Hello inspiring Unstoppables Family,

Here is the latest dose of one thing I’m doing, two things I’ve learnt and three things to explore. I hope you enjoy and please feel free to share with family and friends.

As always I’d love to hear your feedback, questions and thoughts. Just send me an email as I read everyone.
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Have a wonderful week ahead! Much love, stay strong and #beunstoppable

Sandy xxx

1 THING I’M DOING

AUTOPHAGY
Questioning old beliefs has become one of my favourite past times. Apart from star gazing, but that’s another story.

You need to eat three meals a day plus snacks. Should I?

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Is it?

Eat breakfast like a King, lunch like a Prince, dinner like a Pauper. Really?

Hmm. From what I’ve recently been reading and hearing, I’m not so convinced that keeping my blood glucose levels constantly high, is the best advice. Here’s why.

Our miraculous bodies have a self cleaning system called autophagy (pronounced or-tof-a-gee). Its literal meaning is “self-eating”, charming I know, but this incredible process is our body’s natural way of removing cellular waste and unwanted molecules, getting rid of debris, old or damaged cells – especially in our brain – and our body’s way of taking out the trash. And we all know, what happens if we don’t do that. The waste piles up, things start to stink, and disease kicks in. Eeewwww….

One way we can trigger autophagy is by fasting and by keeping our blood sugar levels stable. And before you hit the back button, no, I’m not suggesting that we put ourselves on some strict diet or some long hideous water fast, restricting the times we eat in a day, is something that can be done quite simply, if you’re physically and medically well, non pregnant or breast feeding. So, please consult your trusted health practitioner if you have any concerns and if you’re all good, here is the rhythm I’ve found works a treat for me.

In our household, I like to get dinner on the table somewhere around 6pm which means we’re all done and dusted by 6.30pm – 7pm the very latest. From here, I don’t have anything else to eat at night which isn’t hard, as I’ve never been much of a snacker or one to sit in front of the TV with a bag of chips. (For the record, I don’t even turn the TV on at night during the week!)

In the morning, instead of my regular tea with a dash of milk and half a sugar, I just have my tea black. I don’t worry about breakfast, which again is totally fine as I’m usually dashing about getting the kids’ lunches and breakfast ready and don’t have time to sit down and luxuriate over some smashed avo anyway. Before I know it, it’s time to drop the kids off at school and head off into work. And before I know it again, I’ve settled in, checked some emails, made some phone calls, chatted to the team, it’s now 11.00am and just like that, I’ve fasted for 16 hours and allowed my clever cells to work their magic and dust out the cobwebs.

This process, called Intermittent Fasting or Time Restricted Eating, has sooo many other benefits including weight loss, mental clarity and anti-aging benefits. I like to do this somewhere between 3 – 5 days a week so it’s not something I obsess about (and it’s totally OK if you do), but I’m grateful for the times I can and do, do this.

Then when weekends come, I so appreciate and look forward to my milky tea and smashed avo and scrambled eggs breakie. In fact, going without for a few days, makes the days I do have my regular tea and breakfast, taste all the more delicious and enjoyable.

Giving our body a time to rest and reset through intermittent fasting is quite natural when you think about it. Our ancestors, during caveman times would only have eaten when they managed to catch their wild beast and forage for nuts, fruits and berries. We’re lucky to live in an abundant world, but that doesn’t mean we have to eat so much, and all the time. So as far as my top recommendations of things to do to improve our longevity and quality of life, this one is right on top!

2 THINGS I’VE LEARNT

PASS THE SALAD PLEASE
Did you know, the order in which you eat your food, can make a difference to your health?

I’ve recently learnt that all those times I went to a restaurant and was served, that lovely, soft, crusty, irresistible bread and butter, I should have just sat on my hands and had it after, or with my meal. Here’s why.  

About 30 to 60 minutes after we eat carbohydrates, we experience a glucose spike in our bloodstream. For those with certain medical conditions, like diabetes, flattening these spikes is really important. However, it’s not just those with metabolic disorders, this can benefit.

Having high and regular glucose spikes can trigger inflammation and that inflammation can be linked to a range of conditions including heart disease. So, when you’re eating at home or out and about (you lucky thing!), just change the order of your meal and eat your salad first.

By eating your greens first, and before proteins or starchy carbohydrates, your blood sugar spikes will be flattened, which is much healthier for you. You can learn more here. Bon Appetit!  

STRESS
Stress can rear its ugly head and come in many shapes and forms. Financial stress, work pressures family challenges. Ugh! These can all take their toll. But if we dig even deeper, our bodies can also be exposed to constant cellular stress from the toxins in our environment such EMF radiation, pollution and chemicals.

I’ve recently learnt that when our bodies are under stress, it “dumps” magnesium to protect our health. It’s a natural coping mechanism. But, when we’re exposed to stress all the time and suffering from “chronic stress”, this otherwise healthy mechanism can now cause magnesium depletion, and even force our body to start taking magnesium out of our bones.

Considering that many of us may be deficient in Magnesium anyway, due to the general depletion of magnesium in our soils and therefore our food, we need to be mindful that if we’re under stress that perhaps it may be time to give our bodies a boost in the form of Magnesium supplements.

Personally, I think high quality Magnesium is one of those “must have” supplements but please seek your own health advise. And if you’re looking for where to get your Magnesium from, I like iHerb and Magnesium Breakthrough from biOptimizers.

3 THINGS TO EXPLORE

SPELL CASTING
Did you know that the cells in your body are listening to you? That they’re affected by your thoughts? It may sound like mumbo jumbo, but it’s true. That’s what the “biology of belief” and “energy follows thought” is all about.

So, be mindful of the words you use, they’re powerful. So, don’t cast bad spells on yourself and those you love.

Rather than saying “I’m stupid”, say “that was a silly thing for me to do, but I’ll fix it”. Rather than saying “I’m fat”, say “I’m a little overweight but I’m working on it”. You’re not lazy, weak, uneducated. That’s so final. All our states are temporary and changeable so phrase them that way.

What you say and what you think will shape your universe, so don’t say something you wouldn’t want to be and don’t allow others to cast bad spells on you either.  
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RISK vs REWARD
How do you know if something is a good idea? As humans we’re wired to do what’s easiest, most comfortable, and requires the least amount of energy. After all, I’m sooooo tired and it’s been such a loooong day!

In fact, our mind is so clever it will probably come up with 5,312 reasons why we shouldn’t do something and why it’s not a good idea, quicker than you can find the TV remote.

Don’t let it. It’s time to take charge of that mind of yours, after all, who does it think it is? Some super computer or something?  

If you want to try something new, ask yourself, is there any risk or downside if I do this? Will it be damaging to me or possibly hurtful? If not, ask yourself, if I do this, what could I gain and how could I benefit? We need to test things and try things out in the real world, and let reality be the judge.

There are so many great things we can do, personally and professionally, and we can’t let our brain sabotage us.

This week test out something new. Reality will tell you if it was a good idea or not. If it was good, that’s great. Do it again. Do it more! If it wasn’t that’s OK too, as you’re learning and becoming smarter about what does and doesn’t work for you. But at least you gave something new a go, rather than being that person always sitting, wondering and pondering, “I wonder, what if?”.

SEIZE THE DAY
“It’s hard to remember that this day will never come again. That the time is now and the place is here and that there are no second chances at a single moment.” – Jeanette Winterson (The Passion)