Work-Life Balance or Life-Work Balance: Is there a difference?

The buzzwords of Work-Life balance get thrown around all the time - something that we are all searching for - like the Holy Grail!  The elusive "state of being" but do we really know what that looks like for us?  I know from talking to people, defining it usually doesn't come up in the conversation.  When you think about it, it would actually different for each person so knowing what you want that balance to look like is the first step in achieving it.  For me, first off, I want to define it as Life-Work Balance to put the emphasis on Life or Living.  To be honest, I've never really defined it myself.  I once read something in my dear friend Jill's yoga studio by a master teacher that said something to the effect of "when work is play and play is work, then you have mastered the balance".  I think for me that is partly true, but utimately, my idea of play has nothing to with being on a computer so although I enjoy writing and creating blogs such as this, this is not play, it is work.




My husband and I were in Italy recently and decided to rent a scooter for a day or two.  When we finally found a place - the only one in about 50km radius of where we were staying, it was closed as indicated by the sign shown here.  When it did open, we were disappointed to learn that, for reasons our limited Italian did not allow us to understand (something to do with the weather we thought) none were available to rent for the rest of the week.  But you'll note the standard hours of operation - everyday closed between 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. for their long lunch.  In my world of coaching clients, rest and digest is the standard saying to improve people's digestion. This long lunch would certainly allow for that and focus on Life-Work Balance: with the focus on Life, and health.

Italy is also the originating country of the Slow Food Movement:  to focus on food and the preparation of meals as a time for family and friends to gather, to share company and conversations, to learn food preparation and cooking techniques that are getting lost from one generation to the next. Restaurants that we went to on our trip still embrace the three hour sitting for meals and nothing is rushed in a good restaurant.  Even our favourite Foccaceria's and "fast food" meal stops, had the freshest of food prepared from scratch.  I love that these trends have been embraced by so many in the food industry in North America, notably in the last 5 years.  I still feel we have a long way to go to embrace this at home and with Families.  When companies allow more work from home to cut down on people's commutes, the work day maybe set to 6 instead of 8 hours and 6-8 weeks of vacation become the norm (as most European countries have), then perhaps overall, more people in North America will feel they are able to actually experience that elusive Life-Work balance and feel like they are really living!

As we move into September and typically a very busy time of year for most people, I encourage you to think about what Life-Work Balance is for you and a few small steps you can begin to take to achieve it.

Remove the Cobwebs in Your Head With Citicoline

As we age, many of us become more concerned with things like memory, decision-making, and cognitive function. To address this problem, we must consider one of the most important organs in our body—the brain.

Brain Cell

It’s no secret that the brain’s important functions can decline over time due to factors like age, stress, or lack of sleep. Luckily, sustaining optimal brain performance doesn’t have to be difficult; you can start by increasing one very important brain-boosting nutrient found in Brain Boost & Renewal™: citicoline.

Citicoline Studies

More specifically, citicoline, also known as cytidine diphosphocholine or CDP-citicoline, is important for maintaining optimal brain health and has been clinically demonstrated to increase cognition, boost function, and offer neuroprotective benefits (1). While citicoline and its precursors are available from dietary sources such as beef tongue or liver, which are not typical in the modern American diet, supplementation is a great alternative.

Several studies have documented the brain-health benefits of citicoline. In one study published in 2008, researchers found that citicoline increased metabolism of phospholipids and promoted healthy brain activity in older adults (2).

More recently, two other studies conducted by researchers from the University of Utah’s Brain Institute found that citicoline yielded positive benefits in both healthy males and females.

In the first study, which was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled three-arm study, women between the ages of 40 and 60 who received either 250 or 500 mg of citicoline per day demonstrated significant cognitive improvements after 28 days of supplementation over the placebo (3).

In the second study, 75 healthy young men were randomly assigned to either citicoline supplementation at either 250 or 500 mg or a placebo. Over a four-week study, those who received citicoline showed improved attention, cognition speed, and accuracy compared to those who received the placebo (4).

How Citicoline Works

One mechanism underlying citicoline’s brain-supportive effects is likely its influence on the neurotransmitter dopamine. As we age, dopamine transmission and the availability of dopamine receptors decrease, contributing to decreased performance on attention and decision-making (5).

On the other hand, higher dopamine uptake has been associated with improved performance on working memory and executive-function tasks requiring attention (6). This is important because previous research has shown that citicoline increases dopamine levels (7).

In Brain Boost & Renewal specifically, citicoline is available in the form of the high-quality branded product, Cognizin®. And the product is offered as a comprehensive approach using multiple bioactives to support brain health and reduce brain aging.

With this formula, Brain Boost & Renewal helps maintain memory and promotes mental focus, concentration, and decision-making, and most importantly supports healthy brain aging.

References

1. Wurtman RJ, Regan M, Ulus I & Yu L. Effect of oral CDP-choline on plasma choline and uridine levels in humans. Biochem Pharmacol. 2000 Oct 1; 60(7):989-92.
2. Silveri MM, Dikan J, Ross AJ, Jensen JE, Kamiya T, Kawada Y, Renshaw PF & Yurgelun-Todd DA. Citicoline enhances frontal lobe bioenergetics as measured by phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy. NMR Biomed. 2008 Nov; 21(10):1066-75.
3. McGlade E, Locatelli A, Hardy J, Kamiya T, Morita M, Morishita K, Sugimura Y & Yurgelun-Todd D. Improved Attentional Performance Following Citicoline Administration in Healthy Adult Women. Food & Nutr Sci. 2012 Jun; 3(6): 769-773.
4. McGlade E, Agoston AM, DiMuzio J, Kizaki M, Nakazaki E, Kamiya T & Yurgelun-Todd D. The Effect of Citicoline Supplementation on Motor Speed and Attention in Adolescent Males. J Atten Disord. 2015 Jul; 15.
5. Volkow ND, Gur RC, Wang GJ, Fowler JS, Moberg PJ, Ding YS, Hitzemann R, Smith G & Logan J. Association between decline in brain dopamine activity with age and cognitive and motor impairment in healthy individuals. Am J Psychiatry. 1998 Mar; 155(3):344-9.
6. Nieoullon A. Dopamine and the regulation of cognition and attention. Prog Neurobiol. 2002 May; 67(1):53-83.
7. Agut J, Ortiz JA & Wurtman RJ. Cytidine (5′)diphosphocholine modulates dopamine K(+)-evoked release in striatum measured by microdialysis. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 2000; 920:332-5.

5 Ways to De-Stress

Life presents challenges.  Our ability to deal with these challenges determines, ultimately, if we have stress, what type of stress (there is a such a thing as positive stress called Eustress) and to what degree. A certain situation can be stressful for someone while not stressful for someone else.  Jack Canfield expresses it well with his equation E+R=O; Event + Response = Outcome.  We all experience challenges in our daily life from our careers, relationships, finances, health, or in some cases, a sudden incident like the death of a loved one.  How we are able to view and process and respond to them will determine, in a big way, the impact and ripple effect it will have on our day, week and ultimately our life.

I love that the Chinese characters for Crisis is composed of the character for danger and the character for opportunity.  

A big factor, I believe, in how we view challenges in a more balanced way, is by balancing our mental, emotional and physical states to be strong, healthy and resilient.   If you put into regular practice the following effective tools to keep you balanced on a daily basis, then you can get through times that prove to be the most challenging.

Here are some tips for daily stress relief:

1. Meditation.  As little as 15 minutes of meditation per day to focus on deep breathing and calm the mind has been shown to be effective to help with mood, focus, etc.  Upload some soft music or a guided meditation on your phone that you can listen to at a time that works best for you.

2. Exercise. Through exercise and the release of endorphins, your mood will naturally lift and will help to reduce the release of stress hormones.  Exercise doesn't have to be the gym either.  Do something you love to do and get doing it!  Power walking with hiking poles is a great

2. Support System. Ensure you have people you can talk to or be with during your challenging times. Reach out to family, friends, a doctor or therapist who you trust as a good listener.

3. Journal. The act of writing your thoughts and feelings helps to minimize overwhelming feelings.

4. Joy. Do things that you enjoy and that bring you pleasure. Maybe you love to dance, indulge in dinner with a friend, treat yourself to a massage, or have a relaxing bubble bath.  This can be viewed as "a little bit of holiday everyday".  Something my husband and I coined and are putting into practice.

5. Rest. Ensure you get enough rest and relaxation. Try yoga or meditation to clear your mind. Ensure you get regular and adequate sleep each night to re-charge and re-focus.

Trust that things will get better and that you can get through whatever is stressing you!

HOW CAN I TELL IF I AM DRINKING ENOUGH WATER?

The best way to know if you are drinking enough water is by paying attention to when you head to the restroom. Your body’s main tool for maintaining water balance is through controlling how concentrated or how diluted your urine is. If you have too much water, your body will get rid of the excess through diluted urine and extra trips to the bathroom. If you are dehydrated, your body will conserve water through producing very concentrated urine and less frequent bathroom breaks. The color of your urine is one of the most accurate ways for you to gauge your level of hydration. Ideally, you should aim for a pale yellow color. If your urine is completely clear with no color at all, you are drinking too much water. If your urine is dark yellow or orange in color, that can indicate poor hydration. However, keep in mind that there are a few things that can make urine appear darker even if you are well hydrated, like some medications and foods. For example, vitamins like riboflavin may cause urine to appear bright yellow. In addition to color, the frequency of your trips to the bathroom can provide a good measure of how hydrated you are. You should be heading to the bathroom every four to six hours during the day. If you go less often than once in six hours, you need to drink more water. One of the benefits of using this method is that you can check on your hydration status several times a day and find out if you’re not getting enough water, getting too much water, or drinking just the right amount.

Hot or Cold water with Lemon is a great replenishing drink

Excerpt from Intermittent fasting and cleansing newsletter

One More Way To Create a Healthier Plan!

A big step this Spring in setting you up for success to a healthier you is to remove what I call the "nutrient robbing foods" or other foods or drinks from you daily nutrition plan, that don't align with your health goals.  Doing this is quite simple when you start from the source of most of these foods:  your own cupboards.

OUT OF SIGHT, OUT OF MIND - MOSTLY!
Purging the Pantry is not only a good idea twice a year to check on expiry dates of products, but is the first step in solidifying that decision to eat healthier when tempting snacks, overly processed foods and drinks are not in easy reach.  This rule applies to the fridge and freezer as well.  Set aside 30 minutes on a Sunday afternoon (Monday morning fresh starts seem to work well for most people.  Grab a box or basket and open up every food cupboard in your kitchen.  Empty each shelf and as you place it back, you'll first check the expiry date and second, is it a food that fits with your goal?  A box of pasta doesn't go back if you are trying to cut back on your intake of starchy carbohydrates.  That box of chips or bag of skittles don't go back either if you're keen to stop the snacky junk food.
Now the fridge and freezer!  Bottled sauces and salad dressings are a toss if you want to make more things from scratch or use simpler things like fresh or dried herbs for cooking and oil and lemon juice based dressings.

BE RUTHLESS!
Trust me, if you talk yourself into keeping something that you know you want to avoid, you are setting yourself up for a weak, sabotaging moment.  If you have to go out to buy it, you'll have time to think about that action.  It also doesn't mean you will never have that item again, it's just right now, you need positive reinforcement (some positive words on the fridge are great!) and zero temptations when committing to a new habit.

WHAT TO DO WITH THE FOOD???
A good question when it seems a waste to throw food out, however if it's well past the expiry date, it should most likely go in the trash.  If not, unopened things can go to the local food bank and other things can be passed to family or friends.  However, encouraging your family and friends to do the same thing will do a long way to help you with your goal, so maybe making the garbage toss is the best thing!  Vow to put your future food spending to better use!

GETTING PREPARED FOR THE NEW PLAN
O.K. The cupboards, fridge and freezer are cleared, and maybe a little empty, so now head to the local market or grocery store, with a list in hand, of what fresh foods and minimally processed canned  or packaged (and there are some good ones), you ARE going to purchase that do fit with your goals.

To help give you a start with that, watch my webinar on how to incorporate more green foods into your diet and why they are a must have every day.

It's Easy Being Green!

Detox Your Living Space

It’s Spring and our thoughts turn to Spring Cleaning the house, garage and doing yard clean up. It’s a great time to Spring Clean your body with a full body cleanse, but go one step further and when you spring clean your house, start detoxifying it as well.

1. Choose furniture and carpet materials that are made of natural fibers. When this is not possible, use ferns and spider plants to absorb off-gassing fumes.
2. Reduce Electro Magnetic pollution by unplugging appliances when not in use, use filter screens on computers if needed, up-grade equipment if possible, do not use or severely reduce the use of cell phones, cordless phone and microwaves. Do not place alarm clocks near your head and try not to have the head of your bed positioned next to an electrical outlet. Do not live near overhead electrical wires if possible. Use hot water bottles and extra blankets instead of heating pads and electric blankets.
3. Drink filtered, remineralized water. Install carbon filters on all shower heads or if possible a filter at the entry point of the water into your home.
4. Allow as much natural light into your space as possible. Use full-spectrum light bulbs, especially in lights that are used for reading.
5. As you use up chemical cleaners in your home, begin replacing them with more environmentally friendly types.
6. Start replacing your cosmetics and body care products with ones that do not contain toxic ingredients.

Lavender is calming

7. Purchase a beginners guide to natural medicine and begin using natural products to treat common health issues, such as headaches, nausea, diarrhea, digestive complaints, etc.
8. Use stainless steel utensils and kitchenware; avoid using plastic wrap and aluminum foil. Get rid of any aluminum pots.
9. Start thinking about the things that you bring home that are overly packaged and purchase things in bulk.
10. Compost your food scraps and use the material in your garden.
11. Eat organic food whenever possible and avoid the use of lawn and garden pesticides.
12. Certain house plants, like spider plants, are great for filtering the air.  Treat houseplants with natural insecticide soaps.