Have you ever noticed that some people just stand out and radiate success?

Regardless of their industry or profession, they rise to the top. Are they just lucky and gifted?  Not necessarily.  I believe they’re a testament to the fact that when it comes to success – it’s not what you do, but how you do it.

The how refers to your attitude, mindset and daily habits. It’s not just talent, skill or luck.  If you look at the many examples of successful people in any industry, there are certain common habits that they exhibit.  I believe these are some of the best “secrets of success.”

Secret #1: Plug-in to your passion

Most people who have achieved great success love what they do. Anyone who has risen to the top of their industry or profession attributes having passion for what they’re doing.  Success generally requires hard work, commitment, persistence and discipline. All of these things can sound daunting unless you’re passionate and genuinely excited about the work you do.

How passionate are you about the goal you’re pursuing? Take an inventory of how often you get to do what you love in your current job or business.  When you infuse your life with activities that excite and inspire you, it takes much less effort to stay committed to your goals and it creates positive flow in every area of your life.

Secret #2: Be great at taking action

Successful people are good at making decisions. Often the biggest opportunities in life come and go quickly, those that take action tend to have the advantage. This doesn’t mean we should be irresponsible with our decisions, but sometimes we need to take a risk and follow our intuition and simply take action. It may not be perfect, but we learn from our mistakes, and course correct accordingly.

What decisions are you avoiding? Perhaps joining a gym, getting a trainer, starting a course or new hobby, updating your resume or asking for a promotion? What is the worst that could happen?  What’s holding you back?  Inaction is the antithesis of success.  Mistakes and failures are part of the game.  Most successful people fail more than they win, so don’t wait for the timing to be perfect.

Secret #3: Be focused

Successful people focus on one thing at a time, at least the thing they want to be great at.  Athletes don’t try to be great at tennis and football. Entrepreneurs don’t start two businesses at once.  Even entertainers tend to be great at one thing first (singing or acting) then move into other areas.  The key is to pick one thing and devote your time and energy to becoming great in that one area before moving onto something else.

Are you focused on your main goal?  Are you trying to do too much?  It’s not about making sacrifices and choosing one area of your life over another, but rather, knowing that not everything needs to happen at once. Many of us take on too many goals at once and we end up distracted, conflicted and ultimately frustrated with ourselves for not being able to “do it all”.  Pick one big goal that is most important to you for the next three months, and then focus all of your effort and attention to doing your best in this one area. When you achieve it, celebrate your success.

Secret #4: Surround yourself with great people

There’s great truth to the saying “You can’t do it alone.”  Have you noticed how everyone who has accomplished something always has a long list of people to thank.  From friends and family, to team members, co-workers, teachers, mentors, trainers and coaches.  Successful people surround themselves with great people – people that are positive, supportive, inspiring, talented, knowledgeable and successful.

When you look at the circle of influence around you, are you surrounding yourself with the best possible people to fuel your success?  Do you have the support; motivation and inspiration that will help you reach your goals?  Do you have people around you whom you admire and who genuinely want you to succeed?  If not, make a conscious decision to seek out more like-minded people. Networking or joining various clubs is a great place to start.

Secret #5: Believe in your dreams

There is absolutely no substitute for positive thinking. Successful people are able to see their success before it happens. Even if they’re not certain of how or when, they believe it’s possible. They believe in themselves, their abilities and their own potential.  They believe that hard work, persistence and practice eventually pay off. They’re confident and optimistic.

To what extent to you believe in yourself?  Are you skeptical or doubtful at the first sign of resistance? Do you hope for the best but prepare yourself for the fact that you may not reach your goals?  If you notice that you are being negative about the goals you want to achieve, begin to consciously work on your beliefs and the internal tape player in your head. Write down or say a positive statement every time you catch yourself being negative.

Secret #6: Strive for excellence

Successful people don’t settle for “good enough.”  They aren’t content with being average or mediocre. They hold themselves to higher standards. They have an exceptional work ethic and expect more from themselves than even others expect of them.

How much do you expect from yourself?  How high are the standards you set for your own personal level of excellence?  Where in your life are you settling for “good enough?” The more you expect from yourself, the more you’ll be able to achieve. Pick one area in your life where you would want to be above average. Set a goal that stretches you. Don’t settle. You’re worth more than that.

Secret #7:  Make self-care a priority

Successful people recognize the importance of “recharging your batteries.”  They understand the need for balance and the fact that in order to operate at a certain level, they must take care of themselves – physically, mentally and emotionally.

How well do you take care of yourself? Do you often feel like you don’t have enough left to be able to focus on your goals?  Do you take care of your physical body and emotional wellbeing? The first step in self-care is to learn how to say “no.”  Find a way to put yourself on your priority list. To reach your goals, you must pay attention to your own needs, and value your happiness as much as you do everyone else’s.

Wishing you abundant success 

Victoria xx

It may not feel like it just yet, but Spring is here!  Which means it’s time for Spring Cleaning!

I absolutely love this time of year and always look forward to the fresh, bright and uplifting energy of the season. When you take the time to do a little spring-cleaning, everything feels even better. The whole house feels lighter, cleaner, and brighter. Physical clutter creates mental clutter.  If you want more space to create a healthy, blissful and radiant life, it’s time to spring clean!

A physical detox is similar to spring-cleaning your house, you throw out the garbage (all the processed and chemical-laden foods), and clean out the filters (your body’s detoxification organs) so that you feel lighter, cleaner and full of energy.  To feel your best, don’t forget the emotional clutter too! Stress, anxiety, anger, resentment can have just as toxic of an impact on our body as the foods we eat.

Here’s a checklist to get you started.  If you’d like some support in this area check out my Mind & Body Detox to help you create a spring-cleaning routine you can return to every year

Your home:

• Pick 2 rooms that you feel require the most attention.  Often we try to do the whole house and end up feeling overwhelmed.
• Choose the areas where you spend a lot of time or which give you the most stress when you think about them
• Clean out your car!  We often forget and use our car as another storage area, but clutter is clutter, whether at home, car or office and will affect your ability to think clearly and create positive flow

Your body:

• Even if you don’t have a terrible diet, your body accumulate toxins from every day life – the pollutants in the air and water, chemicals and pesticides in our food, too much sugar, coffee, alcohol
• Over time the excess toxins build up in our body and we feel chronically tired and experience symptoms such as brain fog, irritability, skin problems and trouble sleeping
• A healthy detox supports your body by eliminating the toxic load so that your detoxification organs have a chance to rest and rejuvenate
• The healthiest detox is one where you maintain a clean diet for a period of at least 4 weeks; you can do longer if you’d like, but aim for 3 to 4 weeks at minimum.  Shorter cleanses are great, and can be done from time to time but at least once a year, commit to giving your body a ‘break’ for a longer period of time.
• In order to do that, it’s essential to eat well, this is not a time for fasting or juice-only cleansing.  Eat a healthy, clean diet and avoid the following:  coffee, processed sugar and flour products, alcohol, fast food, preservatives, dairy, red meat and pork.  Drink LOTS of water!  You can also choose to take a gentle cleansing product to further support your body’s natural process

A tip if you’re cutting out coffee:  gradually wean yourself over a period of 5-7 days, as caffeine withdrawal symptoms can very unpleasant depending on how much coffee or soda you currently drink.  First cut down to 1 cup a day by replacing any additional cups with black tea, then green tea, until you can eliminate the AM coffee.

Your relationships:

• Toxic relationships drain your energy, affect your mood and self esteem
• You don’t need to cut people out of your life, but do take an honest look at how you feel when you spend time with certain friends, co-workers or family members. Ask yourself if they are holding you back or supporting you in being truly happy and fulfilled
• One of my favorite quotes is from Oprah “surround yourself with people that lift you higher”
• Spend less time with the “nay-sayers” and “energy vampires” and more time with people who make you feel inspired, who are positive and optimistic
• Seek out mentors or coaches who stretch themselves, as this will also stretch you to go after your dreams and you will feel happier and more fulfilled as a result

Your career:

• De-clutter your physical space, including your desk, files, and computer desktop. You’ll your concentration and clear space for creativity
• Take stock of where you are in your career and where you want to be
• Identify pro-active ways to move towards your ultimate goal, whether it’s asking your boss for a new assignment, taking courses that will expand your qualifications or exploring new opportunities and business ideas

Above all else, keep in mind that this process isn’t meant to overwhelm you.  It’s not about changing your life overnight, but rather creating the space, lightness and energy for great health, abundance and bliss to flow into your life.

Wishing you a beautiful and vibrant spring.  Happy cleaning!

Live Fit.  Live Happy.

Victoria xx

A little inspiration to brighten your week

“Regret for the things we did can be tempered by time; it is regret for the things we did not do that is inconsolable.”

When we’re faced with a decision to take a risk in our lives, we often fear making a mistake.  And when we do make a choice, sometimes it doesn’t turn out like we had hoped.

We can spend a lot of time re-writing our past, wishing we had made different choices.  In these moments it’s important to remember that the most painful type of regret is not over mistakes we made, but over the “what if’s” and things we didn’t try.

So if you’re holding yourself back, remember that it’s easier to course correct than to do nothing.  Take chances, follow your dreams, and most importantly follow your heart.  Life is an adventure that is meant to be lived to its fullest.  Forgive yourself if things didn’t turn out like you planned and know it’s better to try than regret it years from now.

Have a beautiful and exciting week!

Victoria  xo

A little inspiration to brighten your week

“Life isn’t about finding yourself.  Life is about creating yourself.” 

I love this quote because it reminds us that life is a process and that we have some degree of control over our destiny.

Instead of waiting to find out who we’re supposed to be, we design who we are going to be with every choice we make – our career, our friends, our partner, our health. In each moment we have an opportunity to make a different choice, to listen to our intuition and to create a life that is aligned with our most authentic and best self.

What can you do this week to create the best version of yourself?

Have a beautiful and healthy week!

Live Fit, Live Happy.

Victoria  Xo

I love salads. I try to eat a salad almost every day, either as a main meal for lunch or dinner or as a side to a cooked dish. Salads are one of the easiest ways to fill up on your daily servings of veggies, they’re super fast to make, crunchy, healthy and full of vitamins, minerals and enzymes.

But a salad every day can get boring, fast. Especially if you stick to the same two or three versions without switching things up. Luckily, there are so many ways to jazz up a salad, that the combinations are almost endless. Here are 7 ideas to get you started:

1. Alternate your main protein source

Your protein source can take a salad from a healthy appetizer to a balanced meal, and grilled chicken is definitely a good standby and a great source of protein. But don’t forget there are so many other options like grilled salmon or tuna, or vegetarian options like tofu, tempeh, chickpeas or beans. Not only will it provide variety for your taste buds, different sources of protein are a great way to ensure your body gets the broader range of nutrition.

2. Switch up your greens

This is one of the easiest ways to completely change up your salads. The greens you use as a base can change the entire taste and texture of your salad. If you find you’re always buying the same mixed greens or romaine, trying swapping one of those for a new variety each week, such as kale, spinach, and arugula.

3. Rotate your colors

Once you’ve selected your greens as a foundation it’s time to think about what goes into the salad. You may want to keep it simple with cucumber and tomatoes, or throw in a variety of veggies. Try to rotate a variety of bright colors, like red, orange and yellow peppers, carrots and beets.

4. Add a little texture

Sometimes a salad can feel a little…unsatisfying. If you’re craving something hearty, rich and full of texture that will really fill you up, you might not think that lettuce and vegetables are going to hit the spot, but it’s all about what you put in it. Add ingredients that like avocadoes, eggs, quinoa, or sweet potatoes. This is a great way to create a simple 1-dish meal that still contains some raw vegetables and good-for-you greens and is always very satisfying.

5. Sprinkle on some seeds

Seeds are another great to add texture to your salads, as well as plenty of fibre and heart healthy fats. Try hemp seeds (also a great source of protein), flax, chia, sunflower and pumpkin seeds, as a few examples. Always have some on hand so you can jazz up even the most basic salad and boost it’s nutrient content at the same time.

6. Nuts are not just an afternoon snack   

Nuts are another easy way to add healthy fats, texture and protein to your salad. Use a few different kinds in rotation so that you change up the flavor and prevent boredom, while also ensuring a variety of nutrients. Try walnuts, pecans, slivered almonds or pine nuts.

7. Add a little cheese

If you’re avoiding dairy for dietary or health reasons, you can use a substitute like rice cheese or skip this option altogether. However if you’re okay with a moderate amount of dairy then cheese like feta and parmigianno regianno can be a delicious addition to your salad. Buy organic when possible, and try sheep or goats milk based cheeses as they tend to be easier on the digestive system.

I hope this list has given you a lot of ideas. Don’t stress out about recipes – if you’re like me, recipes feel like you have to plan and have the perfect list of ingredients. Just make sure to keep a few of the above items in your kitchen and each day you can toss up your own creation. It’s fun, easy, fast and super delicious! You’ll never eat another boring salad again! 

Live Fit.  Live Happy.

Victoria xo

A little inspiration to brighten your week…

I hope this quote inspires you to think about your health this week.

In our diet obsessed society, we often make food decisions based entirely on caloric intake and fat grams. We think in terms of deprivation rather than nourishment. But really, the food we put in our bodies affects so much more than our waistline.So the next time you roll your eyes at the thought of another salad or wish that you could eat cake for dinner (believe me I have those days too), think about your life and your goals, and what’s important to you. Think about everything you want to accomplish, all that you do every day in your family life, your relationships, your career and your community. These are the reasons to eat healthy, so that you’re at your very best each and every day of your life.

We aren’t meant to wake up every day dragging ourselves out of bed, having trouble sleeping, living with headaches, brain fog, constant fatigue, moodiness or major illness. That is not our body’s natural state and it’s not the foundation from which we can thrive.

You don’t have to give up your favorite foods, but do pay attention to quality and the balance of healthful foods you consume. It’s not a sacrifice or a compromise, it’s the gift you give yourself, so that you can live your most happiest and successful life.

It’s that time of year again.  Cold and flu season is upon us.  Everywhere we turn people are getting sick or lining up for the flu shot.

So what can you do to protect yourself?  Whether you decide to get the flu shot or not, it’s important to remember that while it can protect us from a specific bacteria or virus, it doesn’t necessarily strengthen our overall immunity. I believe that a strong immune system is the most important foundation for staying healthy.  It demonstrates the amazing power and intelligence of your body to fight off whatever germs or viruses come your way.

There are many supplements out there that can help with immunity and it can be overwhelming (and expensive) to know which ones to take.  I did a post last year about the supplements I take and what I do if I feel a cold coming on, feel free to check it out if you want more ideas.

Here are my top 3 choices for a streamlined and simple foundation:

1. Vitamin D

Vitamin D used to be thought of as primarily an aid in calcium absorption. It is now recognized as a very important supplement in immune health.  Between 80-90% of the population is thought to be deficient so get your levels checked.

Vitamin D has been shown to increase our immunity to colds, prevent numerous types of cancers, and even play a role in the prevention of heart disease.  It’s been an integral part of holistic therapies for years, and has recently gained a lot of traction in the mainstream medical community as well.

Initial conservative RDI’s have increased from 400IU’s per day to 1000IU’s and many speculate that this may eventually be increased to 2000IU’s. Many holistic therapies use doses of up to 5000IU to treat deficiencies, especially during the winter months, so check with your doctor to see what dose is appropriate for you.

2. Probiotics

This is another non-negotiable supplement in my opinion.  Did you know that 80% of your immune system is in your gut?  Yet most North Americans experience compromised digestive health because of our diet and lifestyle, so this is definitely an area that could use a little boost with the right supplements.

So many aspects of our diet and lifestyle can destroy the “good bacteria” in our gut, including coffee, alcohol, antibiotics (including those in animal products we consume), processed foods, chemicals, artificial sweeteners, sugar, and stress, even the birth control pill.

I take a maintenance dose of probiotics all year round, and alternate brands or formulas every 3 months, as each product contains specific strains and this ensures you get a balanced intake of various strains.  If budget is a consideration or you simply don’t want to take supplements all year long you can cycle them 3-months on, 3-months off; or take them specifically at certain times of the year like during flu season, if you are traveling or after a course of antibiotic treatment.  For the purpose of building immunity, keep in mind that probiotic supplementation is about building up your digestive health, it doesn’t work at the onset of flu symptoms.

3. Vitamin C

The debate continues about the effectiveness of Vitamin C when it comes to cold prevention and decreasing cold symptoms, however numerous studies show the benefits of Vit C in protecting from immune system deficiencies, cardiovascular disease, as well as anti-aging and overall longevity.

Researchers are also finding that the ideal dosage may be higher than the recommended RDI, which is currently only 75-90mg per day.  It looks like a dose of at least 500mg per day may be optimal with a safe upper limit of about 2000mg per day.

it does play a role in overall health and it’s important to note that it is one of the important nutrients that our body needs, that it cannot produce on it’s own, so we need to get it externally from our diet.  We are actually the only mammal that does not produce it’s own vitamin C.

The more consistent you are with a healthy eating and supplement plan, the more your health will improve and you will notice significant changes year over year.  It’s not about short-term symptom relief and quick fixes, but overall prevention and a strong immune system.   I hope these 3 tips were helpful!

Live Fit.  Live Happy.

Victoria xo

*The content in this article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to replace advice or prescriptions from your Medical Doctor.  For specific amounts, usage, and drug interactions please see your personal health care practitioner.

A little inspiration to brighten your week…

“I have decided to be happy, because it’s good for my health.”  ~ Voltaire

Many of you are already in a wonderful state of happiness and gratitude today, as you celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving!  I hope you have a beautiful and joyful day enjoying time with family and friends.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful to feel this happy and joyful all the time?  Well the truth is, we can.  The good news is that happiness is for the most part, a choice.  We cannot control the circumstances that surround us, but we can always control two things: our response to and our perception of, those circumstances.  We can choose to respond in a loving and compassionate manner, and we can choose to see challenges as lessons, opportunities and blessings.  We can choose to be positive and forgiving.

Our emotions can have a big impact on our physical body.  Studies have shown that happy people tend to get sick less and recover more quickly, even from serious illness.  Knowing this, it becomes a conscious choice to worry less and get angry less, not only because it’s better for our relationships, but it’s actually better for our health.

There will no doubt be challenges and it’s not about pretending to be happy.  But it can be very empowering to know that you can decide to feel happy, rather than waiting for some external circumstance change.  Books like What Happy People Know and The Happiness Project are a great resource if you would like more strategies and examples for how to create more happiness in your life.

Remember that deciding to be happy will change your physiology.  So give as much attention to your daily dose of laughter as you do to your daily dose of veggies

Have a beautiful and happy week!

Live Fit, Live Happy.

Victoria  Xo

October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, a cause that is very dear to me because my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer almost 15 years ago.  I’m happy to say she is healthy and cancer free, and we now look back on the experience with gratitude for how it changed our lives for the better.

In honor of my mom and the hundreds of thousands of women, mothers, daughters, sisters, wives… who have been diagnosed with breast cancer, I wanted to share my personal experience with my mom’s illness, my own personal prevention strategies and why I so strongly believe in a holistic approach and that we need a stronger message of prevention.

When my mom was first diagnosed it was the scariest time in my life. I was in my third year of University and couldn’t imagine my life without her in it.  I was terrified. The logical, solution-focused part of me wanted answers. Unfortunately the general message from the doctors was only that “no one knows why this happens”.   We decided to educate ourselves in an effort to better understand the illness and what else we could be doing to increase my mom’s chances of recovery.  In the process of learning about holistic and alternative treatments, we began to feel empowered and hopeful.  And with what we learned, we changed our eating habits and lifestyle permanently.

My mom went on to recover completely, she had a biopsy but no further radiation or chemotherapy and spent over 6 months following a strict holistic program to get her body fully healed and healthy.  For the purpose of this post, I will focus on the prevention side rather than healing and treatment options.

A holistic approach to cancer prevention is based in the fundamental understanding that the body has an incredible ability to heal itself.  When our internal systems are functioning optimally we are healthy, when they begin to break down, it creates the foundation for degenerative disease to develop. With respect to breast cancer there are very specific diet and lifestyle factors that are known to reduce our risk.

The reason I’m so passionate about the message of prevention is that before my mom’s diagnosis, I had no idea that the lifestyle choices I was making could possibly increase my risk for cancer.  Up until that point I was completely oblivious to the connection between what I put in my body and my future state of health.  I had only learned to think in terms of calories and focused more on foods that would keep me slim rather than healthy.

I’m by no means perfect, I go through phases where I drink too much coffee and eat fewer vegetables than I should, but I’ve incorporated the following on a consistent basis:

• I limit my intake of alcohol significantly (there is a significant correlation between alcohol consumption and breast cancer, even 1 drink every other day has been shown to increase your risk.  I limit alcohol to 1 or 2 drinks per week)

• I limit animal products, including diary (you don’t have to become a vegetarian, simply incorporate vegetarian meals into your week.  Have 4-5 meals a week that includes beans and legumes, and when you do eat meat, choose organic as it contains less hormones than commercially processed meat)

• I avoid all processed and artificial foods wherever possible (you can have cookies, ice-cream, pizza.. all the foods you love, just make sure you are choosing foods with high quality ingredients **hint** avoid fast food restaurants and read the ingredient lists)

• I exercise regularly  (movement helps your lymphatic system detoxify your body of toxins, by understanding the role of exercise as more than just a form of punishment to burn calories… it has become a non-negotiable component of my life)

• I have a green drink every morning (an alkaline environment is vital to a healthy body yet it’s not always easy to eat enough vegetables, and avoid all of the acid-producing factors like meats, alcohol, coffee, stress, travel, etc., so I ensure that I give my body a boost and start each day with an alkalizing green smoothie.  If you don’t have time to blend your greens in the morning, get the powdered greens from the health store)

• I work with a holistic practitioner to monitor my hormone levels and detoxify my body on a regular basis (this is very important, especially to ensure your estrogen levels are in check which can effect your fertility as well as your cancer risk. These days, estrogen is everywhere – in meat, dairy, plastic bottles)

Millions of dollars are spent every year on early detection in the form of breast self exams and mammograms, but in my opinion, not nearly enough money or time is spent talking about the risk factors that increase our chances of developing breast cancer and how to prevent it.  The medical community now acknowledges that over 70% of degenerative disease (this includes cancer) is diet and lifestyle related, and yet when I read the literature on breast cancer, this fact is merely listed under “other potential causes”.

For example, most women I ask know about the importance of annual mammograms, yet few are aware of the strong link between alcohol consumption and their risk of breast cancer.  Detection is NOT the same as prevention.  We need to do more to become aware of lifestyle risk factors so that we can have a conversation focused on staying healthy.

For more information on diet and lifestyle factors that can reduce your risk, read my previous post on Simple Ways to Reduce Your Breast Cancer Risk.

While cancer continues to remain a mystery in many ways, and there are numerous contributing factors, there is now a great deal of research that points to diet and lifestyle as major risk factors for this disease.  I hope that by sharing my story and holistic approach, you feel inspired and empowered to take control of your health and spread the message of prevention, live by example and remind the women you love to take care of themselves and their health.

In love and health….

Live Fit.  Live Happy.

Victoria xo

A little inspiration to brighten your week….

“If you limit your choices only to what seems possible or reasonable, you disconnect yourself from what you truly want, and all that is left is a compromise.”

My life changed when I began to realize that in order to do, have and become what I truly wanted… I needed to follow my heart.  And in order to that I had to stop filtering every idea through my head – the place that tells us if our dreams are possible, reasonable and realistic.

When we live in a state of compromise we can often feel frustrated, unfulfilled, bored and uninspired.  We may be unaware there’s a problem, only a feeling that something isn’t right.  Compromise is a subtle state that builds over time until we find ourselves off track.

The problem with listening to our head is that the mind is disconnected from our intuition, which is our internal wisdom and guidance system.  Our thoughts are often influenced by fears, and the external beliefs and opinions of others.  While our hearts are grounded in faith and the truth of who we are and the life we are meant to live.

Each time we ignore our heart and ignore what we truly want, we are compromising the fullness of our life.  It’s not always easy to follow your heart. It can be scarey and uncomfortable; however when you begin to live in alignment with your true desires, you open yourself to experience authentic joy and fulfillment and step into the person you were meant to become.

Have a beautiful week

Victoria

xo