52 Week Goal Challenges
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"It is well to be up before daybreak, for such habits contribute to health, wealth, and wisdom."
- Aristotle
Video Summary:
1. To complete this week's challenge you must wake up every morning earlier than you usually do.
2. Now, this is mainly geared towards those of us who love to sleep in and hate the mornings. For those of you who are already early risers this week will be no problem for you.
3. There are huge benefits to going to bed and waking up early. And here are just a few. It helps you deal better with negativity and stressful situations. Morning people are more persistent, cooperative, agreeable, conscientious, and proactive. Getting plenty of sleep strengthens your immune system. Waking up early can actually cause you to procrastinate less.
4. If you struggle with getting to sleep then set the mood. The ideal sleeping condition is pitch black and a temperature between 60 and 67 degrees Fahrenheit (15-20 Celsius) you could also add essential oils a humidifier whatever gets you to sleep. Avoid alcohol and eating before bed. Both of these prevent you from getting a good night's sleep. Getting in daily exercise is helpful as well, this makes you tired enough so that you'll sleep straight through the night.
5. Those are just a few tips to help you out with this week's challenge and honestly early mornings is not an easy change to make but this week lets make it a priority and give our minds some evidence that we can actually take control of our sleeping habits.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
"Wilderness is not a luxury but necessity of the human spirit."
-Edward Abbey
Video Summary:
1. To complete this week's challenge I'm not asking that you go out and hug some trees or sniff some rocks but just take one hour out of your day, which is literally 4% of your day, take that 4% and go outside in nature whether it be at a park or just going for a walk around the block 10 times. However you decide to spend the time is up to you but it must be for at least 1 hour.
2. There are so many health benefits to spending time outdoors it's ridiculous. Some benefits include, stress relief, reduction of inflammation, helps eliminate mental fatigue such as depression and anxiety, lowers blood pressure, strengthens immune system, and helps improve your ability to focus, well unless you see a squirrel.
3. The most obvious health benefit is helping you soak up the sun. Vitamin D is essential for bone growth and helps regulate your immune system. Those who spend very little time outdoors can be at a higher risk of developing vitamin D deficiency.
4. Throwing on a pair of virtual realty googles and playing deer hunt does not count for spending time outdoors. That would be like saying you get your daily exercise by watching Espn.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
"Love your family. Spend time, be kind & serve one another. Make no room for regrets. Tomorrow is not promised & today is short."
- unknown
Video Summary:
1. To complete this week's challenge you must spend quality time with your family and make it a priority which means if they say, "Hey let's hang out." then you must fore-go the Netflix night or whatever else you have planned and dedicate this week to strengthening your relationships.
2. Now if you don't live near any family members then you must focus your time on the relationships that mean the most to you, friends, partners, etc.
3. If you are just joining us it is absolutely imperative that you go back and watch week one's videos. Don't bother trying to play catch up until now, you can start on whichever week we are currently on. Week one is important because not only do I share the principals but also the system that I use to complete my goals.
4. As humans it is imperative to our mental well being that we create relationships, it doesn't need to necessarily be romantic but there needs to be some form of social connection or we can become lonely which can have serious negative effects.
5. Loneliness can cause social isolation, depression, substance abuse, poor sleep and appetite, suicidal thoughts and behavior and even affect our immune systems and impair our cardiovascular functioning.
6. Loneliness depends entirely on the subjective quality of your relationships-on whether you feel emotional and/or socially disconnected from those around you. So what is really important is the quality of your relationships and not the quantity and that's why statistics show that 60% of lonely people are actually married.
7. so this week it's all about strengthening our relationships and making them a priority.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
"You are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."
- Christopher Robin, Winnie the Pooh
Video Summary:
1. To complete this week's challenge you must start off with at least 1 minute of straight cold water before you switch to warm water while showering.
2. Now I know what you are thinking, this is absolutely stupid but just hear me out. There are actually proven benefits to taking cold showers. It increases alertness, refines hair and skin, improves immunity and circulation. It also stimulates weight loss, speeds up muscle soreness and recovery, eases stress and has even been found to relieve depression
3. A 1994 study found a drastic decrease in uric acid levels during and following exposure to a cold stimulus. Uric acid btw can cause kidney stones and gout.
4. If you would like to know more about how a cold shower could possibly have these kinds of benefits, the link to the website where I got my information is below.
5. Now Let's be honest, will a week of cold showers make a huge impact on your physical wellness. Most likely not, but then again you don't know until you try. This week is actually more focused on the mental benefits but more specifically, stress relief.
6. It's not a matter of if but when we will face a stressful situation and the question is do you know how to deal with it? Learning to control your emotions and breathing through your stress until you gain back control is a vital skill to have. Will, you shut down or take control? Step into a cold shower for a minute and find out. If you can master a cold shower then that is one heck of a step toward self-mastery.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
"Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely."
- Roy T. Bennett
Video Summary:
1. To complete this week's challenge, when ever someone asks you how you are doing you simply reply, "I'm doing awesome."
2. There's something pretty much every motivational speaker that has walked the planet ever has said and that is that you must have an attitude of gratitude.
3. Saying I'm doing awesome is basically another way of saying I'm feeling grateful but not making things feel awkward in a conversation.
4. The theory is that when most people hear you say that your awesome they will probably ask why you feel so awesome and in turn will make you think of things that you a grateful for and boost your mood which will then in turn get the other person possibly thinking about things of they are grateful for and you will start a gratitude butterfly effect.
5. The truth is that I don't know if that's what will happen but the only way to find out if something works is to try it. So yes, this week is a bit of a spreading positivity experiment. Do you notice a change in yourself when you tell people you are doing awesome? Does it cause you to reflect on the positive things that are going on in your day? Does it lighten your mood? How does the other person react? Let us know!
Thank you for reading, and good luck!
"The first step in crafting the life you want is to get rid of everything you don't."
- Joshua Becker
Video Summary: 1. This week we are letting our inner OCD flag fly by cleaning for at least 30 minutes everyday. That could be indoors, outdoors, sidedoors, updoors, downdoors, what-ever you want just as long as you are getting something done.
2. Research shows that that clutter can negatively impact mental well-being. Clutter can also induce a physiological response, including increased levels of cortisol, a stress hormone.
3. Dr. Ferrari a professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago says, "Clutter is also often the result of an "over-attachment" to our personal items, which makes it difficult to part with them." For overwhelmed individuals who want to declutter, he recommends a hands-off approach. "If you're going to declutter, don't touch the item. Don't pick it up," he said. "Have somebody else hold the pair of black pants and say, 'Do you need this?' Once you touch the item, you are less likely to get rid of it."
4. One of my favorite resources on the decluttering and organizing is the website linked below.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
Click Here For www.organizedhome.com
"Integrity is telling myself the truth. And honesty is telling the truth to other people."
- Spencer Johnson
Video Summary:
1. This week's challenge is, to tell the truth, and nothing but the truth at the moment. The reason why I emphasize at the moment is that I don't want people abusing this week and using it as a chance to get all the dirty secrets and opinions from you.
2. If someone says hey remember that time back 20 years ago when you told my mother that she was an angel, what did you really mean? Then you can just simply say I can neither confirm nor deny your accusation.
3. The most common type of lying we see is usually Other centered also known as pro-social lying and we typically do it as a way of avoiding unpleasant situations or to spare the feelings of whoever is hearing the lie. Many regard this type of as a necessary part of many social interactions. But is this kind of prosocial lying really harmless? And what motivates us to be dishonest with people?
4. I found a great article by Psychology Today that goes into detail on the matter and has studies that have been conducted on why we feel the need to pro-social lie. I definitely suggest you check it out by clicking on the link below.
5. Really, lying is a moral issue and when it comes to debating morals that is completely subjective to one's own belief. The purpose of this week's challenge isn't to debate what is right and what is wrong but to help you be more self-aware of how honest we actually are. Many of us may not even realize we lie on a regular basis and this could be very eye-opening.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
Click Here For The Psychology Today Article
"He who eats until he is sick must fast until he is well."
- English Proverb
Video Summary:
1. This week we are once again focused on our diet by completing the challenge of daily intermittent fasting.
2. To complete this week's challenge you must do at least a 12-16 hour fast every day.
3. The definition of intermittent fasting according to Wikipedia is Intermittent fasting is an umbrella term for various eating diet plans that cycle between a period of fasting and non-fasting over a defined period. What that means is you eat and fast for specific times of the day for example when I do intermittent fasting I usually do between 14-16 hour fasts.
4. So I would start fasting at 7 or 8 at night and I wouldn't eat anything until 10 or 11 the morning. And then I would eat my daily food requirements in the 8 hours in between.
5. keep in mind that this isn't a dry fast it's just a food fast. You can drink as much water as you want but make sure that you're not drinking any sugary drinks or having anything with the glucose that will jump-start your metabolism.
6. If you have any question whether your body could handle it or not I would definitely consult with your doctor before trying it.
7. If you think about it Our digestive system is working for us 24/7. If it works too hard it can create digestive issues so intermittent fasting gives our digestive systems the break that it needs.
8. Think of it this way imagine you're working hard shoveling snow and just as soon as you are done shoveling your driveway, it snows again. So, you start shoveling again and just as you are about to be done, boom it snows again. It would get old after a while and you would most likely get burned out. Our digestive system works the same. If we keep eating and eating without giving it the proper time to digest the food then we can start having indigestion and bloating and gas and multitudes of other problems.
9. If this is something you have never tried I suggest you start at 12 to 14 hours but If you are up for the challenge and really want to feel a noticeable change I highly suggest you do a 16 hour fast. And make sure you drink plenty of water.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
"Love, friendship, networking - these are all critical connections and the foundation of a healthy, happy life."
-Whitney Wolfe Herd
Video Summary:
1. Week 20's challenge is to catch up with at least 3 old friends.
2. If you are just joining the program it is imperative that you go back and watch Week 1's videos. Don't bother trying to play catch up, you can start on whichever week we are currently on. Week 1 is vital because not only do I teach the tools but also the system that I use to achieve my goals.
3. When I was in my accident I came this close to dying in fact there was a moment when I thought this is it I'm dead I'm passing over and the thing that truly brought me back and kept me fighting was my relationships with people. I said to myself I don't want to die, I want to see my wife again, my family my friends.
4. The truth is that when we do eventually die the only thing that will pass on our legacy is the relationships we built. All the material things that we so desperately try to acquire will eventually be sold off or thrown away but the impact we leave behind from those we built relationships with will live on.
5. Now I'll be the first to admit that I have dropped the ball in keeping up with friends of the past. I think one of the problems with social media is that it is to easy to become passive as a friend. What I mean by that is that we don't have to inquire about people's lives because they post about it all day ery day. We can just sit idly by and do nothing yet feel like we are involved in everyone's life yet we aren't. Unless you are actually commenting and engaging with them you might as well be a stranger that's peaking over the fence into their life.
6. So this week let's message or call up friends we haven't said hello to in a long time and let them know that you still care about them and are interested in their well being and that you're not just randomly messaging them because you want them to join your MLM or sell them a product. Yeah, you know who you are…
Thank you for reading and good luck!
"Our deeply-rooted beliefs about the wholesomeness of milk and dairy products should be re-considered under careful, scientific evaluation."
― Bodo Melnik
Video Summary:
1. Week 19's challenge is having absolutely no dairy for the week.
2. If you are just joining the program it is imperative that you go back and watch Week 1's videos. Don't bother trying to play catch up, you can start on whichever week we are currently on. Week 1 is vital because not only do I teach the tools but also the system that I use to achieve my goals.
3. Here's the thing I actually haven't had milk in a long time and every time I do I just feel gross but I love putting yogurt in my smoothies and cheese, errr my gosh, don't even get me started on cheese!
But that's what these challenges are designed to do is to push your comfort zones and give your mind evidence that you can control your diet and that your diet doesn't control you in the sense of cravings.
4. I know there are many positive health effects to not eating dairy like clearer skin, healthy digestion, weight loss, lowered risk of certain cancers.
5. If you're worried about calcium deficiency don't sweat it there are tons of other sources where you can get your calcium from. Here is the thing I get it that all health benefits aside you may not be convinced but that truth is experimenting with your diet can uncover problems you didn't even realize you had.
6. People who stopped having dairy have reported a reduction in headaches, migraines, rashes, stuffy sinuses, chronic infections, arthritis pain, and even narcolepsy. Others are even finding a notable reduction in behavioral issues with conditions such as ADHD and Autism when they eliminate dairy, and sometimes gluten. So I say the only way to see if it has a real impact is to try it and I mean it's only a week.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
CLICK HERE FOR A LIST NON-DAIRY SOURCES OF CALCIUM
"The goal of meditation isn't to control your thoughts, it's to stop letting them control you."
- Anonymous
Video Summary:
1. Week 18's's challenge is to meditate for at least 5 minutes every day.
2. If you are just joining the program it is imperative that you go back and watch Week 1's videos. Don't bother trying to play catch up, you can start on whichever week we are currently on. Week 1 is vital because not only do I teach the tools but also the system that I use to achieve my goals.
3. The definition of meditation is a practice where an individual uses a technique - such as mindfulness or focusing their mind on a particular object, thought or activity - to train attention and awareness, and achieve a mentally clear and emotionally calm and stable state. The how isn't as important as the why.
4. Meditation for me doesn't involve sitting in the cross-legged position and humming because one, it hurts my knee's and two, it hurts my pride, no I'm just kidding it really just hurts my knee's. Meditation for me is just a way of gaining clarity. I find a quiet space and sit and take deep breathes and focus my mind on a particular problem or situation I may need help on and just let my mind take over and think things through.
5. It was weird at first because I associate "Meditation" with hippies and monks" and I thought it was a joke but when I looked at it for what it was I realized that it is just a way to focus your mind and emotion without constant stimuli from other sources and it gives you some amazing clarity.
6. So it's time we look past the stigma that goes along with meditation and opens up our minds to the idea that it can be super useful. Now how will you know when you are actually meditating? To be honest I don't think there is a real definitive answer. There are so many books and opinions that really meditation is all about finding what works and feels good for you but I mean you will never know if it works and feels good unless you try it.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
"You don't start out writing good stuff. You start out writing crap and thinking it's good stuff, and then gradually you get better at it. That's why I say one of the most valuable traits is persistence."
- Octavia E. Butler
Video Summary:
1. Week 17's's challenge is to write at least one short story or poem each day.
2. If you are just joining the program it is imperative that you go back and watch Week 1's videos. Don't bother trying to play catch up, you can start on whichever week we are currently on. Week 1 is vital because not only do I teach the tools but also the system that I use to achieve my goals.
3. Now I get it, you might be thinking who the fetch cares Levi if I write something. Well, hopefully, you do cause your brain sure freaking does! Writing is stimulating brain activity that may help you stay sharp in the years ahead, and the more you do it, the more parts of your brain are activated.
4. It doesn't have to be creative or even make sense but it's all about exercising that brain and who knows you might find a new hobby or passion that you never even thought to explore. That is one of the major points to this challenge/program is exploring different avenues and expanding your comfort zone.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
"We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."
- Winston S. Churchill
Video Summary:
1. Week 16's's challenge is to find at least one item in your house to donate to goodwill every day or at least 6 items for the week.
2. If you are just joining the program it is imperative that you go back and watch Week 1's videos. Don't bother trying to play catch up, you can start on whichever week we are currently on. Week 1 is vital because not only do I teach the tools but also the system that I use to achieve my goals.
3. Here's the thing, we as humans are weird. No really, think about it it's like our whole life's purpose to too accumulate stuff and after we have collected to much stuff then we have to by a house to fill with more of our stuff and then eventually when we die and all of our stuff gets thrown in the garbage or ends up in somebody else stuff collection. All for what? For the sake of saying look at all my stuff?
4. Researchers concluded that physical clutter in our environment can overload the visual cortex, competing for attention in our brain and interfering with our ability to focus and process information. Under a mountain of stuff, most people are less productive and creative. So how can you expect to accomplish your goals if the clutter is always fighting for your attention? Simply put, you can't.
5. So it's time to sort through and decide what needs to stay and what needs to go and whether or not you can help out by donating some of it. Ask yourself why you are holding onto things. Does it bring you joy and happiness or are you holding onto something out of fear of scarcity and obligation?
6. We hold onto a lot of stuff out of obligation that I will feel bad to get rid of something I was given but the truth is a lot of things I don't need or necessarily want and it is only causing harm emotionally to hold onto it. If it is something that brings you joy then keep it. It's time you really dig down deep and find that reason why your holding onto something and determine whether it's worth it or not.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
"We can all fight against loneliness by engaging in random acts of kindness."
- Gail Honeyman
Video Summary:
1. Week 15's challenge is to do at least one act of kindness every day
2. If you are just joining the program it is imperative that you go back and watch Week 1's videos. Don't bother trying to play catch up, you can start on whichever week we are currently on. Week 1 is vital because not only do I teach the tools but also the system that I use to achieve my goals.
3. If you want to bake someone cookies, great! If you want to mow someone's lawn, awesome! If you want to buy a homeless person a meal, fantastic! If you want to pop someone's hard to reach pimple then that's disgusting what's wrong with you?
4. The point is that this week is all about creating a butterfly effect with our acts of kindness so that hopefully we can make those around us feel appreciated and as someone cares.
5. Believe it or not but there some awesome health benefit's to doing acts of service not just for our mental but physical health as well.
6. Acts of kindness increases the release of oxytocin and serotonin in your blood which then increases your happiness, energy, pleasure, even life span and decreases things such as depression, anxiety, stress, and blood pressure.
7. I found this amazing website called randomactsofkindness.org and it lists all the health benefits and more that happens when you participate in an act of kindness. I am going to post the link to this website in the video summary and so go and check it out It's got great information.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
Click Here To Visit Randomactsofkindness.org
"Sugar is for the body as narcissism is for the soul. Both pleasures kill."
― Robin Sacredfire
Click Here For a 5 Day Sugar Detox Meal Plan
Video Summary:
1. Week 14's challenge is to stay away from sweets which include candy, chocolate, ice cream, pop, etc.
2. I believe there is absolutely nothing wrong with having a treat once in a while but the key here is 'ONCE IN A WHILE.'
3. My whole life I told myself that I could eat as much candy and drink as much pop as I want and as long as I was active it was all good. Next thing I know I am 255 pound (picture) the most I have ever weighed in my entire life and I was feeling it. My knees hurt, I was tired all the time, I had horrible indigestion, and I felt a sumo wrestler was standing on my chest every time I wanted to tie my freaking shoes for pity sakes.
4. I decided to do something about it so you know what I did? I climbed freaking Everest! No silly, clearly I'd be a frozen popsicle up there if I did but for a while, it felt like I was attempting to climb a mountain because I chose to go off sweets for a month.
5. The first week was the hardest for me because I had created habits of late night snacking where I would run downtown and buy candy and pop and chocolate bars at night because I was giving in to my cravings and now I had to figure out how to fight the cravings and not give in and it was hard.
6. when I got through one week then I said alright I can make it to two, I can make it to three and honestly by the 3rd week I didn't have any cravings and by the end of the month I lost 12 freaking pounds!
7. So if you are feeling like you have lost control of your diet then this is a great week for you and if you think you are in control of your cravings then this week is really going to put that to the test. If you can't go just one week just 1 without some sort of processed sugary sweet then that means your body has become dependant on it and is addicted and that's the point when you have lost control.
8. Now if you struggle with being able to say no to a specific craving we have amazing people in our group who have created a 5 day sugar detox meal plan. Viktoria and Adrian Jones run a wholistic Health program and are very knowledgable when it comes to dietary health and I can't wait to be interviewing them in the 52 Week goal Challenge Facebook group live on Thursday about their program and the dangers of processed sugar. Be sure to tune in on Thursday, It's going to be awesome!
Click Here For a 5 Day Sugar Detox Meal Plan
"If you are on social media, and you are not learning, not laughing, not being inspired or not networking, then you are using it wrong."
- Germany Kent
Video Summary:
1. Week 12's challenge is staying off social media.
2. I do not think social media is a bad thing my purpose isn't to show you how we need to stay away from it. I believe social media is a tool and whether or not it is bad is in the eye of the beholder.
3. I want to prove to myself that social media for me is just that, a tool and not an addiction.
4. I personally believe that it is absolutely vital to everyone's mental health that we take a week break from social media at least once a year. Give ourselves time to have uninterrupted focus to work on things we have been putting off because we get to easily distracted.
5. I'll be honest I spend about 5 to 6 hours a day on social media commenting on peoples posts, creating content, liking others content, making connections, networking for my business and now for this week those will be free hours I can put toward something else I have been meaning to get done.
6. So starting on Monday you will not hear from me until Saturday when I do my regular end of the week live video in the 52 week goal challenge Facebook group where I will tell you how things go. I highly suggest you do the same, I can't force you do to anything but this challenged is focused on you and giving yourself peace for a week to get things done without social media distraction.
7. Trust me I am legit afraid to do this just because I have spent a lot of time working hard to build my following so far on Instagram and I know that a week of inactivity can cost me followers and what not but I don't care because doing this challenge and giving myself a break is much more important to me.
Thank you for reading and good luck!
"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face."
- Victor Hugo
Video Summary:
1. Week 11's challenge is to allow yourself time to look up a funny joke or video that makes you genuinely laugh every-day.
2. If you are just joining the program it is imperative that you go back and watch Week 1's videos. Don't bother trying to play catch up, you can start on which-ever week we are currently on. Week 1 is vital because not only do I teach the tools but also the system that I use to achieve my goals.
3. There are not only mental health benefits to laughing but physical ones as well. Laughing reduces the risk of stroke and heart attacks, it reduces stress hormone levels and works out your abs.
4. We would love to hear how this week goes for you and please share some video clips or jokes in the 52 Week Goal Challenge Facebook Group that make you laugh so that we may all enjoy it.
Thank you and good luck!
"You know you're old when someone compliments you on your alligator shoes, and you're barefoot."
- Phyllis Diller
Video Summary:
1. Week 9's challenge is to track your spending. In order to complete this challenge you must make a good analysis of your finances by comparing how much you earn to how much you spend and make an adjustment that is going to help you save money.
2. If you are just joining the program it is imperative that you go back and watch Week 1's videos. Don't bother trying to play catch up, you can start on which ever week we are currently on. Week 1 is vital because not only do I teach the tools but also the system that I use to achieve my goals.
3. Most people think in order to make more money you must start a business or join an M.L.M but this is not the case. You can make better use of the money you currently receive through proper management.
4. You will find it to be a lot easier to manage your money when you can actually physically see where you are spending it.
5. I used to be in denial about my bad spending habits and I thought that I could spend, spend, spend, and somehow it would balance itself out. Once Amy and I finally caved at actually looked into our finances we realized that we were horrible with managing our money. You won't know unless you actually check it out for yourself.
6. If you are already great at managing your money then we would love for you to share and tools or advice that you may have that can help out members in the group who are struggling with this, myself included.
Thank you and good luck!
"Initially, my decision to stop eating meat was motivated by fear of spiritual consequences, but right away I found that not eating meat made me feel good about myself. It increased my self-esteem, which I found so rewarding, I wanted to do more."
- Steve-O
Video Summary:
1. Week 10's Challenge is no eating meat. Eggs are okay in moderation but this is a vegetarian diet.
2. If you are just joining the program it is imperative that you go back and watch Week 1's videos. Don't bother trying to play catch up, you can start on whichever week we are currently on. Week 1 is vital because not only do I teach the tools but also the system that I use to achieve my goals.
3. My rule is that you can't hate on something unless you've tried it…except for drugs cause those are stupid. This week's challenge is meant to push your comfort zone and broaden your perspective when it comes to food.
4. Not eating meat has health benefits such as a reduced risk of things like diabetes, cancer, and high blood pressure. You may also experience weight loss, cleaner and healthier skin, increase in energy, and believe it or not but your body may actually even smell better.
5. If you already live a vegetarian or Vegan lifestyle then that's awesome, this week should be a breeze. If you have any tips on how you make this work style work for you we would love for you to share about it in the group to help out those who may feel like this is overwhelming, myself included.
Have a great week everyone and good luck!
Gina The Poop Coach
This is a repost of Gina's Substitution list:
Gina Prima When you are switching your food intake to be more plant based it's so easy to get overwhelmed with what to eat. If you take a food group out of your diet, you HAVE to fill it with something else. For example if you take dairy out of your diet you need to replace it with a healthier alternative. So I have made a little substitution list for you so you don't feel like you are cutting everything out of your diet and feel like you are starving. If there is one thing that we can all agree on is that FOOD IS GOOD! So lets fill our bodies with delicious nutrient dense food!
MEAT- tofu, beans, mushrooms, veggie burgers, jackfriut, lentils, walnuts.
DAIRY - avocado, cashew-nutritional yeast cheese, nutritional yeast, coconut milk, almond milk, soy milk, hemp milk, rice milk, frozen bananas, tofu, aquafaba ( the liquid from chickpea cans)
SUGAR- honey, stevia, fresh fruit juice, dates, maple syrup, organic sulfur free molasses, lucuma powder, mashed banana.
WHEAT- buckwheat, amaranth, quinoa, ground flax seed, almond flour, coconut flour, zoodles ( zucchini noodles), Brown rice, wild rice, gluten free oats, bean noodles, millet, teff flour etc
TABLE SALT- Himalayan salt, nutritional yeast, Brags amino acids ( like soy sauce but healthier), Coconut aminos, cumin, lemon juice, cayenne pepper, kelp powder etc. Experiment with spices!
VINEGARS : Apple cider vinegar -raw, unpasteurized and with the "mother" bacteria and Coconut vinegar.
Oils- The body wants oils in their WHOLE form. Whole olives, raw nuts and seeds, avocado, sub a mash banana or apple sauce for oil in a baking recipe.
Join Gina's Facebook Group
"The more your money works for you, the less you have to work for money."
- Idowu Koyenikan
Video Summary:
1. Week 9's challenge is to track your spending. In order to complete this challenge you must make a good analysis of your finances by comparing how much you earn to how much you spend and make an adjustment that is going to help you save money.
2. If you are just joining the program it is imperative that you go back and watch Week 1's videos. Don't bother trying to play catch up, you can start on which ever week we are currently on. Week 1 is vital because not only do I teach the tools but also the system that I use to achieve my goals.
3. Most people think in order to make more money you must start a business or join an M.L.M but this is not the case. You can make better use of the money you currently receive through proper management.
4. You will find it to be a lot easier to manage your money when you can actually physically see where you are spending it.
5. I used to be in denial about my bad spending habits and I thought that I could spend, spend, spend, and somehow it would balance itself out. Once Amy and I finally caved at actually looked into our finances we realized that we were horrible with managing our money. You won't know unless you actually check it out for yourself.
6. If you are already great at managing your money then we would love for you to share and tools or advice that you may have that can help out members in the group who are struggling with this, myself included.
Thank you and good luck!
"Affirmation without discipline is the beginning of delusion."
- Jim Rohn
"The little energy you obtained from your breakfast can ignite your willingness to kick start. Don't overlook the little energy you have now by fixing eyes on a supposed magical influence farther away!"
- Israelmore Ayivor
Hey everyone, welcome to week number 7 of the 52 Week Goal Challenge and this week is focused on our physical health but more specifically our gut health. Week 7 is, 'Eat breakfast daily.' Which means that not only do you focus on eating breakfast sometime in the morning but doing breakfast right. Not just a single piece of toast or an egg McMuffin from Rotten Ronnie's.
Believe it or not but there is a right way to do breakfast that can maximize your bodies health and do wonders for your digestion. Now if you are just joining the challenge it is absolutely imperative that you go back and watch Week 1's videos. Don't bother trying to play catch up, you can start on which ever week that we are currently on. Week one is very important because not only do I teach the tools but the system I use to achieve my goals and what this challenge is all about.
Now breakfast used to be called morganmente which means 'morning meal' and thank freakin goodness that's not a thing anymore. Could you imagine?
"Excuse me can I get your morganmente menu?"
"I'm so hungry I just a need a good morganmete!"
It makes you appreciate the words we use nowadays huh?
It wasn't until about the 15th century that the word breakfast stared being used. Breakfast literally means to break the fast we have while we sleep. Now the 'when' isn't quite as important as the 'what?'
From the research that I have done, having your breakfast later doesn't really matter but what you eat in that first meal is what is really important. Breakfast kick starts the metabolism and what you eat in that meal can definitely set the pace for the rest of your day.
Now if you haven't yet heard of Gina the poop coach I highly suggest you check her out, I will leave a link to her group in the comments of this video once I post it in the 52 week goal challenge Facebook group. She is all about the gut health and she has been talking about intermittent fasting which is perfect for this week because we are focused on breakfast which is all about breaking our nightly fast. Here is what she has to say about what's best for eating breakfast.
Gina the Poop Coach:
"This is what my life journey is all about, to help everyone have healthy digestion. So have lemon water when you break your fast (breakfast). You can have one cup, two cups, whatever you want and then you must break your fast with a fruit. The body runs off of glucose so you want to break it with any sort of whole fruit that you can get your hands on. I love to break it with a Banana.
You don't want to break it with fat. Your cells are ready for food. They have been repairing your body and are ready for nutrients and so the cells are open and ready to receive and you don't want to fill them up with fat you want fruit glucose. You can eat fat later on but the very first thing you want to have is lemon water and then some sort of fruit. It can be a fruit smoothie as long as there is no added fat."
Levi:
So basically if you eat something crappy well then it's no surprise that you will probably feel crappy.
Now for those who don't eat breakfast regularly it is going to be a big change I would suggest prepping the night before. I by nature am not a morning person and I love to squeeze in as much sleep as possible so I know that if I'm not going to be getting up early I prepare my breakfast the night before. I get my fruit ready so that when I wake up I eat it first fill those cells with all the fruity goodness then after I have given time for the fruit to settle in I eat a good hearty breakfast balanced with proteins, carbs, and fats.
Trust me if you a good balanced breakfast every day this week you will most definitely notice a change. I guarantee that you won't feel as sluggish and you will have more energy throughout the day.
And if you do this for a month, man once your metabolism had adjusted your gut will love you for it.
Not only that you but you will be more aware about what you are eating. Input equals output. What we take into our bodies is what will determine our health and the first step to a healthy life style is being aware of what and how much you eat.
So to complete this week's challenge you must eat a good breakfast everyday by starting with some sort of fruit and then once you have given your body time to absorb you then eat a healthy balanced breakfast.
I am super excited to see how this week goes for you and I will personally be posting every day the breakfast that I eat in comment section of this video in the 52 Week Goal Challenge Facebook group to keep myself accountable and to show you that I am indeed practicing what I preach and I highly suggest you do the same.
Make sure that if you ever post anything that has to do with the 52 week goal challenge program that you use the Hashtag #52wgc or #52weekgoalchallenge that way people can click on those hash tags and be inspired by your Journey.
So once again thank you for watching and good luck!
"Cooking is all about people. Food is maybe the only universal thing that really has the power to bring everyone together. No matter what culture, everywhere around the world, people get together to eat."
- Guy Fieri
We're are now on week 6 and Valentine's Day is just around there corner so you know what that means? This week's challenge is to get married! No, I'm just kidding but this week is focused on strengthening relationships and it is to 'Be the chef.'
There are few things in this world that are able to unite strangers and some of those are music, sports, and food. Food is one of those things that has the ability to bring people together like no other. It's something anyone can make and it's something that anyone can give. So to achieve this week's challenge you must cook two meals and they must be for different people.
Now if you are just joining us out is absolutely imperative that you go back and watch week one and week two's videos. Don't bother trying to play catch up to this point you can stay on whichever week we are currently on but in week one and two I not only teach the tools but also the system that I use to complete my goals.
Now for week six, it doesn't matter who, but it must be a meal you cooked yourself. No running to Kentucky fried chicken and dropping it on someone's doorstep and peace out. This is about building and strengthening relationships with those you associate with or if you want to, start a new one altogether.
If you know someone who is struggling right now then bake them a casserole. If you want to make some new friends then invite people over for dinner. If you want to cook an awesome meal for your significant other for Valentine's Day then go for it! Nothing shows how much you care like a well thought out meal. Unless of course you burn everything and it tastes nasty. Then you're screwed but that's not the point.
Not only will you be strengthening relationships but you are also maybe learning a new skill if you're not someone who regularly cooks. If you are someone who regularly cooks then you get to show off. So there ya go, cook 2 meals for this week for 2 different people.
I'm excited to see how this go for you and We would love to hear about what you cooked and who you cooked for so feel free to post about it in the 52 week goal challenge Facebook group and make sure that when you do you use the hashtag 52wgc or 52weekgoalchallenge that way others can click on that hashtag and be motivated by your journey. Once again thank you and good luck!
"Drinking water is like washing out your insides. The water will cleanse the system, fill you up, decrease your caloric load and improve the function of all your tissues."
- Kevin R. Stone
Hey everyone welcome to week number 5. This week is all about mother natures purest nectar, Water. That's right for the rest of this week you are only to drink water. What I mean is that yes you can and should eat, but that you only have water with your meals. No pop, juice or any sugary drinks like that. No cool aid, sunny-d, even diet sodas. Zip, zilch, nada. Only water. The only things that are okay or pre-workouts such as BCAA's and that sort of thing. If it's not a supplement that you are using to help your muscle recovery in the gym or if it's not medically necessary then it is off limits for this week.
Now, why? Why does it matter if I have a small can of pop once in a while? Well, truthfully it doesn't. Our bodies are amazing at filtering out the crap we digest so having one every once in a while isn't going to do any harm unless you are diabetic or something but I'm not getting into that. I get it there are variables but you understand what I'm talking about. This week's challenge isn't so much focused on making healthy choices as it is focused on the underlying rooted value of self-control.
Let's be honest if you profusely drink sugary drinks on the daily, a week of water isn't going to make huge differences health wise. You will probably go into withdrawals and that is about it. You are not going to lose a ton of weight and have miraculous results. This week is more about trying to prove to yourself, gaining that evidence and self-trust, whether or not you control your cravings or do your cravings control you. If your cravings are controlling you then that is when it becomes a problem.
Now some of you may not have a problem with only drinking water and that's awesome. If that's the case then this week should be a breeze for you. But for many of us, this is going to be hard. I used to drink 1 liter of Canada Dry ginger ale almost every day.
Now when people would say that pop isn't good for me and not to drink so much I would always roll my eyes and go,
"Oh come on pop is fine, I saw a video with a 104-year-old lady who drank 3 Dr. Peppers a day I mean who cares?"
What I realized is that it was a lot easier to give myself permission through justification then it was to admit that I lacked in self-control. If you drink pop because you enjoy doing it but if you wanted to, could stop at any time, then great go for it. But if it's something that you go into withdrawals without and can't seem to function emotionally unless you take a sip of that sweet, sweet nectar on the end of your lips, then that's when you have lost self-control.
The best way to find out whether you drink sugary drinks because it's something you enjoy or whether it's something you have become dependant on is by going off of it and that is what this week's challenge is all about, to prove to yourself where you stand in terms of self-control.
So I am excited to see how this week goes for you I would love to hear if you have any personal insights or you notice any changes. Whatever it is we would love to hear about, so feel free to post it in the 52-week goal challenge facebook group and make sure that when you do you use the #52wgc or #52weekgoalchallenge that way others can click on those hashtags and be motivated by your journey. So once again thank you for watching and good luck!
"As soon as you make eye contact with somebody, you see them, and they become valued and worthy."
- Mary Lambert
"Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence."
- Helen Keller
"Abundance is a process of letting go; that which is empty can receive."
- Bryant H. McGill
"People with goals succeed because they know where they're going."
-Earl Nightingale