I cannot tell you how long I’ve struggled. Thinking I was crazy, being prescribed anti anxiety meds, birth control pill, anti depression pills, only to find out later through years of research that my hormones were simply (well not so simply) out of balance! I had no idea at the time that my diet and lifestyle which included way too much stress and too little sleep were at the root cause! This is what led me to a Certification in Functional Nutrition Coaching. I needed answers, and now that I’ve found them, it’s my goal to share them with every woman that is struggling like I was!
Hormones are these chemical messengers in our bodies from endocrine glands. The pineal, thyroid, pancreas, adrenals, ovaries, testes, and pituitary. But did you know they all receive messages from the food we eat and from the thoughts we think?!!
We need to unlock the path to hormone balance for optimal health. Since we know our food and our thoughts send messages to our hormones, it only makes sense that we ourselves, not some physician or prescription, hold the key. And the best place to start is at the end of our forks!
In the tab above, “The Powerful Fork” under Free Courses I have posted a free Comprehensive Hormone Questionnaire. It’s always nice to have blood work done, but it’s not absolutely necessary to diagnose hormone imbalance. If you’d like to work with me to help balance your hormones through a few lifestyle changes, join me for a consultation at The Powerful Fork! I’m looking forward to our time together!
Cause we’re not there yet, but perhaps together, we’ll get there Soon Enuff!
The Big M is Magnesium! Magnesium is essential for optimal health. It also has the ability to help prevent inflammatory diseases like Alzheimer, heart disease, and high blood pressure. Here are the top 6 reasons to get adequate magnesium daily:
Top 6
Boosts Mood: Do we need anymore reasons?! 🙂
Magnesium is known to improve mental health by supporting brain biochemistry and neurotransmitter regulation. It’s been shown to improve clinical depression and conversely, low levels of magnesium have been associated with depressive behaviors. Oral supplements of magnesium have been shown to have the same effectiveness of some pharmaceutical drugs to treat depression. Now who wouldn’t choose a natural mineral with no side effects?
Fights Inflammation:
Did you know that eating foods high in magnesium like dark chocolate and pumpkin seeds can decrease inflammation? Many chronic inflammatory diseases have been associated with low levels of magnesium. Magnesium acts as an antioxidant by protecting our mitochondria from oxidative stress.
Reduces Insulin Resistance:
Insulin Resistance is when certain cells in your muscles, fat and liver don’t respond well to insulin and can no longer take glucose (sugar) up from your blood stream. Insulin resistance causes weight gain and all kinds of chronic diseases, including Type 2 diabetes. Low levels of magnesium have been associated with insulin resistance.
Helps maintain healthy blood pressure:
Taking an oral magnesium supplement reduces blood pressure in patients with mild hypertension. Eating foods with magnesium also has a positive impact post exercise blood pressure, who doesn’t want that!
Improves PMS:
Premenstrual syndrome plagues many women in their child bearing years. Magnesium has a soothing effect on the mind and body and has been shown to help alleviate PMS symptoms.
Relieves Menopause symptoms:
Magnesium is vital during the years leading up to and during menopause. Magnesium helps keep bones strong and prevents osteoporosis. It also helps with those pesky menopause symptoms like difficulty sleeping and depression.
We literally cannot live without this vital nutrient, yet almost half of us don’t get adequate amounts of magnesium. This may be due to people eating fewer amounts of nutrient rich foods like the ones shown above. Industrial farming isn’t doing us any favors either. The soil is becoming depleted and reducing the amounts of magnesium in our foods.
Let’s work together to make sure what you’re putting at the end of your fork is giving your body the vital nutrients it needs for optimal health! Check out my new program, “The Powerful Fork.”
Cause I’m not there yet, but perhaps together, we’ll get there Soon Enuff!!
Amy
Today only if you are over 40 my daughter, Dr. Jazmin Lopez, is offering a Cyber Monday Deal for a 3×4 genetics testing kit. This kit would be sent to your home, where you do a simple cheek swab and mail it in. Upon receiving the lab results you would have a Lifestyle Genomics Consultation with Dr. Jazmin to review your DNA results and how they affect your metabolism, inflammation, detox pathways, weight, fitness, injury/recovery, cognition, response to food, and supplements that you may choose. You’ll also receive one functional nutrition session with me to begin implementing your targeted plan for exercise, nutrition, and supplementation, based on your genetic results and personal goals for your body and life! This 3×4 genetics testing is offered today only at $400! Visit @drjazmin.physio on instagram to book yours, there’s only two spots left!
If you are under 40, Dr. Jazmin will send you to, Grace Lopez, Integrative Health Coach to begin implementing your targeted plan!
Check them both out on Instagram @drjazmin.physio
Jazmin graduated from Chapman University as a Dr. of Physical Therapy and Integrative Physiotherapy. She’s also a Functional Medicine Practioner with certifications in Pilates and pelvic floor health.
@gracejlopez
Grace received her Nutritional Health Coach Certification from IIN, Integrative Nutrition. The world’s premiere Health Coach Training Program.
I am a Certified Functional Nutrition Coach through Mind Body Green. If you’d like help with dietary changes, life coaching, or just to ask questions, I’d love to work with you. Follow me on Instagram @grounded_inthe_present
The “externals” are anything outside yourself. What are you feeling in bondage to? Your job, significant other, kids, school, food, the list could go on and on. But if you took away the need to live up to, or down to, in many cases, what would your life be like? If you stopped internalizing everyones opinions and just empowered yourself to do what’s best for you, how would that feel?
I’ll give you an example of my own turmoil. Recently I have felt like I’m in a fight with the food industry. (not literally, but just a sense of frustration) The pesticides in our food, the lack of nutrients in our soil, all the added sugar, etc. etc. And at times I’ve let that external force really get to me and almost give up. Like what’s the point of trying to buy all this organic food and eat really healthy, when honestly our food has become not so healthy. Thoughts like this race through my head, “It’s all bad, go on and have that soda and candy bar, what’s the difference anyways.” The thing is, thoughts like that contribute to my own degradation. If I followed those thoughts, I’d essentially be doing what’s best for the externals, and not what’s best for myself.
How do you contribute to your own degradation
So ask yourself, “How am I contributing to my own degradation?” Depending on your circumstances there are countless ways we do this. Someone treats you poorly, you let it slide instead of standing up for yourself. Someone/something is demanding your attention and instead of doing what’s best for you and saying honestly you don’t have time, you instead give in and do the task. You’re doing your best to live a healthy life and you give in to friends that want to go out and party all weekend. You see, we all have the power to do what’s best for ourselves, but by not making the right choices, we contribute to our own degradation and then tend to blame it on the externals.
The externals are real, but don’t give them that much power. Instead, regain your own power, be your own leader. Look within yourself for the answers you need. Search your own heart for solutions.
Cause we’re not there yet, but perhaps together, we’ll get there Soon Enuff…
That was my exact thought when I first heard the word epigenetic in my Functional Nutrition courses. I was literally mind blown to learn that Epigenetics is the study of how our behaviors, environment and life choices can alter the way our genes work. Maybe read that line again! Yes you can alter your genes with your thoughts and with what you choose to put at the end of your fork! While epigenetics are reversible and can’t change your DNA sequence, they can change how your body reads the DNA sequence. A little scientific I know, but I’ll try to put it in terms that helped me understand it better.
Our genes only have 5% to do with determing our risk of developing a particular disease. That means 95% has to do with our behaviors, environments and lifestyle choices. That doesn’t mean that if you do develop a disease it’s 95% your fault. A lot of people cannot control their environment. It does mean that we can greatly influence our genes with what we choose to put in our mouths and our outlook on life. So when I hear people say things like, “My whole family is obese so I am obese,” doesn’t fly. Or my mother and grandfather died of heart disease so I probably will too. Here’s the thing….if you know you have these traits in your family, whether that be heart disease, cancer, diabetes, Alzheimers, ADHD, MS, Parkinson’s, the list goes on and on, then you actually have the upper hand. You know you can alter your genes with the your life choices. Epigenetics can turn a gene on or off. If you have heart disease in your family, you can choose to exercise, eat well, live as stress free as possible and keep your waist line down. By choosing this way of life, you can alter that gene in a positive way. If you choose to ignore the fact that your family has a history of diabetes, and you eat a highly processed diet, a lot of sugar and carbohydrates, live a stressful life, then your epigenetic will be influenced in a negative way and you may very likely turn that gene on.
Epigenetics and Pregnancy
One of the most awesome things a mom to be can do for her unborn child is change their behavior before they become pregnant. You see a mother’s food choices, such as eating a healthy diet, avoiding too much sugar, and living as stress free as possible can actually change the unborn Childs epigenetics. Your baby doesn’t have a choice is in this, it’s up to you to impact it’s genes in a positive or negative way. These changes to your babies epigenetic can impact the child for decades and may make your child more likely to get certain diseases.
Epigenetics and Aging
I have been literally so excited to learn that aging doesn’t have to be a terrible thing. We’ve been conditioned to believe that menopause for women and aging in general for men and women is awful. We’ve been told menopause is terrible and all the symptoms that go with it are just the way it is. Men have been conditioned to believe that as they age they’ll lose some of their libido, their bellies will just naturally get bigger, and our mental prowess will begin to decline. But it’s totally not true! We can absolutely impact aging with our behaviors, life choices, and amount of stress we allow in our lives. I’ve personally experienced how changing my diet and lifestyle habits has impacted my moods. How choosing the right foods and supplements has changed peri-menopause symptoms. Of course, it’s not all fun, and I’ve had a few symptoms that were challenging, but it’s definitely not the normal symptoms that I’ve been conditioned to believe were going to happen!
Ultimately, it’s up to you. You play the most crucial part in how your life plays out. I’d love to help you with getting on the right track! If you’re interested in working one on one with me to learn the best choices for your particular health and mental needs, let me know by setting up an appointment below. Health isn’t black and white and neither should your healthcare be. Everyone has different needs and conventional medicine doesn’t address those, but I will!
Cause we’re not there yet, but perhaps together, we’ll get there Soon Enuff…..
Sincerely,
Amy Lopez, FNC
To set up an appointment with me click the link below:
“I am the way, the truth, the life.” Know who said that? Correct, his name was Jesus. He also said, “All things I do and greater things you will also do.” You see, Jesus is the personification of pure consciousness. I Am, is the way, the truth, the life.
I AM more than the person
If you only know yourself as the person: the mother, the wife, the daughter, the school teacher, the nurse, the doctor, the girlfriend, the sister, etc. then you are disillusioned. What happens when you are no longer the mother? Your child passes, or they simply grow up and don’t need you in the same way? What happens if your spouse passes or leaves you? What happens when your parents pass away and you are no longer the daughter? What happens when you lose your job and are no longer the Dr., teacher, nurse? What should happen is a grieving period but you are never lost. Because who you are, your true essence isn’t tied to any of those things. You are still you, you are still present. Your true essence is The I AM. All these other titles emerge from that. You are pure consciousness. Only when you know your essence identity can you fulfill your true purpose.
The caterpillar doesn’t become a butterfly, it already is the butterfly. The butterfly emerges from the caterpillar.
A deeper sense of purpose
We can all align ourselves with the deeper purpose of the universe. It’s not a religion, it’s a realization. When you learn to stay present in each moment, it’s the most freeing feeling. I like to think of my, I Am, as a beautiful mystical figure that sits in the center of my chest, my soul. This is where it watches all that is going on around me and in me. I see the thoughts and I let them go. I watch conflicts arise and can choose my reactions from a place of consciousness instead of reacting unconsciously. I watch the wife emerge from me as I take care of my husband and home. I smile as the mother emerges and sends my grown children funny or inspirational messages. I delight as the coach emerges from me and teaches others around me. But I don’t attach myself to these things. I know at some point they will all be gone. And I know that what will remain is me, I am.
Cause I’m not there yet, but perhaps, together, we’ll get there “Soon Enuff.”
Sincerely,
Amy
If you’d like to read more inspirational quotes that help inspire you to live a more present life, my book, “Present Ground” is on sale this month. You can find it by clicking on the above tab or worldwide on Amazon!
“It’s something that I thought I’d never say, but today,
I think I’m going to think backwards.” –Amy Lopez–
A backwards day
When I wake up in the morning I always enjoy a few minutes of silence while looking out the window, or if the weather is nice, I sit outside, getting some much needed morning light on my face. I am very present and try not to let my thoughts about all the things I need to get done today take over my mind. But recently I thought I’d experiment with something new.
Instead of thinking about what I needed to get done first, I thought about how I want to feel when I climb back into my comfy bed tonight at the end of the day. I want to feel satisfied and happy with all the choices I make today. I want to feel at peace and worry free. And then I went backwards.
Backwise Planning
I’ll give you an example of what I like to call “backwise planning.” Around 10:00pm I slip into my comfy pj’s and do a little night time yoga. A nice stretch for my hips and back. At 9:00pm I turn my phone to “Do Not Disturb” and stay off social media and email. At 8:30 I cozy up on the couch and watch a program on tv. At 8:00 I start to dim the lights around the house. At 7:30 as soon as I get home from work, I wash my face and have a nice cup of decaffeinated bedtime chai. Between 3-7pm while I’m at work I have so much fun with the kids at the gym. I react to the parents coming into my facility with gratitude and am present with each person speaking to me. Between 10am and 2pm I enjoy my day. A nice workout to get my cardio up then yoga to calm down and relax. I eat good and choose only the foods that I know are going to be healthy for me. All my interactions are conscious ones. I don’t open my mouth without thinking first. Between 8am-10am I enjoy my morning coffee/tea and reading/writing. I do a short meditation and some breathwork. I sit outside for at least 10 minutes, weather permitting, if not I look out the window at the beautiful morning I’ve been given.
You see, if you have a goal in mind, it makes it much easier to stay in that mindset all day. Basically, you are present in each moment. When things start to get stressful with your kids or at your job, think about your goal of feeling at peace and then make your reactions conscious ones. That’s ultimately the only way to go to bed at night happy and satisfied with the choices you made, with the reactions you had to outside circumstances. It’s the only way to peace.
I recently read a book and highly recommend it, “Active Hope,” by Joanna Macey & Chris Johnstone. In one section Joanna talks about thinking about what your preferred future looks like in say, 30 years. Then starting there in the future and working backwards to help you see how to get there. And it made me wonder why this same concept wouldn’t work daily, and well, it does work! I hope this idea helps you too!
If you’d like more ideas on how to live a more present life, check out my course “10 Days to a More Present You.” It’s available by clicking the tab Course Library.
Cause I’m not there yet, but perhaps together, we’ll get there Soon Enuff…
I hope no one ever promised you it would be easy….you see, the most important journey, my love, is done alone.
Phases of the Journey
You’ll go through phases of sadness when you realize things should have been different. You’ll struggle with some realities you never knew before. You’ll uncover secrets that you’ll wish would have stay buried. But in the end, the journey to finding who you truly are, well, that starts right now.
The real journey is always right now
Regardless of your past, regardless how you were raised, regardless of previous relationships….right here, right now in this moment is where you decide your next step, you decide what your story will be today. So do the necessary work to let go of the past, to use what you learn as possible lessons moving forward, but don’t dwell there. Tell your mind to move along. Experience the sadness, even the happiness of past memories and then leave them where they belong…..
Cause I’m not there yet, but perhaps together, we’ll get there, Soon Enuff.
“The most important journey, my love, is done alone.”
It’s a new day and a brand new beautiful week. Can you take just a few moments for yourself? A little quiet time in meditation.
When we float through our days and weeks with no clear purpose it makes it easy to get lost in our thoughts. It’s so important to take a few moments for yourself every morning, but especially at the beginning of the week.
“Still Time”
You are the most important person in your life. You deserve some “still time.” Get still, write down what your intention for what you want to happen this week is. Then each day, think about that intention. It makes it so much easier to stick to something when you’ve written it down. When you recognize the importance of setting intentions, of making manifestations, and affirmations. You owe it to yourself, to your spouse, lover, friends, family, etc. To be your best you, you’ve got to invest in yourself.
Cause we’re not there yet, bur perhaps together, we’ll get there…...Soon Enuff!
Hey guys, I just uploaded a brand new course in the Course Library! It’s a 4 week course on the Transformational Power of Acceptance. Click the tab above for more information!
Okay, let’s not get things twisted…..settling is not the same as accepting. When you accept a life situation for what it is, it doesn’t mean you’re being passive, or weak, or giving up and it definitely doesn’t mean you’re settling. Actually, it’s the opposite. You see when you’re aware of something and you acknowledge it and accept it for what it is, only then can you decide if a change needs to be made or not. After all, how can you change something or heal from something that you’re in denial of? Something that you don’t acknowledge can’t be let go of or healed from.
If you’re simply resigning yourself to be miserable or you’re settling on something or someone just to make everyone else happy, or not to, “Rock the boat,” then you are essentially telling yourself, “I am not deserving of anything better.” But here’s the thing, you are deserving, we all are! We all deserve happiness, joy, and to live a fulfilling life.
AAA
Who do you call when you are broken down on the side of the road? Many of us call Triple A. It’s a great service if you’re stranded with no other options. So what do you do in your personal life when you have an internal disturbance? When you feel a resistance to something? When you’re struggling to forgive, either yourself or another. We can use the same concept, AAA for ourselves:
Aware: You become aware of the resistance/disturbance in your life
Acknowledge: You acknowledge the disturbance or resistance in your life
Accept: You accept it for what it is
This is a lifelong practice but I’m living proof that it is truly transformational when you put AAA into practice.
I have a brand new four week course for exactly this practice. It’s called “The Transformational Power of Acceptance.” It’s a 4 part pre recorded video sequence. You’ll receive the videos to watch at your own leisure plus you’ll have them for a lifetime. You’ll also have access to a private Facebook Group that is only for the participants of this course to engage with each other or ask questions of me. You’ll also receive a 30 minute private zoom conference with me as well as a 30 minute group meeting with all the participants in this course. If you’re interested in learning how to let go, how to heal from the past, how to live a more authentic and healthy you inside and out, then join me for this transformational course. The link is below if you’re interested!
Cause we’re not there yet….but perhaps together, we’ll get there, “Soon Enuff.”
As a young woman I often wondered how some did it. How were they just happy most of the time. How did they get over a break up and just move on to the next one with seemingly no emotions? How did they handle the accident that took their loved one and just kept going? How can they be wheel chair bound after being so athletic and still seem so filled with joy? After years of studying this, while I myself struggled with so many life situations, I found the answer is Acceptance.
So I can already hear some of you now….”If I accept a situation then I’m giving up!” Let me start right off with saying that Acceptance of the situation is not the same as giving up. You can accept a situation and still choose to make changes. So throw that notion right out the door 🙂
How can we Harness the Power of Acceptance
So how do we do it? How do we accept things when we simply don’t want to?
Acknowledge, explore, embrace. These three things are key. You see the problem is unless we acknowledge the reality of our life in this moment we can’t accept it, we just keep believing a lie. If we never explore our feelings, and we just push them away every time they come up, then we can never deal with them and leave them in the past. And until we embrace the reality we are in right now, until we fully accept it, we can’t decide what to do about it. You see change comes when you accept things as they are. Once you accept them, you decide what to do with them or about them.
“When was the last time you explored your feelings
instead of pushing them away….” -Amy-
It’s not easy, and it definitely takes some work but the process is truly transformational.
The Transformational Power of Acceptance
I’ve put together a four week course with every day exercises to teach you the Transformational Power of Acceptance.
We’ll learn acceptance in everyday little things: the mundane tasks that you dread, the relationships you’re struggling with, your career, your life path, aging, children. I’ll teach you skills that can apply to every life situation.
I am living proof of the transformation and I can’t wait to work with you through this course! I hope you’ll check it out 🙂
Cause we’re not there, but perhaps together, we’ll get there “Soon Enuff!”
