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Many successful people use positive affirmations to improve their lives. Positive affirmations help you to let go of the hang ups that are keeping you from taking action towards your goals and to start focusing on the things that are leading you towards better health, and wealth. It can be difficult to wrap your head around using positive affirmations for healing, but they do help. I have used them as I eliminated my epilepsy with natural cures.

Words can be very powerful and when you see positive things such as this sign, you start to think better about yourself and your actions. Incorporating positive affirmations can help you take many positive steps forward with your health. Those steps will lead to improved health and wellness.

Why Use Positive Affirmations

Scientific studies have shown that there is a connection between the emotions, mind and the body. The thoughts that you think create a chemical response in your body.

The things that we think about tend to determine our action or inaction. This can either support or undermine our health. Positive thoughts can lead to positive actions. Our positive patterns of speech can help our immune system stay strong. You can harness this amazing mind body connection for well-being.

Positive affirmations can have a powerful healing impact on the body. They help you to create positive realities for your mind, and body through subtle energies.

When To Use Positive Affirmations

You should use positive affirmations as often as possible. You are retraining your mind to constantly think positive thoughts. Using positive affirmations frequently is important to change your mindset. This will help you achieve results as quickly as possible.

While it isn’t practical to be saying them to yourself 24/7, you can sneak the positive into your self-conscious in creative ways, so that you are surrounded by positivity 24/7.

Ideally, you want to make sure that you focus on positive affirmations at least once or twice a day. You can do this by making it a ritual to listen or repeat the affirmations at a certain time each day.

Creative Ways to Use Positive Affirmations

While it is best to create your own positive affirmations, [easyazon_link identifier=”B007O98NMW” locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″ cloak=”n”]purchasing a CD[/easyazon_link] of pre-recorded positive affirmations can be very helpful. Listening to a CD of positive affirmations can help them slip into your subconscious faster. You can put the CD on in the background while you are working, driving in the car, cleaning the house and even when you are sleeping. It is debatable as to whether or not it is helpful when you are sleeping, however, it won’t cost you any more to try it out and see if it helps you.

You can write out your positive affirmations in a journal. Writing reinforces what you are thinking. This can be a very effective method of cementing the positive affirmations in your mind. Take a few minutes each day to write down the affirmations that you want to happen in your life.[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”336″ identifier=”B007O98NMW” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/411sjjchJhL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”448″]

Post them with post-it notes. You can post sticky notes with your positive affirmations in places that you see often. Some ideal places to post your affirmations are going to be on the mirror, on your refrigerator and on your computer. You may even want to post one in your car. These are places that you frequent often and will see the affirmations.

One way to get more positive affirmations in your life is to have them flash on your computer screen. There is a software that will quickly flash positive affirmations that you create while you are working. It is not very obtrusive and you can continue to work while your subconscious is being programmed with positive messages for better health and wellness.

Examples of Positive Affirmations

Positive health affirmations are most effective when you craft your own. However, it can be difficult to come up with your own affirmations when you aren’t used to using them. One of the affirmations that I used as I was healing from epilepsy, was “My body has an amazing ability to heal itself.” Here are some other great ideas to get you started in crafting your own positive affirmations for health.

• My body is 100 percent healthy.
• My natural state is wellness, strength and ease.
• My body has a natural genius for healing.
• I heal fully and quickly.
• My immune system is a strong, powerful and intelligent.
• My immune system quickly eliminates invasive viruses and bacteria.
• All of my cells are radiant and full of vitality.
• I am deeply relaxed and at ease.
• My breath is deep and easy.
• My mind is peaceful and calm.
• My body is full of energy, strong and balanced.
• Every organ system in my body functions exactly as it should.
• I fall asleep quickly and easily and wake up refreshed.
• I am full of vitality, energy and life!
• I feel healthy and happy.
• My energy is balanced and freely flowing.
• I am releasing the attitudes, memories, emotions and habits that no longer serve me.

Conclusion

Positive affirmations can be a great addition to your wellness routine. Many people will sell you expensive health and wellness products, but one of the things that I love about positive affirmations is that they are free if you create your own and CDs of affirmations are inexpensive. They help you become more positive about the actions that you are taking in order to heal your body. 

Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts Review[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”500″ identifier=”B00H4H0JXA” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41RmHcl-JaL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”320″]

Name: Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts

Website: amazon.com

Price: $13.20

Owners: Manitoba Harvest

Overall Rank: 90 out of 100

Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts Review Product Overview

Hemp hearts are raw shelled hemp seeds. They provide a buttery, nutty flavor with a slight crunch. These are a great addition to salads, soups, and topping off yogurts.

Organic hemp hearts contain more protein and omegas than the same amount of chia or flax seeds. Hemp hearts are low in carbohydrates and fit well into the ketogenic diet!

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: Great nutty flavor, slightly crunchy

PRO #2: Excellent source of vitamin E. They have demonstrated an ability to reduce inflammation as well.

PRO #3: Lots of protein

PRO#4: They contain Omega 3, 6 and GLA in the perfect balance! They have been reported to be able to reduce cholesterol and lower blood pressure after three months of consumption.

The Bad:

CON #1: Hemp hearts are very small.

CON #2: The texture isn’t as crunchy as most nuts.[easyazon_image align=”right” cart=”n” height=”160″ identifier=”B00H4H0JXA” locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51Fg0Ro-NgL._SL160_.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”160″]

Who is Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts for?

Hemp hearts are a great addition to a vegan, ketogenic or paleo diet. Hemp hearts provide lots of protein, which will keep you feeling satiated. Manitoba Organic hemp hearts are ideal for people who have epilepsy and want to gain the benefit of additional CBD oils from the plant protein.

Individuals who love nuts will also love Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts.

Manitoba hemp hearts can be eaten by people who are unable to tolerate nuts, gluten, sugar and lactose. Currently, there are no known allergies to hemp foods. They are very digestible for people who may have irritable bowel syndrome.

Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts Uses
These work well in salads, yogurt, granola, salads and even soups! I have topped butternut squash soup, yogurt and salads with them.

Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts Price
These come in a 12 ounce bag for $1.10 an ounce. The bag is $13.20 on Amazon. The price of hemp hearts is comparable to the cost of other nuts.

My Final Opinion of Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts
I love them! I love the idea that I may be adding some CBD oil to my diet and preventing seizures in a small way with some nutty crunchiness on my salad. They are a fun salad topper and add interest to soups and yogurt. The flavor to me reminds me a bit of a mix between cashew nuts and sunflower seeds in a tiny package. They have a light, but buttery and somewhat nutty flavor.

Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts at a Glance…

Name: Manitoba Organic Hemp Hearts

Website: Amazon.com

Owners: Manitoba Harvest

Price: $13.20

Overall Scam Rank: 90 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT! I love these!

PIYO by Beachbody Review[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”500″ identifier=”B00LOXVVQ4″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51gB3QMY5XL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

Name: Chalene Johnson’s PiYo Base Kit – DVD Workout with Exercise Videos + Fitness Tools and Nutrition Guide

Website: Beachbody.com

Price: $145.60

Owners: Charlene Johnson

Overall Rank: 80 out of 100

PIYO by Beachbody Product Overview

Piyo by Beachbody combines the benefits of Pilates, including muscle-sculpting and core firming with the flexibility advantage of yoga. The PiYo DVDs crank up the speed to deliver a fat-burning, yet low impact workout. This workout leaves your body long and lean with plenty of definition.
PiYo by Beachbody includes twelve easy to follow workouts on 4 different DVDs. It also includes a quick start guide, a workout calendar and a lean eating plan. Additionally, you will receive a Buns Bonus Workout DVD as well as a tape measure to measure your progress!

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: Charlene Johnson is very specific and great at explaining the poses and exercises. She has a few different models demonstrating a variety of levels.

PRO #2: The exercises are progressive and gradually get more difficult as you progress through them.

PRO #3: Charlene Johnson emphasizes safety in the poses.

The Bad:

CON #1: It is delivered through DVDs. If you lose your DVD, you can’t do the workout along with Charlene Johnson. This is one of the advantages of subscribing to Beachbody on demand.

CON #2: I found the workout somewhat boring. It lacked music or stimulation while holding the poses.
Who is PiYo by Beach body For?

PiYo is for individuals who are interested in increasing their flexibility and toning their muscles at the same time. PiYo is great for older individuals who want to improve their strength without jarring intensive exercises that are hard on their joints.

PiYo is great for the runners who tend to shorten their hamstrings because it increases their flexibility and balances out their muscles.

PiYo Deluxe Kit Tools & Training
The training that you will receive comes from the DVDs, the nutrition guide and the quick start guide. You have all the information to get started included in this Deluxe set.

PiYo by Beachbody Support

This is a Beachbody product. You can contact beachbody through beachbody.com[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”500″ identifier=”B00LOXVVQ4″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51mY1tYitWL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

PiYo by Beachbody Deluxe Price
The cost of the product is $145.60. This includes 10 workouts on 4 DVDs. You also get a nutrition guide, a quick start guide a yoga mat and a quick start guide.

My Final Opinion of PIYO

I think this is a comprehensive workout that will lean and tone anyone’s body who decides to stick with it. It is great for the individual who is motivated enough to workout at home and has set aside time to put in the effort to improve their physique.

The instructors are very good at demonstrating the poses and explaining how to effectively. Charlene has a great way of encouraging you to hold the position until it really challenges you. This is important as many people may not hold the poses long enough to gain any true benefit from them.

As someone who was earned a Pilates training certification, I can attest that Charlene Johnson does a great job of explaining the yoga poses and the Pilates moves. Other users reported that Charlene was not annoying like some workout

This can be purchased from Amazon and you can receive it in 2 days with their prime shipping, so you can get started right away.

PiYo Deluxe by Beachbody at a Glance…

Name: Chalene Johnson’s PiYo Base Kit – DVD Workout with Exercise Videos + Fitness Tools and Nutrition Guide
Website: Beachbody.com

Owners: Charlene Johnson

Price: $145.60

Overall Scam Rank: 80 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT. This will sculpt your body as long as you stick with it!

With hectic lifestyles, sleep can be illusive for some people. Our minds tend to race, we consume caffeine and other stimulants to get going and stay going throughout the day. Sometimes these habits can take a toll on our sleep. Many people find it difficult to turn their minds off and get some rest. There are natural remedies for this common problem. I’d like to share the best remedies for insomnia that I have discovered.

1. Change Your Diet

The first step to conquering your sleep deprivation is to ensure that you are getting the proper nutrition. Many people are consuming far too many carbohydrates and caffeine to allow them restful sleep. Carbohydrate will interfere with sleep patterns by spiking your insulin levels. If you do consume carbohydrates, consider cutting them out a few hours prior to your sleep. Adopting the ketogenic diet is an ideal way to do this. You can check out more information on the ketogenic diet and menu items here.

For a long-lasting cure to insomnia, many people will do well to incorporate health fats into their diet. These help you fall asleep soon after your head hits the pillow. Examples of healthy fats that you can include in your diet to help you sleep better include:

• grass fed butter
• olive oil
• avocado
• animal fats from chicken, beef, etc.

Insomnia can be triggered by low levels of magnesium or potassium in the diet. These two nutrients together in the body. If you are deficient in one, your body won’t be able to use the other. Magnesium and potassium both play a role in helping the body relax so that you can fall asleep at night.
 

2. Reduce Stress

One of the biggest reasons that people can’t sleep at night is because they have too much stress in their lives. They are thinking about too many things at once! They may not be able to let go of worrying about their work project or their dog or kids.

Television tends to mess up your circadian rhythms. It can also increase stress when you watch news programs or shows that contain violence. These types of programs tend to excite your mind. The blue light from the television screen, or iPad, or computer screen tells you pineal gland that it needs to keep running. It messes with your circadian rhythms and cortisol levels, which in turn keeps you from falling asleep.

It is recommended that thirty minutes prior to falling asleep, you turn off all of your screens and start doing something relaxing. Some people take a warm bath, others read, journaling your day can also be very therapeutic and help you put your thoughts about the day down on paper and out of your head. Sometimes scheduling what you will do the next day can reduce the stress and worry about how you will accomplish it.

3. Hypnosis and Meditation

Hypnosis or meditation may be the answer that you have been searching for in terms of helping you relax to the point where you will fall asleep. Hypnosis is excellent at allowing the body to let go of the anxiety that not falling asleep creates. It can help to increase the amount of time that you spend in slow-wave, or deep sleep, by about eighty percent. Slow wave sleep patterns are great at improving your memory and healing so that you wake up refreshed and feeling restored.

Self-hypnosis is a skill that happens by listening to verbal cues, which can either be from a hypnotherapist or an audio that you play at your home. The verbal cues and meditative music tend to put you in a trance like state that is similar to being so engrossed in a good book that you tune out your surroundings. Sessions that are geared towards helping you sleep more deeply will likely involve a soft, soothing voice using words such as “relax,” “deep,” and “let go.” After the session, or even while listening, you may drift off to sleep. Although many people describe being hypnotized as feeling extremely relaxed, the brain is actually very focused and in deep concentration.

Some people are more suggestible than others and hypnotherapy tends to work better for them. This simply means that they can be more easily drawn into a hypnotized state. Don’t get discouraged if self-hypnosis isn’t working for you. About 25% of people simply can’t be hypnotized.

<<Step-By-Step Guide to Insomnia Review>>

4. Exercise

I know, it may seem like my answer to almost every problem is to get moving. However, exercise does some great things when it comes to insomnia. It significantly improves the sleep of people with chronic insomnia. Studies have shown that some moderate intensity aerobic exercise reduced the time it took to fall asleep and increased the length of sleep of people with chronic insomnia compared to a night in which they did not exercise. After 4 to 24 weeks of consistent, moderate exercise, adults who suffered from insomnia fell asleep more quickly, slept a little longer and had better sleep quality than prior to starting an exercise regimen.

The exact mechanisms of how exercise improves your sleep quality are unknown. One idea is that the thermal effect of eercise triggers a response in the body. Since exercise triggers a body temperature increase, post exercise the body temperature has to drop. This fluction may promote the ability to fall asleep. Additionally, exercise may reduce insomnia by decreasing anxiety, depression and arousal. These symptoms are often linked with insomnia. Exercise may also reduce insomnia by improving the circadian rhythms. Exercise may shift the time clocks of people with insomnia depending on when the exercise is performed.

5. Essential Oils Can Help You Fall Asleep

Essential oils can aid the falling asleep process. One of the reasons that essential oils assist falling asleep is that they calm the nervous system. Chamomile, which can be used in a diffuser or in tea, is one of the best medicinal herbs for eliminating stress and promoting relaxation. The chamomile vapors are recommended as a natural remedy for anxiety and depression.

Lavender oil is an essential oil that you can diffuse by your bed at night. If you don’t have a diffuser, you can rub a few drops on your neck prior to going to bed. Lavender oil has certain compounds which can relax your body. Taking a bath with lavender oil and Epsom salts can help you to fall asleep because the salts have magnesium and can help as well. If you are planning on using a bath with lavender oil, ideally you will want to start the bath about an hour before you plan on going to sleep. Use about twenty drops of lavender oil and rub it all over your body. Then get into the warm bath with Epsom salts. Relax for about twenty to thirty minutes. After the bath, read for about thirty minutes in bed. This should help you to fall asleep faster.

<<Click here for a Step By Step Guide to Insomnia>>

Steve Jones Hypnosis Review

Name: Steve G. Jones Master Power Trading

Website: betterlivingwithhypnosis.com

Price: $29.95

Owners: Steve G. Jones

Overall Rank: 80 out of 100

Steve G. Jones Hypnosis, Product Overview

This is a self hypnosis digital download or CD (depending on what you order). Steve G. Jones has a wide variety of self-hypnosis products that you can use in your own home. He implements visualization, positive affirmations and relaxing sounds into his self-hypnosis programs.

The session is about 30 minutes in length. You hear the relaxing sounds and the voice of Steve G. Jones as he guides you through imagining your success. It is recommended that you listen to the program for 3 weeks as you fall asleep for best results.

The Good & the Bad

The Good:

PRO #1: The audio does actually relax you very much. It can put you in a meditative state.

PRO #2: Steve G. Jones has a very soothing voice and the ocean sounds that he uses are very calming.

PRO #3: This is very similar to other hypnosis programs that I have tried in the past.

The Bad:[easyazon_image align=”right” height=”500″ identifier=”B008JTHJ08″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/61OjKTk4EPL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”500″]

CON #1: It is easy to fall asleep while listening to this. I’m not sure if that is the best thing to do even though he recommends listening while you fall asleep. I have heard two different takes on this – some people claim that you can’t hear anything while you are asleep and therefore your subconscious does not absorb the information and other people claim the opposite.

CON #2: I’m not entirely sure I was hypnotized. I sure felt comfortable and enjoyed listening to it, but I don’t know if I achieved a hypnotic state because it is a self-hypnosis program.

Who are Steve G. Jones Hypnosis products for?

Steve G. Jones‘ self hypnosis products are for the individuals who are feeling stuck with their progress of any area of their life. He has hypnosis products to help address your dating issues, weight, exercise, controlling spending, gaining wealth and more!

Hypnosis Tools & Training

The only tools that you need for this product is an mp3 player or computer and some speakers or headphones to play the recording as you drift off to sleep.

There is no training available for this product. It is simple enough to just listen to the audio each night for 21 days, or three weeks. He has a money back guarantee if you don’t see results in your life from listening to his audio.

Steve G. Jones Hypnosis Product Support
The support offered with the product is email support. He has a contact form on his website and if you have any questions or complaints about the audio, you can contact him. Here is the contact form– http://www.betterlivingwithhyp…

Steve G. Jones Hypnosis Products Pricing

He has two levels of pricing, a gold product for $29.95 and a platinum one for $79.95. I purchased and reviewed the gold product. They don’t appear to be much different. There may be additional hypnotic sounds in the platinum one, but it didn’t seem worth it to pay more than double for the cost of a self-hypnosis audio.

My Final Opinion of Steve G. Jones Hypnosis audios
I think Steve G. Jones does a great job of putting you in a hypnotic state and making suggestions to your subconscious mind. One thing that I struggle with is listening to it consistently for 3 weeks! That is my fault! However, I have listened to similar products with positive affirmations during the day and seen great improvements in my ability to stick with my goals and get organized.

Steve G. Jones Self Hypnosis Products at a Glance…

Name: Master Power Trading

Website: betterlivingwithhypnosis.com

Owners: Steve G. Jones

Price: $29.95

Overall Scam Rank: 80 out of 100

VERDICT: LEGIT – This is a great self-hypnosis product. If you don’t achieve results, you can request your money back within 60 days. I did notice some improvements in my trading as I listened consistently to the audio. However, my main problem remembering to schedule a listening session in during the day or turning it on as I fall asleep at night.

I honestly never set out to cure my asthma naturally. It happened organically as I was trying to cure my epilepsy. As you get healthier and healthier with your lifestyle choices, the health problems and conditions that you once had naturally fade.

Understanding Asthma’s Cause

As a child, I didn’t like physical education. I was slower than most kids. I would get out of breath quickly. One day, I got so out of breath that you could hear a wheeze. I honestly felt a little relieved that my mother took me to the urgent care facility near my home and they diagnosed me with asthma. At the time, I wasn’t keeping up with my peers when we ran. I knew another kid who had an inhaler at school and they were allowed to sit out of P.E. activities that were too rigorous. I was about 7 and felt like I had scored with this diagnosis!

Carrying an inhaler to soccer practice and swim practice didn’t bother me in the least bit. However, for some reason I never really felt like the inhaler gave me much relief. It gave me extra time to catch my breath as my peers and teammates continued to practice. I felt more comfortable, but I also felt like recovery from an asthma attack just took time for my body to adjust.

Controlling My Breathing

I loved the water. Summers in Northern Virginia were always very hot and equally humid, making a pool the ideal place to find relief. I spent hours with my friends enjoying our pool membership. When I noticed that some of the swimmers were wearing a candy cane stripped bathing suit, I just had to have one. I wanted to join the swim team. Not only to get the bathing suit, but also to test my speed and spend more time in the water. It was a wonderful thing for my health. My first day of swim practice, I was much slower than my teammates. They dropped me down a level and had me practice swimming one length in order to build up my endurance. I stuck with it and eventually learned to love it.

My asthma didn’t get triggered nearly as much during swim practice as it did when I ran. I still would finish incredibly out of breath and couldn’t imagine taking more than 2 or 3 strokes between breaths, but I was learning how to control my breathing and exercise at the same time. I still dragged my inhaler to and from the pool for many years, but eventually, I realized that I didn’t need it to complete a practice.

At the time, I didn’t know that by controlling my breath was so important. I didn’t know anything about the process of breathing or why swimming seemed to help my asthma, but running was so detrimental. I assumed it had something to do with the fact that there was a lot of pollen in the air. However, when I learned about the Buteyko breathing method, it all made sense to me why my swimming wouldn’t induce my asthma, but other exercises would!

Learning Buteyko Breathing

I first heard about the Buteyko Breathing method from a book by Kevin Trudeau called, [easyazon_link identifier=”0975599518″ locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]Natural Cures They Don’t Want You to Know About[/easyazon_link]. I googled Buteyko Breathing and discovered websites and some videos about how to control your breath to achieve optimal health. It sounded a little too good to be true, but I started doing it anyway. They had a guideline for health.

The theory behind Buteyko breathing is that all disease start due to a lack of oxygen in the cells. You can increase the amount of oxygen getting to your cells by slowing down your breathing and focusing solely on nasal diaphragmatic breathing. So, I set out to increase what Buteyko breathers call the control pause, or the length of time that you take between breaths. I bought the book, Close Your Mouth by Patrick McKeown, to learn how to do it and understand why it works. It explained it very simply. [easyazon_image align=”right” height=”500″ identifier=”0954599616″ locale=”US” src=”https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41nZfVMfhyL.jpg” tag=”mcurle08-20″ width=”331″]

I noticed amazing results in how I felt. My immune system was doing a better job at fighting off colds and flus. I was able to come off my seizure medication and control my seizures naturally. My thinking was clearer. I had more energy. My asthma was also non-existant. I learned to breathe through my nose as I jogged, which slowed down the breath, filtered the air, increased the production of nitric oxide in the nasal cavities and enabled a better gas exchange between carbon dioxide.

Finding “The Water Cure”

I discovered the water cure through Kevin Trudeau’s book as well. I went to the website and discovered that there is a theory that most diseases are caused because the cells are dehydrated. This makes sense on some level because without enough water to help with elimination, toxins build up in different areas of your body. The water cure hypothesizes that asthma is due to dehydration.

When I suffered from asthma, I would drink orange juice for breakfast, milk with cereal, and soda pop any time my mother would let me! I loved juices. Water was not my preferred beverage at all. After decades of avoiding water, I had a couple root canals and determined that I would heal my teeth naturally. I eliminated all other beverages besides water. I learned to drink water at room temperature. In fact, I learned to love water. Eventually, I stopped getting cavities in my teeth. My asthma stopped flairing up.

Conclusion

I believe that it is a combination of my Buteyko breathing exercises and a complete switch over to water drinking that has enabled me to toss out the inhalers and discontinue any prednisone that was prescribed for my asthma. I am feeling 100% better than I ever was as a child. I am breathing slower with much more controlled breaths that seem to nourish my body far better than any inhaler ever did! Not only that, but I can exercise with nasal breathing only and not trigger an asthma attack! The water drinking has saved me tons of money over the years on my grocery bill! 

I love the gym. I love challenging myself and upping the weights. I actually even like using exercise bikes and treadmills. However, I also like to believe that I am a very resourceful person. When the weather is too treacherous to leave the house or for those people who are not interested in spending their money on the gym, you need a good home cardio workout without equipment! As much as I love the gym, I can’t get there when there are two feet of snow in the D.C. area and everyone is being told to stay off of the icy roads.

Yoga and Pilates are great at stretching and working those underuti

lized muscles, but they don’t really do much for your cardiovascular health. Static poses and slow controlled movements don’t increase your heart rate very much. However, you can get a great cardio workout in at home with these exercises! They are designed to get your blood flowing and can be done from inside your home!

Stairs

One or two flights of stairs is very comfortable for the average person, but if you start to increase your pace and add more flights to your workout, you will notice that

your heart rate increases rapidly. You’ll also be working your leg muscles. This is a great alternative to running when the weather doesn’t permit it.

If you are using the stairs in your home, make sure that you aren’t getting in anyone’s way and there are no toys left on the floor from kids that may trip you up! If you live in an apartment, remember apartment buildings often have stairs in addition to elevators, so make sure that you use those!

Jumping Jacks

I love jumping jacks. They require you to move your legs in a sideways direction instead of simply forward and backwards. The arm motions will help to increase your heart rate quickly and you will discover that you have a challenging cardio exercise that you can do in your living room.

Doing jumping jacks takes me back to elementary school and lining up in squads while Eye of the Tiger plays in the background. It is a tried and true cardio exercise that

truly can be done anywhere!

Mountain Climbers

In a push up position, you are going to bring one leg towards your chest and then quickly switch legs. This gives you a similar motion to running with the added intensity of working out your arms at the same time. It is very challenging!

You can start with 10-20 and build up your endurance. Add repetitions of this exercise as you get stronger.

Burpees!

This is perhaps one of the most challenging cardiovascular exercises that you can do. You start from a standing position. Then lower your body into a squat. Place your hands on the floor and extend your legs quickly to get into a plank position. Next, lower your body to do a push up. Bring your legs back close to your hands and jump upwards back to your standing (starting) position.

When you start doing burpees, you may not have the strength to do the push up. It is okay to leave it out initially as you gain strength. You may not be able to extend your legs right away. It is okay to move one leg back into the plank position at a time when you are just getting started.

Combining the Exercises

Each of the exercises that I mention can be done individually or incorporated into your home workout. You can get creative with how you combine them. Mix it up to stay on your game of continue to increase your repetitions! Here is one of my favorite combinations. I start with the stairs and the I do a set of each exercise. Repeat the circuit 5 times.

• 5 sets of stairs (if you have stairs in your home)
• 20 jumping jacks
• 10 burpees
• 10 mountain climbers

This home workout enables me to get my cardio in when the ice is covering the sidewalks and it isn’t that safe to run in Northern Virginia. I’m sure there are other people like me who don’t like to go out in inclement weather, but still want to get their workout in. Mix and match some of these cardio exercises and you’ll notice some great results not only in your strength, but also your cardiovascular endurance!

You can achieve anything! You can get fit at home, you can heal your disease, double your income. Just set your mind to it! 

So, Jason Harvey’s book,[easyazon_link identifier=”0981363903″ locale=”US” tag=”mcurle08-20″]Achieve Anything in Just One Year[/easyazon_link] is a great little book with inspirational quotes to motivate you and daily assignments to get you moving towards your goal! That is one thing that I really need. I need nudges in the right direction!

I shared my goal on youtube for everyone to see. I have alopecia universalis and I want to naturally regrow my hair. I really don’t know how I’m going to do that. It is more of a wish right now. This is not my first rodeo. I have been down the elimination diet route many times in the past and I’m still suffering from it, so my case is pretty severe even though it affects a body system that is not essential to living. It doesn’t majorly impact my life, but I want to eliminate the condition entirely. This truly is an experiment in faith and determination.

I have a new favorite ketogenic meal. It is fun and festive. It is taco salad! Taco salad has tons of exciting flavors and there are a number of different healthy fats that you can easily incorporate into the salad. While my taco salad simply omits the chips or tortilla, some people have added a crunch to their salads with pork rinds. I have not tried them yet, so I don’t recommend it, but I just wanted to throw that idea out there!

Here’s my simple recipe for taco salad:

• 1 head of lettuce
• 1 tomato, chopped
• 1 avocado, chopped (you could also swap this for guacamole if you have a great recipe for that)
• 4-5 green onions, chopped
• 1 cucumber, sliced (not a typical ingredient, but usually one that I have handy)
• 1 can of olives, chopped
• 1 lb. of seasoned ground beef
• 1/2 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 cup of sour cream
• 1/2 cup of salsa
• cilantro (Optional. I know this is a seasoning that many people enjoy, but I’m one of those people who thinks it tastes like soap! To each his own! )

Directions:

Over medium heat, break up the ground beef into small, bite sized pieces. Season one pound of ground beef with two tablespoons of taco seasoning. (If you like convenience, you can use the seasoning packets from the store. If you’re like me and forget to buy them, mix up your own with the spices below!)

Chop up the lettuce and other vegetables and mix together. Top the lettuce with ground beef, shredded cheddar cheese, salsa and a dollop of sour cream. Voila! A fun, festive, ketogenic salad!

Another alternative if you are living with picky eaters is to chop up the lettuce and veggies and let everyone dish out their own toppings salad bar style. This was a favorite way to serve taco salad in my family growing up because there were six of us with our own specific tastes!

Taco Seasoning:

• 1 Tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp cumin
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper (roughly 15 cranks in a pepper grinder)

Mix together. Seasons about 1 lb. of ground beef.

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