How will you celebrate your mom this Mother's Day?

I’m busy preparing for my keynote presentation at a Mother Daughter Gala Dinner on May 10^th in Ottawa, Canada.  See http://ottawastart.com/story/19847.php for full details. If you live in the Ottawa area, I encourage you to attend, or at least pass on the link to invite others. With this presentation and Mother’s Day  around the corner, I can’t help but take stock of the very special bond between mothers and daughters. I was very blessed to have a mother who always believed in me. I am forever grateful for that. I would give anything for her to be in the audience on May 10^th so that I could see her looking up at me with her shining smile full of pride. Unfortunately, she passed away in 2004 after a remarkable 21 year battle with cancer.

Although she is no longer living in the physical sense, trust me when I tell you that she is still very much alive in my heart and soul. I still feed off the strength, determination and inspiration that she passed on to me simply by being there as a positive role model. 

What are you thankful to your mother for? What amazing qualities did you inherit from her? In what ways has she been a positive force in your life? When is the last time you shared these feelings with her and thanked her for all she’s given you aside from life on this earth? How are you going to truly celebrate your mom this weekend?

I’d love to hear your comments.  Simply click on the 'Post a Comment' link below to add your comments. In the meantime, I want to wish all you moms out there a very healthy, happy Mother’s Day and enjoy your time with your family.

Taking Charge of our Health and Happiness

I recently read a book called, ‘The Stroke'. It's about my friend Frank Hegyi’s journey back to health following his stroke including recovering his ability to speak and walk. It got me thinking about a few insights regarding preventative health and resilience that I'm here to share with you as follows.

No matter how hard we try to live a healthy, happy life, there are never any guarantees that we will not fall prey to a stroke or other illness, but I’m a big believer that we all have the ability to do our best to minimize our risks and avoid having to suffer the challenges that Frank Hegyi had to face. When I say "doing our best to minimize health risks:, what I mean is eating a healthy balanced diet, managing our weight, getting regular physical activity and proper rest. It also means making wise life choices that help to minimize our levels of daily stress, worry, anxiety and fears. I believe that these negative emotions can be as harmful to our health and well-being as a piece of fattening chocolate cake.

Unfortunately, so many of us, like Frank, wait for a medical crisis till we finally take proactive steps to change our health, attitudes and lifestyle habits. This is what is so sad. Why do we wait? Why can’t we see that by neglecting our health and not looking after ourselves properly today we can be setting ourselves up for a lot more suffering tomorrow than it would be to just start taking better charge of our health today?

When I made the decision in 2004, shortly after my mother passed away from cancer, to take charge of my health,  weight problems and happiness, I knew that this was the best decision I would ever make. But please do note this - I do not spend hours at the gym, I don’t eat a strict and highly restrictive diet and I’m not in bed at 9:00pm every night. I just make smart choices. I work out regularly and sometimes it is longer than other times. Sometimes I'll miss a workout here and there. I eat a healthy, balanced diet and have learned how to incorporate my favourite foods so I don’t ever feel deprived and restricted. I work hard and I play hard. I am blessed to have a wonderful husband who likes having fun as much as I do and we are sure to incorporate lots of fun and laughter into our daily lives.

The biggest gift that I have given myself and that I am here to share with others through my motivational speaking, coaching, books and radio show is how to lighten up for good. I have learned to not take myself as seriously as I used to and how to let go of the stuff that doesn’t really matter in the bigger picture. Learning to wake up, let go and lighten up are some of the most amazing gifts you can give to yourself for greater health and happiness. Nobody else can give you these things except for yourself. I can teach you how to do it and support you through it, but at the end of the day, it is up to you.

Wishing you continued health and happiness always.

Roslyn Franken, Motivational Inspirational Keynote Speaker

 

To book Roslyn for speaking engagements, personal coaching and purchase copies of her book, The A List: 9 Guiding Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living, visit, http://www.roslynfranken.com

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How to Lighten Up those Valentine’s Blues

Well, it’s that time of year again with all the commercial grandeur of Valentine’s Day, that one official day of the year marked by chocolate hearts, fine dining, red roses, cards and other gifts of love and romance. However, with all its magic and romance, it can also be a challenging time marked with heartache for couples when expectations go unmet or of deep loneliness for singles or widows aching for the romance missing from their lives.

 

Whether single or attached it can be a time for those with the Valentine’s blues to turn to comfort food, alcohol or other unhealthy crutches for instant relief from the heartache felt by so many at this time of year.

 

Here are some tips on how to lighten up those Valentine’s Day blues.

 

SOME TIPS FOR IF YOU'RE ATTACHED:

Remember, your mate is not psychic. Don’t expect him/her to read your mind:

I know we wish we didn’t have to spell things out for our mates. We feel they should know what we want from them and if they really love us we shouldn’t have to tell them. But is that really fair to the other person? Here’s a thought. Instead of being left disappointed yet again, why not BEFORE February 14^th, sit down with your mate and talk? How about taking time to verbalize each other’s expectations for how you want to celebrate this holiday as a couple? Wouldn’t that be a lot better? If you’re expecting special gifts, a romantic card and a night of romance, then let the other know what you wish for and how important this is to you. If there’s something specific you want, tell your mate. Don’t expect your partner to read your mind and automatically know what you want. He/she may have no clue how meaningful this day is to you. as it may not mean that much to them. Otherwise you may well be left hurt and disappointed when your mate fails to live up to your expectations.

With my husband, it’s very simple. He doesn’t rely on this one day a year to buy me roses or tell me he loves me. And vice versa. I don’t rely on this one day a year to buy him gifts and tell him how much I love him. We’ve discussed it and have agreed that for us Valentine’s Day is just another day of the year. Sure, we may get each other a nice card, but if he doesn’t go above and beyond with gifts, roses and fancy dinners, it doesn’t matter to me because to us every day is a celebration of our love. Ya, ya, I know it sounds mushy, but that’s just what works for us. This way nobody is left feeling disappointed with expectations gone unmet.

Okay, so like I said maybe you wish that you didn't have to spell things out to your mate, wishing that if only he or she could just know what to do, or what to buy for you on their own initiative. However, if that's what you've done in the past and it has repeatedly left you hurt and disappointed, then perhaps it's time to try my new approach as outlined above.

A little communication can go a long way to save you this type of heartache and lighten up your Valentine's Day. It can also save you from your potential bad habits like running straight to the fridge or cupboard for your favorite unhealthy comfort foods, or over-indulging in extra alcohol or turning to whatever your unhealthy coping mechanism is that you rely on for instant relief.

 

TIPS FOR IF YOU'RE SINGLE:

Get out of your tunnel vision. Focus on the love you already have in your life.

Instead of having tunnel vision only seeing what is missing from your life, think about all the wonderful things you already have. Why not appreciate and be grateful for all the love you already have around you? Wouldn’t that help you feel a whole lot better? Make it a point to get a group of family and/or friends together and go out for a special dinner, make cards for each other or do a fun social activity. If you have other single friends,  invite them along as they too may not wish to be alone on this day.

Go for it. Indulge yourself:

Give YOURSELF a gift of love such as a day at the spa or some cheerful flowers. If you’re trying to control your health and weight and want to try your hand at portion control, then spoil yourself with the best high quality dark chocolate, ice cream or whatever your favourite treat is money can buy. Give yourself permission to enjoy a small portion and truly taste and savor every mouthful. Just be careful not to over-indulge. Instead of buying a whole box of chocolate, for example, choose a few very special chocolates and stick to those. That way you won’t have the whole box there to tempt you.

Whether single or attached, keep things in perspective. This is only one day in the year so to beat the Valentine’s blues, plan ahead, communicate with your partner, celebrate the love you already have and have some fun!

Roslyn Franken is a Motivational Speaker, best-selling Author, proud Cancer Survivor and Personal Coach who helps people lighten up for good to live a healthy, happy and resilient life. For more information and a FREE Lighten Up Newsletter subscription, visit www.roslynfranken.com.

How to Keep Your New Year's Resolutions

Most people are really good at making their New Year’s resolutions. Unfortunately, most of those same people are just as good at breaking them. Sound familiar? I was a great example. I remember when I was overweight and every New Year’s Eve I would make my resolution to lose a certain number of pounds by my birthday on May 13^th. Yet somehow by the next New Year’s Eve, I’d be making the same resolution but the number of pounds I’d want to lose by my birthday was higher than the year before.

Aaaarrrrggghhhh! I remember the frustration and disappointment in myself. And what did I do to feel better? Yup, I ate more and put on even more weight. I’m proud to say that the last time I made that New Year’s resolution about losing weight was back in 2004. I’ve kept that resolution and have never looked back. However, this article is not about how I shed my unwanted pounds and kept them off. If you really want to know all the details of how I did it, I can tell you this, the same principles I used to lose all my unwanted weight are the same principles that have helped others quit smoking and curb their spending habits and more. These life-changing principles are all in my book, The A List: 9 GuidingPrinciples for Healthy Eating and Positive Living.

I wrote the book with a focus on healthy eating, weight control and improving quality of life and am amazed at the different ways people have applied the principles to their lives and the changes they’ve achieved in their health, relationships and overall sense of well-being. So if you want to learn more beyond this article, I invite you get yourself a copy of my book.

This article is about how to keep YOUR resolution regardless of what it is. So whether you’re looking to lose weight, quit smoking, get organized, enjoy life more or get out of debt for 2013, the key to keeping your New Year’s Resolution is actually quite simple.

Notice I said ‘simple’. I didn’t say easy. Behavioural change is seldom easy and it does require time and effort. The problem is most people give up too soon. You’ve got to have these four necessities of change in place as your foundation to build on. Whatever your New Year’s Resolution is, it all comes down to these four things:

1.       Desire to change a behavior: You say you want to quit smoking, get out of debt, lose weight or be more physically active, for example. That’s great, you have a desire to change. Any change starts with a dissatisfaction with the status quo and a desire for something better.

2.       Willingness to change a behaviour:  Having the desire isn’t enough. You can talk about your desire to change all you want, but what are you willing to do about it? Are you truly willing to make some changes in what you’re doing now? Sometimes we want to make a change, but we don’t know where to start and we resist the very changes we need to make. We’re afraid of failure or we don’t want to fully admit to ourselves the importance of the changes we need to make. We pretend that maybe it’s not that important and we choose to procrastinate on it. Unfortunately, this procrastination can sometimes mean a heart attack or other major health issue, or having to declare bankruptcy. Or sometimes, we just don’t know how to make the change in our behaviour on our own and don’t know where to turn for help. It’s easier and safer to stick with the status quo so we just go on wishing and dreaming of a better self and a better life. Time passes and nothing changes.

3.       Readiness to change a behavior:  Having the desire for change and being willing to make the change is also not enough. You have to be ready to do something about it. Sometimes you’re willingness is there, but the time is not right. If, for example, you’re going through a very emotionally difficult time such as the loss of a loved one, it may not be the ideal time to try and make major changes as you may not have the mental and emotional focus or stamina required. It takes focus and energy to create behavioural change. You may need time to grieve and just ‘be’ and as you come out of this emotionally difficult phase, you can then regroup and look at how to move forward and create the positive and meaningful changes you want on a larger scale.

4.       Commitment to change a behavior:  I tell people that in order to successfully change a behavior long-term, you really need to be a pit bull. What I mean by that is you need to have a ‘never give up’ attitude that will see you through those times where your motivation or focus may not be at its highest. I believe that motivation and focus can sometimes flow in waves even for the most successful people out there, but an underlying commitment must be where you’re operating from for long-term success. Even if you’re having an off day, you’re still committed. You just put it behind you and get back on track as soon as reasonably possible.

Believe me there were days in my weight loss journey where it would have been all too easy to just give up and throw in the towel. My motivation was not always at its highest. There were days and sometimes weeks where I just couldn’t seem to keep things on track. But I just kept it going and never lost my commitment. I gave myself permission to be less than perfect and then just got myself back on track. Next thing I knew I had reached my goal. It may seem difficult and it may seem like where you want to be in your life with the changes you want to make is so far away. Trust me, time is flying so fast that if you just stick with it, you will get there.

Roslyn Franken is an expert in helping people create positive and meaningful change in their lives. She is a motivational inspirational speaker, proud cancer survivor, best-selling author and personal coach committed to inspiring, guiding and supporting people on how to lighten up for good to a healthier, happier and more satisfying life. To book Roslyn for speaking engagements, personal coaching and purchase copies of her life-changing book, The A List: 9 Guiding Principles for Healthy Eating and Positive Living, visit, http://www.roslynfranken.com

Eat this Good Food for a Good Holiday Mood

The holiday season is supposed to be all fun and jolly, but why then do we so easily let it weigh us  down? If your holiday season mood is not where you want it to be, here’s a great health tip that can help.

Did you know that there are certain good foods to keep you in a good mood? One of my favourite good foods for a good mood is avocados. Why? Not only do they taste great, but avocados are full of “good” fat. The monosaturated fats in avocados are known for helping to keep the receptors in your brain sensitive to serotonin.

And why is serotonin so important? Serotonin plays an important part in the regulation of learning, mood, sleep and vasoconstriction (constriction of blood vessels). Experts say serotonin also might have a role in anxiety, migraine, vomiting and appetite. Alterations in serotonin levels in the brain may affect mood. Some antidepressant medications affect the action of serotonin, i.e. they are used to treat depression.

What’s really interesting is that there’s a certain brain chemical that is more active during the winter months which actually lowers serotonin levels around brain cells . This means that serotonin levels are lower during the winter. Doesn’t that help explain a possible reason why some people feel more miserable during the winter?

 (source: (see http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/232248.php)

So if you want to boost your mood and feel better this holiday season and all winter long, be sure to  incorporate avocado into your regular diet by adding it to salads and sandwiches or mash it up as part of a dip or spread like in my recipe below.  Keep at it and maintain those healthy serotonin levels. You’ll notice a difference in  how much better you’ll feel in both mind and body.

RECIPE: Roslyn’s Avocado and Green Pea Guacamole

This is a great recipe if you’re watching your weight, calories or fat intake. In this recipe I augment the avocados with green peas and fresh tomato to help lower the fat and calorie content per serving and add a bit more nutritional variety.  I also do this so I can eat a bit more of  it guilt-free J  So go ahead and indulge a bit. I don’t add cilantro because my husband can't stand cilantro, but please feel free to experiment with it. It's yummy with tortilla chips, crackers, pita bread, vegetables or mixed into a sandwich.

Ingredients:

2 small avocados (or 1 medium to large)

1 cup frozen peas

2 large clove garlic crushed

4 tbsp lemon juice

½ cup chopped tomatoes

Pinch of chile pepper

Chopped fresh cilantro to taste (optional)

 

Instructions:

• Cook frozen peas according to instructions on packaging.
• Scoop out inside of avocado with a spoon.
• Put all ingredients into a blender or food processor and mix till desired smoothness.

Would love to hear your thoughts on this article and recipe. Give it a try and let me know what you think. Send to roslyn@roslynfranken.com.

 

The Amazing Frozen Lemon

This is taken from an email I received that when I read it, I just had to try it for myself. Well, I've tried it and it WORKS! It's such a simple little trick that I highly recommend you try it too. I added my own two cents to this, but basically here is what the email said...

Many professionals in restaurants and eateries are using or consuming the entire lemon and nothing is wasted. How can you use the whole lemon without waste?

Simple.. place the lemon in the freezer section of your refrigerator. Once the lemon is frozen, get your grater, and shred the whole lemon (no need to peel it) and sprinkle it on top of your foods.

Sprinkle it to on any kind of vegetable salad (can also be used in chicken, tuna, salmon, bean, pasta, rice, quinoa or other type of salad you can think of), add it to your soups and it also adds a little twist to your spaghetti sauce, rice, sushi and fish dishes. You can also add it to your regular and herbal tea.

All of the foods will unexpectedly have a wonderful taste, something that you may have never tasted before. What's the major advantage of using the whole lemon other than preventing waste and adding new taste to your dishes?

Well, you see lemon peels contain as much as 5 to 10 times more vitamins than the lemon juice itself. And yes, that's what you've been wasting.

But from now on, by following this simple procedure of freezing the whole lemon, then grating it on top of your dishes, you can consume all of those nutrients and get even healthier.

So place your lemon in your freezer, and then grate it on your meal every day. It is a key to make your foods tastier and can help you get to live healthier and longer! That's the amazing lemon secret!

Do you have a favourite healthy lemon recipe you'd like to share? I'd love to hear from you. Send to info@roslynfranken.com today.

Too busy and tired to look after your health? Wish you had more time and energy to do all the things you want to do? Discover how Roslyn can help you lighten up for good to the healthy, happy life you want! Book a free introductory phone call with Roslyn today. CHOOSE a time that's convenient for you.

Need a dynamic speaker for your next group event? Visit Roslyn Franken online today
http://www.roslynfranken.com





Stop the Aging Cover-Up

"Age is mind over matter. If you don't mind, it doesn't matter." ~ Mark Twain

A friend sent this wonderful quote and photo to me and it reminded me of how much pressure we put on ourselves according to how we ‘think’ we’re ‘supposed’ to look and be as we age. In a society that idolizes youth and beauty, we ‘think’ we’re 'supposed’ to be wrinkle-free with no gray hairs and be able to maintain our youthful figures and features.  We work so hard and spend so much money to cover up our signs of aging and put so much energy into trying to dwell in the fountain of youth, when the truth is we are all aging, nonetheless.  Here’s what I think all this pressure is doing to us and what I plan to do personally to take a stand and walk my talk.

Yes, we’re all getting older and instead of appreciating and celebrating every moment we have in the full glory of who we are today, we spend way too much time, money and energy into beating ourselves up and agonizing over our every wrinkle, gray hair and the change in body shape that comes with age. This doesn’t mean not to do your best to maintain your health, posture, weight, strength and flexibility. This doesn’t mean to just let yourself go physically. To mean it’s about learning to lighten up on all the societal pressure and anxiety around aging because all that added stress is just going to give you more gray hairs to cover up. All that added stress will do is potentially lower your immune system and make you more vulnerable to health problems. All that stress can lead to unhealthy crutches to help you feel better like eating, smoking or alcohol or drug abuse.  These self-medicating coping mechanisms work for the moment and are great for providing that instant gratification when you’re feeling tired and crappy, but in the long run they don’t make you happy. They just put you at greater risk of serious health problems that are going to cause even greater challenges as you age not just physically, but mentally, emotionally, and maybe even financially when you think about the cost of drugs and health care. Is that really what you want to keep doing?

What if you took that same time, money and energy and invested it in your health, happiness and well-being? Wouldn’t that be a far smarter and wiser decision?  

Now as always, I make a point of doing my best to walk my talk and practice what I preach.  It’s not always easy as I have the same challenges as anybody else. However, as a motivational speaker, author and coach whose mission is to help people lighten up for good, I thought to myself that in terms of lightening up the pressures of covering up the signs of aging, I would take a huge leap myself.

I decided that it’s time to ‘lighten up’ on colouring my once naturally black hair to cover the grays. I will literally ‘lighten up’ my hair. Why? A few reasons. My gray hairs which are now at age 47 coming in whiter and faster than ever are truly a pain to keep under control. As a cancer survivor who knows far better than to apply chemical-filled black hair dye on a regular basis, I have officially made the decision to stop the madness. Not only will it save on my health, but it will save me time, money and energy as well that I can put to much better use elsewhere.

I’ve been thinking of doing this for a while now, but have just not found the courage to commit to it. Every time those white hairs start coming in I try to let it go and then when it starts looking so obvious, I chicken out and go and dye it again. What will people think? Can I still market myself as a professional business woman, speak in front of audiences and appear on television and be taken seriously if I let my gray hairs show? I sure intend to. Do you think people will judge me differently? For the better? For the worse?  I don’t know. Will have to wait and see.

Roslyn is a motivational speaker, best-selling author and coach. Learn more about Roslyn and how she helps people lighten up for good to a healthier, happier life. http://www.roslynfranken.com.