4 Ways to Take Control & Create a Powerful Mindset for Yourself | Nadia La Russa

4 Ways to Take Control & Create a Powerful Mindset for Yourself

Imagine how much better your life would be if you could take control of your life and create a powerful mindset for yourself.

How much more could you accomplish if you knew how to form thoughts that work for rather than against you?

The good news is that there are four ways to accomplish exactly that.

These four shifts in thinking help us to become more optimistic. They empower us and create within us the powerful mindsets we need to achieve. 

Let’s look at each of these thoughts together and break down each idea into action items so that we can do something about becoming who we want to become. 

1. Look on the Bright Side of the Situation

“Keep your face to the sunshine, and you cannot see a shadow” – Helen Keller. 

Thought: It’s natural to see the negative. We tend to lean towards what’s wrong rather than what’s right. The reason for this, however, is a habit. The good news is that habits can change. We can train ourselves to see the good instead of the bad. And what’s beneficial about this is that while we may be able to see multiple things simultaneously, we can only focus on one. When you train yourself to focus on the good, the bad gets blurry.

Action Step: Take 5 minutes to think about the most stressful situation you are currently dealing with in your life. You will notice that you’ve been focusing on the negative. Take a moment and think of at least one good thing that can result from the situation. Will you grow from it? Will you be stronger? Better? Now, spend a few moments thinking about that. Focus your attention on the positive. Concentrate on what’s good. Chances are, the stress you’ve been associating with this problem will dissipate as your focus begins to shift from what is wrong to what is right.

2. Focus on the Future and Forget About the Past

“Yesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or lose.”  – Lyndon B. Johnson.

Thought: When we get hung up on what we should have done or what we shouldn’t have said, we tie ourselves to a moment that no longer exists. It’s gone. It happened. The key is to learn from it, not to waddle in it. The best way to move past the past is to look ahead to what’s next. Again, we can see many things at a time, but we can only focus on one. When we redirect our attention to what we can do tomorrow rather than what we should have done yesterday, we begin to see possibilities instead of mistakes.

Action Step: Let’s do an exercise together. Ready? Think of 3 things – things that you cannot do right now but that you can do within the next seven days. In other words, all three things must be things to look forward to. Now, write them down on a small note and stick them on your desk. Whenever your mind starts to wander to yesterday, quickly look at the note and redirect your focus towards tomorrow. When you keep your eyes looking ahead, it’s impossible to get frustrated over what we would otherwise see in the rearview mirror.

3. Use Time Wisely

“In every day, there are 1,440 minutes. That means we have 1,440 daily opportunities to make a positive impact.” – Les Brown.

Thought: Now, this point may take some convincing. What does time management have to do with being positive? Aren’t they two different things? Not exactly. You see, what you do with your time affects the way you see and value yourself. And your self-image directly links to your positive (or negative) perspective on life. Think about it. What is something you’ve done that you are most proud of having accomplished? Now, what is something you are frustrated with yourself for doing? Both incidents correlate to the use of your time. In the first example, you chose to use your time to do something that gave you a positive view of yourself. And in the second example, the opposite is just as valid. What we do with our time directly correlates with how positive (or negative) we see things in life.

Action Step: Open up your calendar and do something about it today. Add an activity that will make you feel good about yourself. Anything. It doesn’t have to be a significant accomplishment like win the Olympics by Friday. It just has to be important to you. The key is to put it on a calendar, not a to-do list. We aren’t trying to add more tasks to become even more overwhelmed. Instead, we are trying to make proactive use of our time by planning to do something that will elevate our self-image. And the key to associating this activity with time is to put it on our calendar.

4. Practice Gratitude

“Let us arise and be thankful, for if we didn’t learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn’t learn a little, at least we didn’t get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn’t die; so let us all be thankful.”  – Buddha.

Thought: We sometimes feel as though we’ve got it bad. And yes, we do go through hard times. But no matter how bad things get, there is always someone struggling much worse than us. It’s easy to take life for granted, but the key to being content with what we have is to be grateful for what we have.

Action Step: This exercise will be life-changing. Make a list of things you are grateful for that you haven’t thought about before. Write at least ten but know that putting 100 items on the list is not far-fetched or even remotely impossible, so write as many as you can. Think about the things you usually wouldn’t think about – the things we usually don’t appreciate unless we lose, such as our health. Even the jobs we complain about are worth considering since the only option to having our job is not having it. Be creative and thoughtful. Then, read your list often. Take a few moments just to be grateful. Doing this exercise will change your perspective about many things. And the things that currently frustrate you may quickly turn into a source of joy.

It is often easier to talk about being positive than it is to be positive. But the action steps embedded in these four ideas will help us to make that change. When we look on the bright side, focus on the future, use our time wisely, and practice gratitude, we will become more positive individuals. This, in turn, will have a huge impact on our lives. It will enable us to enjoy them and to live them out to the fullest.

Now you might be thinking ‘wow these sound really easy” and that’s because they are! We often forget how simple the solutions can be because we overcomplicate things, but I can assure you, that shifting your way of thinking to these can make a big impact. Get ready to empower your mind!

In health and wellness,

Nadia La Russa

Click here to learn about how to keep your work-life balance when you work from home.

Click here to learn about self-care and why you should practice it.

How to Take Control of Your Business | Nadia La Russa

How to Take Control of Your Business

Have you recently started a new business? Or you’re thinking about starting your journey as an entrepreneur? Either way, congratulations to you! You’re taking a major step towards a rewarding and more independent lifestyle. That being said, owning a business comes with certain challenges. Here are the crucial areas that you’ll need to make an effort to understand and become familiar with if you want to take control of your business:

Identify Your Brand

One of your first challenges as a business owner is to build a unique brand. Creating a relevant and distinctive logo is only the first step when it comes to branding. What’s most important is identifying the crucial characteristics that set you apart. This is sometimes referred to as USP (Unique Selling Proposition) and will inform your marketing, the kind of content you post on social media, and how you communicate with your customers. Your brand identity should be consistent across platforms both online and offline. So, figure out what makes your brand unique. 

Know Your Customers

No one should know your customers better than you. Who are they? What problem of theirs are you providing a solution for with your product or service? Once you’ve answered these questions, you’ll want to go ahead and dive deeper by developing a unique buyer persona

A buyer persona is a fictional character who represents your ideal customer. Some businesses even go as far as giving their buyer persona a name and a very specific lifestyle to bring them to life. For example, “Mary is a married 35-year-old mother of two who works in middle management. She drives a Honda Accord and enjoys reading mystery novels, yoga, and gardening.” Of course, you have to base your buyer persona on research to ensure it’s as accurate as possible. In some cases, you may have more than one. Your buyer persona (s) may change over time as your business evolves. Be sure to review or update it as your business grows. When’s the last time you reviewed and updated yours? 

Pay Attention to Your Numbers

Few people start a business because they enjoy crunching numbers. However, it will be hard for you to succeed if you don’t thoroughly understand your expenses, taxes, profit margins, and other essential numbers. 

Here are a few tips to help you in this area: 

  • Research the best business structure for your needs. Many new entrepreneurs start as sole proprietors. However, it’s often advantageous to set up an LLC, Corporation, or Partnership. If necessary, consult with an attorney. Setting up a business entity helps protect you legally in case your business is ever sued.  
  • Invest in quality accounting software. You may want to hire a part-time or full-time bookkeeper or accountant. You can also outsource these tasks to an agency as you need them. Whatever you decide to do, just promise me you don’t just try to “wing it” as this can lead to serious financial problems for you and your business in the future. 
  • Be frugal when starting out. You don’t have to invest in costly office space, equipment and non-essential amenities. Consider renting rather than buying expensive equipment or perhaps consulting with other small business owners and splitting the costs. 
  • Always track the ROI of your marketing campaigns. With online advertising such as Google AdWords or Facebook ads, you can use software to track your results. Important digital marketing metrics include conversion rates, cost per customer acquisition, and click rates for email campaigns. Regardless of what type of marketing you do, it’s essential to measure your results. 

Manage Your Time

When you’re an employee, your time is generally managed by your employer or a manager. When you run your own business, however, you are entirely responsible for setting your schedule. You need to set daily, weekly, and long-term goals for yourself. But where do you even start?

  1. Prioritize. When you create your to-do list, try to arrange it, so you complete the most urgent and difficult tasks early in the day.
  2. Use time management tools to track your time and see what you’re spending the majority of your time doing. Use the results to determine how you can better be productive with your time. 
  3. Avoid getting caught up in busy work. You can fool yourself into feeling productive while endlessly “researching” on Google, browsing social media, and holding long meetings. 
  4. Learn to say “no.” You’re not obligated to listen to every sales pitch or attend every event to which you’re invited. 
  5. Delegate and outsource. You only have so many hours in a day to get things done. When you delegate tasks, you have more time to devote to more essential matters. As your business grows, you’ll be able to identify more areas to delegate and outsource. This is one of the secrets to upscaling your business. 

Feeling overwhelmed? Don’t worry, this is a lot of information to take all at once, but you’re not alone, there are resources and business coaches that can help you clarify your needs and develop a successful strategy for your business. 

I’m Nadia La Russa, and I’m a serial entrepreneur in Thunder Bay, Ontario who provides business coaching for entrepreneurs all over North America. I can help you take control of your business so you can reach your true potential. 

Click here to get in touch and find out how my business coaching can help you.

P.S. If you’re feeling excited about taking control of your business but aren’t sure when to start because you’re always so busy, be sure to read this blog post I wrote on how to take control of your time. After all, we all have the same hours in the day as everyone else!

How To Take Control of Your Finances | Nadia La Russa

How To Take Control of Your Finances & Create a Customized Budget For Yourself

If you’re reading this, chances are you’re starting to get the hang of 2020 and are thinking about setting up a budget for the rest of the year and beyond. Amazing! As a serial entrepreneur and mom of five, I know a thing or two about budgeting and managing finances. After all, a significant part of my work life consists of putting together customized accounting solutions for small-medium sized businesses, and truth be told, it really isn’t that different for personal finances.

If you’d like to learn how to put together a customized budget and take control of you and your family’s finances, please scroll down!

Tip # 1: Stop Thinking of Your Finances as Something Out of Your Control and Disconnected From Your Everyday Reality

One of the most common mindsets I’ve noticed when other people talk about their personal finances is how disconnected and out of control, they feel from them. Once they’ve received their bi-weekly pay from work and bills have been paid, whatever amount is leftover usually becomes discretionary income. Some months it’s less, other months they have more to play around with. 

The issue with this is that when we train ourselves to spend discretionary funds unconsciously, we neglect to consistently track our spending and we’re often left completely unprepared for emergency situations. If 2020 has taught us anything in regards to finances, it’s that preparation is everything.

Tip #2: Take 1 Hour To Create a Budget For Yourself and Your Family

The best way to really take control of your finances is to take one hour by yourself or with your partner and set a basic monthly budget. List out all of your bills, income, decide on an amount you want to stay within for the rest of the year, and most importantly, stick to it. Any extra income you make one month should be put into a separate Savings Account for those emergency situations. By sticking to a consistent budget, you’ll quickly train your brain to spend within your means and won’t be so scattered anymore with your spending. Trust me, you’ll love feeling in control of your finances!

Tip #3: Track Your Spending & Give Yourself a Raise

After you’ve gone ahead and created a budget, the next habit you should really be practicing is tracking your spending. By doing this, you’ll be able to identify certain expenses that you could happily do without (monthly subscriptions, for example) and start seeing your bank account grow. The next time you cancel a payment you don’t need and keep it for yourself, think of it as if you’re giving yourself a raise.

Here are some handy (and free!) apps that can help track your spending for you:

  • Charlie – this app is created with artificial intelligence and does an amazing job of helping you track your spending. To do so you’ll need to download it from your phone’s app store, connect it to your bank account and it’ll start monitoring your account for any signs of unproductive spending. This is great for anyone who is having a hard time thinking of what expense they should eliminate!
  • Mint – this app helps you store all your finances and bills in one place, giving you a good idea of what you’re working with. It’ll also calculate your spending by category so you can see your spending patterns and know what you can cut back on to be able to give yourself a raise each month.
  • Alternative method – Use a Google Sheet! You’ll be able to view it on your phone, desktop and be able to customize it as much as you want. You won’t receive any automatic alerts but manually adding in your expenses each month would be a good way of becoming aware of how much money you do spend on a monthly basis.

The great news is that you’re ready to take control of your finances and it doesn’t matter what your financial circumstances are – anyone can create a budget for themselves and track their spending. When done effectively, you’ll be able to meet your financial goals, give yourself a raise, and worry less when those inevitable life emergencies happen.

With You – 

Nadia La Russa

P.S. If you’re feeling excited about taking control of your finances but aren’t sure when to start because you’re always so busy, be sure to read this blog post I wrote on how to take control of your time. After all, we all have the same hours in the day as everyone else!

How to Keep Your Work-Life Balance When You Work from Home | Nadia La Russa

How to Keep Your Work-Life Balance When You Work from Home

If you’re lucky enough to work from home, then you already know it comes with some amazing benefits. Some of us have been doing so for a long time now and others are just joining the work from home lifestyle due to the pandemic. Regardless, here are some of the perks of working from home:

  • Enjoying a relaxed dress code
  • Sleeping in late
  • Going for a run on your lunch hour
  • Heading to the grocery store in the middle of the day and avoiding peak hours
  • Spending more time with your family and friends

If you happen to be your own boss, you’re in an even better position since you can set your own hours and pick the clients you want. While chatting with other entrepreneurs and friends who are now learning how to manage this work from home lifestyle, I’ve noticed that no one really talks about whether or not they really have a work-life balance.

As it turns out, working and living out of the same space is not as easy as it sounds. That’s because many people find it hard to shut down and disconnect from their jobs when their phone or email is just a few steps away. While you may feel like you get more work done at home, you might actually be working overtime without even realizing it. So, how can you make sure that your work-from-home job doesn’t end up consuming your life? Here are some tips on how to maintain that much-needed balance and keep your sanity:

Tip #1 – Separate Your Workspace

The problem with living and working in the same place is that it’s hard to switch off from work and focus on yourself and your family. One way to separate yourself from your work is to create a dedicated office space so you can walk out of it at the end of the day and shut the door. A spare bedroom or den makes a great home office, or your basement or garage can even serve as your base.

When you finish work, shut off your computer and turn off your phone. If you use your personal phone for work, just let any business calls or unknown calls go to voicemail. At the end of your workday, walk out of your office both mentally and physically. While it may feel wrong to ignore phone calls and emails after working hours, remember that this is exactly what your office-bound coworkers get to do each day when they leave the office.

Tip #2 – Learn To Say No

When you don’t have the distractions of chatty coworkers, lunch outings, and impromptu meetings, you tend to stay glued to your seat and wrapped up in your work. But at a certain point, you need to say no to all the meetings and the phone calls so you don’t overextend yourself.

Start by blocking your lunch hour by putting a recurring appointment for yourself on your calendar, and include a reminder so you don’t accidentally work through it. Then, make sure to decline any lunchtime meetings or phone calls, and instead propose a different time. And if your manager asks you to take on another project, or if a client wants your services when you’re already fully booked, think carefully before saying yes. If it means long nights and weekends trying to keep up with deadlines, your work-life balance will go out the window. By consciously managing your work commitments, you can start reclaiming your personal time.

Tip #3 – Remember To Take Time For Yourself

When you work in an office and start noticing flu symptoms, your manager tells you to stay home until you feel better. Whether you like it or not, you’re forced to take time off for yourself. But when you work from home, it’s tempting to just work through an illness without taking the proper time you need for rest and recuperation. People who work from home often don’t use their available sick days for this very reason. The same thing can happen with paid time off and vacation days. If your work is at your fingertips, you might slide back into bad habits and reply to some emails or make some work calls while you’re on vacation. One way to nip this in the bud is to set an out-of-office reply in your email and record an out-of-office message for your voicemail. Knowing that people are getting these automated replies should make it a little easier to put work out of your mind when you’re out sick or on vacation.

It’s up to you to maintain a healthy work-life balance when you work from home because no one else is there watching you work. So take control of your work habits and you’ll begin to get your personal time back again.

With You – 

Nadia La Russa

P.S. If you’re sitting in front of your computer and wondering what to snack on next, check out this blog post I wrote featuring some healthy foods/snacks to give you energy.

 

Detox Your Cellulite Away in 3 Steps

Detox Your Cellulite Away in 3 Steps

Do you ever get tired of stubborn cellulite, especially before shorts and swimsuits season? I’ve got you covered with three simple lifestyle changes that can have a big impact on your battle with cellulite. Read below to learn how you can take control of your body and reduce the amount of cellulite that’s stubbornly there.

1) Start your day with a glass of warm lemon water immediately after waking up.

Squeeze one organic lemon into a 16 oz glass and enjoy it as you would tea! Lemon helps break down the food that you will be consuming during the day as well as removes any toxins from your body. Plus, proper hydration improves your skin’s health and helps reduce the appearance of cellulite, wrinkles and blemishes.

2) Up your cranberry intake.

Consuming between 8 and 12 oz of cranberries or cranberry juice per day helps to emulsify fat and reduce the appearance of cellulite. Frozen cranberries can be enjoyed as a mid-day treat or you can even throw a bottle of Cran-Water in your bag while on the go. To make your own Cran-Water, simply fill up a bottle with 4 oz of cranberry juice and 28 oz of water and drink it twice daily. Cranberries are loaded with vitamins such as A, B1, C and E, which are all essentials to the removal of toxins in your lymphatic system. How could you say no to that?!

3) Substitute your cooking oil by swapping out canola oil for coconut oil.

Coconut oil is not only more beneficial for overall health, but studies have shown that coconut oil actually aids in the breakdown of fat cells that make up cellulite. For easy consumption, add a tablespoon to a fruit smoothie. Switching from canola oil to coconut oil has multiple benefits for you, your skin and your health.

Bonus tip: Add 3 tablespoons of coconut oil to a warm bath. Sweating out toxins is crucial to the reduction of cellulite. The coconut oil will not only make your skin feel incredibly smooth but will also increase the release of toxins during your bath. Make sure to stay hydrated before and after your soak (perhaps with some of that delicious lemon water you learned about above).

At the end of the day, anyone can suffer from cellulite; it is an equal-opportunity offender. If you’re feeling frustrated with it and want to take control of your body and health, keep in mind that the best results come from consistency and determination. By setting a healthy daily routine for yourself, you’ll be able to get the body you deserve!

Want to take control of your body and health even more? Sign up and get started with my Take Control Weight Loss Program here!

Finding The Romantic Partner That Is Right For You | Nadia La Russa

How To Be In Love

One of the greatest joys in life is enjoying a healthy, romantic partnership. We, as humans, love to be in love. Finding the perfect romantic partner isn’t always easy, though, despite our ardent desire to do so. Fortunately, today’s digital age provides us with the ability to connect with a multitude of other people. The horizon for our love lives is unlimited.

Here are some tips to help you take control of your love life and find the right person to share your world with.

Learn to Embrace Your Own Greatness

Before you begin your search for another person, you need to treat yourself with love. Think about the things that make you special. Strive to always be your best self. Work to develop a confident attitude that is attractive to potential mates. When you are radiant because you know your worth, others will want to live in that sun. Also, there is no point in not bringing anything other than your best self into a relationship.  Far too often relationships crumble because of our own personal negative feelings of self-worth that we inadvertently put on our partner. Starting out knowing your worth, and embracing the greatness that is YOU will help alleviate the “itty-bitty-shitty-committee” that tends to take a front row seat in our minds.

Cast a Wide Net When You Begin Your Search For a Partner

Open yourself up to those who on the surface appear different from you. Consider folks from all walks of life, various nationalities and even other regions. Far too often we are picky about various insignificant things about potential partners – and while these are ok to have (we need attraction within our relationship!) they can be limiting!  However….

Look For The Spark As You Talk With Potential Suitors

The chemistry of attraction is an important part of finding love. Refuse to settle for a relationship with someone just because it makes sense on paper. You and your mate deserve the “knock out” feeling of great passion. Whether it happens in an instant or takes some time to develop, you need to have it for long-term happiness.

Go On Lots of Dates

When you find someone online or elsewhere, you need to interact with each other in a variety of settings. This allows you to test out your compatibility before you commit. Be sure to also tell those you go out with that you are dating others. Not only is this fair play, but it will make those truly interested in a relationship work hard to win you. It seems these days there is less dating than there used to be – we want exclusivity right off the hop. It’s ok not to commit right away, but once you do commit, commit.

Decide What You Want and What You Will Not Tolerate

Related blog post: Beginner’s Guide to Setting Boundaries

As you get to know the people you date, you will discover things you adore about them and what is not so attractive to you. Make the proverbial list of the traits you MUST have in a romantic partner. If there are deal breaking issues such as having children or practicing a particular religion, do not waste time with those who disagree. Don’t convince yourself that they will change their minds over time. Even if they do, they will likely resent you for it.

Go Slowly When You Find Someone You Believe Will Make a Great Partner

It’s so exciting to be in love at first, isn’t it? Do not let excitement push you into a serious romance too quickly. Enjoy the early stages of discovery as you let affection grow. Hold off on physical intimacy until you know the person is the right one for your life. Having sex early on might confuse your feelings and lead you to believe your connection is deeper than it is in reality. Don’t mesh lives, finances and living arrangements right away – these can be messy to sort out later on if it doesn’t work out.

Seek Out Other People’s View of Your Romance

It is often hard for the people involved to realistically assess a new relationship. Talk to your best, most honest and discerning friends about what they see. A fresh perspective often gives you the clarity you need to make a smart decision. Your choice of whom to share your life with is incredibly important so treat it that way. If you want an even more objective opinion, consider working with a personal coach.

Love comes when you open yourself and work for it. Selecting a romantic partner you will find happiness and fulfillment with is vitally important so you must treat it that way. Construct a well thought out strategy that will guide you to the person who will accompany you in a fantastic life.

Are they “The One”? Get couples counselling. Right Away.

Have you met The One? That’s awesome….until it isn’t. Sooner or later, something is going to come up that you disagree on. If you don’t know how to handle disagreements as a couple, they can explode into massive arguments faster than a hurricane.

It never ceases to amaze me how dentists have the concept of preventative maintenance down pat. No other health care field seems to have a grasp on this like the dental profession.  I believe that the strongest of couples are not afraid to seek a professional counsellor to help them sweat through the small stuff – so it doesn’t become big stuff. It’s a lot harder to fix a major relationship rift than prevent one from the outset.  Plus, it can help work out issues before they boil over into deal breakers.

Whether you’re married, in a relationship or single, take control of your love life with these tips! Have something to add? Please let me know your thoughts in the comments below and feel free to share your own tips for how people can take control of their love lives.

3 Ways To Feel Younger Overnight

3 Ways To Feel Younger Overnight

Imagine waking up feeling five or even ten years younger in your appearance, confidence, and aura. The secret is in reducing gut inflammation. Gut inflammation can result in a lack of motivation and an increase in autoimmune disorders, tiredness and irritability, leaving you feeling worn-out and exhausted. Does this sound familiar? These three simple steps will have you take control of your gut health and as a result, feeling younger, more vibrant and healthier!

1) Try some bone broth.

Grass-fed bone broth helps to build antibodies, tighten skin cell and can even reduce the appearance of cellulite. It’s packed with gelatin and collagen, which rebuilds your gut lining and helps to strengthen your immune system. Bone broth contains potassium and glycine, which aids in liver detoxification. Enjoy it warm before bed on by itself or in a soup. Grass-fed bone broth can be found at your local health food store.

2) Eliminate sugars, bread and pasta from your diet.

Replace those unhealthy carbs with natural ones like berries or starch vegetables. Gut inflammation is often exacerbated by food sensitivities. Some food sensitivities are so hidden, you may not even know that you have one without an official food sensitivity test. Proactively removing unhealthy carbs and white flours from your diet will aid in the replenishment of your gut lining and reduce the inflammation in your gut.

3) Last but not least, establish a regular, calming evening routine.

Brushing and flossing your teeth every night is crucial to feeling better the next morning. Your mouth is the gateway to your overall health! Spend a little time before bed winding down, reading a book or writing a journal entry. Meditate or go for a moonlight walk. Ensure you are getting at least eight hours of sleep every night and commit to taking a little time out of every day for yourself. The greatest change comes from within and the willingness to commit to the change!

These three simple steps will usher in a big difference in your overall health and wellness. It’s recommended to commit to these lifestyle changes for at least three months to fully repair the inflammation in your gut. By then, you will already have forgotten about those old habits that used to be your norm. That feeling of lethargy and lack of motivation is in the past and you’re well on your way to a healthier, younger you!

Want to take control of your body and health even more? Sign up for my Take Control Weight Loss Program here!

Take Control Weight Loss Program | Nadia La Russa

wrinkles

Say Adios to Your Wrinkles in 5 Steps

Are you struggling to get rid of your wrinkles? It’s very easy to purchase a bunch of expensive creams and lotions, but what if I told you that you could trade in those false promises for natural and healthy lifestyle choices that actually provide results?

The key to diminishing and preventing future wrinkles is right in your home and your day-to-day lifestyle. Consuming high-quality proteins, vegetables and getting adequate sleep can all contribute to decreasing your wrinkles and preventing future ones! I personally use all of these and can honestly say I’m very excited to share this wisdom with you! Read below to find out how you can also take control of your life and say adios to wrinkles.

1) The next time you take a trip to the grocery store, make sure to stock up in the produce department! It’s crucial to consume at least the minimum daily serving requirement of fruits and vegetables to maintain adequate health and diminish the appearance of wrinkles. Limit the consumption of fruits heavy in fructose—or fruit sugar—since fructose, as with all sugars, can increase the appearance of wrinkles. Stick with fruits such as strawberries, blueberries, cranberries, lemons, and bananas.

2) Toss out the refined sugar and replace artificial sweeteners with organic, natural sweeteners such as Agave, Raw Local Honey, and Stevia. Excessive sugar consumption can damage your liver and cause breaks in your DNA, leading to autoimmune disorders. Consume any sugar, including fruit sugar, in moderation. Training your body to break the habits of sugar-overloads is key in being an overall healthier you and saying goodbye to those wrinkles!

3) Get outside and into the sun! Moderate sunshine provides your body with necessary Vitamin D to replenish the vitamins and elasticity in your skin. Aim for at least 15 minutes a day of moderate exposure, but be sure to slather on your SPF. Re-apply as needed and always take all other precautions if you’re planning any prolonged periods of sun exposure.

4) Commit to a life-long relationship with coconut. Replacing vegetable or canola oil with coconut oil and olive oil is a simple way to slow your skin’s aging. Add a tablespoon of coconut oil to your morning smoothie, indulge in some coconut crisps, replace standard dairy with coconut milk, or rub unrefined coconut oil on your problem spots.

wrinkles

5) RELAX. Stress is one of the primary contributors to premature aging because it reduces the natural collagen and elasticity in your skin essential to preventing wrinkles. Start every morning off right with a few minutes of meditation. Read a good book, go for a walk, or relax by the beach after a long day at work. Remember to take a little time out of the day for yourself. A stress-free lifestyle is one that reaps astounding rewards!

These five simple steps are a great start to a healthier, younger, wrinkle-free appearance. Make small changes to your time and energy and see how that healthy, natural glow blossoms!

Want to take control of your body and health even more? Sign up for my Take Control Weight Loss Program here!

Take Control Weight Loss Program | Nadia La Russa

How to Achieve Work-Life-Balance as a Working Parent

How to Achieve Work-Life-Balance as a Working Parent

For a healthy and happy household, it’s essential for you to achieve work-life-balance. A lot of people ask me if it’s really possible to live a balanced life when you have kids and the answer is – yes! I’ve put together some tips for you to try out for yourself so that you can balance work, life, and parenting.

Focus on Work While You’re on the Clock

As a parent, I too am all too familiar with that constant feeling of guilt whenever I’m not with my children. However, it’s super important for you to realize and accept that it’s perfectly okay for you to not be solely focused on them during every waking moment of the day. If you’re on the clock for work, use this time to be focused on the tasks at hand.

The next time you’re at work, try not to think about any issues regarding your kids. It will be tough at first but practice makes perfect and those kids need a parent who is happy and fulfilled, both professionally and personally! If you have very young kids and can afford it, you might want to consider hiring someone (or speaking nice to an available family member) who can help handle all children-related tasks while you are at work.

 

No More Checking Email During Family Time

How to Achieve Work-Life-Balance as a Working Parent | Nadia La RussaThanks to the invention of smartphones, it has become increasingly easy to constantly be in the know of new work-related emails, regardless of what time of the day it is. While it might be tempting to check your email whenever you get a notification, try and remember that you’ll have plenty of time to look after it during working hours. The benefit of keeping all your thoughts and focus on work while you’re on the clock is that family time will truly become family time!

As soon as you start reading your work emails, your attention drifts away from your family and they will notice it even if they don’t say anything. Chances are, they probably also start doing their own thing and next thing you know everyone is sitting in the same room together but on their own mobile devices.

Be sure to remind yourself that family time is sacred and use it as a bonding time with your kids and spouse.

Transitioning from Working Mode to Family Time

After being at work all day, it can be difficult to leave all the unresolved issues from work at the door. A tip I like to suggest is using your commute home (whether it’s walking, driving or transit) to clear your head of all things related to work. Listen to music, take a quick nap on the train or give meditation a try!

If you have time, hit the gym for a quick workout or stop by a local coffee shop for an afternoon/evening tea or kombucha. This will invigorate your senses and remind your brain that it’s time to relax and spend quality time with the family.

Make Time for Yourself

Living a balanced life isn’t just about balancing work and family. As the head (or one of the heads) of the household, you need to do whatever is necessary for a healthy mind.

After meeting all the demands of work and family, you might find yourself feeling so tired that you want nothing more than to sleep when given any amount of free time alone. While naps are certainly great, doing other things that you enjoy will also help you feel just as balanced and happy!

What are your favourite things to do?

Need help taking control of your life? Contact me about 1-1 coaching where I can work with you to achieve that work-life-balance that you’ve always dreamed of.

4 Benefits of Working with a Personal Coach

4 Benefits of Working with a Personal Coach

In each of our lives, there are inflection points, moments in which we have key choices to make in our careers or personal lives.  Perhaps you’re trying to decide whether to remain in your current job or return to school to obtain new training or a degree or even to take those special skills of yours and strike out on your own as a business entrepreneur.  Whatever the challenge, you don’t have to make these critical choices on your own.  There are skilled professionals who have the training and experience to help—personal coaches.

A personal coach will help motivate you and clarify your goals so you can make informed decisions and improve the quality of your life.  Personal coaches are skilled communicators and motivators with powerful people and organizational skills.  Although there is no specific degree program that directly prepares people to become personal coaches, most have experience in counseling, consulting, social work, teaching, or human resource management—and many have obtained specialized post-graduate training to enhance their effectiveness.

If you’ve never worked with a personal coach but are considering hiring one to get you from where you are to where you want to go, you probably want to know the precise ways in which a personal coach can help you.  Specifically, your personal coach will help you:

  1. Clarify your goals:  success is at the intersection of what you love doing and what you do better than almost anyone else.  A personal coach will help you identify those activities which energize and motivate you, and then determine from among these the ones in which you excel.  For example, you might be the person to whom everyone comes when they have a problem because they know you’ll be compassionate and have the skills to find a solution—but it might never have occurred to you that those people and problem-solving skills would make you a successful counselor or psychologist.  Your coach will not only help you identify your skills and competencies, but also show you what steps you need to take to launch a new career which better meets your needs.
  2. Stick to your plan:  one of the reasons people’s plans fall off the rails is that they encounter obstacles and eventually lose interest.  A personal coach will help you understand that those obstacles are part of the process of making progress and help you keep your eyes on the prize.   In those moments when you’ve experienced failure and begin to lose heart, your coach will remind you of how much progress you’ve already made and help you understand how much closer you are to your goal today than you were yesterday.
  3. Give objective feedback:  if you’ve ever shared a problem with a friend or family member, only to hear them tell you what they think you want to hear, you know how valuable unbiased feedback can be.  Your coach is there to ensure that you make progress towards your goals—when your coach evaluates the actions you need to take, he or she will do so objectively, providing an honest and forthright assessment of what you’re doing right—and what you’re doing wrong.
  4. Focus on you:  as much as those close to you want to help, they have problems and concerns of their own.  Your coach has a single-minded purpose—to help you.  You will always have his or her complete attention, unimpeded by his or her own concerns and issues.

Conclusion

Anything worth doing requires both hard work and a commitment strong enough to carry you through the rough patches and obstacles in your way.  By working with a personal coach, you will have a determined and constant advocate who will help you move outside of your comfort zone to face whatever challenges are in your way.   Personal coaching will enhance your personal development, help you achieve your career goals, and ensure you take the actions necessary to get you where you need to be, and where you want to go.

Want to find out more about Nadia’s take control coaching program? Find out more here!