BLOGS

Photo Credit: Pexels.com Entrepreneurs are notoriously passionate about their work. If you own a small business, you undoubtedly put a lot of your time and effort into ensuring its success. Unfortunately, that “all work and no play” mindset can backfire. Thrive Global explains that overworking can result in entrepreneurial burnout, causing symptoms like mental fog, irritability, and fatigue. Making time to invest in your physical and mental well-being will preserve your health. In the long run, this will also benefit your business. After all, you are your company's most valuable asset. You should protect that asset. This guide to self-care for entrepreneurs from TrYumph can help. Recognize the value of self-care. If you don't recognize the value of self-care, you probably won't bother making time for it. Start by reframing your mindset. According to the American Psychological Association, self-care has tangible benefits for overall physical and psychological wellness. If you don't take time for self-care, you run the risk of the aforementioned burnout symptoms, like fatigue. When you're in a rundown state, you can't perform to your maximum abilities. Both your professional and personal lives may suffer as a result. Carve out space in your schedule to take care of yourself. Now that you know how important self-care is, take steps to make time for it. Start by finding ways to streamline your business processes. While you might be tempted to do it all yourself as an entrepreneur, this approach is likely to leave you overwhelmed. Save time and energy by outsourcing basic tasks. Virtual assistant services can take care of tedious to-do items like meeting scheduling and answering emails. You can easily find professionals on platforms like Upwork where you can read reviews from former clients. Make exercise a part of your daily schedule. Once you've made some time for self-care in your schedule, find productive ways to fill it. Exercise is an essential part of mental and physical wellness. According to Medical News Today, regular physical activity improves cardiovascular health, lowers your risk of cancer and diabetes, and reduces your risk of anxiety and depression. If you're lacking motivation, try a fun new workout and nutrition program like those offered by TrYumph for added guidance and support. Invest in the tools you need to make nutritious eating easier. Diet is another important part of self-care. Everyday Health explains that a diet rich in fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins, and low-fat dairy provides your body's organs and systems with much-needed nourishment. Whenever possible, opt for home cooking over restaurant food. According to Harvard, homemade meals tend to be more nutritious. If you don't have time to cook while running your business, invest in a pressure cooker for fast and easy meal prep. Find quick ways to proactively reduce stress at home. After a long day of running your own company, you want to be able to unwind at home. Look for productive ways to reduce stress, such as self-massage or meditation. We Know Yoga explains that meditation is effective at reducing stress, especially when combined with yoga. This gives you a chance to reduce physical tension and unwind mentally. The deep breathing techniques required in yoga and meditation can also help slow heart rate. As a small business owner, you can't expect to efficiently run your company if you aren't feeling your best. Health is an asset. Safeguard yours using the above tips. Still struggling to get a handle on self-care as an entrepreneur? TrYumph Fitness can help. Book your free consultation to get started.

Stress is physical. It’s caused by physical phenomena in the material world. It manifests as a physiological response using physical hormones and neurotransmitters and other chemical messengers in the body. It changes biomarkers, neurochemistry, behavior, appetites, and our perception of the world around us. Stress can make us fly off the handle at something that we wouldn’t even notice in a normal state of mind. Stress can make us eat food we’d never normally consider eating. And, like other physical phenomena our bodies interact with, stress can affect our gut health. The first hint of this relationship lies in that split second sensation most people feel in high-intensity situations. You feel it right there in your gut. It’s a cue from the environment that things are going to get hairy for a little while, and you should prepare yourself. The gut is so central to everything, it’s our first real interface with the outside world. The gut is where food goes. It’s where outside nutrients or pathogens or interlopers try to gain entry to our inner world. The “gut feeling” is a Primal one that we cannot ignore. So what happens to our guts when we endure too much stress without relief? Stress and leaky gut. They used to say “leaky gut” was a myth. It’s not. In clinical trials, they call it “intestinal permeability,” but it describes the same phenomenon: instead of the tight junctions that line our gut closely regulating the passage of toxins, allergenic particles, and nutrients into the body, the gates are thrown open to allow anything entry into circulation. This can increase or trigger autoimmune disease, allergic reactions to foods, and infiltration of toxins and pathogens. The end result is increased inflammation and oxidative stress, and many other diseases and conditions linked to leaky gut. Stress and gut bacteria. Studies have shown that stress reduces the number of Lactobacillus species in the gut and tends to increase the growth of and colonization by pathogenic species—changes that correlate to many of the negative stress-related alterations to gut health and function.2 Many of these changes to the gut bacteria makeup stem from the increased cortisol and other stress hormones, which have been shown to have profound effects on the species living in our guts. Stress and disordered eating. There’s nothing worse for gut health than eating junk food, especially if you’re coming from an otherwise healthy Primal way of eating. But that’s what stress does to many people: increases their susceptibility to the temptations of processed food. When you’re sitting in traffic for four hours a day, that Burger King drive thru starts looking real good. When you’re working 12 hours days, the last thing many of you want to do is go home and spend an hour preparing a healthy dinner. I get it, I understand it, but the fact remains that eating that way is terrible for gut health and function (and you know it, don’t you?). Worse still, if you’re under a lot of stress, eating that junk food is less likely to satisfy you. Your food reward system in the brain grows duller, requiring greater quantities of even tastier junk food to satisfy its demands and “trigger” the food reward effect.5 What, besides “reduce stress,” can you do to improve or maintain your gut health in times of stress? Improve your sleep hygiene Melatonin isn’t just a “sleep hormone.” It also acts as an antioxidant, affects a whole range of health measures, and, yes, protects your gut against stress-induced alterations. The best way to optimize melatonin status is getting morning and afternoon natural light, spending as much time outside as you can, reducing artificial light after dark, getting a bedtime routine, eating healthy food, and sticking to your bedtime sleep schedule. But that can be tough, as often the source of your stress will also be throwing your sleep schedule off. Supplemental melatonin can help here. Take probiotics for stress. Remember how stress lays waste to the Lactobacillus species normally residing in our guts? Animal studies show that reintroducing some of them through probiotic supplementation can mitigate and even counter some of the stress-induced alterations to gut function, such as leaky gut and hampered motility. Now I’d love to hear from you. How does stress affect your gut function? What have you noticed? And how do you deal with stress, especially as it relates to your gut? Thanks for reading, everyone. Take care.

This whole year has felt like a continuous cycle of repetitiveness. Wake up, brush teeth, put on a clean-ish shirt, and begin the day. It’s become so monotonous that most of the time, you don’t really need to think about what you’re doing, you just do it. You’re on total autopilot. And before you know it, you’re scarfing down a low-fat muffin or skipping your workout entirely because your next Zoom call is about to start — even though you had loose aspirations of having this be the week you got up early to exercise or set aside time for a solid protein-packed breakfast before work. When you’re stuck on autopilot, you’re not consciously aware of your choices. As adults, we make an average of 35,000 decisions each day. And research shows that 96% of people admit to making most of them with zero thought. 1 I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard my clients say that they had no clue how they managed to polish off a whole bottle of wine in one sitting or they ate an entire bag of chips while binge-watching TV. And don’t get me started on how often I hear how tough it is to stop smashing the snooze button. Why You Feel Stuck I’ll admit it, change is hard. But it’s even harder when you’re running the show on cruise control. As I’ve mentioned before, the brain is always trying to protect you — it wants to keep you safe and comfortable. In this case, it develops an unconscious decision-making system to take care of routine tasks. Which is great, unless you want to change up your routine. Operating on autopilot looks like: Pressing snooze without knowing it Eating leftovers off your kids’ plates Buying the same foods at the store Realizing you “forgot” to exercise Checking your phone while waiting in line Blame Your Comfort Zone Once you know the simplest way of doing something (that could be feeding yourself, coping with stress, or ignoring your expanding waistline) your brain’s learning centers go into repetition mode and essentially shut down. Your mind strives to take the path of least resistance to conserve resources. It also craves routine. Because, generally speaking, not knowing what’s going to happen next is stressful. When you don’t have to think about how to do your to-dos, it’s a much easier request of your body and brain. You do the same thing over and over again, staying neatly tucked inside your comfort zone and you don’t have to put in extra effort or feel the effects of added stress or uncertainty. That’s why, if you’ve been continually beating yourself up about why you can’t seem to lose the weight or get in shape, your comfort zone could be to blame. There’s too much uncertainty! And really, I’d argue that 2020 has given us more than our fair share of that feeling already. But uncertainty does have its benefits. While stability is comfortable, it diminishes your ability to learn and grow. Again, that’s fine if you’re making your morning cup of coffee, letting the dog out, or driving to the store. It’s another thing entirely if you’re trying to move the needle on your health. How to Get Out of Autopilot Mode Making progress on your goals starts by moving beyond your current comfort zone. Because when you do what you’ve always done, you get what you’ve always had. Here are 6 strategies I use personally to get more comfortable with a little uncertainty. Change your Routine, Slightly I’m not saying you need to get up 3 hours earlier or overhaul your processed food diet overnight, but by making a small change to your day, you’re activating your frontal cortex, which starts to move your behaviours from subconscious to conscious. So, take an alternate route to get groceries, style your hair in a different way, choose the coffee cup you never use, or end your hot shower with a blast of cold water. Reflect on Your Wins Use familiarity and comfort to your advantage here by revisiting some of your big accomplishments. What have you done previously that required courage or learning something new? Often, people diminish their wins (or forget about them altogether). But realizing what you’ve bravely done in the past can build your confidence and help set the stage for future accomplishments. Find a Role Model When you look at your circle of friends, personally or professionally, is there someone who regularly pushes themselves? Someone who never settles for average and continually does things that leave you wishing you could do stuff like that too? Think of that person as a role model, tapping into the nuances of how they act, what they do, and how they refer to themselves. Before you know it, their influence will start to have an effect on your behavior. Sign Up for a Class I know we’re all strapped for time right now but consider signing up for a class or online course. Heck, it could even be a free 45-minute webinar. The point is, commit to an activity that’s going to make your brain work. By doing this, you’re activating your frontal cortex, which temporarily shuts down your autopilot mode and primes you for making a change that could benefit your health and your happiness. Call BS on Your Excuses When you tell yourself, “I don’t have time to work out today” or “I’ll start eating healthy on Monday,” start to become mindful of what’s the truth and what’s an excuse. Practice some self-compassion and understanding, and you might find that deep down you’re afraid to exercise because you don’t want to look silly or you’re not sure what eating healthy even means! Use this time to increase your awareness of the messages you’re sending yourself and what emotion is at the heart of it. There’s no doubt this year has sent us running for comfort and familiarity. But being stuck in cruise control — especially when you don’t even know you’re there – won’t get you any closer to your goals. Use these strategies to start moving out of your comfort zone and see what happens. Now tell me what you think! Has your comfort zone been standing in your way? Please reach out to us directly if you need help with your at home workouts or if you'd like to schedule a free consultation at our location in Largo Florida.

The holiday season is here, and although this year will look different in many households, many of our concerns remain the same. You want to know how to navigate your lifestyle of eating during the holiday events, what recipes you can make that are compatible; to talk about different family members that don't get it; and how to find the sweet spot if navigating your food freedom with holiday traditions and endless treats. Just like we believe there is no one-size-fits-all diet, we also believe there’s no one right way to approach these decisions. Here you will find different perspectives on how to navigate the holiday season and events. This will help you to align your beliefs and to confidently guide you during this season. #1 if you are hosting and have a different lifestyle of eating (whole foods) and your family is requesting culturally or traditionally significant foods that are not compliant with your diet. Mealtimes, especially around the holidays can be charged as they are deeply linked to memories and identity. For many of us, food is like religion and we feel deeply about how and what we eat. This is an opportunity to welcome the family member to bring their desired dish of choice, this way they can have the meal they want without a power struggle around the components of the meal. Here are few other options: First, make the dish for them, and simply pass on eating it yourself. Ideally, you’ve had a conversation well before the holidays about your commitment to whole foods and why it’s important to you, and there will be plenty of compatible dishes on the table for you to enjoy. It would also be easy to ask a family member to please bring that dish. Holiday dinners are often potluck-style events, so task someone by saying, “Your tamales are always the best; can you bring them?” The most inclusive option is to ensure there are plenty of dishes you can eat on the table (including mains, vegetable sides, condiments like salad dressings, and even a fruit-based dessert) and in the spirit of giving, let the rest of the table reflect dishes your guests will enjoy. #2 If you’re a guest and want to bring something that’s both “whole food” compatible and culturally significant, what would you bring? Start by looking for dishes that are either already compatible or easy to convert with a few small changes, like leaving the cheese on the side, or offering carrot sticks in addition to bread for dipping. Others may have whole foods hacks built-in, like subbing cauliflower rice for white rice. You can also begin by asking the host what they are preparing so that I can choose the dish that would complement their table. In my family, we love plants and spices–both bring any meal to life. You can also find tons of great recipes in our facebook group for many compliant recipes. #3 If your family is giving you grief for passing on non-compatible culturally or traditionally significant food because of your diet commitment, what would you do? Ideally you avoid this scenario altogether by having a conversation well ahead of the holidays. This is a tough moment. For many people, especially family, sharing food is a way of expressing love. It can be hard for the person who prepared the food to understand why you might turn away from foods that you have enjoyed in the past. Having a discussion prior to the gathering may be less charged rather than announcing in the moment. This allows time to digest the change as well as a less public venue for discussion. Share your diet commitment and the deeply personal reasons why taking on our program during the holidays is in your highest good. Tell your family the struggles you’re experiencing, and how the diet will help you be your happiest and healthiest during the holidays. Explain what kinds of dishes you’ll be serving, and how you’ll handle requests for non-compatible items. Offer options for enjoying their once-a-year preparations, like “Leave me a portion so I can freeze it and enjoy it later.” And remind them for you, the holidays are about spending time and making memories together, regardless of what’s on your plate. If your family does bring it up again in the moment, simply say, “I have plenty to eat here, but I’m sure it’s delicious,” then change the subject. #4 If you’re not on the whole foods plan and are embracing your Food Freedom during the holidays, what would your holiday plate look like and why? I construct my holiday plate based on everything I’ve learned from over years of practice, thinking ahead of time about what will be served, and making a general game-plan before I even sit down at the table. I know what will and won’t be worth it, based on the ingredients, the frequency with which it’s served, and the amount I plan to eat. I stay grounded in the fact that to enjoy my holiday to the fullest, I need to feel my best, with good energy, a happy mood, and a calm digestive tract. I build the bulk of my plate around foods that I know will be delicious and work well for me, then add my food freedom “worth it” items in quantities I know will satisfy without messing me up too much. Because I have a plan centered around feeling my best and I’m confident enough to not take a helping (or finish the dish) if I realize it’s not worth it, I don’t stress about food decisions at all, which lets me just enjoy the gathering. Stay strong my friends! Enjoy this holiday season. You got this. Train. TRANSFORM. TrYumph!

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