip: Talk with your doctor about having your thyroid hormones tested.

Your history of dieting
When people lose weight their metabolic rate often slows down. This is because the body senses that food may be scarce and adapts by trying to continue with all the necessary life functions and do it all with less food.

While dieting can lead to a reduction in the amount of fat it unfortunately can also lead to a reduction in the amount of muscle you have. As you know more muscle means faster resting metabolic rate.

Tip: Make sure you’re eating enough food to fuel your body without overdoing it.

Your size and body composition
In general, larger people have faster metabolic rates. This is because it takes more energy to fuel a larger body than a smaller one.

However, you already know that gaining weight is rarely the best strategy for increasing your metabolism.

Muscles that actively move and do work need energy. Even muscles at rest burn more calories than fat. This means that the amount of energy your body uses depends partly on the amount of lean muscle mass you have.

Tip: Do some weight training to help increase your muscle mass.
Which leads us to…

Your activity level
Aerobic exercise temporarily increases your metabolic rate. Your muscles are burning fuel to move and do “work” and you can tell because you’re also getting hotter.

Even little things can add up. Walking a bit farther than you usually do, using a standing desk instead of sitting all day, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator can all contribute to more activity in your day.

Tip: Incorporate movement into your day. Also, exercise regularly.

Lack of sleep
There is plenty of research that shows the influence that sleep has on your metabolic rate. The general consensus is to get 7-9 hours of sleep every night.

Tip: Try to create a routine that allows at least 7 hours of sleep every night.

So this week I am working on a few of these tips – adding in areobic activity and adequate rest. What will you do this week to encourage your metabolism?

Everything You Think You Know About Healthy Eating is Wrong and it’s Making You Fat and Tired

Oh my gosh – nutrition and diet info is everywhere!

And each expert and association tries to lead you in their direction because they know best and their advice is going to help you. Right?

Well, maybe… Everyone has heard (and maybe lived through) the intense focus on how much you eat. This has gotten way too much attention because while this does affect your weight and energy level, it’s certainly not the “holy grail” of health.

Let’s focus a bit more on the often overlooked (and proven) benefits of what you eat and drink and how you eat and drink it.

What you eat and drink
The “calories in, calories out” philosophy (i.e. how much you eat) is being drowned out with research on other factors that may be just as important. Don’t get me wrong limiting calories, carbs or fat can certainly help you lose weight but that’s simply not the only factor for long-term weight loss and maximum energy for everyone.

When the intense focus on how much we ate didn’t work in the long-run it wasn’t really a surprise. We kinda knew that already, didn’t we?

You can certainly still continue to count your calories, carbs, and fat but don’t forget to also pay attention to what you eat.

Ideally, you need a varied diet full of minimally-processed foods (i.e. fewer “packaged” “ready-to-eat” foods). This simple concept is paramount for weight loss, energy, and overall health and wellness.

Every day this is what you should aim for:

A colorful array of fruits and veggies at almost every meal and snack. You need the fiber, antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.
Enough protein. Making sure you get all of those essential amino acids (bonus: eating protein can increase your metabolism).
Healthy fats and oils (never “hydrogenated” ones). There is a reason some fatty acids are called “essential” – you need them as building blocks for your hormones and brain as well as to be able to absorb essential fat-soluble vitamins from your uber-healthy salads. Use extra virgin olive oil and coconut oil, eat your organic egg yolks, and get grass-fed meats when possible. You don’t need to overdo it here. Just make sure you’re getting some high-quality fats.How you eat and drink
Also, pay attention to how you eat and drink.

Studies are definitely showing that this has more of an impact than we previously thought.

Are you rushed, not properly chewing your food, and possibly suffering from gastrointestinal issues? Do you drink your food?

When it comes to how you eat let’s first look at “mindful eating”.

Mindful eating means to take smaller bites, eat slowly, chew thoroughly, and savour every bite. Notice and appreciate the smell, taste, and texture. Breathe.

This gives your digestive system the hint to prepare for digestion and to secrete necessary enzymes.

This can also help with weight loss because eating slower often means eating less. Did you know that it takes about 20 minutes for your brain to know that your stomach is full?

Thought so!

We also know that more thoroughly chewed food is easier to digest and it makes it easier to absorb all of those essential nutrients.

And don’t forget about drinking your food.

Yes, smoothies can be healthy and a fabulously easy and tasty way to get in some fruits and veggies (hello leafy greens!) but drinking too much food can contribute to a weight problem and feelings of sluggishness.

Don’t get me wrong a green smoothie can make an amazingly nutrient-dense meal and is way better than stopping for convenient junk food – just consider a large smoothie to be a full meal, not a snack. And don’t gulp it down too fast.

If your smoothies don’t fill you up like a full meal does try adding a spoon of fiber like ground flax or chia seeds.

Summary:
Consider not only how much you eat but also what and how you eat it.

Chia Peach Green Smoothie

Ingredients

1 hand full Spinach
1 medium Banana
1 medium Chopped Peach
1 cup unsweetened almond milk

Instructions

Add ingredients to blender in order listed (you want your greens on the bottom by the blade so they blend better and have the chia on the bottom to absorb some liquid before you blend). Wait a couple of minutes for the chia seeds to start soaking up the almond milk.
Blend, Serve and Enjoy!
Tip: Smoothies are the ultimate recipe for substitutions. Try swapping different greens, fruit or seeds to match your preference.
Bonus: Chia seeds not only have fiber and essential omega-3 fatty acids but they contain all of the essential amino acids from protein

References:

http://summertomato.com/wisdom-wednesday-salad-dressing-is-your-friend

https://authoritynutrition.com/20-reasons-you-are-not-losing-weight/

http://summertomato.com/the-science-behind-mindful-eating-what-happens-to-your-body-during-a-mindful-meal

http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/nut-and-seed-products/3061/2

What is Metabolism?

This word “metabolism” is thrown around a lot these days.
You know that if yours is too slow you might gain weight. But what exactly does this all mean?

Well technically “metabolism” is the word to describe all of the biochemical reactions in your body. It’s how you take in nutrients and oxygen and use them to fuel everything you do.

Your body has an incredible ability to grow, heal, and generally stay alive. And without this amazing biochemistry you would not be possible.

Metabolism includes how the cells in your body:

Allow activities you can control (e.g. physical activity etc.).
Allow activities you can’t control (e.g. heart beat, wound healing, processing of nutrients & toxins, etc.).
Allow storage of excess energy for later.

So when you put all of these processes together into your metabolism you can imagine that these processes can work too quickly, too slowly, or just right.

Which brings us to the “metabolic rate”.

Metabolic rate
This is how fast your metabolism works and is measured in calories (yup, those calories!).

The calories you eat can go to one of three places:

Work (i.e. exercise and other activity).
Heat (i.e. from all those biochemical reactions).
Storage (i.e. extra leftover “unburned” calories stored as fat).

As you can imagine the more calories you burn at work or creating heat the easier it is to lose weight and keep it off because there will be fewer “leftover” calories to store for later.

There are a couple of different ways to measure metabolic rate. One is the “resting metabolic rate” (RMR) which is how much energy your body uses when you’re not being physically active.

The other is the “total daily energy expenditure” (TDEE) which measures both the resting metabolic rate as well as the energy used for “work” (e.g. exercise) throughout a 24-hour period.

What affects your metabolic rate?
In a nutshell: a lot!

The first thing you may think of is your thyroid. This gland at the front of your throat releases hormones to tell your body to “speed up” your metabolism. Of course, the more thyroid hormone there is the faster things will work and the more calories you’ll burn.

But that’s not the only thing that affects your metabolic rate.

How big you are counts too!

Larger people have higher metabolic rates, but your body composition is crucial!

As you can imagine muscles that actively move and do work need more energy than fat does. So the more lean muscle mass you have the more energy your body will burn and the higher your metabolic rate will be. Even when you’re not working out.

This is exactly why weight training is often recommended as a part of a weight loss program. Because you want muscles to be burning those calories for you.

The thing is, when people lose weight their metabolic rate often slows down which you don’t want to happen. So you definitely want to offset that with more muscle mass.

Aerobic exercise also temporarily increases your metabolic rate. Your muscles are burning fuel to move so they’re doing “work”.

The type of food you eat also affects your metabolic rate!

Your body actually burns calories to absorb, digest, and metabolize your food. This is called the “thermic effect of food” (TEF).

You can use it to your advantage when you understand how your body metabolizes foods differently.

Fats, for example, increase your TEF by 0-3%; carbs increase it by 5-10%, and protein increases it by 15-30%. By trading some of your fat or carbs for lean protein you can slightly increase your metabolic rate.

Another bonus of protein is that your muscles need it to grow. By working them out and feeding them what they need they will help you to lose weight and keep it off.

And don’t forget the mind-body connection. There is plenty of research that shows the influence that things like stress and sleep have on the metabolic rate.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to metabolism and how so many different things can work to increase (or decrease) your metabolic rate.

(Lean Protein): Lemon Herb Roasted Chicken Breasts

This is a simple recipe that can be prepared for a healthy lunch or dinner. You can also slice the chicken breast to add to a salad.

Ingredients

2 each lemons, sliced
1 tbsp rosemary
1 tbsp thyme
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
4 each chicken breasts (boneless, skinless)
1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425F. Layer ½ of the lemon slices on the bottom of a baking dish. Sprinkle with ½ of the herbs and ½ of the sliced garlic.
Place the chicken breasts on top and sprinkle salt & pepper. Place remaining lemon, herbs and garlic on top of the chicken. Drizzle with olive oil. Cover with a lid or foil.
Bake for 45 minutes until chicken is cooked through. If you want the chicken to be a bit more “roasty” then remove the lid/foil and broil for another few minutes (watching carefully not to burn it).

References:
http://www.precisionnutrition.com/all-about-energy-balance

https://authoritynutrition.com/10-ways-to-boost-metabolism/

A Year End Review and 2018’s One Little Word

As we start a new year, I am amazed at the blessings of 2017. This past year has been a year growth, professionally and personally.

My family practice grew. I found my rhythm to streamline documentation (i.e. paperwork). I was blessed with awesome staff and patients. As an added bonus my oldest daughter came to work at the clinic. This has been a blessing, seeing her every day and watching her grow into a professional young woman makes my heart happy.

After many years of discussing and pushing my oldest to coach,
my son and I opened Faultline Athletics. During the remodeling of the building and installing the equipment, I could not have been prouder of family and the work they did together.

My youngest son who loves anything with wheels started the build on his rock crawler and Black Sheep Rock Racing was born. We plan to start racing in 2018.

Our family lost a friend and a valuable part of our business team in March, but we have found new footing and continued to grow our boarding business. Bed and Biscuit Boarding has also proven to be a valuable resource for assisting the local humane society with housing.

We have been able to keep my Dad in our home, his mental decline has continued but we have been blessed with an awesome people who stay with Dad during the day and help keep my house and pets clean, safe, and healthy.

My youngest daughter and her husband did not let a chronic illness slow them down. Watching them take the vacations of their dreams, building a life tog

ether makes proud and thankful they have each other.

Our middle son who was driving over an hour to work got a job locally. To some, a new job does not seem like a big deal, but having him home with his boys is a blessing.

My husband and I both accepted board positions with volunteer organizations we feel are beneficial to our community. We both believe as did Mahatma Gandhi, we should “be the change that you wish to see in the world.”

I can say 2017 was a good year for my family but it was also a very busy year. As I begin 2018 I am going to focus on the word, Simplify. With Simplify as my One Little Word for 2017, I’m looking forward to a simple, intentional, meaningful, purposeful, life-giving, impactful, focused year.

I hope you will check back, I would feel blessed to share my simplified life with you. Leave a comment to let me know how you plan to spend 2018.

~ ConnieKayA ~
A Southern Girl sharing her passion for living an abundantly blessed life.

Negative Feelings and Disasters

This past week, as I watched the disaster in Texas unfold and worried about my family living in and around the Houston area – I had periods of time when I felt anxious, anger, sadness, and guilt. I felt the need to watch the stories of rescues and devastation.

I begin planning for my family to have an evacuation plan should we ever experience the need to evacuate with our pets.

The feelings I have experienced started to interfere with my sleep. I would wake up at night worried, sad, and even fearful that my home could be lost like those in Texas.

As I tried to make sense of my feelings and fears, I realized that we can experience posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic stress (PTS) without ever leaving our homes. These mental health disorders can occur from watching terrorism and natural disasters on television and social media.

Symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and posttraumatic stress (PTS) include depression, anxiety, and stress reactions. Some studies indicate that PTSD / PTS occurs in 61% of people who view disaster events on television. Depression, fear, and anger occur in 16% of the population who watch disaster events on television.

So how do we move forward?
Limiting the time spent on social media will minimize what we feed our brains. For me, I limited my social media to twice a day – I turned off Fox News. I texted family members and asked them to keep me posted of any changes in their situations, this helped me stay off of social media.

I also prayed – I turned my negative feelings, anger, fear and anxiety over to a higher power. There are some things in life I cannot control, and Mother Nature is one of them. The one thing I can control is how I react. We are not guaranteed our next breath, so wasting our time worrying about things we cannot control, is time we may never get to spend on something of meaning.

It is hard to move forward, even if my home was never flooded and my family was safe throughout the vent. I still have an urge to head to Texas and volunteer. I still want to buy a large enclosed trailer to move my animals. But just like the recovery effort in Texas – my recovery will take time.

I would love to hear from you if you have experienced stress from watching Hurricane Harvey.

~ ConnieKayA ~
A Southern Girl sharing her passion for living an abundantly blessed life

Old Goals Become New Habits

Over the years I have tried to incorporate mediation and yoga into my health plan. But, consistency has been an issue. See – I start things and soon other obligations get in the way and I let the focus on my health go on the back-burner.

This week I have made a commitment to get more sleep and to incorporate meditation into my daily schedule. Sleep is easy – I spent the day in the recliner dozing. My plan is to be in bed by 10:30 each night – this is two or more hours earlier than my normal bedtime.

Meditation is not as easy for me, to incorporate mediation into my life I have to create time and learn how to slow my hummingbird brain.

To help me focus on not thinking I am using a program called, Calm Calm is a mindfulness app that is simple to use and helps me focus on me and not the other hundred of things screaming for my attention.

Calm also allows me to track my progress. As a visual person who loves my planner and to-do-list, being able to track my progress is a bonus.

I would love to hear how you incorporate mediation into your life-
~ ConnieKayA ~
A Southern Girl sharing her passion for living an abundantly blessed life

Building a Family Business

Never in my wildest dreams did I see myself owning two family businesses. My husband and I opened Bed and Biscuit Boarding two years ago. In March of this year, my son and I opened Faultline Athletics, a baseball training facility.

We found a building and opened Faultline Athletics, in 45 days. We have laughed, cried, prayed, argued and learned about working together as a family.

Did you know: Family businesses account for two-thirds of all companies worldwide and create 50 to 80 percent of jobs in most countries, according to the Family firm Institute, a global association of family business professionals.
As I think about the last few months – there are a few things I want to share with you about owning a family business.

Roles and responsibilities should be clarified.
Boundaries are essential when working with family. The more clearly defined everyone’s job description, the less room you’ll have for workplace conflict.
Everyone should be on the same page.
For a company to succeed, relatives who take leadership or support roles need to respect and abide by the overriding business goals.
You should separate work and home life.
Leaving work at work is a challenge. But try living with your cofounder or direct reports — or spending holidays, birthdays and summer barbecues with them. To avoid feeling like you are on the job 24/7, maintain a “no shop talk”at family gatherings.
Always enjoy your time together
We are blessed to be able to talk daily, watch each other grow, and build a future together.
(Pictured is Faultline Baseball 14U USSSA World Champions).

I would love to hear your tips for owning a family business.
~ ConnieKayA ~
A Southern Girl sharing her passion for living an abundantly blessed life.