Wow - 2018 is gone and 2019 is here!

As I get older, it’s crazy how much faster time seems to go by. Do you notice that too?

For me, 2018 has been a year of trials and challenges as well as a year of overcoming and growth. Not too unexpected for someone who has become an entrepreneur for the first time in their lives just two short years ago, right?

Someone said to me several months back that owning your own business is more about personal growth, overcoming personal limitations, as well as discovering who “you” really are deep down inside, than anything else. I wholeheartedly agree!  

​I can’t even begin to express the ups and downs and tears and cheers that I’ve experienced in 2018. Through it all though, and regardless of which direction my business takes this year, I’m grateful for every tear, every challenge, every fear and every frustration from this past year, because all of these has helped me to become more authentic, more real and has helped me to discover more of what I really want (and what I don’t want!)  

As you take some time to reflect back on the past 365 days, what would you say were your biggest lessons, your biggest accomplishments and your biggest realizations? Even if you didn’t accomplish everything you hoped for at the beginning of 2018 (aka your new years resolution), what else did you accomplish? Did you take some steps to get closer to your goals or remove or add something to your life to make it better?

In my opinion it’s more helpful to look at what helped move us forward than what we “didn’t do.” In other words, to stop beating ourselves up for what we didn’t accomplish and instead give ourselves a pat on the back for the steps forward that we did take.

​Also - big thanks for being here. Thanks for attending a workshop, or downloading my guides or opening my emails. Thanks for buying a program or working with me one to one.

I keep showing up because I absolutely love helping women say goodbye to dieting, restrictions and rabbit food and instead learn to use food to fuel their metabolism, so they can lose fat, become healthier and feel amazing.

As I was browsing through my Costco magazine last week I came across “Four tips to make your resolutions work" from Tim Pychyl, associate professor of psychology at Carleton University in Ottawa. They resonated with me and I’ll share them with you here:

1. Keep your action items small and concrete. Our brains are biased to see concrete tasks as urgent, due today.
2. Take that next small step. Step up on that exercise machine. Even a little progress fuels well-being and motivation.
3. Outsource your willpower. Remove temptations from the house. Ask a friend or family member to encourage you and keep you accountable.
4. Self-change is a process. It’s usually two steps forward, one step back. Some days won’t go well. Expect that and forgive yourself for not being perfect. Self-compassion is key to transforming avoidance into a willingness to try again.

I shared these with you because they really resonate with me and these are all things I express to my clients all the time.

So, when you’re making your resolutions for 2019 (if you’re a resolution-maker, that is), my advice is to keep these 4 tips in mind and to also picture the outcome of what you want (see it in your minds eye) and also figure out 'WHY' you want it. Be clear on it. It has to resonate with you deeply, otherwise you’ll allow yourself to get swooped off course way to easily.

And if you’re like the majority of resolution-makers out there, there’s a good chance your resolution for 2019 is to either:

1. Get fit and healthy
2. Lose weight

Those are the top two resolutions I hear from people.

If you are either 1 or 2 above, then I want to help you get a head-start on your goals. I’m going to be running a FREE 5-DAY SUGAR-FREE CHALLENGE in my private Facebook Group “NUTRITION AND LIFESTYLE STRATEGIES FOR WOMEN” starting on Monday, January 7th.

This challenge is the perfect first step to your resolution because it will help you with your willpower!

WHY DO THE 5-DAY SUGAR-FREE CHALLENGE?

Well, willpower is one of the biggest obstacles I see from women who want to lose weight and then thing is, willpower will NOT WIN against a blood sugar imbalance! Most of us are walking around with one without even realizing it (because sugar is added to almost everything, and sugar creates cravings for more sugar!)

Eliminating sugar for even 5 days helps us to bring our blood sugar back into balance and to see what life is like without sugar behind the steering wheel, controlling our food choices.

​Once we’ve completed the 5-DAY SUGAR-FREE CHALLENGE, we can introduce healthier sweeteners and make better choices, so we can reach our health and weight loss goals much more easily – without the cravings for sugar and carbs calling the shots!

​Join me HERE. 

Share the Challenge with a friend!! - it's more fun that way plus you can hold each other accountable!

Also, a heads up that my "Group Online" SLIM DOWN PROGRAM will be opening up for registration in a few short weeks, and my "In-Person" SLIM DOWN PROGRAM is already open for registration at Peterborough Maximized Living. Both programs will start on Monday, January 21st. 

So, if you’re ready to make 2019 the year of saying goodbye to rabbit food, restrictions and dieting and instead learn to use food to fuel your metabolism, so you can lose fat, become healthier and feel amazing then reply to this email and ask me to hold your spot for the Online Program or call 705-741-4404 to join the In-Person Program at Peterborough Maximized Living. If you have any questions about either, simply reply to this email. 

Be brave in 2019. Take risks. Be more committed than you ever have been. And have fun!

Until next time,

May Anne

For the past 9 days, I've been posting a Christmas Tip each day for a healthy and happy Christmas season over on my Facebook Page. In case you missed them, I'm including them below..(plus, you get 3 days of tips early!)

On to the 12 Days Of Healthy And Happy Christmas Tips:

Day #1 HAPPY FEET! (This one is more of a challenge than a Tip, but helpful nonetheless!)
Your feet work SO HARD for you ALL DAY LONG. I’m challenging you to show them some love by giving them a little massage!

All you need is a tennis or lacrosse ball and a few minutes – you can do this when you’re winding down at night in front of the computer at TV or sitting at your desk (no one has to know!).

Simply roll each foot (no shoes!) on the ball for a few minutes. Go as fast or as slow as you want, applying as much or as little pressure as feels good. 👣👣

As you go, you’ll notice some spots feel tighter than others. Spend a little extra time on each tender/tight spot and let the muscles relax a bit.

The goal isn’t to cause yourself any pain...

You should feel like you’re releasing some tension in your feet as you go! It should actually feel really good!

Sometimes our feet can get so tight we don’t even notice they could use a little TLC.

You’ll be amazed at the difference this can make in how doing this will actually release tightness up through your legs and hips and impact the rest of your body!  It’s also a great preventive exercise for plantar fasciitis.

Your challenge is to get a ball and roll your feet every day for 3-5 minutes each!

Day #2: How much water are you drinking daily?
Here are some general guidelines:

• Take your body weight and divide it by 2. This is the # of ounces per day you should aim to drink. Clear urine is the key!
• Have a glass of water upon rising every day
• Have a glass of water before eating a festive meal

Day #3: Bundle up and get some fresh air.
I know, outdoor excursions aren't nearly as tempting when it's cold outside.

However, fresh air is a great way to clear the lungs and the mind.

We spend so much time indoors breathing recirculated air in the winter, and it does the body and the mind good to escape outdoors.


Day #4 Take vitamin D drops throughout the winter.
We need vitamin D for many reasons, including to boost our immune system (to fight off colds and flu's) and for our mood (ie seasonal affective disorder).

The thing is, we don't get even close to enough without daily exposure to the sun with our bare skin (no sunscreen) 🌞

A vitamin D supplement is essential to maintaining good health 👐

For access to practitioner-grade supplements (with specialty pricing!) delivered quickly and easily to your door, click HERE and create your very own account.

Day #5 Take a time-out!
The to-do list will always be there. It won't ever not be there.

In order to keep up with the many demands for our time, and be able to give the world our best, we need to take some time for ourselves.

Add an app like "Calm" or "Insight Timer" to your phone and set a notification for a 10 minute time-out each day.

Day # 6 Carry healthy snacks with you so you're not tempted to grab fast food when you're on the go and starving.
Healthy ideas are raw nuts & unsweetened raisins, home made energy bites, fruit, veggie sticks & hummus.

Want to make it even easier to eat healthy on the go? Click HERE.

Day #7 Keep your immune system running strong with lots of fruits & veggies and antioxidants Vitamin A, C, E and Zinc.
When we’re tired or stressed our immune system can’t function at it’s best, so keeping your nutrient intake up is imperative.

If you find you’re having a really hard time getting the recommended 7-14 servings of a variety of fruits and veggies each day (it’s hard for most of us even with the best intentions!) send me a message. I can help you easily fit these into your day (and your kids will eat free!)

Day #8 Eat breakfast!
Include a healthy fat and/or protein to keep you fuller, longer, set your metabolism for the day, keep your energy levels up and ward off cravings.

Click HERE for lots of helpful tips that will keep your energy levels up and ward off cravings!

Day #9 Include protein with every meal (vegetarian or animal source).
Protein is a thermogenic food and it takes energy to burn, so you burn more calories.
It also keeps you fuller, longer and reduces energy crashes.

Day #10 Make sleep a priority.
It's easy to become sleep deprived leading up to Christmas.

Late-night gift wrapping, parties and get-togethers are a lot of fun, however they can also result in a lack of shut-eye (leading to crankiness, loss of focus, increased cortisol, etc) 

Day #11 Don't skip your workouts.
As I always say, you don't have to go to a gym to get (or stay) in shape.

Hiking in the snow is a fantastic workout (just bundle up!), as is toboganning, skating and working out in your basement.

Make a commitment to keep your body moving regardless of the weather outside.

Day #12 En-JOY your day with your loved ones💓
May your heart and mind be filled with all of the JOY possible that this time of year has to offer and your tummy filled with delicious (and healthy!) food.
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We are continually exposed to germs and organisms that are either inhaled or swallowed. Now, whether or not these organisms lead to disease is decided by the strength and integrity of our immune system, which is our body’s defense mechanisms.

When our immune system is working properly, we don’t even notice what’s taking place. It’s when we have an underactive immune system that we are at a greater risk of developing infections and getting sick. 

Why we get sick

To fight colds and flus we need a strong supply of antibodies. The trouble is, we have many things reducing our antibodies, making us more susceptible to getting sick.

Things like STRESS - which includes:

• Physical Stress (exercise and sleep),
• Chemical Stress (pesticides and herbicides on our foods, processed and convenience food, our beauty products, the air we breathe, our water), and
• Emotional Stress.

Also, as we age, our bodies make less antioxidants. Antioxidants are needed to grab free radicals and detoxify them from our bodies.


How To Keep Our Immune System Strong and Fight Off Illness

Food gives us micronutrients and macronutrients as well as antioxidants (enzymes, vit C, E, beta carotene) that will help keep our immune systems strong and fight off germs and organisms.

We need 8-13 servings of fruits & veggies each day to combat Stress, Chemicals and Toxins. You might think that’s a large number of servings, but realistically, our life has become so polluted that we need these 8-13 servings to combat everything that come against us

Now even as a nutritionist, as hard as I try, I know I don’t get the recommended 8-13 servings of fruits and veggies every day, and especially not in a wide variety. Eating that many servings every day would be costly and frankly, hard to do with our busy schedules.

This is why I’m grateful to have discovered an easy and affordable way to get even more than the recommended daily serving of fruits and veggies every day through JUICE PLUS+, and my son gets them for FREE in gummie form through the HEALTHY STARTS FOR FAMILIES PROGRAM.

JUICE PLUS+ is great cold & flu season defense, and they make it simple and doable, even for the busiest of families and the pickiest of eaters.

They’re vineyard ripened and grown without chemicals and pesticides, making them the cleanest garden you could ever eat. Remove the H20 from fruits and vegetables and what do you have left? Nutrients – including healthful antioxidants in the form of juice powders that can be put into a capsule.

JUICE PLUS+ has made it super easy to get 20-30 different fruits and vegetables and all of their nutrients every single day! 

Intake of a dietary supplement from fruits and vegetables was associated with a 20% reduction of moderate or severe common cold symptoms days, meaning less getting sick and when people do get sick it’s not as severe or doesn’t last as long.

I can say this was true for me when I got sick this past Fall. I got hit hard with the flu (fever, chills, body aches, you name it) but the worst of it was over in less than 24 hours! By the next day I was feeling almost back to my old self. Years ago, that same flu would have dragged on for weeks and I would have missed a full week of work. 

For even more strategies to boost your immune system and reduce your chances of getting sick this winter, check out the video below by Ana-Maria Temple, MD:

PREVENT COLDS AND FLU - ANA MARIA TEMPLE, MD
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Boost Your Immune System Easily

If you want help to bridge the gap between what you should eat and what you actually do eat, send me a message HERE. You will get 20-30 different fruits and veggies each and every day (including all of their nutrients! in capsule form, proven to boost immune system function.) And, if you have a child/grandchild/relative over the age of 4, I will make sure they get it for FREE in a gummie!

Until next time,

​May Anne

We’ve had an early start to winter this year. In fact, it kinda feels like we skipped Fall altogether and headed straight for winter back in October.

The colder and darker days can be harder for some people than others and it’s usually because of something called Seasonal Affective Disorder or S.A.D. It’s generally starts around now in the late Fall/early winter and peaks between the end of Christmas and New Years  and the beginning of spring.

If you struggle with winter depression, this time of year is not always filled with joy and fun winter activities.  Instead, you probably feel like hiding under the covers until spring arrives in a few months.

So what is Seasonal Affective Disorder?

Everyone has the blues now and then.  But SAD is a depressive state that occurs seasonally, year after year, usually in the fall and winter.  If you suffer from SAD, you may feel perfectly normal during the spring and summer months, but starting around October or November, symptoms begin showing up.

Because this type of depression come and goes with the seasons, you may wonder if it is all in your head.  It isn’t. 

This is a real condition and can have a devastating impact on your life. Researchers still don’t know the exact cause of SAD, but there are some factors that seem to be involved, and they involve the decreased amount of sunlight that fall and winter bring. 

• Melatonin:  Melatonin is a hormone that impacts mood and sleep.  As the seasons change, your melatonin levels can fluctuate and may cause feelings of depression.
• Serotonin:  When the amount of sunlight drops, so can your serotonin levels.  Since this chemical helps you have feelings of well-being and happiness, not having enough of it can cause your mood to drop.
• Internal clock:  Some scientists think that decreased sunlight disrupts your normal rhythms of wakefulness and sleepiness.  The result is sad and depressed feelings. 

What are the Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

SAD will often manifest itself as feelings of sadness or depression.  You may feel as though you can’t get enough sleep—struggling to get out of the bed in the morning, feeling drowsy during the day and going to bed earlier than you usually do.
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Your energy and concentration may also run low, and this can affect your productivity at work and at home.  Of course, not having the energy to ‘get things done,’ only leads to frustration and more feelings of depression. 

You may also notice weight gain. Typically, SAD sufferers will crave foods high in carbohydrates and can gain between 9 and 30 pounds each year.

Now for the Good News.

If you think that you may be one of the millions of people who are affected by Seasonal Affective Disorder, you will be happy to know that you have many treatment options available. 

Try experimenting with different treatments until you find one or a combination that works for you. Some natural treatments include:
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1. Light therapy:  Up to 85% of winter depression sufferers are helped by simply sitting under a therapy light.  The bright light stabilizes the out-of-balance chemicals in your body, helping you to feel less depressed and more like yourself. ​
2. Vitamin D3: Vitamin D is frequently referred to as “The Sunshine Vitamin” because your body produces it when exposed to sunlight.  In fact, just 20-30 minutes of sunlight will produce 10,000 – 50,000 IUs of Vitamin D.  Why is this important?  Vitamin D is actually a hormone that has important roles in supporting a healthy heart, cellular replication, immune system, mood & mental health, muscles, blood sugar levels, and so much more. Recent studies also show that taking vitamin D reduces the risk of respiratory infections. That’s critical during winter because we don’t get nearly the amount of vitamin D from sunlight as we do in the summer.
3. Exercise is a powerful player in the fight against SAD.  When you exercise, your body releases “feel good” chemicals called endorphins.  These chemicals cause you to feel happy, confident and bring about a sense of well-being.  

You are not alone if you are beginning to feel depressed with the shortened days that we are experiencing.  

Experiment with some of the natural treatment options and especially start exercising.  Before you know it, the days will begin lengthening out again!

If you haven’t been taking Vitamin D throughout the winter months, I highly suggest purchasing a good quality brand and start taking it.

And, if you want it quickly and easily shipped right to your door, click on the link below.

By clicking on the link below, you will have access to a wide variety of high-quality “practitioner-grade” supplements through my account at Fullscript (with specialty pricing because you’re a part of my healthy community!).

To make it as simple for you as possible, I’ve created a list of my personal favourites under my “Dispensary,” so you don’t have to waste your time trying to figure out which supplements and brands are good quality. Any questions, simply email me HERE.

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Until next time,

May Anne 
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