12 Healthy Breakfast Ideas for Christmas Morning

When I was a kid, Christmas morning in my family started early, with the four of us gathered around the tree in our coziest pajamas. There would be homemade eggnog from a family friend and Mom would set out a tray of my grandmother’s stollen (German Christmas bread), cookies of all shapes and sizes, a box of See’s candies, and Dad’s famous raspberry muffins. I would eat at least two of every kind of cookie and as many chocolates and raspberry muffins as I could fit into my face. Later in the morning, Mom would make my favorite egg and cheese casserole with tortilla strips and chiles, and I would chow down, again. It was delicious, but not the healthiest way to start the day.

Now that I have Beachbody’s nutrition wizards on my side, I can enjoy my Christmas morning with healthier versions of all of my childhood favorites (except the box of chocolates). So, here are 12 recipes that are sure to please, whether your holiday morning consists of a simple smoothie, a table of nibbles next to the tree, or brunch with family and friends. While we don’t recommend cookies for breakfast, if that’s your holiday tradition, try one of these yummy 21 Day Fix-Approved holiday treats.

Egg Dishes

Tex-Mex Scrambled Eggs and Veggies (Migas)
This traditional Tex-Mex breakfast scramble with crunchy tortilla strips, onions, tomatoes, and peppers is known as Migas. It has 229 calories per serving, and the servings are hearty. This is very similar to my mom’s recipe, and it’s always a crowd pleaser. Her version has a can of diced green chiles for a little extra heat. Get the recipe.

Frittata with Swiss Chard, Tomatoes, and Parmesan
This festive frittata has the colors of the season and is easy to make for your spread on Christmas morning. Swap out chard for spinach, kale, or broccolini if you prefer. Get the recipe.

Mini Denver Quiches
If your holiday breakfast table involves lots of nibbles, try these mini Denver quiches made with ham, cheese, and bell pepper. They are perfect bite-sized appetizers with only 73 calories apiece. Get the recipe.

Muffins and More

Gingerbread Protein Pancakes
Treat your family to these light and fluffy gingerbread pancakes with holiday spices. They have the texture of traditional pancakes, but these wholesome hotcakes have a boost of protein to keep you satisfied during a marathon gift-opening session. Get the recipe.

Blueberry Maple Muffins
These blueberry muffins taste — and smell — incredible. One whiff of them fresh from the oven and you won’t be able to wait until they hit your plate. Ever since I was a child, my dad has made raspberry muffins on Christmas morning. The blueberries in this recipe could easily be swapped for red raspberries or you can do a mix of half and half! Get the recipe.

Zucchini Bread
This healthier take on zucchini bread has all of the moisture and flavor you expect from a homemade loaf, thanks to applesauce and coconut oil. Add a dash of nutmeg and ginger for extra holiday flavor. Get the recipe.

Oatmeal

Cranberry Orange Oatmeal
Did Santa leave oranges in your stocking? Make your morning cozy and warm with hearty steel-cut oats topped with zesty orange and cranberries. Get the recipe.

Baked Vanilla Oatmeal with Nutmeg
Still wrapping gifts on Christmas morning? Before you start, make this recipe. There’s only a few ingredients to mix together before you pop the dish in the oven. When it’s time for gift giving, breakfast will be ready. Add a chopped apple and sprinkle of cinnamon for even more flavor. Get the recipe.

Holiday Spice Oatmeal
Holiday spice and everything nice (and healthy) is exactly what you’ll find in this seasonally-inspired oatmeal. Get the recipe.

Shakeology

Creamy Candy Cane Shakeology
Skip the sugar sticks and reach for this smoothie that tastes like a candy cane. With only four ingredients, it doesn’t get much easier to whip up some holiday cheer! Get the recipe.

Cinnamon Roll Shakeology
Warm, fluffy, cinnamon rolls slathered in icing are the thing of a sugar-lover’s dreams. This Cinnamon Roll Shakeology recipe pulls the best flavors from the sweet treat and transforms them into a healthy Shakeology drink. It does have coffee in it, so as much as it might taste like a dessert, it’s totally acceptable to have for breakfast. Get the recipe.

Chocolate Eggnog Shakeology
This lighter, healthier version of chocolate eggnog is so good, you’ll want to drink it all season long. Good thing it’s under 200 calories! Get the recipe.

December 23, 2015 | BY: Kirsten Morningstar

How To Lose Weight In 3 Days

If you know me well, you know that I’m not a fan of trying to lose weight in a short period of time just to look differently for egotistical reasons. Rapid weight loss isn’t necessarily very healthy either. It can cause digestive, organ and brain function problems if done the wrong way. By “wrong way” I mean diet pills, dramatic fasting, and/or exercising 2 or 3 times a day to exhaustion. 

Here are my top 10 tips to help you lose weight in 3 days and beyond, so that you can create long lasting habits that will allow you to focus on fighting disease, getting healthy, and feeling as young as you can, for as long as possible.

 1. Eat often ~ I know this sounds contrary to weight loss, but science has proven over and over again, that eating 5 healthy "snack size" meals throughout the day, is how you lose weight.

2. Cut out the salt ~ This means consuming less than 2 grams a day. Deli meats, cold cuts, sauces, dressings and processed foods are typically loaded with sodium, so run don’t walk away from these problem foods.

3. Drink your water! ~ For whatever reason this is still a head scratcher for a lot of people. Some schools of thought say to drink as much as a gallon of water a day. Maybe if you’re a 245 pound linebacker training twice a day. My goal is 6 to 8 eight oz. glasses a day, but your weight and activity levels really determine how much is right for you. Drink even amounts of water throughout the day, and experiment to learn what works for you.

4. Get off the hootch! ~ Yup, the empty calories in alcohol, soda pop, energy drinks, are great for gaining weight, so they all have to go if you really want to lose weight and live a healthy life.

5. Plenty of rest and sleep ~ Sleeping is healing, and it’s also when you burn the most calories. Lack of sound sleep, over training, and stress raises cortisol levels to the point where your circadian rhythm is so out of whack that you crave unhealthy food, lose your focus and desire to exercise. Good sleep, low stress, mixed with yoga and meditation is the foundation to weight loss.

6. Don’t skip breakfast ~ Eating breakfast is critical for losing weight. It’s your first opportunity to get some of your 6 to 8 daily servings of veggies, jump start your metabolism, allow you to stay fuller longer, and can assist in helping you burn calories all day long. A jug of Joe and a donut doesn't cutting it.

7. Eat Your Veggies ~ It blows my mind that so many people are lucky to get in 4 of 5 servings of veggies a week never mind 6 to 8 a day. Lack of vegetable consumption in America is one of the main causes of weight gain and life threatening disease. Vegetables are high in nutrition and fiber, and are a critical part of weight loss.

8. Eliminate Problem Foods ~ Fast food, processed foods, booze, simple carbs, and anything and everything that is loaded with fat, sugar and chemicals should be eliminated. Read labels! Know what you’re eating. If it comes from a box, bottle, can or jar, read what’s inside. Lack of fiber, high saturated fats, high sugar, high sodium, and man-made ingredients loaded with unpronounceable chemicals are NOT part of your weight loss solution.

 9. Small portions ~ Tip number 9 and tip 1 go hand in hand. When you spread out your snack size meals throughout the day, the only way to lose weight is by making sure your portions are much smaller than what you’re probably used to. Waking up to 2 or 3 egg whites, a small side of veggies, and a cup of tea might not feel like enough (for some) to get you to lunch. Don’t forget that you get another meal between breakfast and lunch, and another between lunch and dinner. If the quality is high, the junk is gone, the portions small, you can still eat 5 meals a day and lose weight in 3 days.

10. Exercise ~ Shocker right? Here’s the rub though - if you train too hard and/or too long it can actually cause weight gain, especially if your training consists of just weight lifting, and hard core resistance exercises. When you’re trying to lose some weight early in your journey, it’s smart to add yoga, light cardio and high rep resistance.  

These 10 tips are how you lose some weight in 36 hours. These same 10 tips are how you maintain good health for the rest of your life.

Talk Nice...To Yourself

Did you know that the way you talk to yourself has a huge impact on your own health and well-being? Speaking negatively to yourself on a regular basis can have a profoundly bad effect on many aspects of your life. If you openly trash yourself, you give people around you license to do the same.

People who have positive internal conversation have less run-in's with depression, stress and drama, if-you-will. It's also been shown to ward off colds and reduce the risk of cardiovascular issues [wow]!

A positive attitude is much more than just "staying positive." It's about acknowledging and taking a hard look at all your positive attributes (and you have many) and bringing those to light instead of the negative ones.

We all have dark places in us, and things that have happened to us, but those things don't have to run our lives or dictate our future. We have a choice in the matter. We get to choose the way we feel about ourselves, what we say to ourselves and how we show up in our lives.

Comparing yourself to others, wishing you had what they did, wanting someone else's body, etc will not help you get what you want in life. We all have our own paths, and we are the ones responsible for carving out our path in the way we want it.

It took me years to get where I am. I used to do mime on the Santa Monica Promenade for crying out loud. All because I had this big lofty dream of being an actor. I would do whatever it took. I would land little acting jobs here and there, but I never got my big break. I have to be honest, it was hard to stay positive, but you know what? I did anyway.

I caught some other breaks, and happened to be really good at helping people get fit, so I put my focus there.  I continued to move forward, talk nicely to myself and take positive action even though my original dream wasn't happening. Sometimes life has another idea for us, and we can fight against it with negativity, or choose to meet life with positivity and forward movement. I also make sure to surround myself with positive people. It really is true when "they" say; you are who you spend your time with.

The language you use to describe yourself -- and others for that matter, reflects on your ability to see the sunnier side of life, search for solutions and find answers -- cup half full kind of stuff. Your words come from your thoughts, but they also influence your thoughts, it's a two-way street here. The words in your brain and the ones coming out of your mouth can serve you or impede you. Be conscious of the power of your words, and the effect they have on your reality. You get to choose. Remember that!

Flexibility in the Kitchen

I know eating healthy can be hard and it often comes last on the list for most people. Opting for the convenient thing is, well...convenient, and convenience doesn't always equal health. Being flexible with your eating can support you in finding more variety, ease and balance when it comes to your diet.

The way you fuel your body and brain has just as much to do with your physical and emotional health as how you think and move.

Look, you've probably heard me mention (more than once) that my eating habits growing up were less than stellar. When I was a kid, we ate whatever was advertised on TV, which meant Ding Dongs, Twinkies, Ho-Ho's, sugary cereal, Entenmann's donuts (man those were good), you get the idea. If it was junky, I loved it. I was addicted to sugar, salt and fat, and it showed.

I often suffered from depression and fatigue. By first period in school, my head was on the desk and I was drooling. I had zero brain and body fuel to keep me focused and awake.

Eating healthy was something that didn't matter much to me back then. Even after I moved to Sunny SoCal, I continued down the junky path. At this point, I was exercising all the time, so I thought it didn't matter what I put in my body, as long as I was moving it. NOT!

After a run-in with a huge, greasy burger from one of my favorite local restaurants, I experienced the icky's. I felt so sick to my stomach that I knew something needed to change.

I began to get serious about researching food. I began to read labels. I went to seminars and hung out with people who knew better -- nutritionists, fitness enthusiasts and healthy foodies who showed me that there is another way, and that eating for nourishment and fuel was the way to go. Not only that, but I learned how eating healthy would help prevent a myriad of diseases.

I went down the vegetarian road for a long time. It suited me for over 15 years. I began to miss eating fish and quality meats in small amounts and it became increasingly hard to find healthy vegetarian food when I traveled, so I added them back in. I wanted to stay flexible with my diet and not be so rigid. I wanted to listen to my body and not follow some diet that was the current fad.  Our body is the the best nutrition advisor. As cues presented themselves, I took them.

Because I was open to being flexible with my eating, it helped me to find the diet that works for me. I do my best to avoid caffeine, white sugar, gluten, alcohol, artificial sweeteners and too many saturated fats because they don't feel good in my body, and cause inflammation.

Flexibility doesn't only have to do with you, it has to do with others too. Remember, your way might be the best way for you, but that doesn't mean it's the right way for everyone else or the person next to you. Being flexible helps you to cultivate resilience in your life and adapt your perspective so you can take information in from others without judgment. You know your body best, so the cleaner you eat, the more you will be able to read its cues. Remember, the body never lies!

Live Preventatively

Today, I want to talk about the temple that is your body and how to treat it through living preventatively. Preventative living is the only way to live, in my book. Isn't it better to do what's good now, instead of having the treat illnesses and disease down the road when it's too late?

Treat Your Body As The Temple it Is.

Our bodies are temples and they need nourishment and care to function optimally and be healthy. When it comes to health, the foods we put in our mouth are more important than how we move our bodies. Both definitely go hand-in-hand, and you don't want to forego one for the other.

You all know I am a huge proponent of exercise, and yes, it's what I do for a living, yet I also recognize how truly integral diet is in the big picture of optimal health and wellness. And when I say, "diet" I don't mean counting calories and ingesting diet foods. Your diet, and what you eat, is a way of life.

I literally cringe inside when I hear people say, after finishing a workout, "Now I can eat whatever I want." And then they go for the cheeseburger or donuts, or some heart-stopping, processed foods. Exercising is not about getting to eat whatever you want. It's a vehicle used in conjunction with healthy food to keep your body performing at it's best as it ages.

Food is Health, Exercise is Fitness

Look, the way I see it is this; Food is Health, Exercise is Fitness. You need both. It's simple really. Eat good food everyday, move your body every day and health can be yours.

Remember that little (yet extremely powerful) saying from Hippocrates, "Food is Thy Medicine?" Well, I've seen it first hand in my life. When I began to change my diet many years ago and eat healthy, it changed how I felt physically, my energy levels went through the roof and I was sleeping better and had more balanced moods.

It is possible to prevent future health problems through eating a whole food diet, and very possibly reverse some of your current health issues!

How to Incorporate Whole Foods Into Your Diet

I do my best to stay away from any food that comes in a bag, box or can that has more than 4 ingredients. Processed food is frankenfood. It's not real. It's not good for you. And it provides nearly no nutritional value.

Sometimes it's hard to avoid, especially because convenience can be a huge factor when it comes to how we eat, but convenience does not equal health. Most convenience foods contain a lot of chemicals and ingredients that tend to be hard to pronounce and harmful to the body.

I travel extensively and believe me, it can be challenging to stay healthy on the road, but the key to staying healthy is being prepared and eating as many whole, unprocessed foods as possible. This includes veggies, whole grains, fruits, nuts, seeds, legumes, healthy fats and lean proteins.

The more of these whole foods we put into our body, the better and healthier we will feel. Eating this way will start to bring your body into a more alkaline state which is how our tissues, blood and organs stay healthy.

Alkaline foods are known for helping to reverse disease. Foods like leafy greens and other veggies will help your body to become more and more alkaline. Drinking a green smoothie everyday is a great way to get those awesome, alkaline greens into your life.

When the body becomes over loaded with acid (ie: processed foods, sugar, coffee, meats, dairy) it will become a breeding ground for disease and also exacerbate any current health issues you may have.

Make sure to have a huge leafy green salad every day and pile lots of veggies on your plate.

Live Preventatively

Look, preventative living doesn't have to be hard. It's about educating yourself. As you age, your body will break down more and more, it's a given, so you have a choice about whether you want to help it stay strong and healthy, or add to the aging process by not taking care of it.

Enroll friends or family to help you. Shop at your local farmer's market, and on the perimeter of the grocery store or plant a garden. Start to seek out fun, delicious recipes to incorporate more alkaline, whole foods into your diet. Get creative. Your body will only thank you, and you will feel so much lighter, happier and energetic. Your vitality depends on it!

Staying Motivated

You know, motivation can be tricky. Finding the motivation to exercise is often something I struggle with. Yes, it’s my dirty little secret. Shhh…

Staying motivated is easy for some; they just have the exercise bug and nothing slows them down. For me, I have a conversation daily with the 3-little voices in my head, yes, three. The Angel, the Devil and the Middle Guy.  No, I’m not crazy, and I know you know what I am talking about.

The Angel is my enthusiasm and excitement; he desires to feel good. I only hear him about 21% of the time, unfortunately.

That little red-horned dude, well he tends to be seriously loud at times and tries to talk me out of everything. Not only does he try to talk me out of it, but also makes suggestions that I know will not serve me. No, I do not need a chocolate chip cookie right now, thank you very much.

My middle guy, well he’s just a plain old bore. But, he is the voice of consistency and the one I hear the most. He is pragmatic and matter-of-fact. He helps me figure out how the most pleasant way to get through something I am not that into doing, like working out when I could be watching HBO.

Luckily my middle guy and my angel are in cahoots together and can override that devily little guy, but I gotta tell you, it’s not easy. What I have found is that the key to staying motivated is to have a plan and be consistent.

So, here are some of my tricks I have discovered along the way to help you stay on track, even when there are a million obstacles pulling you and the devil voice is shouting in your ear.

1.    Make a plan – having a plan keeps you accountable.

2.    Make variety part of that plan – variety keeps your interested and goes a long way toward motivating you to do what you need to do.

3.    Focus on the rewards – what rewards will you receive from staying motivated and consistent?

4.    Engage in gradualism – Baby steps, baby steps, baby steps; you get the idea

5.    Make OPIE your best friend

a.    One Project at a Time – Pick one thing to start with and go for it

b.    Partition that Project – break your project off into bite-sized pieces

c.     Ignore Your Screw Ups – You will mess up, but this is not an excuse to quit. Own it and move on.

d.    Evaluate your Project – check in periodically and make sure this project is still working for you. If not, switch directions

Staying motivated may not always be easy, but if you follow these little tricks you will definitely have a better experience than if you wing it.

Remember, no one is perfect and if you’re striving for perfection, you are guaranteed to fall short. The important thing is to move forward anyway, even if it’s ugly, wonky or a little slower than you think it could be. Just get it done.  No excuses.

Are you Hiding or Seeking?

In my book, The Big Picture I talk about Hiders and Seekers as part of Law 8, Get Real.

I believe that there are two kinds of people in this world, the kind that avoid and blame while burying their head in the sand, and the kind that take responsibility, live from self-awareness and are willing to confront and acknowledge challenges.

People that respond in a positive, open way and are honest with themselves are in the Seeker category. The people, who react with fear, hate and don't want to face their own problems are usually the Hiders.

Now, I don't like to categorize people this way, as it seems so generalized, but in my experience, if you are not taking responsibility for your life and your behavior, then you are a victim of your circumstances, and that's usually not a good place to be.

Hiders, react. They spew venom, play victim or go into the woe-is-me attitude. They feel like the world is against them and they have no control over anything, even themselves. Hiders are afraid of change and don't like to try new things.

If you are someone who is fit and healthy and likes to take good care of yourself, then most likely you are on the Seeker side of the coin. Seekers take stock of their lives and are continually seeing how they can be a better version of themselves. They keep it real, if you know what I mean?

I have worked with many Hiders in my lifetimes. Usually they are overweight, out of shape and looking for every excuse in the book as to why they can't eat healthy or workout. They will say they've tried everything, and nothing works. They feel unlucky and out of control. But the truth is, they are not being truthful to me, and most importantly themselves. They skip workouts, eat foods that aren't good for them and they don't put in the time or keep themselves accountable. Their internal forces are failing them.

Look, I know life is complex and there are many things to manage and handle, but that doesn't mean you let it all go. The best way to manage life when it feels too much is to break it down in manageable pieces. Take responsibility and get real.

Even though it may be complex, it doesn't have to be complicated. Do you want to react to external forces with push-back and anger, or do you want to respond with grace and ease? The best way to do this is to have a plan. External forces will always be there, they will come at you no-matter-what.

So how do you successfully walk that tightrope without getting knocked off?  You make decisions from your internal compass, in the moment, that are in alignment with your plan. Your internal forces are paramount. They are everything.

So, how are you currently dealing with what life is throwing at you? Are you screaming at your kids when they get on your nerves? Do you shut down and give your partner the silent treatment after a bad day at work? Are you playing victim to a decision someone else made that affects you? If so, then you need to make a change. This way of reacting to life is stressful and will kill you.

Remember your Big Picture, and your plan will keep you in alignment with yourself and your responses to situations. By changing how you react to what life offers, you can become someone who chooses what to accept and creates they life you want to lead. It just takes practice in learning to recognize the things that don't matter so you can LET THEM GO.

Now get out there and try that on for size. Take a deep breath first.

#FuelUp Friday Fascinating Facts

1.    If you boil beetroot in water, and then massage the water into your scalp each night, it works as an effective cure for dandruff. - Move over Head and Shoulders!

2.    In the United States, lettuce is the second most popular fresh vegetable. -  Beetroot must be first!

3.    The word vegetable has no scientific definition, so it’s still acceptable to call a tomato a vegetable. -  Phew!

4. Theaverage person eats eight pounds of grapes each year. -Too bad there isn't grape flavored kale

5.     There are more than 10,000 varieties of tomatoes. - But don't worry, they won't be offended if you call them vegetables.

Recommit, Realign & Re-Focus

It's about this time every year where gym reports show that attendance decreases dramatically from the start of the New Year. Now is the time to put your energy toward recommitting and refocusing on your Big Picture.

I know it's easy to let life get in the way of things and to lose steam with regards to the goals you set for yourself. That's why it's important to continually check in on where you stand with your goals and how focused you are.

Are you giving up too easily? Are you letting other things take priority over your health and wellness? Have you lost your focus?
 

How to Re-Focus

Here are some ways to help you get back on track so you can recommit, realign and refocus before time gets away and you find yourself in a mad rush to get in shape for Summer.

1.    Go back to your original New Year Goals and either recommit to them, or alter them so that they are more realistic, do-able and FUN. The biggest reason for failure is that we often set lofty goals that are not specific, realistic or measurable.

2.    Look at your weekly calendar and schedule in your workouts for the remainder of the month.

3.    Be sure you are getting enough sleep and integrating a bedtime ritual each evening. For example, go to bed and wake up at the same time every day and commit to not using electronics at least 1 hour before you slumber.

4.    Reassess your social commitments and family commitments. See where you can ask for help, and where you can start to say No (see last week’s blog on The Power Of No.)

5.    Ask yourself these 3 questions, answer honestly and then adjust:

a.    Am I making progress? 

b.    Am I fulfilled?

c.     Am I still loving it?

Look, the bottom line when it comes to goals, is that if you don’t love what you are doing, then you won’t follow through. There’s a difference between doing something you don’t want to do because it achieves a higher goal, and doing something you don’t want to do when there is no good reason to do it in the first place.

Leave It If You Have To

I’m a big fan of, “If you don’t love it and it doesn’t serve your purpose, then leave it.” Life is way to short to be filled with unnecessary burdens, have-tos and shoulds. Taking on challenges is great, but if you’re adding stress to your life, you better make sure the endgame is worth it. If the light at the end of your “tunnel” isn’t filled with rainbows and sunshine that you can reach within a reasonable, measurable and defined time frame, then maybe it’s time to get out of the tunnel.

Doing things we don’t love that make us unhappy or anxious takes a huge hit on our health and well-being. I can’t think of a single thing that justifies living in a state of stress and unhappiness indefinitely.

So, take time to reevaluate where you are and then follow the steps provided here so you can recommit, realign and refocus. I promise it will be worth it.

I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comment section below on how you are going to refocus and realign your efforts to reach your goals.

#FuelUp Friday Fascinating Facts

1.    Arachibutyrophobia is the fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of the mouth. 

- I think my dog has Arachibutyrophobia.

2.    In South Africa, termites and ants are often roasted and eaten by the handful, like popcorn.

-Now there’s a healthy treat to eat at the movie theater!

3.    Every time you lick a stamp, you consume 1/10 of a calorie.

-I have to start paying bills online.

4.    Honeybee workers must visit 2 million flowers to make one pound of honey.

-And you thought P90X was hard!

5.    The fear of vegetables is called Lachanophobia.

-I wonder if they’re also afraid of peanut butter.

The Power of No

No. It’s a little word. And one that has a lot of power.

I see many people’s lives get out of balance because they are not able to practice using that little word. It can even be a struggle for me at times.

Look, we are of no use to anyone if our lives are completely out of balance. Saying no is something that can help you have more balance in your life.

If you are someone that is always on the go, on the move and going from point A to B without taking a breath, this teeny word will be of great use to you.

Often times people don’t say no because they don’t want to hurt someone’s feelings, or look like a party-pooper. And then that person ends up feeling resentful, and run-down.

I know that women in general can struggle with this, especially because women are natural caretakers (Go ladies !)

Balancing Life with No

It’s super important to have balance in your life, and to find a happy medium between your Yin and Yang energy. I am someone who is very Yang-centric; always moving my body, always on the go, traveling and going from here to there. I enjoy this because my purpose is connected to moving, finding solutions and taking action. It works for me because I am so passionate about it.

It may not work well for someone else who needs a little more Yin in their life and doesn’t do well with constant movement and being on the go. You have to know your own personal energy balance and then put your focus there.

The balance between saying yes and no is an important component in this. I had a tremendous lack of balance in that sense when I was younger. I used to say NO all the time and mostly because I was not ready for the opportunities that were coming at me. Fear dictated this lack of balance for me.

You may find that you say yes more often than you want because you are worried about what someone else thinks or letting someone down, as I mentioned above. You need to know when to draw the line. If you are saying yes to things that leave you feeling resentful and you end up missing out on important things in your life, like your morning workout or time you scheduled in to take care of yourself, then it’s time to reevaluate.

Avoid Burnout

Bottom line, you don’t want to burn the candle at both ends and end up being a people pleaser who feels over extended and maxed out. It’s important to take care of yourself first and foremost because this is how other people in our life get the best of us.

So, the lesson here is this: Don’t say no when it comes from fear or laziness, therefore ruining your opportunities to say yes. Do say no when it comes from a need to take care of yourself, therefore increasing your opportunities to say yes.

Saying yes needs to be authentic and not forced. Saying no is the same. So start practicing that balance and checking in with yourself before you give any answer. Let your intuition be your guide.