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From Spazzy to Savvy: Getting my Finances in Order

2012-05-22T01:42:23Z

Over the past year, I've made HUGE strides in getting my finances in order. I used to "go with the flow" and hope it would all work out. Here are some former embarrassing habits that I'm not proud of:

- I would cringe whenever I looked at bank statements, which was NOT often enough because I would do idiotic things like pay $79 for Amazon Prime without even realizing it.

- I "guesstimated" instead of keeping a budget.

- I had money from 401ks from 3 different jobs in 3 different banks and didn't know what they were invested in.

- I would misplace or forget passwords for my accounts.

- I saved money each month (good) but put it in a savings account that earned virtually no interest (bad).

I've made major changes, and I'm in a totally different place right now. I can't tackle everything in this one post, but I will tell you the 3 important steps I took to get started:

1. Join Mint.com
Mint.com is a free website that allows you to sync up all your accounts (credit card, savings, checking, investments) so you can see everything in one place. I love that Mint:

- Let's me see my net worth, it's fun to see that number increasing over time.
- Shows me my spending by category - for example I can see exactly how much I spent at Whole Foods in May, or can sort and see all Grocery for the month.
- Sends me automated emails if I get charged a fee in any of my accounts - this is a lifesaver when Bank of America tries to add a sneaky $25 fee to your checking account!

2. Read "I Will Teach You to Be Rich" by Ramit Sethi

This book was the perfect tool that came into my life at the perfect time. With his intimidating eyebrows, Ramit gave me the tough love and butt-kicking I needed to TAKE ACTION. This is huge because it's easy to get overwhelmed by financial stuff. With Ramit's help, I:

- Created a monthly budget
- Set up my ING Savings account so that it has categories (ie Travel, Coconut, Emergency, Investing)
- Set up a system so that money flows into those different savings areas each month! I felt like such a ninja when I got that system up and running. I still feel like a ninja.
- Got all of my 401ks consolidated into one place.
- Opened a Roth IRA
- I've learned to "negotiate like an Indian" as Ramit says and be firm when asking for things. I even got the Amazon Prime charge refunded, 10 months later!

3. Make a Weekly Money Date
The small victories I mention above are great, but for them to happen I had to make a mental shift. I learned that money loves to be paid attention to. Or said another way - don't be vague about money.

So instead of cringing when I look at my statements, I set up a monthly money date. This is a time to review the ol' budget, check my accounts, do any troubleshooting, make sure everything's on track.

But I soon realized that a monthly date is not enough. Now I have a weekly money date. Friday is the big day. It used to take an hour or so because I was taking action steps from Ramit's book. Now it's much quicker - maybe 10 minutes.

It feels so vulnerable to share about financial mishaps, so I really hope this can help empower someone! Please let me know if you plan to take any of these action steps and keep me posted on how it goes!

Love,
Kerry

P.S. What do finances have to do with your health? Everything! In holistic health, we teach that it's all connected - money, spirituality, career, relationships. If you're out of balance in one area, it throws off your mojo. You can learn more about this holistic approach in this Circle of Life exercise.

Key Lime Pudding!

2012-05-18T17:51:59Z

This is one of my favorite sugar-free snacks in the world! So simple and delicious.

Key Lime Pudding
- 1 avocado
- Juice of 1 lime
- 1 packet of stevia

I throw it all in the Vitamix and blend, and there you have the most amazing pudding ever! You could also add a splash of coconut milk to help it blend more smoothly. Tastes great chilled if you can manage to wait. Serve with a sprinkling of coconut flakes.

Happy almost summer! And here's a fun song to kick off your weekend.

Love,
Kerry

We did it! Applying for The Amazing Race

2012-05-17T22:25:44Z

My boyfriend and I applied for The Amazing Race! We love the show, but we had to wait for him to become a US citizen in order to be eligible. Well, we filmed the video last Saturday, submitted it today and now we cross our fingers and wait for good news!

There are 3 big learnings I want to highlight about the experience:

1. Get Over Yourself. It turns out I'm pretty darn insecure about being on camera! I was worried about my outfit, is my skin perfect enough, am I funny enough, do I sound natural enough or too scripted. Enough, enough, enough! Holy smokes, all the worrying and insecurity is exhausting! Making the video helped me realize how much insecurity is holding me back in other areas of my life (career, friendships, blogging, etc). It was a good wake up call. Because creating the video really pushed me way outside my comfort zone, yet it was SO exhilarating to take a step towards making a dream come true. It takes practice but I believe I can set aside insecurity and keep taking action. I am enough!

2. Sail your ships! "Sail your ships" is my little catch phrase for putting yourself "out there." The idea is that when you send your ships out to sea, they may return to you filled with gold, treasure and spices. If you leave your ship in the harbor - no gold. It's so easy to say, "well they get 20,000 applications each season, why would they ever choose us?" But, we have a much better shot than if we didn't apply. Life rewards action! I learned that one from Dr. Phil :)

3. Work with a Partner. If this was a personal project, I would have stalled forever! I would not have been so decisive about choosing a videographer to work with. I would have agonized more over preparing a script. So if you're working on a project and you're feeling stuck, it might be a good idea to find a partner and work together. Or at least to find a coach who can hold you accountable and help you set some deadlines.

No matter what your dream is, BIG or small, taking action feels marvelous! Sure, it also feels gut-wrenching, nerve-wracking, and exhausting. But most of all, marvelous.

And even though I feel totally shy about sharing it, here's our application video! WISH US LUCK!

Click the image to play the video

Ode to Shoulderstand

2012-05-16T22:21:20Z

Image: Sivananda.org

Last week in yoga class, the teacher had us stay in shoulderstand for 4 whole minutes! Usually we just hold the pose for 30 seconds.

I loved it, and ever since I have been setting the timer on the microwave for 4 minutes and doing shoulderstand at home. I especially like it in the morning, to get the blood flowing to my head, or when I come home from work to unwind a bit.

Here's why I love shoulderstand so much:

1. When I practice yoga with Dharma Mittra he always speaks so highly of shoulderstand. He calls it a "complete" pose, "good for everything." He says that many yogis do only this one pose each day to keep the body young and healthy. He tells you to focus on the space between the eyebrows (the "third eye") and practice your meditation while in shoulderstand.

2. Shoulderstand increases circulation and allows the veins of the legs to rest (will prevent varicose veins). The blood from the legs comes down to the brain -- feels great after a few hours of sitting at a desk.

3. Shoulderstand revitalizes and tones the thyroid! Yes, the same thyroid gland that is in charge of your metabolism. Isn't that beautiful?

4. And this pose stimulates cheerfulness, and allows mental abilities to greatly increase.

Here are instructions from Sivananda on how to do shoulderstand, or Sarvangasana pose.

And if you'd like a wonderful beginner's yoga practice that you can do at home, I recommend Dharma Mittra's Maha Sadhana Level 1.

I'm a huge fan of having these simple, quick and low-tech ways to unwind and de-stress at home. What's your favorite way to unwind?

Book Review: The Gabriel Method

2012-05-10T15:30:00Z

I love weight loss + transformation stories, and Jon Gabriel has an amazing one. In 2001 he weighed 410 pounds. In a breakthrough moment, he realized that his body wanted to be fat. He stopped dieting, started living like a "naturally thin" person, and ended the war with his body. He has since lost 220 pounds and his body shows no signs of being obese, and he how dedicates his life to teaching others how to use his method to lose weight.

His book is The Gabriel Method: The Revolutionary Diet-Free Way to Totally Transform Your Body.

Here are my top 5 gems from the book:

1. Stress and Fat

"Feeling safe and understanding mental and emotional stress is of paramount importance when you want to lose weight."

If you read nutrition books written by doctors, they will explain how stress leads to increase in the stress hormone cortisol, which makes us store fat. Jon does a really nice job of illustrating the mind-body connection and how modern day stresses can make us store fat. You must address the emotional issues if you want to permanently lose weight.

Fearful thoughts --> stress --> fat

2. Visualization

Jon used visualization to support his own weight loss, and he teaches his readers how to do the same. Visualization is a way to connect with your unconscious mind. The techniques he shares work for weight loss, but I've also found them helpful for other aspects of my life - like how I want to design my day, harmony in my relationships, or having an important conversation go really well.

3. The Magic of Mornings / Problem with Evenings

"After a full day, the evenings are often unproductive, passive hours. In the evenings, we are usually exhausted, and when we are exhausted, the only thing we can do is eat and be entertained. It's the exhausted, stressed-out evening hours where the majority of bingeing occurs."

Wow, isn't that the truth! The good news is we can manage our stress and manage the rhythm of our days so we don't end the day this way. I like to recommend rolling around on the floor with a foam roller to de-stress and get out of your mind and into your body. (Here are some foam roller exercises but you don't have to do all of these - just giving yourself a nice back massage is great too!)

And recognize the magic of mornings - use this vital time to get the most important things done.

4. Starving for Nutrients

Jon talks about how even when he was eating 5000 calories a day, his body was starving for nutrients, because all the "food" he was eating was processed junk. His body kept reaching for more food in hopes that he would get some actual nutrients. I used to feel this way when I was in college and ate lots of protein bars with a million weird ingredients - sure I was getting calories but my body didn't recognize it as food and never felt satisfied.

This is why it's so important to eat real food - fresh fruit, nuts, seeds, vegetables, salads, lean protein.

"If you eat foods that have no nutritional value, all you are doing is replenishing your sugar and fat stores, and you'll remain unsatisfied because you haven't nourished your body."

The more nutrititious the food, the more you'll be satisfying your body. Simple!

5. Turn Your Meals Into Salads

Jon has a fun suggestion which is the turn your meals into salads - so even if you're eating lasagna he says to cut it up and eat it over lettuce. It makes you chew more slowly and gets you in the habit of eating and loving salads.

I do this all the time. You can eat anything over lettuce! Sweet potatoes, tempeh, brown rice, quinoa, brussels sprouts, veggie stir fry, avocadoes, hemp seeds - it's all good. Just drizzle some tahini or goddess dressing and you have a satisfying meal.

Whether or not you're overweight, if you have emotional issues with food, this book can be a valuable guide to help you feel safe, and get out of mindset of restrictive eating, dieting and deprivation. Please report back and let me know how it goes!

Love and lasagna salads,
Kerry

Mini Spring Cleaning

2012-05-06T14:45:39Z

I want to share a little practice that I learned from Julia Cameron, author of The Artist's Way. It's oh so simple but powerful.

Today - throw out one piece of low-self-worth clothing.

"Low-self-worth" clothing is the old sweater with lots of pills, the skirt that bunches up and you have to keep tugging at it, the pants that cut off your breathing. There are clothes that make you feel pretty as a princess. And then there are "low-self-worth" items lurking in your closet that make you feel mediocre, frumpy or worse.

For me, the "low-self-worth" piece of clothing is an old sports bra that is totally stretched out and useless. Every time I wear it, it kinda ruins my run, it is the absolute worst! But it keeps ending up in the laundry pile and cycling back into my life. Throwing out this ratty old bra felt amazing! It's a way of declaring "Kerry, you never again have to have a crappy run because of that sports bra - you deserve better! Let's clear out the clutter and make room for goodness!"

I highly recommend this practice as a declaration of love for yourself. It's an instant spirit lifter. Try it today.

And if you're interested in a more extensive spring cleaning, here is a free Spring Cleanse Guide from Integrative Nutrition for you to check out. Enjoy!

Love and clean closets,
Kerry

Kerry Berry Smoothie

2012-05-02T21:15:05Z

The weather is getting warm! Not today necessarily, but soon! And when it gets hot all those places like Pinkberry and Tasti-D-Lite start to call my name. But I have a much happier alternative that I can whip up in my kitchen that's dairy-free, chemical-free, and doesn't have a long list of ingredients that you can't pronounce.

I introduce to you, the Kerry Berry Smoothie, refreshing for a hot almost-summer day:

- Sustain protein powder, or vegetarian protein powder of your choice
- 1/2 banana
- 1/2 cup berries, I just a mix from Trader Joes with cherries, blackberries, raspberries
- 1/4 cup coconut milk, plus water and ice
- 1 tbsp ground flaxseed (optional)
- Chlorella tablets (optional for extra iron ... you'll never taste them and they don't even mess up the pretty pink color!)

I promise this is better than Tasti-D-Lite!

Boosting my Iron Levels

2012-04-27T18:36:55Z

My iron levels were a bit low when I got checked last week. Specifically, it was the ferritin, or stored iron count, that was borderline low.

I’m taking some iron supplements, along with vitamin C to help absorption. I’m also paying more attention to getting iron in my diet.

I learned that the RDA of iron for vegetarian women is 33, while the RDA for non-vegetarian women is 18 mg. This is because the non-heme iron that you get from plants and grains can be harder to absorb than iron that you get from meat. Also, I learned to be mindful that tea and coffee can block absorption of iron.

Here are some vegetarian sources of iron that I’m incorporating:

Blackstrap molasses: I make a morning tonic with a tablespoon of blackstrap molasses, a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar, and stevia. Looks dark like coffee and is surprisingly tasty and energizing.

Lentils: I often have lentil soup for lunch and love it.

Edamame, Quinoa and Tempeh: I often include these 3 ingredients in a Buddha bowl for dinner. I just keep a bag of organic edamame in the freezer, makes a great snack too!

Black beans, kidney, pinto and white beans: I put these on salads all the time.

Spinach: but it has to be cooked, not raw in order to absorb the iron.

Oatmeal: an occasional breakfast, I drizzle with some blackstrap molasses too!

Dried apricots: I honestly never eat these, but they’re good to keep in mind.

Pumpkin seeds: Love these – can add to oatmeal, or the buddha bowl!

Spirulina and chlorella: I add these to smoothies.

Cooking in a cast-iron skillet helps too!

Here's a resource that was helpful in my research: http://www.vrg.org/nutrition/iron.htm

Good luck and enjoy the boost of energy from getting your iron levels up!
Kerry

My Vitamin D is Extremely Low

2012-04-20T16:38:13Z

When's the last time you got bloodwork done? When I was a kid we had to get yearly physicals in order to play sports. Then through my 20s since I was no longer required to do it, I didn't. I would just go for my yearly ob-gyn checkup, but I didn't have a regular doctor checking my bloodwork.

That lasted until 2010, when I went through a spell where I was really tired and even dizzy. I found a doctor and it turns out my vitamin B12 and vitamin D were low, and my iron was borderline-low. I got a vitamin B12 shot, and started taking B12 everyday. I also took a high dose of D3 every day for 3 months and was able to get my levels up to 50 (ideal range is 50-80).

Now that I work with a doctor, I understand that we should all get our bloodwork done every single year. It is so important! You want to ask your doctor for a full panel so you can see your cholesterol levels, glucose, check the thyroid, and see if you have any vitamin deficiencies. You do not want to be in the dark about your health and if anything is off you want to jump in and make changes right away!

Even though I KNOW this, I stalled on making an appointment because I'm a huge baby about bloodwork. Last week I finally got checked again.

Well, everything looks good except my iron is low and my vitamin D3 level is 16! (Remember the ideal range is 50 - 80 ng/mL!)

I'll talk about iron another time, but for now I'll address the D3:

- Vitamin D is actually a hormone not a vitamin.

- We get D from the sun, but living in the northeast I'm not getting much, especially through the winter months. Or as Dr. Cowan says "we are no longer running around naked in nature, so it's almost impossible for us to get enough sun to keep our levels optimal."

- There is some D in fortified milk (which I don't drink) and fatty wild fish, but the most reliable source is the SUN and SUPPLEMENTS.

-Vitamin D is hugely important for immunity, healthy bones, protecting against cancer, and it makes hundreds of enzymes and proteins in the body.

- The test you should ask your doctor for is 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25 OH vitamin D)

- If your levels are low, make sure to supplement with D3 and not D2. D2 is useless.

We see tons of patients with low vitamin D and I'm kind of embarrassed to be in their ranks, since I've been schooled on how important it is. I thought that what I was getting in my multivitamin was enough to keep my levels up, but it clearly wasn't.

To correct my low levels, I am now taking a sublingual D3 (you put the drops under the tongue so they can get straight into the bloodstream) made by Biotics. I'm taking 10,000 units a day for at least the next 3 months, under my doctor's care. Then I will get checked again, and should be able to scale back to a maintenance dose, which for me will probably be 4,000 IU. I will also get 20 minutes of sun without any sunscreen every day.

Low levels of D can be linked with depression and Seasonal Affective Disorder, so I'm hoping that correcting my levels with help with the anxiety I mentioned last week. I'm also hoping it will help my skin. I will keep you posted.

To get some much more detailed info about the importance of vitamin D and how to correct low levels, please read Dr. Lipman's Vitamin D FAQ's. And for a funny little video showing a patient asking his doctor about vitamin D:

Please learn from my mistakes and have your doctor check your vitamin D!

Love and sunshine,
Kerry

Coping with Anxiety

2012-04-13T15:48:28Z

Two weeks ago, I had an encounter with anxiety. Here's what happened: my breathing was very shallow, it was like tightness in my chest where I couldn't take a deep breath and was constantly aware of trying to get a deep breath. Like I wanted to put my head between my legs or breath into a paper bag. Very annoying! It lasted about 2-3 days.

Now, I don't often have anxiety, but I do have a bag of wellness tricks so I tried a few things:

- Meditation
- Shoulder stand (yoga pose)
- I dabbed some calming peppermint oil on my neck and wrists
- And Dr. Andrew Weil's 4-7-8 Relaxing Breath

When these didn't get me back to normal, I took a powerful step -- I reached out for help. (I'm reaching out for help and support more & more lately, and it is awesome!) I asked some of my health coach friends if they had suggestions to help with anxiety and I was touched with their thoughtful responses. I have collected them here in case they can help someone else.

Holistic Remedies for Anxiety

1. Breathing: Deep belly breathing -- putting your hands over your navel and focusing on pushing your belly out when breathing. Alternate nostril breating is also helpful.

2. Acupuncture: to calm and balance the system

3. Supplements: Sam-e and L-theanine to calm the nerves (please talk to your doctor about these)

4. Nature: Fresh air in the lungs, exercise, and go barefoot outside

5. Guided Relaxation: here is a guided relaxation exercise that was recommended

6. Diet: One woman pointed out that she became anxious on a strictly vegan diet and felt better incorporating meat, eggs and 'grounding' root vegetables such as carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and squash into her diet. Good for me to pay attention to, as I am a vegetarian. Another mentioned that salt is very grounding, and recommended umeboshi plums to bring the energy back down.

7. Herbs: passionfruit, chamomile and skullcap are some that are great for anxiety

8. Flower Essences: I am a big fan of flower essences myself. I love the Lotus Wei essences, in particular there are Quiet Mind and Inner Peace that are good for anxiety. I am also experimenting with the Bach essences, which are available at my Whole Foods. I am taking Mimulus, which is good for shyness, anxiety and fear. I'm also trying the Bach Rescue Remedy.

9. Yoga: Standing poses like Mountain pose and inversions (like a backbend) are helpful.

10. Get Grounded: The anxiety can be a message that you need to get grounded or create stability. Cleaning, paying attention to finances, spending time with animals (hi Coconut!), rubbing the feet, and walking barefoot in the grass (literally putting feet in the ground) can be helpful.

11. Look to the underlying reason: Yes, it's important to look deep for the underlying reasons for the anxiety. For me, morning pages is the most powerful tool to re-connect with myself, figure out what's happening deep down. Don't see the anxiety as "annoying" but tap into the anxiety and realize there is a message to listen to and learn from. Use the opportunity to slow down and take really good care of yourself.

Of course, I couldn't do all of these things at once, but was able to use my instincts and choose the ideas that resonated most for me in that moment. I love how so many of these suggestions are low-tech ... you don't need any equipment or to spend money to do some deep belly breathing, journaling, get out in nature, clean, rub your feet or do some yoga poses. Beautiful! And I'm happy to report that I'm feeling much better now.

Coco getting 'grounded' in the mud of Central Park. Can't stay anxious for long with this muffin!
Please, chime in and share your suggestions if you have any remedies for anxiety.

Love,
Kerry