Weekly Living Light MRP Program [May 10, 2024]

It. Foreign. Friends, welcome. Welcome everyone. So nice to see you all here. Happy Friday. Just gonna put a reminder that we've started and as I'm doing that, let me know in the chat what you're grateful for today. You could go ahead in the chat. Welcome, Tony. Welcome, Nancy. Welcome, Barb. So nice to see you all here. The beautiful day outside. Barb says a Friday when I do not have multiple competing meetings for noon. Awesome. Great to see you here, Barb. And if you. I invite you all to turn your camera on. Always love to see all your lovely faces. So if you feel called to and if you're able to, I'd love to for you to turn your camera on. Okay, so I want to start off today with a meditation. So let me share my audio here. A guided meditation and I think it's a great way to start our session off. So just get in a comfortable spot and you'll just be able to follow along with the prompts. Okay. It's about 10 minutes, 11 minutes long, so make sure you're comfortable and I'll get that started. Right now.

Let's drop into this meditation together. First, just listen to the music and find a way for your body to simply be comfortable, whatever that means to you. Find a way to be in your body so that you are engaged but relaxed.

Good.

Take a few breaths. In and out into your nose, out through your mouth. At your pace. In through your nose, out through your mouth, Into the nose, out through the mouth. I'm going to sing you awake. All you have to do is breathe. Take your right hand and put it on your chest. Take your left hand and put it on your stomach. Continue breathing into your hands, into your stomach. Put a gentle smile on your face. Close your eyes. If you haven't already. Imagine your breath going into your hands, into your heart, into your stomach. There's a channel of energy between the two, like an oval going back and forth as you breathe in and out, In and out. There's no wrong way. You're doing it perfectly. Feel the warmth that's building. Just feel it, allow it doesn't matter what thoughts are going on in your head. This is about feeling. You're doing it perfectly. Keep your hands there. Release them whenever you like. Just keep breathing. If you have any thoughts that you feel are distracting, actually welcome them in. Say you're welcome here and then go back to your breathing. Yeah. Your thoughts are you too. Your breath is you too. Your heartbeat is you too. Your feelings are you.

Good.

When it arises. Just feel the joyful Expansion of your breath and the calmness that is part of it. Gentle smile on your face. You're welcome too. All of you is welcome. All of you is welcome here. It's perfect. Feel what it feels like just to try. Try on the clothing of the thought that everything about you is perfect. What does that feel like? Breathe it in. All the mistakes, all the perceived faults. It's perfect. It's okay. What if the water you're swimming in and you're the fish and the water is just love and you didn't even know. That's the thing you can't even escape is love. It's merely a perception as we look out to decide what we. We want the world to be around us. But it's you too. That connection to the world, to bring it inside yourself is no further away than your next breath. Breathe in. If they're not open, your hands, your palms are just open. Breathe the energy into your heart. Breathe it out. Visualizing it coming out of your hands and out to the world. That's your gift. You transmute the spirit space around you with love. You witness the world. You witness your thoughts. You witness it all from that space of love. Sink that feeling in. Commit it to your memory. It's real. One more thing for you to try. What does it feel like if you were to try on the thought right now, the feeling that you can let everything go, all the concerns, any thoughts, just for a moment. Let it go. Let it go free. Just love. Try it again. Let it go on your exhale. Breathe in. Breathe out. Just stay here for a little bit, a little bit longer. Just enjoy it. Enjoy. We'll get back. Breathing into your heart.

And out.

If they're not there, let's put your hands back on your heart, the other hand on your stomach and breathe into them again. Feel that cycle of energy. And you can use this gesture and breathe into it. And your body will remember this feeling that you've planted inside. By touching your heart and your stomach like this with your hands and breathing in, your body will remember. Good. When it feels right to you, you.

Can.

Bow to yourself and thank yourself for diving in. Move your body around and open your eyes when it feels good. That will conclude our medit.

Sam. Hey, how was that for everyone? Let me know in the chat how you feel. Natalie says, beautiful. I love that one. Yeah. Really gets you into the present moment. Okay, awesome. So I guess I know a lot of you are off camera, so I don't know if you're just listening in or not, but does anyone have any wins that they'd like to share? You can unmute yourself or raise your hand. And let's start with with some wins that you all want to share. Quiet group today. Okay. Barb says made a new zucchini recipe this week. Natalie says Wynn is going to bed before 10pm twice this week or sorry, Jen says win a lot of bedtime wins here. Natalie says when is going to bed on time all week? Jen says in bed before 10pm twice this week. Okay, awesome. Thanks for sharing. Yeah, I had a great week for sleep as well this week. Just getting to bed more consistently around, you know, 10pm and not really going beyond that. So sleep is so, so important to our overall health and metabolic health. Right. So really encourage you all to prioritize sleep and to make sure that, you know, there's a lot to do, but I promise you you'll be more efficient and productive the next day when you are well rested. So really, you know, make sure that you prioritize your sleep. Okay, so I'll open it up to some Q and A. Does anyone have any questions today? Questions, comments? How's everyone's programs going? Okay, so Barb is asking, how concerned do we need to be about oxalates? Okay, great question. So, you know, I think that it important for some people to maybe consider avoiding high oxalate foods, but it's definitely not something that I recommend for everyone. You know, initially, when people are starting out on their health and wellness journeys, we just want to focus on them eating more real whole food. Right. So we don't really get into a lot of those nuances about, you know, oxalates, lectins, and all of those things because eating whole food for a lot of people to start with is a challenge. So really trying to emphasize a whole food diet as much as unprocessed diet as much as possible is what we start with. Now, for those who may be experiencing some joint pains or things like that, you know, you may want to consider cutting out high oxalate foods for a period of time and see if that helps. Helps. For most people, I find that when they go on the metabolic program, you know, over 90% of their issues resolve. And so if you still feel like you have some residual issues going on, that's when you can fine tune things and maybe, you know, play around with things like avoiding high oxalate foods or avoiding lectins or avoiding nightshades. But definitely not something that I would say is a blanket Recommendation to everyone. 1. Okay, Jen is saying, what do you recommend for erratic sleep schedule. I'm a student midwife, which means Several up for 24 hour situations per month. So, you know, when it comes to erratic sleep schedules due to, you know, work or whatever, it might be really, you know, focusing in on the days when you have more control over your sleep timing is going to be really important. And then the days that you don't have as much control, you want to try to stick to your regular schedule as closely as possible. Right. Of course, if you work shifts, then it might be way off. But definitely, you know, trying to keep your sleep time and wake time consistent on the days you do have control is going to be highly recommended. So, Barb. Okay. Spinach is definitely high oxalate and if you still have pain related issues, I would probably consider cutting it out just for a period of time and see if that is, you know, perhaps contributing to your pain related issues. Especially if you're eating it raw. Cooking it is definitely going to help with reducing some of the oxalates. But if you're eating it raw and you do have pain related issues, I would definitely recommend either cooking it or see if that helps. If that doesn't, then cutting it out and it doesn't have to be, you know, permanent. It would just be, you know, a two to three week trial to see if you find any relief. Yeah, I would definitely recommend decreasing consuming it raw for sure. You could, like I said, try first with just eating it cooked and then see if that helps. Hey, what other questions do you all have? So one thing that I am listening to right now, and I would perhaps encourage you to take a listen as well, is I'm listening to a podcast with Dr. Casey means she really focuses in on metabolic health. And you know, a lot of what she talks about is stuff that we're already talking to you all about while you're going through the metabolic program. And you know, I feel like I really want to congratulate all of you for taking on this journey because I know it can't be. It's not always easy, right. But trust me, it's worth it. Right? Especially when you listen to this podcast. Thirty percent of American teens have prediabetes and you know, in the US that's. Those are stats for the US And I know many of you live in Canada and unfortunately Canada is not too far off. Right. So really want to make sure. I really want to congratulate you all for prioritizing your metabolic health. So I'll share that link in the chat for the podcast. If Any of you are interested in listening to it? I haven't gone through all of it yet because it's over two hours, but I'm hoping to finish it this weekend. What's. Is it. Is there anything that anyone is struggling with, with with regards to their program or needs more support with. I know Jen was asking about sleep. Barb is asking which magnesium is best for sleep. The two that are best are going to be magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate. Those are going to be the two that are going to be best for sleep. And especially as we get older, we don't absorb magnesium very well. Our stomach acid becomes more neutral, so we don't absorb magnesium as well either. So I usually recommend supplementing with some sort of magnesium. Most people are deficient in magnesium. Jen, did you have a question? I think you've been unmuted, so I don't know if you have a question or not. That. I'm taking the citrate. Was taking the glycinate as well, but I stopped due to price. My sleep is still unpredictable. Okay, so Barb, when you say it's unpredictable, can you give me a little more detail in terms of what, what you mean by that? A lot of latecomers today. Welcome, everyone. Welcome. David. Welcome. Rosalynn. Welcome, Ronald.

Hello. Hi.

How are you today?

Doing pretty good, thank you.

You good? Okay, so Barb is saying my aura ring tells me that my ram and deep sleep isn't great sometimes. 0o, yeah, that is definitely not good. Okay, so one of the main things that I think commonly gets overlooked when it comes to sleep. So there's four main pillars when it comes to sleep. There's quantity, foreign. We know we need to get good quality sleep. But I feel like the one that gets commonly, and we touched on it a little bit here, but the one that gets commonly overlooked is regularity. So really, really, really trying your best. You know, of course some of you have have shift jobs, but if you don't, then you really need to prioritize going to bed consistently. What that means is having consistent bedtime and a consistent wake time. Right. So for me personally, I try to start getting ready to wrap up my bedtime routine around 9:30. And I try to be, you know, lights out by 10 o' clock clock. And then my wake time is usually around 6 or 6:30, some days 7. But ideally you want to try to keep your wake time and bedtime the same plus or minus 30 minutes. Okay. So a common trend that I notice with a lot of people when I look at their aura data is their sleep time is like all over the place, right? Some days they're going to bed at 10, some days 11, sometimes midnight. And that's. That inconsistency is really going to affect your sleep. Okay. Other things that you want to focus on is environment. So, you know, really avoiding blue light. I know we've talked a lot about this with, you know, a lot of the calls that we've had, but really, really, really making sure that you avoid blue light. So shutting off screens an hour before bedtime, if you have an iPhone, there are ways. And I think with Android phones you can do the same. But really trying to put your, you know, if you have to be on a screen, which I try to recommend getting off screens, but if you have to be on your phone, for example, you can put it in a red mode. So. So you'll see when I press my power button three times, My screen turns red. Okay. I can put a link in the chat to show you how to do that. I'll walk you through the steps in terms of how you can set that up for your phone, if you're watching TV or a movie or anything like that, then I would recommend getting blue blocker classes. Can put that link in the chat. Blue blocker, glasses, link in the chat. And then you want to use red light bulbs, right? So if for many of you we included a red light bulb in your package if you signed up for the longevity or the light program, but if you didn't, I can put a link for that too, because we want to avoid overhead lighting and we want to use lamps, and we want to use lamps that don't like bulbs that don't have a blue light in them. So the red light bulb does not have any blue light in it. Another thing that can really help with increasing deep sleep is having some white noise going on in the background. So, Barb, I don't know if you have. You know, one thing that I have in my room because I like white noise is I have my air filter going on in the background. And that can really help with increasing deep sleep. Avoiding the blue light. And then exercise really helps with sleep. So of course, when you're on the release phase, we don't recommend intense exercise. But walking, right. Whether you're on the release phase or not, really trying to get at least 20 to 30 minutes of walking in per day. Barb says, I have a personal trainer now. Awesome. A blue blockers. And then what was the other link? The red light bulb. I was Going to put. Let me see if I can find. And then, Barb, I'll put a few articles that you can read from Aura's website, which will give you maybe a few more tips in terms of, of increasing your REM sleep and your deep sleep as well. Put that in here. And if you don't have an OURA ring and you're interested in getting one, I'll put a link in the chat as well. The link that I'm gonna put in the chat is gonna give you $50 off. What other questions do you all have? Type it in the chat or you can unmute yourself.

Hello?

Hi, Rosalind.

Hi.

Yep, I can hear you.

Great. So I had a question, kind of a different topic, but. So I am, you know, done with, with, you know, for the most part have finished the program. But, but I also am, you know, at this age of perimenopause and everything and I've been, I did, you know, I lost some weight in the program and then all of a sudden I realized that I lost weight in most of my body, but not in my middle section. So. So, you know, very little. I would say, you know, I did lose, you know, some little bit, but. And I know that I've been in contact with you over Facebook about a couple of things, but I'm just wondering, you know, the best exercise type things to continue to kind of get healthy in that midsection area.

Great question. I know many women struggle with this, so I think there's a lot of different variables. You know, I think one of them is just being consistent with, with, you know, the nutrition plan, making sure you're getting enough protein in, getting enough, you know, vegetables in some people are more carb sensitive. And you know, those that are more carb sensitive are gonna, typically, when they eat more carbs, it's, you know, going to result in some of that belly fat. So, you know, if you feel like that's you, then, then maybe cutting back on some of the carbs if you've introduced some of them back. Other things are going to be, you know, of course, activity levels, so trying to get eight to 10,000 steps a day. And I think some of it has to also do with strengthening the core. Right. So I know for me sometimes like there was a period of time where I was doing like this six week strength training program and, and like one thing that I noticed is that it didn't have any core training in it. Right. It would have a back day, a leg day, you know, shoulder day, B, and triceps. Chest day, but there was no core training. So adding in some core training at least three to four times a week can be helpful as well. Barb says, I love my walking, pose for abdominal strength and notice a difference in the belly when I'm consistent. What are those, Barb, do you have a link for that? Thank you. And I think, you know, for most people, a lot of that is a lot of that what I just spoke about with the core training and you know, the, the steps and obviously getting enough sleep. Right. Because if we don't get proper sleep, then that's going to increase our cortisol. When we, when cortisol levels are elevated, then it's going to result in weight gain around the midsection and yeah, that's exactly. Natalie. What I was getting to is it's consistency over time. Right. So really sticking to some of those practices consistently, you know, for six, seven months or longer is what's going to result in the long term change.

Okay, great. So it's just the consistency is probably what I, you know, I need to focus on and just be patient.

Exactly. Yeah, it, it does require patience. Like I, so I joined a gym January 2023 and like some days I look at myself, I'm like, geez, looks like I'm not making any progress. But like I know I have like when I look at my numbers, but it, it does take time. Okay. Ron says I try and not to eat Durham wheat pasta, usually quinoa or brown rice pasta. Does it have the same effects as carbs? So great question, Ron. So when it comes to gluten free products, yes, they do not have gluten. So from a, a gluten standpoint, you know, those type of products, especially for those who feel like they are sensitive to gluten, which I would say that most people, those are going to be better. But from a blood sugar standpoint, unfortunately a lot of the gluten free products are going to be more detrimental to blood sugar because a lot of them have things like tapioca and potato starches and those things are going to increase your blood sugars and dysregulate them more than something like a simple wheat, wheat pasta stuff. So that's why in general I say to try to avoid some of those things as much as possible because it is, you know, as I said, perhaps better for your, you know, avoiding gluten. But when it comes to the blood sugar related issue, it's gonna be worse. Okay, thanks for sharing the link, Barb. So are they just walking? What is, what Is this urban polling? Is it just a walking stick? I guess. Yeah, it's just a walking stick. Enhance your balance, strengthen your core, improve your posture. Okay, Thanks for sharing. Okay, what other questions do you all have? Questions? Comments? Quiet bunch today. Barb says the handles were designed by physical therapists. It is like doing a crunch when you use the poles as directed. Oh, interesting. Okay, so I guess you get the benefits of walking and core strengthening at the same time, which is nice. I like habit stacking. So do you use them regularly when you go for walks?

Yeah, I don't like them.

Barb, do you use them regularly when you go for walks? Okay.

Yes.

Okay, perfect. Thank you. Okay, what other questions? Comments? If you don't have any other questions, then I'll let you all go for the rest of the day. Barb says they also help my gate balance and post stroke. Okay, yeah. Thank you for sharing that. Okay, everyone. Well, if there are no further questions, then we'll see you all next Friday. Next Friday, Annalisa will be conducting the Q and A as I will be traveling. So stay tuned and hope you can all attend next Friday and have a great rest of your weekend. Everyone one. Bye everyone. Happy Friday. Happy weekend. Happy Mother's Day to all of you as well if you celebrate. Bye.